CJ'43

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 41 - 2064/65 Fixtures / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: It wasn’t our best performance in the league this season. We dropped too many points in the regular phase against teams we should have been beating, and as a result, we found ourselves 12 points behind PAOK heading into the championship phase. Although we managed to turn things around, losing only once in the last 10 games, it wasn’t enough to overtake PAOK. They secured their 10th Super League title, finishing 5 points ahead of us. However, we did have success in the Greek Cup, claiming our 7th title. We fought our way to the final by defeating Chania, Olympiacos, and PAOK, and in the final, we came out on top with a 2-0 victory over Aigaleo. Our main focus this year was the Champions League. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, with some brilliant moments, like our 5-0 win against Dortmund and a 3-0 victory over Barcelona, but we also suffered defeats to Benfica, Athletic Bilbao, and Fenerbahçe. We still managed to qualify for the knockout stages, where we faced 6-time champions FC Porto. After two thrilling games, we won on penalties, only to face PSG in the Round of 16. Despite winning the first leg at home, we couldn’t hold onto the advantage and lost 4-3 on aggregate. The season wrapped up with a run in the Club World Cup, where we drew against PSG, and also tied with Saudi giants Al-Ittihad. A win over Atlético Tucumán helped us reach the knockouts, where we met FC Porto yet again. Like in the Champions League, we got the better of them, only to be narrowly beaten by Barcelona in the quarter-finals, 3-2. Kostas Panos (58a) was our standout player this season. The 22-year-old striker scored 27 goals across all competitions and averaged a solid 7.10 rating per game. His performances earned him the Youth Player of the Year and Greek Player of the Year awards in the Super League. We also had three players named in the league’s Best XI. Fanouris Pindonis (61a) continued to shine, being named the most promising young player in the world, according to the NXGN list. This season, we said goodbye to some club legends, which marked the end of an era at Kavala. First, there was center-back Giorgos Pallas (52c), who played over 250 games for the club. After losing his place in the starting lineup, he requested a transfer. It’s always tough to see a player like him leave, but he felt it was the right move at this stage of his career. Then, Giorgos Lyberakis (46a), who had more than 400 matches and 100 goals for the club, also moved on. At 34 years old, he's still one of the greatest Greek players of all time. However, his physical decline meant he was no longer a regular starter, and as a result, he requested to leave. It’s sad to see such a legendary figure depart, but we respect his decision. Finally, Olsi Istrefi (47a), our goalkeeper for more than 15 years, also moved on after his contract expired. Though he hadn’t been a first-choice in recent seasons, his contribution to the club over the years was immense. It’s the end of an era for these players, and their impact on the club will never be forgotten. Youth intake: it wasn’t anything special this year. The most promising players were Skender Jakupi (65a), Tasos Koupkiolis (65b), Giorgos Vichas (65c), and Panagiotis Drosos (65d), but realistically, it’s unlikely any of them will break into the first team in the near future.

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 40 - 2063/64 Fixtures / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: this season was quite comfortable, as we finished the regular phase at the top of the table with an 8-point advantage over Olympiacos. Our impressive form continued in the championship phase, where we secured our 12th title, setting a new club record with 89 points! In the Greek Cup, despite making a lot of changes to the starting eleven, we managed to reach the semi-finals. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get past AEK. Our Champions League journey began in the playoff stages, where we easily progressed to the league phase. Although we lost three group-stage matches to Chelsea, Liverpool, and PSG, we qualified for the knockout rounds. We defeated Kobenhavn but fell to Real Madrid in the Round of 16 with a 6-2 aggregate score. Kostas Grontis (58d) was a standout performer, being named the best goalkeeper in the league. He conceded 20 goals in 22 matches and kept 9 clean sheets. Kostas Panos (58a) was another key player, finishing as the Super League’s top scorer with 23 goals and being named the league's best young player. He also came 2nd in the Greek Player of the Year award, which was won by Prokopis Varsamidis (56c). Across all competitions, Panos scored 32 goals, making him our top scorer for the season. Thodoros Bedrelis (47d) once again proved to be our most consistent performer, with an average match rating of 7.35. In total, 8 of our players made it into the league’s Best XI, and I was honored to be named the league’s best manager for the 16th time. Our young talents also gained recognition, with Fanouris Pindonis (61a) finishing 3rd in the NXGN list of the most promising youth players in the world, while Jan Weigel (60j) was ranked 50th. On the international stage, we had 11 players representing their nations this summer. A special mention goes to Pierre (54a), who helped Brazil win the Copa América, adding it to his World Cup triumph. Despite offers of up to €180 million from top European clubs, we’ve managed to keep him with us so far. Lastly, we’ve seen a change at the top as a new board took charge of the club. However, there are no plans for future investments, which is concerning given that our youth facilities need improvement. It’s also uncertain if I’ll remain in charge, as the new board’s vision prioritizes signing high-reputation players, something that hasn’t been part of our long-term strategy. Youth intake: this year was underwhelming. We signed just six players, with Akis Arsenidis (64a), Vasilis Gialamas (64b), and Stravos Kyriakidis (64c) being the most promising of the bunch.

