FM13 - Like Icarus to the Sun, the rise and (hopefully) rise of Jozef Prochazka

[b101]

Finally, we had this year's Champions League group released, and boy does it look fun!

[elbilly]

Nice, total domination domestically. Good luck in conquering Europe again. Nice to see Rennes return to the top of the French league too.

[Animosama]

Should have a couple of nice games against Rennes.

[b101]

Probably the best goal in terms of team play that I've seen so far on this game. It's like the Carlos Alberto strike for Brazil vs Italy, only not as good

[video=youtube;6hKrPvEo96A]

[deltablue]

Interesting being up against your legendary old side.

[Dexter_Morgan]

It's mad to think you say the side is still in transition when you are hammering a division like that, god help the other teams when you get the squad as you want Glad you stayed on, really want to see you win the CL at Roma

[b101]

September 2025 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

The month started in very positive fashion as we hit Sampdoria for seven. The defence though is worrying me more this year - we'd never have conceded three to them last year, and I'm sure it's due to the new faces at the back. Next up were AZ in the Champions League, which proved a routine victory, thanks mostly to a 25 yard screamer from that man Díaz to turn the game in our favour. Bologna came and went before we secured an excellent win in the San Siro - AC are certainly improving, and should be aiming for top 4 this season. Finally though, we threw away a 2-0 lead against Napoli with some awful keeping from Beeftink. It's frustrating because 9 times out of 10 we should beat them and we aren't anywhere near where I feel we should be (ridiculous though I know that sounds!). The other downer this month has been injuries to LBs Soares and Julien, and stand-in LB Pini in the final game. Still, we remain top!

[b101]

Interesting being up against your legendary old side.

If only they still were! Since I have left, this is their transfer activity...

Nobody good coming in (apart from Adriano who is a decent 30 year old right winger and a lot of average-ish youth) and many of the best squad players gone for a pittance. The first XI will be decent, but it's easy to see why they're falling away from the leaders of Ligue 1 at the moment

It's mad to think you say the side is still in transition when you are hammering a division like that, god help the other teams when you get the squad as you want Glad you stayed on, really want to see you win the CL at Roma

You and me both! I know what you mean, and we are coping with transition well, but I know there's more yet to come

[Dexter_Morgan]

That's a lot of money to have come in and them not replace for 2 seasons

[b101]

Tell me about it - it's just sad to know how good the club could and should have been by now. I blame Carlo Ancelotti, who took over from me (he was in charge for the first two seasons) and started the rot, before Laurent Blanc continued it. Makes you wonder what they're actually doing with the money though.

[b101]

October 2025 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

The long-awaited return to Rennes kicked this month off, and we played out an evenly matched 1-1 draw. Genovese put us into the lead just before half time, but Marília pegged us back with a typical run and finish the other side of the break. Back in Serie A, it took until the 83rd minute of a tough game in Florence to put our European hangover behind us, with two very late goals from Navarro and Genovese securing a vital win. The Atalanta match was far more routine, with Novotny playing his best ever game for the club. Next up were CSKA Sofia, and I was able to bring in a number of youngsters - Fejzic scoring his first for the club in a 4-1 win. The Siena match was as straighforward as it looks and again the youngsters took over for the Modena game, and it was good to see both Aliotta and Dierickx grab their first goals for the club. Finally came the frustration that is Cesena, who also beat me in the same fashion last year. Granted, we got a draw, but we had 12 shots on target to their 1, and 3 clear cut chances to their 0. Just annoying. We've now dropped 4 points in the first three month, half of what we did all season last year. (Greedy, I know). Table still looks decent, but we're leaking goals in a way that just shouldn't be happening.

[b101]

November 2025 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

For two games of this month we played out of our skins, but the rest was pretty average. When they click, this team is unstoppable, and there are clear signs that it will be a very dominant side in the years to come, but there's still a huge amount of naivety in a couple of areas. Let's start with the good stuff though (I mentioned the Cesena match last month): we ripped CSKA apart in the Champions League to qualify, and it was great to see young Belgian Raymond Dierickx grab a few goals having struggled in his first eight or so appearances. Then came the arrival of poor Genoa. I gave the team a proper hammering at half time, leading just 2-1 after they scored on 45 minutes, and Díaz and Dierickx must have taken it personally, scoring all eight between them! We then edged past Lazio in a game that should have been out of sight, before the comedy draw with AZ - we were 3-1 up and cruising before a litany of errors gifted them two goals. To round off the month, we beat Inter fairly comfortably, with their goal coming from a corner.

Player of the Month:

I figured I'd reintroduce this feature as it helps me analyse the players a bit better, and I certainly always like reading others' threads and knowing who the guys they keep mentioning actually are! Anyway, this month's winner is youngster Raymond Dierickx, who joined for £3.6m from Lokeren this summer. With some of his goals in recent games, he really reminds me of the way Thierry Henry played, cutting in from the left to slot home neat finishes into the corner - check his two goals against CSKA below to see if you agree! Currently being tutored by Genovese, he looks a really class prospect.

[video=youtube;lqTO2vWzecU]

[b101]

December 2025 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Away at Udinese proved our first loss of last season and we certainly didn't underestimate them this time out. Díaz was still out with a virus, but Genovese and Contento stepped up, with substitute Fejzic also grabbing a late strike. Then came the return match with Rennes, and they simply outplayed us. We were level at 90 minutes, but a late Salaun header consigned us to defeat. I'm not too fussed though, as their first team is still one of the best sides in the world, whilst ours still has some glaring weaknesses. As a result, we face Chelsea in the First Knockout Round. We then finished up the league for the year by cruising past Palermo and destroying Cagliari in their own back-yard. So far, so good.

