Crazy Canuck on European Managerial Tour - Hitchiking Across the Continent Again!

[rancer890]

2018 World Cup - Hosts: Russia

Group Stage

A - Chile - 9pts, Ghana - 3pts, Russia - 3pts, Serbia - 3pts

B - Italy - 9pts, England - 6pts, Uruguay - 1pt, Jamaica - 1pt

C - Portugal - 5pts, Australia - 5pts, South Africa - 4pts, Czech Republic - 1pt

D - Colombia - 9pts, Belgium - 6pts, Germany - 3pts, Saudi Arabia - 0pts

E - Ivory Coast - 7pts, Argentina - 6pts, Montenegro - 3pts, USA - 1pt

F - Senegal - 7pts, Greece - 5pts, Japan - 2pts, Ukraine - 1pt

G - Croatia - 7pts, Nigeria - 5pts, Spain - 4pts, Honduras - 0pts

H - Mexico - 7pts, Brazil - 5pts, Turkey - 4pts, South Korea - 0pts

Second Round

Chile 1-1 (p) England

Italy 0-1 Ghana

Belgium 2-0 Portugal

Colombia (e) 3-2 Australia

Greece 4-1 Ivory Coast

Senegal 0-3 Argentina

Brazil 0-1 (e) Croatia

Nigeria 2-4 Mexico

Quarter-Final

England 0-1 Colombia

Ghana (p) 0-0 Belgium

Greece (e) 2-1 Mexico

Argentina (e) 4-2 Croatia

Semi-Final

Colombia 2-0 Argentina

Ghana (p) 2-2 Greece

3rd Place Playoff

Greece 0-1 Argentina

Final

Colombia 3-2 Ghana

----

Awards

Best Goalkeeper - David Ospina (Colombia/Barcelona)

Golden Ball - 1st: Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), 2nd: Eden Hazard (Belgium/Real Madrid), 3rd: James Rodriguez (Colombia/Sao Paulo)

Golden Shoe - 1st: Sergio Aguero (Argentina/Manchester City), 2nd: Jordan Ayew (Ghana/Marseille), 3rd: Seydou Doumbia (Ivory Coast/Inter)

Best Young Player - Roy Cooper (England/Manchester United)

Dream Team

[rancer890]

Looks like a big rebuilding operation is needed

Massive work to be done.

Yup. This rebuild might take a while, because of the lack of success at the club for a while. We have money to throw around though which can speed up the process, and I will use the money at my disposal for the right player.

[cerud]

For a rebuild, good thing you signed on for 3 years.

[rancer890]

Club Brugge KV - Belgian Jupiler Pro League - 2018-2019 Off-season Signings

Fresnel Lavie - A young and proven right back to played nearly 3 years at Lokeren before joining Club Brugge. He's homegrown in the nation which is a big bonus considering the league restrictions at the club.

Daan Van Gljseghem - A veteran centreback who is a good option off the bench and is homegrown in the nation.

Tarek Nedjari - He can play two positions, and he's still very young and has lots of talent. He's touted as the next Anthar Yahia.

Bongani Mavimbela - A free agent signing, he can play CM and gives us depth at that spot.

Thiagao - My fourth defensive signing of the off-season, Thiagao is a talented defender who can play on the left or the right side. He's also eligible to be homegrown in the squad in 3 seasons.

Mohamed Sheriff - The club needs a striker who can score goals, and hopefully Sheriff can be the one. He had 22 goals in 40 league games with Stabaek in Norway's top flight.

Nicolas Martin Gorobsov - Acquired on loan from rivals Genk, he's a CM who I think will be great help to the club this season.

A lot of deadwood left the club, except Mr. da Costa Paulo Bartolomeu, who left the club because Vitesse met his minimum release clause.

Former Club Watch:

Zulte Waregem - They defeated Flamurtari (Albania) 7-1 on aggregate in the Champions League 2nd qualifying round, before losing to APOEL (Cyprus) 4-1 over two legs in the next round. They entered the 4th Qualifying Round in the Europa League against historic Italian club AC Milan, and shockingly defeated them on penalties after drawing them 1-1. In the group stage, they face AC Milan's rivals Inter, Jan Deschacht's current club Fenerbahce, and Russian club Anji.

[rancer890]

For a rebuild, good thing you signed on for 3 years.

If there's something I'm not worried about, it's the amount of money available for transfers. I'll just spend to the top, and we led the league in transfer spending. It's not a pure rebuild, but more of a retooling.

[SRL88]

Wow. Unbelievably open World Cup there.

