Silver_blue just bit me!

[Donners]

We're certainly not out of reach of a qualifying spot, but Juventus and Milan are looking pretty dangerous at the top.

January, season 2011/2012

Vicenza made a bid to co-own midfielder Chi Yuen Webb for £1.4M, with Vicenza as the side he would play for, but I had no difficulty rejecting it. He’s shown some promise over the years, and there’s no point letting them have him for that much.

Our first game of the month was at home to Brescia. Semler missed an early chip while Brescia had two shots saved by Ferrari and another two hit the post. Brescia scored three minutes into the second half after Kalú conceded a penalty. Semler, de la Cuesta and Rabito had shots saved as we drew closer and closer to the final whistle. Finally, three minutes into injury time, Papa Waigo and Semler raced into the area. Papa Waigo’s shot was parried, but Semler took hold of the rebound and fired in an equaliser. Or so it seemed, until the referee noticed the linesman flagging for offside. The final whistle blew seconds later, denying us a point.

Verona followed. Papa Waigo scored after only two minutes, but Lee Martin missed a chance to make it 2-0 in the 13th when his penalty was saved. Verona took advantage, scoring twice in ten minutes mid-way through the half to snatch the lead. We were still a goal down after 65 minutes, prompting me to move Nurullo Messner from defence to the midfield. For once, it actually worked, with Messner heading down a pass 11 minutes later for Papa Waigo to slot in. I continued to push for the win, but even after Verona had a player sent off, we couldn’t do it. Semler missed three chances in injury time. I re-signed Daniel Ferrari until 2016 after the game.

Strugglers Bologna were our next opponents. They hit the post early, but a mad scramble in our penalty area with shots from Rabito and Semler saw an own goal knocked in. The rest of the game was a back-and-forth struggle, with the own goal proving to be enough to secure the win for Ancona. Unfortunately, we lost Daniel Ferrari for three weeks to a neck injury, which means Tommy Lee will have to return.

Our quarter final Italian Cup tie began away against Brescia. Ferrari missed with injury while Kalú was on international duty. Tommy Lee was surprisingly solid in the first half, but we suffered a blow when Borut Semler was forced off injured. Carlos Hidalgo replaced him and very nearly put through a header minutes later. It was cleared off the line, and worse yet Chi Yuen Webb also had to go off injured just before the break. German forward Hartwig replaced him in the middle on his debut. A great counter-attack saw Papa Waigo finally put through the first of the game in the 63rd. Carlos Hidalgo kept Brescia’s keeper busy while Tommy Lee put in a rare Man of the Match performance to keep a clean sheet. Semler’s injury turned out to be minor, but Webb was sidelined for three weeks. With Hartwig in the seniors, I loaned out Takayasu Baggio to Empoli.

Back to the league, where we faced Vicenza. Semler hit the post with a shot in the 24th, but was knocked over when going for the rebound, resulting in a penalty. Lee Martin put it through, and thanks to several missed shots from Vicenza, that one goal was enough.

The home leg of the Italian Cup quarter final saw us enter with a 1-0 lead. We remained ahead at the break, but came close to conceding early in the second. It was only through a great save from Lee and the upright that Brescia failed to score, but they finally did in the 63rd. The aggregate was still 1-1 at the final whistle, taking us to extra time. I thought about bringing on Hartwig as a specialist penalty taker, but stuck with Papa Waigo for the first half of extra time. It turned out to be the right move. He volleyed in a rebound five minutes in, then added a second in the 101st to seal the game on the silver goal rule. That put us through to the Italian Cup semi final against Napoli. Udinese came in with a surprising £1.7M bid for Taikai Torres, which I happily accepted, and he quickly joined them.

Parma were our final opponents for the month. Each keeper was forced to make a save in the first ten minutes. Hoffmann looked certain to score the opener in the 27th when his shot was parried back to him, but his second attempt missed the target altogether. Parma took advantage with a goal in the 37th, but Hoffmann made up for his mistake with a sharp turn and strike to equalise two minutes after half time. It was still level after 70 minutes, but I only switched to a slightly more attacking mentality, not wanting to risk conceding another goal. Thankfully, that was enough. Thiago Motta crossed into the box in the 82nd, leaving Papa Waigo to head the winner into the net. Parma came close to bringing it level, hitting the crossbar in injury time, but we held on for the 2-1 win.

I didn’t manage to re-sign any players over January, so I’ll have an interesting time trying to retain the likes of Rabito, de la Cuesta, Luz and Kalú over the coming months.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Brescia | | 22 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 45 | 19 | +26 | 49 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Juventus | | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 43 | 16 | +27 | 48 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Milan | | 22 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 38 | 22 | +16 | 43 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Vicenza | | 22 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 42 | 20 | +22 | 42 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Atalanta | | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 46 | 33 | +13 | 38 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Ancona | | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 38 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Sampdoria | | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 38 | 26 | +12 | 36 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Parma | | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 28 | 21 | +7 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Roma | | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 31 | 39 | -8 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Lazio | | 22 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 27 | 31 | -4 | 31 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Inter | | 22 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 38 | 42 | -4 | 30 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Perugia | | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 36 | 36 | 0 | 29 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Torino | | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 34 | 39 | -5 | 28 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Udinese | | 22 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 33 | 41 | -8 | 25 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Napoli | | 22 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 28 | 43 | -15 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Verona | | 22 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 43 | -9 | 22 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Bologna | | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 33 | -11 | 21 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Cagliari | | 22 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 27 | 46 | -19 | 20 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Palermo | | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 32 | -18 | 16 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Como | | 22 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 41 | -22 | 15 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

February, season 2011/2012

Our first game in February came just three days after our previous one, so several senior players had to be rested against Napoli. Tommy Lee kept the scores level at half time with some quality saves. The second half had no real action to speak of, leaving us with a scoreless draw. I re-signed Andrea Rabito for another two seasons after the game, but could not get any others to agree terms.

Papa Waigo put us ahead against Milan after twelve minutes with a strike from a tight angle. Lennartsson made it 2-0 from a free kick, then he added his second from the edge of the area in the 26th. It stayed 3-0 for most of the second half, but Lennartsson set up Semler for his first of the game, despite numerous shots, with fifteen minutes to go. Nurullo Messner intercepted a defensive pass two minutes later and scored a great solo effort to complete a great 5-0 win against the 4th placed side.

Ikechukwu Kalú finally returned from international duty to play in our Italian Cup semi final game against Napoli. The first half was uneventful and the second no better. 0-0 for the home leg.

Back to Serie A for a game against Torino. A great header from Lennartsson gave Semler the opener 22 minutes in. Chi Yuen Webb, returning from injury, passed through the defence just after half time for Semler to slam in his second. Semler managed to get through the defence again in the 57th, but his chip went just over the bar. Torino pulled one back in the 71st, but a pass from Lennartsson allowed Semler to fire the ball into the top corner for his hat-trick to seal the game 3-1.

Our two good league wins had taken us to fifth, and we had a chance to move up further against Roma. Unfortunately, Roma hit two in the first half, and there was no coming back from there for Ancona.

Our game against Perugia came just three days before our Champions Cup match against FC Bayern, so the side was nowhere near full strength. The game was a dull affair and looked like ending scoreless. Unfortunately, Perugia snuck in a goal with ten minutes to go, sending us back down to 7th spot.

Now for the big game against FC Bayern, the side that defeated us in the Champions Cup final two years ago. The first leg was away. Markus Neumayr came forward in the 10th and sent a nice high ball into the area. Papa Waigo headed it down for partner Borut Semler outside the area. Semler, marked closely, raced into the area and slammed it past the keeper for a great start to the second round for Ancona. Neumayr again played a key role in the 27th minute, sending a free kick into the area. This time it was Semler himself who met it with a header, hitting it straight into the net for his second of the game. Norizam Luz was forced off with injury, and was replaced by the returning Tse Lung Pappalardo. Semler and Lennartsson missed shots just before the break, leaving it 2-0. That didn’t last long – two minutes after half time, Semler sent a pass into the 6-yard box. It bounced off a defender and into the path of Papa Waigo, who put it straight into the open goal. The keeper managed to block a seemingly certain Papa Waigo goal in the 55th, but four minutes later he scored with a fabulous run from the centre. FC Bayern made it 4-1, but Lennartsson added a fifth from a Lee Martin pass before Pappalardo capped off an incredible win with a headed goal in the 90th. 6-1, virtually assuring us of progression in the Champions Cup and getting some revenge for our final loss.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Juventus | | 27 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 58 | 18 | +40 | 61 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Vicenza | | 27 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 54 | 27 | +27 | 52 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Brescia | | 27 | 16 | 2 | 9 | 50 | 29 | +21 | 50 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Milan | | 27 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 48 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Sampdoria | | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 48 | 31 | +17 | 46 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Atalanta | | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 58 | 43 | +15 | 46 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Ancona | | 27 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 45 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Lazio | | 27 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 39 | 36 | +3 | 43 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Roma | | 27 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 42 | 47 | -5 | 43 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Perugia | | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 41 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Parma | | 27 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 40 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Inter | | 27 | 12 | 1 | 14 | 46 | 51 | -5 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Bologna | | 27 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 34 | 42 | -8 | 31 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Torino | | 27 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 41 | 52 | -11 | 31 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Napoli | | 27 | 9 | 4 | 14 | 38 | 51 | -13 | 31 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Udinese | | 27 | 8 | 2 | 17 | 39 | 56 | -17 | 26 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Verona | | 27 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 39 | 57 | -18 | 25 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Cagliari | | 27 | 7 | 4 | 16 | 33 | 54 | -21 | 25 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Como | | 27 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 26 | 50 | -24 | 21 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Palermo | | 27 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 45 | -27 | 19 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[I\'m Not Ruud]

I don't recall if I've ever made note that I really enjoy this story.

Keep up the good work, and good luck in the CL this season, since the league doesn't seem to be going too great.

[Donners]

Glad to hear it.

March, season 2011/2012

March began with Ancona facing Sampdoria. Though we had the same side as the one that hammered FC Bayern 6-1, we were thoroughly outplayed. We were a goal down at half time, then conceded a second in the final minutes for another disappointing league loss.

The second leg of our Italian Cup semi final tie against Napoli came three days later, so many senior players had to be rested. Our weakened side conceded the first goal in the 34th, but a great run from Kalú four minutes later took him from the middle to the edge of the area, where he crossed for Carlos Hidalgo to head in. Since this leg was away, that took us ahead. Napoli had a player sent off just before the break, while Kalú hit the bar. Hidalgo was replaced by Brichkus with fifteen minutes to go, and Ole Brichkus took advantage of his opportunity by hitting in a second Kalú cross for the sealer. Chi Yuen Webb missed a penalty in the final minutes, but it didn’t matter.

Unfortunately, like in 2010, our league form slipped while we succeeded in other competitions. We tried to set this straight against Palermo, and got off to a good start in the 7th when Semler half-volleyed a loose ball into the net. Papa Waigo scored a relatively rare goal in the 26th from a Thiago Motta corner and then set up Semler’s second in the 50th to seal the 3-0 win.

The home leg of our game against FC Bayern was pretty pointless considering our 6-1 lead. An early goal to Hoffmann was disallowed, but Luz headed in a Martin cross in the 17th. Carlos Hidalgo managed to get in a 30-yard chip off the post, and then added his second shortly after half time. FC Bayern got one late, but the final 9-2 aggregate was about as convincing as you can get. We’ll face Arsenal in the quarter final.

Atlanta were our next Serie A opponents. Both sides had a few chances in the first half, but the closest we came to scoring was a header from Hidalgo which was saved. Hidalgo and Lennartsson missed several shots in the second half, while a Kalú header was cleared off the line. A disappointing 0-0 draw. Lennartsson suffered a calf strain, putting him out for two weeks – possibly including the first leg of our game against Arsenal.

Cagliari came a few days before that big game. Naturally, I had a second-string side, which led to a very dull first half. Chi Yuen Webb came close with a long-range shot that deflected off an opponent, but it was held. The second half was a very different story. It started off slowly, but Cagliari grabbed the lead in the 71st. Hoffmann, Webb and Hidalgo had chances to equalise, only to be thwarted by the keeper. Rabito finally scored with a minute in regular time to go, levelling the scores and opening the floodgates. Carlos Hidalgo stuck in a rebound a minute later and then made it 3-1 in the final seconds of injury time from a Motta pass. Certainly a good result, but we’ve dropped far too many points in Serie A already.

Our Champions Cup quarter final first leg (away) against Arsenal finished the month. Considering our opponents had won the Premiership for the last six years, and sat on top yet again at the time of this game, to call the match a challenge would be an understatement. I brought in Lennartsson, even though he hadn’t fully recovered, due to the critical nature of the game. Messner forced a great save from 40-year-old Fabian Barthez early while Arsenal missed a series of shots. Rabito got into the area with a great run and played the ball past one defender in the 19th, but was caught by a second opponent. Arsenal played the ball back to Barthez in the 34th, resulting in a clearance to the midfield. Markus Neumayr got under it and headed it forward to Semler, who was a fair way outside the area. He charged past his marker, came into the area and fired it straight into the top corner for our first. Arsenal replied with a goal to Riquelme in seconds, but at least we had a slight away goal advantage. That is, until Lennartsson won the ball in the midfield in the 67th. He came forward and passed off to Semler, who ran to the corner of the area and blasted it in from a tight angle for a 2-1 lead. Six minutes later, Neumayr again headed forward an Arsenal clearance. This time the ball went straight into the area for Papa Waigo to knock straight past the keeper. 3-1. Kalú missed several shots, but Andrea Rabito ended the game with a superb solo run and goal. With a 4-1 away lead, it’s hard to see us not making it through to the semi-final.

[Donners]

April, season 2011/2012

Our second leg against Arsenal came two weeks after the first, with no other games in between. I rested Lennartsson, Briotti and Papa Waigo due to our 4-1 advantage, but a 35-yard curling strike from Rabito in the 12th made sure Arsenal had no chance of coming back despite the absence of those players. Arsenal did manage to score just before half time, but that was all. 5-2 the final aggregate, taking us through to the Champions Cup semi final against Celtic.

I couldn’t go out full-strength against Udinese in the league with the Italian Cup final next. Unfortunately, our performance suffered, and the game was a dull affair. The 0-0 draw saw us drop down to 8th spot.

At least we had a strong side for the first leg of the Italian Cup final against Juventus. Lennartsson put us ahead with a cracking free kick in the 7th (his 50th goal for the club) then the lead was extended through a Martin free kick in the 22nd. Semler got around the keeper for a third to complete a wonderful first half. Juventus got one back with fifteen minutes to go, but with three away goals, we look pretty safe to win.

A week later, it was time for another big game – our first leg of the Champions Cup semi final against Celtic. As seems to often happen for us, it was played away. I went out with my full-strength side, which I’d better list since it has changed a bit since the start of the season:

GK – Tommy Lee

LB – Andrea Briotti

CB – José Julián de la Cuesta

CB – Norizam Luz

RB – Nurullo Messner

LM – Lee Martin

CM – Nordin Lennartsson

CM – Markus Neumayr

RM – Andrea Rabito

CF – Papa Waigo

CF – Borut Semler

Sub – Daniel Ferrari

Sub – Ikechukwu Kalú

Sub – Sarr

Sub – Thiago Motta

Sub – Carlos Daniel Hidalgo

Sub – Tse Lung Pappalardo

Sub – Chi Yuen Webb

Rabito set up Neumayr early, but his shot from inside the area missed by a long way. Lennartsson and Papa Waigo also missed shots, though thankfully Celtic’s finishing was also poor. Rabito took the ball in the 43rd and took the ball forward. Somehow he evaded two opponents and slipped the ball to Semler, who continued to go for the area. He was pushed very wide and looked to be on an impossible angle, yet somehow snuck it in for a great goal. Rabito was again the architect in the 50th, volleying at the goal only to see a brilliant parry keep it out. However, that just left a simple finish for Semler to make it 2-0. Three minutes later, Briotti headed forward a clearance. It floated over the top of a defender, leaving Papa Waigo to run on it, charge at the keeper and slam it home. 3-0. Four minutes after that, Lee Martin took control of a loose header and put it straight over the keepers head. Three goals in seven minutes, and what looks to be a certain spot in the Champions Cup final for Ancona. In other good news, I finally managed to re-sign in-demand defender José de la Cuesta for three seasons on £14K per week.

While we continued to dominate in the cups, there was still the league to worry about. Our last game of the month was against Inter, with several players rested due to the tight schedule. After a dull first half, Inter took the lead in the 54th. Papa Waigo missed our only shot after that, leaving us with yet another league loss.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Juventus

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Juventus | | 33 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 69 | 25 | +44 | 71 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Vicenza | | 35 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 76 | 33 | +43 | 71 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Brescia | | 35 | 19 | 4 | 12 | 63 | 41 | +22 | 61 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Roma | | 35 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 61 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Lazio | | 35 | 18 | 6 | 11 | 50 | 44 | +6 | 60 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Atalanta | | 35 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 72 | 51 | +21 | 58 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Sampdoria | | 33 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 60 | 35 | +25 | 57 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Milan | | 35 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 55 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Inter | | 34 | 17 | 2 | 15 | 65 | 56 | +9 | 53 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Ancona | | 33 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 48 | 42 | +6 | 53 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Perugia | | 35 | 16 | 5 | 14 | 61 | 56 | +5 | 53 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Parma | | 35 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 43 | +2 | 48 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Bologna | | 35 | 12 | 8 | 15 | 51 | 58 | -7 | 44 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Napoli | | 35 | 10 | 5 | 20 | 45 | 73 | -28 | 35 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Torino | | 35 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 49 | 72 | -23 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Palermo | | 35 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 34 | 61 | -27 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Como | | 34 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 36 | 67 | -31 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Udinese | | 35 | 9 | 5 | 21 | 46 | 69 | -23 | 32 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Cagliari | | 35 | 9 | 5 | 21 | 41 | 69 | -28 | 32 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Verona | | 35 | 7 | 9 | 19 | 49 | 77 | -28 | 30 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

May, season 2011/2012

I had the rare chance to go out full-strength in the league against Como. Like so many of our league games, the first half was very dull. Como took the lead through a penalty just after half time (again, like so many games), then added a second in the 60th and a third three minutes later. Another miserable league game.

Our league run didn’t get any easier, with Lazio next. It was only three days before our next game against Celtic, but nonetheless I went out with a strong side. After a dull first half ( ) Lazio grabbed the lead just after the break ( ). Lennartsson thankfully put one through with four minutes to go – our first goal in four league games – to snatch a point.

