The fans in red gathered at the airport in hopes of getting a glimpse of their heroes. Their team had just won a European trophy and it evoked memories of Sir Bobby Charlton, David Beckham and the other players who had done the same.
Only the congregation wasn't there to greet a side oozing with the world's biggest stars, instead they were waiting for non-leaguers FC United of Manchester, who in June won the inaugural Fenix Trophy - a European competition for semi-professional and amateur clubs.
FC United, a club set up by disgruntled Manchester United fans that is currently in the seventh tier of English football, has earned themselves a special status.
Neil Reynolds said that the Reds were the only English club to win a European trophy.
It was amazing to have my children see us win the trophy. Nobody can take the trophy away from us.
The fans have seen it before with Manchester United.
The chairman of Italian non-league side Brera FC proposed the idea of a trophy.
Brera was founded in 2000 with the goal of becoming Milan's third club. With the help of his son, he created a European competition.
The tournament's core values are friendly; European; non-professional; innovative; and xenial, which is why the tournament's name is "Fenix".
The Aleottis didn't just want any old clubs to become a Fenix member, they also wanted non- professional outfits from across the continent that fit their criteria.
There were certain logistical and competitive factors to consider, such as proximity to a major airport and ensuring teams played between the sixth and eighth tiers in their respective nations.
For last year's entrants, that meant clubs that have a storied past but have fallen on hard times, or ones with a clear social or community goal.
Two-time Belgian champion KSK Beveren, who lost to Barcelona in the 1978-79 Cup Winners Cup semi-finals, and Amsterdam's DWS, who won the Eredivisie title in 1964, were included.
Arena Civica is where Brera's link to history is located. The first stadium in mainland Europe to open in the 19th century, it was the home of both Milan clubs before they moved to the San Siro.
The Raptors are based in the Czech capital and aim to provide an inclusive environment for all.
We were selected because we did a project a few months before with AKS Zly, a Polish side that were in last year's tournament, to get more girls into football.
It was wonderful. It shows how much we're trying to do. We've seen a rise in countries we've been involved with since people noticed us.
The final of the tournament took place in Italy in June of last year, with the winners of each section coming together for the final. The other six sides were in attendance to play matches as well.
The human stories and moments of the competition that stood out were created by the FC United team.
"Everyone was so enthusiastic and it was amazing," says Leonardo. There was a very diverse composition of players coming from all over the world and with every type of experience.
Some of the players were able to play in a different country. For some, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, like the guy I saw from Gambia who was almost crying when he got on the plane to play in Poland.
It was his first time catching a plane, so to get that experience is the best projection of the competition.
It was a chance for victors FC United to give a special piece of silverware to their fans who used to travel across Europe for big nights with Manchester United.
It was difficult to fit the extra matches and travel into an already busy schedule, but most of the players were happy with it.
We flew over to Milan on Wednesday morning and played the game on Thursday afternoon. We had to go to work on the Friday and then travel three hours to play Morpeth the next day.
It makes me laugh when I hear the moans of the managers of the premier league.
"It's full on and there's no time to rest, especially for these guys who are engineers or electricians, and don't have the benefit of a massage or a swimming pool to aid recovery between matches, but they will never forget the experience." We wouldn't change it for the world.
The second edition of the Fenix Trophy is about to get under way, and it has already grown in size, with nine clubs now taking part in a three- group first phase before the finals tournament this summer.
Cuenca Mestallistes will join FC United in their group on November 15th.
If budgets allow, the competition could grow even further in the future.
There are three new teams and two new countries entering this year, but there is room for improvement.
We can implement this three-team group format if we keep the numbers at 12 or 15 teams, although at some point we'll need to make a jump to a knockout phase format.
It's harder for people from less wealthy regions of Europe to self-fund playing in four or six games each year because of the financial affordability of clubs.
I think there needs to be a financial incentive for those who go through to the next stage to be able to afford the extra games. It's a way to cover a lot more territory.
The tournament taking off on a larger scale is dependent on finances. Is there any possible sponsors for the man?
"Because the tournament is self-financed, we're counting on the low-cost airlines, so perhaps Ryanair should be our sponsor at some point," he joked. We have a lot of pictures of teams in front of planes.
The sky is the limit for the Fenix trophy if you get a benefactor on board.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
