Chapter 1

In the 2012 UEFA European Championship final, the Italian national team ultimately suffered a crushing 0-4 defeat to the Spanish national team. This was the most lopsided score in the history of the European Championship final. Let's congratulate Spain; they have become the first team to win consecutive European Championship titles...

At the same time, in a dormitory of a certain university in China, Zhuang Mingge, who had been staying up late to watch the match on his computer, angrily threw the cup in his hand.

"Italy played terribly! They didn't have the same fighting spirit they showed against Spain in the group stage! Prandelli's confidence swelled too much after eliminating Germany. To deal with Spain, Italy should have used their strongest defensive counter-attack strategy. Engaging in an open attack with Spain is just asking for trouble!" As an Italian fan, Zhuang Mingge was extremely dissatisfied with Italy's tactical arrangements in the final. He didn't notice that the water from the cup had spilled into his laptop. By the time he realized the problem, the screen in front of him had gone black.

"Ah! My new laptop!" At that moment, a bolt of electricity shot out from the computer screen and hit Zhuang Mingge squarely on the forehead, causing him to faint immediately.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhuang Mingge finally regained consciousness.

"Where am I?" Zhuang Mingge rubbed his head and sat up, looking around. He found himself not lying in a hospital bed or on his dorm bed as he had imagined, but in a room that seemed more like the residence of a wealthy young master. "What's going on..."

At that moment, a large wave of unfamiliar memories flooded into Zhuang Mingge's mind, and he fainted again, unable to bear the weight of the new information.

When Zhuang Mingge regained consciousness, he found that the new memories had merged with his own. From these unfamiliar memories, he deduced that his situation was similar to a common plot in web novels—he had traveled through time. Zhuang Mingge had traveled back to 1993 in Italy and become the youngest son of the famous Corleone family, Michael Corleone—Antonio Corleone.

From the memories of his current body, Zhuang Mingge learned that this Antonio had just obtained a bachelor's degree in sports management from the German Sport University Cologne. He was a staunch fan of both Fiorentina and the Italian national team and possessed an international A-level coaching certificate. The reason Antonio was unconscious was that Fiorentina had been relegated from Serie A, and he had become so angry during the match that he accidentally fell in the VIP box, causing a concussion. He had only just regained consciousness.

"Oh, Antonio, you look terrible," said a handsome middle-aged man as he entered Zhuang Mingge's room. Zhuang Mingge quickly recognized him as his new father in this life, Michael Corleone, the head of the Corleone family.

"I'm fine now, Dad," Zhuang Mingge mimicked the tone of the "Antonio" in his memories. "Look, I'm as strong as a bull now."

"Ha, that's a relief," Michael Corleone said, patting his youngest son's shoulder and sitting down beside him. "Antonio, you're now 22 years old and have graduated from university. According to family tradition, you need to work in the family business." He paused and looked at his favorite youngest son. "Of course, we have fully considered your long-standing interests. After a family discussion, you will be appointed as the president of Fiorentina."

"I know you've been a Fiorentina fan since childhood, and your major in university was sports management. This season, Fiorentina's market value plummeted due to relegation, and the Corleone family has taken the opportunity to acquire all of Fiorentina's shares from Cerrigoli. Now, my son, Fiorentina is yours. Prove your capabilities to us!" Michael Corleone paused again. "However, Antonio, remember that football is a money-burning industry. While the family elders have agreed to expand the Corleone family's social influence through football investments, the club must ensure a balanced budget. That's the bottom line."

"But Dad, with Fiorentina's current financial situation, it's impossible to meet the family's requirements in the next season's Serie B," Zhuang Mingge said, feeling anxious at the old-timers' opinions.

Seeing his youngest son's worried expression, Michael Corleone smiled genuinely and reassured him, "The family will not require Fiorentina to break even until two years from now. For the next two seasons, the family will provide you with $20 million each summer. Of course, if Fiorentina still incurs a loss, it will be deducted from your allowance."

"Rest assured, Father, I won't let you down. I will make Fiorentina one of Europe's top clubs," Zhuang Mingge vowed silently. Since he had such a great opportunity in this life, he was determined to realize his long-held dream of building a true dynasty team.

The 1992-1993 Serie A season had come to an end. AC Milan, under the leadership of coach Fabio Capello and the Dutch trio, had completed a two-peat in Serie A. Juventus, led by Roberto Baggio, had won the UEFA Cup. Among the other members of the Serie A Seven Sisters, Inter Milan, Parma, and the two Rome clubs, while they had not won any convincing titles, their owners were now mocking a team that had unexpectedly been relegated despite having stars like Gabriel Batistuta, Hristo Stoichkov, and Michael Laudrup—Fiorentina.

Fiorentina Football Club, founded in 1926 by the merger of three teams in Florence, originally had red and white as its main colors. In 1928, Fiorentina began its struggle in the second division. The following year, the team colors were changed to purple, representing the city's lily flower. In the 1929-1930 season, it was promoted to Serie A and, except for 1938, remained one of the top teams in Serie A. Its first title was the 1940 Italian Cup. The team's golden era was in the late 1950s, when it won the 1955-1956 Serie A title and finished as runners-up for the next four years. In the 1960s and 1970s, Fiorentina achieved great success, winning the 1968-1969 Serie A title, four Italian Cups, and one European Cup Winners' Cup. However, in recent years, it had often been in the mid-to-lower ranks of Serie A, and this season it suffered the misfortune of relegation.

