One Day We'll Basque In Glory!

[deltablue]

Poised to jump in there.

[B.W.G]

SRL88 - Thanks We did indeed,was a good performance and the boys didn't take defeat too badly.

deltablue - We have done in style!After December's games,we are now sitting in 3rd place just 1 point behind 2nd!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga Adelante - December 2016

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
That was a brilliant month if I do say so myself.The game against Almeria was actually even but we were ruthless with our finishing with MAR being the star of the show as he scored two and also provided an assist in our only home game of the month.We then travelled to recently relegated Levante and I think we shocked them as we did out play them and was unlucky to come out of the match with only a point.As for the Castilla game,I don't think they know what hit them,we could have won 6-0 but we missed a penalty but 5-0 at their ground was more then satisfying with Goni being a hat-trick hero.

We end the month in 3rd place which is brilliant but we are one point behind 2nd which is the last automatic promotion spot.If we can keep our morale and good form up then there is no reason why we can't challenge for an automatic spot.The only thing which is difficult in this league is beating Alaves,18 teams including us have tried and 18 have failed.

[SRL88]

Ding dong .

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga Adelante - January 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Three out of four games were away from home in which I have in the past struggled with,so to pick up two wins is brilliant.We were the better finishers in the game against Elche as they were better then us for most of it,we actually scored all three goals in the game against Ceuta in a game we dominated.A Carlos Goni doubled secured victory over Xerez with help from a controversial penalty decision favouring us.As for the last game of the month,I never seem to be able to win at their ground,it seems like some hoodoo mumbo jumbo magic conspiring against us when we play there!

With Alaves losing two games in a month,the league is now wide open.The league in general is quite close as even 22nd could mathematically win the league at just over the halfway point.If we can keep some good form up then we should be able to nick a playoff spot at minimum but February will be one of the tougher months along with March so these two months will definitely define our season.

[deltablue]

Still good to snatch a top 2 place.

[cerud]

Deltable is right, still very possible to move up.

[B.W.G]

You are both right,we slipped up a bit in February but we still have every chance of getting 2nd place.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga Adelante - February 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
By our recent standards,I think that can be classified as a poor month as we didn't perform to how I know we can.The goalkeeping and defence was fine but the midfielders and strikers let us down as they cost us another 4 points.If we could finish then we could have beat Getafe and Gimnastic,the Rayo game saw us with two players suspended as well as a sickness bug affecting numerous players.The Murica win was what we needed to help keep morale up as well as keep being in touch with the top two.

We head into March in a playoff spot which will be an astonishing achievement for a club of our stature but March is another important month which will help define the season.March also brings Youth Candidate day,I am hoping for another DR as well as a ST who can put Sola and Goni under pressure as both have been showing complacency.Another plus from this month comes in the form of Ignacio Romero who made his debut for Spain u21 at the age of 17!

[SRL88]

You ar still going strong though and one defeat in the month isnt to bad.

[B.W.G]

We are and what I'm noticing is that it's similar for teams around us and anyone can beat anyone so there are still many twists and turns in this season

[B.W.G]

First time I have seen this....


Obviously will be easier getting a game for Luxembourg as we could probably beat them ourselves!He's only 16 and made 11 appearances which he hasn't really impressed me anyway!

[Coentrao]

The last line is priceless

[B.W.G]

Coentrao - It is indeed,it's almost has priceless as my face when I fell for the April fools.....god damn SI

The Youth Candidate day has been and there was literally one talent who would make any impact on the first team.A ST by the name of Aitor Itturi and here he is!


What you see is his ability which is rated at 2* CA!He is also dubbed the next Fernando Llorente!His appearance against our u19's brought devastation to them:

[Coentrao]

Shame on the anticipation but still he is amazing!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga Adelante - March 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
We were supposed to play five games during the month but the match with Sabadell was postponed due to waterlogged pitch and will be played in April.We edged the Tenerife game which was too close for comfort but we won which gave us a vital three points in our quest for promotion.We dominated the game against Peurtollano which 2-0 flattered them more then us and we could had easily scored 4 or 5 and that would have been fair.As for the defeats,one was fair and the other was not so,the fair loss was against Valladolid as we didn't really show up to the races so it was a deserved loss.The 3-0 loss to Celta was a joke,I don't think it should had gone ahead to start with,I was missing 8 first teamers due to call ups and had to field a very weak side bar Diez,Uranga and Goni so wasn't really a fair match!That match could have been a lot worse then 3-0!

