One Day We'll Basque In Glory!

[rancer890]

I think next season will be the first of many successful seasons for you as you will get more income from your new stadium to improve facilities. Hopefully you get a lot of stadium sellouts.

[B.W.G]

It would be a bonus,we were making £1million profit a month in a 900 seater stadium due to low wage budget and TV rights.I'd be happy with selling 5,000 tickets a game,if we sell the stadium out constantly then I will be demanding a lot from the board with regards to facilities and recruitment network!

[AK22]

Brilliant first season in the top flight. Europe beckons soon!

[Tactic Master]

I'd say a very good season there B.W.G! Sounds like you have a Balotelli on your hands haha Onwards and upwards next season!

[B.W.G]

AK22 - Thanks I hope it does,even if it just the Europa League!

Tactic Master - Thanks Comparing Sola to Balotelli,all I can say is that I approve of that comparison

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - Pre-Season - 2018/19
Club Information - Facilities - Board Overview - Expectations - Finances

Pre-Season Fixtures

Overall,it was quite an impressive Pre-Season showing.The game against Evian was a lot more even then the score line suggested as it was our finishing that let us down.The next three games were to help with morale but all games were a good showing.For the last pre-season game against Brescia,I was not expecting to dominate the match like we did and to score six against the Serie B side was brilliant.

The Team
Team Report - Tactics

Key Players
Jose Zubillaga - GK
Is turning into an excellent keeper for the club and is a regular feature in the Spanish u19 team but has just earned a call up to the u21 side so it's another step up for the youngster.With regards to what I would like from him,I would just like him to carry on improving.If he concedes less then 58 this season then I will classify it as a positive step up in performance from the youngster.

Rodolfo Bodipo - DC
Not a lot I can say about Bodipo,he is a favoured personnel with the club and will eventually reach Club Icon in the next few years.He is the most consistent performer for the side over the last few seasons.He is a brilliant defender and is one of the best in the league when it comes to key headers.All I hope for him in the new seasons is to carry on the way he has done since 2015.

Miguel Angel Rodriguez - AMR/AMC
Regarded the best player in the team and is still only 19 years old.A very good AMR but does not need to work on consistency a bit as he very rarely puts on brilliant performances on a consistent basis.He was brilliant in the Copa del Rey but he was one of many who suffered a loss of form at the end of the season.For the new season,I hope he can up his performances a bit and carry on improving.He is another member of the u21 club and probably one of a few who can eventually step up to senior level.

Iker Sola - AMC/ST
First player at the club to gain a continental reputation and has been compared to Mario Balotelli by some.He had a very unusual season last season where he scored 20 but was sent off 3 times.He is only 20 but is already regarded as a Club Legend alongside Carlos Goni and Iker Lekumberri.This season,I would like him to score a minimum of 20 considering he is our number one striker.

Overview
Pre-Season was rather good with exception to the Evian result which wasn't the best way to open the Stadium but the Brescia game more then made up for that.Training and youth facilities are being upgraded once again and we still have £12 million in the bank which is a pleasing sign so all in all,the foundations are ready for the next step up.We have also sold more pre-season tickets then we had for a capacity crowd last season so that should bring in some money.The board want us to avoid relegation but I would love a top half finish and I believe we are truly capable of that.

The downsides to pre-season comes in the form of sponsorship and the fixture list.With regards to sponsorship,we actually have 5 Sponsorships with the largest being £138k per season which is the stadium sponsorship,the other sponsors are £51.54k p/y,£35.97k p/y,£9.31k p.y and £1.31k p/y which brings us to a total of £236.13k a year which isn't really a great amount.The opening fixtures have been quite cruel to us,two of our first three games are Real Madrid and Barcelona but it's better to get them out of the way first.We welcome Espanyol as the first opponents at the Vitoria Stadium and hopefully we can do them 5-1 again.Bring on the second season!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - August 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Just the one game for August which was an away trip to the champs.We were not doing too badly as we drawing 1-1 then controversy struck as Inigo Snatos was given a straight red card in the 85th minute and they they took full advantage of us being a man down as they finished us off with two goals in the last 5 minutes.TO say the least I was not impressed with the reffing but our games against Real always seem to have a bit of controversy involved in them.

Outside the Barcelona game,September doesn't look too bad a month and I reckon we could get a few points on the board.We have games against Espanyol,Betis and Real Sociedad in which could easily get points from.Barcelona and Sevilla are definitely the harder games of the month and both of them are away from home so they will be very tough.