Semler and Martin took a break in the second leg against Celtic. We had a 4-0 aggregate lead going in, while Manchester United led Juventus 1-0 in the other semi final. Celtic scored the first of the game in the 30th, but Lennartsson responded seven minutes later to make it 5-1 overall. The second half saw little action, putting us through to the final against Manchester United. We picked up £2.2M for the win as well as £625K from gate receipts.

With only three league games to go, a good result against 3rd placed Brescia was unquestionably important. Unfortunately, we were a goal down in less than two minutes thanks to a free kick. Evidently fed up with our awful league form, we responded quickly. Messner headed through a cross from Motta, then Hidalgo made it two in three minutes after being set up perfectly by Rabito. Neumayr missed a chance for a third when his penalty was saved, but Lennartsson made it 3-1 with a free kick in the 61st. A much-needed win for Ancona.

We faced Juventus for the first of two times in three days next. This first game was a Serie A encounter which saw Juventus go ahead after 14 minutes. Lennartsson missed a chip shortly into the second half then had a long-range volley saved. Lennartsson was our only player to put up much of a fight in the 0-1 loss.

The Italian Cup final suddenly looked a bit tougher after that. We went in 3-1 up, but were totally outplayed in the first half and conceded a goal just before the break. They still needed another two goals considering that we scored three away, but it was a worrying start. Thankfully, Semler hit in a cross from Messner just before half time to bring our lead back to two goals, and that’s the way it remained at the end. Our very first cup win – but could we complete a double with the Champions Cup?

We had to first deal with the final Serie A game of the season, which was against Verona. The Champions Cup final was only three days later, so I went with a second-string side. We conceded a goal 17 minutes in and generally looked quite weak. Brichkus, in probably his final game for the club, equalised from close range after a great header from Hoffmann, but there were no more goals after that. Yet another disappointing league result, leaving us in 10th spot at the end of the season.

I came second as Serie A Manager of the Year, while Messner again made the Team of the Year and was named Defender of the Year. Papa Waigo was the runner-up as the Foreign Player of the Year, behind former Ancona player Supat Rungratsamee.

Then for the big game against Manchester United. Having failed in the Champions Cup final two years earlier against FC Bayern, another loss here would be devastating. Markus Neymaur missed through suspension, with Chi Yuen Webb replacing him in the middle. Manchester were thankfully missing top keeper Tim Howard and midfielder Kléberson due to injury and newly-purchased players including defender Ashley Cole and Brazilian international midfielder Young-Hoon Cordeiro [isn’t that a great Brazilian name?].

We kicked off, and four minutes in Briotti was able to intercept a throw-in from the midfield. De la Cuesta took the ball and hit it to the edge of the area for Papa Waigo. He was tacked as soon as he got there, but the ball trickled into the path of Semler. He took the ball and ran forward, despite being tracked by two defenders. He curled a shot at the left side of the goal, beat the keeper…and put it in the back of the net for his 30th of the season – a new club record. Michael Owen came forward for Man U, but Messner intercepted the ball at right back. He passed to Rabito on the wing, who flicked it forward to Semler. He and Papa Waigo broke free of their markers, and though Semler’s shot was parried, it went straight to Papa Waigo for a simple finish. 2-0 after four minutes in the Champions Cup final. Michael Owen hit back in the 25th to make it 2-1. Papa Waigo fired in a shot from a tight angle moments later, but the ball was parried across the goal and cleared. Four minutes after Man U’s first, Papa Waigo headed a 60-yard pass from Martin to Semler for his second. We were still 3-1 ahead at half time, and held that for fifteen more minutes. Messner took the ball on the right wing in the 60th and sent in a beautiful pass for Semler. He made it through the defence once again and hit it in for his hat-trick. With 30 minutes to go, the Champions Cup looked certain to go to Ancona. Papa Waigo made sure of it in the 72nd after a pass from Rabito – sealing the fabulous 5-1 Champions Cup final win with his 20th goal of the season.

[DirtyJoe]

Well done mate, good to finally see you win the CL much deserved

[Dark_Soccer]

The CL win has finally come!

Congratulations but now we need a consistent showing in the league!

[Terk]

and there was me expecting that you'd have to qualify for next season's competition through league placing

brilliant achievement, donners and thoroughly deserved

[Donners]

Much appreciated, guys. It's bee a long time coming, but at last we have some concrete success. But can we build on it next season?

The season in review

Summary

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | C | Juventus | | 38 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 74 | 26 | +48 | 82 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Vicenza | | 38 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 80 | 36 | +44 | 75 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Atalanta | | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 78 | 53 | +25 | 65 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Lazio | | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 54 | 47 | +7 | 65 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Roma | | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 61 | 56 | +5 | 64 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Brescia | | 38 | 20 | 4 | 14 | 66 | 48 | +18 | 64 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Sampdoria | | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 65 | 43 | +22 | 60 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Inter | | 38 | 19 | 3 | 16 | 75 | 61 | +14 | 60 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Milan | | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 58 | 52 | +6 | 59 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Ancona | | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 53 | 49 | +4 | 58 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Perugia | | 38 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 64 | 62 | +2 | 54 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Bologna | | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 57 | 61 | -4 | 51 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Parma | | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 50 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Napoli | | 38 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 48 | 78 | -30 | 39 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Palermo | | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 41 | 65 | -24 | 38 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Torino | | 38 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 52 | 75 | -23 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Verona | | 38 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 56 | 81 | -25 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | R | Como | | 38 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 43 | 73 | -30 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | R | Cagliari | | 38 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 44 | 75 | -31 | 35 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | R | Udinese | | 38 | 9 | 6 | 23 | 47 | 75 | -28 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Asts | MoM | Pass | Tck | Drb | Sh Tar | Av R | Value |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | Unh | Luz, N | 50 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 73 % | 2.15 | 0.14 | 88 % | 6.96 | £2.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DR | Unh | Messner, N | 48 (1) | 3 | 8 | 2 | 65 % | 3.64 | 2.09 | 61 % | 7.49 | £6.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DL | Int | Briotti, A | 47 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 73 % | 2.17 | 0.98 | 50 % | 6.94 | £4.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Unh | Semler, B | 44 (1) | 32 | 9 | 12 | 57 % | 0.98 | 2.05 | 65 % | 7.67 | £12.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| ML | Unh | Martin, L | 42 (1) | 3 | 7 | 0 | 68 % | 2.45 | 0.99 | 59 % | 6.91 | £7.25M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Unh | Papa Waigo* | 42 | 20 | 12 | 5 | 73 % | 0.71 | 1.67 | 70 % | 7.67 | £14M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | Wnt | de la Cuesta, J | 42 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 74 % | 2.41 | 0.29 | 91 % | 7.07 | £5.75M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Neumayr, M | 41 (1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 74 % | 2.21 | 0.29 | 37 % | 6.88 | £4.2M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | Int | Lennartsson, N* | 40 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 70 % | 2.65 | 0.94 | 56 % | 7.45 | £9.25M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MR | | Rabito, A* | 37 (1) | 6 | 6 | 3 | 60 % | 3.14 | 4.94 | 50 % | 7.53 | £4.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| GK | | Lee, T | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 44 % | - | - | - | 6.33 | £925K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB1 | Unh | Ferrari, D | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 % | - | - | - | 6.27 | £950K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB3 | Wnt | Kalù, I | 24 (9) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 62 % | 3.36 | 3.36 | 33 % | 7.09 | £5.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Motta, T | 22 (1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 66 % | 2.34 | 1.31 | 33 % | 7.04 | £5.75M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB2 | Unh | Sarr | 18 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 % | 3.31 | 0.32 | 100 % | 6.48 | £1.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB7 | | Hidalgo, C | 14 (12) | 9 | 5 | 2 | 68 % | 0.99 | 0.64 | 62 % | 7.27 | £4.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB5 | | Pappalardo, T | 13 (2) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 77 % | 1.83 | 0.14 | 80 % | 6.80 | £1.4M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | Wnt | Webb, C | 12 (12) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 71 % | 3.09 | 0.35 | 80 % | 7.08 | £3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Zamperini, A | 12 (4) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 71 % | 2.06 | 0.49 | - | 6.56 | £250K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB4 | | Hoffmann, M | 11 (9) | 3 | 4 | 1 | 61 % | 1.32 | 2.79 | 86 % | 7.00 | £3.2M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB6 | | Adu, F | 10 (7) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 % | 2.29 | 2.10 | 42 % | 6.76 | £0 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Brichkus, O | 5 (5) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 70 % | 1.10 | 0.55 | 83 % | 6.40 | £375K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | Dupuy, S | 4 (2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 67 % | 3.05 | 0.70 | 100 % | 6.83 | £1.6M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | White, S | 4 (1) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 74 % | 2.83 | 1.18 | - | 7.20 | £1.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Hartwig | 1 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 % | 0.87 | 0.87 | 66 % | 6.25 | £2.7M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Oddly, despite the fans supposedly wanting to build a statue to me and the board members celebrating in the streets, neither group seemed too happy with me even after that result. Okay, 10th place wasn’t great, but come on – we won two big cups! I know I’m happy, even if they’re not. We will get another shot at the Champions Cup next season, as well as a few of the one-off cups, so we certainly set up the chance for more success despite our poor league result.

I’m not sure why we alternate success in Europe and good league results. The simple answer is a lack of depth, but even with a full-strength side we often did badly in the league.

Player-wise, there were really no surprises. The stars continued to…well…star, the regulars did their usual job (except Sarr, who was disappointing) and the fringe players remained that way. I’m quite happy to have been able to re-sign Rabito, Ferrari and de la Cuesta, but the others may prove to be a problem.

[Donners]

Wrapping it up

I re-signed young players Takayasu Baggio (for one season) and Kent B. Giusti (five seasons), Di Dio (one) and goalkeeper Tommy Lee (two). Two new players came up from the youth academy – unremarkable goalkeeper Paoloni and defender Gentili, who is only 14 but looks decent. And…well…that’s about it.

Around the world: major awards and results

Ancona Supporters’ Player of the Year:

Papa Waigo

World Player of the Year:

Jay Bothroyd (Chelsea)

World Footballer of the year:

Raúl (Real Madrid)

England:

Arsenal (seven straight!)

Spain:

Barcelona

Champions Cup:

Ancona \o/

UEFA Cup:

CSKA Sofia

[Donners]

The Transfers

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | From | Fee |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.7.2011 | Dupuy, Syed | Newcastle | Free |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.7.2011 | Giusti, Kent B. | Cittadella | £150K |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.8.2011 | Hartwig | Elche | Free |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11.8.2011 | Hidalgo, Carlos Daniel | Pasto | £500K |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16.8.2011 | Fantini | Free Transfer | Free |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £650K |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | To | Fee |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.7.2011 | Frimann, Hélio | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.7.2011 | Gardiner, Belhassen| Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.7.2011 | O'Brien, Narimon | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.8.2011 | Gibbs, Alex | Vicenza | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.8.2011 | Roberts, Khairani | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4.8.2011 | Tait, Jugurta | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4.8.2011 | Berntsen, Michael | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4.8.2011 | Guillou, Mohammed | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4.8.2011 | McGowan, Alexander | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 23.8.2011 | Pozzi, Nicola | Bologna | £2.5M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 26.1.2012 | Torres, Taikai | Udinese | £1.7M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.6.2012 | Crane, Gustavo | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £4.2M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | From | Fee |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.8.2011 | França | Free Transfer | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.8.2011 | Ümit Davala | Free Transfer | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | To | Fee |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4.8.2011 | Borimirov, Daniel | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

A mostly unremarkable season for transfers, with few moves having any impact. Carlos Hidalgo looked very good as a rotational striker, and should have an increased role next season. Giusti showed promise, but the other players were unremarkable.

None of the players who left had any major impact, and we actually profited quite nicely from the two sales. Unfortunately, the players loaned out didn’t really get much of a run, though Hammond looked fairly solid in 16 Premier League games.

[Donners]

Pre-Season 2012/2013

We lost £5.5M in dividends, but with £9M TV rights the total balance went up to over £110M. The board gave me a transfer budget of £40M with a fairly simple requirement of a safe mid-table position. My wage budget was also lifted to an impressive £1.1M.

Chievo came in with an early loan bid for Chi Yuen Webb, but I decided that if Kalú was going to go, I’d be better off hanging onto the young midfielder. Milan gave me a much tougher choice with a £3.9M bid for Rabito. It was quite an impressive offer for the 32-year-old, but since he was contracted for two more seasons and had shown great form recently, I rejected it. They also made an offer to co-own Kent B. Giusti for £325K, which I easily rejected. I did, however, loan him out to Spezia. I also loaned out Aldo Jair Kok to Genoa.

I missed out on a few signings, including Italian Under-21 international wing back Nickie Capuano (to Lazio), Samuele Dalla Bona (Lazio) and English defender McKenzie (to Deportivo). As usual, I brought in a number of 17-year-olds on trials with limited success. I did eventually sign goalkeeper Sajhib Cantoni and midfielder Gordian Gasparini.

Towards the end of July, FC Bayern made a big offer - £7.25M for winger Lee Martin. Manchester United followed with an identical bid. Martin had been a reasonably solid but unremarkable senior player, and his contract expired at the end of the season – both factors that leaned in favour of selling him. However, he was still a key part of the side, and I didn’t want to lose him so close to the start of the season when it might be difficult to find a replacement. I eventually decided to try for the best of both worlds – negotiating the transfer to take place at the end of the season, in June 2013. Surely they wouldn’t fall for that, when they could easily offer him a contract in January without having to pay the fee? Well, they did. A transfer of Martin to FC Bayern for £7.25M on June 18, 2013 was arranged. It may leave him a bit unsettled throughout the season, but it’s better than letting him go and it’s a great bargain considering I probably wouldn’t have re-signed him.

Ancona 4 [semler 8; Webb 50; Hidalgo 71; Hartwig 90 (pen)] d. Torino 0

I finally re-signed Norizam Luz for three more seasons just prior to the expiry of his contract, and sold fellow defender Hammond to Lazio for £240K.

The end of July saw several contracts expire. I released coach Udalrico Tretter, midfielders Ikechukwu Kalú and Juan Pietravallo and forward Ole Brichkus immediately. I did, however, re-sign defender Alessandro Zamperini for one more season and snapped up Argentinian midfielder Sergio Bernardo Almirón.

Vicenza presented a huge decision with a bid of £4.9M plus young goalkeeper Hoang Napoli for Chi Yuen Webb. I added in a 20% sell-on clause and took the total fee up to £5.75M, which they agreed to. The deal finally went through in early August. While it’s a big fee for the youngster, he is a talent and considering the age of my squad, it’s a move that could come back to bite me.

[Donners]

The Squad

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pkd | Inf | Name | Squad Status | Basic Wage | Contract Expiry | Offer Options | Asking Price |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MR | | Rabito, A* | Key Player | £16,000 | 31.7.2014 | Rej lower offers | £4.9M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DL | | Briotti, A | First Team | £10,250 | 31.7.2013 | None | £4.9M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Lennartsson, N* | First Team | £22,000 | 31.7.2014 | None | £9.25M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | | Luz, N | First Team | £7,000 | 31.7.2015 | None | £2M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| ML | Trn | Martin, L | First Team | £6,500 | 31.7.2013 | None | £7.25M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DR | Sus | Messner, N | First Team | £18,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £6.5M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Wnt | Papa Waigo* | First Team | £20,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £14M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Unh | Semler, B | First Team | £12,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £12.5M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | Bid | de la Cuesta, J | First Team | £14,000 | 31.7.2015 | None | £6M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Int | Adu, F | Rotation | £3,500 | 31.7.2013 | None | N/A |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB4 | | Almirón, S | Rotation | £4,000 | 31.7.2014 | None | £1.2M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | Dupuy, S | Rotation | £4,600 | 31.7.2014 | None | £1.6M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB6 | | Hidalgo, C | Rotation | £850 | 31.7.2014 | None | £4.6M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB7 | | Hoffmann, M | Rotation | £4,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £3.2M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| GK | | Lee, T | Rotation | £4,000 | 31.7.2014 | None | £925K |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB5 | | Motta, T | Rotation | £8,500 | 31.7.2013 | None | £5.5M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Napoli, H | Rotation | £800 | 31.7.2015 | None | £650K |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Neumayr, M | Rotation | £9,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £4M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB2 | Wnt | Sarr | Rotation | £6,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £1.9M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Wnt | Arthur | Backup | £625 | 31.7.2013 | None | £1.7M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB1 | Wnt | Ferrari, D | Backup | £2,500 | 31.7.2016 | None | £950K |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Grillo, F | Backup | £6,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £1.6M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Hartwig | Backup | £3,300 | 31.7.2014 | None | £2.9M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB3 | Int | Pappalardo, T | Backup | £850 | 31.7.2013 | None | £1.5M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | White, S | Backup | £1,200 | 31.7.2013 | None | £1.8M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Zamperini, A | Backup | £3,000 | 31.7.2013 | None | £775K |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Total Players: 42

Wage Budget: £1,100,000

Total Weekly Wages at 5/8/12: £188,055

Goalkeepers

Daniel Ferrari [23, GK, ITA – Capped at U21 level] – 6, 45, 0

Played his first season as a semi-regular first team player last season, but did not do much to retain his spot. Only his youth and my lack of other options earned him a new contract.

Tommy Lee [26, GK, ENG – Capped at U21 level] – 4, 147, 0

Another poor season from Lee, who is only still at the club because I couldn’t find another first team goalkeeper. Is only the first choice because the other options aren’t particularly capable.

Hoang Napoli [20, GK, ITA]

One of our very few new signings, Napoli comes over from Vicenza as part of the deal for Chi Yuen Webb. He only has ten senior games to his name and doesn’t look particularly talented, but it’s not like the other two are much better.

Defenders

Andrea Briotti [26, D LC, ITA – 6/0] – 6, 194, 2

Still one of our most consistent defenders and a regular part of the side. Solid and unremarkably, which is how I like my defensive players. Fresh off winning the European Football Championship with Italy, he will hopefully continue to play a regular role and sign a new contract.

06/07 Serie A Young Player of the Year, Ancona captain 09/10-present

José de la Cuesta [29, D LC, COL – 35/5] – 5, 163, 4

Finally re-signed despite interest from several other clubs. With Briotti, he’s formed a key part of our defence, and with such a weakness in goalkeepers, he needs to continue his strong form.

Syed Dupuy [22, Sw/D C, FRA – Capped at U21 level] – 1, 6, 0

Did not have much impact in his first season at Ancona, and with so many defenders still at the side, he will have a tough fight to find a spot in the team.

Fabrizio Grillo [25, Sw/D C, ITA – Capped at U21 level] – 2, 7, 0

Has not found a place in the Ancona side in two seasons, and will probably continue to struggle.