Player of the Month:

It has to be Contento this month after an outstanding few matches showing his goalscoring prowess! I always feel like he's not involved in wider team play at all (he gets the odd assist), but he often pops up in the right place at the right time to grab key goals - much as he's done this month.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Pulling away a little now and some good results there Dierickx looks a good player already, if you can get his composure up everything suggests he can get plenty of goals for you.

[Mongrel]

Dierickx looks like a great addition to the side - mentally very strong, and gives you a lot to work with. Good little month there, apart from the European loss. Juventus falling behind already.

[b101]

Just cast an eye at the Premiership, amongst other leagues, and saw this. David Moyes, you hero:

[b101]

January 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Alllllll green. The first time in ages that we've won everything in a month, although the very first fixture against Juve was as close as they come. We went 1-0 up inside 5 minutes through a fluked cross from Viviani, but were pegged back when Acar headed into his own net. The centre back then continued a poor performance by missing a header just before half time which allowed Caprari to poke home. After a second half of battering down the door, Genovese equalised on 79 minutes with a neat run and finish, but their CB headed in from a corner on 86 minutes - surely that was it? Then came the ridiculous comeback, first through Diaz nodding in a diving header on 91 mins, then that man Stephen Acar making amends for an awful first half by poking home a corner flicked on by Navarro. Phew!

After that we had four straightforward fixtures, and it was pleasing how professional a job we did. Díaz single-handedly destroyed mid-table Ascoli, three different players edged us through in the TIM Cup (which I'd really like to win!), and a young side beat lowly Verona handily. We then travelled to a tricky fixture against Sampdoria and played much better than the scoreline suggests - they only scored two late goals through hopeful shots that somehow went in. Cagliari then came and went in the TIM Cup, leaving us a Semi-final against AC Milan and we finished the month by ending Bologna's 6 match winning streak. Again, we destroyed them all over the park but just couldn't score until substitute Dierickx fired home late on. The league, as a result, is looking good.

Player of the Month:

The best thing about this month was the improvement in defence, and whilst this was partly down to a tactical change to the wingbacks, it is no coincidence that it has been at the same time as Alejandro Navarro's best run of form this season. Given that partner Acar has been disappointing so far, it is good that he has stepped up and continues to improve as well.

[deltablue]

Contento's incredible.

[b101]

Contento's incredible.

He's doing much better this season certainly - a change to TM (A) seems to have helped. And yet, I wouldn't put him in my top 5 strikers I've managed - you've given me a wonderful excuse to do this!

Honourable Mention: Pernao - was still developing when I was at Rennes, but I'm determined to buy him for Roma!

5. Alexandr Malov - Signed on a free for Charlton (from Rennes) and was excellent in my short stint in the Prem with them.

4. Gonzalo Villegas - Never really set the world alight at Lokeren after an £8m move from Universidad, but just look at him now!.

3. Boris Vukusic - Back in the early days, Boris was a gem. Signed for just £6k, he produced two amazing seasons for Lokeren before leaving for Liverpool. Sadly, his career has never really lived up to that price tag.

2. Federico Díaz - The best striker at Roma by a country mile - just immense.

1. Júnior - My big signing at £14m on joining Rennes and he became the world's best striker.

------

That was fun

[b101]

February 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Another excellent month which has put us in a great position across the board. We started with two potentially tricky Serie A games, yet negotiated both with ease - AC are flying high again this season after a couple of years in the doldrums, whilst Napoli are always a banana skin waiting to happen. The worst to come out of them though was an injury to Díaz during the Napoli match, although you wouldn't know looking at the results! Fejzic stepped up for the Coppa Italia Semi Final and equalised an early Milan free-kick. We struggled to break them down for a time, but 4-1 was totally deserved. Fiorentina came and went before Atalanta received a beating in their own backyard.

Then, the big one - Chelsea. Knowing that they had Villegas (see above) and another very good Portuguese striker who would dominate us in the air, I put tight marking on both wingers and showed them both inside, happy for their centre mids to have the ball. It worked an absolute treat - they had three shots all game, and a 20 yarder from the Portuguese lad opened the scoring. We stayed strong though, and it was great to see youngster Fejzic drag us back into the match. Contento and Genovese then made the scoreline more secure in each injury time period; let's just hope that's enough! Finally, we edged a cagey game against Siena thanks to two first half strikes. The league table is a bit more detailed this time, just so that you can see the domination that is happening in Serie A - 95 goals in 27 games is, quite frankly, just a bit silly .

Player of the Month:

The fans may still be moaning about the fact I sold Christiano, but this lad will be twice the player he is now. When Díaz went out for three weeks I feared the worst, but Fejzic has stepped up to the plate, grabbing a number of vital goals. The best compliment I can pay is that he just hasn't looked out of place. In the end, he'll probably take Contento's role as the TM (A) on the right side of the three, but for the moment he's done incredibly well as a DLF (S), with Genovese switching to the central Treq.

[b101]

March 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Two straightforward wins opened the month, with Modena and bogey team Cesena falling to our attacking talents. We lost the return match at the Lampard Arena, but didn't deserve to! Our only remaining left back, Soares, got injured two days before, meaning that young RB Yakar had to step up - unfortunately he gave away a penalty and lost his marker for two of the goals. We should have been out of sight long before that though, creating three clear cut chances in the opening 5 minutes! Eventually however, goals from Contento and Dal Maso saw us through to face Lyon in the Quarter Finals, with a potential semi-final revenge tie against Porto as a reward! Back in the league, we edged past a plucky Genoa side fighting against relegation and also won through to the final of the Coppa Italia thanks to a Hermann strike in the San Siro. Finally though, we let in Lazio's only shot to draw the Rome derby, in spite of a huge amount of pressure and Genovese missing a penalty. Shame.

