Chapter 348: A New Beginning

Chapter 348: A New Beginning

On August 14 at 1:30 PM GMT, Manchester United faced their first match of the new Premier League season. This was likely to be Bruno's debut with Manchester United, although it wasn't the team's first appearance of the season. A week earlier, as the previous season's FA Cup champions, they had competed against the Premier League champions, Leicester City, for the Community Shield at the new Wembley Stadium. Thanks to Ibrahimović's decisive goal, United won 2-1 against the Foxes, securing their first trophy of the new season.

However, Bruno, despite having officially joined United by then, had not yet played for the team, so that victory wasn't associated with him. Now, Manchester United's Premier League opener away at Bournemouth would mark Bruno's first appearance for the club.

Before the match, United conducted a training session at Bournemouth's Dean Court stadium, surrounded by a crowd of media.

After training, reporters swarmed Bruno, eager to hear his thoughts on the upcoming season.

"I feel good," Bruno responded simply, unsure of what more to say. For him, moving from Serie A to the Premier League was just switching leagues; nothing particularly special.

"Are you nervous, Bruno?"

"No, it's not my first professional match," Bruno laughed.

"No, I mean now you're playing for Manchester United. More people worldwide are watching your matches, paying attention to you, which adds pressure..."

"Handling pressure is part of being a professional player," Bruno replied.

"Does your two hundred million euro price tag not give you any pressure?" another reporter chimed in with a challenging question.

"I've answered this before, and my answer remains the same: my price tag is motivation. It pushes me to keep working hard and never slack off," Bruno replied with a smile. His courteous but firm answer left the challenging reporter speechless.

Quick on his feet, the reporter soon asked, "What about criticisms that you might become the biggest 'flop' in history?"

"I don't pay attention to that. As a player, words alone can't defend me. I will prove my worth and ability through my actions on the field. I believe that after a season, no one will call me a 'flop' anymore."

Before the game, Mourinho announced the starting lineup. Unlike the previous Community Shield match against Leicester City, where Mata had come off the bench, this time, he started. Rising star Rashford was in the squad but not in the starting eleven.

For the season opener, Mourinho used his favored 4-3-3 formation: Bruno as left midfielder, Kanté as the holding midfielder, Mata on the right, with Rooney, Ibrahimović, and Martial forming the attacking trio.

With the lineup revealed, any remaining suspense dissipated.

Those selected for the season's first match were thrilled, while those not chosen inevitably felt some disappointment. Mata, in particular, felt relieved.

His previous unhappy experience with Mourinho at Chelsea had made Mata anxious about his position in the team, a concern fueled by media speculation. His substitute appearance and subsequent withdrawal in the Community Shield had felt humiliating, leading him to fear spending most of the season on the bench.

This experience had nearly driven Mata to submit a transfer request before the summer transfer window closed. With Bruno joining the team, he feared his chances of playing would diminish even further.

But starting in this match seemed to signal Mourinho's intentions.

During away games, Mata roomed with Kanté.

On the night before the match, the players stayed in their rooms to rest. With nothing else to do, they chatted to pass the time, as there wasn't much on TV.

Mata, being naturally kind-hearted, was the first player Kanté befriended after joining United. Kanté wanted to ease any tension between Mata and Bruno, given that Bruno's arrival might be seen as a threat to Mata's position.

Kanté often shared stories about his time at Udinese to highlight Bruno's positive traits, hoping to show Mata that Bruno wasn't a bad person and that they could work well together.

Mata, understanding Kanté's intentions, didn't interrupt him. He was curious about Bruno and thought learning about him through Kanté was a good way to satisfy his curiosity without appearing overly eager.

"Bruno helped me a lot, Juan. You know, when I first joined Udinese, I wasn't good at attacking and didn't score for half a season."

Mata nodded, surprised. This was different from his image of Kanté. In Leicester City's surprise run last season, Kanté was known for his all-encompassing defense and had also contributed five goals and seven assists, making him a well-rounded midfielder. Kanté had even been named in the Premier League Team of the Year.

Now hearing Kanté say he once couldn't attack was quite a shock.