Norizam Luz [29, Sw/D C, ARG] – 3, 105, 4

Re-signed just days before the end of his contract, Luz should continue to operate alongside de la Cuesta at the back. The other defenders probably won’t be too pleased he is still at the club, since his departure would give them much more of a go, but after he played 50 games last season, it’d be a big blow to the side to lose him.

Nurullo Messner [28, D/DM RC, AUT – 36/4] – 3, 103, 7

One of the elite players at the side, Messner has held down right back but would be equally capable in the middle. His list of awards below is strong evidence of his fine form for Ancona. Re-signing him may prove difficult.

09/10, 10/11, 11/12 Serie A Team of the Year, 09/10, 11/12 Italian Defender of the Year, 10/11 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year 3rd placed

Tse Lung Pappalardo [22, D C, ITA - Capped at U21 level] – 6, 24, 1

Played reasonably well when given the chance last season, but is still behind several other defenders.

Sarr [28, D RC, SEN – 53] – 6, 148, 5

One of our most disappointing players in 11/12. Sarr struggled when given the chance in defence, and is likely in his final season at the club.

Alessandro Zamperini [30, D LC, ITA] – 7, 152, 0

Re-signed on reduced wages for another season, purely as a backup should any of the other defenders go down.

Midfielders

Freddy Adu [23, AM/F RC, USA – 60/14] – 9, 150, 9

Almost certainly in his final year at the club, Adu has never really earned a regular spot in the seniors and will again have trouble finding a place even with the loss of Webb and Kalú.

Sergio Bernardo Almirón [31, M C, ARG]

A short-term fix after the loss of two midfielders, Almirón was bought a few seasons ago by Udinese for £3.6M. Previously, he’d played for the likes of Verona, Celta and Deportivo. He’s probably past his prime, but is still a good passer and a decent player overall.

Nordin Lennartsson [29, AM C, SWE – 27/9] – 7, 250, 53

Another top season from the midfielder, who with 26 goals and 16 assists in the last two years has been one of our most consistent threats outside the “big two†up forward. Still very, very quick despite his increasing years.

10/11 Serie A Team of the Year

Lee Martin [25, AM RL, ENG] – 2, 74, 3

His fate is already sealed, set for a £7.25M move to FC Bayern, but that won’t happen until the end of the season. I think he can be a key part of our push for success in Europe and Italy, but I will need to find a replacement for him sooner or later.

Thiago Motta [29, AM L, BRA - Capped at U21 level] – 2, 40, 0

Played well when given the chance on the left wing while Martin was rested. His age makes it difficult to see him as a long-term replacement, but he should continue to play a similar role to last season.

Markus Neumayr [26, M C, GER - Capped at U21 level] – 5, 175, 17

Not nearly as prolific as midfield partner Lennartsson, and may face a bit of competition from Almirón. Despite playing 175 games, he’s actually one of the youngest players in the side.

Andrea Rabito [32, F RC, ITA – 7/2] – 7, 229, 58

I rejected a £4.9M bid for him, which is a fair effort considering his age. However, he had a top season in 11/12, and should be a key part of the side (mostly on the right wing) for the next two.

07/08 Serie A Player of the Year runner-up, Supporters’ Player of the Year 08/09

Sobir White [22, AM RC, ENG] – 5, 18, 1

Did not get much of a go last season, but with Webb and Kalú gone, he now gets his chance. Will need to take it in order to earn a new contract.

Forwards

Hartwig [21, F LC, GER – 7 U21/0] – 1, 4, 0

Unfortunately did not make it into the team last season, but showed flashes of promise in the Under-20s. Will start there again this season, but may eventually get another shot.

Mohd Nizaruddin Hoffmann [20, S C, GER – 8 U21/1] – 2, 29, 6

Fared somewhat better than Hartwig, but was still overshadowed by Hidalgo. May get more of a chance with Brichkus gone. One of the best prospects in the side, which isn’t saying much.

Carlos Daniel Hidalgo [26, F RLC, COL – 4/1] – 1, 26, 9

Showed enough flair and scoring ability to be the first choice as backup to the “big twoâ€. Now an international for Colombia and clearly well worth the £500K I paid for him.

Papa Waigo [28, F LC, SEN – 38/21] – 4, 153, 81

Struggled to score early in the season, but played well throughout and still came away with 20 goals. The club’s leading scorer by some distance, and a great partner for Semler. Re-signing him will cost plenty.

Supporters’ Player of the Year 09/10, 10/11, 11/12, Serie A Foreign Player of the Year 11/12

Borut Semler [27, F RC, SVN – 30/18] – 2, 81, 59

Continued to score at an astonishing rate last season, and is a clear star of the side. He was the biggest factor in our Champions Cup success, with 11 goals in ten games. As with Papa Waigo, re-signing him may prove to be very difficult.

10/11 Serie A Player of the Year 3rd placed, Serie A leading goalscorer runner-up 10/11, 10/11 Serie A Team of the Year

[Donners]

The Likely Side:

(Playing with a 4-4-2)

GK – Tommy Lee

LB – Andrea Briotti

CB – José Julián de la Cuesta

CB – Norizam Luz

RB – Nurullo Messner

LM – Lee Martin

CM – Nordin Lennartsson

CM – Markus Neumayr

RM – Andrea Rabito

CF – Papa Waigo

CF – Borut Semler

Sub – Daniel Ferrari

Sub – Carlos Daniel Hidalgo

Sub – Sarr

Sub – Thiago Motta

Sub – Tse Lung Pappalardo

Sub – Mohd Nizaruddin Hoffmann

Sub – Sergio Bernardo Almirón

All Up…

This is mostly the same side as last season, so there’s no real reason why we can’t have the same level of success.

Again there is a glaring weakness when it comes to goalkeeping strength. At least now we have another option, but it’s doubtful Napoli can do any better than his predecessors.

As for the rest of the pitch…well, the comments from last season apply equally here.

My biggest concern is the age of the side. The ideal side I listed above has an average age of almost 27, which is a disturbing sign. With the sale of Webb and unremarkably players in the Under-20s, I will have to actively search for younger players to provide for the future. Re-signing players could also prove to be a problem.

The Staff

Giacomo Tafuro (Assistant Manager)

Gilberto Vallesi (Coach)

Roberto Bocchino (Coach)

Roberto Corti (Coach)

Giannicola Pinotti (Coach)

Giuseppe Venturelli (Coach)

Stéphane Wiertelak (Coach)

Massimo Tabai (Coach)

Tommy Berntsen (Coach)

França (Coach)

Å°mit Davala (Coach)

Salvatore Gnisci (Physio)

Massimo D’Ambrosio (Physio)

David Jarrett (Scout)

Rob Campkin (Scout)

Julian Carrera (Scout)

Tim Davies (Scout)

Peter Krobbach (Scout)

[Donners]

August, season 2012/2013

We began with the Super Cup against Juventus. Semler had no less than three chances in the first ten minutes, including a header from close range, but couldn’t capitalise. Juventus, on the other hand, scored in the 11th from their first chance. For some reason, our chances dried up after those opening minutes, and we never really looked like getting back in it. There were two other interesting events after that game. Chievo made a £5M bid for de la Cuesta, but having just re-signed him, I decided against that move. Real Sociedad then offered me their managerial position. It was mildly tempting, considering they were also in the Champions Cup and were much more well-known than Ancona, but I decided to stick with what I knew.

Ancona 1 [Hidalgo 65] drew Benevento 1

Ancona 1 [semler 79] d. Fidelis Andrea

Lazio made a massive offer just before the end of the month - £14M and Italian Under-21 defender Nickie Capuano for Papa Waigo. Considering he was nearing the end of his career and demanding £48K per week (from £20K) for a new contract, it was tempting. However, I didn’t want to lose him with a European campaign coming up. Hence, I went with the same trick as with Martin, and asked for the move to take place at the end of the season. Would they fork out £14M just to prevent other sides from being able to take him on a free transfer? They did indeed, but the deal unfortunately fell through when Capuano refused to move to Ancona. Worse yet, I’d already signed two replacements – 15-year-old Olgar Lombardi for £100K from Novara and 26-year-old Argentinian striker Radamel Falcao García on a free transfer.

Radamel Falcao García [26, S C, ARG]

Despite his age, he’s only been around for one season (at River) and has not played so much as a reserves game. Nonetheless, I see a bit of promise in him, and he may get a go at some point.

I sold Sarr to Chievo for £1.8M right at the end of the transfer window. While this does leave us weak at right back, he had an awful season in 11/12 and would have been released at the end of the season anyway.

Our last game of the month was the European Super Cup match against UEFA Cup winners CSKA Sofia. Nurullo Messner missed through suspension, leaving us with immediate problems at right back. Briotti moved there, with de la Cuesta on the left and Luz and Grillo in the middle. CSKA Sofia scored twice in the first half. Semler put us back in the game with a goal in the 69th, but we were still one down. They should have had a third in the 71st with an open striker taking a shot from directly in front inside the area, but he put it over. A minute later, they had a similar chance, but this time the ball was hit straight to Tommy Lee. Those misses proved to be very costly. In the 75th, Thiago Motta ran down the left and crossed into the area. Papa Waigo was fouled as he went for it, resulting in a penalty. Martin made no mistake from the spot – 2-2 with 15 minutes to go. Within three minutes of the final whistle, CSKA Sofia scored out of nothing. We came forward immediately from the kick-off, but Hidalgo’s shot from outside the area was straight at the keeper. Motta was tackled in the area as he lined up a shot a minute later, then a Semler effort aimed at the bottom corner was tipped aside. Two minutes into the three of injury time, Papa Waigo had a chance to score from inside the area, but the ball was parried and cleared. No time for another attack – 2-3 the final score.

We were given quite poor odds of 50-1 to win the Serie A title. I loaned out Arthur and Takayuki Baggio just before the transfer deadline. We have been drawn in a group with Manchester United, Rangers and Levski Sofia in the Champions Cup, which will be a challenge. We have odds of 25-1 to get back-to-back wins.

[Donners]

September, season 2012/2013

Our first Serie A game of the season was against Vicenza. All four of our midfielders had to be rested after the Super Cup game. Vicenza took the lead after only two minutes, then added a second in the fifth – on both occasions easily breaking well clear of the defence. A great long pass from Briotti put Papa Waigo through the defence for our first in the 61st , but Vicenza made it 1-3 eight minutes later. It wasn’t until the 91st that we were able to score again, through Papa Waigo, but it was too late to get a point. Milan offered me the job as their manager, and after that performance it was not unattractive. But with sixteen senior players over the age of 32, it just would be too tough a task to rebuild.

Ferrari replaced Tommy Lee against Atlanta. Papa Waigo and Martin reversed roles in the third minute, with the former crossing for the latter to strike in the first goal. Against the run of play, Atlanta equalised in the 25th. For the fourth straight senior game this season, we couldn’t score another goal when required, and had to settle for a draw.

Our first Champions Cup game was against Levski Sofia away. They scored with their first shot, right on half time. The second half continued our frustrating struggle to score when necessary. Papa Waigo had a long-range shot parried, then hit the post with a header. Semler and Papa Waigo both had shots saved in the final moments of the game, continuing our awful start to the season. Norizam Luz suffered broken ribs, putting him out for three weeks.

We returned to Serie A to face Bologna. Rabito missed three shots in a half that was scoreless, despite our clear dominance. We finally scored in the 50th when Semler connected to a diving header, but just a minute later Bologna were level again from their first real chance. Yet again we could not equalise, making it six games without a win so far this season.

Our last chance to salvage something from the month came against Fiorentina, a side which included former Ancona players Generoso Rossi, Guglielmo Stendardo and Alessandro Potenza. Radamel Falcao García made his debut to give Papa Waigo a break. Semler had two shots saved early but finally scored in the 14th and then added a second late in the first half with a header from a Lennartsson free kick. A trip on Rabito in the 41st allowed Martin to take the scores to 3-0. A wonderful header from the on-fire Semler gave García a goal on debut on the other side of the break, and García struck in a cross from the same man ten minutes later. A brace on debut and a 5-0 scoreline. Rabito got through the defence in the 67th for our sixth before setting up Semler in injury time for the star to head home a deserved hat-trick. Well, we may not be able to score when we have to, but this record 7-0 win suggests that we at least have some decent striking power.

[Donners]

October, season 2012/2013

After a loss in our first Champions Cup game, we had to do well at home against Rangers. Martin, Rabito and Adu missed the game, so I had to play Sobir White on the right wing. Papa Waigo scored the opener in the 37th thanks to a great pass from Neumayr. We controlled the second half, but wasted a few chances. Motta hit the bar early, then a few minutes later Semler hit the post. Thankfully, Papa Waigo was able to tap in the latter rebound for a two goal lead. Lennartsson couldn’t score despite 11 shots, but 2-0 was enough.

Back to Serie A a few days later. Semler took a break for the game against Brescia, but normal partner Papa Waigo scored after great work from Rabito 17 minutes in. Rabito and Papa Waigo were superb all game, with ten shots between them, while Brescia didn’t even get that many in total. A pretty straightforward 1-0 win.

Lee Martin gave us a great start against Inter, scoring in just the third minute after a de la Cuesta header from a corner was parried to him. A quick burst fifteen minutes later gave Inter the lead with two goals in as many minutes. José de la Cuesta was sent off shortly into the second half for arguing over a yellow card, hurting our chances of a comeback greatly. Another two-minute Inter burst towards the end of the game made it a comprehensive 1-4 loss.

That was not good form to take into a game against Lazio, though they were struggling badly. I only rested Lennartsson despite an upcoming Champions Cup game, and was rewarded with goals to Papa Waigo (after a Semler pass was parried by the keeper to him) and Semler (from a good run) in the first ten minutes. Semler added his second in the 29th through a sharp Messner pass, but Lazio put through their first a minute later. Unperturbed, Semler tackled a defender five minutes later and chipped the keeper for a great first half hat-trick. 4-1. As if that wasn’t enough, he passed beautifully into the area just before half time to give Papa Waigo his second. A five-goal half for Ancona. Semler had a shot at his fourth turned away four minutes into the second half, but Motta’s corner was headed in by Papa Waigo to match Semler’s hat-trick. 6-1, with 40 minutes to go. Lazio scored their second a minute later, then added a third in the 69th. With fifteen minutes to go, they made it 6-4. Surely they couldn’t complete a five-goal comeback? Semler missed a shot after a great 60-yard pass from Motta, but scored his fourth after a shorter pass from the Brazilian in the 82nd. Disturbingly enough, Lazio were not done yet – a goal moments after their kick-off took the scores to a ridiculous 7-5. Not to worry. Rabito took the ball around three defenders in the 86th to seal it with his first. 8-5 the final score – and I think you could probably guess that that’s a new record for both Ancona and Serie A.

Unfortunately, that rather intense match left the senior players tired for the game against Manchester United, the side we hammered to win the Champions Cup last season. Nonetheless, I went out strongly, and a 7th minute goal to Semler from a Rabito pass made it worthwhile. Man U responded in the 13th, with scores still level at half time. The keepers at both ends made good saves early in the second, but a professional foul from a Man U player left them a player down and gave us a penalty. Lee Martin’s shot was saved, but he was able to gather it and put it through on the second attempt. United attacked in the final minutes, but only succeeded in conceding a third goal to us, with Semler heading in a Papa Waigo lob. 3-1. Semler, Rabito and Papa Waigo have been in astonishing form so far this season. I tried to re-sign them, but Semler is requesting £70K (from £12K) and Papa Waigo £48K (from £20K), so we’ve got nowhere yet.

Our great scoring form continued in Serie A, with a third minute goal to Papa Waigo against Torino. The first half petered out after that, but Papa Waigo hit his second – and tenth of the season – just after the break. Semler scored the 200th league goal of his career in the 63rd after a Neumayr shot was parried to him, then Neumayr scored himself from a Messner pass with 20 minutes to go. Torino pulled one back, but Carlos Hidalgo came off the bench to join in the fun with his first of the season before Semler headed one through to end the game 6-1. Now that is some decent form – seventeen goals in three games, with eight to Semler and five to Papa Waigo.

Our first game in the Italian Cup (the first round) was against Serie B side Bari at home. Hoang Napoli made his debut in goal and several other fringe players got a run. Adu, Messner and Lennartsson dominated the midfield, but despite ten shots in the first half, we couldn’t break through. The second half was the same, with several chances wasted and no goals. At least we didn’t concede an away goal, but it was a pretty flat performance. Then again, pretty much anything would appear flat after those last three performances.

[Donners]

November, season 2012/2013

Napoli retained his spot against Parma. Semler had a shot saved in the 2nd, but won a penalty moments later. For the second time in a row, Martin’s shot was saved, and this time he couldn’t score from the rebound. Martin, Semler and Papa Waigo combined for the Senegalese international to put one through in the 40th for the lead. The forwards had heaps of chances in the second half, but couldn’t put any away. Nonetheless, one was enough. There was big news after the game, with Papa Waigo finally signing a new contract until 2015 for £30K per week. It’s costly, but with his form, it’s worth it.

Our newly-signed forward was partnered by Mohd Hoffmann in our second encounter with Manchester United to give Semler a rest. A win would seal our progression, since we were already three points clear of two other sides in the group. Hoffmann took full advantage of his chance, scoring in the 13th when Luz headed a free kick down to him. Just when it looked like Napoli was going to keep his third straight clean sheet and we were to make certain of our progression, Andrea Briotti give away a professional foul in the final minute. Not only was he sent off, a penalty was awarded. The penalty was taken…and hit straight at Napoli. He easily saved it, and we held on through injury time for the 1-0 win to seal progression to the next stage.

Speaking of Napoli, that side were our next opponents. Lennartsson and Semler each missed two shots in the first 20 minutes before a Messner cross gave Rabito a goal in the 27th. Lennartsson slammed in his first of the season seven minutes later from 25 yards for a 2-0 half time lead. We controlled the second half and probably should have won by plenty. Semler’s sixth shot on goal, a header in the 90th minute from a Motta cross, made it a 3-0 final score. Four games, four clean sheets for Hoang Napoli.

Our second Italian Cup match against Bari saw us enter the away leg with a scoreless aggregate. I rested Papa Waigo, Semler, Neumayr and Rabito, but Radamel García scored his third goal in four games just before the break. That left Bari needing to score two goals in the second half to progress to the second round. They became the first side to put one past Hoang Napoli, scoring with five minutes to go, but we made it through on away goals.

