Rikulec Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - July 2022 - Fútbol Club Lusitans UEFA Champions League Could have been worse, I guess. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 9, 2018 Author Share Posted December 9, 2018 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - August 2022 - Fútbol Club Lusitans UEFA Europa League We did it! This time the draw was much more kind to us as we avoided the likes of Young Boys, but we still needed something special to progress. And we delivered - the Ferencváros tie was a sensational display of counter-attacking football, with impenetrable defence and ruthless chance conversion. I simply can't stress enough how huge this is. Transfers Cristiano Leite - he's off to Portimonense, but we have him back for two years and we'll also receive 50% of the next sale, which is not bad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 We're going to get destroyed. I hope everyone manages to get a day off work for the trip to Milan! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 We're only spending a fraction of the UEFA payout. And, more importantly... This is a massive leap, both for the club and for the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coady Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 Great to see you're turning pro & getting plenty of investments into facilities off the pitch! I think you'll get a result in one of the Legia games in Europe too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 48 minutes ago, coady said: Great to see you're turning pro & getting plenty of investments into facilities off the pitch! I think you'll get a result in one of the Legia games in Europe too. Cheers! Oh, I'd love to steal some points off Legia, seeing as I really hate them in real life. And guess what - we start the group stage with a double header against them! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - September 2022 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Supercopa andorrana Another trophy to my collection. I just need the cup now. Lliga Grup Sant Eloi I had to play my second XI there, and they did more than good enough. I'm fully prepared to drop points with the mad schedule we have thanks to the Europa League and the Qatar World Cup. UEFA Europa League Yes! Although Legia were just too much for us, we made up for it with a historic result away at Fenerbahçe, with none other than our long shot wizard securing a point for us with, you guessed it right, a shot from outside the box. Magic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coady Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Rikulec said: Cheers! Oh, I'd love to steal some points off Legia, seeing as I really hate them in real life. And guess what - we start the group stage with a double header against them! It's a shame you didn't quite manage it against Legia, but that's an insane result at Fenerbahce. It's interesting to see how FM have scheduled the European calendar for the 2022 World Cup, I'm one season away from it in game so not looking forward to it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 43 minutes ago, coady said: It's a shame you didn't quite manage it against Legia, but that's an insane result at Fenerbahce. It's interesting to see how FM have scheduled the European calendar for the 2022 World Cup, I'm one season away from it in game so not looking forward to it! I think it was quite optimistic from the Andorran FA to adapt the domestic schedule to the World Cup anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - October 2022 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi We've somehow navigated through a ridiculously packed month - thanks, FIFA! Sant Julià are on fire though, their star striker Florent Zitte has 16 goals in 10 games! UEFA Europa League We managed to keep it respectable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coady Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 3 hours ago, Rikulec said: I think it was quite optimistic from the Andorran FA to adapt the domestic schedule to the World Cup anyway. Haha that's a fair point! Good result against Inter too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 1 hour ago, coady said: Haha that's a fair point! Good result against Inter too. Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - November 2022 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi A much lighter month this time, both in terms of fixture congestion and the quality of our opponents. UEFA Europa League I have no words to describe my reaction when we equalised after a corner. Could this year be the cornerstone of a new era in Andorran football? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler16 Posted December 11, 2018 Share Posted December 11, 2018 Perhaps too early to ask, but do you see yourself in Andorra for the long haul? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 7 hours ago, tyler16 said: Perhaps too early to ask, but do you see yourself in Andorra for the long haul? Good question. Initially I wasn't planning on making it a long term Andorra save, rather hoping to jump ship to the lower leagues of Spain or Portugal. Right now I'm getting more and more attached to the project at Lusitans and yes, I can see myself staying for a few more years. It always depends on whether I get a really tempting offer from abroad or not. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - December 2022 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi This sums us up perfectly - first we absolutely destroy Sant Julià and then we struggle against two weaker teams. We're back on top though, hopefully we're staying there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - January 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi Every once in a while we go into Hulk smash mode, and this was one of these games. UEFA Europa League No miracle this time. Transfers Ricardo Maio - I'm starting to love the loan back clause. £14K, 50% of next sale and we get to keep him until the end of the next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 He also got a 10.0 rating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 So, uh... for some reason I've just received this. They sit at the bottom of the Czech top division. I'll attend the interview out of sheer curiosity, but what the hell? