Football Dynasty

Chapter 129: The Sun

For outsiders, the situation at City after Richard Maddox’s takeover seemed marked by a wave of terminations and contract cancellations. Whether it was due to massive spending or something else entirely, no one could say for certain.

One thing was clear, though—Richard never shared with the media or the public why he let all those people go, and even internally, he kept his reasons close to the chest.

Even employees were required to sign non-disclosure agreements, preventing them from speaking about anything that happened internally at City. The moment you stepped out of Maine Road, you could talk about anything—except what went on inside the club.

John Maddock’s resignation marked a tipping point, and now, with The Sun leading in charge, everything has broken down. The lingering discontent from the Swales and Lee era has begun to resurface.

Tony Book, Glyn Pardoe, and even the scouting department led by Peter Pettigrew began speaking out, criticizing Richard for his pettiness over minor issues.

They openly claimed that City would never go anywhere under his leadership and mocked the club’s ongoing struggles in the Second Division.

Tony Book (former youth manager and club legend):"What’s happening at this club—it’s not the City I knew. We used to be a family. You might not win trophies every season, but there was pride in how we treated our own. Now it feels like a numbers game, and people are just being discarded. It’s disgraceful."

Peter Pettigrew (former head scout under Francis Lee): "You can’t run a football club on ego alone. It won’t work. What he did to John [Maddock] was personal, not professional. That man bled sky blue for years."

Soon, more and more people came forward and spoke out.

Mel Machin (former manager under Peter Swales): "There’s no stability left. When you keep ripping the roots out of a tree, don’t be surprised when it stops growing. I don’t recognize this club anymore. It used to stand for something. Now? Now it’s all PR, laziness, partying, and secrecy."

Alan Ball (former manager under Francis Lee):"I worked under John for years. The man had an eye for talent and a heart for the club. To treat him like that—it’s personal. And the worst part? We can’t even speak freely because of some NDA. What does that tell you? If things were really fine inside, would they need to gag us?"

Ken Barnes (former head scout under Peter Swales):"Back in my day, City stood for something—loyalty, development, trust in the people who’ve dedicated their lives to the club. But now? It’s just chaos and control."

And the final voice, Francis Lee:"City isn’t some toy project. It’s a legacy. And if Maddox thinks he can build a future by tearing down the past, then he’s got another thing coming."

After Richard saw all the newspapers, it became clear that nearly all of them had bought into The Sun’s narrative. Or perhaps they had finally found a way to join the chorus, using The Sun as a shield — or maybe, they were all secretly cooperating with The Sun behind the scenes.

Richard didn’t know which.

The first to speak was Frank Shepherd. "I saw it too. This kind of fake news, designed purely to grab attention, is typical of The Sun. I’m ready to sue them—just give me the green light."

Richard was dumfounded by this.

"Why would you sue them?" he managed to ask.

O’Neill was the one who replied angrily. "I already spoke to Ronaldo and Roberto. Honestly, we only went there to unwind, but The Sun only took a photo when we were talking to a woman. He pointed, "It was just a polite hug, but the angle they captured it from makes it seem—" He trailed off.

"Nonetheless, they’ve portrayed our players here as lazy, always partying, and uninterested in football. It’s completely misleading."

Richard nodded, understanding why they wanted to sue The Sun, but he still shook his head.

"We cannot sue them."

It wasn’t that he didn’t have the courage or didn’t want to stand up for his current players, but as someone who understood the future, especially The Sun’s tactics, he knew exactly how they operated when creating sensational gossip.

Given his status as the youngest billionaire, The Sun might even be hoping he’d take the bait, initiate a lawsuit, make a big deal out of it, and turn it into a major spectacle.

This was a trap!

For stories like this, they relied on speculative language, using terms like "allegedly" and "reportedly" in their reports.

Even if they were forced to issue a public apology later, it would be minor and fleeting. Considering the exposure and sales they gained, the profit was massive.That’s why he knew all too well that taking action would likely play right into their hands.

For Rupert Murdoch, the owner of The Sun, this kind of operation is fundamental to their business model.

