Marchena Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 Elche CF The home of an interesting football team and a beautiful city Introduction & history Elche Club de Fútbol is a Spanish team based in Elche, Alicante in the Valencian Community. The club was founded in 1923 and currently is placed in the Spanish Segunda División. The club became very successful in the 60’s after they won back-to-back promotions in 1957/58 and 1958/59 to earn them their first La Primera season. They stayed in the best league in Spain for 12 seasons before relegating, but after only two seasons in the Segunda they won their place back on the finest stage. After five difficult seasons in La Primera they went back to Segunda in 1978. The club came close to winning their first great trophy when they became runners-up in the Copa del Rey in 1968/69, but lost 1-0 to Basque Athletic Bilbao. This would end the finest time of the proud club. They later had two seasons in La Primera in 1984/85 and 1988/89, but failed to impress and relegated both times. After that the club faced great problems and in the 90’s they spend most their times in the regional Segunda B divisions. In the new millennium they’ve fought their way into becoming a regular Segunda club and have now been in the division for 11 seasons in a row. Last season they had one of their best years in a long time, when the team lead by José Bordalás finished 6th. Today Elche is known as a club with many good young players in recent years. They frequently use and recruit youthful players and uses them regularly in the first team plans. The colors Elche CF is known around Spain for their green colors which are represented in both the home and away jerseys as the “second color”. The home jersey is the traditional white, while the away jersey is mainly black. The home jersey. The green vertical stripe over the jersey was introduced around 1935 and has seen been the trademark of Elche CF. The away shirt is also represented with a horizontal stripe. The stadium The Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, named after a former president, is an impressive stadium for a Segunda División team. It has a capacity of 38.740. It was built in 1976 to replace the former Campo de Altabix, which was established back in 1926. It is the largest stadium in Alicante. In the 1982 FIFA World Cup it was one of the 17 venues and was used in the group stage. In the World Cup the stadium hosted the record winning margin win by Hungary when they defeated El Salvador 10-1. The stadium also hosted the 2003 Copa del Rey final. If Spain gets the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup together with Portugal, it is expected to be one of the venues and will undergo a capacity boost to around 45.000 to 60.000. This stadium is indeed ready for a La Primera team, so you won’t discover problems on this front. Why should I manage Elche? The answer is simple: Spanish football is sexy! There’s a lot of interesting teams in the Segunda División and Elche CF is one of the most appealing ones. They have a proud history and are 22th in the overall history La Primera División table. Their youth academy is above average and the stadium is impressive. Elche’s media prediction is 8th, but with this team it should be no problem to achieve that. There is nothing more satisfying than building up your own team, experience the promotion and difficulties of being in the La Primera División and one day even fight with Valencia CF for the best team in the community – who knows, maybe even compete with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona one day. It’s all up to you! Financial overview Elche is a quite healthy club in economical views. There’s no debt and the estimated value is quite impressive for a Segunda División club. You don’t really have money to buy players, so the recommendation is to look for loans and free transfers if you want to bring in fresh faces. Your top earners are José Luis Acciari and Kike Mateo, which is at an acceptable wage. At the start you’re abide by the wage budget, but there’s room for slicing it a bid down. I’ll elaborate that thought in the first team overview. Estimated Value: £15.25m Balance: £2.086.978 Transfer Budget: Minimum Expecation: Top half finish - £174K Wage Budget: Minimum Expecation: Top half finish - £2.7m p/a (£2.6m p/a being spent on Wages). The first team overview You’re going to take charge of a pretty powerful squad. The team has some interesting faces. Kike Mateo played La Primera football last season with Sporting Gíjon, Miquel Palanca is an interesting youth player, who failed to breakthough at Real Madrid, Francisco Javier is one of Spains most talented centerbacks, Wilfredo Caballero is a great Segunda goalie and Rodolfo Bodipo is at your availability at the costs of nothing. All in all it is a quite attractive team you have to work with. Goalkeepers: Wilfredo Caballero, Jaime, Leandro There is no doubt who is the greatest goalkeeper at this club. The former Boca Juniors player, Wilfredo Caballero is a great keeper for this level. His One-On-Ones, reflexes and aerial abilities are his greatest strength and is overall a good goalkeeper. He is only 28 at the start of the game, so there’s still many good years left in this guy, so no need to look at the transfer market. Jaime and Leandro are kind of on the same level. I’d recommend Leandro as the second keeper and