April will be a busy month for us as we have six games to play,I reckon we could possibly get nine or ten points and that should be able to turn the pressure up on those above us.We are still in 6th but we have a minimum of one game in hand on teams which is at home against Sabadell and that to me is a must win to increase our chances.The pressure is turning up and I hope we don't crack!

[B.W.G]

Shame on the anticipation but still he is amazing!

Lacking anticipation seems to be a trait all my strikers have,Sola has anticipation of 8,Goni has 10 and Tena (my 4th choice striker) has 8.I hope the rest of his stats make up for it!

[rancer890]

You're just too good with your youth intakes...

[B.W.G]

He is one of two players I signed from this years,the rest were trash!

[AK22]

Going to be a close finish! Let's hope for a good April!

[deltablue]

Hang in there with the playoffs. Iturri looks quite literally a footballer.

[B.W.G]

AK22 - April has been a very good month,we have won four out of five matches so far and we have one left to play.

deltablue - We now have a 10 point advantage with 7 games left to play.Iturri isn't the only decent striker to come through,Xerez just had this guy come through...

[deltablue]

He looks quite the star.

[cerud]

Nice intake! I haven't had a good one yet

[B.W.G]

Thanks I actually think that this was our worse one yet,the only problem with being in the Basque region is that Athletic are always sniffing around the hot prospects.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga Adelante - April 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
It was a brilliant month for us as we picked up 13 points,the month started off with a shocking win over Alaves as Goni netted the winner on 83 minutes.We won against Logrones,in which I thought the world was ending as Uranga netted a double which never ever happens,we followed this up with a convincing 3-0 win in our game in hand against Sabadell with both strikers getting goals.Numancia edged the game so the loss was fair but it didn't affect us too much as the teams around us slipped up as well.Itturri was the star of the match as he came on as a sub against Ponferradina as he hit a brace in a 2-1 win,the match against Recreativo saw us absolutely dominated and still walk out with a point which shows how much we don't give up.

We up to May and have six games left to play and I do feel quite confident of a playoff spot as four of the six are at our ground.We are not too far off second place either but Getafe do have a easier run in then us but either way we have done brilliantly this season but it isn't over by a stretch.May not have scored as many as last season but we have conceded a lot less than last season!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga Adelante - May/June 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Six games,five victories and one unbelievable promotion,I am absolutely ecstatic with what happened and pretty amazed with what we achieved.It was close and it went right down to the wire but head to head proved to be our saviour,it is unbelievable that we will be playing Liga BBVA next season in a 900 seater stadium!

[Scarman]

Fantastic season, best of luck in Liga BBVA

[Coentrao]

Well done, can't wait to you see on the BBVA!

[rancer890]

Great work. Good luck in Liga BBVA.

[Proto Tarkula]

Brilliant work!

[B.W.G]

Thanks guys Can't say I was expecting it,I was expecting Getafe or Tenerife to win their game and me get a playoff spot!

We've also finally moved up from 0.5* to 1.5* so we're moving up in the world and we are now a regional club

[deltablue]

Nice, watch out Madrid.

[B.W.G]

One day we'll beat them....maybe around 2020

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga Adelante - End of Season - 2016/17

2016/17 Transfers
To show I'm following the rules of not signing anyone.The players who left were not going to cut it any more,the most notable to leave was Lekumberri who amassed 227 appearances for the club.Vera left on loan as he was never going to get first team action but no one would even offer me £0 for him to move permanent.Ayechu left to get more first team action,he will have some part to play in the future but will need action to improve.

Competitions
Liga Adelante
League Table
What an extraordinary season for us,after just missing the playoffs last season,I was only aiming for a playoff spot for this season.We were always one of the teams in contention for the second spot but I didn't expect us to reach it.We actually secured 2nd place on the last game with virtue of having the better head to head record against Tenerife.We didn't score as many as the previous season but we did conceded 27 less goals which was quite the improvement.The most memorable victory for us would probably beating the champs Alaves 1-0.Joining us and Alaves will be Almeria who beat Tenerife in the final.Last thing I can say is....YES,YES,YES!!!!

Copa del Rey
4th Round
Was an impressive showing from us during the games we were in.We were the much better side against Rayo in the 2nd round but it still took penalties to see us through to the 3rd round but a win is a win.The 3rd rounds saw us play Liga BBVA side Osasuna,a heroic performance saw us not only win but also a clean sheet as we knocked them out 1-0 to send us to the 4th round for the first time ever.We were up against it from the word go in the 4th round as we faced Sevilla,a heroic performance from the team led us to a historic victory over Sevilla in the first leg as we claimed a 2-1 win.The 2nd leg saw Sevilla's quality shine through as they won 1-0 to knock us out on away goals but we still gave them a massive scare.

