TheLutterworthFox

2029/30 Season - League and Cup update The regular season is over so I thought it a good idea to update on how it's going. 6 games in February and March and it's gone really well, especially as I have had a few injuries and also resting players for the Champions League. 6 games, 5 wins and some brilliant attacking performances. Unfortunately we lost the final game away to AEK but I played a full blown reserve team as we have Real Madrid in 3 days time! 6 points clear with 10 games to go, obviously there is much bigger games coming up with the Champions League so results may suffer but I full expect us to not blow that lead. Olympiakos, who had been with us all the way have fallen apart, losing their last 3 games. We're also doing well in the Greek Cup, even more so when I've picked heavily rotated teams in all the games. We have one foot in the final after beating AEK 3-0 in 1st leg of the semi final. Finally, the annual youth intake this year has given me a future star. Top top quality for a 15-year old. Half Greek/Half Australian superstar defensive midfielder

2029/30 Season - Champions League Playoff Round Here we go, after "bottling it" in the league phase we now go into a playoff against Porto for a spot in the Last 16. 1ST LEG (A) The game was an absolute classic, defences were awful, attacking was brilliant. Porto took a lead midway through the first half but we immediately levelled, the game was tight with chances at both ends then half way through the second half Mancini scored to give us a 2-1 lead but Porto came back to make it 2-2. With 10 minutes to go we kept going at them and scored a third goal with 10 minutes to go. We then sat back and tried to play the game out but with 3 minutes left Porto scored to make it 3-3. A game we should've won but a draw away from home is a solid result. Onto the home leg! 2ND LEG (H) One of those games on FM that you won't forget in a while. Porto kicked off and within 30 seconds were ahead, a shocking start and we looked shellshocked. Somehow we got into half time only 1 down, we needed to come out firing but within 7 minutes of the break Porto doubled their lead. A triple substitution was made and it worked as we immediately grabbed a goal back courtesy of Afena-Gyan, we tried to score but couldn't break through but then came the defining moment, with 9 minutes to go Porto were down to 10 men after a shocking 2-footed lunge from Carmo. After this we went for it, all out attack and within a minute of the red card Stansfield levelled the tie with a header from a corner. We continued to push and push but couldn't break through, then in the last minute of injury time we played the ball out to the right, Zabarnyi played it to Mancini, who beat his man, cut the ball across the box and Afena-Gyan nipped in front of his man and smashed it into the net!!!!! 3-2!!!!!!! The whistle blew and we had done it!!! What a game! An absolute epic, both legs were amazing. We're into the last 16 by the skin of our teeth! Where we will face...... Oh dear!!!! I mean we did beat Barca and PSG last season but we lost to these in the Semi Final. A tough tough ask!

2029/30 Season - December and January So far this Winter has been pretty quiet transfer wise, no one of note has left but 2 players have joined, just to bulk the squad out going into a period. Harvey Barnes - Attacking Midfielder - £3.9m from Leicester I planned to sign him on a free at the end of the season but when I saw how low the fee was I had to bring him in, will offer me a different option up front. Loukas Tsoulias - Central Defender - £11.25m from Antwerp My 2026 intake star comes home. Sold last Summer for £12.5m, re-signed for less than that. A good defensive option and helps with the homegrown rule. Now let's discuss results, as per the previous post I'm going to concentrate on the Champions League but let's take a quick look at how the league is going. A few slip ups lately but it coincides with me resting players for the Champions league, overall though we've been good and December was just incredible. Still 3 clear but we should be much further ahead. Now to the Champions League, 3 games to go, we really had to win 2 of them to get into the top 8 and an automatic spot in the Last 16. Matchday 6 - Celtic (A) One hell of a comeback, we were bloody awful in the opening 25 minutes, a "berate" shout worked the tricked and we came from 2-0 down to secure a massive 3-2 win. Central Defender Zabarnyi grabbing the all important goal. Matchday 7 - Napoli (H) I fully expected to win this game but we just weren't at the races, we had very few chances and probably should've lost. A huge setback and we now go to Bayern knowing we cannot afford to lose, we sit in 6th place but there are 8 clubs behind us who could jump ahead if we lose. Matchday 8 - Bayern Munich (A) A step too far, we tried our best but it wasn't good enough. Bayern were just too good and came away with a 2-0 win. A huge setback and one that dropped us out of the top 8. From 6th with a game to go, all the way down to 13th, this league phase is so unforgiving. A good campaign overall though, we won half our games and only lost once. 13th place seals a playoff spot, the draw is still a week away!

That's the hope!