sell Jaime since he earns more, but Jaime is also a tad better, but hopefully you won’t need any of them in action anyway. Fullbacks: Vasco Fernandes, Sergio Mantecón, Javier Carpio, Edu Albacar, Adrián Ripa The right back position is one of the weaker sides of this team. I’ve mostly used Vasco Fernandes as first choice and Sergio Mantecón as the back-up since he is not natural in the position. Javier Carpio seems to be the weakest, his 26-years old and seems to be at his best now, which is not impressive, however keeping him if you run into many injuries would be a good idea. On the left back position you have the choice between Edu Albacar and Adrián Ripa, the first is the best choice. Albacar is a fast leftback with overall fine skills. He can also play on the left wing, but I’d recommend using him in defense since Ripa is not good enough for the starting line-up. Centrebacks: Sergio Pelegrín, Xabier Etxeita, Samuel, Francisco Javier, Héctor Verdés Samuel and Xabier Etxeita are a strong duo in the central defense. You could throw Sergio Pelegrín in there instead of Samuel since he also performs quite well, but statswise Samuel is the better choice. The most interesting person here might be Fransisco Javier though. He is a great 18-year old talent – one of Spains finest actually. He seems to have a great future ahead of him – giving him a few matches the first season won’t hurt his development. The last man, Héctor Verdés should be sold his only useful in the aerial game and he earns too much to sit outside the team every week. Central midfielders: José Luis Acciari, David Generelo, David Sánchez, Mubarak Wakaso, Sergio Mantecón Two of the squads most experienced and greatest footballers are located here. Acciari and Generelo are two good players for the Segunda level. Acciari, who has enjoyed many good years at Real Murcia, and is your best choice in the defensive role of the central midfield, he is a good ball winning midfielder, who’s also a natural leader and can compete for the captain role with Caballero. Beside him, in a more creative role, David Generelo is a good choice. The former Zaragoza midfielder is good all round and is a good passer plus he has a very good long shot. Generelo and Acciari are two mentally strong midfielders, who work well together. On the bench David Sánchez is also an okay passer and Sergio Mantecón can also play this position, but they do not have the same level as Acciari and Generelo. You also have to call up Mubarak Wakaso (from the B-team Elche Illicitano) He is a good young player, who deserves to be in the first team. He is a good physical central midfielder. Attacking central midfielders: Kike Mateo, Santos This is an important role in Spanish football – the attacking midfielder behind the striker(s), which should be a player who’s happy to have the ball. Kike Mateo, who comes from La Primera football in the last two season at Sporting Gíjon, is a typical player for this position and the best choice in this team. He is a creative player, who likes to be the center of attention. He is a good passer and can also do a well job at finishing, so he is ideal for the role. Santos is the only natural cover for Kike Mateo, but does not have attacking skills to match those of Kike Mateo. If you’re in injury trouble David Sánchez can also be used in this position. Wingers: Juan Quero, Miquel Palanca, Santos, Jordi Xumetra, Pachu*, Lamin* The 158cm tall Juan Quero might be the smallest and lightest player in the whole league, but his speed makes up for it. His a very technical winger, who can bring in good crosses – he should be the first choice for the left wing, with Santos covering for him. On the right flank the former Real Madrid player Miquel Palanca is the best option, the young Spanish winger has fine overall stats and is quite useful as an inside winger since he has okay finishing abilities. Jordi Xumetra is an okay cover, who is also a fast player. *Pachu and Lamin does not have the talent to be part of the first team and should be sold or let go. Attackers: Rodolfo Bodipo, Ángel, Miguel Linares, Jesús Perera, Miquel Palanca* Rodolfo Bodipo is the best choice in attack. The fast Equatorial Guinean, who is on loan from Deportivo La Coruña is both fast and good in the air, his not the best finisher, but is a quality striker for the Segunda. If you want to use two attackers I suggest either Miguel Linares or Ángel. I’ve personally has had more success with the younger Ángel, but they look alike. If you only use one attacker Jesús Perera should be sold or let go. He is the attacker who earns most, but the least usable, therefore it is obvious that he should be sold. *I recommend using Miquel Palanca as an inside striker on the right wing, since his stats fits this better. Youngsters and Elche Illicitano The clubs B-Team, Elche Illicitano is not very useful. It plays in the Regional Valenciana division, which is the 5th best league in Spain (which is very low since the leagues are so regional. The only players you might find useful are Digeo Vicente and Pablo Nicolás, but they can’t compete for a place in the first team in my opinion. From my point of view Elche Illicitano is just wasting salary on players, so the best option is to let everyone go if you can for free – it can save you around £55.000 in wages p/a. Murabak Wakaso starts on the B-team so pick him up first though. The u19 Elche team is not