Without it, News Corporation wouldn’t have expanded so rapidly across the globe. In addition to more advanced and efficient business methods, they rely on a strategy of digging for news when it exists and, when there’s none, doing whatever it takes to "create" stories to grab attention.

"Then what are we supposed to do? Just stay silent while my players are being wronged?"

O’Neill couldn’t help but criticize Richard, frustrated by how passive he seemed in handling the situation. It was similar to how Shepherd and Barry had begun to doubt Richard’s capability as the sole owner of the club. However, Richard stood firm, unwavering, and insisted that he would not take action.

’You’ve underestimated Murdoch’s influence far too much,’ Richard thoughts to himself, disappointed by how both the club’s solicitor and barrister dismissed the power of Murdoch’s influence in the UK.

Who owns British commercial television, BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting)?

Who owns the most currently biggest British newspapers like The Sun, News of the World, The Times, and The Sunday Times?

The media mogul, Rupert Murdoch.

In fact, with his vast media empire—which includes newspapers, television networks, and later digital platforms—Murdoch’s ability to influence politics is significant. Even politicians fear him, as he can launch aggressive campaigns that make or break public figures and political careers.

His ability to sway public opinion gives him a kind of power that politicians can’t easily ignore, and Richard knew he wasn’t ready to go head-to-head with Rupert Murdoch.

’But that doesn’t mean I’ll just sit back and accept it without saying anything,’ Richard muttered to himself.

’First, let’s deal with the current problem.’

He then turned to O’Neill. "Can you call Ronaldo and Roberto here? Also, please ask Cafu, William, Rio, and Ole to come as well."

O’Neill initially frowned when Richard asked to meet Ronaldo and Roberto, but when he heard the other names, he was taken aback.

He wanted to ask what was going on, but seeing Richard already buried in the newspaper, he swallowed his curiosity and instead called Robertson, his assistant, to fetch them.

Before long, they all arrived. Naturally, Ronaldo and Roberto were visibly on edge — because when you hear your boss’s boss wants to see you, it’s either a promotion... or you’re about to be turned into transfer-list soup. And judging by boss’s face, it wasn’t good news."

"Boss, why does your boss want to meet us?" Ronaldo asked, his voice uneasy.

O’Neill’s mouth twitched in irritation. "Speak properly! Just call him ’Chairman.’ All this boss-this, boss-that — you’re making everyone confused!"

The others chuckled at O’Neill’s grumbling, and Ronaldo shyly scratched the back of his head. Clearing his throat, he tried again, "Yes, yes... what does the Chairman want with us?"

None of them realized that Richard, leaning casually against the office door, had been listening to their conversation the whole time.

Richard nodded slightly to himself — just as he expected. O’Neill’s relationship with the players had always been close, almost brotherly.

"Don’t worry," O’Neill said, clapping Ronaldo lightly on the back. "Just tell the Chairman the truth about what happened. Don’t keep him waiting. Go on!"

He gave both Ronaldo and Roberto a little shove toward the door. The two exchanged nervous glances before stepping forward. After all, it wasn’t just anyone they were about to meet — it was Richard Maddox.

To them, Richard was a figure of immense weight and inspiration. As the one who had personally recruited them, they were naturally curious about what kind of man Richard Maddox really was. So, while they stayed in England, they searched for information about him and admired him deeply.

They read about how he had suffered a devastating injury, been told he would never play football again, yet had refused to give in to despair. Instead of falling into darkness, Richard had risen again, stronger than ever, carving out a new path and becoming an incredible success.

For Brazilians like them, it was all too common to watch neighbors or close friends crumble under the weight of poverty, falling into darkness and eventually getting trapped in a cycle of drugs, crime, and despair.

Growing up, they had witnessed firsthand how easily dreams could be crushed under the harsh realities of life in the favelas. To them, Richard Maddox’s story felt like a comet — brilliant, rare, and fleeting — something so extraordinary that it almost didn’t belong to the same world they came from.

Ronaldo and Roberto walked in front of Richard, visibly fidgeting.

When they saw Richard place the newspaper in front of them, they looked up at him, and Richard never took his eyes off them.

Richard finally spoke, ’What do you think about this?’"