⚽ Football Reborn: The Manager from the Future
Chapter 9 – The World Tilts: Ethan's Return and Ronaldo's Target
Rain slapped against the windshield of the taxi as Ethan's plane touched down at Newcastle Airport. The grey skies of northern England welcomed him back like a wet slap to the face after the golden heat of Rosario. But none of that mattered.
He had Messi.
Not just the player—he had his loyalty, his family's trust, and a decade's head start on the rest of the footballing world.
As the cab pulled into the Darlington training ground, Greg was already waiting outside under an umbrella, grinning like a man who'd just won the lottery.
"Tell me you didn't just go on vacation," Greg said.
Ethan stepped out of the cab, lifted his duffel bag, and handed Greg the AI tablet.
Greg opened it.
The first screen read:
✅ SIGNED: Lionel Andrés Messi – Age 11
Position: AM/FW
Medical: Stabilization plan active
Relocation: Pending – father Jorge reviewing housing proposal
Greg blinked twice, then muttered, "No bloody way."
Ethan smiled. "Oh, it's very much way."
"But… how? He's just a kid in Argentina—how did you even find—?"
"I told you," Ethan interrupted, "I don't scout. I remember."
Greg shook his head, muttering again. "You just got us the next Maradona."
"No," Ethan said, stepping toward the facility. "I just got us the first Messi."
The rest of the week blurred in a whirlwind of emails, legal adjustments, translation services, and planning for Messi's eventual arrival. Meanwhile, the team's morale soared—players began taking training more seriously, inspired by Ethan's confidence and strange, prophetic aura.
But Ethan's mind was already elsewhere.
One name dominated the AI's scouting dashboard, glowing red with urgency.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Age: 12
Location: Madeira, Portugal
Risk Factor: HIGH – poor economic stability, club transition period
Talent Index: 95/100 – physical prodigy, hyper-driven personality
Timeline alert: "Player becomes visible to Sporting CP scouts within 4 months. Intervene now."
This wasn't just about skill anymore.
This was a race against time.
That night, Ethan met with a sports liaison from the board to request a youth travel budget increase. The man, Mr. Porter, an aging administrator with a love for paperwork and a hatred for risk, gave him a tight-lipped frown.
"You just got back from South America," Porter said. "Now you want to fly to some island in Portugal chasing another child?"
"He's not just another child," Ethan said firmly. "He's going to be the most driven athlete the world's ever seen. You've got Messi. Now we're going to get Ronaldo."
Porter raised an eyebrow. "Do you realize how absurd that sounds?"
Ethan didn't blink. "Do you realize how absurd it'll look when Darlington produces two Ballon d'Or winners before we're even in the Championship?"
The room fell silent. Then:
"How much will this cost?"
"Less than the price of a mid-tier left back," Ethan said. "And ten times more valuable."
Porter sighed, then signed the approval slip.
The AI chirped as Ethan walked out of the office:
✈️ Madeira: Flight booked.
Translator module: Portuguese (European) enabled
Profile tracking: Ronaldo – location stable, training with local team Andorinha
Target readiness: HIGH
Parental gatekeeper: Dolores Aveiro
Ethan grinned.
His next destination was a rugged island on the edge of the Atlantic.
The home of a boy who trained like a soldier, starved for greatness.
A boy who would become a relentless force, driven not by joy like Messi—but by pure, unquenchable ambition.
Cristiano Ronaldo was waiting.
And Ethan Ray was coming for him.