Tommy Lee returned to the side for just his fourth senior game of the season against Palermo. With Luz and de la Cuesta rested, he was forced to make a few early saves and looked fairly solid. Lennartsson went off injured midway through the first half, but we grabbed the lead in the 29th through the in-form Rabito – his 50th league goal for the club. Palermo struck back four minutes later, and our attempt to regain the lead through a Papa Waigo header was tipped away. The second half was quiet until the 88th minute, when Lee Martin lofted the ball forward from the midfield. Papa Waigo headed it down past the defence for Semler to run onto and blast it into the goal for a dramatic late lead…or so it seemed. A free kick had apparently been conceded earlier, and the goal was ruled out. As if that weren’t bad enough, Palermo scored just a minute later to totally turn the tables. My attempt to attack only resulted in another one getting through Tommy Lee, but thankfully this was ruled out. Nonetheless, the result was a disappointing 1-2 loss.

With a Champions Cup match coming up, I went with a second-string side against Piacenza. Unfortunately, the lesser lights showed little promise. After a scoreless first half, Piacenza beat Napoli twice in the second to put our fourth league loss of the season on the board.

Though the Champions Cup match against Levski Sofia that followed was fairly pointless from a progression point of view, since we were well ahead in the group stage, a win would earn us a tidy sum of money. Sergio Almirón hit the bar early before Hartwig sent in a beautiful ball for Hidalgo to score in the 34th. We controlled the rest of the game, though Almirón hit the post and Hoffmann had a close-range shot saved. Pappalardo finally sealed it in the 88th with a rare goal after Adu flicked a throw-in into the area.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Vicenza | | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 26 | 14 | +12 | 29 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Juventus | | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 10 | +12 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Inter | | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 21 | +2 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Sampdoria | | 14 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 12 | +11 | 25 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Palermo | | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 25 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Roma | | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 22 | +1 | 22 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Perugia | | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 25 | -1 | 21 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Ancona | | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 19 | +13 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Bologna | | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Chievo | | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 17 | -2 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Atalanta | | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 21 | +5 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Piacenza | | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 20 | +5 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Parma | | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 22 | 19 | +3 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Torino | | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 28 | 33 | -5 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Verona | | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 24 | -1 | 17 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Brescia | | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 13 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Lazio | | 13 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 26 | 35 | -9 | 13 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Fiorentina | | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 27 | -16 | 10 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Milan | | 14 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 28 | -17 | 8 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Napoli | | 14 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 26 | -19 | 3 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

December, season 2012/2013

Having slipped to 8th on the table, we needed to take advantage of a game against struggling Milan. Sobir White played particularly well in the first half, but despite three shots on goal, could not actually get one into the net. He finally decided to leave it to the experts, sending through a pass that found Papa Waigo, who rounded the keeper and scored. Radamel García scored a second five minutes into the second half after a Syed Dupuy header was parried to him – four goals in six games for him. An excellent all-round performance from the team for a 2-0 win.

Sampdoria dominated the first 20 minutes of our second round Italian Cup game, but Tommy Lee made six saves in that time to keep them scoreless. Totally against the run of play, Lennartsson scored from a free kick in the 20th. Semler made it 2-0 from a Carlos Hidalgo cross before Freddy Adu added another just before half time. The second half was scoreless, giving us an excellent 3-0 win in the away leg. I signed scouts Søren Colding and Rahman Rezaei after the game.

We faced Flamengo in the Inter-Continental Cup next. We wasted numerous chances in the first half, missing five of seven shots, with the other two saved. Papa Waigo and Semler exchanged passes around the area in the 54th before finally giving the ball to Sergio Almirón. His volley deflected off a defender and into the net for the first of the game. Papa Waigo headed in a chip from Martin eight minutes later, sealing the Inter-Continental Cup win. After wasting our chances in the Super Cups, this was a pleasing victory. Unfortunately, we lost Andrea Rabito to another groin injury, putting him out for two months.

Our final Champions Cup group match was away against Rangers. It was rather irrelevant apart from the potential cash bonus for a win, but we went out fairly strongly nonetheless. Nonetheless, it was a pretty dull game. The game looked headed for a scoreless draw before Sobir White chipped in with an 87th minute goal after racing past the defence to collect a long pass from Norizam Luz. Five wins from six games in the group stage to earn us a match against Shakhtar in the second round.

We’d dropped to 12th after missing a few league games, so a match against 2nd placed Juventus was critical. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal just five minutes in. We remained behind at half time, but regained parity through a Semler chip nine minutes into the second half. Juventus pulled back ahead in the 70th and then sealed it with six minutes to go through a penalty. Another disappointing league result, in contrast to our cup success.

Speaking of which, our second leg of the Italian Cup second round followed. We lost Markus Neumayr to a twisted knee early and let through the only goal of the game in the second half. Nonetheless, it was a 3-1 aggregate win, putting us into the quarter final against Perugia.

We needed a win in the league against Chievo. Papa Waigo gave us the perfect start, grabbing the lead after 30 seconds from a Motta cross. Semler passed to his partner for his second in the 20th, then ten minutes later Motta was involved again, this time heading down a long Napoli clearance for a hat-trick to Papa Waigo in half an hour. Chievo made it 3-1 in the second half, but de la Cuesta sealed the important win just before half time with a headed goal.

Our final match of 2012 was against Verona. Papa Waigo missed due to international duty, so Semler was partnered by García. He took advantage of his chance, advancing on the keeper then chipping to Semler for the easy finish in the 12th. Verona equalised just six minutes later. García hit the post just before half time, then they scored on the other side of the break to take the lead. Sobir White had a shot saved in the final moments, leaving us with yet another bad league loss. Sweden, of all places, offered me their management position just before the end of the year. I refused, since they had few players available and I didn’t really know any of those apart from Lennartsson.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Vicenza | | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 36 | 16 | +20 | 41 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Juventus | | 17 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 33 | 13 | +20 | 36 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Sampdoria | | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 31 | 16 | +15 | 35 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Roma | | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 23 | +7 | 31 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Palermo | | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 23 | +6 | 30 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Bologna | | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 29 | 17 | +12 | 29 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Piacenza | | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 33 | 22 | +11 | 29 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Chievo | | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 29 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Atalanta | | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 43 | 29 | +14 | 28 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Inter | | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 28 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Perugia | | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 27 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Ancona | | 16 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 40 | 25 | +15 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Parma | | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 24 | 29 | -5 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Verona | | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 30 | 39 | -9 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Torino | | 18 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 30 | 48 | -18 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Brescia | | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 18 | 30 | -12 | 16 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Lazio | | 17 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 29 | 44 | -15 | 14 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Fiorentina | | 18 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 32 | -17 | 14 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Napoli | | 18 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 32 | -22 | 9 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Milan | | 18 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 36 | -24 | 8 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Following are the stats as at the end of December:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Asts | MoM | Pass | Tck | Drb | Sh Tar | Av R | Value |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DR | | Messner, N | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 64 % | 3.11 | 2.96 | 71 % | 7.44 | £6.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | Yel | de la Cuesta, J* | 24 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 77 % | 3.38 | 0.68 | 100 % | 7.21 | £6M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Wnt | Papa Waigo* | 21 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 66 % | 1.21 | 1.69 | 68 % | 7.81 | £14M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB5 | | Briotti, A | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 73 % | 2.46 | 1.36 | - | 6.95 | £4.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Yel | Semler, B | 19 (1) | 17 | 11 | 4 | 60 % | 1.81 | 1.92 | 70 % | 7.95 | £12.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Neumayr, M | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 77 % | 2.08 | 0.24 | 55 % | 7.00 | £4.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Lennartsson, N* | 17 (2) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 76 % | 2.61 | 0.50 | 59 % | 7.42 | £8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MR | Trn | Martin, L | 16 (2) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 70 % | 2.39 | 1.01 | 72 % | 7.00 | £6.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | | Luz, N | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 74 % | 1.53 | 0.07 | 100 % | 6.94 | £2M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| ML | Unh | Motta, T | 15 (1) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 65 % | 2.59 | 1.46 | 57 % | 7.25 | £5.75M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | Rabito, A | 15 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 56 % | 3.48 | 5.62 | 40 % | 8.00 | £1.4M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Almirón, S | 13 (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 75 % | 2.61 | 0.23 | 41 % | 7.07 | £750K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB1 | | White, S | 11 (2) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 80 % | 2.90 | 0.41 | 47 % | 7.31 | £1.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| GK | | Napoli, H | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 44 % | - | - | - | 6.36 | £750K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Ferrari, D | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 % | - | - | - | 6.20 | £950K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Grillo, F | 9 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 78 % | 2.34 | 0.11 | 100 % | 6.73 | £950K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB3 | | Dupuy, S | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 73 % | 2.21 | 0.23 | 100 % | 6.89 | £1.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Lee, T | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 % | - | - | - | 6.75 | £1.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB4 | Wnt | Adu, F | 7 (7) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 68 % | 2.53 | 1.93 | 33 % | 6.93 | £0 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DL | Inj | Zamperini, A | 7 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 % | 2.33 | 0.91 | - | 6.91 | £600K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | | García, R | 7 (2) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 66 % | 1.00 | 0.72 | 82 % | 6.89 | £1.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Wnt | Hoffmann, M | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 64 % | 0.82 | 2.45 | 100 % | 7.00 | £3.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB6 | | Hidalgo, C | 4 (8) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 72 % | 1.23 | 1.05 | 83 % | 6.67 | £4.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB7 | | Hartwig | 4 (4) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 75 % | 3.77 | 1.59 | 50 % | 6.88 | £3.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB2 | | Pappalardo, T | 4 (4) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 74 % | 2.21 | - | 100 % | 6.75 | £925K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

January, season 2012/2013

We had a few league matches early in January, starting against Perugia. Mohd Hoffmann missed a good chance after a Sobir White chance was parried to him, but we nonetheless led 1-0 at half time through a 30th minute Neumayr goal. Hoffmann had a header saved early in the second, then Perugia hit back to equalise on the counter-attack. A second to Perugia a few minutes later suddenly put us behind, despite looking the superior side. Hartwig came on and forced a save while Martin missed a free kick – neither helping our ultimately hopeless fight to regain parity. Yet another league loss, made worse by an injury to Luz, putting him out for most of the month. Roma made a £3.5M bid for Andrea Rabito after the game, which I rejected. I did, however, manage to get French forward Rajesh Charbonnier (from Sporting) to agree to join at the end of the season, possibly as a replacement for Semler. In the short-term, I snapped up Brazilian Alberto.

Alberto [22, F RC, BRA – Capped at U21 level]

With Hidalgo out of form and Adu and Semler likely to go at the end of the year, Alberto is hopefully going to be a long-term replacement. He scored 14 goals in 24 senior games with Flamingo, and possesses incredible pace. He’ll get a run in the next few weeks.

However, he didn’t get a chance to play against Sampdoria, with plenty on the line. Semler forced two saves in the first ten minutes, then Lennartsson and Motta both missed shots to end a dominating but ultimately fruitless first half performance. Papa Waigo wasted two chances in the second half, and it was still 0-0 after 79 minutes. Semler took the ball into the area from a Tommy Lee clearance, but his initial shot was saved. He looked to have rounded the keeper to gather the rebound, but his shot from an angle was parried out for a corner. Dupuy’s resulting shot was easily held, leaving us with another inexplicably bad league result.

With just one point from our last three league games, we had to improve against top-placed Vicenza. Papa Waigo scored after a great break out of defence with Mohd Hoffmann for an 11th minute lead, then hit the crossbar later in the half. Vicenza responded with their first in the 64th then, as if a mostly undeserved point for them wasn’t enough, scored again with their second on-target shot with six minutes to go. Like the previous game, the final minutes ticked away with no response from Ancona. We’re still in 12th, but at this point I’m more worried about staying up than a European spot. Milan and Lazio both made £3.9M bids for Andrea Rabito, which I rejected. Lazio them offered £14M for Papa Waigo. It was a lot of money, but with 17 goals in 23 games, I just couldn’t afford to part with him. An offer a few days later of £16.25M plus right back Nickie Capuano…well, that was a different matter. I accepted the bid.

While that was being sorted out, we faced Atlanta. Our dismal run continued with a 2nd minute goal to our opponents, though Semler made it 1-1 in the 14th. It stayed that way for most of the game. Motta had a good chance to grab the lead in the 80th, but put his shot from the corner of the area wide. Naturally, Atlanta counter-attacked and not only had Messner sent off for a professional foul, but scored with five minutes to go. Perfect. Papa Waigo missed a shot from inside the area and loss number nine was on the board – our fifth straight game without a win. This must be at least in part due to the loss of Rabito to injury, since he was rating a Serie A-high 8.33, but nonetheless it’s a terrible run.

The Papa Waigo fell through after, as with the previous attempt at a deal, Nickie Capuano rejected us. We finally returned to cup action, facing Perugia in the first leg of the Italian Cup quarter final. Perugia finally scored in the 15th, after four shots in a minute. Lee Martin responded with a penalty just before the break, with Papa Waigo making it 2-1 in the 60th. That’s the way it remained at the end. At last, a win for Ancona – but why can’t we do that in the league?

While the Papa Waigo deal with Lazio hadn’t worked out, an £18.5M bid from Roma was impossible to refuse. This time there were no pesky players to ruin it, and he joined on January 18th. Why would I sell such a great player when I really don’t need the money? Look at it this way. He’s 28, so he’ll only decrease in value as the years go on. While he has scored regularly this season, where has that gotten us? Scoring is not our problem. While he has scored regularly, I think Hoffmann and Alberto could do the same if given the chance. Finally, this brings in enough money for me to seriously consider re-signing Semler, and perhaps bringing in a new player or two. This also gave me the freedom to reject a £5.5M bid for de la Cuesta a few days later. Papa Waigo’s career profile follows:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">================================================================================================

Papa Waigo - Ancona Career 1/8/08 - 18/1/13

================================================================================================

No Year Apps Gls Con Asts Yel Red MoM Av R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19 2008/2009 32 (5) 19 0 8 5 0 5 7.27

19 2009/2010 37 (3) 25 0 10 4 0 13 7.82

19 2010/2011 34 17 0 16 3 0 7 7.68

19 2011/2012 42 20 0 12 2 0 5 7.67

19 2012/2013 25 18 0 4 2 0 5 7.76

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTAL 170 (8) 99 0 50 16 0 35 7.61

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DOB: 21/1/1984

Position: F LC

Nationality: Senegalese

International Caps/Goals: 40/23

Total Career Games: 245

Previous Clubs: Verona (60 games, 9 goals), Verona* (7, 4)

* = on loan

Achievements:

07/05/05 - First international cap against Gabon aged 21

30/06/10 - 2009/10 Ancona Supporters' Player of the Year

30/06/11 - 2010/11 Ancona Supporters' Player of the Year

29/05/12 - 2012 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year runner up

30/05/12 - Champions Cup winners

07/12/12 - Inter-Continental Cup winners</pre>

Our first post-Papa Waigo game was against Bologna. With usual irony, another former Ancona striker, Supat Rungratsamee, scored the only goal of the first half. Lennartsson had a good chance saved early in the second, then Martin had a great long-range shot tipped over with 30 minutes to go. Lennartsson sent in a good cross in the 86th which was met with a header from Papa Waigo’s replacement, Mohd Hoffmann, for a late equaliser. Lennartsson and Neumayr missed shots in the remaining regular time, but six minutes of injury time were indicated. In the fourth of these, Hoffmann came into the area but had the ball stolen away and booted clear. Briotti picked it up and hit it long for Thiago Motta. The Brazilian winger brought the ball back into the area and slammed it into the top corner for a late winner. At last, a league win. Perugia made a £5M bid for Hoffmann after the game, but I rejected it in the hope he would sign a new contract.

Back to the Italian Cup, with a 2-1 aggregate lead to Ancona. Semler had a header saved in the opening minute, but beat the keeper two minutes later fro 20 yards out for our first. A free kick from Lee Martin was headed in by Syed Dupuy in the 20th for a 4-1 aggregate, though Perugia made it 4-2 ten minutes later. Semler was on fire though, adding his second for the game in the 35th for a pretty much unbeatable lead. Hoffmann missed a few chances in the second half, but after his shot was parried in the 72nd, Semler knocked it in for his hat-trick. A 6-1 aggregate and a great showing from both strikers. Papa who?

My attempts at re-signing players were a disaster. Hoffmann, Motta, White, Semler, Neumayr and Messner all rejected their initial offers. Only Andrea Briotti re-signed until 2016. After another poor season from Ferrari, I accepted a Verona offer to co-own him for £600K, though he remained at Ancona. I also arranged the signing of Dortmund striker Fontana for June.

Hoffmann hit the post three minutes in against Fiorentina and an Adu cross moments later deflected off two defenders and was cleared. Motta and Lennartsson missed a few shots, and despite a dominating first half, we were scoreless at the break. The second half was no improvement, with the game finishing 0-0. Alberto made a pretty poor debut.

Our first half against Inter was dismal. They had eight shots to our one in the first half and, worse yet, had a two-goal lead. Five minutes into the second half, Lennartsson sent a free kick forward for Markus Neumayr, who volleyed it in from inside the area. Semler came on for Alberto, who had again been disappointing, and just four minutes later headed in a pass from Luz. 2-2. We looked very strong in injury time, constantly approaching the area. In the final minute, Semler received the ball from Dupuy and ran straight towards the centre of the goal. From just beyond the penalty spot, he blasted a curling shot…straight over the bar. A good result to come back from 0-2 down, but it could have been better.

To end the month, I managed to re-sign Hoffmann and also get 22-year-old English midfielder Paterson to join in August. This probably leaves me free to let Semler (requesting £75K) and Neumayr (requesting £35K) go. I also received an offer to manage W.B.A., but…well…it was W.B.A.

[Donners]

February, season 2012/2013

I arranged the signing of Alavés midfielder Alexandre Rasch to join team mate Paterson at the end of the season, ensuring my freedom to release Neumayr and Freddy Adu.

We started off against Brescia in the league. The newly re-signed Mohd Hoffmann partnered Semler, and after early misses from Neumayr, Lennartsson and White, scored in the 14th when a Motta shot was parried to him. Motta and Lennartsson continued to fire in shots before Hoffmann took a White pass and ran into the area to strike in his second of the half. His attempt at a hat-trick with a header in the second half was denied by the keeper, but 2-0 was good enough for me.

Our Italian Cup semi final was against Roma, with the first leg away. A three-minute burst from Roma mid-way through the first half put them two goals up, though Semler pulled one back in the 31st after a nice cross from Hoffmann. His efforts at an equaliser in the second half were kept out, so we need at least one goal in the next leg to progress.

Back to the league to face Lazio. There were only six shots for the game, with four to Ancona. Tommy Lee did well to keep out their two shots, but Semler should have done more with his.