Players,Stats and Awards
Best XI 16/17 - Overall Best XI

Quick look at the Team Stats.

Carlos Goni
Goni was top scorer once again as he hit 20 goals in 43 appearances which is just below the one goal every two game mark.He would have done better but like the rest of my attacking force,he had a slow start to the season.Carlos Goni now has 75 goals for Vitoria so is only 25 away from 100 goals!At the age of 19,he is already regarded as a club legend,where as the guy who has led them to two unexpected promotions i.e. me can't even make favoured personnel!Life isn't fair....

Unai Gurrutxaga
Gurruxtaga once again topped the assist chart with 21 which is still a brilliant tally even if it is less then the 15/16 season.He did play less due to quite a big injury which kept him out of the start of the season and didn't start playing till end of September.He actually performed better then the previous season which is always good to see.I think Gurrutxaga is one of those players,who doesn't loo amazing but always does a solid job when he is called upon.

Rodolfo Bodipo
Had a fantastic season for the club as he played 43 times and scored 7 goals and averaged at 7.40 over the entire season.He played a key part in defence alongside Romero and helped concede nearly half the amount of goals we did the season before.His performances saw him pick up Fans Player of the Year and net himself a place on favoured personnel.

Special Mention - Ignacio Romero
Played a key role in defence alongside Bodipo,he performed brilliantly when he wasn't injured or suspended and his performances saw him become the first player in our team to receive a Spanish u21 cap!Hard to believe he is only 17 as he has already racked up 96 appearances for the club.He should have no problem in making the step up to play in La Liga.

Overview
Not in my wildest dreams did I think we would get promoted automatically which for a club of our size is nothing more then a dream for us.We performed better as team this season and basically laughed at the media's prediction of 22nd place!Even in the Copa del Rey we did brilliantly as in we knocked out Liga BBVA side Osasuna before giving Sevilla a almighty scare as we lost on away goals to them.In the league we were very even with the majority of teams with exception to very few games where they were a lot better then us and the two where we were missing alot of players due to international call ups.Next season will be interesting for us as we will be playing in top flight in a 900 seater stadium!Hopefully the togetherness of the team will shine through and we survive.

Not much will be done in pre-season as there is no option for Youth Recruitment to be extended,I think we are at the top level for Junior Coaching and the facilities are too expensive at the moment but hopefully that will be sorted in the near future with more money hopefully coming into the club.We have another year to wait before we move into the Vitoria Stadium so hopefully we can survive next season and build from there.

Season        Division            League       Cup       Continental      Avg.Att              Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Tercera Div.Grp 4       2nd         N/A           N/A            418              Promoted!  
2012/13    Segunda Division B3     9th         N/A           N/A            646              Survival!
2013/14    Segunda Division B2     9th         N/A           N/A            712          Copa RFEF Runner Up
2014/15    Segunda Division B3     3rd        1st Rnd        N/A            827          Won Promotion Playoff!
2015/16     Liga Adelante          7th        3rd Rnd        N/A           1487        Self-Proclaimed Entertainers
2016/17     Liga Adelante          2nd        4th Rnd        N/A            900              Promoted!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - Pre-Season - 2017/18
Club Information - Facilities - Board Overview - Expectations - Finances

Pre-Season Fixtures


The Team
Team Report - Tactics

Key Players
JoseZubillaga - GK
Was once dubbed the next Manuel Alumina but is now dubbed the next Andoni Zubizarreta which is the first time I have seen that label change.The youngster has already made 100 appearances for the club and with no real threat to his position,he could easily quadruple it.Really showed what he is capable of last season as he kept 13 clean sheets in 43 appearances and still has room for improvement.

Rodolfo Bodipo - DC
Like his namesake,he is also Spanish-Basque-Equatorial Guinean but ours plays in defence as well as choosing to play for Spain at the moment but that could still change.Bodipo has become the best defender in the team and was the Fan's Player of the Year last season.He is a vital piece of the puzzle and will need him to put in some big performances during the season to help us fight for survival.

Miguel Angel Rodriguez - AMR/AMC
Another youngster who is becoming quite the talent,at the moment he is the best midfielder in the team and can only get better as he gets older.Had his best season for the club last season as he averaged 7.04,scored five and provided twelve assists.He has done well with first team experience,with better facilities then he will probably be one of the leading players at the club.AMR is quite a strong position with three players all at 1.5* CA or above but MAR will do his best to see them off.

Iker Sola - AMC/ST
Didn't have the best of seasons last season after making an impact the season before.Scored one every three games last season as he hit 13 in 39 but my attacking force had a very slow start last season.Sola is still the best striker in the team for now but both he and Goni will need to be playing their A game in the new season with hit prospect Itturi waiting in the wings.I will be hoping he scores 10-15 goals this season in our bid for survival.