While he was primarily a defensive midfielder, modern football required players to be versatile. A player who couldn't attack would be limited on the field.

Mata and Kanté had become friends after Kanté joined Leicester, so he wasn't familiar with Kanté's struggles at Udinese.

"Despite not costing Udinese much, I faced a lot of criticism and was called a 'flop.' Coach Guidolin still insisted on starting me, which added a lot of pressure..."

Kanté now spoke lightly about it, but at the time, he had doubted his ability and questioned if he lacked attacking talent.

"If it weren't for Bruno, we might never have met, ha!"

Kanté wasn't being sentimental. Bruno had indeed helped him regain his confidence and taught him a "trick" for scoring, which led to his impressive performances over the next three seasons and eventually his transfer to Manchester United.

"He told me to have confidence and shared a secret to scoring," Kanté said mysteriously.

Mata, intrigued, asked, "What secret?"

"Before shooting, shout in your mind: 'This shot will go in!'"

Mata raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "That's a secret?"

"Believe it or not, Juan! I followed his advice and scored a crucial goal in the next game!" Kanté said earnestly. "Bruno is genuinely a great guy. He was popular at Udinese, got along with everyone, and was very helpful. When I first arrived and was staying in a hotel, he helped me find a place to live. That's how we met."

Listening to Kanté, Mata remained silent.

He didn't think Bruno was a bad person, but it wasn't about character. Bruno's arrival had taken away his core position. What was once his team had become Bruno's. Accepting this reality was difficult, especially since Bruno had yet to fully prove himself. Mata was ready to step in if Bruno faltered.

This wasn't about personal feelings but about ability. Mata was sure Bruno understood this.

Yawning, Mata told Kanté, "Let's sleep, N'Golo. We have a match tomorrow."

Kanté knew the conversation was over. Mata wasn't interested in hearing more about Bruno. He cooperatively got up to wash.

Before entering the bathroom, he turned to Mata, "One day, you'll like Bruno."

Mata shrugged, noncommittal.

United's first Premier League match of the season kicked off at 1:30 PM local time on August 14, the hottest part of the day. This was a rare experience for Bruno, as Serie A matches were typically held in the cooler evening hours.

The English preferred afternoon matches, contrasting with the Italians' vibrant nightlife. Most Italian matches were scheduled between 8 PM and 9 PM, prime time for television.

English games were scheduled during the day, partly to accommodate Asian audiences. The Premier League had a strong market presence in Asia, with many fans and significant commercial interests.

By scheduling matches at times convenient for Asian viewers, the Premier League ensured fans didn't have to stay up late to watch. For instance, the United vs. Bournemouth match was broadcast at 8:30 PM Beijing time, perfect for viewers to watch and then head to bed.

While this was great for Asian viewers, it posed a challenge for the players, who had to play under the hot sun, dealing with high temperatures, strong UV rays, and glaring sunlight.

As Bruno stepped onto the field to warm up, the heat hit him hard, almost making him step back. The temperature difference between the relatively cool interior of the stadium and the sunlit pitch was significant.

But he quickly adjusted.

Feeling the ground's heat on his feet and ankles, Bruno estimated the ground temperature to be over forty degrees, despite the forecasted thirty-four degrees.

He warmed up as instructed, occasionally glancing around the stadium.

Bournemouth, promoted last season and finishing 16th, had done well under coach Eddie Howe. Howe, named the best coach of the decade by the English Football League in 2015, had led Bournemouth from League One to the Premier League in three years.

Dean Court, Bournemouth's home ground, could only hold about eleven thousand spectators, making it the smallest stadium in the Premier League, especially compared to Old Trafford.

For a small town like Bournemouth, this stadium was just right.

Today, the stadium was nearly full. Among the crowd, Bruno spotted many wearing Manchester United's red shirts, distinguishable from Bournemouth's red and black striped jerseys.

A new stadium, new team, new jersey, new teammates, new fans, new league, new season. Everything was new, including hope.

This was a new beginning.

In this "home of hope," Bruno hoped to become a legend.

(End of Chapter)

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