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Alright, I guess I must have really made an impact by our European campaign this season and by getting the Pro licence. Previously I attended the Karviná interview out of curiosity, but now I see what's going on here and I'll try my best to play it out realistically. So, I will be rejecting the offers from countries that are further away from Andorra - in this case, Ukraine - and accept the interviews closer to my current locations, such as the Stade Reims one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 One thing is for sure - I shouldn't be signing a new contract with Lusitans, FM clearly shows I've outgrown them and should move on. Genoa are in Serie A! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Probably the best offer so far in terms of realism, I'd actually be happy to go there! I'll stop posting every single interview offer from now on because of the sheer number of them. I'll only notify you when I make a decision. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - February 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi A poor month by our standards, the lack of goals in the last three games is worrying. Youth Intake Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad intake and every other team in the league would be delighted getting those players. It's just a little bit underwhelming given the quality of the last two intakes. Celso Brito Guilherme Marino Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 Won't be much more than that I'm afraid. Still a nice landmark to reach. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - March 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi We seem to have reached the stage where the other teams are so defensive against us that we have to rely on screamers from outside the box to score. Copa Constitució All three goals came from outside the area as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - April 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi For some reason we're making it harder for ourselves! I'm scared to think where we would be without Batista, this guy has gone nuts this season. See that first half hat-trick in the last game? The goals were all free kicks. Copa Constitució Two games in the cup, two victories, no goals conceded. Can we go all the way? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - May 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi That was way closer than I'd feel comfortable with! Unsurprisingly it was Batista with the goal that sealed it, unsurprisingly it was from outside of the box. Copa Constitució A much better performance despite missing some key players, including Batista and Seixas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Confirmation that we've won the league... ...and the cup. I have some huge news that I'm eager to tell you, but first there has to be a season review. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coady Posted December 12, 2018 Share Posted December 12, 2018 Seems like the perfect ending for you at the club... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - Season Review - 2022/23 - Fútbol Club LusitansLliga Grup Sant Eloi Results (regular season) - Results (championship group) Competition Performance: Winners The closest of all three seasons I've spent here. At one point we managed to build a comfortable advantage, but then it started shrinking and F.C. Santa Coloma kept edging closer and closer pretty much with each week. They fought right until the end, thankfully we managed to avoid defeat to their hometown rival and retain the league once again. Copa Constitució Competition Performance: Winners A short, but convincing run - finally! Supercopa andorrana Competition Performance: Winners Comfortable and satisfying. UEFA Champions League Competition Performance: First Qualifying Round Rosenborg were just too much for us, getting through would be a shock. UEFA Europa League Competition Performance: Group Stage How about that?! Not only did we make the headlines by getting to the Europa League proper, we also snatched points off Fenerbahçe and Inter! Incredible. Squad Still strong, but it's probably the weakest squad I've had here so far. Things are going to change very soon though. Transfers - Finances No transfers in apart from loaning back the players we sold. Nothing to write home about really. £5M in the bank, we could probably buy all other Andorran clubs with that money! Player of the Season 1st - Paulo Batista - I don't think this choice has ever been so obvious before. A central midfielder who didn't even play with an attacking duty ends the season with 20 goals and 12 assists in all competition. Just let those numbers alone sink it for a minute. If that's not enough, he scored as many as eight direct free kicks in the league alone, and some of his other goals were sensational as well. A player and a half. 2nd - João Cabanas - he may not have spectacular attributes, but he's been one of the most reliable players in the whole squad throughout the whole season. A decent return in the league, and generally everyone else seemed to look better when he was in the XI. Also a great player to have. 3rd - Miguel Cruchinho - joint top scorer in all competitions together with Batista, Cruchinho was rather the type of guy who'd score five goals in one game and then do nothing for the next seven. Still, he always contributed to our play in other ways and of course his attributes are a class above almost everyone else in the squad. Next Season See below. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 10 minutes ago, coady said: Seems like the perfect ending for you at the club... Actually, it seems that we're just getting started. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 So, this is the big news. Of course I've always realised that turning professional would be a massive chance for pretty much any club, especially in a country like Andorra. And yet I've still underestimated it. Largely. This message came to my inbox on the final day of the league season when we secured the title. Two weeks before, just before the cup final, I had already lined up transfers that will take the squad to another level in terms of ability. I have players from all around Europe being recommended by their agents and willing to come to trials and eventually sign contracts. The club has just unlocked a whole new market, and it is an enormous one. I've already rejected a couple of contract offers towards the end of the season, but you know what? I've changed my mind. Bring it on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 This is the beginning of a new chapter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 More steps in the right direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - Season Preview - 2023/24 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Board