Overview
I am fully looking forward to this season as we will be playing in the top flight in a 900 seater stadium!The board however have amped up the pressure by saying I have to avoid relegation,in a situation like this,I feel that having a attempt to avoid relegation would be a lot fairer seeing as we have only just gone up to being a regional club.I think we may struggle but I think we can survive but a lot depends on our home form as in the first season in a division,our home form is always better then our away.The main aim is to get 40 points as that should be enough for survival then we can work on things from there.

The one thing I am happy for is that we are making every month due to the large amounts of TV money,if we can continue to make money like this then we should be able to afford a facility upgrade by January.We are also in our last season at the San Martin before we move to the Vitoria Stadium in July 2018.Let the fun and games begin in what I hope is an eventful season!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - August 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Just the one game for the month.It was a cracker of a match and a very even game.We missed a penalty when the game was still at 0-0 and we had a let off as Betis had a goal disallowed shortly after,it was frantic with very few chances for the rest of the first half.2nd half saw MAR score to take the lead in the 54th minute,we then were reduced to ten men after Sola was sent off on 71 minutes for two bookable offences,Betis were then reduced to ten on 80 after receiving a straight red.Goni finished the scoring in the 94th minute.

September sees our first big test as we face Valencia,right now I will be delighted with 4 points from the month as it does look quite tough.We also set a record for lowest attendance with 900 so that's one record down even if it's not really one you want!With three points on the board,we need 37 points from the next 37 games to ensure survival,will also find out who we face in the Copa del Rey in which I hope to get an easier team!

[Tactic Master]

Had a lot to read through, I need to take more notice to keep up Fantastic news getting promoted to BBVA and a brilliant way to start the season with a win and 3 points! It will be hard, but i'm sure you can secure a decent position.

[acidmonkey]

a good win over Betis will take alot to stay up.

[B.W.G]

Tactic Master - How quick I play and update normally depends what mood I'm in Thanks fella,will be hard but I like a challenge and will go all out.

acidmonkey - Thanks We've also added the scalp of Villarreal in what can only be described as a controversial win for us.

[deltablue]

Good start

[B.W.G]

deltablue - Thanks However I am relieved I've not had to play Barcelona or real yet seeing as they have not conceded yet!

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - September 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Can the seasons just end now please.We are overachieving and I really do know it,we were terrible against Valencia and even a 2-0 defeat flattered us.We very unlucky not to win against Racing as we were the better side but we couldn't finish our opportunities off.It was a win but it was a controversial win as Villarreal never should have been reduced to ten men in the first place,even with ten men,they were vastly superior but it was our finishing which won the match.The downside for us in this match was that we lost Santamaria to injury.The final game of the month was against Almeria,Iker Sola scored the only goal of the game off a rebound.This was a fairly even contest and one goal was going to decide it either way.

October will be a very important month for us,we face both rival relegation battlers Zaragoza and Real Sociedad,both games we will need results from to help our bid for survival.The other games are against Espanyol and Sevilla and I'm not really expecting anything from them.

[rancer890]

You're just so good at football management.

[B.W.G]

Not really,we're just the underdog who everyone underestimates and it's their own fault when we refuse to roll over

[noikeee]

Excellent achievement to make it to the top level already. You've been blessed with some brilliant youths tho!

[arinceo]

Nice start to your first season in the top division, hopefully you won't suffer a massive loss of form.

[B.W.G]

noikeee - Thanks We have had some truly brilliant youths but my only worry is them reaching their potential as our facilities are not so great.Also Spain and England on my save seem to be rolling in talented youths.

arinceo - Thanks I am half expecting it but we've made a good start to October with drawing against Zaragoza and Real Sociedad but after that it looks like we will struggle.

[deltablue]

Still hardly need to beat them to survive the way you're going.

[Tactic Master]

Another brilliant month there B.W.G I think this coming month could shed some light on how the rest of your season will turn out.

[B.W.G]

deltablue - We'll see how we'll do,I've got a lot of harder games to play.At this moment in time we are 4th after 7 games while Malaga top the table.

Tactic Master - Thanks We've taken points off other relegation battlers so far,the last two games for October are both away,we face Espanyol and Sevilla to end the month.

[SRL88]

Unbelievable work getting promoted mate and you have started really well in La Liga to .

