Alessandro's unexpected selection into Manchester United's senior squad stirred conversations in his home country.
But in England?
Silence.
At most, the English media, in their coverage of United's Europa League preparations in the Netherlands, briefly noted:
> "It's worth mentioning that Alessandro Dybala, a promising young midfielder from United's academy, has been included in the traveling squad."
No fanfare. No headlines.
Just another academy talent getting a shot.
Compared to Alessandro, the media found Pogba's contract saga far juicier.
Pogba's agent, the controversial Mino Raiola, had thoroughly angered Sir Alex Ferguson. The fiery Scotsman even slammed him publicly:
> "He's a small man," Ferguson growled. "The most disliked figure at Carrington."
Raiola, ever the provocateur, responded with pride:
> "I represent players' interests. If Ferguson dislikes me, that means I'm doing my job."
He had a point — plenty of clubs were salivating for Pogba, and Raiola wasn't planning to let him re-sign with United. Why bother? A free transfer meant bigger signing bonuses and agent fees.
It's how Raiola built his empire — maneuvering big contracts for the likes of Balotelli and Ibrahimović.
Still, all this drama meant one thing:
Pogba was out of the squad for the Europa League.
And that opened the door for Alessandro.
When the team arrived in Amsterdam two days ahead of the match, Alessandro kept up his usual routine — training hard, staying late for shooting drills, and working on distribution.
Ferguson noticed.
And he liked what he saw.
He didn't rate Pogba as highly as most. Yes, the Frenchman was gifted — but distracted, too focused on things outside football.
Alessandro, by contrast, was different.
Confident. Focused. Grounded.
Exactly what Ferguson wanted.
When reviewing the lineup with assistant Mike Phelan, Ferguson made the call.
> "Let's start Alessandro."
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Won't that be too much pressure?"
Ferguson shook his head.
> "No. He needs to adapt quickly. I'm planning on using him quite a bit this season."
With that, it was settled.
---
After dinner, the players gathered in the hotel conference room for the tactical briefing.
Coach Ferguson stepped up to announce the starting eleven.
Most of the names were predictable.
But one drew a few surprised glances:
Alessandro Dybala, starting midfielder.
Alessandro's face finally cracked into a rare smile.
Ferguson caught it — and couldn't help smirking.
> "Thought this kid couldn't be shaken," he mused proudly. "Turns out, he's human after all."
> "Alright boys," he said to the team, "get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a real battle."
---
Meanwhile, Su Huishan could barely contain her excitement.
She knew Alessandro was starting.
But she couldn't leak that information.
It was confidential — and she respected that.
Still, it killed her to watch the online chatter, especially the venom from the trolls. A few loyal fans tried to defend Alessandro, pointing out the corruption within the national federation and their bias against him.
But they were drowned out.
It was a digital mob.
One important voice — the former Olympic coach Blazevic, who had once praised Alessandro — was entirely ignored.
That was how online outrage worked. Loud. Short-lived. Mindless.
Su Huishan clenched her fists.
She couldn't wait for these haters to see the truth.
For Ma Daxin and the bureaucrats who sidelined him to eat their words.
> "Just wait until the news drops…" she muttered.
---
Starting for Manchester United.
That's not something you can fake.
That's not something that can be downplayed.
It's a statement.
When the lineup was released an hour before kickoff, Su Huishan nearly jumped out of her chair.
> #39 - Alessandro Dybala
> "YES!!"
She shouted and punched the air, venting all the frustration of the past few weeks.
She took a screenshot of the lineup.
Posted it everywhere with the caption:
> "Come get yourself a Manchester United starter!"
---
Domestic football media exploded.
Every site ran breaking news:
> "Alessandro Dybala to start for Manchester United in Europa League!"
Shockwaves.
Alessandro — the same player dismissed by his own federation?
Now starting for one of the biggest clubs in Europe?
Game on.
---