[JackJCFC]

Tough game to start with.

[B.W.G]

It was and we have Barcelona in game three but it gets them both out of the way.

[deltablue]

Until the second half of the season.

[B.W.G]

True but at least we have home advantage on both teams next time

[deltablue]

Ah good, might even get something, then no worries.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - September 2018

League Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
We welcomed Espanyol as the first visitors to the Vitoria Stadium and a Iker Sola double got us off to a flyer in what was a back and forth game.There was nothing to see in the game against Barcelona as they absolutely battered us throughout the match.We were unlucky not to win in the game against Betis as we were the better team,Aitor Iturri got a double but was controversially denied a hat-trick by a dodgy offside decision.The Sevilla game was an embarrassment,we didn't show up and we didn't even show up when they went down to 10 men,definitely one to forget.We ended the month on a high as we beat Real Sociedad 4-0 in front of a record 9,827 people.Don't let the scoreline fool you,Real Sociedad were the better team except for in the finishing department.

October looks like we could get a few points as we face bottom of the league Celta and a under performing Valencia.Other games we have are against over-achieving Sporting and a game against Basque rivals Athletic.If we can get 4 points out of this it will help us move away from the bottom pack.Can't believe that their is only 4 points between 6th and 19th!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - October 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
First up were Athletic,we are getting closer to beating them in the league but at the moment we are not up to their level,Athletic target Iker Sola got our goal.We avoided being shown up at Celta by winning 1-0 with Iker Sola getting the winner to keep them with no wins at the time.The game against Sporting was our first ever 5 figured crowd as 10,181 showed up to see us teach Sporting a lesson in finishing as we walked out 4-0 victors as we scored 4/8 on target with Sola getting another two.The first leg of the Copa del Rey was played,was mainly a well disciplined performance with exception to Reuter's rash challenge which earned a straight red.Goni got his first of the season.

November sees a easier month in terms of quality with Valencia being the best side we face in the league.We also have Hercules,Almeria,Getafe in the league and the home leg against Mallorca in the Copa del Rey.From that,I want qualification to the next round of the Copa del Rey which is definitely possible and maybe 6 points in the league which should help keep up the pressure on the teams in the top half.

[deltablue]

Far better with the classico sides out of the way.

[B.W.G]

It has been although discipline is quite a worry even if tackling is set to normal.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - November 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Bad start to Novermber but not in result wise but with the fact that Iker Sola has been ruled out for 6 months in the game against Hercules in which he scored the only goal for the team and it means our top scorer is out for a long time.Carlos Goni scored the only goal of the game against Almeria which also saw the start of a mini clean sheet streak of three.The game against Mallorca was pretty boring with the only highlight being a controversial red card for Aitor Iturri while the game against Getafe was a snoozefest.The result against Valencia was definitely the highlight of the month,a brace from Unai Gurrutxaga and some heroic defending from Inigo Santos and Jose Zubilaga saw us claim a priceless three points.The downside was Carlos Goni going off injured who will now be out three months!

December is a tricky month as we face Malaga straight away,we have Zaragoza,Osasuna and Villarreal so they are not as difficult as the Malaga game.The Copa del Rey draw as seen us get Real Madrid,so that is me expecting two more games filled with controversy and bank on it that we get a red card or a dodgy decision in their favour in any of the two legs.To be 5th at this stage is remarkable but it is still very close in the league so we need to keep up the impressive performances but the pressure on Iturri,Tena and Mikel Rodriguez has definitely been cranked up as we don't have two of our main strikers for 3 months!

[JackJCFC]

Flying high, lets hope you can keep this one up to make it into europe.

[SRL88]

Great start to the season.

[B.W.G]

JackJCFC - Thanks Will be difficult but with it being so close,anything can happen.

SRL88 - Thanks We are going through a difficult spell with regards to injuries,we have Sola out up to 4 months,Goni out up to 7 weeks and MAR is out up to 7 weeks as well and we have Real Madrid twice at the start of January!

[rancer890]

Nice to see that the crowds are coming to see CD Vitoria!

[B.W.G]

It's looking good for the finances as well,I'm guessing January might be when we have our first sell out probably against Real Madrid or Barcelona.