[B.W.G]

Thanks We're up to 14 points but just suffered out first defeat in six games as we lost 3-1 to Espanyol.Sevilla are next up but all the pressure is on them,if they get a bad result against us then their managed could end up being sacked

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - October 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
We picked up vital points and a vital win against Zaragoza and Real Sociedad as these points are vital towards succeeding in the battle against relegation.The defence played a key part in avoiding defeat,without them playing so well then we would have undoubtedly lost.The game against Espanyol saw a vast difference in class and quality as we were outplayed throughout the whole game,the fact that they scored our goal says it all really.The game against Sevilla was a dirty affair as it saw us receive 5 bookings and a red card while Sevilla received seven bookings but they also had a goal disallowed so we were quite lucky to leave the match with a point.

My worry for the month comes in the form of Iker Sola,his discipline has been extremely poor as he has received 6 yellow cards and 2 red cards in 8 appearances,he shouldn't even be that high and his aggression is low so I can't understand why he has poor discipline unless he tackles like Paul Scholes.November is probably a easier month league wise and then we have our Copa del Rey fixtures against Xerez which I will be looking to win.

[Coentrao]

Amazing start, soon enough you will be pushing for european places if not this season already.

[AK22]

Congrats on promotion to La Liga. Excellent start so far too, above Atlético Madrid

[SRL88]

Still going along nicely!!!

[JackJCFC]

Amazing progress, having a great first season. It's gonna take alot of effort to overhaul Barca and Madrid though!!

[deltablue]

Be amazing if you could grab a European place.

[B.W.G]

coentrao - To be fair,we've not exactly have faced the more difficult teams,just wait till you see the fixture list for December and January!

AK22 - Thanks The problem with Atletico Madrid has been their finishing although their defence is brilliant.

SRL88 - Thanks fella

JackJCFC - Thanks I've not even faced them yet,my start to the season will be alot easier then my end.

deltablue - Would be amazing but who knows what will happen.At the moment it is Real Madrid,Malaga and Barcelona > everyone else.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - November 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Deal with the League first,Malaga stomped us badly,the quality difference between the two teams was ridiculous.We fought well against Sporting and drew 2-2,the remarkable thing was that we were 2-0 down after 80 minutes.A vital win against Alaves saw Sola score a double to help us in the battle against relegation but not only that,we actually won this game with 9 men!.Mallorca absolutely dominated us in the final league game,they had 23 shots,we have 5,they score from open play and we score from a controversial penalty,not that I'm complaining.

The Copa del Rey saw us face Liga Adelante side Xerez,a well disciplined performance saw us win 2-0 to give us the advantage on away goals.The 2nd leg was even but it was frantic from both sides but our superior finishing saw us win 5-2 on the night and 7-2 overall.With regards to the 5th round draw,we have been drawn against the Copa del Rey holders,Athletic Bilbao.Bring it on!

December starts with tricky fixtures against Deportivo and Hercules and just ends in two hellish games against Barcelona and Real Madrid.....the Christmas break cannot come quick enough!

[noikeee]

Stellar debut season at the top level so far, get as much points as you can before the Barça and Real games because if that goes too wrong it could hurt your team's confidence for a while.

[B.W.G]

Thanks That's true,after my games against Deportivo and Hercules,we have Barcelona,Real Madrid,Athletic Bilbao and At.Madrid (as well as facing Athletic twice more in the Copa del Rey).Think I definitely got the short straw with regards to fixtures.

[Tactic Master]

If i wanted to bet on a team to beat the drop, it would be yours Great work so far, overachieving would be an understatement!

[deltablue]

Quality going.

[B.W.G]

Tactic Master - Thanks Overachieving seems to be my speciality.The other two promoted teams are in a relegation battle for sure.

deltablue - Thanks We lost to Barcelona 2-1 but we got a point against Real Madrid as we drew 2-2.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - December 2017

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
That was an absolutely brilliant month considering who we were facing.An unlikeyl victory against Deportivo saw Iker Sola score the only goal in what I class a priceless victory.In a pretty even game against Hercules,Iker Sola was again man of the moment as he netted twice which included an 89th minute winner to record another victory to keep out hopes of a European spot up.Barcelona absolutely dominated the match,yet we only lose 2-1 while we scored with our only shot on target,once again Sola had to be centre of attention,this time he was sent off for the third time this season!The game against Real Madrid saw us take a 2-1 lead after 15 minutes,it looked like we would claim an unlikely victory but Cristiano Ronaldo had other ideas and netted an equalizer in the 89th minute!

December was a pretty fantastic month,hopefully January can be as kind,especially with having three games against Athletic in a row then At.Madrid.I would easily sacrifice the cup competition if it meant getting points in the league but we will see what happens.

[rancer890]

Bloody hell you're in the top half. And you got 1 point against Real!