Player of the Month:

Hasn't done much of note bar the goal at Chelsea, but Alessio Dal Maso has performed excellently this month, proving a solid foundation on all fronts. He's never going to be an amazing player, but is a great tutor and a safe pair of hands.

[B.W.G]

Amazing season so far!

[b101]

April 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Sadly, the dream of an unbeaten season has gone again after a frustrating loss to Palermo in a game we should have won. Genovese and Díaz both missed late chances, whereas Palermo's Blanco scored his two. I'm not overly disappointed, as I'd like my unbeaten season, when we get it, to be fully deserved by a truly great side - and this isn't it yet. The month started with the Champions League though and a fine home performance against Lyon has put us in a great position, with all three strikers getting in on the act. We followed that by humbling Inter 6-0 at the San Siro, highlighted by a great hat-trick from youngster Fejzic. In Lyon we performed well, but their striker was on great form, grabbing four goals by exploiting keeper Rizzelli's weakness to the high ball.

Back in the league, Udinese scored inside a minute but soon found themselves 4-2 losers, then came that annoyance against Palermo. Up next though was the match I've been waiting a year for. Last season, we were destroyed 5-2 at the Dragao by Porto, and I was determined to repay the favour. A penalty from Díaz set us on our way, and the Argentine would go on to complete a thoroughly deserved hat-trick. Porto scrambled a late consolation, but a Contento goal in Lisbon would put the tie beyond all doubt as we made our way to our second Champions League final in 3 years - and much more deserved than last time! Finally, another Fejzic hat-trick gave us the points against Cagliari.

Player of the Month:

This time stepping in for the injured Contento, 12 goals this month means that the award has to go to Fejzic again (apologies for the delayed screenshot!). He's looking better and better by the day, having just finished his tutoring from Díaz and could well push for a first team spot in a year's time.

[b101]

May 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

This month was spent rotating players ahead of the finals later on and so 7 points from 9 is pleasing. We took the lead early on against Juventus before the youngsters tired and they equalised with fifteen minutes remaining. Thankfully, we finished with two nicer fixtures allowing me to rotate the squad and keep everyone match-sharp. The final table looks pretty good really, hard to complain about 103 points and a ridiculous 128 goals scored - not bad for a side in 'transition'!

[b101]

2025/2026 - Coppa Italia Final

................

AS Roma vs.Napoli

Odds: AS Roma: 4-5 (Fav), Napoli 3-1

We saw off Pescara, Cagliari and AC Milan to make it here, whereas Napoli had to do it the hard way, beating Parma, Catania, Palermo, Genoa and Juventus to meet us in the final. In the league, we beat them 4-1 at their place yet drew 2-2 at home early in the season. In terms of the line-ups, there are no real surprises. AMC Paulinho is their main threat, a creator rather than a goalscorer. As for us, Hermann is the only non-regular starter, stepping in for the injured Dal Maso.

Three minutes in and the ball is with our RB Viviani, who feeds Novotny. The Czech midfielder drives forward into the centre, before dropping the ball back to Gowecke. Gowecke exchanges a one-two with centre back Navarro, before playing a direct ball up to Díaz. The Argentine twists and turns, then picks out the onrushing Viviani, who plays in Contento with a first time pass. Contento nervelessly slots the ball under the keeper. 1-0 Roma! Five minutes later and we're back on the attack, Novotny robbing their striker and feeding Genovese, who is tugged down by their RB. Free-kick to Roma. From the free-kick, Novotny puts in a poor ball that somehow finds Contento. From 10 yards, the keeper makes a decent stop, but the rebound falls straight to Genovese. 2-0 Roma! All is calm for another 10 minutes, before Novotny again steals the ball from their midfielder. This time, he plays it out to Viviani, who is having a great game. He switches the play to our LB Julien, who in turn threads a dangerous cross, tempting the keeper - who is too slow! Contento pounces! 3-0 Roma! Straight from the restart we nick the ball back, with Viviani again breaking and putting a cross right on the head of Díaz, who forces their keeper into a decent save. On 25 minutes now, and we're still camped outside their area. Novotny and Hermann exchange passes before the ball makes its way to Contento. He flicks a pass around the corner to Díaz, one on one - surely... In comes an excellent last-ditch tackle, but it only deflects the ball to Genovese, who couldn't miss from there if he tried. 4-0 Roma! Napoli must be hating this, but they grab a goal back before half time; Viviani caught out for once, and failing to push their LM inside. He puts in a deep cross, and the onrushing AMR strikes it home. 4-1 Roma! On the stroke of half-time, with Napoli pushing for another goal to try to get back in it, Viviani again intercepts on the right hand side and bursts past his man, playing the ball in to Hermann. The young German takes it in his stride and plays a neat ball to Novotny, who slides a lovely through-ball between the two centre backs, finding Díaz one-on-one... Díaz calmly slots the ball past the keeper. 5-1 Roma!

Half-time: AS Roma 5-1 Napoli

Sadly, nothing of note happened in the second half. Díaz and Contento were rested, as was Novotny, but bar a lot of yellow cards for the frustrated Napoli players, there was little in the way of action. The final whistle went, and Roma had won the TIM Cup!

---

Two down, one to go...