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 39 - 2062/63 Fixtures / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: the 62/63 season was one of the worst in recent years. The team really missed all-time top scorer Ilias Giannikoglou (47b), who left at the end of last season. We also had a smaller squad than in previous years and started a new 20-year-old goalkeeper, which led to us conceding a lot more and struggling to stay near the top of the table. We finished the regular season in 3rd, 11 points behind leaders Panathinaikos, who went on to win the league for the first time in 53 years! Thankfully, we managed to secure 2nd place on the final day, qualifying for the Champions League next season—otherwise, it would've been a complete disaster if we had missed out on Europe's top competition. In the Greek Cup, we got past Panachaiki and Aigaleo but were knocked out by AEK in the semi-finals. In the Champions League, we achieved our best-ever result in the league phase with 16 points, but it still wasn’t enough to finish in the top 8. We had to play a knockout round against Arsenal, a team we had beaten earlier in the group stage. Unfortunately, we couldn’t replicate that success, losing both matches with an 8-5 aggregate. Despite a below-expectation season, we had a few players named in the Super League Team of the Year: Prokopis Varsamidis (56c) at left-back, Vangelis Marantas (58c) at center-back, Thodoros Bedrelis (47d) at right-back, Pierre (54a) as a defensive midfielder, and Panagiotis Tsanaktsoglou (59b) as an attacking midfielder. He was also our most regular player this season, with Stavros Diamantopoulos 57c as our top goalscorer. Youth intake: This year’s intake was better than last year, with a few players who could make the first team in 2-3 years, like Ntimos Vergos (63a) and Christos Gaitanidis (63b). However, it’s a bit disappointing that, after all these years, about a third of our a/b/c rated players are goalkeepers...

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 38 - 2061/62 Fixtures / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: We had another comfortable run in the Super League this season. We finished the regular season 8 points ahead of second-placed Panathinaikos, losing only one of our 26 matches. In the championship phase, we kept our strong form and won the league with 87 points—a record for Kavala in the Super League. In the Greek Cup, we beat Kalamata 8-3 on aggregate in the 6th round and knocked out PAOK on penalties in the quarter-finals. After defeating Larisa in the semis, we faced AEK in the final for the fourth time. Like the last two encounters, we came out on top, securing the trophy. In the Champions League, we couldn’t match last year’s top-8 finish. We recorded 15 points again but failed to qualify directly to the Round of 16. That meant we had to play Newcastle in the knockout round, where we won both home and away. In the next round, we faced Manchester City. Despite winning 2-1 at home in the first leg, we couldn’t hold the advantage and lost 3-0 away, exiting the competition. Five of our players made it into the Super League Best XI: Ilias Bedrelis (45f), Prokopis Varsamidis (56c)—who also won Best Greek Player in the league—Marciano Santos (58h), Pierre (54a), and Babis Tasiopoulos (45e), who was our most consistent player with an average rating of 7.41 this season. Ilias Giannikoglou (47b) was, for the 12th time, our top goalscorer. Sadly, this was his last season with us as he has decided not to renew his contract. It’s a sad moment for Kavala as we lose our all-time top scorer, with 229 league goals in 368 appearances—more than 320 goals in total for the club. After being named the most promising player in the world last year in the NXGN ranking, Stavros Diamantopoulos (57c) went on to win the Kopa Trophy, becoming just the third Kavala player in history to do so. With Giannikoglou leaving, he’ll be a key part of the team moving forward. We had three players represent their countries at the World Cup: Marciano Santos (58h) for Guinea-Bissau, Ekran Abazaj (51b) for Albania, and Pierre (54a) for Brazil. Pierre, who was finally called up to the Brazil national team this season, and helped the “Canarinha” lift the cup. The Super League has risen to 6th place in the European competition rankings, and we’ve moved up to 14th in the UEFA club rankings. The board has also announced plans to expand our stadium built last year. The project will cost €102 million to add 14,558 seats—about €7k per seat. Youth intake: This year’s intake was another disappointment. With such a strong first team, it’s tough to see anyone from the academy challenging for a first-team spot in the coming years. The best prospects this year are Sokol Gjoks (62a), Vasilis Emmanouilidis (62b), Nikos Zeniou (62c), and Damian Swibel (62d).