[rancer890]

Club Brugge KV - Belgian Jupiler Pro League - 2018-2019

Standings | Championship Group | Fixtures 1 Fixtures 2 - A fantastic run all season as we finish as champions for the club's first league title since 2005.

Cofidis Cup - A great run in the cup competition, as we beat my former club 2-0 to get the Double.

-------

Transfers - All of our incoming transfers made an impact over the course of the season

Fresnel Lavie - He solidified the right back position this season, and he was a homegrown player as a big plus. Unfortunately, he's heavily wanted by several clubs and I might give in and sell him for an acceptable amount.

Daan Van Gljseghem - a veteran CB this season who provided good performance.

Tarek Nedjari - I might have slightly overpaid for him but an upgrade at CB was needed. He was good sometimes, but not so good on other days.

Bongan Mavimbela - A free agent signing from South Africa, Mavimbela was a rotational player at CM and provided solid games all season.

Thiagao - Signed from Norway, Thiagao was a key player at left back all season. Several clubs want him, but I want to keep him at the club.

Mohamed Sheriff - An important part of my striker corps, Sheriff delighted me with a solid first season with 11 goals and 16 assists in 37 games.

Nicolas Martin Gorobsov - A versatile player, Gorobsov was acquired on loan for a small fee, and over the past season he had 9 goals and 9 assists in 36 games.

Nene - This Brazilian striker really put over the top. I definitely want him back if possible on loan or permanent transfer but I have a backup plan just in case.

----

Squad - A great looking team now. We have what it takes to repeat. It all starts at the back, and Rami Bouzagarrou is a good 'keeper. Leonel Galeano was a good defender all season and also chipped in with some timely goals. Our attack was spearheaded by Sheriff, Nene, Srdjan Stanic, Flamur Kastrati, and Ebony Boot winner Luka Milanzi, who just signed a new 5 year contract, so hopefully I can keep this Ebony Boot winner longer at the club than the previous one (Deschacht).

Overview | Facilities | Finances | Affiliations

I was very aggressive from the start in the transfer market, but thankfully the financial impact wasn't too bad. And we can always earn good money through a good performance in Europe.

Goals for Next season

• I would be happy with Champions League group stage, and a repeat as league champions.
  
• Of course, all of the above might be irrelevant if a good offer comes....Stoke have been relegated from the Premier League and my name was mentioned as a potential candidate...
  

Career Summary:

Overview

Year Team Country League Position Notes
2016-2017 SV Zulte Waregem Belgium Jupiler Pro League 3rd 99 league goals scored!!!
2017-2018 SV Zulte Waregem Belgium Jupiler Pro League 1st Champions!!!
2018-2019 Club Brugge KV Belgium Jupiler Pro League 1st Domestic Double

Former Club Watch:

SV Zulte Waregem - Good work by them to make it to the cup final to guarantee themselves a spot in the Europa League.

Former Player Watch:

Jan Deschacht - He was Fenerbahce's top scorer this past season. Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for ManUTactician, they finished 3rd while Galatasaray won the league title.

[rancer890]

For a rebuild, good thing you signed on for 3 years.

I'll quote you again cerud. Rebuild into league champions complete.

Wow. Unbelievably open World Cup there.

It's crazy. With nearly every European league loaded, I would have expected a better performance from the European teams...but 2 powerhouses can't even get out of the group stage, and other teams had trouble in the knockout rounds.

[Scarman]

Fantastic first season in charge, I was expecting a season of rebuilding but I guess with that kind of money it wasn't too hard tempting the right players

[ManUTactician247]

Former Player Watch:

Jan Deschacht - He was Fenerbahce's top scorer this past season. Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for ManUTactician, they finished 3rd while Galatasaray won the league title. [/left]

Not even Deschacht could stop the best team in Turkey .

[deltablue]

That was quick.

[rancer890]

Fantastic first season in charge, I was expecting a season of rebuilding but I guess with that kind of money it wasn't too hard tempting the right players

We had a good nucleus in place. We had talented wingers at the club, we just needed to fix everything else.

Not even Deschacht could stop the best team in Turkey .

Fenerbahce was pretty bad till they sacked their manager. Then they soared up the league. I was in the mix for that opening but I didn't have any interest in that job.

That was quick.

TBF, if Genk, Anderlecht, or Standard approached me, I could just as easily win the league with them. Their poor performances have hurt the league as a whole, as it's now only a 2.5 star league. Which might hurt my future job prospects in a top league in the process so for now I'm happy to stay at a team that could win the league many times with me at the helm.