[B.W.G]

Some good news regarding the Youth sector of the club




Hopefully we can keep upgrading Youth Recruitment to help bring in players from a wider area in the future.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - December 2018

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
We started off with a defeat to Malaga,I have no problem with that except it was our poor finishing which stopped us getting anything from the game so I was quite disappointed but we were against a much superior team.I'm going to skip the Zaragoza result as we were that poor.The Villarreal game was one of those where everything went for us,they were the better side had more chance and possession but we showed our superior finishing,Iturri got one but the biggest shock of the game was Tena getting a brace who has now played 27 times for the club and has scored 3 goals!The game against Osasuna was probably the easiest game we have had this season,they did have chances but we dealt with them pretty easily.

January is looking like a horrendous month altogether.The easiest game is definitely the game against Deportivo,the other games we face are against At.Madrid as well as facing Real Madrid three times.I am really expecting nothing what so ever,our best bet will probably be against Deportivo as we are at home for the match.

[Scarman]

Another cracking start. January sounds like it will be fun

[SRL88]

At least you have yourself in a decent position so a few defeats in January might not have to much effect.

[deltablue]

Madrid three times! Yes I know it's because of the cup but still a shocking prospect.

[Coentrao]

At least most of the sponsorships are expiring in a couple of seasons which means the next deals should be a lot higher, still things are looking really good financially and you're on your way of having top facilities, the future looks very bright.

You don't have any players moaning about wanting to move to a bigger club?

[B.W.G]

Scarman - Should be fun,I am actually looking forward to it!

SRL88 - True and it gets them out of the way for the rest of the season.

deltablue - It is a shocking prospect,I'm guessing if I can get to the top then they will probably be our major rivals.After this season I will have faced them 6 times in 2 seasons!

Coentrao - The lowest amount for sponsorship ends this season with others ending over the next two.I constantly get them moaning but I basically tell them to shut up or tell them to see where we are in a years time which normally keeps them happy.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - January 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
For the Copa del Rey,I couldn't even field my full strength team as we had four injuries and three suspensions which made things a pain in ass.We drew the first leg 1-1 but I am disappointed as we took the lead in the 85th minute but they equalized in the 89th minute through a own goal.The 2nd leg was tinged with controversy as their second goal was offside,we did pull one back but we couldn't get the 2nd which would have knocked them out.Losing 3-2 to Real Madrid is quite good,they may have played their youth players but they have some cracking youngsters in their ranks.

The league saw us dominate Deportivo and claim a priceless 3 points even if we did have Ricardo Santamaria sent off late on but it was too late for Deportivo to take advantage.In my opinion the game against At.Madrid was the most impressive result of the game,it was a very even game but a 91st minute winner from Aitor Iturri saw us snatch three points when a point would have been a fair result.The game against Real Madrid had yet more controversy,this time coming from us,we were given a controversial penalty which Goni converted on his first game back from injury,that saw us snatch a point and give us a laugh at real's finishing at the same time.The shots stats for us were 7 shot,5 on target,the shots stats for Real were 31 with 14 on target,it was definitely one of those games for them.

When I saw the fixtures for January I was honesty dreading it but to walk out the month with 7 points is absolutely brilliant considering who we were facing.Deportivo was the easiest game like I predicted,the result against At.Madrid was a complete shock and the games against Real always seem to be tainted with controversy but it gives the fans entertainment.February sees us play Barcelona and Sevilla for the really tough games,if we can get through it in good shape then we do stand a good chance for a decent fight for a shot at a Europa League spot.

[SRL88]

Excellent, excellent month for you there B.W.G . To have such a tough month and come away without defeat is fantastic, and you put a brilliant effort up in the Copa Del Rey.

[B.W.G]

Thanks I feel I could have done better if I had all players available as it was a weakened Real Madrid side but you can take the league game against Real and raise it with this!

[Scarman]

Wonderful result! Europe is looking more and more likely.

[AK22]

Blimey! What a win!

[B.W.G]

Scarman - Thanks The other results have been poor which have affected us as we were poor.

AK22 - Thanks

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - February 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
The Barcelona game was a major highlight to show how far we have come in 8 seasons,other then that it was a pretty shocking month all round so I won't be looking into it at all as we were very poor in all three games.

March is here and it's the start of a easier run in for us so hopefully we can rack up a few points in the process to keep the pressure up for a European place which will be an amazing feat.Athletic Bilbao and Valencia appear to be the most difficult games for the month but at least the Athletic game is at home.With it being March,it brings us the Youth Candidate Day and hopefully we can have some more decent youngsters through to carry on a bright future for both us and Spain.

