If You Count Your Chickens Before They've Hatched, They Won't Lay An Egg

[iHeadHunta x]

Sounds like a plan

[AK22]

Real Madrid: Nearly The Perfect Ending

I'll leave the club in great shape for the future, with near enough £1b in the current account, and assets totalling £1.7b; without no shadow of doubt, this is the biggest team in the world! The only thing they could do with is a new stadium, as with an average crowd of 93000, the Bernabéu is no longer big enough to satisfy the demand.

Finances | Transfer Summary

Domestic Football - End of Season 2038/39

Position Graph | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 | Season Summary | Equipo de la temporada | Copa del Rey Overview

Of the three La Liga titles I've won, this has to be the least convincing of the lot. At stages this season, we almost completely forgot how to play, and have been on the wrong end of some shocking defeats- we shouldn't be losing at home to the likes of Celta. Due to this inconsistency, Sevilla seized the opportunity to put themselves right in contention, and for a couple of weeks, topped the table. However, they soon had their own crisis of confidence, failing to win any of their last six matches, and allowed us the luxury of stumbling over the line to win the title with a couple of games to spare.

Having a close rival this season certainly helped to keep us on our toes, and I'm pleased that we managed to pull through our sticky patch to claim the title. However, it has highlighted a few inefficiencies that will need rectifying. Most concerning of all is the fact we were outscored by two other teams in the league, so a new striker or two will be needed over the summer if the club is to get back up towards the 100 goals mark.

Málaga 1-4 Real Madrid - One of our best results on the road.

Real Madrid 3-0 Sevilla - A great performance in the first leg, almost securing our place in the final.

Real Madrid 5-0 Elche - Elche were terrible, and didn't even register a shot at goal.

Real Madrid 0-1 Sevilla - This was a HUGE match, which got Sevilla right back into the title race.

Sevilla 3-2 Real Madrid - A couple of weeks later, Sevilla did the double over us, and went to the top of La Liga.

Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona - One last el Clasico victory!

Real Madrid 0-2 Celta - What a shambles! That's three defeats at home this season.

Real Madrid 1-0 Córdoba - The Copa del Rey final, which we just about nicked. That's the third one of those I've won too!

UEFA Champions League

Fixtures

To be honest, I thought we had this in the bag too. Having beaten Manchester United and Fiorentina in the early knockout rounds, and then being 3-0 up with half an hour to go of the semi-final, I was already dreaming up the headlines for our back-to-back-to-back Champions League success! But then I woke up, and found out that we managed to throw away our three goal advantage over Marseille in the space of twenty minutes, and had to return to Madrid with a serious amount of egg on our faces. Credit where credit's due, the French side showed tremendous spirit to make such a comeback, but I'm still absolutely livid that we threw it all away.

Man Utd 0-2 Real Madrid - We certainly did the business in Manchester.

Fiorentina 2-3 Real Madrid - Fiorentina may feel aggrieved by the result, as they completely dominated the proceedings.

Real Madrid 0-0 OM - The first leg of the semi was a tight, dirty affair, with neither team playing their best football.

OM 4-3 Real Madrid - 3-0 up, and strolling into the final, we then fell head first into a disaster, allowing Marseille to score four times in twenty minutes.

Squad Overview

Key Players: Dave Bracke (30 goals), Alexander Tesarik (20 goals), Manu (23 assists), Andrey Rebko (19 assists), Camilo Castro (12 goals, 13 assists), Giacomo Verdiani (AvR: 7.26), Ruben Baio (36 clean sheets)

Fans Player of the Year: Andrey Rebko

Team of the Year | Overall Best XI

In summary, the squad is still great, and my successor will inherit a team capable of winning instant silverware. He'll probably want to look at bringing in a top striker, as Tesarik's now 33, and can't play every game. That said, Tesarik and Bracke still scored 50 goals between them, so they've both still got a role to play at the club. He may also want to start bringing some of the talented youngster at the club into the first team set-up, and give them a bit more game time than I was able to.