[rancer890]

Club Brugge KV - Belgian Jupiler Pro League - 2019-2020 Preseason

Media Prediction: 3rd

UEFA Champions League Expectation: Reach 3rd Qualifying Phase

Jupiler Pro League Expectation: Challenge for the title

Cofidis Cup Expectation: Reach cup final

Supercoupe de Belique Expectation: none (I would want to win it though)

TV Rights: $660k

Transfer Budget: $16.86 million

Wage Budget: $16.25 million (currently spending $9,813,191)

[rancer890]

[translated from French to English]

Ricky Nakano in high demand as manager

JULY 12, 2019

BRUGES - Club Brugge manager Ricky Nakano is in high demand as teams look for a new manager to take them to greater heights. There have been reports that Spanish La Liga sides Elche and Celta have offered him their vacant managerial positions with decent sized budgets as well as a 7 figure annual salary, but Nakano has rejected those offers. Nakano has refused to comment on his job status with the club, but our sources have learned that Nakano has recently applied for a vacant managerial spot at Ligue 1 finalists Montpellier, but was rejected. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, there is increasing speculation that Nakano will look to move on.

In a short statement on the club website, Club Brugge and Nakano shared this statement:

"It is to my knowledge that there are rumours at the club about whether I will seek new opportunities at another club. I want to clarify these remarks and state that I'm not actively looking for a new job. I want to stay at Club Brugge at least through the 2019-2020 season. I have not applied for any vacant managerial openings. My focus is 100% on Club Brugge and winning another league title.

I'm looking forward to seeing media members and fans alike at Jan Breydelstadion in the upcoming league season.

Ricky Nakano"

-----

Rejected 2 offers from lower La Liga clubs. No interest in leaving Club Brugge since I want to see if I can take the club into Champions League group stage and I would love another league title to add to my resume.

[markyosullivan]

Surprised to see you win the league so quickly. Should win the league again this year and I hope you'll do well in the CL

[cerud]

Wow! That was a fast rebulid!

[PaulHartman71]

not a bad first season in Brugge at all!

[rancer890]

Club Brugge KV - Belgian Jupiler Pro League - 2019-2020 Off-season Signings

BRUGES - At the conclusion of the summer transfer window, manager Ricky Nakano has once again done some major wheeling and dealing to improve the squad.

"I feel that at the beginning of every new season, you have to get better," he said, "because the other teams are going to improve, and if you don't try to get better, you're only going to be playing catchup to the majority of the other teams. That's not to say the previous group of players don't have talent by any stretch of the imagination, but there's only 11 spots in the starting lineup, and only 18 players are selected on the matchday squad. It's great to try and keep everyone, but sometimes its in the best interest of both parties to move on."

Andre - Signed from Ukrainian powerhouse Shakhtar, Andre was found on the fringes of the first team, and came to Club Brugge on a free transfer. His league form is average, and still carrying a good rating despite a slow start, but overall he's done well to begin his career here.

Lukas Malek - A young midfielder, Malek was signed for a very small fee of $70k as youth contract compensation. He will spend the year in the youth team. He will be homegrown by the end of the 2021-2022 season.

Peter Mbidzo - He spent the first 3 years of his career in his native Zimbabwe, scoring 30 league goals in 60 league games, and then went to America with the Seattle Sounders, and scored a further 58 goals in 131 league games over 4 seasons in the Pacific Northwest. And now he's just scoring for fun, as you can see here. Ignore the Lille game as it was a friendly. I'll love to see how many goals he'll score over the course of an entire season! (Note: he's has $10 million minimum release to foreign clubs)

Nicolas Martin Gorobsov - Acquired on loan again, he will spend the season with Club Brugge and strengthen the midfield. There's no interest to acquire him permanently though.

Zvonimir Cosic - He was one of two free agent 'keepers in pre-season as I was looking for a new backup, since our current backup was sidelined till the beginning of 2020. One was Canadian and one was American, so guess who I signed?

Daan Van Gljseghem - Signed because he's decent and for Homegrown quota purposes.

Helder - This was a guy I was monitoring for a few seasons and I finally get to sign him...one problem, he's not as good as I thought and finding him playing time right now is a challenge.

Fernando - I wanted to improve the defense again, and I found Fernando. All I'm paying is 100% of his wages, and I like the look of him so far.

Abdussamed Dahir - A CM I've been tracking for a few months, I decided to make my move and acquire him permanently. This led me to loan out South African Bongani Mavimbela and get another $375k.