[SRL88]

Great win over Barcelona .

[JackJCFC]

You won the hard game but done badly in the others!

[Flamers]

Well 0-0 with Sevilla isn't bad!

[B.W.G]

SRL88 - Thanks

JackJCFC - Think that may be a bit harsh on Sevilla,they are a good side but we were worse then rubbish against Betis and Espanyol

Flamers - We were lucky,Sevilla's shooting was very poor and we got off lightly.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - Youth Candidate Day 2019

Youth Candidates


Erik Imaz


Overview
Imaz is the only player to have leading Liga BBVA potential but there are few others such as Barrenetxea and Leonardo who will make very useful backups in the future.With having so many bright youngsters,I think it may be time to look for a feeder club to help the youngsters develop.

[Coentrao]

He looks really good, great natural fitness, already a decent level of stamina and good teamwork,work rate and determination, just probably needs to work on that acceleration and pace.

Also has decent crossing if you want to make him a full-back(since he has the wingback position) but i guess that you will play him as the defensive midfielder of your midfield-two but looks like he is going to be a great player.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - March 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
A much better month then Februrary.We showed Real Soicedad our superior finishing even though they did have the better of the match but if you take your chances then it is your own fault.A pleasing performance against Bilbao saw us battle for a draw in which it could be a vital point come the end of the season and it was also pleasing to keep a clean sheet.I was content with a point against Sporting as they did outplay us but again,our finishing saved the day which was marked by the goal scoring return of Iker Sola!We finished the month with a victory over bottom side Celta,we deserved this victory as we were the better side with Sola among the goals again which is pleasing.

April is an important month as we need to start racking up the point due to 7th place qualifying for the Euro Cup due to Real Madrid and Barcelona competing in the Copa del Rey final.I think 10 points should put us in a good position come the start of May but we really need to play to our fullest abilities and hopefull we can increase our goal scoring rate as that has been lower this season.

[B.W.G]

Coentrao - I do have a secondary formation of a 4-3-3 (according to the game) where he could play the DM position which is his best position,I've only been playing 4-2-4 as I didn't really have a spare DM or MC for quality but that will be solved in the future as the youngsters get older.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - April 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
I cannot believe what just happened and that is in a good way!Five wins from six while scoring 19 goals in the process and not only that,we have secure European football next season!It's hard to pick out which was my favourite result but I will probably go for beating Valencia 2-0 on their ground,okay so they finished the match with 9 men,it was over by the time the second player was sent off!I have no complaints with the Malaga score as they are the leagues top scorers and we basically scored two goals from two shots on target do they did thoroughly deserve the win.

May is now here,we have three games and a very possible chance of Champions League football.We face Villarreal,Deportivo and At.Madrid in the remaining games and what ever happens,I can be proud of the lads for how they have played this season!

[deltablue]

Go on, grab that CL place!

[B.W.G]

We missed out on the last day of the season.We were in 4th going into it against At.Madrid who were 6th,they won 2-0 and Sevilla lost 2-0 to Malaga so we finished in 5th!

[deltablue]

Still good season.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - May 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
In the end,we just fell short of a Champions League place but we still qualified for the Europa League with ease.The game against Villarreal was shrouded with controversy as we were reduced to ten,had a stonewall penalty denied and they scored their second in an offside position but even though we were reduced to ten,if our finishing was better then we could have snatched something.The game against showed was one they edged but our wingers had other ideas as they spoiled the party by scoring our goals to show superior finishing.The game against At.Madrid determined our fate to which European Competition we would play in,we had no answer to At.Madrid's domination and they thoroughly deserved the win so we missed out on the last day of the season but a Europa League campaign may help better in the long run regarding seedings.

[Coentrao]

Unlucky but it's still great progress to already be in Europe!

[JackJCFC]

Great season, let's season how you do in europe. At least it's another source of income and an increase in rep which can only help your quest for better youth players.

[B.W.G]

Coentrao - Thanks I am looking forward to it already,we go in at the 4th Qualifying Round,I think the CL may have been a step too far regarding quality.

JackJCFC - Thanks That's the way I am looking at it as well,hopefully it can help with increasing the youth recruitment as well.