2029/30 Season - September to November A new season starts and as expected, domestically it's gone very well. I'm going to gloss over the League, don't get me wrong it is important but this challenge is all about the Champions League and as we know seem to be challenging I want to concentrate more on that. But before we talk all things Panathiaikos let's firstly discuss Holland and World Cup Qualifying. When I joined we had played 4 games and with 10 points we say 2nd behind Ukraine. The squad I have is amazing, De Ligt, Timber, Simons, Kluivert, Gakpo, Gravenberch and many many more. I really do think we have a chance of winning the World Cup and the final 6 games went just about as good as expected. 6 games, 6 wins and 33 goals scored. Some sensational wins and with that we eased our way to qualification for WC2030 in Spain. Smashed it! The draw for the World Cup is on December 15th, I shall report back when it's been made. Now back to Panathinaikos, in the League it's gone as well as expected. I've mixed the team around to keep my key men fit and ready for the Champions League and the back up players have done really well. Unbeaten after 10 gams with some really good wins including a 2-0 away win Olympiakos. Now to the Champions League, I had what I felt was a decent set of fixtures with only a couple of games I felt were tough. We played 5 of the 8 games over the last 3 months and it's gone amazingly. Matchday 1 - AC Milan (A) One of the game I expected to lose but we played really well, AC had most of the play but the match itself was pretty even. We took the lead through Nikola Iliev towards half time but we couldn't hold onto lead, AC scored 8 minutes into the second half. After that we sat back and soaked up the pressure. We came out with a 1-1 draw, definitely a point gained. Matchday 2 - Monaco (H) We really needed to win our home games and against Monaco I knew we had it in us to easily beat them, defensively we weren't at our best but attacking wise they couldn't cope. Afena-Gyan scored after a quarter of an hour before Monaco levelled a few minutes later. Iliev then gave us the lead right before half time. Monaco levelled against 7 minutes into the second half but as players started to tire we took advantage, scoring immediately after their second goal and then adding a 4th goal in injury time. A 4-2 win and a quality attacking performance. Matchday 3 - Marseille (A) I fully expected to win this game but Marseille had a better side than I expected including Dutch star Donny Ven de Beek and star striker Patrick Schick. We took the lead early on, Pinto with a lovely shot from the edge of the box, we huffed and puffed but couldn't break them down and then, 10 minutes into the second half, Schick scored a lovely header from a corner. The game then petered out, the subs made no difference and we had to settle with a 1-1 draw. Another solid point though away from home. Matchday 4 - West Ham (H) Last season Europa League winners came to our gaff and I fully expected a win. The game was actually really even, lots of chances for both sides but the different today was Unai Simon in goal, he made a string of amazing saves to keep us in the tie. We scored early through Iliev and then added a 2nd goal right before half time. If it wasn't for Simon though the game could've been so much different. In the second half he made save after save, denying Scamacca when clean through and a point blank McTominay header which he somehow kept out. A huge win! Matchday 5 - Porto (H) An absolutely stunning performance against the Portuguese champs. We utterly dominated from start to finish, the only thing that maybe let us down was our finishing. We had 30 shots with only 7 on target, Diogo Costa ended with their highest rating, he was brilliant but he was beaten! Pinto score just before a quarter of an hour and Afena-Gyan added a second with a lovely chip over Costa to make it 2. After that we should've scored more but Costa kept them in it, they rarely had a chance. Probably one of our best performances in the Champions League this season. What a start, 5 games in, 11 points and we currently sit 5th. Amazing, we have a serious chance of ending in the top 8 and therefore missing the dreaded playoff round, we do have some tough games to come though. To end in the top 8 we really need to win 2 of those, Celtic we have a chance but the other 2 will be tough, I have faith though!

2029/30 Season - Transfer Update & Champions League Fixtures Well it's been another mad Summer, bids galore and some tough times trying to improve the squad whilst keeping hold of my key and balancing the squad to adhere to the Champions League squad rules. It's now the end of August, the window has shut over most of Europe although the Greek window has another few weeks to run. So here goes, let's start with the out's and we say goodbye to a few of our first teamers. Let's firstly discuss my transfer strategy, last season we massively struggled with the sheer number of games and a lot of that came from the fact I had too many non-Homegrown players to have a full Champions league squad, when we then got a load of injuries I was forced to play players who were massively unfit. So this Summer I've tried to get rid of players I felt were disposable, those who weren't guaranteed starters, I'd then replace the bulk of these with homegrown players, they may not be as good but it gives me more options in the tougher parts of the season. I did have a few positions where I wanted to buy the best player I could, that was mainly GK, LB and DM. So 8 first team players leave, the biggest loss out of that list is Striker Zakar, I'd mentioned in the previous update that he was out of contract at the end of this coming season so I had to get rid, we also say goodbye to Sotiris (DM), he spent most of last season moaning, I've got a really good fee for him, Winger Roony also goes, a player who was great in parts but was never consistent enough. Both my Left Backs also leave, Merlin and Lelo both signed last Summer and whilst Lelo was decent he asked for a move as his head got turned, Merlin was awful. Right Back Olivera and Centre Back Dorrington also move on, they both wanted more football and I couldn't give it to them. Goalkeeper Martinez moved as well, my backup keeper and you'll see why I let him go in a moment. So plenty of out's, around £80m in total, now we need to strengthen the squad! So please welcome...... Unai Simon - Goalkeeper - £22.5 from Atheltic Bilbao A pretty penny for a 32 year old but for me he is well worth it, when I talk about upgrading positions this is exactly what I meant! Grace Moke - Left Back - £22.5m from Club Brugges A really needed a new top quality left back and this lads ticks that box, he's also young and has plenty of time to grow. I have high hopes! Tomas Soucek - Defensive Midfield - £3.4m from West Ham I wanted a top class DM and although Soucek isn't that world class player he is definitely an improvement on what I had, a good squad player who offers much needed experience. Now to the players to help with the homegrown rules and firstly we welcome back an "old" face! Kostas Antonis - Winger/Striker - £14.25m from Valladolid He only left last Summer but is already looking for a move, sold for £12m, re-signed for a bit more, he had to come back! He was amazing for me and even though his technicals attributes aren't amazing he can definitely do a job. Isaak Mimilidis - Attacking Midfield - £5.75m from PAOK I've taken a key youngster from a rival, at only 19 he already looks really good, he needs some work but here is the best place to help him reach his potential. Panagiotis Anastasopolous - Central Defender - £3.6m from Panetolikos Adds a homegrown player to the squad, a small fee for a player who looks pretty decent. Michalis Antoniadis - Defensive Midfield - £17.5m from AEK A massive fee for a 20 year old but he helps with the homegrown rule, he takes a key player away from a rival and I know he can do a good job, especially domestically. Avraam Gialamoudis - Right Back/Central Defender - £2.5m from PAOK Another player to help with the homegrown rule. A decent player but needs work on his technicals if is he to play at Right Back. £91m spent, some really good players who will go straight into the first team but now our squad is properly balanced, we have enough players to fill the 25-man Champions League squad and still have the depth to challenge in all competitions. Finally, we have received our Champions League fixtures and I am really happy with what we've been given. 4 home games that we should be winning, the only tough games really are AC Milan and Bayern away, other than that I'm confident. Could we sneak a top 8 spot?!