Another league game, against Torino. Semler put us ahead in the 17th, picking up a loose ball in the area after a tackle. Messner hit the post with a curling effort three minutes later, but Torino scored two just before half time to get ahead. A close-range shot from Hoffmann was well parried in the 71st, but he was able to get to it before the defenders to level the scores with 20 minutes remaining. His late header was saved, leaving us with a 2-2 draw.

A second-string side faced Verona due to a Champions Cup game a few days later. Motta missed after a good cross from Alberto, but Hoffmann headed in the opener after six minutes. Almirón hit the side netting from long-range in the 30th, and Verona equalised on the counter-attack. Lennartsson had a powerful shot from inside the area in the 42nd which took a huge deflection off a defender and went into the net to regain the lead. With only nine minutes to go in the game, Verona snuck in a second past Ferrari (in his first senior game for some time). Not even bringing on Rabito could get us a second goal as a few more points went begging. Worse, Rabito suffered yet another hamstring injury, putting him out for two weeks. Surgery is an option, but I want him available for the late stages of the season.

That meant he missed our Champions Cup second round game against Shakhtar. For a change, the first leg was at home. We beat them in both legs in 2009, but showed little sign of continuing this run with only two missed long-range shots in the first half. Lennartsson had the game’s five shots – all wide – up to the 66th minute, when Hoffmann crossed to Semler for a simple tap-in. Six minutes later, they reversed roles for Hoffmann to make it 2-0. Shakhtar scored a goal in the final ten minutes to boost their chances of progression and make our task tougher in the away leg.

[Donners]

March, season 2012/2013

Parma went ahead after only seven minutes in our first game of the month. Hoffmann hit the bar later in the half, which turned out to be the last chance of the dull loss.

We needed to defeat Roma in the home leg of the Italian Cup semi final, as we went in with a 1-2 aggregate. Semler had a header saved three minutes in while Neumayr, Lennartsson and Hidalgo also had shots held. Andrea Rabito returned from injury after half time to play on the right wing, but had little impact. Thiago Motta earned a free kick on the edge of the area with two minutes to go in injury time, but Hartwig’s pass was cut out and Roma played out the final moments to retain the lead on aggregate and knock us out of the Italian Cup.

Our second leg against Shakhtar provided a challenge, with an aggregate lead of just one goal – and an away goal to our opponents. Hoffmann did brilliantly to get around several opponents for two shots on goal in the first 90 seconds, but both were parried. Shakhtar got through the defence twice around the 20th minute. The first time, the resulting shot was wide of the goal. The same happened the second time…except here, Norizam Luz knocked it straight into this own net. An away goals lead to Shakhtar. Immediately from the kick-off, we came forward. The ball was booted clear by Shakhtar, but Messner cut out their attack and passed to Lee Martin. He sent forward a long pass that not only floated past the defenders for Semler to run onto, but also drew out the keeper. Semler got there first, rounded the keeper well outside the area and sent the ball into the open net from 25 yards. In the 33rd, Semler again hit the ball in from outside the area – this time past the keeper – after the ball deflected off a defender. Not just a two goal aggregate lead, but two away goals as well. After a few saves from Lee, Messner gathered the ball at the back and sent a pass half the length of the pitch that found Semler clear of the defence. Semler and Hoffmann had late shots saved, but the 3-1 win was more than enough to progress. We’ll face Auxerre in the quarter final. I arranged a pretty big signing after the game, getting Manchester United’s 30-year-old defensive midfielder Michael Essien to agree to join in July.

I retained the same side against Palermo. It was 1-1 at half time, with an early goal to Semler cancelled out a few minutes later. The game went back and forth before Palermo finally broke the deadlock with a second in the 79th. Once again, no response from Ancona and another loss to add to the pile.

We had to improve against bottom-placed Napoli. Lee was forced to save in the opening minute. Alberto, in a rare run, got one-on-one with the keeper in the 21st, only to see his shot parried. Thankfully, he hit in the second chance for an Ancona lead. Napoli scored their first in the 31st, but Radamel García put us back ahead eight minutes later. Lee made two good saves just before half time, but couldn’t keep out the third shot, which saw Napoli equalise. Another two great saves from Lee kept them out in the 69th, before substitute Rabito charged forward on the counter-attack, chipped the keeper…and put it wide. He made up for that four minutes later, setting up García’s second with a wonderful half-pitch pass. Rabito then sealed the 4-2 win himself in the 78th after a pass from García.

I went with a similarly weakened side in the next game against Perugia, with a Champions Cup game next. Perugia went ahead in the 13th, and were still ahead at half time, when I brought on Rabito as a forward. It was Rabito who finally got us on the board, scoring on the second try after his first shot was parried. Having been outplayed all day, we finally got a few more chances after that, with shots from Hartwig and Rabito. Unfortunately, neither was successful, and despite a great game from Lee, we only got the one point. We’ll need to win the Champions Cup in order to get anything much out of this season.

To achieve that, we had to do well in the away leg of the quarter final against Auxerre. Lee continued his fine form, saving a shot that deflected off Neumayr, before Motta set up Hoffmann for our first in the 29th. Semler looked dangerous all game, finally scoring his 30th of the season (!) after a great long pass from Messner in the 62nd. It’ll be hard to lose both those at the end of the season. Another top cup performance from Ancona, all but sealing our progression to the semi final with two unanswered away goals. Why can’t we do that in the league?

[Donners]

April, season 2012/2013

Speaking of which, with seven games to go in the league we desperately needed some wins. Unfortunately, I had to rest players against Roma before the second leg against Auxerre. The keeper kept out an early shot from García and an effort from White was cleared off the line a few minutes later. We controlled the game for the most part, and aided by some fine saves from Tommy Lee seemed to be set for at least one point. Of course, that was until Roma scored from a rare chance in the 89th. No answer from Ancona in the final minutes, as usual.

Messner missed our second leg against Auxerre through suspension, but our progression was sealed in 57 seconds through a goal from Semler. We had most of the play, and not only kept them scoreless but added another from Hoffmann for a 4-0 aggregate win.

Back to the league against Piacenza, with Ancona seemingly stuck in 11th spot. The quiet first half was followed by a quick burst, with a goal to each side in the first ten minutes of the second. Ours came from Semler, of course. It looked like we were going to go down to yet another late goal, with a penalty in the 72nd to Piacenza, but the shot came back off the upright. We went on a huge attack in the final 20 minutes, but despite no less than eight shots on target, could not score. Three were cleared off the line. Even if we win the remaining five games, we’ll only have as many points as we did last season, where we finished 10th.

We again had a weakened side against Milan due to a following Champions Cup game. García took advantage with a 15th minute goal and proceeded to dominate much of the game. Despite four on-target shots, he couldn’t add another score, which proved costly when Milan scored in the 77th. Naturally, that was not enough – they added another from a free kick three minutes later. García seemed to equalise in the 82nd, only to have it ruled offside. Hidalgo came off the bench and thankfully equalised with three minutes to go, but we still fell two points short of what I wanted.

Our Champions Cup semi final started at home against Ajax. Lee Martin gave us a great start, scoring from a 5th minute free kick. Semler had a chance to score moments later, but was thwarted by a top save. Ajax scored their first just after the break, putting them ahead on away goals. Rabito replaced Hoffmann for the final twenty minutes, and after just ten scored after receiving a free kick from Martin. A 2-1 lead to Ancona, though we have a lot of work to do in the second leg to make the final.

A game against top-placed Juventus provided little chance of three points for Ancona. Nonetheless, we scored first, with Semler (naturally) hitting one in before half time. Hoffmann made it 2-0 in the 71st from 25 yards, and despite a late goal to Juventus, we pulled off the upset victory.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Juventus | | 36 | 24 | 6 | 6 | 70 | 24 | +46 | 78 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Vicenza | | 36 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 74 | 41 | +33 | 76 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Sampdoria | | 36 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 71 | 38 | +33 | 75 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Roma | | 35 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 70 | 35 | +35 | 71 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Atalanta | | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 83 | 56 | +27 | 60 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Bologna | | 36 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 55 | 37 | +18 | 55 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Perugia | | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 59 | 54 | +5 | 55 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Chievo | | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 54 | 53 | +1 | 51 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Piacenza | | 36 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 58 | 48 | +10 | 50 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Inter | | 36 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 59 | 59 | 0 | 49 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Parma | | 36 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 43 | 42 | +1 | 48 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Ancona | | 35 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 64 | 49 | +15 | 47 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Palermo | | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 51 | 60 | -9 | 46 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Brescia | | 36 | 12 | 7 | 17 | 38 | 56 | -18 | 43 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Torino | | 36 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 54 | 91 | -37 | 38 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Verona | | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 49 | 68 | -19 | 37 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Lazio | | 36 | 10 | 5 | 21 | 44 | 71 | -27 | 35 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | R | Fiorentina | | 36 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 29 | 57 | -28 | 28 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | R | Milan | | 36 | 4 | 11 | 21 | 35 | 73 | -38 | 23 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | R | Napoli | | 36 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 28 | 76 | -48 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

May, season 2012/2013

Another league game, another second-string side (against Chievo, this time). Alessandro Zamperini, of all people, set up an early chance with a great run, but Motta’s shot was saved. Hartwig, García and White all had great shots saved, but we finally went ahead in the 58th through an own goal. Hartwig added one two minutes later from a free and then made it a brace with a chip in the 66th. A good 3-0 win, but too late to salvage our league season. Zamperini starred and may well have earned a new contract. We can still finish as high as 8th, but need wins in our last two league games.

However, that was nowhere near as important as the Champions Cup semi final second leg against Ajax. We had only a 2-1 lead from the home leg, meaning a goal to Ajax would put us behind. The first half was pretty quiet. Luz grazed the bar with a header while Neumayr had a shot saved and Tommy Lee kept one out at the other end. A cross from Rabito to Lennartsson took a great parry to keep out in the 54th, but when Semler passed to Rabito in space and inside the area, a goal looked certain. However, his shot for the far post went wide. At the other end, Lee had to make a fine save to keep Ajax scoreless in the 65th. We had a great chance in the 69th through a free kick right in front of the goals and just outside the area, but Lennartsson’s shot went barely wide. Ajax went on the counter-attack and immediately scored, leaving us with 20 minutes to equalise. A header from Hoffmann in the 81st was tipped over, and the resulting corner missed everyone. Ajax missed from eight yards, but finally scored a second with a minute to go in regular time. An attempt to gain a last-minute goal only resulted in a third to Ajax, knocking us out of the Champions Cup for next season and capping off a terrible season. The only good news was that I finally re-signed Semler for two seasons, but at £42K per week, he’d better perform.

We could still make the UEFA Cup with at least a win and draw in the final two games, but went a goal down early against Sampdoria. Hoffman put us level in the 19th after getting around a defender, only to see Sampdoria go ahead again just before the break. Rabito put us on track for 8th spot with a goal in the 54th, but six minutes later Sampdoria put one in off the post from 25 yards to again take the lead. Hoffmann hit the post in the final minutes, but this one went out to deny us a UEFA Cup spot.

That made our final game against Roma mostly irrelevant, but thanks to an early goal from García, second to Hoffmann and late one to Motta, we pushed from 12th to 9th on the table. Naturally, Papa Waigo scored against his old side, but 3-1 was the final result.

[Donners]

The season in review

Summary

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> | Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Asts | MoM | Pass | Tck | Drb | Sh Tar | Av R | Value |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | Wnt | de la Cuesta, J* | 51 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 75 % | 2.70 | 0.82 | 85 % | 7.08 | £5.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DR | Unh | Messner, N | 49 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 64 % | 3.17 | 2.92 | 61 % | 7.43 | £6M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | Unh | Neumayr, M* | 46 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 76 % | 2.30 | 0.25 | 60 % | 6.91 | £4.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Briotti, A | 45 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 76 % | 2.26 | 1.34 | - | 7.04 | £5.25M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| ML | Unh | Motta, T | 41 (1) | 2 | 11 | 0 | 68 % | 2.61 | 1.86 | 43 % | 7.24 | £7.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Semler, B | 40 (2) | 33 | 15 | 10 | 58 % | 1.60 | 1.88 | 74 % | 7.81 | £13M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB5 | | Luz, N | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 75 % | 1.94 | 0.11 | 71 % | 6.95 | £2.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Lennartsson, N* | 38 (2) | 3 | 4 | 2 | 75 % | 2.81 | 0.56 | 54 % | 7.20 | £7.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB1 | | Lee, T | 34 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 38 % | - | - | - | 6.50 | £1.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB3 | Trn | Martin, L | 33 (9) | 7 | 6 | 0 | 69 % | 2.28 | 0.90 | 69 % | 6.93 | £6.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Unh | Hoffmann, M | 31 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 70 % | 1.11 | 3.26 | 69 % | 7.39 | £4.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | | Dupuy, S | 28 (2) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 73 % | 2.65 | 0.14 | 100 % | 6.97 | £2M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | White, S | 24 (3) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 75 % | 2.75 | 0.76 | 53 % | 7.07 | £2.4M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | Unh | Almirón, S | 23 (1) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 71 % | 2.71 | 0.39 | 48 % | 7.08 | £800K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MR | Wnt | Rabito, A | 19 (7) | 8 | 6 | 1 | 57 % | 2.73 | 5.08 | 52 % | 7.54 | £750K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| GK | | Ferrari, D | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 % | - | - | - | 6.20 | £875K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DL | Unh | Zamperini, A | 14 (6) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 73 % | 2.05 | 1.13 | - | 6.90 | £250K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Unh | García, R | 14 (3) | 8 | 5 | 2 | 65 % | 1.06 | 0.42 | 82 % | 7.06 | £2.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB6 | Wnt | Adu, F | 13 (9) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 70 % | 2.59 | 2.45 | 37 % | 6.91 | £0 |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Napoli, H | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 43 % | - | - | - | 6.25 | £550K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Grillo, F | 10 (3) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 76 % | 2.14 | 0.10 | 100 % | 6.54 | £325K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB7 | | Hartwig | 9 (14) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 71 % | 3.32 | 1.87 | 45 % | 6.87 | £4.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB2 | Wnt | Pappalardo, T | 8 (5) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 74 % | 1.70 | - | 100 % | 6.69 | £375K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Hidalgo, C | 5 (13) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 72 % | 1.15 | 1.15 | 80 % | 6.78 | £4.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB4 | | Alberto | 5 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 % | 1.36 | 0.55 | 50 % | 5.50 | £2.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | C | Juventus | | 38 | 26 | 6 | 6 | 75 | 25 | +50 | 84 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Vicenza | | 38 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 81 | 43 | +38 | 82 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Sampdoria | | 38 | 25 | 3 | 10 | 74 | 42 | +32 | 78 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Roma | | 38 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 76 | 40 | +36 | 74 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Atalanta | | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 87 | 58 | +29 | 64 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Bologna | | 38 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 62 | 40 | +22 | 61 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Perugia | | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 61 | 58 | +3 | 58 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Chievo | | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 57 | 56 | +1 | 54 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Ancona | | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 72 | 53 | +19 | 53 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Piacenza | | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 62 | 53 | +9 | 53 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Inter | | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 63 | 61 | +2 | 52 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Parma | | 38 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 46 | 47 | -1 | 51 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Palermo | | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 51 | 64 | -13 | 46 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Brescia | | 38 | 13 | 7 | 18 | 40 | 59 | -19 | 46 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Verona | | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 51 | 71 | -20 | 38 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Lazio | | 38 | 11 | 5 | 22 | 47 | 75 | -28 | 38 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Torino | | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 56 | 97 | -41 | 38 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | R | Fiorentina | | 38 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 30 | 62 | -32 | 28 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | R | Milan | | 38 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 38 | 78 | -40 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | R | Napoli | | 38 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 33 | 80 | -47 | 23 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

A disappointing season all up. Not only did we fail to do anything much in the league and not even defend our Champions Cup in the final, we don’t have a spot in Europe next season. I cannot explain why our league performance was so bad, especially considering we had our full-strength side for many bad losses. We were unlucky at times, going down to late goals, but that’s not much of an excuse.

Player-wise, Semler, Messner and Rabito excelled. That is tempered by the knowledge that Messner is likely to leave, Rabito was frequently injured and Semler is now taking a big chunk of the wages. Hartwig, García and Hoffmann came along well, but we now have too many forward options and not nearly enough in the back half.

[Donners]

Wrapping it up

The awards saw me win the Serie A Manager of the Year award for the second time, for no apparent reason, while Messner (centre back) and Lennartsson (bench) made the Team of the Year, Semler was the Foreign Player of the Year, Messner was Defender of the Year and former Ancona player Chi Yuen Webb was Young Player of the Year. Semler was named Ancona’s Player of the Year by the fans.

I rejected a managerial offer from Man City and finally re-signed Nurullo Messner until 2016 at a reasonable £26K per week. Lee Martin joined FC Bayern as planned for £7.25M.

Around the world: major awards and results

Ancona Supporters’ Player of the Year:

Papa Waigo

World Player of the Year:

Mancini (Juventus)

World Footballer of the year:

Lúcio (Juventus) (at 35!)

England:

Arsenal (eight straight!)

Spain:

Rayo

Champions Cup:

Juventus

UEFA Cup:

Rangers

[Terk]

just caught up with the past season. all i can say is

[Donners]

Glad I'm not alone here, at least.

The Transfers

Transfers In

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | From | Fee |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8.7.2012 | Poggi | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 21.7.2012 | Cantoni, Sajhib | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.8.2012 | Almirón, Sergio Bernardo | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.8.2012 | Napoli, Hoang | Vicenza | £0 - P/Ex |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13.8.2012 | Gasparini, Gordian | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.8.2012 | Lombardi, Olgar | Novara | £100K |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.8.2012 | García, Radamel Falcao | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5.1.2013 | Alberto | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £100K |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

Transfers Out

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | To | Fee |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 28.7.2012 | Hammond | Lazio | £240K |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.7.2012 | Perrone, Antonio | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.7.2012 | Brichkus, Ole | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.7.2012 | Kalù, Ikechukwu | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.8.2012 | Pietravallo, Juan Martín | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.8.2012 | Webb, Chi Yuen | Vicenza | £5.75M - P/Ex |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 30.8.2012 | Sarr | Chievo | £1.8M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18.1.2013 | Papa Waigo | Roma | £18.5M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £26.5M |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Staff In

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | From | Fee |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4.12.2012 | Rezaei, Rahman | Free Transfer | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5.12.2012 | Colding, Søren | Free Transfer | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Staff Out

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Date | Person | To | Fee |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 31.7.2012 | Tretter, Udalrico | Free Transfer | Free |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Total | | £0 |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

A record season in the transfer market in 12/13, with an impressive £26.5M coming in. Papa Waigo alone brought in £18.5M, which was a pretty good deal. I was also happy to sell Sarr, but in hindsight hanging on to Chi Yuen Webb may have been my best move. Hammond has also done a lot better than I’d expected after leaving.