[cerud]

An absolutely brilliant season so far at this stage! A point against Real Madrid is a very special one too Going to get people starting to notice soon!

[SRL88]

Still going strong up there. Unbelievable work.

[B.W.G]

rancer890 - We're still in the top half after a bad January.It could have been three if we just held out for a few minutes longer

cerud - Thanks It is indeed but I will still curse Ronaldo as long as he is playing.They have already noticed,Bilbao and At.Madrid wouldn't give me a break in January.

SRL88 - Thanks I am thankful the teams around me are just as bad

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - January 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
The cup games were up first so lets start with them,the first leg saw a thrilling encounter with the number 1 Basque team Athletic,the game saw saw seven goals,three braces and us take a slender lead to San Mames.Highlight of the first leg was Daniel Reuter scoring his first goals for the club.The 2nd leg saw us completely dominated in which we mustered 4 shots compared to their 22 but it would only take one goal to knock us out and they got.This was our 3rd loss on away goals in cup competitions in 6 seasons.

Our first league game was against Athletic and I was sick of the sight of them by now.This game wasn't as completely one sided as the 2nd leg but Athletic were the better team,the major talking point of this game was Ruben Tena scoring his first goal for the club in 20 appearances and he is a striker!The 2nd game saw 10 man At.Madrid beat us 1-0 and they were lucky by the end of the match,it was an even game but we couldn't finish our chances,when we play the return game,I reckon we could potentially upset them.The final league game was against Betis was a lot closer then the score suggested,the fact that we only had two shots on target and scored three tells you how bad a day it was for Betis.

The fact that we lost two in the league and won one but still remain 7th in the league says it all about the quality difference between the top and the rest.We need 10 points from 18 games and that is my primary target,anymore will be a bonus.For February,I will be happy with three points as that will still leave us on course for survival but I reckon we could get four of five if we play to our fullest.

[SRL88]

A very tough month and you done well to get a win out of it to be honest. 3 league games in a month, all away from home isnt exactly the easiest of tasks.

[B.W.G]

That win was one of those where you punch the air in delight when the final whistle goes.As for the fixture list,it's just a challenge I had to overcome even if it was highly annoying.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - February 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Pleasing month overall,we need 6 points from 14 games which should be enough for survival.The game against Valencia was a joke,we were on course for a draw but they then score in an offside position and it's allowed to stand which was annoying.The game against Racing was quite remarkable as they were the better team but we showed what happens if you don't finish your chances,I was over the moon with the result against Villarreal as a 93rd minute equalizer from Romero snatched a point from the jaws of defeat.Almeria game was a fair result as we didn't really show up for the match till the last 15 minutes,I have to say that we were rather lucky to only concede 2.

We no come into March,we have what should be an easier game against Real Sociedad,a mid table game against Zaragoza,a fight for a European spot against Sevilla and a scary looking game against Real Madrid who only scored 21 goals in their 4 league games in February!On a bright note,March brings the Youth Candidate Day back and that is probably one of the most exciting times in the game when you only rely on players coming through!

[B.W.G]

7th Annual Youth Candidate Day

The Candidates


Markel Aranburu - MC - Spanish/Basque

The pick of the bunch according to my ass man (17 JPP),he is rated as a decent player for Liga Adelante on current ability but has the potential to be a leading La Liga player.Think I need to get a feeder club and loan him out for a couple of seasons.

Mikel Rodriguez - AMRC/ST - Spanish/Basque/Mexican

An interesting case,out the two he would be my pick but he is a curious case as he has 5* Potential Ability but all it says is he has the potential to be better then Sola's current ability.Will make a good target man in the future,also has high anticipation which is a first for my strikers.

[rancer890]

Bloody hell, another solid intake there with another 2 good potential players. Can your youth candidate magic come to Canada, specifically to the Markham Marauders?

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - March 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
We were terrible in the game against Rea Sociedad and got what we deserved which was absolutely nothing but the hair dryer treatment at full time.The game against Espanyol was pretty even but our finishing was golden but 5-1 did fatter us a lot,a fair result would have been winning by one goal.The game against Real Madrid had a whole lot of bull**** in it,we had a red card given which should never had been a red,they were given a controversial penalty which Ronaldo scored and all this happened in the last five minutes of normal time,not happy one bit.We fought back from being 2-0 down against Sevilla to draw 2-2,they took their foot off the gas and we got back in it,we were unlucky not to win it in injury time as we had a shot blocked on the line.

April is now here and we are only two points away from my target of 40.Over the season so far I have learnt how much fight my players have in them.I reckon we could get four of five points which will secure safety but I want revenge for the hammering Malaga gave us earlier in the season so I'm hoping for seven or eight.