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 37 - 2060/61 Fixtures / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: after last season's disappointing league campaign, we didn’t give our opponents a chance this time. We finished the regular phase with just 2 losses and an 11-point lead over second-placed PAOK. In the championship group, even though we lost 3 of the 10 games, we were still able to control our advantage and win the title by 10 points. This marked our 10th league title, surpassing PAOK to become the fourth team with the most league championships—behind only Olympiacos (65), Panathinaikos (20), and AEK (15). An interesting fact this season, Aigaleo ended up relegated but will be playing in Europa League next season as a result of winning the Conference League. (final league table) In the cup, we cruised through, beating our affiliate Aiolikos, PAOK, and Larisa in the semi-finals, before securing our 5th trophy with a 3-0 win against Panathinaikos at the Olympic Stadium. For the first time, we reached the top 8 in the Champions League league phase. We started in the playoff rounds, defeating Antwerp and Nordsjaelland, and later picked up impressive wins against Leverkusen, PSG, and last year’s champions, FC Porto. This saw us qualify directly for the Round of 16, where we faced Napoli. A tough 4-1 loss in Italy made the second leg a tall order. Although we won 2-0 at home, we were eliminated with a 4-3 aggregate score. On the individual front, Olsi Istrefi (47a) was named the best goalkeeper in the Super League, with 24 goals conceded in 27 matches and 11 clean sheets. Ilias Giannikoglou (47b) was the league’s top scorer with 24 goals in 26 appearances and won the Greek Player of the Year award. Nine of our players made it into the Super League Best XI, including Thodoros Bedrelis 47d. who had an average 7.48 rating this season, and I was honored with the Manager of the Year award. Stavros Diamantopoulos was also recognized as the world’s most promising player after finishing 3rd in last year’s NXGN list. Youth intake: this year’s intake wasn’t great compared to recent seasons, but two players are worth mentioning: Fanouris Pindonis (61a) and Indrit Zefi (61b). Team history: Manager history:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 36 - 2059/60 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: the Super League wasn’t a major priority for us this season, so we rotated the squad extensively, especially before our UEFA Champions League matches. In hindsight, we may have overdone the rotations, leading to dissatisfaction among some of our regular starters who demanded more playing time. As a result, we finished the regular season 7 points behind Olympiacos and couldn’t improve our position in the championship group, ending up 3rd, 13 points behind the winners. In the cup competition, we made it to the final after defeating Anagennisi Karditsas, Volos, and AEK. Unfortunately, we lost to Olympiacos, who secured the double. In the Champions League, we collected 14 points in the group stage but did not advance to the top 8. We had to play in the knockout playoffs against another Greek team, Asteras, and won 3-2 on aggregate. We then delivered a spectacular performance at home, defeating Barcelona 3-0. However, in the second leg, the tie was 3-3 in the 87th minute, only for us to score the decisive 4-3 goal in the 92nd minute, advancing with a 5-3 aggregate score. It was arguably the most thrilling game of this challenge so far. Once again, we defied expectations, but faced another Spanish team, Atlético Madrid, in the quarter-finals. After a 2-2 draw in Greece, we fell short in Madrid, losing 2-1 and missing out on the semi-finals for the second consecutive year. It feels like we are getting closer to achieving our goal. On the NXGN 2060 list, Stavros Diamantopoulos (57c) was ranked 3rd, and Christos Kygais (56a) was ranked 22nd. Giorgos Pallas (52a) and Thodoros Bedrelis (47d) were included in the Super League Best XI, with Bedrelis being named Greek Player of the Year and recognized as our most consistent player with an average rating of 7.20. Ilias Giannikoglou (47b) was our top scorer with 29 goals. Youth intake: this year brought some promising talent, including Lewis Duncan (60a), Dimitris Ptinopoulos (60b), Nikos Aivazis (60c) and Manfred Breitner (60d). Our 3-0 victory over Panathinaikos in May for the Super League was the last match at Kavala Stadium, as we prepare to move to our new 70,000-seat stadium, more than doubling our capacity. Team history: Manager history:

I don't think so, to be honest. We were fortunate to make it that far in the competition. Our defense still isn't at the level it needs to be, which is frustrating because our front three are entering their 30s. If we don't win the UCL in the next couple of years, it could take a long time to put together an attack as good as this one again.