Career Summary

Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South      3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier    3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two          16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two          17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
          Hull City         npower League One          6th       FA Cup 4th Round
2016/17    Hull City         npower League One          1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship        2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
          Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF
2023/24    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League SF, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup QF
2024/25    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    2nd       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup Winners
2025/26    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  4th       N/A
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Argentina QF
2026/27    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  1st       Copa Sudamericana SF
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Libertadores RU, Copa Argentina 7th Rd
2027/28    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  2nd       Copa Sudamericana Winner
                            Primera División Clausura  1st       Copa Libertadores SF, Copa Argentina RU
2028/29    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League 1st KO Rd, DFB-Pokal QF
2029/30    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Winners, DFB-Pokal Winners
2030/31    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 2nd       Europa League Winners, Club World Cup Winners
2031/32    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Runner-Up
2032/33    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 3rd**     **Resigned 25/11/2032
          Genoa             Serie A                    7th       TIM Cup Quarter Final
2033/34    Genoa             Serie A                    3rd       TIM Cup Runner-Up
2034/35    Genoa             Serie A                    2nd       Champions League QF, TIM Cup QF
2035/36    Genoa             Serie A                    1st       Champions League SF, TIM Cup Winners
2036/37    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners
2037/38    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2038/39    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League SF, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners

[AK22]

As previously indicated, and after three season and 15 trophies, my resignation was announced.

I've had an incredible time in Madrid, securing three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues, three Copa del Reys, two Club World Cups, two European Super Cups, and three Spanish Super Cups, with an overall 76% win ratio. However, this was still not enough to replace Fergie at the top of the Hall of Fame, so I'll remain in second place for now.

It's good to see that I've remained a icon at the club, even after resigning. I reckon that third Champions League would have made me a legend, though!!

[AK22]

So, what's next for me? The answer, the French third tier, and Balma SC.

Why Balma? Well, why not? Newly promoted to the Championnat National, this was the first job on offer that grabbed my attention, mainly due to the complete blank canvas that I would inherit. On arrival, the squad was scarily threadbare, with the backroom staff totalling an almighty zero, so I've got a great opportunity to transform the club from top to bottom.

I've signed a three year deal on £1.5k a week, quite a step down from the money I was earning at Madrid, but certainly not a pittance either.

Transfer Budget: £100000

Wage Budget: £38k

Currant Wage Total: £33.48k

Finances - Not too bad, but I'm going to have to keep a tighter eye on things than I have needed to do in the previous few seasons.

For those unaware of where in France Balma is, here's a handy little map. We're just on the outskirts of Toulouse (I've heard they do a nice sausage there). Unfortunately, as a general sweeping statement, I don't get on with the French, so I try to avoid visiting there at all costs.

Looking at the history of the club, there's very little to sum up. In fact, there's none. They don't even have a nickname. This is the first season in the club's history that they will be above the fourth tier, so the trophy cabinet's only full of dust and cobwebs- hopefully, things are about to change!

Club Overview | Facilities | Competition History

And here's a snap of my new 'Theatre of Dreams' in all it's glorious glory. You have to agree the similarities with the Bernabeu are quite staggering...

[B.W.G]

Best of luck with you project at Balma SC.

[AK22]

Best of luck with you project at Balma SC.

Thanks, B.W.G. I think it's going to be fun!

[Dexter_Morgan]

This is going to be interesting after your high profile time at Real in particular. I assume you're going to make this a long term project?

[AK22]

Balma SC: Pre-Season 2039/40

On close inspections, there's some big teams stuck down in the third tier; Montpellier, Metz and Nantes are just three that stand out as sides who have severely fallen from grace. That said, quite a few of the sides here are only semi-pro units now, so as we're one of handful of full time, professional clubs, I reckon we should be in for a decent enough first season. We've also got one of the largest wage budgets in the division too, so I very much feel we won't be the relegation fodder everyone expects us to be.

I've also been able to find myself a credible assistant manager, Emmanuel Berthelot, who's knowledge of this level should be a valuable asset.

Board Expectations

Championnat National: Stay clear of relegation

Coupe de France: Reach the Ninth Round

Media Prediction: 14th

Transfer Budget: £100k

Wage Budget: £38k per week (currently spending £33.48k per week)

Transfer Summary

Key Signings: Youssou Boubacar (GK) Free, Celio (ST) 18k, Yvan Verge (DC) Free, Cédric Essomba (DMC) Free

There's no doubt that my reputation has helped with the transfer activity over the summer; several quality players are interested on joining the club simply due to the opportunity to be coached by a 'world class' manager. Another major bonus is the liberal scouting policy, where as in addition to the whole of Central Europe, I can send my scouts off to several parts of Africa, including Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Algeria, whose national teams are all in the top 20 of the FIFA rankings.