The signings were of little interest, with only Almirón having any impact on the senior side. Alberto was particularly disappointing. Kent B. Giusti looked brilliant on loan in Serie B, but none of the other loaned out players looked any good.

[Donners]

Thus ends my 10th season as manager of Ancona. Those of you who followed my Rushden stories should know what this means – the Team of the Decade!

I’ve also gone through with the MCM editor and checked out the potentials of some of our former players (and only former payers, though potential and even ability mean stuff-all in this game). The results contain quite a few surprises (in rough order of when they left):

D.Carrus – 155

F.Montervino – 150

D.Daino – 152

M.Cirkovic – 155

Bilica – 140

V.Sommese – 116

G.Pandev – 150

L.Chadwick – 140

L.Zavagno – 128

F.Agliardi – 145

S.Rungratsamee – 166

P.Munitis – 145

M.Cattani – 140

D.Pezzarossi – 144

R.Montolivo – 166

A.Potenza – 140

G.Rossi – 160 (!)

D.Purse – 145

B.El Kadouri – 153

B.Gardiner – 155 (!)

N.Pozzi – 148

I.Kalú – 131

Hammond – 156 (!)

Sarr – 138

Papa Waigo – 163

L.Martin – 196 (!!!)

F.Adu – 189 (!!)

Arthur – 169 (!!)

T.Baggio – 153

D.Ferrari – 159

T.Pappalardo – 150

C.Hidalgo – 162

A.Zamperini – 135

It’s interesting that most of our best players over the last decade have fallen into the 130-145 potential range, while a lot above that have failed. Hidalgo, Ferrari, Gardiner, Rossi and co never landed a regular first team spot at all. I can live with letting Adu go, as he had more than enough chances, but I wish I’d hung onto Martin and Arthur…

The Ancona “Team of the Decadeâ€

I based my selection method for this side on that of the AFL All Australian selectors, picking not just the best players, but the best team. This way, if I had three great central defenders (if only I did…) I would not slot one into left back simply because he was one of our best 11 players, but not quite as good as the players aldreat at centre back. Hopefully that will help you to understand my selections a little better. I decided on a 4-4-2 formation, as that is what we’ve achieved most of our success with. Note that when I cite the player’s caps, it is only as they stood when they left the club. Without further ado, allow me to introduce the members of Ancona’s “Team of the Decadeâ€:

Goalkeeper: #1 Federico Agliardi

Signed 1/7/05 for free, sold 7/8/08 to Napoli for £925K

Italian, Capped at U21 level. GK

103 games, 122 goals conceded, 12 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 6.75

In case you hadn’t realised, goalkeeping has been our weakness over the past decade, and it is emphasised by the presence of a pretty mediocre player in this position. Magnus Hedman was our best goalkeeper, but since he was only around for one season, it wasn’t really fair to put him in a Team of the Decade. Agliardi helped us get back to Serie A and managed a quite solid year in 07/08 when we finished 5th in Serie A.

Left Back: #27 Andrea Briotti (Captain)

Signed 3/5/07 for free, current squad member.

Italian, 14 caps, 0 goals. D LC

239 games, 2 goals, 37 assists, 1 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.02

Briotti was signed at a point when our defence was very weak, but has managed to hold down a regular place for seven seasons as we gradually improved with his help. One of our most solid and consistent players.

Right Back: #6 Nurullo Messner

Loaned 30/1/10 from Rayo, signed 1/8/10 for free, current squad member.

Austrian, 41 caps, 4 goals. D/DM RC

152 games, 7 goals, 17 assists, 6 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.44

2010 Serie A Defender of the Year

2010 Serie A Team of the Year

2011 Serie A Team of the Year

2011 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year third placed

2012 Serie A Team of the Year

2012 Serie A Defender of the Year

2013 Serie A Team of the Year

2013 Serie A Defender of the Year

Those awards tell the story. He initially only came over on a 6-month loan, but was so impressive that he was signed to a deal that made him our highest player at the time. A very talented defender who can also slip into the midfield.

Centre Back: #12 José Julián de la Cuesta

Bought 1/1/08 from Atlético Madrid for £925K, current squad member.

Colombian, 43 caps, 5 goals. D LC

214 games, 5 goals, 41 assists, 7 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.07

Another key figure in our defensive revival. De la Cuesta is a wonderfully well-rounded player, with pace, height and class galore. 09/10 was his best season, but he’s been a key part of the side in all his seasons at the club.

Centre Back: #29 Norizam Luz

Signed 1/9/09 on a free transfer, current squad member.

Argentinian, 4 caps, 0 goals. D C

144 games, 4 goals, 15 assists, 1 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 6.97

Not a star by any means, but good enough to shade out Sarr, Purse and Zamperini. Together with the other three defensive players in this side, Luz has formed a solid back four that has held us together while the forwards wrecked havoc.

Left Wing: #?? Luke Chadwick

Signed 6/7/04 on a free transfer, released 31/7/07.

English, 0 caps, 0 goals. AM RL

121 games, 9 goals, 19 assists, 10 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.26

One of our better players through the tough early years, including our relegation and promotion. His performance in 05/06 was an important factor in our return to Serie A, and his ability to play on either wing was handy. Just ahead of El Kadouri.

Right Wing: #16 Andrea Rabito

Signed 1/7/05 on a free transfer, current squad member.

Italian, 9 caps, 2 goals. F RLC

255 games, 66 goals, 30 assists, 28 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.46

2008 Serie A Player of the Year runner up

08/09 Supporters’ Player of the Year

Free transfer signings don’t get much better than this. While he has missed many games through injury, Rabito’s versatility, pace and goal scoring ability have been a critical part of our side for years. His 08/09 season was phenomenal and even into his 30s he’s still a class act. I prefer him as a forward, but there weren’t many options on the right.

Centre Midfield: #15 Nordin Lennartsson

Signed 23/11/05 on a free transfer, current squad member.

Swedish, 35 caps, 12 goals. AM C

290 games, 56 goals, 35 assists, 20 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.27

2011 Serie A Team of the Year

2013 Serie A Team of the Year

Another top free signing. And you wonder why I don’t spend any money on purchases… Lennartsson had a fairly slow start in Serie B but during our most successful years was a key part of the side. He is a much more regular scorer than our other midfielders (Rabito scored many as a forward) and has set up plenty as well.

Centre Midfield: #4 Markus Neumayr

Bought 1/7/07 for £1.7M, released 31/7/13.

German, Capped at U21 level. M C

231 games, 20 goals, 24 assists, 2 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 6.91

Though he never turned out to be as influential as I’d hoped when I signed him, Neumayr was a regular in our midfield for many seasons. He was never a stand-out player, but played a consistent and solid role.

Striker: #19 Papa Waigo

Signed 1/8/08 on a free transfer, sold 18/1/13 to Roma for £18.5M.

Senegalese, 48 caps, 34 goals. F LC

178 games, 99 goals, 16 assists, 35 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.64

09/10 Supporters’ Player of the Year

10/11 Supporters’ Player of the Year

11/12 Supporters’ Player of the Year

An imposing figure, Papa Waigo was a constant threat in the air and scored plenty at ground level as well. While he was outshined by the arrival of Semler, he still played exceptionally well even as the lesser light, setting up no less than 16 goals in 10/11 as well as scoring 17 himself.

Striker: #9 Borut Semler

Signed 20/12/10 on a free transfer, current squad member.

Slovenian, 38 caps, 23 goals. F RC

123 games, 92 goals, 18 assists, 27 Man of the Match awards, Average Rating: 7.71

2011 Serie A Player of the Year third placed

2011 Serie A Team of the Year

2011 Serie A Top Goalscorer third placed

2013 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year

12/13 Supporters’ Player of the Year

A top striker who has had a major impact in just a few seasons. With his pace and skill, he’s a perfect partner for the taller Papa Waigo.

[Donners]

Pre-Season 2013/2014

We did well financially, picking up £9M TV rights and only giving £575K to shareholders. We got a quite pathetic new sponsorship deal of £1.5M. I received a transfer budget of £80M, for all the good it’ll do. My board expects me to achieve a safe mid-table spot. I rejected a managerial offers from Zaragoza and Sheffield Wednesday, though it’s nice to be attracting so much interest.

A few new signings arrived at the start of June – forwards Fontana and Rajesh Charbonnier and midfielder Michael Essien, who seems to be regarded as a big name. I also re-signed Thiago Motta until 2016 at £10K per week, just a few days before his international debut for Brazil. Norizam Luz also debuted for Argentina.

I did a lot of work to clear up my squad the end of July. Kent B. Giusti went out on loan to Napoli while I sold my remaining 50% of Ferrari to 1860 München for £425K. I also sent Aldo Jair Kok to Udinese for £425K in a co-ownership deal. Senior players Markus Neumayr, Freddy Adu, Fabrizio Grillo, Tse Lung Pappalardo, Alessandro Zamperini and coach Tommy Berntsen were released. I could have re-signed Neumayr and Adu for a small wage increase and got a solid season out of them, but they’ve been at the club long enough without meeting their true potential, and I felt it was time they moved on. Long-time Under-20s players Arthur, Ping Loy Solberg, Di Dio and Takayasu Baggio were also released. I did, however, re-sign Sobir White and arrange the transfer of 18-year-old French winger Francis Horjak, to take place in February.

Alavés midfielders Paterson and Alexandre Rasch arrived at the start of August to fill the places of the released players. I tried to correct my imbalance at either end of the pitch, selling Carlos Daniel Hidalgo to Brescia for £4.5M and loaning in German defender K. Braun from FC Bayern. I rejected several £6.5M bids for Jose de la Cuesta. My defence is weak enough without losing him.

Ancona 1 [Alberto 37] d. Cremonese 0

Ancona 2 [Hoffmann 29, Rasch 90+3] lost to Napoli 3

Ancona 0 lost to Celtic 1

We were given odds of 50-1 to win the title, which seems about right. Arsenal, winners of the Premier League for eight straight years (and ten of the last twelve) then approached me to take their managerial position. Unfortunately, they suffered from the same problem as every other major side – namely, they had a ridiculously old side, led by 42-year-old Fabian Barthez and still featuring the likes of Anelka, Vassell, Viera, Riquelme, Kewell and Bridge. I would have taken it nonetheless, but my goal is to achieve great success with Ancona, and I’m yet to do that. Could this season be the year we win the title, against the odds? To aid this, I made a rare purchase, taking goalkeeper Lingjing Tommasi from Vicenza for £2.5M.

[Terk]

nice to see you attracting the big clubs, and even better to see you rejecting them

forza ancona!

[Donners]

Yeah, I was quite impressed by the Arsenal offer as well. But could you seriously imagine trying to win the Premiership and Champions Cup with a 42-year-old Barthez?

The Squad

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pkd | Inf | Name | Squad Status | Basic Wage | Contract Expiry | Offer Options | Asking Price |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB5 | Loa | Braun, K | - | £0 | 17.6.2014 | None | £1.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MR | Wnt | Rabito, A | Key Player | £16,000 | 31.7.2014 | Rej lower offers | £700K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DL | | Briotti, A | First Team | £10,500 | 31.7.2016 | None | £4.7M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Essien, M | First Team | £15,000 | 31.7.2016 | None | £4.6M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | | Hoffmann, M | First Team | £8,000 | 31.7.2016 | None | £5.25M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | Inj | Lennartsson, N | First Team | £22,000 | 31.7.2014 | None | £7.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | | Luz, N | First Team | £7,000 | 31.7.2015 | None | £2.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DR | | Messner, N | First Team | £26,000 | 31.7.2016 | None | £6M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB2 | | Paterson | First Team | £6,250 | 31.7.2016 | None | £3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB1 | | Rasch, A | First Team | £4,800 | 31.7.2016 | None | £7.25M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Inj | Semler, B* | First Team | £42,000 | 31.7.2015 | None | £13.75M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | Inj | de la Cuesta, J* | First Team | £14,000 | 31.7.2015 | None | £5.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Alberto | Rotation | £2,000 | 31.7.2016 | None | £3.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Almirón, S | Rotation | £4,000 | 31.7.2014 | None | £825K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB6 | | Charbonnier, R | Rotation | £3,500 | 31.7.2016 | None | £3.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB3 | | Fontana | Rotation | £4,400 | 31.7.2016 | None | £3.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | García, R | Rotation | £500 | 31.7.2015 | None | £2.6M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| GK | | Lee, T | Rotation | £4,000 | 31.7.2014 | None | £1.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| ML | | Motta, T* | Rotation | £10,000 | 31.7.2016 | None | £7.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB4 | | Napoli, H | Rotation | £800 | 31.7.2015 | None | £575K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB7 | | Dupuy, S | Backup | £5,250 | 31.7.2014 | None | £2.4M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Hartwig | Backup | £3,800 | 31.7.2014 | None | £4.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | White, S | Backup | £4,000 | 31.7.2016 | None | N/A |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Total Players: 33

Wage Budget: £1,600,000

Total Weekly Wages at 7/8/13: £217,335

Goalkeepers

Hoang Napoli [21, GK, ITA] – 1, 12, 0

After an impressive start in which he kept four straight clean sheets, Napoli struggled for a while before going back to the Under-20s. Though Ferrari is now gone, his chances of a spot remain the same with Tommasi in.

Tommy Lee [27, GK, ENG – Capped at U21 level] – 5, 181, 0

Another mediocre season for Lee, who was only still #1 because of the lack of other options. The signing of Tommasi relegates him to #2, but it depends on how well Tommasi goes.

Lingjing Tommasi [21, GK, ITA – 1 U21/0]

Signed at the very last minute (which is why he isn’t in the squad list), Tommasi finally provides another goalkeeping option. He played 50 games for Vicenza last season after they bought him for £1.1M (having spent six seasons at Juventus without a senior game), and now joins us for £2.5M. He’s both solid in terms of handling and good in the air.

Defenders

K. Braun [19, D C, GER – 6 U21/0] *on loan from FC Bayern until 17/6/14

On loan to cover our defensive weakness, Braun is a well-rounded defender with limited first-team experience. He should get some this season.

Andrea Briotti [27, Sw/D LC, ITA – 14/0] – 7, 239, 2

Our captain has re-signed for three more seasons to continue to hold down left back. His consistent performances have been an important part of the side for years.

06/07 Serie A Young Player of the Year, Ancona captain 09/10-present

José de la Cuesta [30, D LC, COL – 43/5] – 6, 214, 5

Still in demand from other clubs, but with our weak defence he will have to stick around. In the absence of Zamperini, he will need to fill in at left back on occasion.

Syed Dupuy [23, Sw/D C, FRA – Capped at U21 level] – 2, 36, 1

Made it into the seniors in a semi-regular role last season and looked solid without ever standing out. Very tall and quite pacy.

Norizam Luz [29, Sw/D C, ARG – 4/0] – 4, 144, 4

Another consistent defender who recently made his international debut. He will have an important role to play this year with such a lack of depth, but with 89 games in the last two seasons, he should be able to handle it.

Nurullo Messner [29, D/DM RC, AUT – 41/4] – 4, 152, 7

One of the best defenders in Serie A, who has thankfully re-signed with the club for three more seasons. He has no support at right back, but like Luz, has played plenty of games in recent times (98 in the last two seasons) and will have to do the same again.

09/10, 10/11, 11/12, 12/13 Serie A Team of the Year, 09/10, 11/12, 12/13 Italian Defender of the Year, 10/11 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year 3rd placed

Midfielders

Sergio Almirón [32, M C, ARG] – 1, 24, 1

A solid season was all I wanted from Almirón, and that’s what I got. With numerous younger options in the middle and no European games, he may not get much of a go this year.

Michael Essien [30, DM C, GHA – 57/11]

Our biggest-name new signing, Essien has senior experience with Lyon, Leverkusen, Chievo, Milan, Zaragoza and Manchester United, having been bought for more than £6.5M three times. His best form came almost a decade ago in France and Germany, but hopefully he can regain some form at Ancona.

Hartwig [22, F LC, GER – Capped at U21 level] – 2, 27, 2

With a crowded list of forwards, Hartwig may be better off playing as a backup on the left wing where he can use his pace and ball skill. He will need to establish himself before Francis Horjak arrives.

Nordin Lennartsson [30, AM C, SWE – 35/12] – 8, 290, 56

Our most experienced player, who now faces quite a lot of competition for his midfield spot. He was a bit down last season and is now in the final year of his current contract.

10/11, 12/13 Serie A Team of the Year

Thiago Motta [30, AM L, BRA – 5/0] – 3, 82, 2

Finally signed just before his contract expired after a good season on the left wing. There are few other options for the left wing, so he’ll have a bit of work to do. Recently made his international debut.

Paterson [23, AM C, ENG – Capped at U21 level]

A new signing in an attempt to handle our rather old current crop of midfielders. Paterson didn’t get much of a run in several seasons at Manchester United but played well in Alavés “B†side. He’s mostly unproven at senior level, but has great pace and passing skill.

Andrea Rabito [33, F RC, ITA – 9/2] – 8, 255, 66

Our oldest player had a brilliant start to last season, but was once again struck down by injury. With Martin gone, he’ll need to play regularly on the right wing.

07/08 Serie A Player of the Year runner-up, Supporters’ Player of the Year 08/09

Alexandre Rasch [21, M C, GER – 11 U21/2]

Like Paterson, an attempt to plan for the future. Rasch also started at Manchester United before moving to Alavés and playing in their “B†side. He also has good passing abilities, but isn’t as quick.

Sobir White [23, AM RC, ENG] – 6, 45, 2

Finally managed to hold down a senior spot in his sixth season at Ancona. He was almost released, but was re-signed at the last minute as a long-term replacement for Rabito on the right wing.

Forwards

Alberto [23, F RC, BRA – Capped at U21 level] – 1, 6, 1

Very disappointing in his six games last season, Alberto will struggle to get a spot in the senior side.

Rajesh Charbonnier [20, F LC, FRA – 5 U21/0]

Despite an astonishing record at Sporting, Charbonnier joins on a free transfer. Not only has he scored a goal a game in their B side, he hit 13 goals in 22 senior games at the age of 16 – and never played for their senior side again! He’s a well-rounded player who will get a run.

Fontana [23, S C, ITA – Capped at U21 level]

Despite fairly mediocre performances with Crotone and Dortmund, Fontana comes over with the hope he can finally turn his superb ball skills into some goals and assists.