[B.W.G]

Bloody hell, another solid intake there with another 2 good potential players. Can your youth candidate magic come to Canada, specifically to the Markham Marauders?

All I can do is give your team my blessings...maybe that will work

They are very good but will take them a few years to break the first team but they're not even close to the calibre of player Barcelona just had through,English defender Gary Hunt who is just amazing.


Quite handy looking at other teams u19's on youth candidate day to see what they get.

[deltablue]

Wow, a good English defender!

[B.W.G]

Quite an interesting player,on his information page it said "feels that he can become good enough to play for Spain when he qualifies for them."Can't say I've ever seen that before,I scouted him and he comes in at 4.5*CA when compared to my team but that doesn't say much seeing as we are nowhere near top quality.

[AK22]

That should be enough points to keep you up now.

And Rodriguez looks immense! Get him in the first team!

[B.W.G]

We are officially safe,we have 4 games left and we have 46 points but we have slipped down to 11th.

Rodriguez has been drafted to the first team but having five strikers for two places is particularly annoying.

[Proto Tarkula]

Great progress this season, soon you'll fight for LE place! Hope that you will post screenshots of all of the first team players at the end of the season

[B.W.G]

Thanks Give it a couple of season and we should be,the end of seasons has been quite bad as we've recorded one win in seven but we were safe anyway.With Regards to the players,I'll post them in a separate post straight after I've done the end of season report.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - April/May 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Thank god this was the end of the season and we were safe as our form was absolutely terrible.Two wins in twelve and huge sigh of relief from me,all we can do is move on but the games against Zaragoza and Mallorca gave glimpses of what we can do which we need to give that display on a more consistent basis next season.

[JackJCFC]

Solid first season with a couple of youngsters coming through who look good.

[Scarman]

Great first season, in a couple of years you'll be challenging for Champions League places

[B.W.G]

Thanks guys Give me a couple of seasons then I reckon we could be a solid top half side,probably about 5 seasons to we could potentially challenge 4th place.

[rancer890]

Solid result. Your team can hang in with the big boys so it's important experience and building block for your next season.

[B.W.G]

Thanks I'm willing to wait and I'd be happy with top half next season.A few seasons worth of baby steps in La Liga is still progress!

[SRL88]

Fell away a bit towards the end but its still great that you survived. Good work .

[B.W.G]

Thanks We did but I think it's more because we didn't have anything to play for,hopefully they can shake that out as they get older.

[Coentrao]

Amazing intake again, specially Mikel Rodriguez

Does Barcelona have an English manager or someone English on their staff? It's kind of weird they get an English defender on their intake.. maybe they opened a La Masia on England as well!

[B.W.G]

It was another good intake but what I've noticed is that they are either really good or really rubbish.

I had to check on Barcelona,they don't have any Englishmen as staff.It could be that Carlo Ancelotti is their manager and he may have English knowledge from his time at Chelsea.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - End of Season 2017/18

2017/18 Transfers
To show that I am following the rules of only bringing through youth players and not signing anyone bar the youth candidates on trial.

Competitions
Liga BBVA
League Table
I really don't know what to make of this season,on one hand we were brilliant on meeting the objective of avoiding relegation but on the other,the way we finished the season was absolutely terrible.Guess I am going with the feeling of to be happy,I am going with this feeling because the average age of the squad is only 18 so we have plenty of time to grow and gain experience which will help in the future.That said,we were the highest promoted team to survive as Almeria came 17th while Alaves were relegated in 18th place.My favourite victory was the 5-1 win over Espanyol but my favourite result was the 2-2 draw with Real Madrid.

Copa del Rey
5th Round
We didn't actually enter the competition till the 4th round where we were drawn against Liga Adelante side Xerez.A well disciplined performance helped us record a valuable 2-0 victory with Sola getting both.The 2nd leg was a home leg so I let them play more freely and the fans were rewarded with an entertaining game,we ran out 5-2 winners on the night and 7-2 on aggregate.As a reward we were then drawn against Athletic Bilbao,the first leg was an exciting affair as we an out 4-3 winners which saw braces from Daniel Reuter and Iker Sola to give us a slender league.The 2nd leg was complete domination by Bilbao and we were lucky to only lose 1-0 which was more then enough to knock us out on away goals.If a positive thing came out of this,it's that we lost to the eventual victors as Bilbao beat Valencia 5-4 in the final.

Players,Stats and Awards(Screenshots of players will be done in separate post.)
Best XI 17/18 - Overall Best XI

A quick look at the Overall Player Stats for the season.