Breaking News - New International Job Things were not going well at Hungary, tbh they are awful so when this popped up I had to go for it. The Netherlands want me, 3 times runners-up in the World Cup, time to take them that one step further. Qualification for WC2030 hangs in the balance though as currently, after 4 game, they sit 2nd behind Ukraine. As before, I'll only update when something interesting happens

2028/29 Season - End of Season Review What an amazing season it's been, I hope everyone enjoyed the Champions League updates, to get to the semi final was some achievement especially with who we beat along the way. But now it time to get back to domestic action, the last update was at the end of the regular season, we sat 7 points clear of AEK with 10 games left and still unbeaten, we were also into the semi finals of the Greek Cup, let's talk about that one first. In the semi final our opponents were PAOK who has knocked out AEK in the quarters, with so many games at the time I had to rotate the squad but we performed amazingly, winning the home leg 4-1, in the away leg I rested a lot of players but we still did well, coming out with a 3-3 draw meaning we had got through to another final 7-4 on aggregate. Where we would face Olympiakos, they had been really poor in the League but every game against them is really tough. With a fully fit squad we went into the game high on confidence and we dominated the game, central defender Dorrington scoring just before half time, we continued to dominate and even though Olympiakos had the odd chance we never looked in trouble, then with 2 minutes remaining Zakar set up Maldini to score a 20 yard belter, a 2-0 win, a 3rd straight Greek Cup win!! Now to the Super League, this season the Championship group took a kind of backseat with the Champions League games, in numerous matches we played full blown reserve teams to keep our key men fit for the PSG and Real Madrid matches, results suffered slightly but only a little bit, we had back-to-back draws in early April and lost our one and only game away to AEK, this game was in between the Real Madrid matches so literally no one played out of my main squad. It would have been great to have an unbeaten season but Champions League is much more important. We ended the season in style after going out of the Champions League, sealing the title with an amazing 7-0 away win over Atromitos. Even with so many games to play we still managed 23 points from our final 10 games, sealing a 6th straight league title, equalling the point and goal scored tally from last season, defensively though we were amazing this campaign, conceding only 15 goals in 36 games! What an incredible season!!! Now let's take a look through our key men and there really is only one place to start. Nikola Iliev was signed in the Summer on a free transfer from Inter Milan, I hadn't actually realised how well he had done, he was one of those players that just went about his job. Well he was insane, 33 starts, 19 goals, 17 assists, 11 POTMs and an average rating of 7.72. He also ends as the clubs player, young player and signing of the season!!! Now I have to try and keep hold of him as he's wanted by half of Europe!!! Top goalscorer went to Summer signing Felix Afena-Gyan, this bloke is a goal machine, he ends with 33 goals in 25 league games and 40 goals in 32 starts overall. He ends as the Greek Super League top goalscorer. Youssef Zakar ends as the Greek Super League talent of the year, he didn't play as much as he may have wanted as Afena-Gyan was so good but in 21 starts he scored 15 goals. It's highly likely he will be leaving this Summer as he has already stated he will not sign a new deal when his contract expires next Summer. Time to cash in I think. And here is the seasons Best XI. As you can see we switched tactics this season, we changed from a 4231 with wide men to a 4231 with a narrow 3 AMs, I rotated depending on who was fit and also if I felt we needed to stretch the play. A basic gegenpress tactic with a narrow forward line, the SS and the AM both had PIs to run wide, move into channel and roam more, it really did work well. And here for your perusal is the whole squad. So another season down, the best one yet. Now we need to push on, we have proved this season we can stand up to Europes elite but we know we need to improve the squad. I don't envisage the same as last Summer when we were decimated with players leaving, this Summer I don't need to raise funds so players will only go if they either kick off or a crazy big comes in. My main aim this Summer is to get a better GK, a new LB and maybe a new DM and AM as a couple of the players in those positions want to leave. I do need to be careful though, slowly but surely we are losing homegrown players and picking a Champions League squad is getting tougher. The good news is, we have good budgets to bring in what we need. £38m to spend on transfers and another £200k per week extra in the wage budget. Financially we have done amazing this season, a £65m profit overall, this is due to the Champions League run, our bank balance is now at £87m. It looks set up for a Summer of stability whilst bringing in just a couple of players to take this squad on to the next level.

2028/29 Season - Champions League Semi Final v Real Madrid Here we go! We beat PSG, surely we can give Real Madrid a game?! Once again I decided to live update on the FM Library Discord and here is what happened.... FIRST LEG (AWAY) 13 mins - Ansu Fati (yes he's playing for Real Madrid) nearly scores an amazing goal, he jinks past 3 defenders and his 20 yard shot hits the post 15 mins - OK it's all Real, some lad called Soppy cuts in from the left but his shot is well saved (edited) 17 mins - And there's the opening goal. A lovely ball over our defence finds Fati who dinks Majecki and makes it's 1-0 to Real Madrid 32 mins - Out first chance, Zakar is through but his shot is well saved by Courtois And that's half time, 1-0 to Real Madrid, we've hardly a sniff 51 mins - And that's 2-0. We just cannot get the ball past their press, we've tried and tried but they are just too good. Rodrygo scores after good play from Valverde, maybe the keeper should've saved it 61 mins - We nearly grab one back, a gorgeous cross from Lelo finds Zakar but his header hits the top of the bar And that's it. Full time, a 2-0 loss, we played OK but their press was way too good and we just couldn't get past it A tough first leg and we go back to our place 2 goals behind. Too far behind? Usually I'd say yes but we did just beat PSG 5-1!!! SECOND LEG (HOME) 2 mins - Oh dear, not a great start, we fail to clear a corner, its played back in to Rodrygo who smashes it home, 1-0 to Real, 3-0 on aggregate 3 mins - OH MY WORD!!! Straight from the kick off, we play it wonderfully through the Real midfield, it then gets played wide to Zabarnyi on the right, he gets a bit lucky as his pass is deflected back to him, he gets to the byline, crosses it in and there's Afena-Gyan to put it in! 1-1!! 39 mins - The game had gone very quiet then suddenly a highlight, Militao plays a poor pass out of defence, it's picked up by Iliev, he plays in Zakar who chips the keeper, it looks to be in but is cleared off the line and then the flag goes up for offside, 1-1! And that's half time! We need to find 2 goals from somewhere! 49 mins - We're chasing shadows at the moment, Real are passing is gloriously around the pitch, over 30 passes before it falls to Rosas on the edge of the box but his shot goes way over 70 mins - Absolutely nothing happening 89 mins - We're so close!!! Rudiger comes bombing out of defence and loses the ball, Pinto plays Sotiris in, he gets it past Courtois but his shot hits the inside of the post and is cleared! 1-1. It looks like that's it. The run is over but what a run it was! We held our own against the big boys, we beat Barcelona and PSG in the knockouts and fell just one step short of the final. I am so proud of what we achieved, hopefully now this gives the player the hope they need to win this damn thing!!!