Radamel García [27, S C, COL] – 1, 17, 8

Scored at an excellent rate in his first season at Ancona, but may be overshadowed by our new younger forwards. He’s tall but lacks consistency.

Mohd Hoffmann [21, S C, GER – 15 U21/7] – 3, 60, 18

Hoffmann looked excellent last season after taking over from Papa Waigo as Semler’s partner, with 12 goals in 31 games. He faces a bit of competition, but with youth and a good record will be the first choice.

Borut Semler [28, F RC, SVN – 38/23] – 3, 123, 92

I’d initially planned to let Semler go, but with 33 goals in 42 games, it was impossible to do. Now re-signed on massive wages, he must continue that form to ensure Serie A success.

10/11 Serie A Player of the Year 3rd placed, Serie A leading goalscorer runner-up 10/11, 10/11 Serie A Team of the Year, 12/13 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year, 12/13 Supporters’ Player of the Year

[Donners]

The Likely Side:

(Playing with a 4-4-2)

GK – Lingjing Tommasi

LB – Andrea Briotti

CB – José Julián de la Cuesta

CB – Norizam Luz

RB – Nurullo Messner

LM – Thiago Motta

CM – Nordin Lennartsson

CM – Michael Essien

RM – Andrea Rabito

CF – Mohd Nizaruddin Hoffmann

CF – Borut Semler

Sub – Tommy Lee

Sub – Syed Dupuy

Sub – K. Braun

Sub – Alexandre Rasch

Sub – Fontana

Sub – Rajesh Charbonnier

Sub – Paterson

All Up…

Plenty of changes this year, but the senior XI is still getting on a bit in years. Our defence is a major weakness, and I’m still not overly happy with the goalkeeping options, with two unproven and one constantly disappointing. As usual, it’s the midfield and forwards who will have to carry us through.

The Staff

Giacomo Tafuro (Assistant Manager)

Gilberto Vallesi (Coach)

Roberto Bocchino (Coach)

Roberto Corti (Coach)

Giannicola Pinotti (Coach)

Giuseppe Venturelli (Coach)

Å°mit Davala (Coach)

Stéphane Wiertelak (Coach)

Massimo Tabai (Coach)

França (Coach)

Salvatore Gnisci (Physio)

Massimo D’Ambrosio (Physio)

David Jarrett (Scout)

Rob Campkin (Scout)

Julian Carrera (Scout)

Tim Davies (Scout)

Peter Krobbach (Scout)

Rahman Rezaei (Scout)

Søren Colding (Scout)

[Donners]

September, season 2013/2014

Our new-look side had their first senior match against Inter. Both Rajesh Charbonnier and Hartman missed through training injuries suffered the day before, which wasn’t a promising start. Hoffmann missed two shots in the first twenty minutes, including an excellent chance, while Motta, Lennartsson and Semler also missed chances in the remainder of the half. We totally dominated, but had no goals to show for it. Hoffmann had another great opportunity saved in the second half, and with typical luck Inter scored from their only shot – a header which deflected off Lennartsson with ten minutes to go. I brought on Paterson for his debut, and almost immediately after the kick-off, he came forward and exchanged passes with Semler, who completed the move by slamming through his first of hopefully many goals this season. It was only enough for a point, though.

Semler had to be rested against Parma due to a slight knock, with Fontana debuting alongside Hoffmann. Parma hit the lead after ten minutes, only for Hoffmann to respond three minutes later from a Rabito cross. Fontana scored a second for the lead in the 20th thanks to a sharp pass into the area from Thiago Motta. Briotti, Hoffmann and Rabito were all forced off by half time with knocks, yet we continued to play well in the second half. Fontana hit the post and put another just wide, while Paterson made some great runs and Tommasi pulled off a few saves. Lennartsson finally made it a final score of 3-1 after a tackle left the ball loose in the area.

Brescia were our next opponents. Semler chipped in the opener in the 6th minute. Fontana was only denied by a great save but the likes of Lennartsson, Essien and Semler missed a huge number of shots. With a total of 20 shots in all, we had to eventually score again, and indeed did so twice. Nordin Lennartsson whacked one in from 35 yards (runner-up as Goal of the Month) after a centring pass from Messner then, with two minutes to go, Fontana gave us a 3-0 win by tapping the ball in after the keeper fumbled. Not a bad start to the season at all.

We had the chance to make it an undefeated month against Cagliari. Lennartsson hit the bar in the 10th while Motta, Lennartsson and Semler forced saves. Once again we managed 20 shots in all, but this time only put through one goal – Fontana with his third in as many weeks right at the end of the half. West Ham offered me their manager spot, but with an even older side than Arsenal (what is it with this game?), I easily rejected it.

[Donners]

October, season 2013/2014

We started with a big game against the side directly below us on the table, 2nd placed Sampdoria. They featured young forward Won-Chul Parisi, a player I have plenty of interest in signing before his contract expires in April. For a change, they had more shots than us early, but thanks to a Semler goal in the 23rd, we led at half time. That was all it took to keep us on top.

Rajesh Charbonnier’s debut was again delayed after he suffered an injury just before our encounter with Juventus. Messner dominated early, setting up both Semler and Fontana. The former hit the side netting but the latter put through our first. With classic Ancona luck, Juventus scored a complete fluke to level the scores just before half time. Just to make it that much more annoying, it came from a goal kick, of all things, with the ball going straight over Tommasi and into the net. Juventus scored a second with fifteen minutes to go, and with a late Fontana shot saved, our first Serie A loss of the season was on the board.

Tommy Lee played his first game of the season against Milan in the first round of the Italian Cup. He had to make a few saves in the scoreless first half, but Hartwig put us ahead soon after the break. Milan scored one of their own a few minutes later and generally looked the better side. They hit the crossbar in the 80th, but couldn’t take the lead. A slight advantage to Ancona with a 1-1 draw, since that was the away leg.

Our match against Verona did not start well, with Semler off injured in the first minute. Charbonnier replaced him for his debut. The fairly dull first half saw Verona leading 0-1 and the game did not get any better from there. Not even the inclusion of Hoffmann for the disappointing Charbonnier and the return of Rabito from yet another injury could see us score that crucial goal. Three games without a win in a row.

We faced Palermo next, but with misses to Semler and Hoffmann in the first half did not look likely to break our recent poor streak. A great Hoffmann run just after half time was halted by a foul, and the resulting free kick was headed straight to the keeper by Semler. Once again we couldn’t get the required goal, finishing with a 0-0 draw. Not a good month at all.

[ChefRobGaming]

well done mate good stuff

[Donners]

Thanks.

November, season 2013/2014

After contrasting months to start the season, we needed a good start to November against Vicenza. Semler headed in a Motta cross in the 21st but we soon lost both Semler and Rabito to injuries. Vicenza took advantage with an equaliser in the 68th and, just as we pushed forward, grabbed the lead with a goal from 25 yards. A third in the final few minutes sealed another loss for Ancona. Rabito will miss another fortnight through injury.

We had another good start in the second leg of the Italian Cup, with Rajesh Charbonnier in his second game setting up Hoffmann for a headed goal in the 12th. Sobir White, replacing Rabito, added a second eleven minutes later to get us through to the next round. Charbonnier headed in one of his own in the 57th to complete a much-improved performance from the young forward.

Having suddenly dropped to 11th, we needed a similarly good performance against Bologna in the league. Hoffmann again put us ahead early, hitting in an 8th minute corner from Hartwig. Bologna hit back in the 20th, but Hoffmann’s second from as many shots in the 35th regained our one goal lead. We totally controlled the second half, with six shots on target from Semler alone – most set up by Hoffmann. We couldn’t manage another, but it didn’t matter, with a final score of 2-1. Unfortunately, there was disastrous news after the game. Hoffmann went off injured in the 89th minute, and turned out to have suffered a broken ankle, putting him out for four months. With four goals in seven games, that could hurt. Lennartsson also suffered a broken toe, sidelining him for a fortnight. I did at least sign 21-year-old Swedish international left winger Marlon Hjelm as a long-term prospect.

Former Ancona forward Papa Waigo put Roma ahead two minutes into our game against them. Essien and Charbonnier, the replacements for Lennartsson and Hoffmann respectively, combined in the 37th to level the scores. Semler put us ahead right on half time, volleying in a cross from Motta just before the whistle. Roma had their chances, but the next goal went to Ancona in the 68th, with Semler taking a sharp pass from Charbonnier and running around the keeper for a 3-1 lead. Messner gave Semler his hat-trick ten minutes later through a great run (good enough to be the Goal of the Month) before de la Cuesta completed the 5-1 hammering by heading in a Motta corner in the 89th. Semler took the record for Ancona’s highest league goalscorer in this game.

Rabito returned once again to face Udinese. De la Cuesta went to repeat his goal from the previous game, heading a Motta corner, but this time it was saved. Semler was there, though, for his 100th Ancona goal. De la Cuesta got it right later in the half, heading in our second. He made it a brace in the 81st, scoring a penalty to make it a 3-0 win. Not a bad effort for somebody with three goals in his past five seasons.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Juventus

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Ancona | | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 10 | +11 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Chievo | | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Sampdoria | | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Inter | | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 22 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Bologna | | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 13 | +12 | 21 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Vicenza | | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 26 | 15 | +11 | 21 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Juventus | | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 21 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Lazio | | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 17 | +7 | 20 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Perugia | | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 16 | +3 | 19 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Roma | | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 20 | +3 | 18 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Genoa | | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 16 | +1 | 17 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Udinese | | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 15 | +3 | 16 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Cagliari | | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 14 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Palermo | | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 32 | -12 | 14 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Atalanta | | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 22 | -3 | 13 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Piacenza | | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 16 | -6 | 13 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Brescia | | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 12 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Parma | | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 24 | -9 | 12 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Verona | | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 34 | -22 | 5 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Torino | | 12 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 37 | -25 | 3 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

December, season 2013/2014

The month began on a poor note, with Atlanta taking an early lead through a penalty against us. Our defence did not hold up particularly well, though Tommasi did a great job in goal. Despite a dominance from Ancona, we struggled to regain parity. Hartwig finally put through a free kick with four minutes to go, which was enough for one point.

Our second round Italian Cup match was away against Chievo. Semler put us ahead in the 42nd thanks to a great pass from Paterson. Unfortunately, Paterson was sent off for a second yellow two minutes later. Fontana hit the post early in the second while White had a header saved. Semler slammed one in with five minutes to go thanks to a pass from Syed Dupuy, but Chievo returned the lead to one goal with a late strike. Nonetheless, a decent lead to take into the second leg. Real Sociadad offered me their managerial position, but with their two star players 37 years old ( ), I rejected it.

Perugia were our next league opponents. The first half was uneventful, with only a couple of shots each and no goals. Rasch missed a few shots in the second while Semler had eight attempts himself, all to no avail. Paterson finally put one through with twenty minutes to go after a pass from Messner, then Fontana added another seven minutes later on the counter-attack. Perugia pulled one back late, but it made no difference.

Lazio followed. Fontana scored in just three minutes, with help from Semler, but Lazio brought it to 1-1 in the 15th. Fontana scored a ripper from 35 yards five minutes later to regain the lead (3rd in the Goal of the Month award), then made it a hat-trick in 24 minutes after a pass from Semler (his hat-trick of assists). Lazio pulled back a second late, but Fontana’s great effort was good enough for the three points – and top spot.

A number of players took a break in the second leg against Chievo, with English defender Richard Mooney finally debuting. It was not a totally convincing performance, especially when we conceded a goal in the 42nd to make it a 2-2 aggregate. Nonetheless, our weakened side held that score until the end, putting us through on away goals.

Genoa took an early lead against us which was cancelled out by Lennartsson in the 31st. We dominated the second half, with Briotti creating several opportunities for the forwards, but could not score again in regular time. Thankfully, we got four minutes of injury time, and only needed one for Rasch to send in a shot which deflected off a defender and into the net. Semler made it two in as many minutes for a 3-1 win. I rejected offers of managerial positions from Roma and Real Madrid after the game.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Juventus

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Ancona | | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 15 | +15 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 16 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 29 | 18 | +11 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Bologna | | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 16 | +16 | 29 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Inter | | 16 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 29 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Vicenza | | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 23 | +13 | 28 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Chievo | | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 24 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Roma | | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 24 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Lazio | | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Piacenza | | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Palermo | | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 29 | 38 | -9 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Juventus | | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 22 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Perugia | | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 20 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Genoa | | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 20 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Atalanta | | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 28 | -1 | 18 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Udinese | | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 21 | -2 | 18 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Cagliari | | 16 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 17 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Parma | | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 28 | -9 | 17 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Brescia | | 16 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 24 | -6 | 15 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Verona | | 16 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 37 | -18 | 14 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Torino | | 15 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 44 | -31 | 3 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Terk]

looks like the second half of the season could be mighty close. hope you can keep the pace after last year's disappointment

[Donners]

January, season 2013/2014

We suffered a blow at the start of the new year, losing Andrea Briotti to a groin injury for two months. I’d just rejected a few £6.5M bids for de la Cuesta, making him unhappy, so this created quite a problem. I arranged the signing of Everton defender Robert Henning to take place at the end of the season.

Our first match of 2014 was a top vs. bottom clash with Torino. Thiago Motta hit the bar before coming off mid-way through the first half while Charbonnier had a great chance saved. Hartwig missed four shots in the second half, but with ten minutes to go, Lennartsson finally put one through at the end of a run. It looked like that would be enough, but Torino snuck one through in the first minute of injury time. No time for a late strike, knocking us down to second. Worse still, Motta suffered a knee injury, putting him on the sidelines with Hoffmann and Briotti for two months.

Hartwig did well on the left wing against Chievo, but we still struggled to make an impact. Sobir White, returning from injury, finally put us ahead with seven minutes to go, crossing for Charbonnier to head in a great goal. There was a disturbing similarity to the previous game, with our opponents charging forward in the final minute of regular time and beating the keeper, but the ball came back off the post. Unfortunately, a penalty was awarded to Chievo three minutes into injury time, and while Tommy Lee saved it initially, the rebound was put past him. Two draws after holding a late lead against weak opponents is not a performance worthy of a potential title winner.

We took on Piacenza next and were level 0-0 at half time due to poor finishing from Charbonnier and a good save to a Semler shot. Semler finally broke the deadlock in the 68th, hitting in a parry from a Rasch shot. Sobir White then sealed it 2-0 after a great pass from Hartwig.

Our second straight game against Piacenza was the first leg (away, as usual) of the Italian Cup. After a quiet first half, Semler scored the first after Messner floated a pass over the defence in the 59th. Piacenza hit back in the 77th, only to see Semler score two more in the final minutes. Messner was again involved in Semler’s second while a short pass into the area gave him a hat-trick, and #15 for the season. I arranged the signing of defender Nathan D’Laryea for the end of the season and re-signed promising midfielder Hartwig until 2018.

A big encounter against 4th placed Inter followed. We looked by far the better side, but frustratingly could not make any of a number of shots count. Naturally, Inter scored with their first chance with 20 minutes to go, and we couldn’t get back in it. I arranged for Chelsea midfielder Amit Lang to join in June. I made a fairly big move as well, selling Andrea Rabito to Bologna for £1M. While he’s played reasonably well this season, his injuries have been just too frequent and his contract expires at the end of the season. I could have kept him on until then, but it’s good to see how well we can cope without him.

We led by two goals on aggregate against Piacenza in the Italian Cup quarter final, and with three goals were unlikely to miss progressing. Michael Essien missed with international duty, as he would for the next few weeks. A superb half-pitch run from Fontana was halted by a tackle in the area, but partner Alberto tapped the loose ball in. Lennartsson slammed in a free kick three minutes before half time just to make certain, then Fontana finally scored a much-deserved goal, curling it in from 30 yards for a 6-1 aggregate win.

Brescia did not manage a single shot against us in our next game, but still managed to get through a goal. Hartwig sent in a great cross from the touchline which Semler headed at the goal. It came off the post, bounced back off the keeper and into the net with five minutes to go. That was all it took for three points.

So do I...

Having moved up to top spot, a win against Cagliari would be useful to strengthen our position. Semler scored the opener after six minutes from a Rasch pass, then Fontana scored his tenth of the season just before half time. Cagliari put through their first moments after our second, but another from the newly re-signed Hartwig in the second half plus Semler’s second completed a big 4-1 win.

We remained on top of the table at the end of the month, which is a fair effort with Hoffmann, Motta and Briotti out injured.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Juventus

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Ancona | | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 39 | 19 | +20 | 44 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 38 | 25 | +13 | 42 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Vicenza | | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 47 | 28 | +19 | 39 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Inter | | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Bologna | | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 40 | 23 | +17 | 36 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Perugia | | 23 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 33 | 27 | +6 | 35 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Roma | | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 37 | 32 | +5 | 35 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Juventus | | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 30 | 21 | +9 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Chievo | | 23 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Lazio | | 23 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 30 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Genoa | | 23 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 29 | 32 | -3 | 30 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Atalanta | | 23 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 37 | 34 | +3 | 29 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Piacenza | | 22 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 28 | -4 | 27 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Parma | | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 26 | 35 | -9 | 27 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Palermo | | 23 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 39 | 56 | -17 | 27 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Cagliari | | 22 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 36 | 37 | -1 | 25 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Brescia | | 23 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 26 | 36 | -10 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Udinese | | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 31 | -10 | 19 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Verona | | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 23 | 43 | -20 | 18 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Torino | | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 20 | 54 | -34 | 13 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

Bah, how did something that was supposed to be at the top of the post end up in the middle?

February, season 2013/2014

Michael Essien was still on international duty and unavailable for our game against Sampdoria. The first half was uneventful but Lennartsson put through a free kick five minutes into the second. Semler and Lennartsson had a dozen shots between them for that one goal, but one is all it took for the win. I re-signed Syed Dupuy until 2018 after the game, but Lennartsson rejected my offer. I rejected a job offer from Valencia.

We took on Vicenza next in the semi final of the Italian Cup. For a change, the first leg was at home. Our midfield controlled the first half, with fourteen shots between them and eight shots to Lennartsson alone! Unfortunately, he only scored from one – a header from a Rasch free kick in the 17th. Semler finally scored our second in the 88th for a fairly solid win, but with 23 shots to 0, we should have won by a hell of a lot more than two goals. Our injury problem got worse, with Rasch put out for two months with a torn groin muscle.

We took on Roma with an unusual side. The continuing absence of Essien, White (out with a groin injury) and now Rasch forced me to play Semler on the right wing for the first time, while the suspended de la Cuesta was replaced at left back by Richard Mooney with Briotti still injured. Roma had a goal disallowed early due to a free kick, but nonetheless took the lead in the 32nd. Lennartsson scored his third in as many games with a header just after half time, but four minutes later Roma regained the lead. Despite 17 shots, we could not score a second and lost 1-2.