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 35 - 2058/59 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: For the 9th time in our history, we are the champions of Greece! After a solid regular season, where we finished 2nd, we displayed remarkable consistency in the championship group, remaining unbeaten and finishing 4 points ahead of Asteras Tripolis. In the Greek Cup, we started strong by easily defeating Panachaiki from the 2nd division. However, in the quarter-finals, we faced a setback, losing 5-2 to Aigaleo in the first leg. Despite this, we mounted an incredible comeback, winning 6-5 on aggregate. We then defeated Asteras Tripolis, our main rival in Greece at the moment, in the semi-finals, and went on to beat PAOK in the national stadium to lift our 4th Greek Cup. Unlike last year, we had a comfortable run in the Champions League group stage, winning 4 matches and competing for a top-8 spot until the end. The only unexpected result was a loss to Lyon in France. We finished 13th, which led us to face Milan in the knockout stage—a team we had defeated in the league phase months earlier. After a draw in Italy, we had a thrilling match in Kavala, where we secured a 2-1 victory, with the winning goal coming just a minute after conceding an equalizer in the 94th minute. In the Round of 16, we faced another familiar opponent from the group stage: Manchester City. After losing 1-0 in England previously, this time we managed a 2-1 victory at home and held on for a 2-2 draw away, earning us a historic first-ever quarter-final appearance. There, we faced Manchester United, whom we beat comfortably 4-1 at home, advancing to the semi-finals with a 4-2 aggregate. In the semis, Liverpool awaited us. We played two strong matches, but after a 1-0 loss in the UK, we couldn’t progress past a 1-1 draw at home. It was our best campaign in the competition so far, though for the 5th time, Liverpool knocked us out. Liverpool ended up winning the competition. I receive the Manager of the Year award for the 13th season. Several of our players were included in the Super League Best XI: Prokopis Varsamidis (56c), Erkan Abazaj (51b), Thodoros Bedrelis (47d), Giorgos Lyberakis (46a), and Christos Kygais (56a). Bedrelis was also named Greek Player of the Year, with Kygais finishing 3rd. Our 18-year-old right-winger was ranked the second most promising youth player in the world by NXGN, with Varsamidis (56c) in 43rd place. Ilias Giannikoglou (47), despite missing two months due to injury, was once again our top goalscorer with 19 goals. Meanwhile, our Brazilian wonderkid, Pierre (54e), won the European Golden Boy award. Youth intake: some promising talents like Panagiotis Tsanaktsoglou and Andreas Stamatopoulos. It was another glorious year for our U19s, who comfortably won their 26th consecutive Greek title and their 7th UEFA Youth League. Team history: Manager history:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 34 - 2057/58 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: We've done it again—back on top in the Super League for the 8th time in 15 years! It was a solid campaign overall. Despite finishing 3 points behind Asteras Tripolis in the regular season, we showed our strength in the championship group, winning 6 out of 10 games and losing only twice. This strong performance allowed us to finish two points ahead of Olympiacos, securing the title. In the Cup, our journey ended in the semi-finals against Asteras Tripolis, after defeating PAS Giannina and Panathinaikos in earlier rounds. Unfortunately, the Champions League was a major disappointment. We dropped points against teams we should have beaten—Feyenoord and Lyon at home, and PSV away—which cost us a spot in the knockout stages. This setback is a significant obstacle in our ongoing quest for European success. On a positive note, along with the Greek title, I was honored once again with the Manager of the Year award. Ilias Giannikoglou 47b continued his incredible form, finishing as our top scorer with 21 goals, bringing his total to 154 goals in 265 appearances for the club. Several of our players were also named in the Super League Best XI: LB: Valon Hasani 44e RB: Thodoros Bedrelis 47e DM: Pierre 54a, the 19-year-old Brazilian, was also recognized as the 2nd most promising young player in the world by NXGN. CAM: Giorgos Lyberakis 46a, with an impressive average of 7.15 points per game, was one of our most consistent players this season. RW: Giorgos Terzis 45h Youth intake: it looks promising with a few exciting prospects. We've signed 9 new players, including striker Kostas Panos 58a, right midfielder Stratis Antoniou 58b, and defender Vangelis Marantas 58c. The future looks bright! Team history: Manager history:

Seasons 5 & 6 - 2029 & 2030 - Sampaio Corrêa Futebol Clube I left the leader of the Brasileirão, Bahia, mid-season to join Sampaio Corrêa, which was struggling to avoid relegation at the time. In the second half of the season, we managed to accumulate 28 points, ensuring our survival in Série A for another year. However, the real reason I joined Sampaio Corrêa was the Maranhense championship. And what a performance it was. Just like last year with Bahia, we won the Estadual with a 100% win record. In addition to the Maranhão state title, we also had an impressive run in the Northeast Cup, winning the competition for the 3rd time in our history. My job here was done, and I left Sampaio Corrêa after almost a year in charge, leaving the team in an unexpected 2nd place in the Brasileirão. Challenge progress: Manager history:

Seasons 4 & 5 - 2028 & 2029 - Esporte Clube Bahia A huge step up in our career, as we left Altos in the promotion spots of Série B to join Bahia. The "biggest of the northeast," as it's called by its supporters, was in the bottom half of the Brasileirão table. However, we had an amazing run in the league, finishing 4th and securing a spot in the Libertadores qualification. We would play in South America's major tournament either way, as we also managed to win our first international trophy: the Copa Sudamericana. My first match with Bahia was in this competition, where we defeated Cerro Porteño, then Internacional, Bolívar, and Vasco da Gama, culminating in a 5-1 thrashing of Corinthians in the final. It was a good start at the club, but our main goal was the Bahia State Championship. And what a run it was. We topped the group stage with 9 wins out of 9 matches, then defeated Itabuna and Vitória in the final with an aggregate score of 5-1. A perfect run to secure our 4th out of 27 Estadual titles. After winning the Baianão, I remained in charge of the club until I received an interesting offer. During my tenure, we also won the Recopa Sudamericana against Libertadores winners River Plate and the Euro/South American Challenge against Europa League winners Feyenoord. Additionally, we qualified for the knockouts of the Libertadores and were top of the Série A at the time of my departure in July, when I accepted an offer that might be a little surprising... Challenge progress: Manager history:

Seasons 3 & 4 - 2027 & 2028 - Associação Atlética de Altos A few months after leaving Sport Recife, I took charge of Altos from Piauí. While not one of the most titled teams in the state, Altos was the highest-ranked piauiense team in the Brazilian football pyramid at the time. With 6 games left in Série C, Altos was fighting against relegation. However, 5 wins and a draw saw us move into the promotion playoff spots. In the second phase, we witnessed a miracle as we finished first in our group. Although we lost the final, we secured promotion to Série B. New season, and the main reason we accepted this job: the Piauiense championship. Once again, we had little trouble winning the title, securing victory in 15 out of 16 matches. We also had a decent campaign in the Copa do Nordeste, a regional cup for northeastern teams, and in the Copa do Brasil. The most unexpected success came in the league. We consistently stayed among the top spots in the table until I eventually received an offer from another team, which I accepted. At the time of my departure, Altos was 2nd in Série B and eventually achieved a historic promotion to the Brasileirão. Challenge progress: Manager history:

Season 3 - 2027 - Sport Club do Recife In my third season, I took charge of Sport Recife, the record 44-time winner of the Pernambuco state championship. We easily won the Pernambucano title, going undefeated with 10 wins and 1 draw in the eleven games played. I spent just 108 days at the club, resigning after our elimination from the Copa do Brasil and before the start of the Série B season. 2/27 completed. Challenge progress: Manager history:

Season 2 - 2026 - Avaí Futebol Clube In the second season, we changed clubs. Our growing reputation and newly earned coaching badges landed us a job at Avaí, one of the most successful teams in Santa Catarina State. The goal was simple: win the Catarinense championship. And it was a brilliant campaign. We won 9 out of 10 group stage games and drew the other, defeating Marcílio Dias and Figueirense in the knockouts to reach the final, where we easily beat Chapecoense. With that, 1/27 of the challenge was complete! (fixtures) I remained in charge of Avaí until the end of the season, where we had an outstanding performance in Série B, winning the title with 91 points. Unsurprisingly, I resigned at the end of the season to pursue another Estadual title elsewhere. Challenge progress: Other trophies: Manager history:

You're right, sorry about that... Is that I usually call Inter "Internacional de Porto Alegre" and Grêmio just by "Grêmio"...

Season 1 - 2025 - Ypiranga Futebol Clube Ypiranga narrowly missed the 2024 Série C playoffs and subsequently sacked their manager. My first job in Brazil was in Rio Grande do Sul. We had a fantastic start to the 2025 season, defying expectations by qualifying for the semi-finals of the Campeonato Gaúcho with 9 wins out of 11 games, only dropping points to the Rio Grande do Sul giants, Grêmio and Internacional. In the semi-finals, we brilliantly defeated the team from Porto Alegre, only to lose to Grêmio in the final. We didn't win our first Estadual, but I wasn’t really expecting to win the Gauchão with Ypiranga. I accepted the job mainly to earn some coaching badges and build my reputation. The truth is, we had an amazing campaign in the league, securing promotion and winning Série C! It wasn’t the main objective of the challenge, but it was a nice achievement.

