Chapter 408: Crucial Match – The Idea to Redefine the Badge
"We are about to witness the semi-final of the Champions League, as Manchester City faces Borussia Dortmund! In the first leg, the score was narrowly in Dortmund’s favor, 2-1 on aggregate. Now, we’re about to see whether Dortmund can extend their advantage, maintain control, or whether the home team—Manchester City—will make history right here on this iconic pitch."
Zanetti exchanged flags with Borussia Dortmund’s captain, Matthias Sammer, and then shook hands with the referee team. After that, they returned to their teams for a pre-game photo.
Afterward, Manchester City’s players gathered in a circle, bending down to embrace each other. Somewhere along the line, this had become their routine, with Zanetti as captain leading the morale boost before the match.
Manchester City faced Borussia Dortmund for the second time this season, kicking off at Wembley Stadium. With both teams reaching the semi-finals, there was no reason to hold back strategically.
Both teams opted to field their strongest lineups. However, after Dortmund took the lead with one goal, their approach to the match was bound to change.
Michael Skibbe clearly didn’t want to commit too heavily to attack in this match, especially since Borussia Dortmund was playing away at Manchester City. They started the game somewhat cautiously, trying to slow the pace and waste time to secure a victory.
O’Neill’s team, on the other hand, hoped to win relying on sheer willpower to push through their third consecutive match. Thus, Manchester City came out swinging right from the start.
Richard, in the VIP box, paced nervously. With the season progressing to this point, there was no turning back, no time to rest.
He realized he had been somewhat naive in the past. Teams competing on multiple fronts—whether coaches, players, or even owners—often found themselves in a bind.
Just like in the FA Cup loss, letting go of any line of competition felt like defeat. They could only fight desperately in every game, often ending up with nothing in the end, leaving difficult-to-explain gaps in reasoning. At this moment, they had to seize the momentum.
Borussia Dortmund, in the first few minutes, still retained their calm demeanor, and Richard could see that they were playing neatly. There were no signs of panic in their players. Seeing this, Richard was tempted to walk up to Skibbe and ask, "How do you keep your players so calm at this crucial moment?"
On the other hand, the Manchester City players were starting to lose their composure, nearly veering into madness. They were like a pack of frenzied wolves.
PHWEEEEE~
The referee raised his hand and brandished a yellow card at Zambrotta.
It was only ten minutes into the match, and Zambrotta had already picked up a yellow card. With Capdevilla having performed poorly in the last match, O’Neill had no choice but to field Zambrotta, who was just returning from a long injury, in this high-profile game.
And just how eager was Zambrotta to set foot on the pitch again? He was like a frenzied wolf, throwing himself into every play with relentless energy. He sprinted tirelessly, driving the attack with quick, precise passes. As thrilling as it was, his intensity pushed the tempo on the left flank to unimaginable levels.
But who faced him on the right flank? Stefan Reuter, a versatile defender known for his tactical intelligence, managed to contain Zambrotta with sharp thinking and precise positioning.
Well, it didn’t matter. Andreas Möller and Matthias Sammer were still on the field today, and City targeted them. While they were well known as Dortmund’s main creative forces, this could also become a weakness. They carried so much of the creative burden that, if they were marked out or fatigued, the team could struggle to transition effectively. And with both already past their peak, their recovery runs were slower, leaving spaces for fast counterattacks.
Studying opponents meant exploiting their weaknesses, and with Dortmund’s core squad in their early 30s, it was clear who Manchester City would target.
Borussia Dortmund tried to control the pace of the match, but they were getting dizzy from Manchester City’s relentless pressing. They were now frantically defending, and Stéphane Chapuisat wasn’t seeing the ball at all. Makélélé’s marking was spot-on, and the duel between the two had become one of the highlights of the match.
On Dortmund’s side of the pitch, the ball had gone out after Stéphane Chapuisat was lightly pushed while trying to control it. However, instead of returning the ball promptly, he kicked it far downfield, clearly trying to waste time. Makélélé, eager to keep the game moving, wasn’t having it. He shoved Chapuisat, making him stumble.
Dortmund players who witnessed the incident immediately swarmed the referee, voices raised in protest, while Manchester City players quickly joined the fray, trying to calm things down—or perhaps defend Makélélé.
PHWEEEEE~
The referee motioned to the other players, signaling them to step back, before calling Makélélé and Chapuisat forward.
"Makélélé, yellow card!" the announcement echoed through the stadium.
The referee didn’t hesitate—he reached into his pocket and brandished the yellow card, making it clear that Makélélé’s challenge had crossed the line.