[cerud]

Congrats on the qualification for the Europa Leauge. A definite achievement!

[B.W.G]

Thanks I knew we had a chance of Europa after March but to get 5th was an absolutely shock!

[AK22]

Well done on Europa League qualification. First Europe, then the World!

[B.W.G]

Thanks May take a bit of time but that's the aim

[rancer890]

Nice work on getting to the Europa League. Next, onwards and upwards.

It really did go down to the wire to which club would get that last Champions League spot!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

Sevilla were also in the running but they had to play Malaga but Malaga won 2-0 and took 2nd.Hard to believe that Malaga won Liga Adelante in 2014/15 and 4 seasons later finish above Barca!

[Proto Tarkula]

Great season, hope that you'll do well in LE.

[B.W.G]

Thanks

I think we can do well in the EL but will depend on our draw,if it's anything like my Copa del Rey draws then they will give me some of the harder ties first

[Scarman]

I believe I said something about challenging for Champions League places in a few season Great season!

[B.W.G]

Thanks I take my hat off to you,you did indeed say it at the end of last season

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - End of Season-2018/19

2018/19 Transfers
To show I'm following the rules by not signing anyone.The one player who left was never going to make,he wouldn't even had made the B team if we had one.

Competitions
Liga BBVA
Wow,what a season!I was hoping to finish in the top half of the table after last seasons 12th place finish but the players had other ideas and gate crashed the Europa League places as well as just narrowly missing out on a Champions League spot.We had a slow start but when things picked up,we were never in danger of being relegated which was very pleasing.We had a few injury problems around November-February but the players stuck together and ground out results.When Sola returned in March,that began the flurry of goals,from the 17th March which was his first game back,we racked up 27 goals in 12 games.The best result of the season will definitely be beating Barcelona 2-1 at Vitoria Stadium.I do have to say well done to Malaga as well,4 seasons ago they picked up the Liga Adelante title and now they finished above Barca,watch out Real Madrid,you could be next!

Copa del Rey
5th Round
We entered at the 4th round where we faced Liga Adelante side Mallorca.We lacked discipline but a tight and clinical display saw us secure a 2-0 victory in the first leg,the second leg of the tie was a bore draw with the only real highlight was us being reduced to ten men.The 5th round was a very cruel draw for us as it pitted us against Real Madrid.Considering we had 3 men suspended and 3 injured for the first leg,we can take a lot of credit from the 1-1 draw in the first leg as well as the 2-1 defeat in the second leg.It was a weakened Real Madrid side but if we had our full team available then I reckon we could have beat this weakened Real side.Real would go on to lose to Barcelona in the final!

Players,Stats and Awards
Best XI 19/20 - Overall Best XI

A quick look at the Team Stats for the season.

We won Most Improved Team which wasn't too difficult to guess as we were predicted 19th but finished 5th in the league.

Iker Sola
Your seeing that right,the guy who missed four months action with a broken foot was the clubs top scorer hitting 15 goals in 24 appearances which was a very impressive return considering the circumstances.He would have easily broke the 20 goal barrier and maybe even the 25 goal barrier as he missed up to 18 appearances during the season.His return was a relief as his return also saw the return of goals flying in during the last two months of the season.Was hard done by with the injury but he showed everyone why he is highly rated at the club after his return.

Miguel Angel Rodriguez
He has come on leaps in and bounds in the last season and topped the assist chart last season with 13 but also managed to score 10 goals as well and average at 7.20 over 36 games.Incidentally he was good all season but as soon as Sola came back,he looked pretty much unstoppable which was brilliant to see and hopefully he can do that on a more consistent basis next season.His performances saw him net Fans Player of the Year.

Special Mention - Rodolfo Bodipo
Once again,Bodipo deserves a mention as he is a very solid player who very few can actually get the best of.His wages are deserved as it is the 2nd highest behind Sola,he is the most consistent player in the team which makes him a valuable asset to both club and country.He does very well with the Spanish u21 side so will be interesting to see if he can make the senior side.He never whines about moving to a bigger club unlike some so he deserves his status as a club legend.Now has a £20 million buyout clause attached to him so that should scare some teams off.

