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Chapter 170: FC Zenit Saint Petersburg Talk
"You’re kidding me, right?" Richard’s voice was laced with disbelief.
Abramovich didn’t flinch. He simply shook his head, his expression unwavering. "No, I’m serious. What do you think about Russian football? Honestly, I know it seems sudden, but I believe you’re genuinely passionate about the sport. This is a golden opportunity."
"You mean the Union or the league?" Richard asked, still processing.
From what he knew, Russia’s football scene was in a period of transition following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Even their national football competition had only restarted in 1991, so 1995 marked the fourth season Russia had held its own national football competition since the breakup of the Soviet Union.
"The Union," Abramovich replied, leaning forward slightly. "Not the league, but the governing body. The Russian Football Union needs someone who can bring fresh ideas, real change." Abramovich gave a subtle nod, confirming his words.
Richard fell into a brief silence.
"Hey, Roman."
"What?"
"Be honest with me—are you the one behind this, or is someone else pushing it?"
"..."
"It’s not really your idea, is it? So why bring me into this?"
’Because you love football so much, it seems you didn’t even care about the one that could’ve made you tons of money!’ Abramovich sighed to himself, not knowing what Richard was thinking, but he didn’t say anything further. Instead, he replied, "You know I can’t."
Richard remained silent, but Abramovich continued, "What can I gain from entering the football industry? Nothing."
Football was still in the midst of transformation. It didn’t yet have the financial stability, international exposure, or clear governance that could guarantee investors would see a return. Many clubs operated at a loss and depended on wealthy owners to cover shortfalls. In fact, owning a football club often meant losing money and hoping for prestige in return.
Moreover currently, he was still focused on consolidating his business empire and navigating the complexities of post-Soviet Russia. Moreover, he had only just begun to enter the oil and gas industries, so football wasn’t even on his radar yet.
How much does Richard wish he had a recorder right now to capture everything Roman Abramovich is saying—so that years later, in the 2000s, when Abramovich ends up buying Chelsea, he could play it back to him?
But something also made him curious. Who was the person behind the scenes, bold enough to give orders to Roman Abramovich... unless...
Richard swallowed hard, then leaned in, glancing left and right before whispering cautiously, "...Is it Boris?"
Boris Yeltsin—the current President of Russia.
Abramovich didn’t answer immediately, but he nodded before adding, "And Vyacheslav Koloskov."
Richard’s eyes widened in shock. "No way!" he blurted out instantly.
Not only the president of the country, but now also the current vice president of FIFA is getting involved?
No way. He wanted nothing to do with politics.
’Oh crap’
That was definitely a trap.
"I know what you’re thinking," Abramovich said with a sigh, his tone growing more serious. "But I believe Russian football is at a turning point. It needs real reform. This isn’t just about fixing clubs or the national team—it’s about overhauling the entire system. From youth development to league management, everything needs to change."
Richard frowned. "Then you’re looking at the wrong person. I have no experience in this. Honestly, what exactly are you asking me to do?"
"We want you to lead the transformation. To help build a sustainable model that supports future talent, strengthens management, and brings international standards to Russian football. The idea is to restructure everything—from the top league down to youth academies—to produce world-class players who can compete globally."
"...And you want me to guide this entire transformation?"
"Yes," Abramovich said firmly. "You’ve built successful systems from scratch—look at how you managed City. Russian football needs that kind of radical change. And with your help, I believe we can achieve it."
Richard’s mouth twitched. What did he mean by ’guiding City?’ We’re still in the first division league. Still, he shook his head.
"Impossible." Richard stood up abruptly. 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
No matter what the reason—whether it was genuinely about football or a broader attempt to boost Russia’s global image through sport—Richard wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. Without hesitation, he rejected Abramovich’s offer.
Richard thought Abramovich would be disappointed—or maybe show a hint of anger—but he didn’t. Instead, and unexpectedly, he smiled as he pulled his bag around and took something out of it
"I knew you’d say that," he said suddenly, leaving Richard at a loss for words.
He continued, "LOMO optical plant took ownership of FC Zenit after the war. In 1990, FC Zenit was re-registered as an independent, city-owned professional club and was run by the municipality of Saint Petersburg. However, after being relegated, the club was operating at a loss, and now the city government of Saint Petersburg wants to sell its shares to private individuals or corporations."
"..."
Richard was left speechless, and Abramovich responded with nothing more than a quiet, knowing smile.
From an investor’s perspective—the potential, the growth, the untapped market, the chance to be part of something new and rising—it was all there. It could be a risk, but in a way, that made it even more tempting.