[b101]

2025/2026 - UEFA Champions League Final

AS Roma's run to the final

Real Madrid's run to the final

Odds: AS Roma: 3-1, Real Madrid 5-2 (Fav)

Real had a very easy group and navigated it well. They then smashed past Panathinaikos before an epic game of two legs with rivals Barcelona. Finally, they destroyed PSG in the Bernabeu before easily negotiating the return leg.

Real's team is every bit as good as it was two years ago: CM Encinas is dropped to the bench and is replaced by Man United's Lorenzo Crisetig, whilst AML Savino Peluso replaces Pablo Sarabia. The defence too is much improved, with Italian internationals Yildirim and Polise making a formidable partnership. Perhaps the only weak-ish area is at full-back, with Xuxa and Varane not offering much going forward, but they are rock-solid. So, this won't be easy...

We started much better than the last time out, with Gowecke feeding Díaz, who strides into the box. His shot hits a defender, but LB Julien grabs the rebound on the touchline, skips past a defender and forces a good stop from the keeper at the near post. Nothing comes from the corner however. We're finding a good foothold in the game early on and grab a free-kick 30 yards out with ten minutes on the clock. Díaz strikes a beauty, leaving the keeper flat-footed, but it hits the bar and flies high into the London sky. Close! Finally, Real get into our half and a deep cross strikes the defender to give them a corner. From the corner, it's striker Albano Bardi, an old Lokeren favourite, who rises above Contento and heads home. 1-0 Real Madrid! 8 minutes later, they force another corner, and this time it's right winger Gabriel who heads it over. Clearly, we need a bit more aerial presence... Real are hitting their stride now, and whilst not creating great chances, another weak header from Gabriel keeps Rizzelli busy. Half-time: Real Madrid 1-0 AS Roma

A slower start to this half, but after 15 minutes of probing from both sides, we force a corner, looking to repay the favour. Alejandro Navarro gets in front of their defender at the near post, but his header drops on to the top of the net. 5 minutes later and a long shot from Contento flashes wide. The pressure is starting to build now, but time is running low. On 80 minutes, Gowecke feeds Novotny, who in turn exchanges passes with Genovese. The ball is then passed into Díaz, who is one-on-one with the keeper, but his shot flies straight at Robledo. Genovese reaches the follow-up just ahead of the defender, but his shot has the sting taken out of it and runs through to the grateful keeper. We keep pushing and pushing and we get a last minute corner. Everyone is up and the ball gets nodded away. We work it around the area to right back Yakar, who has his first shot ever... but it clips the post and goes wide. The final whistle went, and Real Madrid were European Champions!

---

Absolutely gutted.

[elbilly]

Unlucky in ECL final, looks like they tried to kick your players off the park. Complete dominance in Italy though that points and goals for total are amazing! Well done.

[b101]

End of Season 2024/25 Mop-Up

The top competitions in the world to date:

Czech Republic:

2025/26: 1st: Viktoria Plzen, 2nd: Banik Ostrava, 3rd: Teplice

2024/25: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Viktoria Plzen, 3rd: Banik Ostrava

2023/24: 1st: Teplice, 2nd: Sparta Prague, 3rd: Viktoria Plzen

2022/23: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Banik Ostrava, 3rd: Slavia Prague

2021/22: 1st: Banik Ostrava, 2nd, Sparta Prague, 3rd: Mlada Boleslav

2020/21: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Banik Ostrava, 3rd: Slovan Liberec

2019/20: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Mlada Boleslav, 3rd: Viktoria Plzen

2018/9: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Banik Ostrava, 3rd: Viktoria Plzen

2017/8: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Viktoria Plzen, 3rd: Mlada Boleslav

2016/7: 1st: Slovan Liberec, 2nd: Viktoria Plzen, 3rd: Mlada Boleslav

2015/6: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Mlada Boleslav, 3rd: Viktoria Plzen

2014/5: 1st: Mlada Boleslav, 2nd: Viktoria Plzen, 3rd: Sparta Prague

2013/4: 1st: Sparta Prague, 2nd: Mlada Boleslav, 3rd: Viktoria Plzen

2012/3: 1st: Mlada Boleslav, 2nd: Sparta Prague, 3rd: Viktoria Plzen

England:

2025/26: 1st: Chelsea, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Tottenham, 4th: Charlton

2024/25: 1st: Chelsea, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Sunderland, 4th: Liverpool

2023/24: 1st: Chelsea, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Arsenal, 4th: Man Utd

2022/23: 1st: Tottenham, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Man Utd, 4th: Liverpool

2021/22: 1st: Man Utd, 2nd: Tottenham, 3rd: Chelsea, 4th: Man

2020/21: 1st: Chelsea, 2nd: Man Utd, 3rd: Man City, 4th: Arsenal

2019/20: 1st: Man Utd, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Spurs, 4th: Chelsea

2018/9: 1st: Man City, 2nd: Arsenal, 3rd: Chelsea, 4th: Spurs

2017/8: 1st: Man City, 2nd: Arsenal, 3rd: Chelsea, 4th: Spurs

2016/7: 1st: Sunderland, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Man Utd, 4th: Chelsea

2015/6: 1st: Spurs, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Liverpool, 4th: Man Utd

2014/5: 1st: Chelsea, 2nd: Man City, 3rd: Man Utd, 4th: Arsenal

2013/4: 1st: Man City, 2nd: Chelsea, 3rd: Man Utd, 4th: Sunderland

2012/3: 1st: Man City, 2nd: Man Utd, 3rd: Spurs, 4th: Liverpool

France:

2025/26: 1st: Rennes, 2nd: Lille, 3rd: PSG, 4th: Marseille

2024/25: 1st: Rennes, 2nd: PSG, 3rd: Lyon, 4th: Monaco

2023/24: 1st: PSG, 2nd: Rennes, 3rd: Lille, 4th: Monaco

2022/23: 1st: Rennes, 2nd: PSG, 3rd: Monaco, 4th: Bordeaux

2021/22: 1st: Rennes, 2nd: PSG, 3rd: Monaco, 4th: Lyon

2020/21: 1st: Rennes, 2nd: PSG, 3rd: Lyon, 4th: Monaco

2019/20: 1st: Rennes, 2nd: PSG, 3rd: Lille, 4th: Monaco

2018/9: 1st: Rennes, 2nd: PSG, 3rd: Monaco, 4th: Lyon

2017/8: 1st: PSG, 2nd: Rennes, 3rd: Lille, 4th: Bordeaux

2016/7: 1st: Lyon, 2nd: PSG, 3rd: Rennes, 4th: Monaco

2015/6: 1st: Monaco, 2nd: Lyon, 3rd: PSG, 4th: Bordeaux

2014/5: 1st: PSG, 2nd: Lyon, 3rd: Bordeaux, 4th: Montpellier

2013/4: 1st: PSG, 2nd: Lyon, 3rd: Monaco, 4th: Marseille

2012/3: 1st: PSG, 2nd: Lyon, 3rd: Marseille, 4th: Valenciennes

Germany:

2025/26: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Schalke, 3rd: Leverkusen, 4th: Wolfsburg

2024/25: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Stuttgart, 3rd: Schalke, 4th: Wolfsburg

2023/24: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Stuttgart, 3rd: Leverkusen, 4th: Dortmund

2022/23: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Stuttgart, 3rd: Dortmund, 4th: Schalke

2021/22: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Leverkusen, 3rd: Dortmund, 4th: Frankfurt

2020/21: 1st: Dortmund, 2nd: Wolfsburg, 3rd: Bayern, 4th: Nurnberg

2019/20: 1st: Schalke, 2nd: Bayern, 3rd: Stuttgart, 4th: Dortmund

2018/9: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Dortmund, 3rd: Schalke, 4th: Leverkusen

2017/8: 1st: Wolfsburg, 2nd: Dortmund, 3rd: Bayern, 4th: Werder

2016/7: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Frankfurt, 3rd: Dortmund, 4th: Stuttgart

2015/6: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Dortmund, 3rd: Leverkusen, 4th: Schalke

2014/5: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Dortmund, 3rd: Schalke, 4th: Wolfsburg

2013/4: 1st: Bayern, 2nd: Dortmund, 3rd: Hannover, 4th: Gladbach

2012/3: 1st: Schalke, 2nd: Wolfsburg, 3rd: Dortmund, 4th: Gladbach

Italy:

2025/26: 1st: Roma, 2nd: Juventus, 3rd: Palermo, 4th: AC Milan

2024/25: 1st: Roma, 2nd: Juventus, 3rd: Palermo, 4th: Fiorentina

2023/24: 1st: Roma, 2nd: Napoli, 3rd: Juventus, 4th: Palermo

2022/23: 1st: Palermo, 2nd: Juventus, 3rd: Roma, 4th: Lazio

2021/22: 1st: Juventus, 2nd: Roma, 3rd: Fiorentina, 4th: Udinese

2020/21: 1st: Juventus, 2nd: Roma, 3rd: Palermo, 4th: Napoli

2019/20: 1st: Palermo, 2nd: Juventus, 3rd: Inter, 4th: Lazio

2018/9: 1st: Juventus, 2nd: Palermo, 3rd: Cagliari, 4th: Roma

2017/8: 1st: Palermo, 2nd: Juventus, 3rd: Inter, 4th: Lazio

2016/7: 1st: Palermo, 2nd: Juventus, 3rd: Inter, 4th: Milan

2015/6: 1st: Juventus, 2nd: Roma, 3rd: Palermo, 4th: Napoli

2014/5: 1st: Juventus, 2nd: Palermo, 3rd: Milan, 4th: Inter

2013/4: 1st: Juventus, 2nd: Milan, 3rd: Inter, 4th: Napoli

2012/3: 1st: Milan, 2nd: Inter, 3rd: Juventus, 4th: Napoli

Spain: - STILL BORING

2025/26: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Valencia, 4th: Sevilla

2024/25: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Atletico, 4th: Valencia

2023/24: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Valencia, 4th: Atletico

2022/23: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Valencia, 4th: Atletico

2021/22: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Atletico, 4th: Valencia

2020/21: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Betis, 3rd: Valencia, 4th: Real

2019/20: 1st: Real, 2nd: Atlético, 3rd: Valencia, 4th: Barca

2018/9: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Atletico, 4th: Mallorca

2017/8: 1st: Real, 2nd: Barca, 3rd: Atletico, 4th: Athletic

2016/7: 1st: Real, 2nd: Barca, 3rd: Sevilla, 4th: Atletico

2015/6: 1st: Real, 2nd: Barca, 3rd: Atletico, 4th: Valencia

2014/5: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Atletico, 4th: Levante

2013/4: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Valencia, 4th: Sevilla

2012/3: 1st: Barca, 2nd: Real, 3rd: Sevilla, 4th: Atletico

Champions League:

2025/26: Winners: Real Madrid, Runners-up: AS Roma (Wembley)

2023/24: Winners: Porto, Runners-up: Barcelona (Bernabeu)

2023/24: Winners: Real Madrid, Runners-up: AS Roma (Old Trafford)

2022/23: Winners: Tottenham, Runners-up: Barcelona (Olimpico, Rome)

