It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bristol City this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at Bristol City can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Bristol City can pretend not to have heard.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Nicolás Domínguez and Bristol City agree another 5 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bristol City this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Filippo Pellacani has his answer from Bristol City; what he does with it is the next window’s story.
Numbers do not stay secret in a dressing room and never have. He is not asking for more than he is worth; he is asking why somebody beside him is worth more, and at Bristol City that is a harder question to answer.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bristol City this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Marked 9.82 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
A 3‑1 win over Milton Keynes Dons, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Bristol City, and it is not being withdrawn.
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Bristol City this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Marked 10.00 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Bristol City, and it is not being withdrawn.
Nicolás Domínguez was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
“Some mornings you wake up and you are still a long way from everything you know.” It is not the football and it never was; Bristol City are dealing with a man who wants a different country.
Ipswich Town paid $71.0K and Bristol City took it, which is the whole story in one sentence. The longer version involves a wage budget and will be told all season.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Bristol City has been clear about where Matteo Scanzi stands, which is more than many ever get.