Many teams were waiting for Fiorentina to sell its players, as the income gap between Serie B and Serie A was too large. Given Cerrigoli's stinginess, he would not allow his property to incur a significant deficit.

However, to their surprise, the first announcement after Fiorentina's relegation was not about the team's players but about a change in ownership!

Fiorentina's new president, Antonio Corleone, told the media that he would do his utmost to return Fiorentina to Serie A and restore its glory.

Zhuang Mingge sat in his office, making notes on a list. If someone were there, they would see that the list was full of names of Fiorentina's upper management.

When the club's president changes, it is common for the team's upper management to change as well. Therefore, even if Zhuang Mingge replaced a batch of the club's upper management, it would not cause much controversy.

However, some people still needed to be retained. Zhuang Mingge did not want to be seen by fans as someone who would sell any player for money, like Cerrigoli.

The first person Zhuang Mingge wanted to meet was a Fiorentina legend—Giancarlo Antognoni.

Many fans today might not know Antognoni's name. When they think of Fiorentina, they first think of "The God of War" Gabriel Batistuta, Rui Costa, and Francesco Toldo. However, for the older generation of Fiorentina fans, Antognoni was the club's greatest star.

In 1972, then-Fiorentina coach and former AC Milan great Nils Liedholm promoted Antognoni. Over the next few years, under the clear blue skies of Tuscany, Antognoni was revered by Fiorentina fans as a hero and a genius. His magical feet made him a groundbreaking player in Italian football history. His all-around performance, precise passing, and ability to dribble past dazed defenders made him unstoppable on the field. In 1982, as a key midfielder for the Italian national team, Antognoni won the World Cup, marking the peak of his career.

From 1972 to 1987, Antognoni played for Fiorentina for 15 years. During his 15 years at Fiorentina, he made 412 appearances, including 341 in Serie A, and scored 61 goals, placing him fifth on the club's all-time scoring list. However, his unwavering loyalty to the club earned him only one Italian Cup in 1976. In 1987, long-term injuries forced Antognoni to leave the intense competition of Serie A and move to Swiss club Lausanne, but Fiorentina fans did not forget him. In the following two seasons, many new fans from Florence traveled to Switzerland to support their legendary star.

Two years later, Antognoni returned to his beloved Fiorentina and held a farewell match. In 1982, the Italian national team played against a world all-star team. During the match, he read a statement to the fans who supported him, his voice choked with emotion:

"I am a lucky person. I could have gone to Roma or Juventus, and perhaps I would have won three or four Serie A titles and even the European Cup. But in my heart, it would never be the same as having 40,000 people calling my name out of love. This is your love, and it is the most important thing. This is why I cannot leave Fiorentina."

The fans were moved by his words, and the applause lasted for five to six minutes. The cheers echoed through the stadium, as if three times the number of fans were present. Antognoni scored a penalty in the 73rd minute, and the stadium was filled with a dreamlike atmosphere. The usually cold-hearted star finally shed tears. After the match, Antognoni left the field with tears streaming down his face, throwing bouquets of flowers to the Fiorentina stands. A large cluster of balloons floated into the beautiful Tuscan sky.

If there were one word to describe Antognoni, it would be "legend." This is why fans remember him, a man with a purple heart. Antognoni is their idol, the prince of princes. For Fiorentina, Antognoni was more than just a football player for 15 years. For the fans of the Viola, he is a symbol of victory.

As Zhuang Mingge recalled Antognoni's legendary years at Fiorentina, a handsome middle-aged man with curly hair entered his office. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. I am Giancarlo Antognoni. You must be our new owner, Antonio Corleone, right?"

"Hello, Mr. Antognoni," Zhuang Mingge greeted him. For such a legendary figure, he did not put on any airs as the boss. He got straight to the point. "You are the first club official I have met since taking office. As the greatest player in our club's history, I want to discuss some matters with you to avoid any unnecessary conflicts."

Antognoni had already prepared himself for the possibility of being dismissed when he learned that the new owner wanted to talk to him. After all, he had been promoted to general manager by Cerrigoli, and it was understandable for the new owner to start with him. However, the thought of no longer being able to work for his beloved club made Antognoni feel a deep sadness.

"Mr. President, please go ahead and say what you need to. I have already guessed what it might be, and I have no objections to your decision," Antognoni said firmly, his mental fortitude honed by his experiences in major tournaments like the European Championship and the World Cup.

Hearing that Antognoni had already guessed his intentions, Zhuang Mingge was delighted. "Since you are prepared, that's even better. You have done a decent job as general manager, at least from a competitive standpoint. However, in terms of commercial development... I must say, you, as a former player, have not done enough. Therefore, I plan to transfer you to the sports department as the head, responsible for scouting players and handling the team's daily affairs. What do you think, Mr. Antognoni?"

"Alright, I will pack up my things and leave..." Antognoni said listlessly, but then he suddenly realized something. "Wait, boss, you mean you want me to be the head of the sports department, not to leave the club?"

"Who said I want you to leave the club?" Zhuang Mingge was surprised by Antognoni's reaction. He didn't know which of his words had caused the legendary player to have such thoughts. "I can't promise you anything else, but as long as I am the president of Fiorentina, the club will not abandon any player who has made significant contributions to the team!"

PS1: I am a new author and not very good at naming, so I decided to borrow a few names I have seen before...

PS2: The main reason I wrote this book is to pay tribute to Mu Gong's "Dream Back to Milan." It's rare to find a book about Serie A, and you actually discontinued it...