2021/22: Winners: Rennes, Runners-up: Real Madrid (Luzhniki, Moscow)

2020/21: Winners: Rennes, Runners-up: PSG (Olympiastadion, Berlin)

2019/20: Winners: Rennes, Runners-up: PSG (OAKA Spyros Luis, Athens)

2018/9: Winners: Rennes, Runners-up: Porto (Stade de France)

2017/8: Winners: Juventus, Runners-up: Real Madrid (La Cartujá, Sevilla)

2016/7: Winners: Spurs, Runners-up: Atlético Madrid (San Siro)

2015/6: Winners: Manchester United, Runners-up: Bayern Munich (Ataturk Olympic, Istanbul)

2014/5: Winners: Manchester City, Runners-up: Barcelona (Millennium Stadium)

2013/4: Winners: Barcelona, Runners-up: Manchester City (Estadio de la Luz, Lisbon)

2012/3: Winners: Barcelona, Runners-up: Manchester United (Wembley)

Europa League:

2025/26: Winners: Juventus, Runners-up: Sevilla (Artemio Franchi, Florence)

2024/25: Winners: Tottenham, Runners-up: Stoke (De Kuip, Rotterdam)

2023/24: Winners: Arsenal, Runners-up: Tottenham (Stade Roi Badouin, Belgium)

2022/23: Winners: Lille, Runners-up: Dortmund (Hampden Park)

2021/22: Winners: Sunderland, Runners-up: Sevilla (Allianz Arena)

2020/21: Winners: Sunderland, Runners-up: Tottenham (Stadium of Light, England) - AWESOME!

2019/20: Winners: Manchester United, Runners-up: Real Madrid (Olympiastadion, Helsinki)

2018/9: Winners: Manchester United, Runners-up: Sevilla (Stadion Slaski, Chorzow)

2017/8: Winners: Chelsea, Runners-up: Palermo (Friends Arena, Stockholm)

2016/7: Winners: Chelsea, Runners-up: Werder Bremen (Parc des Princes)

2015/6: Winners: Montpellier, Runners-up: Schalke (Estadio do Dragao)

2014/5: Winners: Sporting Lisbon, Runners-up: Schalke (Vicente Calderon)

2013/4: Winners: Lyon, Runners-up: Leverkusen (Juventus Stadium, Turin)

2012/3: Winners: Chelsea, Runners-up: Porto (Amsterdam ArenA)

Trophy Cabinet:

4x Champions League
4x Ligue 1
3x Club World Cup
3x Serie A
3x Coupe de France
2x UEFA Super Cup
2x Coupe de la Ligue
2x Jupiler Pro League
1x TIM Cup
1x Cofidis Cup

Former Club Watch:

[u][color=#CC0000]Curicó Unido (managed 2012/13)[/color][/u]

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year  | Pos  | League    |  Notes                                        |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2015  | 6th  | Primera   |                                               |
| 2016  | 18th | Primera   |                                               |
| 2017  | 1st  | Primera B | Promoted as Champions                         |
| 2018  | 18th | Primera   | Relegated                                     |
| 2019  | 1st  | Primera B |                                               |
| 2020  | 4th  | Primera B |                                               |
| 2021  | 6th  | Primera B |                                               |
| 2022  | 2nd  | Primera B | Promoted through playoffs                     |
| 2023  | 18th | Primera   | Relegated                                     |
| 2024  | 6th  | Primera B |                                               |
| 2025  | 4th  | Primera B |                                               |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

No return just yet.

[u][color=#FFCC00]Lokeren (managed Jan 2014/17)[/color][/u]

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year    | Pos  | League      |  Notes                                    |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2017/8  | 1st  | Jupiler Pro | Cup Winners                               |
| 2018/9  | 1st  | Jupiler Pro | Cup Winners, Europa QF                    |
| 2019/20 | 1st  | Jupiler Pro | Cup Winners, CL 1st Knockout              |
| 2020/21 | 1st  | Jupiler Pro | Cup Winners                               |
| 2021/22 | 1st  | Jupiler Pro | CL 1st Knockout                           |
| 2022/23 | 3rd  | Jupiler Pro |                                           |
| 2023/24 | 1st  | Jupiler Pro |                                           |
| 2024/25 | 2nd  | Jupiler Pro |                                           |
| 2025/26 | 1st  | Jupiler Pro | Cup Winners                               |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

The best way to recover from losing the title. With Ugochukwu leaving this summer, my era is officially ended.

[u][color=#FF0000]Rennes (managed July 17/22)[/color][/u]

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year     | Pos | League  |  Notes                                        |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2022/23  | 1st | Ligue 1 |                                               |
| 2023/24  | 2nd | Ligue 1 | Coupe de la Ligue                             |
| 2024/25  | 1st | Ligue 1 | Coupe de France                               |
| 2025/26  | 1st | Ligue 1 |                                               |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

I don't see it lasting long with the way they're letting players go - Morin and Rashwan are both leaving on frees this summer - but at least he won it this year.

[u][color=#3104B4]Crystal Palace (managed July-November 22)[/color][/u]

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year     |  Pos  | League       |  Notes                                 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2022/23  | 11th  | Championship |                                        |
| 2023/24  | 12th  | Championship |                                        |
| 2024/25  | 11th  | Championship |                                        |
| 2025/26  | 16th  | Championship |                                        |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Slipping a little, but were always comfortable.