I'm more than content with the players I've brought into the squad, and now have a very solid core of the team. In particular, Boubacar, Verge and Essomba, are all relative youngsters, but are already good enough to hold down a first team place for several years to come.

[AK22]

This is going to be interesting after your high profile time at Real in particular. I assume you're going to make this a long term project?

I think so. On rough calculations, there's probably about 8/9 weeks until the release of FM13, so I'm planning on this being my last FM12 club. Ideally, I would like to establish Balma as a top flight side in that time, maybe sneaking into Europe too. Of course, this depends a lot on my playing speed, which has been somewhat sporadic recently

[AK22]

Balma SC: Flying Out Of The Traps

Now, which imbecile determined the wage budget, then? We're losing money hand over fist, and if I had been better informed, I certainly wouldn't have signed so many players on top wages.

Since taking over at the club, we've been losing near enough £200k per month, and have plunged severely into the red. Someone's obviously not done their sums right, as we're only bringing in £15k per month on gate receipts, due to averaging only 375 per home game, and that's only covering about 10% of the wage bill. Whoever the fool is, they're going to have to get us out of this mess soon, as currently, we're steadily sailing the wrong direction up **** creek without a paddle in sight.

Domestic Football - 2039/40 Winter Break

Domestic Fixtures

As concerning as our financial state is, matters on the pitch have been a lot more encouraging.

As new boys to the division, it's always quite difficult to judge how performances are going to go, and when there is a need to attack or when it's time to shut up shop. Playing the 4-5-1 system I used at Madrid, we made a great start, winning our opening three fixtures, and only losing one of the first nine league games played. This established us as early pace-setters, and surprising league leaders!

Things got slightly more tricky come late September/early October when we suffered back-to-back defeats to Metz and Noisy-le-Sec, as well as dropping points in another couple of games. This little blip dropped us down outside the promotion places (top three go up), and with a bit of work to do if we were going to keep ourselves in the mix. We recovered well, though, winning our last five fixtures before the Christmas break, and will start the new year as a good outside bet for promotion.

No doubt the second half of the season will throw up several challenges, and we will do well to remain in third position, especially with the more established Metz and Rouen in the chasing pack. But, regardless of what happens, my opening season looks like being a success.

Balma SC 1-0 Chamois Niortias - My first competitive game in charge, and a solid start to boot. Henri Joinville scored the goal to get us up and running.

US Concarneau 0-5 Balma SC - Game number two was an even better result!

Balma SC 2-1 Montpellier - Three points against one of the promotion favourites shows we're going to be a force to be reckoned with this season.

SR Colmar 0-5 Balma SC - Another fantastic road trip.

Balma SC 0-3 FC Metz - Talk about bursting our bubble, although you could argue we were unlucky to be beaten so heavily.

FC Nantes 1-3 Balma SC - Nantes aren't the side they used to be, but are still one of the larger stature clubs in the division.

[B.W.G]

Very good start with Balma SC.Quite surprised to see Evian down there as well.

[SRL88]

Having caught up, this is quite a surprising move.

[o JaY]

Good luck on this interesting project

[cerud]

Very surprising move! The Board must have been choked to get a manager of your calibre.

[Nobby_McDonald]

And here's a snap of my new 'Theatre of Dreams' in all it's glorious glory. You have to agree the similarities with the Bernabeu are quite staggering...

No roof on any stand and a green pitch.

Some drop down from Madrid.

[AK22]

Very good start with Balma SC.Quite surprised to see Evian down there as well.

Yeah, Evian is a bit of a shock too. They're having a terrible season, and most likely will end up in the CFA before long.

Having caught up, this is quite a surprising move.

It is a bit left-field, but it's a refreshing challenge, and completely different from my past few seasons.

Good luck on this interesting project

Thanks o JaY!