Overview
That was another brilliant season where we proved the media critics and our doubters that we were not a flash in the pan and were here to stay with the big boys.We massively overachieved our prediction of 19th (Thanks Osasuna!) to come 5th and earn a shot in Europe in the Europa League which is probably for the best as it will help with our seeding for when we do eventually reach the Champions League.Even though we had numerous injuries and suspensions at the worse possible time,the boys showed togetherness and even put Barcelona to the sword in that period.I feel the interesting thing will be to see if we can do this again with the added test of Europe next season.

We are in a healthy financial position as we have just over £28 million in the bank,I could go for more facility upgrades but at this moment in time,I am intending to go with Youth facilities as they are slightly behind the training but I will also keep looking to see if I can extend the Youth Recruitment range as well as get a feeder club to extend our network in which I hope they will give us a foreign one to see if we get youngsters from those countries.

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!
2018/19      Liga BBVA             5th        5th Rnd        N/A          11771        EUropa League Qualification!

0

[rainman]

Just finished reading this, absolutely loving it you've done a great job, can't wait to read the next update

[B.W.G]

Thanks Glad your enjoying it!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - Pre-Season-2019/20
Information - Facilities - Boardroom Overview - Expectations - Finances

Pre-Season Fixtures

Pre-Season means nothing but we did have some impressive results against Leiria and Roda JC as well as stuffing Bilbao Ath!The loss against Villarrobledo was a surprise as we totally dominated them and lost.

The Team
Team Report - Tactics

Key Players
Jose Zubillaga - GK
He continues to get better with each passing season which is brilliant.I think he will eventually become a Spanish international which will be something special.Has made 183 appearances for the club and is still only 19 years old and with no one to really challenge him at the moment,he could rack up over 500 appearances with ease.Conceded 45 goals in 42 appearances which is a respectable return.

Rodolfo Bodipo - DC
Don't think I have to say anything about this Vitoria Legend.I think he will be the ideal role model for any defenders coming through the ranks.He had another season where he averaged above 7 and I hope he can do the same again this season,I am looking forward to seeing him play in the Europa League in the new season.

Miguel Angel Rodriguez - AMC/AMR
He showed why he was one of the key players last seasons.He performed brilliantly throughout the whole season and went even higher at the end of last season as he seemed pretty unstoppable in the last couple of months.He is actually labelled as a Wonderkid as well as the next Guardiola which is brilliant,I'll be damned if he doesn't get a cap for Spain in the future.I am hoping he can do more of the same in the new season,if pre-season is anything to go by then he should be able to do so.

Iker Sola- AMC/ST
Another of the Vitoria Legends and the first player to join the 100 Club by scoring 100 goals exactly by the end of last season.He was the top scorer hitting 15 goals in which he should can feel robbed as he could have easily scored over 20 goals for the club.I am hoping he can do the same this season and with the players around improving,he could have a successful season.

Overview
Same old same old,the only major difference is that we have to prepare for the Europa League this season and on paper it looks to be an easier tie as we face Albanian side Vllaznia,then I discovered they knocked out Brondby so they are definitely not to be underestimated.I will be happy with more of the same this season as we did last season in the league but would like to do slightly better in the Copa del Rey as we have gone out in the 5th round twice in two seasons.Think I have done well in the eight seasons as we have had three promotions and never won a cup so hopefully we can change that somehow.

For the future,we now have Segunda Division B side Deportivo Haro as a feeder club,we have loaned them three players so far with a fourth in the contract stage to join them on loan for the season so it is a bonus as first team action can help them develop then sitting around doing nothing.Can't increase Junior Coaching anymore so I am waiting for Youth Recruitment to become available for an increase which will help with the youngsters in the future,to further this,I will be looking at another upgrade for the Youth Facilities.I still have a contract till 2023 and by then,I reckon we could be competing for the title with the way things are going so let this longer season begin!

[PaulHartman71]

very big step forward with the Europa League qualification, should be interesting to see how you get on with that!

[B.W.G]

We didn't do too bad as we beat Vllaznia 6-1 on agg which is quite pleasing for our first fixtures in Europe.Think the biggest shock of the round was Shamrock beating Buraspor 5-2 on agg.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - August 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
I will start with the one game in the league,we did battle hard but we just came up short against a very good Athletic side so it was an acceptable loss.September doesn't look too difficult of a month as we don't face any of the major Spanish names for a while yet so we should rack up a few points along the month.

