Chapter 484: The Captain's Debut
Early the next morning, Bruno woke up and went for a morning run. After his training, he returned to his room to shower and change clothes. He then joined his teammates for breakfast.
Since Mourinho took over at Old Trafford, Manchester United has maintained strict discipline, including having meals at the same time on match days to ensure players are in peak physical condition.
As captain, organizing team meals should have been Bruno's responsibility, but he delegated this task to Carrick. The reason was simple: he was a novice in this area.
Although he had experienced many things, participating and leading were two different matters. His teammates, seeing him in this new role, couldn't help but laugh, feeling that Bruno as captain seemed a bit strange.
In fact, Bruno was very well-liked in the team; otherwise, he wouldn't have received so much support for the captaincy. Many teammates joked with him, saying that as a new captain, he should treat them to something or that he should be more authoritative and stern—these were all good-natured jests.
"Alright, alright, let's stop teasing him," Carrick called out with a smile.
Thanks to the vote last night, a potential conflict was resolved before it could arise, which was the best outcome for the team. Most players believed Bruno was the most suitable captain.
...
After breakfast, the Manchester United team took a Boeing 234 helicopter provided by Jassim to Swansea.
For the new season, Jassim provided United with two planes: a Boeing 234 helicopter for domestic matches within the UK and a Boeing BBJ private jet for longer trips to the European continent or further destinations.
The Qatari prince's generosity was fully displayed in this arrangement. The combined value of these two private planes exceeded 100 million pounds, which Jassim gave to Manchester United without hesitation.
With the helicopter, United no longer needed to travel to away games a day in advance, as they could reach any destination within the UK in about an hour and a half. For matches in the Greater Manchester area or nearby cities like Liverpool, they could still use the team bus, as these trips were less than an hour by road.
...
After a one-hour flight, the team arrived at Swansea Airport and then took the team bus directly to Liberty Stadium.
Although Swansea is the second-largest city in Wales, it has a small population, and its stadium can only accommodate 21,000 fans. Yet, whenever they played against a domestic giant like Manchester United, the stadium was always full.
Back in the locker room, as the players prepared to take the field, assistant coach Carrick brought out the captain's armband. Under the watchful eyes of all the players, he approached Bruno.
"Let me help you put it on for the first time," Carrick said with a smile.
Bruno nodded, raising his left arm for Carrick to fasten the armband.
This was a symbolic passing of the torch.
"I promise I won't let anyone down!" Bruno declared loudly.
His teammates nodded and, as they passed by Bruno, they all shook hands and hugged him.
This was Bruno's first match as Manchester United captain and United's second league game of the season.
...
As the teams walked onto the pitch, led by the referee, Bruno, as captain, was at the front of the line. This change quickly caught the attention of the media and fans present.
"It seems there's a change in Manchester United. Bruno is leading the team out, indicating he has been appointed the on-field captain," noted the commentator.
"This player, who turns 23 next month, will be the youngest captain in the Premier League this season. We're eager to see how he handles this responsibility and how United performs tonight."
Amidst the cheers of the fans, Bruno approached the referee at the sideline.
Swansea's captain was their goalkeeper, Fabianski. The 32-year-old Polish goalkeeper wasn't the first-choice captain, but with their veteran captain Britton not playing, the armband was passed to Fabianski.
Fabianski seemed surprised to see Bruno but greeted him with a smile.
The referee reiterated his expectations for a fair and flowing game.
During the coin toss, Bruno won the right to kick off, which was part of United's strategy.
...
After exchanging pennants with Fabianski and shaking hands with the referees, Bruno returned to his half. He felt confident, having gone through similar routines during his time as captain at Udinese.
"Don't feel pressured. Just focus on the game and enjoy it like usual," Mourinho reassured Bruno from the sideline, concerned he might feel overwhelmed.
Faria also offered a few words of encouragement, urging him to play freely.
Bruno understood and felt calm, knowing they were likely to beat Swansea. The main question was by how many goals and whether he could score.
However, there was a hint of pressure. After all, this was his first game as United's official captain, and he wanted to make a memorable impact.
The match began with United aggressively pushing forward.
Their strategy mirrored that against West Ham—press high and attack relentlessly.
Leveraging their superior team strength and intense midfield pressure, United quickly suffocated Swansea.
In the 12th minute, Bruno received a pass from Valencia on the right, shook off his defender, and cut inside to the edge of the box. He passed to Mata, who struck a curling shot into the Swansea goal.
After scoring, an ecstatic Mata hugged Bruno tightly. Scoring in two consecutive league games felt fantastic.
Bruno was genuinely happy for Mata, celebrating with him, but he also eagerly wanted to score himself.
(End of Chapter)
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