dothestrand

My second season with Palermo (2025-26) was very good, as we finished 7th, ahead of Lazio, Sassuolo, Atalanta, Roma and Torino. We could have finished top six, but a difficult run of fixtures at the back end of the season meant too many dropped points. We largely worked with the same squad. Only in January did the board release any transfer funds. This allowed us to sign Diego Coppola (3m, Hellas Verona), Joaquin Sosa (1.5m, Bologna - Uruguayan with Italian second nationality), Lorenzo Lucca (4.3m, Pisa - it was a Bosman but they ripped us off on the Buy Now) and Tomasso Barbieri (3m, Juventus). We had sold Marash Kumbulla to Notts Forest for 7m, and a few other defenders left because the players signed were of higher quality. Since Genoa were relegated, I'm aiming to sign Federico Accornero - let's hope that works out, but it would be all of my transfer budget. So I wouldn't expect much squad movement unless I get a good offer.

So having got promoted, I have no transfer budget and no wage budget. So, I have to stay with the squad I had, but with them all wanting massive wage increases. Great!

I started an Italian save (with Argentina as the other league I loaded because there would be loads of players with Italian second nationality). I simulated the first season, then took over Palermo, who had underachieved the season before and finished 10th. Palermo were my favourite side in Italy during the Zamparini era. Some great players played for the club - Grosso, Barzagli, Sirigu, Pastore, Dybala, Cavani, and more. After changes of ownership and financial struggles Palermo dropped down the league. Now owned by the City Group, we should be in a position to quickly grow and become an established Serie A club, right? Right? Hmm, well I took over a club with a lot of highly paid players, so we were over the wage budget, and we had no transfer fund. Plus the club was not willing to give us much of the transfer revenue raised. Great. My ethos in most saves is to have a domestic-based squad, so the whole squad would be Italian or with Italian second nationality. We started to sell the big earners who could generate transfer fees, particularly if they were non-Italian. These guys had underperformed the season before so I felt no loyalty to them. So we generated 12m in sales but crucially got the wage bill down significantly so we had some wriggle room. We then spent 6m on replacements, including some of these gems. Marco Bertini (free, Lazio) - a very solid all-round central midfielder, who can play DM, CM and AMC. Davide Mastrantonio (free, Roma) - he was my backup keeper but one I felt very comfortable giving first team minutes to. Mattia Rutigliano (250k, Pro Vercelli) - a young AMR who isn't in the first team yet because we play wingbacks, but he is someone I am happy to allow to develop out on loan for now. Alessandro Fontanorosa (1.1m, Inter) - an excellent young CB who can also play LB, so suits the LCB role in my three man defence. Solid stats across the board and will be part of our Serie A squad. Tomasso Berti (1.5m, Cesena) - a young CM/AMC who can also play as a striker when needed, he has been my most expensive signing, but another player capable of playing in Serie A. Matteo Rizzo (400k, Pro Vercelli) - seriously everyone, look at this club. A young keeper who became my first-choice straight away. He will almost certainly be my first-choice in Serie A too, and would be a good backup at the European clubs. Alessandro Sersanti (575k, Juventus) - a versatile midfielder who can also play across the right flank, so I tend to play him as a RWB as I have other CM options. Probably my most consistent player over the season. Samuele Angori (625k, Empoli) - a young LB/LWB who alternated this role with a player in my squad, but has a lot of potential to kick on. Gaetano Castrovilli (free, Fiorentina) - this guy was an Italian international a few years ago, and whilst he's now in his late twenties and gets a few injuries, he's been solid and importantly, has resale value. Martin Satriano (1m, Inter) - Uruguayan but with Italian second nationality, he became my main striker when I sold my previous first choice to raise some funds. Solid, without being spectacular, but he will be backup next season as we have Piccoli (Atlanta) and Esposito (Inter) arriving on free transfers. Murush Kumbulla (free, Roma) - released by Roma, the still young Albanian CB (with Italian second nationality) cost them 23m a few seasons ago. Still a very good CB for a mid-table or below Serie A club. We also got some loans in, like Diego Coppola (CB, Verona - not sure why they let a rival loan him!) and Jeronimo Russo (AMC, Newells - has Italian second nationality), who are definitely Serie A level players. So with a rebuilt squad, we had an invincible season, with a W27 D11 L0 record, easily winning Serie B. Looking ahead to next season, we have a good core of players that I think can ensure we stay in Serie A next season. We don't have a transfer budget but we have around 100k left in the wage budget so we can be flexible. We'll improve the squad where we can and move players on who probably won't cut it. I'll take anything that avoids relegation as the jump will be big!

