The first week was euphoric. He bought Kylian Mbappé before PSG even knew his name. He pried a 22-year-old French box-to-box midfielder from Monaco. He even snagged a 35-year-old Messi, just to watch his curved free kicks one last time. The fans chanted. The board sent a smug email: “Excellent financial management, Marco!”
When he resumed, his players moved in slow motion. Passes rolled two yards. Mbappé tripped over the ball. Bayern scored four goals in eleven in-game minutes—all own goals. All deflections off Marco’s own purchased superstars.
“You cannot buy legacy.”