detailed enough to really talk about, it seems the stats vary from game to game. However it seems that the 15-year old David Álvarez seems to be useful and my scouts reckons that he can get to a level similar to Kike Mateo. Who to bring in? You do not have money to really go out and buy players from other clubs at the beginning. Therefore I reckon that you’re opportunities lies in the free transfers and loans from La Primera clubs. I myself has had good experiences with Valencia’s Isco, who is a good 18-year old attacking midfielder, who can compete with Kike Mateo. All in all I find the team you already have is good enough the reach the goals the first season. Otherwise it’s all about finding that needle in the haystack, but here are some suggestions: Isco (Valencia, attacking midfielder, loan) Diego Camacho (Free transfer, central midfielder) Diego Tristán (Free transfer, attacker) Jonathan Aspas (Free transfer, winger) Gerard Deulofeu (Free transfer, winger) Gael Etock (Free transfer, attacker) Koke (At. Madrid, Central midfielder, loan) Pichu Atienza (At. Madrid, central defender, loan) Mikel Balenziaga (Ath. Bilbao, defender left, loan) Recommended starting-line-up Starting line-up This teams strengths and players give the perfect opportunity to use the famous 4-2-3-1 system. The team has two strong central midfielders, fast wingers and a creative attacking midfielder. It would be a shame to place Kike Mateo, David Generelo or José Luis Acciari on the bench to make room for a second striker. Edu Albacar can be used for offensive support from his left back position, so if you need it, you can give him very offensive settings. It really depends on who you meet, there’s a wide range of different teams in this league from Real Betis to Villarreal B. Therefore you have to adjust to the team you play, but remember – you’re a team who can compete for the play-off promotion spots, so don’t underestimate your team when making the tactics eventhough your media prediction is 8th. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marchena Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 I'll just take this post in case anything comes up I know this team is not a very popular team among Football Managers, but hopefully this can be used by a few people. I've finished the demo with Elche and played them in FM10 and have always found them to be an interesting side to follow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ty Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 If I stepped on a frog, I would expect the impact to make the noise; 'Elche' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrightLad5 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 If I stepped on a frog, I would expect the impact to make the noise; 'Elche' Comment of the day! Just popped by to look at this team thread, great opening post mate! I've never really ventured into Spanish football at all really as I find it hard to stay compelled to a team that I dont have knowledge about, hense why I usually play FM in English leagues. You might have done enough to sell lower league Spanish football to me though. I'll let you know if I explore the continent on FM11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
--b-- Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 great OP Elche seems like just the kind of team i think id like to have a good go with and start a long career save once i get the full game ill let you know how i get on! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntelaar19 Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 Brilliant OP, truly piqued my interest when I need a break from my usual Tottenham and Aris saves i'll definately be giving Elche a try ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marchena Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 Nice to hear guys - hopefully someone picks up an Elche save I’ll just give a recap of my experiences in the Demo. I started with a great preseason. Every game was won (even a 2-0 win home against Bolton) beside a 3-0 home defeat against Champions League champions Inter. The league was kicked off with a 3-0 win home against Recreativo. After that I experienced some problems, since the fixtures were difficult. My best time came in November when I won four matches in a row. I finished 7th with the same number of points as the 6th placed play-off team. In the Copa del Rey I won in the second round against Segunda team Ponterradina, but lost in the third against Guadalajara from SegundaB because I used too many reserves. Juan Quero and Rodolfo Bodipo were my best players. Bodipo was impressive in front of goal and Quero made an impressive six assists in 10 matches. I was a bit surprised by how good Sergio Pelegrín was in central defense and chose him over Samuel. Caballero was a bit disappointing, but I’m sure he can do better. League table The Demo Team Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
higgins Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 A good thread for a not well known team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArsenalFan7 Posted October 29, 2010 Share Posted October 29, 2010 I may manage Elche. Due to their amazingly cool kits Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shake Appeal Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 If I ever head to Spain, I'll take Elche. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