Very surprising move! The Board must have been choked to get a manager of your calibre.

I'm sure they couldn't believe their luck! A bit like the day I won first prize in the meat raffle!!

No roof on any stand and a green pitch.

Some drop down from Madrid.

It sure is worlds apart! Plenty of room for expansion though!

[deltablue]

Like my Milan-Dunfermline move then, interesting and probably much needed change of pace.

[AK22]

Like my Milan-Dunfermline move then, interesting and probably much needed change of pace.

Spot on. I've got my FM addiction back too! (Although I'm not sure that's a good thing...)

[john1]

Good luck with your new club

[DodgeeD]

That's quite a drop but sounds like a fun project - will be instresting to see what kind of players your world class rep can attract

[AK22]

Balma SC: We're Going Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Up!

Oh dear, the finances are in quite a mess. Thankfully, the increased revenue promotion will bring will certainly help, but long term, we're going to need a better strategy if we are going to break-even, let alone make any kind of profit. In hindsight, I should have enforced a somewhat different transfer policy, but then again, results on the pitch would have probably been a lot different too.

Finances | Transfer Summary

Domestic Football - End of Season 2039/40

Position Graph | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 | Season Summary | Equipe des Etoiles France Football

What a cracking season! And really, we should have gone up as champions too!

Coming off of the winter break, we went on a great 13-game unbeaten run, opening up a seven point gap over Toulouse Fontaines and Montpellier, and looking a shoe-in for promotion. However, our bums then started to squeak a bit! Of course, at this stage, it was never in any doubt that we wouldn't get promoted, as the top three was so far ahead of the chasing pack, but we did slip down to second on the final day of the season after failing to beat Chamois Niortais. This was the third defeat in our final seven games, which, ultimately, gave Montpellier their opportunity to pip us to the title.

Although we seriously ran out of steam towards the end, I can't be disappointed at how things finished; it was the best season in the history of the club!

Toulouse Fontaines 0-2 Balma SC - Three big points against the neighbours and title rivals.

Balma SC 0-1 Toulouse FC - The Coupe de France threw up a huge tie against our big-time neighbours, and we were close to stealing the headlines too!

Montpellier 0-1 Balma SC - Another big six-pointer, which saw us steal the win from a corner.

FC Metz 0-1 Balma SC - A late, late winner, against one of the sleeping giants in the National.

Balma SC 3-3 Olympique Noisy-le-Sec - We should have easily won this, but let a three goal lead evaporate in the second half.

Evian TG 1-3 Balma SC - This was the victory that clinched promotion!

Chamois Niortais 1-0 Balma SC - Final day of the season, and a win would have seen us go up as Champions.

Squad Overview

Key Players: Léo Bertrand (22 goals), Henri Joinville (19 goals), Mohamed Saïdi (12 assists), Halim Belaïd (9 assists), Mulopa Nkuwu Nlandu (AvR: 7.24)

Fans Player of the Year: Léo Bertrand

Team of the Year | Overall Best XI

I've managed to knit together quite a handy little team over the course of the season, with solid players in all areas of the pitch. Léo Bertrand deserves a lot of credit, and contributed hugely to our promotion push. He may not look much on paper, but by being a right-footed player on the left wing, he was completely unplayable at times, and was unlucky not to finish as the league's topscorer (he did win Player of the Year, though).

I can already foresee next season being a huge problem, though; the majority of the squad were signed on one year only contracts, and are now demanding a fortune to sign-on again. I just don't have the budget to give anyone a payrise, and given our financial peril, I can't really justify pandering to anyone's extortionate demands. Unfortunately, this probably means a huge overhaul of personnel over the summer, and a threadbare squad with very few familiar faces to start the new season with.