Thanks for the kind words mate, really glad you're enjoying

2028/29 Season - Champions League Quarter Final v PSG Here we go, for the first time ever Panathinaikos are into the Champions League Last 8 and we have one hell of a task, Fernandez, Mbappe, Vinicius, Neves, they're all at PSG! Anything other than a total battering and I'll be happy. I decided to live update on the FM Library Discord and here is what happened........ FIRST LEG (AWAY) Here we go! PSGs team looks scary as hell, first leg is away, lets just not get smashed! 7 mins - Varane wins the ball well from Vinicius but is immediately dispossessed by Hakimi, he runs down the right, crosses it in but Mbappe's header is just wide 12 mins - What a break! We win the ball back out on the left, it's wonderfully played through by Krejci and suddenly Afena-Gyan is clear but his shot is tame and straight at Donnarumma in goal (edited) 21 goals - GGGOOOOAAALLLLL!!!! Pinto scores after a lovely ball from Krejci...but wait a minute it's going to VAR, did he stray offside? Yep the lino is flagging and it's disallowed, gutting! 37 mins - And there's the PSG breakthrough, we have been brilliant so far but its won in the air by Mbappe, he knocks it down to Vinicius who smashes it into the top corner. 1-0 to PSG 43 mins - ITS 1-1!!!!!! An awful clearance by PSG find Lelo, he plays it to Iliev who runs past his marker and squares it across the goal, it's half saved by Donnarumma but it falls to Afena-Gyan who taps it in!!! Amazing! And that's half time! 53 mins - It's a penalty to PSG, Fernandez plays a corner in and there seems to be a push in the box by Iliev on Soler Fernandez steps up and scores, keeper went the right way but it was right in the corner, 2-1 to PSG 60 mins - And that's 3-1, we can't deal with Mbappe's pace, he runs clear after a ball over the top, to be honest though the keeper should've saved it, Mbappe's shot was straight at him but he somehow palmed it into the corner of the net. Now we just need to not let them get any further away from us 68 mins - Oh what a goal!!!! Lelo wins it down the left, he passes it to Mancini who plays a delightful ball over the PSG defence, it falls to Pinto who takes one touch and hammers it home!! ITS 3-2 to PSG!!! 71 mins - PSG score again but Vinicius is miles offside and its disallowed 87 mins - Another one disallowed!!! And it's a second goal turned over by VAR for us! It's wonderful play, Kun Wah Lee plays a cross in, it's nodded back by Iliev and Afena-Gyan hammers home, but he is literally fractions offside! And that's full time, we're still in the tie! SECOND LEG (HOME) 13 mins - So close for PSG, a A cut back from Soler finds Hakimi but his shot goes way over 31 mins - GGGGOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!! An amazing goal with some gorgeous build up, PSG are chasing shadows as Kun Wah Lee plays it down the right to Pinto, he runs free into the box, cuts it back and Afena-Gyan taps it home!!! 1-0 and 3-3 on aggregate! 36 mins - A really long highlight! It swings from us to them to us, then eventually Hakimi is clear on the right, he crosses it in, Vinicius' shot is blocked but it falls to Mbappe who slams home, 1-1 on the night, 4-3 to PSG on aggregate, we have to go for this! And that's half time, 45 mins left to salvage it. Nothing to lose now, let's throw the kitchen sink at them, ATTACK!!! 47 mins - OH MY WORD WHAT A START!!!! It's a thrown in for us level with the box on the right, it's thrown short, swung in by Kun Wah Lee, head tennis ensues, it hits the keeper and Sotiris from a weird angle heads it home!!! 2-1 to us and 4-4 on aggregate!!! PSG don't know what's hit them at the mo!!!! 61 mins - We have a free kick on the edge of the right hand side of the box....Maldini is over it....... IT'S IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maldini fools everyone and crosses it, Zabarnyi heads it and Donnarumma makes a total hash of it and palms it in the net!! WE'RE AHEAD ON AGGREGATE 5-4!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PSG look shellshocked, changing to attacking has worked, they don't know what's hit them!!! 3 mins later and we have a corner! 65 mins - The corner goes deep, it's picked up by Maldini who is tripped, the ref points to the spot but will VAR overturn it?! Oh it's not a pen, everyone stopped like it was given then play continued!!! Very odd! Oh my god, from that highlight the ball goes right up the other end, eventually falling to Neves who from 30 yards odd cracks a shot against the inside of the post but bounces out! 73 min - Another attack for us, we have a throw in on the left, it's thrown to Lelo who finds Sotiris who hits it from 25 yards but is tipped around the post, another corner! It's 4 f*cking 1!!!!!!!!!!! Lelo swings the corner in and Solet heads it home!!! This is madness! 6-4 on aggregate!!!! 78 mins - This isn't happening is it? Am I dreaming? PSG have fallen apart, Fernandez gives the ball away in midfield, one pass by Sotiris and Pinto is clear, he runs into the box and hammers it into the top corner. IT'S FIVE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that, my greatest result on any FM...ever! I am a mess! WE'RE INTO THE SEMIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely unbelievable!!!!! And in the semi's we face Real Madrid!

2028/29 Season - February to Mid-March We've reached the end of the regular season and as expected we're still doing really well but there are bigger fish to fry currently and that is in the form of the Champions League! So before we go into how the Champions League is going let's take a brief look over how the regular league season ended. Really, really good. With the Champions League games as well we've been played every 3 or 4 days, we have a lot of injuries currently so it's amazing to see us still winning. That final game every single first team player got rested and we still came out with a 2-1 win. 10 games to go, 7 points clear, some massive games coming up, we need to get some players back or we may start to lose some games! Now the Champions League, in the playoff round we were drawn against Gent, a game we should win, the first leg was away and we defended amazingly to win the game 1-0. It was lucky they decided to miss a lot of chances, a 1-0 win away from home is brilliant and sets us up for the home leg. Where with a lot of players out we could only field 7 subs, the scored early but by half time we were 2-1 up, we saw the second half out to get through 3-1 on aggregate. Into the Last 16, we failed here last season so I was hoping for a kind draw, we didn't, we drew Barcelona! It was going to be a tough game and with the first leg at home we to do win to have any chance. The game was mad, Barca hammered us, how they didn't score 8 I will never know. I decided to change to the 4231 with wide men just to stretch the play, going forward we were really good, we took the lead but by half time Barca were 2-1 ahead. In the second half we went for it and turned a certain defeat into a 3-2 win. We had an xG of just over 1, Barca were just over 3! An amazing win but there was still the second leg to go, we knew Barca would come at us, we had to defend well but we were totally shot. I could only name 5 subs, we had 1 fit midfielder and 1 fit right back. The boys had to regroup and go again we put in one of the performances of the season. Barca took the lead after 35 mins, our heads could've easily dropped but within 2 minutes Zakar levelled the match and put us back ahead on aggregate. In the second half Barca went down to 10 men early on after Araujo got a second yellow but it didn't stop them as Pedri scored a tap in, the tie was level and was way too open but we had to go for it, the players were shattered and we knew we could not take it to extra time. Then with 11 minutes to go Iliev stole the ball off of Pedri on the left hand side, he ran down the line, played a gorgeous ball into the box, Pinto ran onto it and blasted it home from 15 yards, the keeper had no chance and we were back ahead. Now hold on, 10 mins to go, 5 mins, 5 minutes of injury time, HANG ON!!!! The whistle blew and we had one! Into the Quarter final of the Champions League for the first time!! Incredible!!! Now we await our opponents, there is still another week to go. I will keep you all informed!