Expectations:Lliga Grup Sant Eloi: Win itCopa Constitució: Win itSupercopa andorrana: Not importantUEFA Champions League: Second Qualifying RoundMy Expectations:Lliga Grup Sant Eloi: Win it.Copa Constitució: Not important.Supercopa andorrana: Not important.UEFA Champions League: Depends on the draw really. I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of getting past the first round.Budgets:Transfer: £3,955,313Wage: £28,019 (currently spending £8,983)Balance: £4,918,180 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 12, 2018 Author Share Posted December 12, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - Pre-Season - 2023/24 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Friendlies Batista just can't stop scoring. Transfers I've been waiting for this for a long time. Ilias Iliadis - we haven't had such a well rounded winger since... well, we never really had one. Gabriele Ferrarini - don't worry, I won't be making stupid jokes about his pace and Ferrari. Or will I? Emrah Çelik - an exciting young prospect. Emil - in my opinion the best pick of the bunch. He's going to destroy everyone in the league. Ruben Pereira - I'm taking a bit of a gamble by bringing in a striker who can't finish, but I hope he'll make up for it with his physical attributes. Leif Davis - I have a soft spot for left backs who are also set piece specialists. He's also better than Kiko, which is nice. António Silva - unfortunately we failed to finalise the deal before the Champions League registration. An improvement on the right wing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler16 Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Glad you're sticking around, makes for a more interesting read. Also, Batista's goal contribution from midfield is incredible! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 13, 2018 Author Share Posted December 13, 2018 2 hours ago, tyler16 said: Glad you're sticking around, makes for a more interesting read. Also, Batista's goal contribution from midfield is incredible! Thanks for the positive feedback! Batista has been sensational, I've never seen anything like that before on FM. Every time he lines up a shot from 20-25 yards out I kind of expect him to score, while usually I wasn't very hopeful when it came to such attempts in this game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 13, 2018 Author Share Posted December 13, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - July 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans UEFA Champions League And we're off! The first leg in Belarus was a disaster and we could have easily conceded more. We also conceded first at home and looked really bad until I decided to finally dive deep into the tactics I've been using. For the first time in FM19 I've abandoned the presets and designed my own template, and look at that. We managed a great comeback against Shakhter despite needing three goals. Then we beat a Slavia Praha side who are packed with some ridiculous talent. We still have to be wary though, they did snatch an away goal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coady Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Definitely a huge step up in the quality of signings. Great result against Slavia shows how quickly you're progressing now too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 13, 2018 Author Share Posted December 13, 2018 7 minutes ago, coady said: Definitely a huge step up in the quality of signings. Great result against Slavia shows how quickly you're progressing now too! I agree with the first past. About the second... well, you'll see. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 13, 2018 Author Share Posted December 13, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - August 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans UEFA Champions League I just knew this away goal was going to cost us. UEFA Europa League ****. This was a ridiculous tie to be honest, with pretty much all the goals coming from mistakes from both sides. At one point we went 2:0 up in the home leg only for FH to pull back thanks to Bernardo Silva dribbling and losing the ball in his own box and then Leif Davis giving away a stupid penalty (which he also did in Iceland ffs). Not even Batista's wonders - a direct free kick and a spectacular curled 30-yarder - could save us. No Europe this year, thankfully we have a nice financial cushion. Transfers Tiago Moura - a loan to improve the defensive side of our midfield. He came in just a day too late for us to register him for the FH tie, which might have been crucial there. Fernando Silva - I also wasn't happy with the quality of our defence. A free transfer from Marítimo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coady Posted December 13, 2018 Share Posted December 13, 2018 Oh dear... I spoke far too soon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 13, 2018 Author Share Posted December 13, 2018 40 minutes ago, coady said: Oh dear... I spoke far too soon! Our European adventures so far have been really encouraging anyway, I admit. The quality of some of our players and those we bring in from other clubs is one thing, but let's not forget we're still an Andorran club and it's only 2023. This project is going to take some time if we want to participate in the group stages regularly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 13, 2018 Author Share Posted December 13, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - September 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Supercopa andorrana Easy enough. This time Batista scored from inside the box twice, which was rather unusual. Lliga Grup Sant Eloi We still can't defend properly, but who's going to care about that if we score seven? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - October 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi Still going strong despite two unnecessarily dropped points. Transfers Max De Ruyver - a physical beast to boost the centre of our back four. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 For some reason I can't make the images bigger. EDIT: Most likely an issue connected with the Firefox update. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted December 14, 2018 Author Share Posted December 14, 2018 Rico Alvarez's Management Career - November 2023 - Fútbol Club Lusitans Lliga Grup Sant Eloi We may not be dominating the individual games, but the table speaks for itself. This is shaping up to be a very comfortable season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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