"You mean FC Zenit Saint Petersburg?"
"Yes," Abramovich confirmed, his gaze lingering on Richard.
Not to mention the players—like Andrei Arshavin, Aleksandr Golovin, Igor Akinfeev—and later how Russian football shook the world by making lucrative investments in stars like Hulk and others who flocked to Russia in droves.
With no other choice, Richard could only take his seat, showing his willingness to listen.
Abramovich sighed, a sense of relief washing over him as he realized that Richard was finally interested. For him, this was a high-stakes gamble, as the current governor of Saint Petersburg was on the verge of granting approval for Sibneft to acquire part of the Kirishi-2 Oil Refinery.
A requirement disguised as a favor indeed, but the result of this conversation could change his life significantly.
Time passed, and the party at the Biltmore was winding down, but Richard and Abramovich had yet to leave their room.
Even Granovskaia’s sister stood in front of the door, hesitant to enter, as they could hear the heated argument inside.
"I know, but the TV revenue is minimal, and the club is operating at a loss right now. Not to mention, there’s no merchandise income, and attendance is dismal."
"But you’ll gain full support from the government with this," Abramovich countered. "This isn’t just about the immediate financials. The government will back you. You’ll be in a position to turn everything around."
"Government support doesn’t change the fact that the club’s finances are in shambles," Richard shot back. "You’re asking me to invest in a team that is losing money, has a negligible fanbase, and no substantial revenue streams beyond what we can scrape together from the government’s favor."
"Yes, the club is struggling now, but with the right investment and leadership, it will turn around quickly. The potential is there—just like Manchester City. Your investment will ensure that, and you’ll be in control—"
"No, no, no. Don’t compare Manchester City to this," Richard interrupted, frustration creeping into his voice. "Russia is a different world from England. This isn’t just about leadership, Roman. The numbers don’t lie. I’d be taking on a huge liability, not a promising opportunity. The debts, the underperforming assets—it’s too risky. And right now, the price you’re asking is far too high."
In the end, no deal was reached, but both agreed to have another meeting next time, bringing their respective lawyers, which means the discussion is still ongoing.
The following day, just before the training was set to begin, Richard received a message from O’Neill, requesting his presence at a team meeting. Having cleared his schedule in advance, Richard agreed without hesitation.
"This is exactly what I want to focus on in today’s meeting," O’Neill began, setting the tone for the discussion.
"We have many young players in the team, and some have only played at the youth level. Therefore, I want to discuss the new U17 strategy and schedule, so these players can gradually gain experience and adapt quickly to the senior level."
Since the disbandment of City A and City B, the club no longer maintains a reserve team. As a result, unlike other teams in the Premier League and First Division, they do not compete in the Central League for reserve teams.
Once everyone present received a copy of the schedule—along with the full list of youth team players—the meeting quickly shifted into strategy mode, focusing on the new U17 squad.
As Richard looked over the current City youth roster, he recognized only about 15 players. The rest, he realized, were former City B players—those who hadn’t been sold during the last transfer window. They’d been added to fill out the squad, making it possible for the club to participate in both the FA Youth Cup and the FA Premier Youth League.
"Any questions, then?" O’Neill asked, scanning the room.
Richard raised his hand.
"Chairman, please."
Richard gave a nod of acknowledgment and stood up.
"This is about how we can help our young players transition to the first team as efficiently as possible," he began. "For the current U17 squad, I believe we need to fully align their playing style with that of the senior team. That means introducing consistent match tactics and instilling the club’s football philosophy from the early on. By doing so, we ensure that when these players are eventually called up, the step up feels seamless and familiar."
"Also..." Richard paused for a moment, thinking, before continuing, "let’s try to implement what Sheffield has done with their academy."
Sheffield United was the club that discovered him and played a key role in turning him into one of the best young players in England during his time.
The moment he said that—especially those words—the current U17 team manager, Domènec Torrent, and coach, Willie McStay, immediately straightened up, ready to take notes on everything Richard was about to say.
"First, it’s not just about tactics or drills—what truly matters are leadership, culture, and the environment," Richard said firmly. "You all understand that the role of an academy is to help a group of talented young players reach their full potential, right?"
He looked around the room, making sure the message landed before continuing.
"We’re moving toward a multi-disciplinary approach now. I want each of you to discuss and develop a plan to create and sustain a high-performance environment for these players—something that doesn’t just work for this season, but can be carried forward into future seasons, even decades from now. Can you do that?"