2028/29 Season - November to January It's been a busy few months, some amazing results and then another interesting transfer window! Before I go through the transfers let's see how the results have gone, starting with the Greek Cup and we've eased our way into the semi finals. I've given some of the back-up players a go and they have duly delivered. Next up in the semi final is either PAOK or AEK. Now to the Super League and our amazing run continues, loads of wins, some big score-lines and very few goals conceded. Just amazing and we go into the new year top by 2 points from AEK with a game in-hand It's quite nice that AEK are keeping up with us but just look how far behind Olympiakos are!!! And last but not least, the Champions League. When I'd left you last we were 3 games in and had managed to win 2 of those games, after that we did amazingly, we drew Liverpool at home 2-2, we were 2-0 up though! We then got some brilliant wins over Antwerp, Copenhagen and finally Napoli which sealed our playoff spot. We then went into the final match, away to Man United knowing if we won the match we would more than likely end in the top 8, unfortunately though, we lost, it wasn't helped that we had both our Striker away on African nations duty and we only had 2 fit central defenders! Overall though, our best Champions league campaign so far, 16 points 8 games and we ended in 11th place, another season in the playoff for us! The good news is we have been handed a more than winnable tie in the playoff round! We could've got Liverpool, Roma or Atletico so we have definitely got away with it. Now that's out the way let's discuss transfers and as ever bids came flying in the second the winter window opened, luckily I only lost 2 players and neither I was totally fussed about. We say goodbye to 31 year old Vavro and 2026 intake star Tsoulias, neither had set the World on fine, both wanted to leave. Now the big issue is, both of them are central defenders and with Varane deciding to retire at the end of the season I needed defensive recruits, I was basically left with Varane, Solet and Dorrington as first team CBs and Solet is playing in midfield! So I went out and brought 2 new central defenders. Tom Stansfield - £250k from Arsenal A lad I'd looked at a few times, when I suddenly saw he was on the transfer list for such a small fee I had to bring him in. A great deal for a quality looking player. Illia Zabarnyi - £18m from Bayern Munich On the opposite end of the spectrum to Stansfield! Zabarnyi comes in for a whopping fee but I felt it had to do it to add much needed quality to my defence, this lad looks incredible and is only 26 so has plenty of time to get even better! I also decided to go out and bring a few younger lads in, just to bolster the ranks as I felt our B and U19 teams were a little short of quality. Willy Mbe - Central Defender - £2.9m from Toulouse Stephane Traore - Defensive Midfield - £4m from Leverkusen Jean-Jacques Haddad - Striker - £7.5m from PSG 3 lads with a look to the future, all of them will be in the first team squad for the mentoring but will be made available for U19s and the B team.

2028/29 Season - September and October A few months have gone by and the season has started so much better than expected. With so many in's and a lot of my key players leaving I expected it to take a while for the new boys to settle in, well it didn't take them long! But before the results I did make one more signing, I said I wanted another Striker, well I got one after a very very extensive search, it's not the £40m worldie I promised but, really and truly, there was no one for that money that was good enough or worth the fee. So I went and spent £5m + £5m of addons on Felix Afena-Gyan His technicals need some work but his mental and physical attributes are amazingly good. The good news was the Summer window slammed shut and nobody else left! Thank god!!! Now to the results and firstly the Champions League, after last seasons shocking fixture list it was nice to see some winnable ties when this seasons fixtures came out. We do have some tough away game but with the likes of Antwerp, Limassol, Copehagen and Rennes to play we surely have a good shot of getting into the playoff round. Well our first 3 fixtures went well. We started with a gutting 2-1 loss to Barca, they grabbed the winner with 3 mins to go. We then easily beat Limassol before a hard fought 2-1 win over Rennes. A really pleasing start. Going on other season we need another 4 points for a playoff spot, could we sneak into the top 8 though?! Now to the league and even with me mixing the side around a bit to keep players fresh the season has started fantastically, we've beaten all of the other big 3 sides in the League, scored loads and hardly conceded! Amazing, 1 goal let in so far! Sitting nicely top, it's also good to see we have a healthy gap on Olympiakos who pushed us all the way last season.