watsonsclarets Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 i have joined Elche on the demo and have found it a good scouting ground is the Spanish 2nd division... Agree about both Quero and mateo are both quality might try and bring them into the championship with Burnley when the game comes out... Could Quero cut it though with his size but ability wise i have no doubts about him it a good side elche very impressed good thread marra Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marchena Posted November 2, 2010 Author Share Posted November 2, 2010 i have joined Elche on the demo and have found it a good scouting ground is the Spanish 2nd division...Agree about both Quero and mateo are both quality might try and bring them into the championship with Burnley when the game comes out... Could Quero cut it though with his size but ability wise i have no doubts about him it a good side elche very impressed good thread marra Nice to hear. I don't think Quero would have as big a problem in FM11 as IRL where he probably wouldn't fit (especially not in the championship) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Fantastic opening thread made. On last years game I never played as 1 team outside of England so I have said to myself that I am going to focus on teams from different countries this year. I have a demo save as Inter & may start that up again, but this thread has made me want to start with Elche. Well done dude!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marchena Posted November 11, 2010 Author Share Posted November 11, 2010 2010/11 - Elche CF Wow... Just wow! I have never experienced such a great season. Everything just went like it was supposed to. I f-ing won the league in the first year! Granted.. I was lucky at times - and teams like Real Betis really disappointed, but this must be one of my proudest moments. League Table: http://i55.tinypic.com/23t01hz.png Team: http://i54.tinypic.com/2yv2rro.png I'm afraid of next season however. This team might be the 4th strongest in Segunda or something like that - Primera will need a lot of preparation and transfers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marchena Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share Posted November 12, 2010 A long summer and pre-season is over. I didn't get a lot of cash (£2M), so I went for free transfers all summer. I decided, that around half of the starting Line-up should be fresh faces - and to send off the players I didn't really need with the new faces. My transfers were: Marko Mihaljevic (regen) £875K - My scout found this 19-year old in Dinamo and he seems to already be fit for the first 11. He will fight with David Generelo for the spot. Marcin Wasilewski (Free Transfer) - He was released by Anderlecht - he has a lot of experience from Belgium and will be starting right back. Luis Jiménez (Free Transfer) - A lot of Serie A experience - even from Inter! He is starting as Att. Midfielder leaving Kike Mateo on the bench Corrêa (Free Transfer) - Another find from my scout.. He will be the new defensive midfielder in the starting Line-Up. Nice find from Brazil Raúl Tamudo (Free Transfer) - Old La Primera legend. He has a lof of experience and will be a nice man to have on the bench Roberto Ayala (Free Transfer - Legendary - he is very old though, but can still be good on the bench Raúl Bravo (Free Transfer) - Knows the league - last minute find who will fight with Edu Albacar for the left back. My starting Line-up is now: Weak areas: Ángel and central defense. Wingers could be better, but I took a chance and kept them. Started the season off great with a 3-0 home win against Malaga - everything is set for a new season with fight against relegation Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marchena Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 Elche | Season 2011/12 Another great season in my Elche save. We started the season of great and by the first half of the season; we were closer at a European spot than relegation. In the second part however we faced difficulties. In the end we finished 13th, which was a great accomplishment by this team. The biggest surprise came from Ángel, who showed, that he could be a great La Primera poacher. League Table: http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5711/season2table.png Team at end of season two: http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/4198/season2squad.png Ángel: http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/2244/ngelseason2.png I’ve just finished the transfer window for the new season, and it all went down pretty well imo. We ended up getting: Juan Manuel Insaurralde (Free transfer) Great central defender from Boca. He will become a sure starter and my best central defender. Míchel (£425K) Cheap find from Valencia. Will fight with Luis Jiménez with the starting position in AMC Ander Iturraspe (£2.9M) Bit Expensive, but wanted him. Good young Spanish player. Jordi Alba (£1.3) GREAT STEAL! Very fast and a good young winger Kiko Casilla (Free transfer) Just a second goalkeeper Bruno (Free transfer) Knows the league. Will become back-up for the full backs Javier Paredes (Free transfer) Will play as left back instead of Raúl Bravo. Good find – knows the league. New Starting Line-Up for 12/13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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