August also saw our first outings in Europe as we faced Vllaznia,both games were really comfortable and we could have recorded a bigger aggregate victory if we finished our chances but 6-1 is a very good first outing for us.Daniel Reuter was the star of the show in the first leg as he netted a hat-trick which also equals his highest goal scoring tally in a season!It was also nice to see Iturri get on the scoresheet in both games as he continue to shows improvement.The Group Stage draw has been pretty cruel on us as we have been drawn against Ajax,Spartak Moscow and Renova,3rd is more then achievable but that gets us nothing and it will be very tough against Ajax and Spartak.

[SRL88]

Unbelievably season last year. Hopefully you can have a similar one and good luck in the European group...you may need it ha.

[deltablue]

0% so far, need to buck up

[B.W.G]

SRL88 - Thanks I will settle for 5-6th again and I would settle for 7th but that position is dependant on the Copa del Rey winners.We'll try our best,who knows what we can do.

deltablue - I know,put that with the 8 seasons without winning a single trophy and I think I'm starting to be a bit under pressure

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - September 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Europa League Group Stage


Manager's Thoughts
That was a pretty good month for us as we picked up 11 points and finish the month above both Barcelona and Malaga,we are also above Real Madrid but they do have a game in hand so it has been a pretty funny start.The Europa League saw a dominate performance against Renova and we could have easily scored more then 5 if our finishing was better.September saw scrappy wins against Espanyol and Almeria as well as a dominate performance against Osasuna.The draw against Deportivo was a good one considering their high morale due to topping the table so it was good to get a point out of that match.The game against Mallorca was very disappointing,the fact we got a draw when we could of and should of lost says it all.The highlight og that match was Reuter scoring his 4th of the season which is a record for him!

October sees two tough ties in Europe and two tough ties in the league.We have Spartak (away) and then face Ajax (home) which will see how far we have progressed and how we compare to teams in the Europa League but this was always going to be a tough group.The toughest games in the league are Valencia and At.Madrid but I still see us picking up 4-6 points from the month as we do face Zaragoza and Betis and we should be able to get something out of those games.

[Coentrao]

Looks like an accessible group, you should be able to qualify out of that.

[B.W.G]

It now looks slightly easier then what it did as we won the Spartak game 1-0 which I can only describe as a hit and run.

[cerud]

Nice win against Spartak. Should definitely be an achievable group.

[deltablue]

Great start to European life.

[JackJCFC]

Looking good in europe and Spain, keep it up

[AK22]

Excellent start in Europe!

[B.W.G]

Thanks guys

We've done remarkably well in both competitions so far but the games against Ajax should tell us how far we could potentially go in Europe.In the league,both Barca and Real have not kicked things into gear yet so it is anyones at the moment.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - October 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Europa League Group Stage


Manager's Thoughts
Looking at the Europa League first,excellent defensive performances saw us win in Moscow as well as claim a valuable point in Amsterdam which sees us top the group with 7 points.To top this off,both return games against Spartak and Ajax are at our ground so if we can get something out of those games then we should qualify.The Copa del Rey saw an efficient performance as we brushed aside Girona 3-1 on the first leg and will be looking to finish them off in the 2nd.

The league saw us win 2 out of 3 and it took an 81st minute winner for At.Madrid to beat us so the players have done really well so far.Think the Valencia game was the most impressive as MAR scored us a 92nd minute winner as we refused to roll over for Valencia.The league is very close at the moment and to see us sitting above Barcelona by the end of October is pretty shocking to say the least!November will be a much tougher month as we face both Barcelona and Malaga in successive league games but the other games are still winnable.

[B.W.G]

Think I just topped the Spartak result....we just beat Ajax!


All we need is a win against Renova in December and we qualify for the knockouts!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - November 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Europa League Group Stage


Manager's Thoughts

Just the two cup games to start with,up first is the Europa League in which we took a massive step in securing a knockout place as we beat Ajax 2-1,a win against Spartk or Renova in December will guarantee European football after Christmas.The Copa del Rey saw us take apart Girona in the 2nd leg which Iker Sola being the star of the show as we won 4-1 on the night and 7-2 on agg.As a reward,we will now face Racing in the 5th round which is our best opportunity to get past the 5th round!

Not much to say about the league performances,we won two and we lost two.We lost to Malaga and Barcelona but they are both much stronger then we are even though we did give it a good go.The games against Real Sociedad and Betis showed we were much better,the latter saw me play mainly backup players and still win 2-0 with ease.The standout game in December is definitely the Real Madrid game as that is the hardest of the month.Villarreal could be a tricky game but Sporting and Granada are the easiest of the month so I will be happy with 6 points from this month.