2028/29 Season - Transfer Chaos I always expected this Summer to be one of change but I expected me to be in control of that change!! What has happened this season is an absolute decimation of my first team. Bid, after bid, after bid, the bigger clubs came calling and my boys decided it was time of them to go. I needed to bring money in so I gave them their wish. I was going to wait until the transfer window shut but it feels right to go through the transfers even if there is still a couple of weeks of the Summer window left over most of Europe. This could be a long update, there are so many in's and out's to talk about! So let's start with the out's, I hope you have some tissues at hand, this could get emotional!! £126m of my sales!!!!! Some of our biggest and best players leave including AM Reinier, signed for £1.1m, sold for £25m, Tyler Morton, our amazing RPM, signed for £5m, sold for £22m, 2022 intake wonderkid Antonis who wanted to go, sold for £12m. We also say goodbye to GK Seimen, signed for £12m, sold for £19.75m after his release clause was activated, CB Jelicic, who had his head turned by Wolves, signed for £1.1m, sold for £19m and also FB Aaron Hickey who joined Leicester for £16.5m, exactly what I paid for him. We also sold Striker Mayoral, FB Kavvidis and CB Pascanu, these 3 were let go, the only sales which brought in money that I was happy to lose!!! So a total battering of my playing squad, 6 of our players in last season Best X plus another 3 first teamers means we have some gaping holes in our side. Now for the in's, I hope you're ready, there are a lot!!! Lets go in position order and firstly we welcome 2 new goalkeepers. Josep Martinez - Free Transfer Signed as a backup to Seimen, then he left! Rasolaw Majecki - £5m from Hertha Berlin My replacement for Seimen, a top quality looking keeper. Now to defenders and we welcome 2 new Left Backs Quentin Merlin - Free Transfer Let's hope he can bring some magic to our squad, I'll get my coat. Leonardo Lelo - £5m from Cagliari My new first choice left back replacing Hickey. 3 new Central Defenders come in Alfie Dorrington - £4.7m from Tottenham A young central defender, decent looking and will provide good backup Oumar Solet - £8.5m from Crystal Palace Signed to replace Jelicic, can also play in defensive midfield Raphael Varane - Free Transfer Some much needed experience added to the squad and on a cheap wage. Now to the midfield and 2 new defensive midfielders join. Fred Kasongo - £7m from Zulte Waregam My replacement for Tyler Morton, only 21 and already looks amazing. James Heary - Season loan from Leicester Signed just to bulk out the squad as we felt a bit short in midfield. And finally 4 new Attacking Midfielders!!! Leo Castledine - Free from Chelsea A no brainer for no money, he offers versality as he can play anywhere along the attacking line and also as a DM. Valentin Pinto - £9m from Bordeaux A young, quality looking AM joins. Top quality. Paride Mancini - £7.75m from Roma My replacement for Reinier, a lad I'd looked at numerous times before, he looks incredible. Nikola Iliev - Free from inter Milan Another freebie and another great looking players, signed to add more versatility, he can play as a Striker and also anywhere along the attacking midfield line And so far that's it! 13 players come in for £47m, a massive £79m profit. This sets us up financially but I don't feel we've lost much in terms of depth or quality. There is still one position I need to improve and that's upfront, we really only have Iliev and Zakar, both are young and a bit raw. I need to find someone a little older who can bang the goals in and the good news is I still have £45m to spend!!!! So a mental Summer, one I don't want to happen again but overall I'm really happy with my business!

2027/28 Season - March to May, End of Season and Greek Cup Final The end of the season is here and we have probably had our best Championship Group so far in the save. I really didn't know what to expect after the Dortmund battering but the lads dusted themselves down and came back firing! We won game after game but then came 3 tough away games in a row. Draws against PAOK and then AEK meant in the next game against Olympiakos we just had to avoid defeat and the title would be sealed. We took a 2-0 lead and looked to be coasting but then came the inevitable comeback, Olympiakos scored twice late on but we managed to hold on to a 2-2 draw and that meant we had won the Super League for a 5th straight season. We finished off in style with 3 more wins means we had won the League by miles with our highest points tally in the save so far. A really good end to the season but we still had one more game to go and that was the Greek Cup final against Olympiakos. This was a swansong for quite a few players and they duly obliged in one of our best performances of the season. A 4-2 win, a clinical attacking display, it was also nice of midfielder Matusiwa to get sent off in the last minute of his final game for the club! Domestically then, a great season, a second straight league and cup double and we are now well and truly the dominant force in Greece. Somehow we now need to improve ourselves enough to get better in the Champions League!! Finally, let's take a look at who my key men were. The only place to start is 2022 intake star, forward Kostas Antonis, another brilliant season for the lad who ends as the Greek Super League Talent of the Year and the club Player and Young Player of the season. Unfortunately though we may not see him in the green and white of Panathinaikos as he has asked to leave! We will also be saying goodbye to Striker Borja Mayoral who ends as the clubs top scorer, he has been good for the club but we need to find someone better who can do it in the Champions League. Finally is Winger Daniel Maldini, another amazing season for the lad with 24 assists and 13 goals. I sincerely hope he will go nowhere in the Summer! And here is the clubs Best XI for the season. And here is the whole squad, this may look very different next season! Sweeping changes are ahead. We will be saying goodbye to a big chunk of this time as I look to cash in on some of the boys to bring in better players who hopefully won't cost as much. We lose the 2 loanees, Matusiwa, Pascanu and Mayoral are all leaving as is Jimenez, Kostas and Coutinho who are all retiring. We also have numerous players who want a bigger move or are unsettled by other clubs interest. A very big Summer ahead, we massively need to start kicking on in the Champions League, that is what this challenge is all about, god knows how I'm going to do it but this squad needs moving up a level, no time for sentiment! The big issue is the budgets, they are not good at all. There is one big reason for this though, I have already spent a good £25m on players who will join in the Summer!!! What I have coming in is hopefully a big improvement on what I have but you will have to wait until the next season to see who they are!

2027/28 Season - End of Regular Season, Greek Cup and Champions League We've reached the end of the regular season and as expected we are sitting pretty at the top of the table. Results again have been really good with some key wins away from home. Huge wins over AEK and title chasing Olympiakos mean we have stretched our lead at the top of the table, we did draw our final game but players were rested for a much bigger game! 4 points clear with 19 games to play, it's one of higher points tally at this point but the smallest lead we've had in 3 seasons. It just shows how well Olympiakos are doing. Now to the Greek Cup and once again we have made it to the final. A brilliant win over AEK in the Quarters followed by an easy Semi final tie where we dominated the first leg and rested everyone in the second. In the final we will play Olympiakos. Now to the chaos of the Champions League, we faced Galatasaray in the Playoff round for a spot in the Last 16, with games stacking up I made a bit of cockup and forgot the rest my players prior to the first leg away but we came out with a respectable 1-1 draw, I corrected my mistake in the second leg and we dominated the match, winning 3-0 and sealing a spot in the Last 16 Where we faced the might of Dortmund, the team that last season knocked us out in the playoff round 6-1 on aggregate, I expected a tough tie but in the first leg we provided a miracle! We got utterly battered, our keeper was incrediblel, then in the 94th minute Ronny Bardghji headed home from a Mayoral cross to somehow hand us a 1-0 win! Absolute scenes!!!! The came the leg away, I expected a reaction from Dortmund but I never expected this to happen. We got annihilated, it could've been more in all honesty. An absolute killer for me. This just shows how hard the task is here to win the Champions League. Maybe I've given myself too big of a task? I have to admit I am utterly demoralised by this defeat. I never expected it to be easy, I never expected us to be winning the Champions league by now but I also expected us to be challenging more than we are. To win the Champions League here, even in the next 5-8 seasons we are going to need so much luck, fluky results, not just one fluke, 7 or 8 flukes!!! Can that happen? Maybe. Will it happen? No. I have to dust myself and go again but I can feel itchy feet coming on! I want to win Champions Leagues!!! That is the main aim of this save!