[u][color=#FE2E2E]Charlton (managed November 22/23)[/color][/u]

|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year     | Pos  | League      |  Notes                                    |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2023/24  | 9th  | Premiership |                                           |
| 2024/25  | 8th  | Premiership | Qualified for Europa League               |
| 2025/26  | 4th  | Premiership | Europa League 1st knockout                |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

A huge step forward for the club. Hopefully this is enough to keep Malov et al. there!

As always, any other information you'd like to see - please shout

[b101]

Unlucky in ECL final, looks like they tried to kick your players off the park. Complete dominance in Italy though that points and goals for total are amazing! Well done.

Cheers - they did a bit! It's just annoying as although they are the better side man for man, we played much better than them and deserved more. Still, there's always next year! Quite nice to have something to strive for though after it was all quite straightforward with Rennes!

[b101]

And with all of that, I almost forgot my youth intake from mid-March. Three players look decent, but I suspect it will only be Mautone who makes the first team, mainly due to my horrendous weakness at left back. He already played a few games towards the end of the season and looked okay. It would have been really nice to get an Attacking mid though, just for once...

[Dexter_Morgan]

Another brilliant season, shame about the CL but you must be really close to winning it, maybe even next year

[deltablue]

Madrid still managed by Mourinho then

[b101]

Another brilliant season, shame about the CL but you must be really close to winning it, maybe even next year

Cheers, I'm certainly doing all I can this summer to make it happen!

Madrid still managed by Mourinho then

Surprisingly, no, although apparently his philosophy still endures . They are now coached by current Porto boss Vitor Pereira. Mourinho has dropped off the map altogether.

[b101]

Summer 2024/25 - Transfer Business and Various Pre-Season - AS Roma

World Cup 2026:

A great tournament for Italy, with a lot of the big guns going out surprisingly early. Not to say that Italy didn't deserve it; they were by far the best side, and it was good to see a number of our players recognised.

Facility Upgrades:

The training facilities are also in the process of being improved, which will be a must if we're to eventually to go down the home-grown route.

Players In:

After the disappointment of the Champions League final, I've decided to really go for it next season, but I'm not going to abandon the philosophy of bringing through the youngsters. The major purchases are both from Arsenal, with Gritti an outstanding centre back and Rea a more creative alternative to Novotny in centre midfield. They should also prove great tutors, meaning they serve a long-term purpose for the club as well. Arturo Paganin will also come straight in to that problematic left back spot.

We also added a few more youngsters to the ranks. Obviously there are now a few too many attackers in our U20s, but given that we play three strikers all the way through, that's not necessarily a bad thing! Almeida and De Nooijer in particular already look excellent prospects and Vittori has the highest potential of any Italian defender other than our own Aliotta - so there may well be a partnership there.

Players Out:

No huge exodus this summer, with the majority of players going out being youngsters leaving to get some game time. I'm aware that I could have made better use of some of my young players last season and so, if they aren't going to be tutored immediately, they have each gone out to play some football.

Backroom Staff:

Given the long-term plan to focus on bringing through our own youth products, I went out to find the two best people I could to run our U20s and Youth Development programme. So, here they are...

Gorlitz has already brought in one player, with the lad below joining the mass of DMs at the club! Looks okay but can't see him making it past Gowecke, Aliotta, Baradat, Stratilatis etc...

[Raware]

Looks like the future could be bright

[AK22]

What an attacking formation you play with! No wonder you're scoring so many goals!

Brilliant to get one over Porto in the Champions League semi, just a shame you lost out to Madrid in the final.

[deltablue]

Surprisingly, no, although apparently his philosophy still endures . They are now coached by current Porto boss Vitor Pereira. Mourinho has dropped off the map altogether.

My friend (a Liverpool fan) considers him to genuinely be the worst thing ever to happen to football (which is a bit over the top), someone who turns players into dirty cheats, and only succeeds with vast sums of someone else's money. I don't dislike him quite that much.

[b101]

Looks like the future could be bright

Yeah, it's just a case of working which ones to give the game time! They're slowly breaking into the first team, and I'm hoping to track their progress a bit better this year.

What an attacking formation you play with! No wonder you're scoring so many goals!

Brilliant to get one over Porto in the Champions League semi, just a shame you lost out to Madrid in the final.

I loved the revenge in the Porto game after we were soundly taken apart in the Dragao a year ago. I think runners-up is probably a fair reflection of where we are right now, but I'm pretty confident we can go one better this season. It's the first time I've ever gone for a 4-3-3 and I'm loving it! You can certainly see where the odd defeat can come from though...

My friend (a Liverpool fan) considers him to genuinely be the worst thing ever to happen to football (which is a bit over the top), someone who turns players into dirty cheats, and only succeeds with vast sums of someone else's money. I don't dislike him quite that much.

Haha I think that's perhaps a touch harsh. I hated his tactics when he was at Porto. As a United fan, I have never hated an opposition player anywhere near as much as Carlos Alberto for his ridiculous playacting, let alone the fact that they got through because Scholes had a goal ruled offside when they had three defenders playing him on. Not that I'm bitter or anything... I would be interested to see what he could do on a shoe-string budget though.

[b101]

Pre-season 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

The friendlies were again all very straightforward, with crushing wins over our foreign opposition. If you're wondering why the Valencia scoreline was so low, I was messing around with the midfield roles to try to make the tactic more controlling and less hazardous to our defence... I prefer the mental version

In the pre-season curtain-raiser, we went one better than the Cup final against Napoli, putting 6 past them this time. They must really hate us...

[b101]

August 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Just the two league matches this month to ease ourselves back in, and we won both comfortably. Bologna are a decent top-half side and we made them look terrible, whilst to score three at Sampdoria is always pleasing - just a shame we let them get one back! Still, we're looking good and hopefully can keep the winning streak up.