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 33 - 2056/57 Schedule / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: It wasn't our best season in the challenge, but we managed to qualify for the UCL. We had a lot of draws against teams we should have beaten easily, and we finished the first part of the season 10 points off the top of the table. The championship phase was highly competitive, with no clear favorites as every team seemed capable of beating one another. We maintained 3rd place, finishing 12 points behind Asteras Tripolis, who won their second-ever title. In the cup, we beat Kozani but were eliminated by Olympiacos in the quarter-finals. In Europe, we had a decent run in the league phase, nearly qualifying directly for the Round of 16 with notable victories against Porto, Barcelona, and Tottenham. However, a 2-1 loss in the last match against Celtic sent us to the knockout stage, where we faced Celtic again. We lost the first leg in Scotland, but a convincing 3-0 win at home advanced us to the Round of 16. There, we faced Liverpool, whom we had also faced in the league phase, at that time losing 3-2 after leading 2-0 in England. In the first match of the knockout round, we lost 1-0 at home. In the second leg, we equalized the aggregate score with five minutes to go, but Liverpool scored a minute later, sending us out once again. For the 8th time, we couldn't progress beyond the Round of 16 in the competition. Giannis Ouzounis 43h was our most consistent player with an average rating of 7.18, and despite missing a good part of the season due to injury, Ilias Giannikoglou 47b was our top goalscorer. Giorgos Pallas 52c was named the European Golden Boy, and on the NXGN list, Pierre 54a ranked 12th and Pavlos Vitilis 54d ranked 38th. Our right-back Marios Thraskias 43d was our only player included in the Super League Best XI. We also rejected a 40 million euro offer for our defensive midfielder Christos Angelidis 51a. Youth intake: We had a pretty decent batch, with a few interesting players coming through, including Nicolás Rodriguez 57a, Joe Sweeney 57b, Stavros Diamantopoulos 57c, and Giorgos Raikos 57d. This year, the Kavala board finally announced the construction of a new stadium. My initial request was rejected, but after I leaked to the press that the board had no vision for the club's future, they finally decided to build a new home. Unfortunately, the board lacked creativity and decided to name the new stadium "Kavala Stadium," just like the old one. This project is much needed as it will more than double our capacity. We already had around 97% capacity in all home matches, with almost 31k season ticket holders and another 30k on the waiting list for a 34k stadium. The 220 million euros invested in the stadium will be paid immediately, and we still have another 200 million in our balance. Team history: Manager history: Trophy cabinet:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 32 - 2055/56 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: We had a decent regular season, finishing 3rd in the first phase of the league. In the championship group, our performance dipped, and after losing the first two matches, I was genuinely worried we wouldn't qualify for the UCL (this season, only the top-2 teams qualify). However, we remained unbeaten for the rest of the year, culminating in our 7th title on the last day after a draw against AEK. For the first time, we won the title in consecutive seasons, and again, with the same points as the runner-up. In the cup, we lost to Panathinaikos in the quarter-finals. In the Champions League, a solid league phase saw us qualifying for the knockouts. We defeated Napoli with a 4-1 aggregate, and despite winning the first leg in Greece against Real Madrid 2-0, we couldn't secure the advantage and ended up losing 3-0. It was gutting. After a brilliant first leg and also defeating the record 20-time champions of the competition in the league phase, this result was a hard pill to swallow... Marios Thraskias (43d) was once again our player with the best average rating this season and was also elected the best Greek player in the league, with Giannis Ouzounis (43h) in second and Ilias Giannikoglou (47b) in third place. The striker was also our top-goalscorer with 27 goals. Giorgos Makridis (52b) won the Talent of the Year award for the best young player in the league. Christos Angelidis (51a) won the Kopa Trophy. I, once again, won the Manager of the Year award. Pavlos Vitlis (54d), on loan at Kifisia, was 31st in the NXGN list of most promising players. Part of the Super League Best XI were: LB Giannis Ouzounis (43h), CB Lyberis Graikos (43j), RB Marios Thraskias (43d), LW Babis Tasiopoulos (45e), and CAM Giogos Lyberakis (46a). Seven Kavala players represented Greece in the European Championship. Greece qualified for the knockouts after finishing 3rd in their group but were eliminated by Germany in the second round. This year, we say goodbye to a club legend, Giorgos Mygas (35j), who played over 400 matches in Kavala's shirt. Youth intake: We have two interesting prospects coming this year, both midfielders - Christos Kygais and Chrysostomos Giatis. Our U19s won their 23rd consecutive league title, as well as their 6th UEFA Youth League. Team history: Manager history:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 31 - 2054/55 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: after a trophyless season, we're finally back to winning silverware. Kavala became champions for the 6th time in their history, finishing with the same points as Asteras Tripolis. (regular phase/championship group) We also added the cup trophy to our museum. After defeating two lower-division