Career Summary

Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South      3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier    3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two          16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two          17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
          Hull City         npower League One          6th       FA Cup 4th Round
2016/17    Hull City         npower League One          1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship        2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
          Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF
2023/24    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League SF, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup QF
2024/25    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    2nd       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup Winners
2025/26    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  4th       N/A
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Argentina QF
2026/27    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  1st       Copa Sudamericana SF
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Libertadores RU, Copa Argentina 7th Rd
2027/28    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  2nd       Copa Sudamericana Winner
                            Primera División Clausura  1st       Copa Libertadores SF, Copa Argentina RU
2028/29    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League 1st KO Rd, DFB-Pokal QF
2029/30    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Winners, DFB-Pokal Winners
2030/31    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 2nd       Europa League Winners, Club World Cup Winners
2031/32    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Runner-Up
2032/33    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 3rd**     **Resigned 25/11/2032
          Genoa             Serie A                    7th       TIM Cup Quarter Final
2033/34    Genoa             Serie A                    3rd       TIM Cup Runner-Up
2034/35    Genoa             Serie A                    2nd       Champions League QF, TIM Cup QF
2035/36    Genoa             Serie A                    1st       Champions League SF, TIM Cup Winners
2036/37    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners
2037/38    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2038/39    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League SF, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2039/40    Balma             Championnat National       2nd       Coupe de France 10th Round

[AK22]

And, of course, upgrading the stadium isn't helping the balance sheet much...

Surely we're being fast-tracked to administration...

[B.W.G]

Congrats on winning promotion,shame about the financial situation which hasn't been helped by the board.Hopefully you can stay out of administration.

[AK22]

Good luck with your new club

Thanks John- we've started well!!

That's quite a drop but sounds like a fun project - will be instresting to see what kind of players your world class rep can attract

I definitely think there's a difference already. Not that I'm able to sign them, but there's players in the top leagues of some mid-tier European sides who are all interested in joining me in Southern France. I can't imagine they would bat an eyelid, normally, so it must be solely down to my manager's reputation.

[AK22]

Congrats on winning promotion,shame about the financial situation which hasn't been helped by the board.Hopefully you can stay out of administration.

Thanks B.W.G! We're listed as 'insecure', and will start the season with zero money for transfers, and the same wage budget as last season; it's going to be a bumpy ride!

[cerud]

Great job on promotion! Hope a higher league helps with finances and such.

[Dexter_Morgan]

I know it's 2039/40 but there are some big(ish) clubs in that division. Nantes going down More importantly though well done on promotion and the stadium increase You just need to try and make some money now

[AK22]

Great job on promotion! Hope a higher league helps with finances and such.

Thanks, cerud, I'm hoping so too! The £5m of TV money will help a lot

I know it's 2039/40 but there are some big(ish) clubs in that division. Nantes going down More importantly though well done on promotion and the stadium increase You just need to try and make some money now

Cheers Dexter! I was pretty shocked with Nantes going down too, especially considering they were the champions of France in 2001. 40 seasons on, and they'll be down in the fourth tier!

[iHeadHunta x]

Fantastic to see you get promoted!

[AK22]

Thanks, iHeadhunta!

Balma SC: Pre-Season 2040/41

After such a glorious début season in Balma, my main ambition for this year is just to survive in Ligue 2. That's all that we can really aim for, too, as we're severely out of our depth in this division; we'll be playing teams of a similar calibre to Bordeaux, Sochaux and Stade de Brestois week-in, week-out, so I can categorically rule out any chance of us going under the radar and securing a back-to-back promotion.

Board Expectations

Ligue 2: Stay clear of relegation

Coupe de France: Reach the Ninth Round

Coupe de la Ligue: Learn from the experience

Media Prediction: 19th

Transfer Budget: £0

Wage Budget: £37.5k per week (currently spending £37k per week)

Transfer Summary

Key Signings: Christian Aballo (ST) Free, Halmers Ortiz (DR) Free, Abdou Haïdara (DC) Free, Eddie Marchand (GK) Free, Philippe Bebey (MC) £2.5k

I think I've done the best I can, transfer wise, considering the lack of funds the club has at the moment. To give myself some room to manoeuvre, I've had to release a lot of players, including some who were first team regulars last season, replacing them with those who had slightly lower wage demands but with similar levels of ability. Of course, this is no means ideal, as we'll have to integrate the new players into the squad, so we may suffer from a lack team cohesion for the first couple of months; hopefully, we won't be cast away at the bottom of the table by then.

My main concern is whether we'll score enough goals to keep us out of trouble, as I've been unable to find an unattached striker who has the quality to find the net 20+ times a season; I have signed Christian Aballo, who is rated highly by my scouts, but as he's only 20, and new to the country, it's unlikely that he'll be a first team regular from the off.