[rancer890]

Doing well so far! No second season syndrome.

[deltablue]

Looking good to qualify in Europe.

[B.W.G]

rancer890 - Thanks No second season syndrome for me as we are in our 3rd season in Liga BBVA

deltablue - We have now qualified as we beat Renova 7-0 even though we finished the match with 10 men!

[rancer890]

.........no Third Season Syndrome then.

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - December 2019

Fixtures


League Table


Europa League Group Stages


Manager's Thoughts
Brilliant end to the Europa Group stages as we destroyed Renova 7-0 before beating Spartak 3-0 at home to ensure we topped the group with 5 wins and a draw,the funny side to things is that we finished the match against Renova with 10 men as Santos was sent off for two bookable offences.For the first knockout stage,we have been drawn against Liverpool with the winners facing Gaziantepspor or Benfica in the 2nd knockout round.

In the league we had two wins and two draws which was brilliant and keeps us in a position to challenge for the league.We beat Sporting 2-0 and to make this even more of a brilliant achievement,we finished this match with 9 men as Romero was sent off and Santamaria followed just minutes later.We also beat Villarreal 2-1 in a game we just edged with Daniel Reuter scoring the winner and his 7th goal of the season which is more then all the other seasons combined.The draw against Granada was disappointing as our finishing let us down in a game we could have easily won but that's football for you.We had a game against Real Madrid with yet more controversy as both sides had goals disallowed and both had penalty appeals turned down,the only shock is that no one was sent off but I will take a 0-0 draw anyday of the week considering we were away from home.

[JackJCFC]

Amazing debut in europe, lets hope you can keep this sort of form going!

[deltablue]

Basqueing in European glory.

[B.W.G]

JackJCFC - Thanks I hope so too,Liverpool will be a tough game but anything can happen.

deltablue - Not quite but we are on our way slowly.We could even Basque in national glory as we've reached the semi-final of the Copa del Rey where we will face.....Real Madrid!

[AK22]

A top four finish is definitely on the cards

[B.W.G]

It is achievable but none of the teams including us want to take the ball and run with it as we all like throwing points!

[B.W.G]

C.D. Vitoria - Liga BBVA - January 2020

Fixtures


League Table


Manager's Thoughts
Only the two games in the league as the match with Sevilla was postponed due to waterlogged pitch.The match with numanica was pretty dismal as a own goal gave us the three points where Iker Sola was sent off in the first half but we could have had more if the finishing was better.The game against Athletic showed our determination and fighting spirit,we were 2-0 down but we fought back and claimed a point,if our finishing was better then we could had won the game as we had 14 shots but only 3 on target.

The Copa del Rey took up most of the month with 5 ties.We were shocking in both legs against Racing but the home leg saw us edge it and win the tie 3-2 on agg but it was a poor match as I know we can do a lot better.The quarter finals saw us up against Hercules,a well disciplined performance in the 1st leg saw us clinch a 1-0 victory with Sola scoring a vital away goal while the 2nd leg saw Sola score again in a 1-1 draw in which we were below par but we still won the tie 2-1 on agg.We were drawn against in Real Madrid for the semi finals but in reality,it was a case of pick your poison as the four semi-finalists were us,Real,Barca and At.Madrid!The 1st leg saw us dominated but we still secured a vital away goal through Sola and only lose 2-1 so maybe we can snatch it in the 2nd leg.

[B.W.G]

Copa del Rey Semi-final 2nd leg,we start 2-1 down from the first leg.We produced an absolutely miraculous performance in front of the millions and billions watching....



Okay it was a slight exaggeration on my behalf as it was a 15,500 sellout and was live on TV We now go on to face Barcelona in the final!

[Coentrao]

Great campaign in the cups and 5-0 against Real Madrid, great result!

That should guarantee an European place since Barcelona gets a CL spot.

[cerud]

Unbelievable comeback!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

Unfortunately not,if Barcelona win the cup then the European place goes to 7th place,incidentally I am the team in 7th place at the moment

[B.W.G]

Unbelievable comeback!

Thanks Was quite shocking and it wasn't a weak Real side either.Martin is a Welsh international on £95k I think so we were definitely up against it.

[JackJCFC]

Amazing result against Madrid. That and your european performance so far shows how fast your making progress.