The arrival of Sergio Ramos changed everything. Before the signing of the Real Madrid legend Barnsley was a cute story. They were the plucky underdogs who punched above their weight. They were the team with the funny bald defender and the pink boots. But now they were news. Global news.

Michael Sterling stood by the window of his office. He looked down at the training ground entrance.

Usually there were two or three journalists. Today there were fifty.

There were vans with satellite dishes. There were reporters speaking Spanish, French, Italian, and Japanese. A reporter from Marca was trying to interview the security guard. A reporter from L Equipe was taking photos of the grass.

"It is a circus," Arthur Milton said. Arthur was sitting on the sofa hiding behind a newspaper. "I cannot go outside Boss. They want to ask me about the Ramos contract. They want to know if we paid him in gold bars."

"Did we pay him in gold bars?" Michael asked with a smile.

"No," Arthur said. "We paid him in ambition. And a very large weekly transfer."

Arthur put the newspaper down. He picked up a spreadsheet. His face turned pale.

"Speaking of payments Boss," Arthur said. "We need to talk about the red line."

"Which red line?"

"This one," Arthur pointed to the paper. "The wage bill. It used to be a small hill. Now it is Mount Everest."

Michael walked over and looked at the numbers.

WEEKLY WAGE BILL ANALYSIS

PREVIOUS SEASON: £450,000

CURRENT SEASON: £1,200,000

The line on the graph went straight up.

"Sergio is expensive," Arthur noted. "Jamie Vardy is expensive. Isaiah King triggered his goal bonus clause three times in training. The boy loves money."

"It is the price of success Arthur," Michael said calmly. "We are not in League One anymore. We are a global brand. Look at the revenue column."

Arthur moved his finger to the green column.

MERCHANDISE SALES: UP 400 PERCENT

TV REVENUE: MAXIMUM

SPONSORSHIP: VANCE GLOBAL STEAKS (NEW DEAL)

"Victor Vance paid us seven million just to put his logo on the training bibs," Michael reminded him. "The Ramos Effect pays for itself. People in Madrid are buying Barnsley shirts just to support their captain."

"It is still scary," Arthur muttered. "I remember when we could barely afford new balls. Now we pay players enough to buy islands."

"We have to keep winning," Michael said. "If we win the money flows. If we lose the money stops. It is simple."

"No pressure then," Arthur sighed.

The first test of the new Galactico era was not a Premier League game. It was the FA Cup.

The Third Round Draw had been kind but also tricky.

BARNSLEY vs ACCRINGTON STANLEY

Accrington were a League Two side. They were honest hard working players who played on a muddy pitch. But the game was at the Fortress.

Michael walked into the locker room before the match.

The atmosphere was different.

Usually before a cup game against a small team the players were relaxed. Maybe too relaxed.

But today Sergio Ramos was sitting in the corner.

The legend was putting on his socks. He did it with extreme focus. He looked like he was preparing for the Champions League Final.

Diego Nunez sat next to him. Diego was copying everything Ramos did.

Ramos put on his left boot. Diego put on his left boot.

Ramos tightened his laces. Diego tightened his laces.

Ramos breathed deeply. Diego snorted like a bull.

"Listen up," Michael said clapping his hands.

The room went silent.

"Today we play Accrington," Michael said. "The world is watching. Not because it is a big game. But because they want to see if the experiment works. They want to see if Sergio Ramos can do it on a cold Saturday in Yorkshire."

Ramos stood up. He adjusted the captain armband. Michael had given it to Danny Fletcher but Danny had insisted Ramos wear it for this game as a sign of respect.

"The cold is nothing," Ramos said. His voice was deep and raspy. "The cold makes the skin hard. Today we keep a clean sheet. If they score one goal I will be very angry."

He looked at the defense.

"Diego. Enzo. Tom. Do we let them score?"

"NO!" Diego roared. "We eat them!"

"Good," Ramos nodded. "Let us go."

THE MATCH

The tunnel was crowded. The Accrington Stanley players were staring.

They were looking at the Barnsley line up.

There was Jamie Vardy drinking a Red Bull.

There was Isaiah King checking his hair in a small mirror.

And there was Sergio Ramos.

One Accrington striker actually took his phone out of his sock and asked for a selfie with Ramos in the tunnel.

Ramos took the photo. He smiled.

"Good photo," Ramos said. "Now put the phone away. Because for ninety minutes I am your nightmare."

The striker gulped and put the phone away.

KICKOFF

The game started.

It was a mismatch of epic proportions.

Barnsley dominated possession. Enzo Silva the Pitbull ran circles around the Accrington midfield.