We've had a bit of good news off the pitch, though:

Credit where credit's due, the board's done well here. They've sorted out a £7.75m gift loan, which we only have to pay back £32k per month when in profit. We're now back on a much firmer footing, with a little bit of cash to play with, if the board see fit. Even if I don't see any of this extra money, it's good to see the club back in the black, and well away from the clutches of the administrators.

[SRL88]

For once a board does something right.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Philippe Bebey and Eddie Marchand in particular look like they can become key players for this year at least. If you can get Christian Aballo's composure up he should bag quite a few for you as well, his pace is certainly going to cause a lot of problems.

[B.W.G]

Good to see the debt restructured,also very impressive signings of Bebey and Marchand.Not every day you get can get a fully capped French international on a free

[Nobby_McDonald]

Well done getting promoted and well done to your board for putting the club's pockets first rather than their own.

[deltablue]

Having a good time in France then.

[AK22]

For once a board does something right.

I know! It's quite unusual to have a chairman with a brain (he's called Jean-Luc Picard !)

Philippe Bebey and Eddie Marchand in particular look like they can become key players for this year at least. If you can get Christian Aballo's composure up he should bag quite a few for you as well, his pace is certainly going to cause a lot of problems.

Good to see the debt restructured,also very impressive signings of Bebey and Marchand.Not every day you get can get a fully capped French international on a free

Cheers! I'm reasonably happy with the signings, although we may still be a couple players short of the squad I would like to have. Marchand is a top 'keeper, having been capped three times during his spell at Marseille. At 27, he's going to get better over time too, so he's a sound investment.

Well done getting promoted and well done to your board for putting the club's pockets first rather than their own.

Thanks Nobby. Things were looking rather bleak for a while, but it's a much steadier ship now

Having a good time in France then.

So far, delta, so far!

[cerud]

Wow! A sensible Board! The myth of their existance is true!!!!

[AK22]

Balma SC: Boring, Boring Balma

As a result of our promotion, the board decided to increase our scouting range so that we can now scout the whole of Europe, in addition to parts of Africa. They've also allowed me to increase the number of back-room staff on the payroll, doubling my coaches to eight in total, as well as raising the number of scouts to five. I just need them to start investing in the facilities, as we're quite behind the times here, which I hope will be forthcoming now we're back in the black and turning over a small profit each month.

Domestic Football - 2040/41 Winter Break

Domestic Fixtures

Our brand of football is certainly more functional than it is entertaining, at the moment, but you can't argue with the results it's currently bringing! We go into the Christmas break in a nose-bleed inducing 8th place, on the back of a six game unbeaten run, and having not conceded a league goal since October. We've got the third best defensive record in Ligue 2, and if you discount the nine goals we conceded against Angers and Strasbourg, it shows how difficult our rivals have found us to breakdown. Of course, there's still a lot of work to do going forward, as we're really struggling to put away our chances, but if we can maintain a top half finish, I'll be a very happy boy come the summer.

Balma SC 1-1 Caen - Our first ever Ligue 2 fixture, in which we somehow escaped with a point.

Guingamp 0-2 Balma SC - Our first ever Ligue 2 win, and against tough opposition too.

Châtellerault 2-3 Balma SC - Another great road trip, helped by a calamitous own-goal.

Lemans 2-3 Balma SC - It's evident that we like playing away!

Balma SC 0-5 Strasbourg - A terrible day at the office for us. The opposite applied to Strasbourg's star striker, Cuesta, who bagged four of the five goals! Thankfully, this heavy defeat didn't affect us too badly, as we bounced back to win the following match.

FC Lorient 0-1 Balma SC - Another fine away day.

The expansion to Stade de Municipal has now been completed, so just before Christmas, we moved back home.

We now comply the league's regulations and have a decent capacity of 10000; although as we're only averaging about 900 paying fans per home game, it' may be a while before we see our first sell-out!