Yep! Someone will pay the release clause in the first or second window. The best you can do is then sign Aimar Oroz from Osasuna, who is great, but a) he will probably have a high release clause himself and b) you'll be able to sign him soon enough anyway.

2032-33 Season Review: Best in Europe La Liga: 1st (-) - 101 points (-) Copa Del Rey: QF (lost to Real Madrid 1-3) Super Cup: SF (lost to Barcelona on pens, 0-0 AET) Champions League: W (beat Bayern Munich on pens, 1-1 AET) Our strongest season to date as we finally cracked the Champions League. Our fifth successive La Liga title seemed quite comfortable in the end, as we finished 10 points ahead of Barcelona, but it was quite close around two-thirds of the season and Barcelona then started to fall away whilst we kept winning. The same point tally as last season reflects our domestic dominance. Again, one loss all season - away to Villareal. No domestic cups this season. We lost on penalties to Barcelona in the Super Cup semis, and then drew Real Madrid pretty early in the Copa Del Rey. Obviously this was pretty minor, as we finally won the Champions League! The league stage was straightforward, but we drew our old friends Real Madrid in the round of 16. We lost the away leg 2-1, but demolished them 4-0 at San Mames. We drew both games in the QF against Liverpool but triumphed on penalties with our Spanish international CB Carlos Acosta holding his nerve whilst everyone was missing their spot kicks. In the SF against Dortmund, we won the away leg 3-0 so we could take the home leg quite easy and we lost by the single goal. Bayern Munich won the other SF against PSG. In the final, we conceded a penalty in the 2nd minute but our Spanish international GK Xabi Jimenez denied Musiala. Mikel Gomez, our former wonderkid midfielder gave us the lead in the first half but Bayern equalised just before the break. A tight second half featured no goals and the only action in extra time was Peio Huestamendia getting sent off, so we just defended our way to the shoot-out. And who stepped up to score the winning kick? Carlos Acosta again! Squad Performance We've got a really deep squad now, with competition in every area. Whilst the squad accepted rotation last season, it was a bit trickier this year to keep everyone happy given their squad statuses. Fortunately, I have two amazing strikers (Martinez and Casado) sharing one position, and they're scoring at a goal a game. EIGHTEEN of the squad averaged more than 7.0 over the league season - I've never seen such consistency. It's now a squad where everyone massively contributes. Transfers We spent 113m this season - and why not? We've got a bottomless transfer fund. Our big outlay was on Gorka Ramos, an AML from Real Sociedad - see the screenshot below. £65m is a bargain. We signed a CB from Alaves and a Basque GK from Atletico Madrid - we'll see if they come good but we can afford the gamble. Plenty more speculative punts too on young Basque players who we've got modest expectations for, but they'll fill out the other squads. Youth Development So, Gorka Ramos. Fortunately, he was willing to cross the divide - he is an elite winger in the making. With that ability and a perfectionist personality to boot, the sky's the limit. Koldo Sesma was a versatile midfielder we signed from Real Sociedad last year for £23.5m. I wasn't sure whether he'd really develop to the full extent of his potential, but I reckon he can push on further and provide depth in the CM positions. Looking Forward Winning La Liga does feel like a formality though I'd like an invincible season. Over the last two seasons, our two losses have been totally avoidable. Having conquered Europe, we'll aim to retain the trophy. We've now got the World Club Championship to come, so there's another chance of a trophy there. Unai Simon is retiring, and it's probably the right time to move Dani Vivian, Oihan Sancet and Aimar Oroz on. That would leave Peio Huestamendia as the only original player, and given that Ramos has taken his role in the starting XI, I'd probably take a decent offer. We've got a deep enough squad and can bring players in to replace them.

My B team are on the cusp of being promoted to the second division. It's always a headache with the salary cap because the young players earn too much. I often have to sign older players on low wages to help balance out the salary cap. Again it's crazy that a teenager nowhere near the first team asks for 20k per week.

