Sporting a pair of purplish-black eye bags, Claire Lee sat quietly in Sir Alex Ferguson's office, waiting for the team's big boss and coach to show up.
Claire thought his scuffle with Benzema was water under the bridge. But two days before December 17, thanks to the media storm, he received a fine from UEFA.
Fame's a double-edged sword—sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse. And here was the downside.
The next match was Manchester United's away game against West Ham United!
Claire stared at the fine notice, his head spinning: Due to Manchester United's No. 66 player, Claire Lee, engaging in a post-match altercation with an opposing team member, he is fined £50,000 and suspended for one match. Notification hereby issued.
When Claire first saw the fine, he nearly passed out from frustration. In his mind, he was the victim! UEFA didn't even bother asking for his side of the story before slapping him with a suspension and a pay cut.
To Claire, this was a disaster out of nowhere. Not many knew he and Benzema had fought in the players' tunnel over a woman. It wasn't public knowledge, but in Manchester, word had spread. Despite both Claire's and Benzema's management teams denying the rumors, too many people had witnessed it. The tabloids, of course, ran with the story.
What really got under Claire's skin was how the rise of social media had turned this into a circus. It wasn't just harmless gossip—people had uploaded videos of the incident to YouTube!
The worst offender was a YouTube channel called "The Haire Brothers." These two clowns, armed with a cheap microphone, roamed Manchester's streets interviewing United fans. Dressed in ridiculous outfits, they'd ask, "What do you think about Claire getting into a post-match fight with Benzema over a woman?"
If they met someone who knew the story, they'd gasp dramatically and say, "It's unbelievable! Claire's always been a street hero to me. I even ran into him near Old Trafford once, and he bought me dinner!"
For fans or music lovers clueless about the drama, the brothers would spice up the story with exaggerated details.
The video went viral on YouTube, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. Claire was so furious he wanted to sic his lawyer on them. Luckily, his agent, Costa Mayol, kept a cooler head, recognizing the potential influence of these platforms. Costa suggested, "In your next media interview, just say, 'Oh, I saw that video. It's pretty funny. I'm not suing them—they're young like me and have plenty of room to grow.'"
That way, Claire would come off as gracious, his public image would soar, and self-media outlets would scramble to cover him. Win-win.
Finally, Malcolm and Sir Alex Ferguson walked into the office, one after the other. Their expressions were telling: Malcolm, the money man, looked almost giddy, while Ferguson's face was as dark as a storm cloud.
Malcolm was thrilled to see his "golden goose." Claire's presence had brought Manchester United roughly £100 million in indirect revenue. Forget ticket sales—next season's sponsorships alone had jumped 5%. Even luxury women's brands were lining up to sponsor Claire's kit.
Malcolm, who'd never cared about the Billboard Hot 100, now checked Claire's song rankings every morning before his coffee, more obsessed than Claire's own agent.
"Got any plans for a new song? Costa mentioned you've got one that's about to sell big," Malcolm said.
Claire shot an awkward glance at Ferguson, knowing the coach held his fate in his hands when it came to matches. Malcolm, unfazed, plopped down next to Claire, patting his shoulder. "Relax, no need to be nervous. Ferguson's just grumpy about UEFA's unfair treatment. No outsiders here—think of this as a family chat. So, what's your plan?"
Claire cautiously glanced at Ferguson, who was silently skimming a newspaper.
"I just want to play my football," Claire said. "But it feels like my luck ran dry the moment I joined United. Every match comes with some kind of trouble, and then there's all this off-field drama."
He tilted his head, giving both bosses an embarrassed look.
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Ferguson seemed pleased with Claire's response. "Alright, take a breather. You'll be in the starting lineup against Newcastle on January 1. One match suspension, one match rest. Go prep for it. We've got back-to-back games, so rest time's tight. Make sure you perform out there."
Claire leapt off the couch in excitement.
Malcolm added lightly, "Oh, and get that album out soon. Costa keeps dropping hints about giving you a long break. We're bringing in some midfielders during the winter transfer window, so prep well. Don't worry—the club's got your back."
Hearing both bosses back him up, Claire's nerves melted away. He even cracked a small joke, "My next songs are gonna dominate every chart out there!"
Malcolm, the most invested in this, waited until Claire left the office before turning to Ferguson. "He scores goals for you on the pitch and makes money for me off it. Why wouldn't you put him in the starting lineup?"