I've also been given the luxury of £350k to spend in the January transfer window. Some of the money has been transferred to the wage budget, which I hope will prevent another mass exodus come the summer; with the rest, I've been able to make four strong signings, who are all a huge improvement on the current team, and who, I hope, will give us added impetus in the second half of the season:

Hasan Sönmez - What a gem of a signing! £1k for a centre forward who is rated as good enough to play in Ligue 1 is great business, let alone the fact he only wants to be paid £250 per week too. He's spent the previous six seasons with Besiktas, but has never played a competitive fixture, so this is his chance to shine.

Umit Ozan Hacisalihoglu - A bit of mouthful, but still a decent left-back.

Tarkan Topalak - My third Turkish signing (major credit due to my Southern European Scout!), and one who should be able to boss the centre of the park with ease.

Frode Berland - Signed for a club record £80k, I'm hoping for plenty of pacey runs and attacking crosses from my new right winger.

[AK22]

Wow! A sensible Board! The myth of their existance is true!!!!

It may never be seen again! The Balma board will live on folklore, though .

[deltablue]

Mid-table dullness is a good thing at this stage.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Got to agree with deltablue, you seem pretty much safe. Another season in that division would probably be a good thing and then push on next year.

[B.W.G]

Good first half to the season and some greats signings have been made.Good luck for the next half

[AK22]

Thanks chaps!

Mid-table is definitely fine for now, although we would be laughing all the way to the Ligue 1 if we could score more goals; I'm still trying to find the right balance between defence and attack, and may need to consider a more cavalier tactic next season.

[AK22]

Balma SC: Parking The Bus

It was a very active season in the transfer market for us, as I knew that we had to massively improve the squad if we were to stand any chance of competing in the French second tier. Over the course of the year, my scouts have done a terrific job, tracking down some absolute bargains (especially in Turkey!), and building up a decent shortlist for me to work with over the summer.

Finances | Transfer Summary

Domestic Football - End of Season 2040/41

Position Graph | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 | Season Summary | Equipe des Etoiles France Football

The second half of the season was pretty much a replica of the first half; scrappy wins, clean sheets and plenty of failings in front of goal. Not that I'm complaining, as we managed to improve to 6th place when the curtain was brought down, and were only three points off the promotion places. For one week only, we did get as high as 4th, and were always being considered in the race for a place in Ligue 2. Like the Championship in England, this league is very competitive, and pretty much any of the teams in the top half could have snuck in behind Caen to take the remaining two promotion spots; to have been in contention for this all season long is real vindication of how well we've played.

Next season is going to be difficult, though; I will need to decide whether to go on the offensive foot, playing a more attacking brand of football, and try to improve our weak goals scored column. But, at the same time, I don't want tarnish the excellent defensive record that our slightly cautious approach has bred, either. Ultimately, I'll be more than happy with a similar points total, and another top half finish.

AC Ajaccio 1-3 Balma SC - Playing against ten men made it easier, but it was still a great team performance.

Balma SC 3-0 Guingamp - Three big points that kept us in touching distance of the top three.

Valenciennes 3-0 Balma SC - A very poor show.

Havre AC 4-1 Balma SC - In the end, Le Havre achieved promotion, but it was another disappointing display by us.

Balma SC 2-0 FC Lorient - We secured a very handy league double over Les Tangos!

Caen 0-2 Balma SC - Travelling to the Champions on the final day of the season was always going to be tricky. However, we somehow managed to rob them of all three points, and finish the season off on a huge high!

Squad Overview

Key Players: Henri Joinville (11 goals), Léo Bertrand (7 assists), Tarkan Topalak (5 assists), Eddie Marchand (18 clean sheets), Mohamed Saïdi (AvR: 6.97)

Fans Player of the Year: Mohamed Saïdi

Team of the Year | Overall Best XI

On paper, our players don't look that much, but they fit the system well, and have all been fairly consistent over the course of the season. That said, there's plenty of areas that need improvement, with the biggest need being a regular goalscorer. This is nicely summed up by the fact that our topscorer only found the net 11 times, despite making 33 appearances for the club. I also need to look at the midfield too, as in some games we've been severely over run in the centre of the park; we need some more physical athletes in there, the type who use their strength and determination to break-up play and stop the opposition.

Although we have suffered a couple of hidings against tough opposition, all-in-all, the back four and 'keeper have been resolute all season long. Signing a French international in goal was a huge coup for us, as his presence has helped to galvanise the defensive unit, but I will still need to strengthen in the centre-back department due to there being very little cover behind our first choice partnership.