I tend to play a 4-1-2-2-1 and train my players to suit the formation. The full backs tend to push on, and one CB is a ball playing one. I play a screening midfielder whose job is to protect the defence, then the two CMs tend to be a deep lying playmaker and more advanced midfielder respectively. Two wide midfielders are either wingers or advanced playmakers depending on their strengths, and the striker role really depends on who you have. I prefer an advanced forward role if you have a good all rounder. It's been a while since I've managed the starting players but as the starting posts suggest, you can be versatile with who you have. Regarding youth development I tend to keep young players at Lezama until they're 19 or so and would then loan them out to a higher level than your B team, so usually the second tiers in Spain, France or England. This has kicked on their development for me. I bring them back once they're pushing for a starting place even if that's when they're 23-24. Regular game time is better than warming the bench.

@MattyC78 One of my favourite things in an Athletic Club save is signing young players from low level Basque clubs who then become world class.

2031-32 Season Review: Fourmidable! La Liga: 1st (-) - 101 points (-) Copa Del Rey: QF (lost to Las Palmas 0-1) Super Cup: W (beat Real Madrid on pens, 1-1) Champions League: QF (lost to Man City 1-2 on aggregate) Another comfortable La Liga title, our fourth in a row now. We finished on 101 points again, 14 clear of Barcelona and 18 clear of Real Madrid. We lost one league game, our 34th of the season, which was away to Alaves, a game that we were clearly not going to win. We went behind twice and equalised, then had a man sent off and conceded again. So close to being an Invincibles! Despite this performance in the league, we only had four players in the team of the season, which was dominated by Barcelona (if their players are individually performing so well, how are they losing matches?) We won the Super Cup for the first time in this save on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid. We were defeated in the Copa Del Rey at the QF stage by Las Palmas with a very lacklustre performance. Had we won, we would've played Valencia in the SF, who won the competition, so consider that a trophy missed out on. We finished second again in the CL group stage, and our reward in the last 16 was a tie against Man Utd, who we beat 6-5 on aggregate. In the quarters, another trip to Manchester beckoned. City defeated us 2-1 on aggregate, so fine margins. City then hammered Inter in the SF and are playing Chelsea in the final. Squad Performance A real squad effort this season with more rotation than usual, with 15 players making more than 20 league appearances, and another 3 making more than 10 appearances. Nobody played more than 25 matches, and that's not down to injuries. Fortunately, we have enough squad depth now that we can switch up the starting XI often, and the players are just about happy enough with it (you get the odd gripe about starting enough games but that usually goes). The attacking players were in great form, with nine attacking players averaging more than 7.0 in the league. The defensive ratings were interesting as apparently my two Spanish international CBs were not the best performing! Transfers Not much to report. We brought Unai Simon back as a rotation GK - he's 34yo and still Spain's number one. We also signed this wonderkid from Man City. He started at Eibar and wouldn't sign for us, and then went to City. We loaned him a couple of seasons ago, but still wouldn't sign permanently. Then after a great loan at Palermo, he finally agreed. He's an AMC/AMR by trade but very quickly retrained as a CM, so that versatility will get him more game time. We also signed an attacking midfielder from Real Sociedad for 20m-odd who may come good, but we can afford the gamble. Youth Development A poor intake this season but it doesn't really matter - we've got so many promising players anyway. No new wonderkids at the moment - Eguaras is the only players who's gained this reputation this season, but I'd expect a few other youngsters to have that status soon, so you'll see them then. Going Forward Well, hopefully it's another league title and can we go further in the Champions League? Let's hope so. A few seasons back, the elite sides would've battered us, now we can definitely compete, so with a bit of luck, we can hopefully get a few results together in the knockouts. In terms of squad changes, Vivian, Sancet and Aimar are in their 30s now, Simon too - any decent offer for any of them would probably be accepted as we can cover their departures. But I am just as happy to keep them around.

My game is very flush with keepers. My first choice is a regen and I've got these two out on loan: I reckon Mateo is the best of my three keepers, but I don't really want to lose any of them so I'm fine with loaning him out (I've also brought Unai Simon back to the club in the 31-32 season as backup).