Iker Sola
Was the clubs top scorer hitting 20 goals in 36 appearances.I have to be honest,he did have a weird season as not only did he score 20 goals but he also picked up 14 yellow cards and 3 red cards to claim worst discipline record for Vitoria as well as take 2nd place in La Liga standings for worst discipline.Even with the contrasting stats,he still averaged at 7.15 over 36 games.

Unai Gurrutxaga
Once again he topped the assist chart with 18 for the season which came over 41 games.I don't know how he keeps doing it as he doesn't even look that good but is able to perform like he does is quite astounding.He only needs 18 assists to reach 100 for the club and he is the closest to doing so as well.His performances saw him pick up Jugador Joven del Ano and it was a deserved award for the way he played.

Fans Player of the Year - Rodolfo Bodipo
Bodipo claimed Fans Player of the Year for the 2nd season running and once again he fully deserved the award.Was the clubs most consistent performer as he averaged at 7.29 over 36 appearances which is very impressive but not as impressive as topping the Key headers chart for La Liga and he was 32 above his nearest competitor.Joined the Spanish u21 club we have going so it looks less and less likely he will play for Equatorial Guniea at some point.

Special Mention - Miguel Angel Rodriguez
Had no problem with the step up into top flight and was one of the more consistent performers,had a couple of injuries which made him miss a few games as well as one of those who found him suspended.Scored 11 in 38 appearances as well as providing 7 assists.His performances saw him awarded with a Spanish u21 cap in which he should go on to make a few more appearances for them.

Overview
For our first season in top flight,we did extremely well in coming 12 even if the end of the season was pretty terrible for us as we won two games in the last twelve matches but with having nothing to play for,I think some of the players just gave up.As for the cup,we did very well until a better side knocked us out on away goals again but at least we can say we were knocked out by the cup winners and the club I am aiming to overtake as the Basque number one.

Next season marks the beginning of a new era,first of all Club Icon Xabier Exetabarria (i.e. me!) has signed a new contract which runs to 2023 and by then I could be coming up to 600 games for the club.The facilities are continuing being improved as training and youth are being upped again,we are in a strong financial position as we were making a minimum of £1 million profit a month last season.The final and most important is the relocation to the 15,500 seated Vitoria Stadium,to mark a special occaision,we will face French side Evian at the start of pre-season and Italian side Brescia at the end of pre-season,I did want one of the big European teams but they refused.

Season        Division            League       Cup       Continental      Avg.Att              Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Tercera Div.Grp 4       2nd         N/A           N/A            418              Promoted!  
2012/13    Segunda Division B3     9th         N/A           N/A            646              Survival!
2013/14    Segunda Division B2     9th         N/A           N/A            712          Copa RFEF Runner Up
2014/15    Segunda Division B3     3rd        1st Rnd        N/A            827          Won Promotion Playoff!
2015/16     Liga Adelante          7th        3rd Rnd        N/A           1487        Self-Proclaimed Entertainers
2016/17     Liga Adelante          2nd        4th Rnd        N/A            900              Promoted!
2017/18      Liga BBVA            12th        5th Rnd        N/A            900              Survival!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - First XI - 2017/18

GK - Jose Zubillaga - 41 Appearances,58 Conceded and 7 Clean Sheets

DR - Inigo Santos - 32 Appearances,1 Goal and 1 Assist

DC - Rodolfo Bodipo - 36 Appearances,3 Goals and 2 Assists

DC - Ignacio Romero - 39 Appearances,3 Goals and 2 Assists

DL - Javier Barandiaran - 38 Appearances,1 Goal and 1 Assist

MC - Ricardo Santamaria - 38 Appearances,1 Goal and 2 Assists

MC - Daniel Reuter - 35 Appearances,3 Goals and 3 Assists

AMR - Miguel Angel Rodrguez - 38 Appearances,11 Goals and 8 Assists

AML - Unai Gurrutxaga - 41 Appearances,3 Goals and 18 Assists

ST - Carlos Goni - 43 Appearances,20 Goals and 8 Assists

ST - Iker Sola - 36 Appearances,20 Goals and 6 Assists (14 Yellow Cards and 3 Red Cards )

[deltablue]

Very good first year at the top level.

[B.W.G]

Thanks Was quite tough at the end but it something I can work it on during pre-season.

[Proto Tarkula]

It is a wonderful achievement with this players, keep up the good work! Too bad that Angel Diez is not good enough anymore

[B.W.G]

Thanks

It was a tough decision to move Diez from the first XI but if I want to progress then I need my best players playing.On the plus side,he does make a good backup player and I think Carlos Goni will be joining him sooner rather then later on the subs bench.