"SHIT!"
Manchester City focused on offense, while Borussia Dortmund concentrated on defense, making the situation clear.
The roar from the stands was deafening, and the match at Wembley Stadium seemed slightly one-sided. It was certainly in City’s favor in terms of possession. However, seeing the way the match unfolded, Richard couldn’t afford to be optimistic.
Their attacks yielded no results. The strategy of having both full-backs push forward while securing the defense—hoping to draw Dortmund out and force them to commit more players to offense—had failed. Dortmund remained disciplined, leaving City frustrated and unable to create meaningful chances.
"Now or never!"
O’Neill, focused and decisive, immediately turned to Henry, Lampard, and Pires.
"Warm up!" he commanded, signaling the substitutions for the second half.
Both Zambrotta and Makélélé had already received yellow cards—Makélélé, in particular, specialized in breaking up attacks, which made him less effective in an all-out offensive role. As for Pires, O’Neill hoped that his pace and dribbling ability would put Stefan Reuter under pressure.
With forty-seven minutes gone in the first half, Manchester City had already registered eleven shots on target, while Dortmund hadn’t managed a single attempt on goal.
In the second half, the situation remained largely the same. City pressed forward relentlessly, and Dortmund stayed compact, defending deep.
"BOOOHH!"
City seemed to mock Dortmund, forcing them to retreat as if their defense had become a parked bus. However, there was a notable change in City’s formation. If in the first half they had played a traditional 4-4-2, now they seemed to be operating in a daring 3-3-4 setup.
Cannavaro and Zanetti anchored the back line, with Gallas just ahead, helping to shield the defense. Pirlo, Nakata, and Lampard controlled the midfield, while further up, Zidane and Neil Lennon pushed forward, linking with Ronaldo and Henry as the two striking threats.
Immediately after the substitutions, Manchester City’s offensive surge was relentless. The ball came in and bounced out, only to be delivered again, creating a rhythm that left Dortmund in disarray.
By committing his defense and midfield forward, O’Neill knew it was a gamble. If Dortmund launched counterattacks, the risks would increase significantly. However, no tactical shift could guarantee a win, and the key question was whether Dortmund was willing to take that risk.
"Fall back, fall back, deeper!" the instructions rang out—but it seemed that Michael Skibbe was not willing to take the risk.
Ten minutes later, approaching the 60th minute, Richard couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Wasn’t Dortmund known for their attacking play? But what was this?
He sighed, sitting down and hoping that, at the very least, something would happen. He then turned to Marina, who was sitting beside him.
"Marina, what about the club badge we discussed?" he asked, trying to shift his mind away from the tension on the pitch.
Though it hadn’t been his idea, Karren Brady’s suggestion to modernize the club’s brand for a global audience had been well received by Miss Heysen and the others. The proposal sparked a small sense of excitement, especially for Richard, who suddenly remembered that the Manchester City badge shouldn’t be the one currently in use—it ought to be a distinctive design featuring an eagle, symbolizing the city’s booming aerospace industry.
Well, every ownership sometimes wants to mark a new era by rebranding, and Richard was no different from the rest. It signaled change, ambition, and progress. Moreover, a new badge meant new merchandise—shirts, scarves, caps, mugs, and more—which could massively boost sales revenue.
Now the question was: which idea was the right one?
The first Premier League title and a new Badge—it would mark a new era, a true break from the past.
"But Richard, are you sure you want to use the badge you suggested?"
The problem was that while Richard was rather casual about pushing for his Badge, the others weren’t. For them, the club’s crest was better left simple, iconic, and deeply familiar. So when Richard recommended a redesign—something slightly different, or even a bit alien, to be honest—not everyone agreed. They argued that the old crests might have been too complicated or filled with local symbols that meant little to international fans.
But since Richard owned 100% of the club, his voice was absolute.
"I—"
However, before he could say more, the stadium erupted.
"City has found the net! The ball slips through the jostling players, heading straight toward the goal, and the referee signals—goal confirmed! Manchester City equalizes in the second leg! It’s 2–2, Thierry Henry! Look at that finish—managing to prod the ball in with just his toe, slipping it skillfully past Stefan Klos’s elbow. Wembley, here it is: Thierry Henry!!!"
Henry’s heart raced as he leapt to his feet, charging down the pitch in a surge of elation. He ran along the sidelines, arms outstretched, his face beaming with joy. His teammates chased after him, while flashes from countless cameras illuminated Wembley Stadium, capturing the moment for fans everywhere.