teams and getting past Panathinaikos in the semi-finals, we beat AEK 3-1 in the national stadium to secure our 3rd Greek Cup. In the Champions League, we defeated Young Boys to reach the group stage. Despite having one of the easiest draws in the competition, we suffered unexpected losses to Rennes and Dinamo Zagreb. Nevertheless, we reached the knockouts, where we beat AEK with an aggregate score of 7-3. We then drew Feyenoord in the Round of 16, which seemed favorable at first. However, we were unable to defeat the "easiest" team at that stage of the tournament, leading to a disappointing exit for Kavala in the UCL. It was a remarkable season for Markos Gentsoglou, who had the best average performance of 7.52 points since the start of this challenge. The winger took advantage of Babis Tasiopoulos's long injury to secure his place in the starting eleven this season. Ilias Giannikoglou became Kavala's top goalscorer in the league, surpassing Ilias Manafis's previous record of 104 goals. He was also the top scorer in this edition of the Super League, with 25 goals in 27 matches, and won the Talent of the Year award for the best player in the league. The Greek Player of the Year award went to Giorgos Lyberakis, with Giannikoglou in second place, followed by Thrakias. Five of our players made it into the league's Team of the Year: Giannis Ouzounis, Giorgos Tsakirellis, Marios Thrakias, Markos Gentsoglou, and Ilias Giannikoglou. Christos Angelidis was named as the most promising player in the world. I won the Manager of the Year award for the 10th time. This year also marks the retirement of a football legend: Jamie Vardy, who retires at 68 after being with us for the last 20 years. Youth intake: one of the worst in recent years, with only two exciting prospects: Fotis Dakoutros and Iñigo Goñi. Team history: Manager history:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 30 - 2053/54 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Manager Season summary: this season, we saw an improved performance in the league compared to last year. We managed to stay in the top-4 during the regular season, finishing with a 7-point disadvantage to the leader, Asteras. Although we didn't perform well in the championship phase, we still secured 4th place, guaranteeing a spot in the Champions League playoffs next season. This season also marks the first-ever title for Asteras Tripolis, managed by our former player Amir Hoxha, 29e. In the cup, we faced a disappointing elimination against Levadeiakos, a team from the league below us. This was our earliest exit from the competition in 20 years. In the Europa League, we had a decent group phase, with wins against favorites Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao, and Benfica, as well as an 8-1 victory against Marseille. We finished top of the group but narrowly lost to Juventus in the Round of 16 with a 3-2 aggregate. This campaign was somewhat disappointing, especially considering we won the competition 8 years ago. Ilias Giannikoglou, 47b, was our most productive striker with 21 goals, while Marios Thraskias, 43d, was once again our most consistent player and was included in the league's Best XI. The right-back was also named the best Greek player in the Super League, with Giorgos Terzis, 45h, finishing in second place. Christos Angelidis, 51a, placed 8th in the NXGN ranking. Kavala will be represented in the Greek squad for the 2054 World Cup by seven players: Vasilis Papadopoulos, 47c, Olsi Istrefi, 47a, Giorgos Tsakirellis, 43l, Christos Angelidis, 51a, Ilias Bedrelis, 45f, Babis Tasiopoulos, 45e, and Ilias Giannikoglou, 47b, as well as our former player, Nikos Prountzos, 39b. Youth intake: pretty decent this year, with two promising players, the Brazilian Pierre and Spyros Tangalakis, but in general those players are showing strong defensive quality, our most needed area. Team history: Manager history:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 29 - 2052/53 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season summary: This season was a disappointment, marking our worst performance in the league over the past eight years. We finished 6th in the regular season and managed to win only one game in the championship phase, resulting in no Champions League football for Kavala next season. This is a significant setback in our objectives. However, we found success in the Greek Cup, securing our second trophy in this competition. We defeated Levadeiakos, Panathinaikos, and Asteras Tripolis, and triumphed over AEK in the final. In the Champions League, we delivered a respectable performance. We defeated Leipzig, Shakhtar, and Juventus, and drew against Barça, Atalanta, and Anderlecht, qualifying for the playoff rounds. We once again overcame Leipzig but were eliminated by Liverpool in the Round of 16. For the fifth time, we couldn't progress past this phase. The season concluded with an unexpected qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup, the second in our history. We defeated River Plate in the first game of the group stage, drew against Yokohama in the second match, and secured first place by beating Ajax. In the second round, we delivered a brilliant performance against Palmeiras, winning 5-1. Unfortunately, we were eventually eliminated by Chelsea in the quarter-finals. Despite taking the lead, the Blues managed to recover and win the game. Babis Tasiopoulos 45e was our top goalscorer and Marios Thraskias 43d was once again our most regular player. Youth intake: was quite promising, yielding an elite player this year: Thodoris Kontaxis. Additionally, this year marks the 20th consecutive title for our U19s in the Greek league. Team history: Manager history:

The Ultimate Brazilian State Championship Challenge Objective: Win every Brazilian state championship in Football Manager. There are a total of 27 "Estaduais" to conquer! Rules: Start unemployed No qualification badges Game Settings: You can use the default settings which include up to Série C. However, you are allowed to use a custom database to make more teams playable (including Série D). Just ensure the custom database is as realistic as possible. The 27 State Championships to Win: Acre Alagoas Amapá Amazonas Bahia Ceará Distrito Federal Espírito Santo Goiás Maranhão Mato Grosso Mato Grosso do Sul Minas Gerais Pará Paraíba Paraná Pernambuco Piauí Rio de Janeiro Rio Grande do Norte Rio Grande do Sul Rondônia Roraima Santa Catarina São Paulo Sergipe Tocantins Share Your Journey! Post your updates and achievements in this thread. Let’s see who can conquer all 27 state championships and become the ultimate Football Manager in Brazil!

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 28- 2051/52 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season Summary: Another year and another title for Kavala—our 5th in 10 years. It was a great campaign, where we proved to be much better than all of our rivals. (regular phase / championship phase) Like last year, we faced another defeat in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. After a decent campaign in the group stage, we managed to defeat Napoli in the knockout round but lost to Chelsea in the next round. Six of our players made it into the Team of the Year in the league. Marios Thraskias 43d also won the Greek Player of the Year award. The right-back was our most consistent player, averaging a rating of 7.29 this season. Ilias Giannikoglou 47b was once again our top goalscorer, with 29 goals. However, our main star remains the left-winger Babis Tasiopoulos 45e. We received two substantial offers for him this year: 94 million from Inter and 112 million from Arsenal. However, since our finances are very controlled (we have 300 million that we can't spend on players, and the board isn't giving us any options to upgrade facilities and the stadium), we rejected both offers. Thraskias, Giannikoglou, Tasiopoulos, and Giogos Lyberakis 46a will be part of the Greek squad for Euro 2052. Youth intake: we have some decent talents coming from our academy, such as Giannis Psemmatas, Giorgos Makridis, and Giorgos Pallas. They will help in the mission to win the 20th consecutive U19 title next season... Team history: Manager history:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 27- 2050/51 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances / Manager Season Summary: A poor start to the season saw us finishing the regular phase in 3rd place, 11 points behind AEK. In the championship group, we managed to have a decent display, finishing as runners-up in the league, 7 points behind AEK. In the Greek Cup, we suffered a disappointing defeat against second-tier team Chania in the sixth round. In the Champions League, we had a pretty decent performance. We won four games in the league phase against Valencia, Marseille, Feyenoord, and Lyon, and secured two draws against Bayern and Fenerbahçe. We then defeated our Greek rivals Olympiacos with a 6-4 aggregate before losing to Man Utd in the round of 16. Youth Intake: Unfortunately, I don't have a screenshot of the intake, but here they are after a couple of months. Christos Angelidis (51a) and Ekran Abazaj (51b) are the main stars from this year. Our U19s won their fourth Youth League title and their 18th consecutive Greek championship. We said goodbye to our assistant manager Sammy Braybrooke, who took Atromitos' seat as manager. We signed Thanos Kesoglou as his replacement. Ilias Giannikoglou (47b) was named European Golden Boy and placed 3rd on the NXGN list of most promising young talents, with Olsi Istrefi (47a) in 44th place. Istrefi was also elected as the best goalkeeper in the league and was part of the Best XI in the league alongside Marios Thraskias (43d) and Babis Tasiopoulos (45e). Tasiopoulos also won the Greek Player of the Year award. Team history: Manager history:

Kavala Football Club / Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα Season 26 - 2049/50 Schedule / Squad / Transfers / Finances Season Summary: And we did it again! On the final day, we were able to beat Panathinaikos but were tied on points with Olympiacos, and losing on h2h, however the 63-times greek champions conceded in the 92nd minute of their game against Asteras Tripolis , securing our 4th title in seven seasons. Greek Super League We made history by also winning the Greek Cup. For the first time in 26 seasons and only our second time reaching the final, we were able to get past Olympiacos and AEK on our way to beating PAOK on penalties in the decisive game. Next season will mark our return to the UCL after participating in the Conference League this year. We almost had a perfect run. As the team with the highest coefficient in the competition, we comfortably reached the group stage where we finished 3rd, defeating Steaua, Red Star, and Lille, only to fall to Brighton. We were just moments away from conquering our second-ever European title, but a goal in the 94th minute sent us to extra time after a 2-2 draw. The English team was then able to score twice and win their 4th title in the competition. GK: Olsi Istrefi 47a DL: Valon Hasani 44e (Super League Talent of the Year 2nd place, Super League Team of the Year, Conference League Squad of the Season) CB: Giannis Karvounidis 36c (Conference League Squad of the Season) CB: Rafail Mantalos 37e (Super League Team of the Year) DR: Marios Thraskias 43d (Super League Talent of the Year 3rd place, Super League Team of the Year, Super League Greek Player of the Year 2nd place) DM: Giorgos Tsakirellis 43l (Super League Team of the Year) DM: Giorgos Mygas 35j (Super League Team of the Year, Super League Greek Player of the Year) AML: Babis Tasiopoulos 45e (Conference League Squad of the Season) AMC: Giorgos Lyberakis 46a (NGGN 2050 3rd place, Super League Talent of the Year winner, Super League Greek Player of the Year winner, Conference League Player of the Season winner, Conference League Young Player of the Season) AMR: Giorgos Terzis 45h (Super League Team of the Year) ST: Ilias Giannikoglu 47b (NXGN 2050 2nd place, Super League 2nd top goalscorer - 20 goals, Conference AMC League 2nd top goalscorer - 12 goals, Conference League Squad of the Season) Georgios Angelopoulos Super League Manager of the Year Youth intake: A few elite talents came from our academy this year, the best being Fabián Torres 50a and Alexandros Goutsidis 50b. We had a few players coming from our partnerships outside... Our U19's won their 17th consecutive league title but weren't able to reach the Youth League final after winning the competition four consecutive times from 2044 to 2047. At the start of the season, the board had a takeover, but not much changed and no investments were made. Team history: Manager history: