Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 462: Season's End

When the final whistle blew, Manchester United's substitutes and staff stormed the field, howling and cheering in celebration. Mourinho straightened his jacket and walked over to Wenger. Once fierce rivals in the Premier League, time had softened their enmity, and there was now a sense of mutual respect between them.

To be precise, Mourinho no longer saw Arsenal as a threat to Manchester United. Without the threat, their tense relationship had naturally eased.

"Arsène..." Mourinho began, embracing Wenger, but stopped himself and sighed, patting the professor's shoulder.

Wenger hugged Mourinho back, looking forlorn. "José, do you think... I should retire?"

"Arsène, I didn't hear that," Mourinho said seriously. "Arsenal was brilliant under you, and it can be again. The key is change, to be blunt."

"Arsenal brought in some big names over the last two summers, but it's not enough," Mourinho continued earnestly. "Look at us—we spent 300 million last summer, and City spent 200 million..."

Wenger glanced at Mourinho, resisting the urge to punch him. "Not everyone is like your Manchester clubs, with unlimited funds to spend."

...

As Arsenal's players climbed the podium to receive their silver medals, about ten thousand Arsenal fans remained in the stands, while the rest had already left. Some fans clutched their scarves tightly, tears welling in their eyes as they gazed at the field, their eyes red.

For the second consecutive season, Arsenal ended without a trophy. Last season was somewhat better, with Arsenal being strong contenders for the league title until April. This season, they were out of the title race by November after losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford, falling nine points behind. By season's end, Arsenal trailed Manchester United by 21 points in the league.

In the League Cup, Arsenal crashed out at the quarter-final stage, losing at home to Southampton. In the Champions League, they suffered a humiliating exit in the round of 16, losing 5-1 in both legs to Bayern Munich. Now, in the FA Cup final, they were thrashed 5-1 by Manchester United.

As they looked at the scoreboard, Arsenal fans felt their hearts bleed.

After receiving their silver medals, Arsenal's players quickly left the field. This night, this stadium, was a place of heartbreak for them.

...

Next was the champions' award ceremony. One by one, Manchester United's players went up to collect their medals. Each player, after receiving their gold medal, glanced at the trophy beside them. Even though United had won the FA Cup last season, no one ever tires of winning trophies.

For players like Bruno, Ibrahimović, Kanté, and Maguire, this was their first FA Cup triumph. Captain Rooney was the last to go up, and after receiving his medal, he handed the FA Cup trophy to Bruno. The team counted down together, and Bruno lifted the trophy high.

Red confetti rained down, and Queen's "We Are the Champions" played over the stadium speakers. United's fans roared from the stands: "Yes! We are the champions!!"

As the players jubilantly hugged the trophy and celebrated, Manchester United's victory in the 2016-2017 FA Cup came as no surprise. Despite Arsenal's win over United three weeks earlier at the Emirates, everyone knew United had strategically conceded that match.

Today's final told the real story: United's 5-1 demolition of Arsenal was a thorough rout. The media lavished praise on Mourinho and his team, and Rashford, who scored twice, was named Man of the Match, receiving widespread acclaim.

...

When Manchester United returned to Manchester from London, they were greeted by a grand celebration from their fans. The club hosted a massive event to celebrate the perfect season.

As the players paraded down Manchester's streets in an open-top bus, displaying their four trophies side by side, every United fan felt a surge of pride. This achievement rivaled the treble-winning season of 1999.

In this remarkable season, United completed the European Grand Slam, becoming only the second English team and the fifth in Europe to achieve this feat. Even more impressively, United won the League Cup, Premier League, and FA Cup in the same season, an unprecedented accomplishment in English football history.

Including the Community Shield won at the start of the season, United claimed five trophies in the 2016-2017 campaign.

...

With the FA Cup victory securing their grand slam for the 2016-2017 season, United's schedule was officially over. However, many events were still unfolding.

For instance, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) published a report on the Premier League's official website, highly praising Bruno's performance throughout the season.

"This is the second player after Aston Villa's Scottish forward Andy Gray in 1977 to win both the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards," the report stated.

Andy Gray, known as a top Premier League striker and later a distinguished commentator for Sky Sports, was considered a superstar in the British broadcasting world.

But why did Bruno win these two prestigious awards?

According to the Premier League website: "Bruno is the most attacking player in the Premier League this season. His goal tally and the quality of his goals, including many spectacular strikes, are remarkable."

"Even though this is only his first season in the Premier League, he immediately became Mourinho's key to winning matches. Liverpool's ability to outpace Chelsea for the league title this season owes much to Bruno."

In terms of statistics, Bruno scored 38 goals in 36 Premier League matches, setting a new single-season record, nine goals more than second-placed Kane's 29, and 13 more than third-placed Lukaku's 25. He also won the European Golden Shoe, the first Premier League player to do so in three years.

"Among the top contenders for the Premier League Golden Boot, Bruno not only scored the most goals but also had the highest shooting accuracy, with 71% of his shots on target. This efficiency is astounding for any top scorer."

"Moreover, he is incredibly versatile. Besides scoring 38 goals, he also provided 21 assists, topping the Premier League assist chart, three more than second-placed De Bruyne's 18. Bruno's performance this season has been nothing short of exceptional."

...

Bruno didn't just win the PFA's two major awards; he also received the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Player of the Year award and the Premier League Fans' Player of the Season award. In his debut season, Bruno completed a clean sweep of the Premier League's individual honors, showcasing incredible talent and potential, especially considering he is only 22 years old.

FWA chairman Paddy Barclay heaped praise on Bruno: "Joining a new league, Bruno showed no signs of struggle. He provided an assist in his first match, helping United start with a win. From the second round onward, he scored in 18 consecutive Premier League games, breaking Vardy's record of 11 consecutive matches last season and setting a new, astonishing benchmark!"

"What convinced us to choose Bruno was his six Player of the Month awards, including five consecutive months from August to December. Throughout the season, his performances were consistently brilliant. Whether in scoring or assisting, he led the Premier League. We had no reason not to choose him."

"The fact that he was a newcomer but still earned the votes of everyone who saw his extraordinary talent proves his worth. He has completely won us over!"

...

As the world buzzed about Bruno's grand slam of awards, Manchester United joined the conversation. On the evening of May 29th, at the club's 2016-2017 season awards ceremony, Bruno was named Manchester United's Player of the Season and the Players' Player of the Season.

The former was awarded by the club, while the latter was voted on by the team. The official website of Manchester United announced that Bruno won both awards unanimously.

"His debut season in the Premier League was perfect. He completely conquered this city with his unparalleled football talent, winning over all of us. We believe that under his leadership, Manchester United will soon return to glory!"

Mourinho publicly stated, "He is already the best player on the planet!"

(End of Chapter)

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