[FM 19] Rising from the Shadows of Barcelona

[GloryInMunich]

Rising from the Shadows - An Introduction

Welcome to my first ever career thread on Football Manager. I've been playing the game for years and have lurked these forums reading some incredible stories. After playing long-term saves with Rushall Olympic, AFC Wimbledon, and Barrow over the last few editions of FM, I've decided I need a change of pace and to get out of England. So for the first time ever, I will be taking on the lower leagues of Spain. 

The Club

Club Esportiu Europa are a team based in Barcelona. They were originally founded in 1907 and established themselves as a strong team throughout the 1920s. However, over the last century, CE Europa have faced financial troubles left and right. The club nearly ceased to exist 1930s due to lack of funds and has seen little success up until this point. CE Europa is a club that lives in the shadows of their neighbors-- FC Barcelona.  

CE Europa is currently in the Spanish Third Division Group 5, which is actually the 4th tier of Spain. I have used claassen's megapack to make the division available to me in this game. 

The Objective

The objective of this save is simple: to knock FC Barcelona off their f*cking perch. What does this mean exactly? I will have completed this save when CE Europa has more Champions League titles than Barcelona. Trying to top Barcelona's 25 La Liga titles may be a stretch too far for me, so the aim will be to top their European success. Right now, Barcelona have 5 CL titles, so our aim is to win 6. However, any that they win during the course of this save will make it an even higher number for us to topple. 

Side note: If this save goes really well, we can aim to become top dogs in all of Spain and beat Real Madrid's number of Champions League titles. However, I highly doubt I will ever reach that point.

The Manager

Meet my Spanish alter-ego, Arnau Cardona. Born and raised in Barcelona. I've given myself a National A License and professional experience at the local level.

I will post monthly updates and transfer window updates. I'm really looking forward to getting this save started, thanks for reading!

 

[GloryInMunich]

CE Europa - Club Background

Basic Info

Founded - 1907

Status - Semi-Professional

League - Spanish Third Division Group 5 (4th tier of Spain)

Predicted Finish - 7th

Rivals - Sant Andreu

Honors - None

Facilities

Stadium - Nou Sardenya (7,000 capacity)

Training Facilities - Poor

Data Analysis Facilities - None

Youth Facilities - Basic

Junior Coaching - Good

Youth Recruitment - Above average

 

[GloryInMunich]

Playable Leagues

Spain - Tercera Division and Above

I've only chosen Spain as a playable nation for the start. However, as we (hopefully) progress as a club, I will make England, France, Germany, and Italy playable as well to make things more interesting. 

On another note, I've checked the "Add Players to Playable Teams" box. This is because we are running a custom database and I want to ensure we can fulfill our squad requirements. I have not added key staff, so I will have to hire them myself.

[GloryInMunich]

CE Europa - Preseason 2018/19

Board Expectations

Spanish Third Division Group 5 | Top Half Finish

My Expectations

Spanish Third Division Group 5 | Same as board

There is literally no cup competitions this first season, so we should be able to just focus on the league. That being said, its very difficult to tell how our squad compares to other teams around us, so I will be happy if we achieve what the board wants us to. I could definitely use a few seasons to consolidate and build a foundation before we go up a division, as some of our players are outright terrible.

Transfers (In)

A number of players joined the club this window, but the majority of the deals were made before I took over. I will talk about the last 3 free agents that I picked up to bolster our team this season. 

Jokin Reche - We badly needed depth in midfield and he should provide it. Not the best player by any means but for this level he should be just fine. He is on a non-contract so I really hope no one snaps him up.

Samuel Pérez - I believe he'll be a quality CB for this level. Good heading, marking, tackling, and pace, which is really all you can ask for.

Unai Ferreras - Solid pace, dribbling, and crossing, so he should be effective at this level. The only decent player in the squad who can play on the left. I'll be praying he doesn't get injured this season.

Transfers (Out)

I released a few terrible regens that were added to our U19 squad, but no one notable left the club this summer. 

Friendlies

A mixed bag of results that leaves me with no idea what to expect. The performance against Espanyol B wasn't too bad considering they are a division above us. Villanova, however, was a shocking defensive performance even though we scored 6. The draw against UCAM Murcia was encouraging as they are also in the 3rd tier, and we held of Espanyol's first team for around 60 minutes before they put us to the sword. 

Players to Watch

As its my first season at Europa, I'll do a quick rundown of the best players who were already in the squad when I arrived.

Alfons Serra - Great striker who should be able to score tons of goals this season.

Gabi - Pacey and well-rounded center midfielder who will be a key part of our team this season.

Guillem Castell - Not the best going forward, but should be a good defender for us.

Eric - Our club captain.

Really looking forward to the season ahead, although I have no idea how we will perform. Should be interesting to see.

 

[Sysiphus]

Sounds interesting! Following this.