@MattyC78 I find I can never get past a few seasons of another save before returning to Athletic Club, a save I know I can keep going til the next FM comes out. In any other save it's too transfer-heavy, transitioning the squads constantly. With Athletic Club you know there's a focus and an ethos that gives you something to work with and you can work with players over a long period and to help them develop. I could go Lezama only but that's not probably not realistic and the game usually factors in that certain players would never move so it's not like you can hoover up every Basque player.

I've had Astralaga as a third keeper but I don't think he's ever better than that.

IRL, Athletic Club often re-sign players who didn't quite make the grade during the first spell at the club - Gorka Guruzeta and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta being two current examples. Has anyone had this happen in their save? He left FOUR seasons ago, and has been at his current club the best part of two years.

It always annoys me that given Athletic Club's history of developing young players, the game never seems to start with many young players capable of stepping up. Vicandi and Huestamendia are the only players this year who really came good for me. Given the intakes I subsequently had, I'm amazed the game didn't really rate some of the young players higher.

2030-31 Season Review: Three in a row La Liga: 1st (-) - 101 points (+2) Copa Del Rey: W (beat Deportivo 3-1) Super Cup: SF (lost to Barcelona 1-2) Champions League: QF (lost to Paris St Germain 2-4 on aggregate) A third consecutive La Liga title was won fairly comfortably, 10 points ahead of Barcelona in second, and 18 ahead of Real Madrid in third. A favourable early season fixture list allowed us to race out of the blocks, and it was only towards the end of the first half of the season that we met our league rivals. We only lost one game all season in fact; away to Celta Vigo, which was fairly disappointing really. We actually did the double over Barcelona and drew both matches against Real Madrid. This might be a high watermark in the league as I'd be amazed if the fixture gods would be so kind again. We won the league and cup double against surprising opposition in the final. For Deportivo, the glory days of Roy Makaay and Diego Tristan seem an eternity ago, and we polished them off in the final with no real alarms. We had quite a kind run to the final, though we did knock out Real Madrid in the SF. We finished top of the Champions League group stage, winning 7 of the 8 matches (and drawing the other). We beat Chelsea in the last sixteen, but couldn't get past PSG in the QF. Squad Performance Here's our best XI. Not too dissimilar to last season, with the same standout players, though Xabi Jimenez, our previous wonderkid GK is now our first choice. I will talk about Mikel Gomez more a bit later. Despite doing so well, our strikers - Galan and Casado - are inconsistent. Fortunately, we're scoring so many from midfield that we can cover their profligacy. It was a good all round effort with the squad though, which is evolving nicely. Transfers Mikel Gomez was the big signing, a wonderkid from Osasuna, who cost a cool 66m. Absolutely worth it though as he can play anywhere in the midfield though he's more likely to play CM alongside Sancet. The main other signings were speculative punts on young Basque players who may or may not come good but we've so much money in the bank that it's no bother. We sold Agirrezabala to Man City for 80m - probably didn't need to but we've got so many good keepers that it seemed crazy to turn it down. Jimenez is at his level already. Youth Development More wonderkids are coming through and some positions will really be spoilt for choice. Jose Mateo My Dennis Irwin/Phil Neville, a full back who can play both sides of the pitch. We signed him at 16 from Osasuna and it's really in the last season or so that he's really kicked on, since we moved Aihen Munoz on. Iker Etxebarria He's been a bit of a slow burn, but a couple of decent loan spells have really helped him develop, especially in terms of his physical attributes. He can play both deep and attacking midfield, so may deputise for both Sancet and Gomez next season seeing as we're going to try to move JJ Guerrero on (he and Guillamon are the two I'd like to sell this Summer). Javi Lopez Not sure I need another striker, but he can play AML, so will give us another option there. Likely to spend more time out on loan as we're well covered in those positions. He signed from Eibar's academy at 16yo for 1m. Markel Olabe A strange sort of player - incredibly versatile but I wonder whether he'll be good enough to nail down a single spot in the side. I see him more as a full-back than a winger, but his defensive attributes aren't so good. Xabi Ruiz An excellent prospect at LB - he played the first half of the season in the first team squad, but I sent him on loan for more game time (but Brest barely played him!). He'll be back next season though. We got him on a free from A. Cirbonero, a small club in the Navarre region! And besides these wonderkids, there are many more talented players who could develop into strong first team players. After three titles in a row, I'm still hungry, but I want to really crack the Champions League. We've just got to be more consistent against the bigger teams.