2027/28 Season - December and January It's been a very busy couple of months but results have continued to be really good, fitness is becoming a real issue and we have had quite a few injuries, so in the Winter window I decided to bring in a couple of players to bulk out the squad. Valentino Gilbert - Defensive Midfield - Season loan from Genk Only 18 but he looks top quality, it will add some much needed depth to my defensive midfield Claudiu Bunea - Central Defender - Season loan from AC Milan Another loan and another quality young player. We have a few injuries in defence at the moment so he may be playing quite a bit! Abel Buitrago - Striker - £1.5m from Sporting Gijon One for the future, a young Striker who already looks incredible. Fortunately there have been no out's but a few players have been unsettled, Hickey, Mayoral and Jelicic have all asked to leave after I turned bids down for them, the offers though were way short of what I value them at. Now to the results and like I said it's gone really well. Firstly the Champions League, we had 3 games left and really only needed 1 more win to guarantee a playoff spot. That win came in the next game as we were involved in a epic 5-3 win over Darmstadt, after that we lost to AC Milan in a poor showing before ending our campaign with an incredible 2-2 away to Barcelona. And that means we eased to a playoff spot ending in 16th place. A fantastic campaign especially as we had a really tough set of fixtures. We also have a winnable tie in the playoff round. Galatasaray stand between us and a spot in the Last 16. Now to the league and it's been an amazing few months. 6 games, 6 wins and loads of goals! And that means we leap above Olympiakos as the top of the table. They are still unbeaten though, it's going to be a fun second half of the season. 5 games of the regular season to go then we go into the dreaded Championship Group.

Breaking News - International Job Offer! Yes that's right I have taken an international job! If you read the opening post you will know there are 5 Nations that are part of the challenge as they lost in a World Cup final, well one of those nations offered me a job, they aren't great but it should be fun to see how well I can do with them Replacing David Moyes!! So I am now Hungary manager and things do not look good! 53rd in the World Ranking and their recent qualifying for Euro 2028 did not go well. They failed to qualify and also failed to make the playoffs as they ended 2nd in their Nations League group. Not great but it should be a fun challenge, we now await the next Nations League draw and then World Cup qualifying. Updates will be sporadic with Hungary, I see no reason in updating often unless something interesting happens

2027/28 Season - September to November A very brief update taking you through the results so far and it's gone really well! Let's start with the Champions League. The fixture list we were handed looked really tough but we have done amazingly well to get 3 wins from our opening 5 games. 3 amazing wins, Astana was expected but to beat Ajax and then Monaco away is incredible and just shows you how far we've come. The Inter Milan game was a gutter we looked to be heading for a point but they scored with the last kick of the game. Liverpool we were decent again, had a better xG but they were amazing going forward and Allison was unbeatable. 3 games left and we sit in 12th, going on previous season we should already have enough for a playoff spot but we still have a chance of the top 8 and with that qualification to the Last 16. We have a couple of winnable ties in the our final games but it still looks tough. Now to the League and as ever we've started really well. 11 games, unbeaten with only 2 blemishes on our record, the Olympiakos game we did well as we played with over half the game with 10 men. Other than that we have been really good, scoring plenty of goals along the way. Olympiakos have also started really well and are top by 3 points but we have a game in hand. Finally, I just want to show you the tactic I've been using in most games, including the Champions league matches. It's very basic, a 4231 with 2 DMs. Even with that we look quite open at the back but I think that's because we're pressing quite high, it works well though, the forward line are amazing are backed up by the attacking full backs. Tyler Morton playing as a RPM is so good, picking the ball up from the defenders and playing lovely cross field passes or through balls. It's amazing how well it's working but like I say it could be a bit better defensively. Most teams, especially in the League tend to play counter attacking against us and we struggle with those long balls over the defence.

@Johnny-Trotter @robertpeet27I've found a more up to date article from UEFA about CL qualifying for those extra spots. Slots 3 and 4 go to teams who's nation has had the best season previously in Europe, that would explain why England Germany got an extra place. England had 6 in the end as their clubs won the Champions League and Europa League, Germany, most teams did pretty well without winning it. So I would presume they got the most points over the season

I really don't understand why Darmstadt are in the CL, they ended 5th in the Bundesliga, no team above them won a European comp, they also went straight into the League Phase. Looking at the UEFA website here is what it says with regard to the extra 4 spots for the new format. As far as I can tell Darmstadt don't fit any of these As for Koln, the ended 4th so qualified automatically for the CL

I honestly cannot work out why they're in it. The ended 5th in the Bundesliga but were given a CL league phase spot, no one above them won a European trophy, it may be something to do with the new CL format but I honestly haven't got a clue! He got 5 assists in 27 games last season. He is playing as a WB(A) and gets forward really well giving us a good outlet but doesn't tend to cross that much, his aim is to stretch the play, we play some good crossfield balls to him, then he tends to pass it to the RW or back inside to the RPM. It works well and he is really good