Essien made a timely return from the African Cup of Nations, with Lennartsson suspended against Parma. Hartwig missed with a minor injury, and was replaced by Marlon Hjelm on debut. A two minute burst mid-way through the half gave us a great advantage. Semler chipped the keeper in the 23rd after taking a long pass from de la Cuesta, then a minute later a nice pass from Hjelm gave Fontana enough room to run at the goal, past two defenders, and squeeze the ball between the keeper and the near post. Alberto, playing on the right wing with Semler moved forward, hit the bar in the 39th, allowing Semler an easy finish for a 3-0 half time lead. A cross from Fontana with four minutes to go was knocked straight to Semler by the keeper for his hat-trick, then Fontana completed the game with his second. A convincing 5-0 win. Francis Horjak arrived from Newcastle after the game.

Francis Horjak [19, AM L, FRA – 5 U21/1]

Horjak is reasonably quick, but it is his ball skills that stand out the most. He’s looked pretty good in 22 senior games in the English Premier Division, and could be of some use here. Motta is somewhat capable on the right wing, so he may move there if Horjak cements himself on the left.

Horjak debuted against Juventus. Semler got us ahead with a great effort in the 6th, tackling an opponent, cutting out an attempted pass, breaking through the defence and firing in a shot. The first attempt was saved, but he scored the second. Six minutes later, Horjak crossed the ball into the area. De la Cuesta’s volley was parried, only for Charbonnier to tap in our second goal. He scored again in the 23rd, this time taking the ball around the keeper. The game went quiet after that, but in the second half’s injury time, Charbonnier completed his hat-trick with a header and Semler scored his fifth in two games for a second 5-0 win. Unfortunately, Francis Horjak suffered a torn groin muscle in his debut, putting him out for two months.

We had the chance to continue the good run against Verona. Fontana gave us a good start, collecting a loose ball in the area and slotting it through for an 18th minute lead. Alberto, giving Semler a rest, headed in a de la Cuesta cross in the 30th and added a second from a White cross just after half time. White had a hand in our fourth goal, hitting the post with six minutes to go, leaving Alberto a simple finish for his hat-trick.

With three hat-tricks (to Semler, Charbonnier and Alberto) in as many games, our chances of a high-scoring game against Palermo with Semler and Fontana together up forward were high. However, we had a few early shots saved then went a goal down in the 24th from their first shot. Semler equalised just before half time, but despite eleven shots between the strikers, we couldn’t manage a second goal. 17-year-old midfielder Olgar Lombardi made his debut late in the game.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Juventus

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Ancona | | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 39 | 19 | +20 | 44 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 38 | 25 | +13 | 42 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Vicenza | | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 47 | 28 | +19 | 39 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Inter | | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Bologna | | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 40 | 23 | +17 | 36 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Perugia | | 23 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 33 | 27 | +6 | 35 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Roma | | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 37 | 32 | +5 | 35 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Juventus | | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 30 | 21 | +9 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Chievo | | 23 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Lazio | | 23 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 30 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Genoa | | 23 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 29 | 32 | -3 | 30 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Atalanta | | 23 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 37 | 34 | +3 | 29 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Piacenza | | 22 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 28 | -4 | 27 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Parma | | 22 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 26 | 35 | -9 | 27 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Palermo | | 23 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 39 | 56 | -17 | 27 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Cagliari | | 22 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 36 | 37 | -1 | 25 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Brescia | | 23 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 26 | 36 | -10 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Udinese | | 22 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 21 | 31 | -10 | 19 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Verona | | 22 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 23 | 43 | -20 | 18 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Torino | | 22 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 20 | 54 | -34 | 13 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

March, season 2013/2014

Andrea Briotti and Mohd Hoffmann both finally resumed full training at the start of March. The both started on the bench in a big game against 4th placed Vicenza. After a frustrating first half, in which Lennartsson and Semler wasted plenty of chances, those two combined for the latter to put us ahead. Former Ancona player Chi Yen Webb caused plenty of problems, but we held on for the 1-0 win.

An even bigger match came next, against 2nd placed Bologna. A win would put us seven points clear on top, but a loss would bring them all too close. They featured Supat Rungratsamee, scorer of 20 goals in 28 games, up forward, but we had Semler, with 25 in 32. They also had Andrea Rabito on the right wing. It was Semler who struck the first blow, in just two minutes. Bologna hit back through their other striker, leaving it 1-1 at the break. That was how it remained 45 minutes later – a deserved but inconclusive result.

A somewhat easier game (on paper, at least) against 19th placed Udinese followed. Thiago Motta returned on the bench to observe Semler scoring in the 12th. Former Ancona player Badr El Kadouri, now playing for Udinese, left the pitch injured in the first half. Semler had eight shots for the game, but didn’t score again until the 87th. Fontana scored a minute later for a 3-0 win. Bologna suffered a big loss against Vicenza, putting us eight points clear on top.

Our second leg against Vicenza in the Italian Cup semi final finally arrived next. We went in with a 2-0 lead, and played this leg away, meaning they needed at least three goals to progress. Fontana made their task nearly impossible with a 15th minute goal, then Semler sealed it in the 34th with one of his own. Vicenza got one just before the break, but Lennartsson headed in a corner right at the end to complete a 5-1 aggregate win, putting us through to the final against Juventus.

Our final game of the month was against Atlanta. Sergio Almirón made the most of a rare game, scoring from a 28th minute free kick. de la Cuesta added a penalty at the start of the second and Braun (heading in a Hjelm corner) and Luz (likewise) sealed it in the final minutes, 4-0.

With six league games, we’re eight points clear on top of Serie A. With the Italian Cup final also ahead, and all our senior players available, this should turn out to be our most successful season yet.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Juventus

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Ancona | | 32 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 65 | 23 | +42 | 67 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Bologna | | 32 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 57 | 30 | +27 | 59 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Sampdoria | | 32 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 58 | 34 | +24 | 59 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Vicenza | | 32 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 64 | 39 | +25 | 55 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Juventus | | 32 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 45 | 31 | +14 | 52 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Chievo | | 32 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 43 | 32 | +11 | 50 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Roma | | 32 | 13 | 9 | 10 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 48 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Lazio | | 32 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 53 | 48 | +5 | 45 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Perugia | | 32 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 45 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Genoa | | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 40 | 42 | -2 | 42 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Inter | | 32 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 45 | 52 | -7 | 42 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Atalanta | | 32 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 45 | 47 | -2 | 41 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Piacenza | | 32 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 38 | 43 | -5 | 41 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Cagliari | | 32 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 48 | 49 | -1 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Parma | | 32 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 36 | 51 | -15 | 37 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Palermo | | 32 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 51 | 71 | -20 | 36 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Brescia | | 32 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 37 | 51 | -14 | 32 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Verona | | 32 | 7 | 8 | 17 | 38 | 67 | -29 | 29 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Udinese | | 32 | 6 | 8 | 18 | 28 | 49 | -21 | 26 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Torino | | 32 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 36 | 74 | -38 | 22 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Dark_Soccer]

Come on Ancona Serie A title here we come

Nice Work Donners

[Donners]

Cheers.

April, season 2013/2014

Ancona’s final half-dozen league games began against Genoa. Semler had a diving header barely turned away, but a 31st minute penalty to Braun put us ahead. Fontana hit the bar with a volley in the second half. Genoa made a pretty strong attack late in the game, but good keeping from Tommasi and a clearance off the line kept them from scoring. Bologna had a draw, with Sampdoria moving up to 2nd, eight points behind us.

Unusually, Perugia took an early lead against us. Semler put things right with a volley in the 12th, then Charbonnier scored a second for the lead six minutes later. Perugia’s apparent equaliser in the 20th was ruled out, but despite having a player sent off, they scored again just before half time. With Sampdoria losing 0-2, we had a great chance to seal our title win – but only if we could score again. As it turned out, we didn’t. Hoffmann, Semler, Lennartsson and Motta had plenty of chances, but couldn’t get that elusive third goal. We lost Michael Essien to a groin strain, effectively ending his season. Bologna moved back up to second, but remain eight points behind with four games to go.

Before those, though, we had to take on Juventus in the first leg of the Italian Cup final, which was at home. Motta forced a couple of saves, but the game was mostly even and uneventful. It came as a surprise, therefore, when Juventus scored with just five minutes to go. We did not manage a response, and that away goal could prove very costly.

We had a chance to almost make certain of finishing on top of Serie A against Lazio. A goal in the first minute to our opponents did not help us achieve this. We had few chances all game, but Hoffmann came off the bench and scored with three minutes to go. Only a draw, but with losses to Sampdoria and Bologna, it practically sealed the title win – unless we lose the next three games and they win by more than five goals in each.

Nonetheless, a game against bottom-placed Torino was a good chance to make sure. Charbonnier scored after seven minutes, Alberto replaced him for another goal in the second half, Hoffmann sealed it towards the end and with a 3-0 win, we finished as the Serie A champions of 2013/2014.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | C | Ancona | | 36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 72 | 26 | +46 | 75 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 36 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 64 | 38 | +26 | 66 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Bologna | | 36 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 62 | 36 | +26 | 64 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Vicenza | | 35 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 69 | 41 | +28 | 62 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Juventus | | 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 48 | 36 | +12 | 59 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Chievo | | 36 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 55 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Perugia | | 36 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 56 | 48 | +8 | 53 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Piacenza | | 36 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 53 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Roma | | 35 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 52 | 51 | +1 | 50 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Lazio | | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 61 | 57 | +4 | 48 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Atalanta | | 36 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 51 | 52 | -1 | 46 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Palermo | | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 61 | 76 | -15 | 46 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Inter | | 35 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 48 | 56 | -8 | 45 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Cagliari | | 36 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 43 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Genoa | | 36 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 42 | 48 | -6 | 43 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Parma | | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 40 | 57 | -17 | 41 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Verona | | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 44 | 71 | -27 | 35 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Brescia | | 35 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 38 | 57 | -19 | 33 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Udinese | | 36 | 7 | 8 | 21 | 32 | 58 | -26 | 29 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | R | Torino | | 36 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 38 | 84 | -46 | 22 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

May, season 2013/2014

I started the month by re-signing Tommy Lee and scout Peter Krobbach, but continued to be unable to re-sign Lennartsson.

Having won the Serie A title, our game against Chievo was rather irrelevant. Nonetheless, Hoffmann put us ahead mid-way through the first half and thanks to great keeping from Tommy Lee, that one goal was enough for the win. This was Nordin Lennartsson’s 250th league appearance for Ancona – a new record. I finally re-signed him for two more seasons with a slight wage increase after the game, along with coach Massimo Tabai.

Our final league game of a successful season was against Piacenza. It was a pretty flat performance from Ancona, and a single goal to Piacenza in the first half proved enough to end our league season on a losing note.

Nonetheless, we still had one big game to go – the away leg of the Italian Cup final. We need to score at least one goal in regular time, having conceded during the home leg. Fontana put one over the bar from inside the area early, but Semler scored the much-needed goal with a brilliant 35-yard curling strike. Juventus had a few chances, but a crucial tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo by de la Cuesta and good keeping from Tommasi kept them out. With 20 minutes to go, Ronaldo missed a shot by mere inches after racing through the defence. Tommasi’s goal kick was headed down by Semler in our half and taken by Fontana, who broke clear of his marker and slotted it into the net. That left Juventus needing two goals in twenty minutes to win, and they couldn’t even manage one. The double for Ancona, with Serie A and Italian Cup victory.

[Donners]

The season in review

Summary

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> Holders - Ancona

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | C | Ancona | | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 73 | 27 | +46 | 78 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 38 | 20 | 10 | 8 | 67 | 40 | +27 | 70 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Bologna | | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 65 | 38 | +27 | 68 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Vicenza | | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 70 | 46 | +24 | 62 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Juventus | | 38 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 50 | 38 | +12 | 61 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Perugia | | 38 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 61 | 49 | +12 | 59 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Piacenza | | 38 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 51 | 44 | +7 | 59 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Roma | | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 58 | 53 | +5 | 59 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Chievo | | 38 | 13 | 17 | 8 | 48 | 39 | +9 | 56 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Atalanta | | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 55 | 54 | +1 | 50 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Lazio | | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 64 | 63 | +1 | 49 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Palermo | | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 63 | 78 | -15 | 49 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Genoa | | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 44 | 50 | -6 | 46 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Inter | | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 50 | 62 | -12 | 46 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Cagliari | | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 55 | 57 | -2 | 43 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Parma | | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 41 | 59 | -18 | 42 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Verona | | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 46 | 72 | -26 | 39 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | R | Brescia | | 38 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 42 | 59 | -17 | 38 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | R | Udinese | | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 33 | 61 | -28 | 30 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | R | Torino | | 38 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 40 | 87 | -47 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">1st in Italian Serie A

Squad Screen

| Pkd | Inf | Name | Apps | Gls | Asts | MoM | Pass | Tck | Drb | Sh Tar | Av R | Value |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DR | | Messner, N | 45 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 63 % | 3.24 | 3.47 | 28 % | 7.56 | £5.75M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DL | Wnt | de la Cuesta, J* | 40 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 72 % | 2.48 | 0.81 | 66 % | 7.25 | £1.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | | Semler, B* | 38 (2) | 31 | 16 | 14 | 60 % | 1.32 | 2.12 | 64 % | 7.82 | £12.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | Wnt | Lennartsson, N* | 34 (2) | 9 | 6 | 4 | 69 % | 2.49 | 0.70 | 51 % | 7.42 | £2.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| GK | | Tommasi, L | 32 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 43 % | - | - | - | 6.84 | £1.4M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | Loa | Braun, K | 31 (4) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 71 % | 2.74 | 0.47 | 60 % | 7.11 | £1.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | | Fontana | 30 (1) | 16 | 6 | 1 | 73 % | 0.80 | 2.39 | 62 % | 7.45 | £5.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB2 | | Luz, N | 29 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 78 % | 2.25 | 0.28 | 100 % | 7.06 | £1.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | | Briotti, A | 23 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 77 % | 1.92 | 0.72 | - | 7.08 | £4.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB5 | | Motta, T | 23 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 69 % | 1.96 | 1.38 | 35 % | 7.04 | £2.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | Paterson | 22 (5) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 80 % | 3.92 | 1.05 | 28 % | 7.15 | £3.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB6 | | Dupuy, S | 21 (4) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 71 % | 2.69 | 0.32 | 100 % | 6.96 | £3.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MR | | Rasch, A | 21 (4) | 1 | 7 | 0 | 69 % | 2.62 | 0.72 | 51 % | 7.12 | £8.25M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Essien, M | 21 (2) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 73 % | 3.31 | 0.35 | 50 % | 7.13 | £2.3M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| ML | | Hartwig | 18 (9) | 3 | 5 | 1 | 71 % | 2.67 | 2.62 | 52 % | 7.04 | £6.75M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB3 | | White, S | 16 (6) | 2 | 5 | 0 | 67 % | 2.83 | 0.82 | 60 % | 7.09 | £2.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Charbonnier, R | 16 (5) | 8 | 4 | 2 | 67 % | 0.80 | 0.86 | 75 % | 7.43 | £4.5M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Lee, T | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 % | - | - | - | 6.75 | £1.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Almirón, S | 10 (1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 72 % | 2.49 | 0.73 | 55 % | 7.00 | £100K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB7 | | Hoffmann, M | 9 (6) | 7 | 1 | 2 | 61 % | 1.34 | 3.30 | 77 % | 7.40 | £4.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | Hjelm, M | 8 (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 80 % | 2.77 | 0.75 | 75 % | 7.11 | £2.8M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB4 | | Alberto | 6 (5) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 63 % | 1.62 | 0.29 | 81 % | 7.18 | £4.1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Inj | Mooney, R | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 75 % | 0.67 | - | - | 6.33 | £230K |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB1 | Unh | García, R | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 % | 0.55 | 1.10 | - | 6.50 | £1.9M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Horjak, F | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 % | 1.41 | 2.81 | - | 7.50 | £2.6M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Wnt | Lombardi, O | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 7.00 | £1M |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | | |

| -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Considering we only participated in two competitions this season and won both, it’s pretty hard to find a fault with our performance. The absence of European competition was both a help and hindrance. Help in that our best side was available more often in the league. Hindrance in that the season is probably not truly successful without some European glory as well.

Nonetheless, the side developed very well this year. Young strikers like Hoffmann, Charbonnier, Fontana and even Alberto became regular scorers, though none could match the astonishing scoring rate of Semler. The new blood in the middle worked well and even our defence and goalkeeping stocks looked far better than they have in a long time.

A great season, but there is hopefully still more to come.

[Terk]

yas! ****ing champions

forza ancona!

[Guest]

Phew...

finally finished reading your story. Excellent work!

[Donners]

Trust me, you aren't even close to finished.

Wrapping it up

As expected, we featured in the Serie A awards. Borut Semler was the Player of the Year, Lennartsson and Semler both made the Team of the Year and I was named the Manager of the Year. Former Ancona player Supat Rungratsamee was the Goalscorer of the Year, with Won-Chul Parisi, a player I’m very interested in, second. He recently re-signed with his club, but only until April 2015, so I will have a go at signing him next season.

Hoffmann made his international debut in the World Cup with Germany at 22, with Briotti and Luz also participating.

Knowing we’d be involved in Europe next season, I made a huge effort to sign more players. I was unable to purchase loaned defender K. Braun, but did arrange many free transfers. I took an unusual approach, going for short-term fixes rather than my usual long-term outlook. There are too many to go into in any depth, but here’s a quick overview:

Wai Nikolov [20, D/DM RC, BUL – 4/0]

Reuser [28, F C, NED – 3/0]

Kunze [21, S C, GER – 1 U21/0]

Hamit Altintop [31, AM LC, TUR – 12/0]

Cornacchia [23, AM R, GER – Capped at U21 level]

Aleksandar Tunchev [32, D RC, BUL – 17/3]

Robert Henning [28, D RLC, GER – 3/0]

Nathan D’Laryea [27, D RC, ENG]

Amit Lang [20, DM C, FRA]

Incidentally, Papa Waigo moved to Newcastle for £3.3M, two seasons after Roma bought him from us for £18.5M.

Around the world: major awards and results

Ancona Supporters’ Player of the Year:

Borut Semler

World Player of the Year:

Andrea Gasbarroni (Juventus)

World Footballer of the year:

Luciano Zauri (Juventus) (at 36!)

England:

Manchester United

Spain:

Barcelona

Champions Cup:

Hertha BSC

UEFA Cup:

Dortmund

2014 FIFA World Cup

England