But Accrington defended with ten men. They parked the bus. They parked the van. They parked everything they owned in front of the goal.

MINUTE 30

It was still 0 to 0.

The Barnsley fans were singing.

"WE HAVE GOT RAMOS! SUPER SERGIO RAMOS!"

Ramos heard the song. He raised a hand to the crowd. The crowd cheered louder.

Accrington won a corner. It was their first attack.

The ball floated into the box.

The Accrington center back was a big man. He jumped high.

But Sergio Ramos jumped higher.

It was not just a jump. It was a flight. He hung in the air for what seemed like three seconds.

THUD.

He headed the ball clear. He headed it so hard it landed near the halfway line.

"He has springs in his boots," Arthur whispered from the bench. "He defies gravity."

MINUTE 45

Just before halftime Barnsley won a free kick.

It was thirty yards out.

Usually Isaiah King took these. Or Erik Olsen.

But Ramos walked up. He picked up the ball. He kissed it. He placed it carefully on the grass.

"He is taking it?" Isaiah asked looking surprised.

"Let him take it," Michael shouted. "He is the boss."

Ramos stepped back. He took his famous stance. Legs wide. Chest out.

He ran up.

He hit the ball.

It did not curl. It did not dip. It was a laser beam.

It flew past the wall. The Accrington goalkeeper did not even move. He just watched the blur.

BANG.

The ball hit the top corner.

GOAL.

1 to 0.

The Fortress exploded.

Ramos ran to the corner flag. He did his signature celebration. He jumped. He pointed to the name on his back. Then he made a gesture like he was making a phone call.

Diego Nunez ran over and tackled him in celebration.

"YOU ARE A GOD!" Diego screamed. "TEACH ME TO SHOOT LIKE THAT!"

"It is easy," Ramos laughed hugging the giant. "Just hit it with your soul."

THE SECOND HALF

The second half was a procession.

Accrington were tired. They were chasing shadows.

Erik Olsen scored a second goal with a beautiful run down the wing.

Jamie Vardy scored a third goal after chasing a lost cause and forcing a mistake.

But the moment of the match happened in the 80th minute.

An Accrington winger broke free. He was young and fast. He was running towards the goal.

Tom the young defender was the last man. He slipped.

The winger was through.

But then came the slide.

Sergio Ramos had sprinted fifty yards. He dived.

It was a tackle that belonged in an art museum. He took the ball. He took a bit of the grass. He stood up with the ball at his feet while the winger rolled away safely.

The crowd stood up and applauded. It was better than a goal.

"That is worth the salary," Michael said to Arthur. "That tackle alone is worth one hundred thousand pounds."

"It was beautiful," Arthur admitted wiping a tear. "It was like poetry. Violent poetry."

FULL TIME

Barnsley 3. Accrington Stanley 0.

Barnsley were through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.

But more importantly they had sent a message.

They were not just a rich team with old stars. They were a team that worked.

Ramos stayed on the pitch for ten minutes after the whistle. He signed shirts. He gave his boots to a young kid in the front row. He hugged the Accrington players.

He was a class act.

THE OFFICE

Later that evening Michael sat in his office.

The noise of the crowd had faded. The stadium lights were off.

He looked at the updated financial report on his screen.

MATCH DAY REVENUE: RECORD HIGH

SHIRT SALES (LAST 24 HOURS): 50,000 UNITS

GLOBAL TRENDING TOPIC: #RAMOSATBARNSLEY

Arthur walked in carrying a pizza box.

"We did it Boss," Arthur said. "We survived the hype. And we made a profit."

"The wage bill is high Arthur," Michael said leaning back. "But look at the brand. We are massive."

"We are," Arthur agreed. "I got a call from a sponsor in Dubai. They want to fly the team out for a friendly. They offered gold watches."

"Tell them we are busy," Michael laughed. "We have the Conference League. We have the Premier League. We have no time for gold watches."

He looked at the tiny baby shoes on his shelf.

He picked up his phone. He had a text from Sarah.

Sarah: I watched the game. Ramos is amazing. But Diego is still my favorite. Bring milk on your way home.

Michael smiled.

The renown was growing. The world was watching. The salaries were astronomical.

But at the heart of it they were still just a family. A very expensive very talented very crazy family.

"Arthur," Michael said.

"Yes Boss?"

"Give Diego a bonus. He kept a clean sheet. And he did not eat the referee."

"I will arrange it Boss," Arthur grinned. "Steak bonus activated."

Michael stood up. He put on his coat.

And with Sergio Ramos leading the defense and the FA Cup dream alive the roar was getting louder every day.

"Next stop," Michael whispered. "Europe."

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