2027/28 Season - Transfers and Champions League Draw A new season begins, this season we need to start pushing on in the Champions League, this is what the challenge is all about and after 5 seasons the furthest I've got is the Last 16 when we had a favourable draw, since then we have failed to get past the playoff round, we have been unlucky with draws, this season we need to start progressing and the best way to do that is to sign better players. Unfortunately though the budgets, even though they are big for this league still aren't good enough to be signing World class players, quite a few want to come here, our reputation is high enough to attract proper decent players (we're now ranked 32nd in the UEFA rankings) but with only £27m to spend on player we simply cannot afford to be spending what we need to spend to bring those players in. Then comes the added issue that, because we're doing well, our players are getting noticed and when bids from the bigger clubs come in, those players want to move. This Summer especially there has been a plethora of bids for players I don't want to lose, most have dealt with the rejection and not complained, a couple have thrown their toys out the pram. I don't want players here who don't want to be here themselves so they have been moved on and personally I feel I've done well. It is only the 25th August so there is still time for this to change but so far, here are my out's £53m of out's!! And the two at the top of that list stand out most. Both Dolan and Fer Nino got their heads turned, both leave with a heavy heart but the bids were too goo to turn down, Nino was signed for £4.6m, a £15.4m profit, Dolan was signed for £3.6m, a £21.9m profit. You cannot argue with that. We also lost first teamers Tempelmann (DM), Poungouras (CB), Bello (LB) and Jesus (CB). All 4 had fallen down the pecking order and I needed to move them on to a) free up money and b) free up Champions League squad spaces. So lot's of money in and that now gives me a lot to spend. We needed a new Right Back to replace Kun Wah Lee who's loan was up, we also needed a new central defender, a new ball winning midfielder and then a right winger and Striker to replace Nino and Dolan. Lot's to do, the main thing though was to upgrade from what we had/have and I think I've done a good job. Youssef Zakar - Striker - £3.7m from Hertha Berlin I won't lie, finding a Striker to replace Nino for a fee I could afford was impossible and with Borja Mayoral and Raul Jimenez in the squad I didn't need to break the bank. Zakar comes in and is one for the future, only 19, he will get chances this season but the aim for him is to get mentored and bed himself into the playing squad. Andrew Kun Wah Lee - Right Back - £18.25m from Rennes So I replaced Kun Wah Lee after his loan was up with...Kun Wah Lee!!! I just had to, this lad ended as No. 1 in the NxGN in 2024 and is an absolute worldie, he was amazing last season for me and was the best I could find, he's cost me a lot but I think he's worth it. Denis Vavro - Central Defender - £5.5m from FC Copenhagen A quality, experiences defender, Vavro adds good depth to the squad and at 31 still looks amazing. Ladislav Krejci - Defensive Midfield - £4.3m from Sparta Prague I had this deal tied up months ago, I wanted a new BWM and this lad fits the bill. A low fee for a player who looks amazingly good, he is already 28 but still had a good 4 or 5 seasons ahead of him. Roony Bardghji - Right Wing - £11m from FC Copenhagen I had this lad recommended to me and once I knew Dolan was leaving I had to bring him in. Only 21 so has plenty of time to grow. He needs a little bit of work, especially in his stamina and strength but I feel he can be a major player for me moving forward. And that's it, 5 new players in, £45m spent which means we recouped more than we spent. A good Summer and now it's time to kick on. Although we need to keep dominating domestically we have to progress in the Champions League, the good news was, we had once again got straight into the League Phase, I'm not sure how, the League rules clearly stated for last season the League winner went into the playoff round but hey-ho!!! The good news is though from this season the League winner is guaranteed that League Phase spot, Greece is now upto 8th in the UEFA Co-efficient which is amazing! In the previous few season we have been handed OK fixtures in the Champions League, we've tended to have 4 impossible games and 4 games I felt we had a chance in, this season however it looks tough!! I mean that looks tough, on the face of it we have a chance against Astana and Darmstadt, other than that it's going to be a struggle, I have confidence though, at home we can give any team a game, fingers crossed!!

2026/27 Season - End of Season Review Going into the Championship group we had a big lead on the chasing pack, in the past couple of season we have struggled for results in this stage of the season, especially against the big boys so the big gap was very much needed. But this time, bar a rubbish draw at home to PAOK and then a defeat to Olympiakos we didn't lose our nerve, after the Olympiakos game we won our next 3 games and with the chasing pack faltering our 4th straight league title was signed and sealed with 4 games remaining!!! A great season and with the title being wrapped up so early it gave me chance to blood some of the reserves and kids to save the big players for the Greek Cup final (yes that's right we beat Olympiakos in the semi final). The kids did a decent job in the final few games with only a final day defeat to their name. Another great season overall, 1 more defeat than last time around and 2 points worse off but frankly who cares, that's 4 league titles in a row! Now to the Greek Cup final where once again we faced AEK Athens, the team that in last seasons cup final beat us, rather undeservedly, on penalties! Well this time we did not need to worry, we started amazing, a goal within 90 seconds, a 2nd within 4 mins and by half time it was 5-0!!! I have never witnessed a half like it. The second half petered out until Fer Nino sealed his hat trick from the penalty spot with 2 minutes to go. 6-0, utterly incredible, now that's what I call payback!!!! What a season, a league and cup double, some amazing performances overall. I couldn't have asked for much more. Now let's take a look at who my key men were and I have to start with this lad, he's one of our own! Kostas Antonis, the 2022 intake star eventually broke into the first team this season and was amazing, he ends as the club young player of the season and the Greek Super League talent of the season. He also ends with the most POTMs and Highest Average Rating at the club. What a superstar! Daniel Maldini once again had an amazing season ending as the club player of the season for a 3rd straight season Striker Fer Nino ends as the Greek Super League top goalscorer and top scorer at the club, 32 in 32 starts, 23 in 24 starts in the League Finally, Winger Tyrhys Dolan ends with the most assists at the club, 16 in 38 starts. Here is the Best XI for the season. And here is the whole squad. And now we look forward to next season, we are clearly the dominant force in Greek football now but it is still tough with Olympiakos, PAOK and AEK always giving us tough games, even if they do end way behind us in the league. What we need to start doing now is progressing in the Champions League, that is the aim of the challenge after all! To do that we need to keep upgrading our squad and this Summer I have 3 positions I want to level up. I need a new RB to replace Wah Lee who's loan is up, I'd also like to sign a top quality CB and I want to buy a really good Ball Winning Midfielder. Obviously they are going to cost and with us spending quite a bit this season the budgets aren't as high as it has been. £17m is still decent though but it may be tough to get the players I need with that money so I may need to raise some funds by selling a couple of players. The wage budget though has once again gone up, by another £150k per week, this means we have around £280k per week spare. Finally, some massive news, we are going to get a new stadium! A 10k increase on what we have now! Exciting times!