Player of the Month:

Díaz has made a storming start to the season and is looking good with 3 goals in the 2 games we've played. Next month's fixtures include tricky ties with Inter and Juve so he will need to keep this run of form up.

Champions League Draw:

It's great to see three of my former clubs make it into the Group Stages, and whilst I'm pretty sure only Rennes will join us in the Knockouts, it's great for their finances and long-term ambitions. David Moyes is doing a particularly good job with Charlton, having guided them to 4th in the league last season - however, they've been rewarded with a very tough group. Ours looks about as nice as it can get. Spurs are a very good side now, with only a last minute bottle-job stopping them from winning the Premiership, having been 6 points clear with 5 to play.

---

[b101]

Early days, but could La Liga finally be getting more interesting?

[b101]

September 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

This was a tricky month on paper, but one we've negotiated very well. We absolutely battered Inter (now tycoon-owned), but only had two goals to show for it thanks to Genovese and Contento. Top striker Díaz would go on to have a tough month, and with him sorely in need of a rest, we needed the rest of the team to step up. Thankfully Contento obliged against Spurs in the Champions League, getting us off to a flying start on two minutes after latching on to a long ball from keeper Rizzelli - the rest of the match was straightforward. Back in Serie A, I rested a number of key players for the trip to Florence, and Genovese saw us through with two well-taken strikes. Then, the big match with rivals Juventus. Again, we dominated them but didn't quite get the goals to show for it. Genovese struck early on, before their attacking mid produced a ridiculous through ball from nowhere to hand their striker an equaliser. Happily, Díaz headed home after 74 minutes to make the game safe. Against Siena and Plzen, I again took the opportunity to rest players, with youngsters Stratilatis and Forti getting their first team debuts and others such as LB Mautone, CB Aliotta, and STs Fejzic and Dierickx getting some valuable game-time - the forwards even getting on the scoresheet. A good month, and we're warming into the season nicely.

Player of the Month:

With Díaz out of sorts and Contento hitting the woodwork for fun, it's a good thing Genovese has been on song this month! He might not quite have the power of his two partners, but he links the play with midfield nicely and scores some crucial goals.

[Dexter_Morgan]

cracking start again Would be funny as anything to see Real go down

[b101]

cracking start again Would be funny as anything to see Real go down

I know! Sadly, they're up in the heady heights of 10th spot now and have just sacked their manager. Guess who got linked straightaway?

[b101]

October 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

After last month's tough fixture list, October was easier on us, with all matches against sides in the bottom half. Still, you can only beat what's put in front of you and that's just what we did. They were all regulation victories, but it allowed a number of the juniors to get some game time. Originally the Ascoli score was 6-2 to us with both Contento and Genovese getting hat-tricks, but sadly the game crash dumped, leaving just Geno with the match ball. We also secured a great result in Holland to leave ourselves on the brink of qualification from the Group Stages. Overall, going nicely and even better to see rivals Lazio propping up the table

Player of the Month:

For the first time in a long while, this goes to a defender. New signing Gritti has come straight in and performed brilliantly, marshalling the defence as you'd expect from an Italian captain. He might not be getting all of the glory, but a Man of the Match performance against Pescara in which he made 23 interceptions and won every one of his 13 headers. A top player.

[b101]

Rejected as promised - maybe one day, but I'm not even close to being finished with Roma and Spain is not going to be my next destination.

[Dexter_Morgan]

I know! Sadly, they're up in the heady heights of 10th spot now and have just sacked their manager. Guess who got linked straightaway?

Would have been a great read if they went down and you was offered it

Caning the division in style so far, keep it up

[b101]

Would have been a great read if they went down and you was offered it

Caning the division in style so far, keep it up

Well, this is the man they chose to appoint after I turned them down for the second time. Should be fun!

[b101]

November 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Another perfect month, although we left it late against Spurs! We started out by again putting 5 on poor Feyenoord and securing qualification in the process. Genoa were then made to suffer before we pounded AC Milan into submission - yet could only grab two goals to show for it. Against Napoli though, we properly let rip, with seven different goalscorers highlighting the immense attacking prowess in this side. We then travelled to London and in spite of falling behind after a mix up at the back, first Dierickx and then a late, late Navarro strike secured the win, meaning that we top the group. Finally, Cagliari came to Rome and left empty-handed after a brace from Contento. The league, as ever, looks rosy.

Player of the Month:

Often the unsung hero, holding mid Gowecke just edges out new CM Giuseppe Rea thanks to some great performances. He's really pushed on since joining from Werder three years back and hopefully those mentals can increase yet further as he gets more and more game time.

[b101]

December 2026 - AS Roma

Fixtures:

Having gone a little while without scoring, I was getting a bit worried about Díaz - had his injury knocked his form? Well, he answered that pretty well in the first game back this month, completing a one-man rout of Lecce. We then travelled to Udinese and kept our scoring form going nicely. You may remember that this was where our unbeaten run went two seasons back, but no such danger with the side in this form! The major thing that stands out from this year is that I can change the majority of the team and still get a good performance. Granted, we only went and beat Plzen 1-0, but that was a completely different XI to the Udinese match... something that could never have worked a year ago. We then worked our way past Genoa in the cup before putting 6 past Palermo without reply and dominating Brescia to round off the month. Looking at the table, you'd think the league was a doddle, but we're just playing phenomenally well and have already scored double what Napoli have amassed and conceded just 7. Even Rennes were never this effective!

Player of the Month:

After his resurgence this month, this could only go to one man. Díaz is by far our best player and the simple fact is that when he plays well we win. Comfortably.