Career Summary

Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South      3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier    3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two          16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two          17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
          Hull City         npower League One          6th       FA Cup 4th Round
2016/17    Hull City         npower League One          1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship        2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
          Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF
2023/24    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League SF, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup QF
2024/25    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    2nd       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup Winners
2025/26    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  4th       N/A
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Argentina QF
2026/27    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  1st       Copa Sudamericana SF
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Libertadores RU, Copa Argentina 7th Rd
2027/28    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  2nd       Copa Sudamericana Winner
                            Primera División Clausura  1st       Copa Libertadores SF, Copa Argentina RU
2028/29    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League 1st KO Rd, DFB-Pokal QF
2029/30    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Winners, DFB-Pokal Winners
2030/31    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 2nd       Europa League Winners, Club World Cup Winners
2031/32    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Runner-Up
2032/33    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 3rd**     **Resigned 25/11/2032
          Genoa             Serie A                    7th       TIM Cup Quarter Final
2033/34    Genoa             Serie A                    3rd       TIM Cup Runner-Up
2034/35    Genoa             Serie A                    2nd       Champions League QF, TIM Cup QF
2035/36    Genoa             Serie A                    1st       Champions League SF, TIM Cup Winners
2036/37    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners
2037/38    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2038/39    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League SF, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2039/40    Balma             Championnat National       2nd       Coupe de France 10th Round
2040/41    Balma             Ligue 2                    6th       Coupe de France 7th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round

[cerud]

Good season for your first in this league. Finances are looking better after that gift loan too.

[B.W.G]

Excellent first season in Ligue 2,think I'm more interested in who your scouts are going to find as they have certainly earned their money so far

[AK22]

Good season for your first in this league. Finances are looking better after that gift loan too.

Excellent first season in Ligue 2,think I'm more interested in who your scouts are going to find as they have certainly earned their money so far

Thanks! It certainly was a great season, and much better than I had anticipated.

I can already confirm the signing of another Turk, bringing the total to four. We'll have our own mini-Galatasaray before you know it!

[AK22]

30 Years of World Football

France have been the only team to win the World Cup multiple times over the past 30 years, winning in Qatar, then defending it four years later in 2026. However, it's the 2030 competition that provided the biggest shock of all, with both Mali and Cameroon making the final.

The Under-20's World Cup has been slightly less consistent, although I think it's more than a coincidence that Mexico managed to win the youth competition in 2035 before winning the World Cup 'proper' three years later.

After a few years of instability, the major forces of world football are slowly returning to the top of the FIFA World Rankings. Nigeria and Columbia are the biggest surprises, but these two aside, there hasn't been too much change over the past 30 years.

[AK22]

30 Years of World Club Football

The big two in Spain are still leading the way in the club finances, although Arsenal are closing in on them. Fiorentina have recently been tycoon backed so that's why they've emerged as one of the richest clubs in the world.

I'm quite honoured to have made the biggest transfer of all time! Surprisingly, Marseille have made five £40m+ transfer, more than anybody else.

Ballon d'Or Winners 2012-2026

Ballon d'Or Winners 2026-2040

Messi only won it the eight times in a row. Claudio Pansera has won five out of the last six, though.

The best players of the current era

Iñigo Martínez (Real Madrid)

Claudio Pansera (AS Saint-Etienne)

Mauricio Abundis (Manchester City)

Christian Ehret (Olympique Lyonnais)

Philippe Menard (Olympique Marseille)

Florian Kirn (Borussia Dortmund)

Eduardo (Fiorentina)

Lorenzo Nossa (Genoa)

Katlego Nhlapo (Arsenal)

Yusuf Uçak (Chelsea)

European clubs haven't had it all their way in this competition. Al-Ahly were the biggest shock winners, back in 2029, beating Costa Rican side, Alajuelense, in the final.

[AK22]

30 Years of European Football

Croatia have emerged as one of the powerhouses of European football, winning the Euros twice in eight years.

Real Madrid are still dominating Champions League finals, having made 13 appearances in the past 30 years.

Europe's 'second' competition has seen plenty of big-time winners too.