Giovanni Matteo - He's a former Roma youth team player, but he never made it. His signing allowed to sell Srdjan Stanic to Polish club Legia for $3.1 million and a 50% of next sale clause.

Notables leaving the club is former starter Mohammed Sheriff to Greece powerhouse Panathinaikos for $3 million and a 50% of next sale clause and the already mentioned Stanic.

---------

2019-2020 UEFA Champions League

So Club Brugge start in the Champions Second Qualifying Round this season, they face Armenian champions Ararat Yerevan.

Second Qualifying Round: vs Ararat Yerevan (Armenia)

1st Leg: Club Brugge 8-1 Ararat Yerevan

We did what was expected with a dominant win. A media member was cheeky enough to ask if our position in this round was threatened because of that 1 away goal by the Armenians...

"Yeah, I think they might defeat us 7-0 in Armenia and win on away goals."

2nd Leg: Ararat Yerevan (1) 0-7 (15) Club Brugge

I guess I should stick with football management and not fortune telling....

Third Qualifying Round: vs Olympiacos (Greece)

Next up: the Greek champions.

1st Leg: Olympiacos 2-3 Club Brugge

A good game that went back and forth. Fortunately we win and have 3 away goals.

2nd Leg: Club Brugge (5) 2-0 (2) Olympiacos

A very tight match that we won only because of some late goals because Olympiacos were pushing for a couple goals to win.

Playoff: vs FC Kobenhavn (Denmark)

The Denmark champions will be a tough matchup.

1st Leg: FC Kobenhavn 2-1 Club Brugge

A poor game, but we got an important away goal.

2nd Leg: Club Brugge (5) 4-1 (3) FC Kobenhavn

Dominance. We showed up to win and win we did.

------

Group Stage

So Marseille, Porto, and Liverpool. Good thing the latter aren't managed by SRL88 or AK22! I would be happy with last place and hopefully points in Belgium, although I won't be changing tactics for them. I'm interested in seeing how many goals we can score against these 3 teams with our attacking philosophy.

[cerud]

Ouch, those are some pretty big clubs to be up against! But your record suggests that you got a great chance :0

[rancer890]

Surprised to see you win the league so quickly. Should win the league again this year and I hope you'll do well in the CL

TBF, if Standard, Genk, or Anderlecht sacked their manager and offered me the job I think I would probably win the league just as easily. All of these teams have the financial muscle to make a quick turnaround in the league if their managers aren't idiots which the AI usually are.

Do note that my teams have the most foreigners in the league, with only 38% domestic players, compared to 63% overall in the Belgian top flight.

Wow! That was a fast rebulid!

Rome might not have been built in a day but Club Brugge was.

not a bad first season in Brugge at all!

Cheers Paul. Hoping for even a better second one.

[rancer890]

Ouch, those are some pretty big clubs to be up against! But your record suggests that you got a great chance :0

To me we already won with getting to the Group Stage. We could do better in Europa League but I want to play against the best. I just hope this doesn't affect us in the league games if we lose by a few goals.

[cswalk08]

Well done so far in this save. Shame that the game was bugging out with the national team.

[B.W.G]

Doing very well with Brugge,good luck in the group stages

[SRL88]

Tough group in Europe, but you might pick up a few points.

[rancer890]

Well done so far in this save. Shame that the game was bugging out with the national team.

There are quite a few issues with the save. The latest one is FM12 using up too much memory. And since my setup is so big I expect more crashes...

Doing very well with Brugge,good luck in the group stages

Tough group in Europe, but you might pick up a few points.

We picked up 2 points actually. Home draws against Porto (blew 3 leads though ) and Liverpool and scored 7 goals in the 6 games.

[cerud]

There are quite a few issues with the save. The latest one is FM12 using up too much memory. And since my setup is so big I expect more crashes...

Maybe remove a couple leagues?

[deltablue]

Good luck in the groups.

[rancer890]

Maybe remove a couple leagues?

Yeah, MLS will be removed for sure. I would like to continue with the current setup, or else I might have to remove some useless lower leagues (like the Maltese 3rd tier and Faroe Islands 3rd tier for example )

Good luck in the groups.

We already got a couple points in the group stages, not enough to get a knockout round but it was the best I could ask for from this team.

[rancer890]

Club Brugge KV - Belgian Jupiler Pro League - 2019-2020

Standings | Championship Group | Fixtures 1 Fixtures 2 - A great season and we end up going undefeated in the league! We also shatter the record for league goals in the Pro League.

UEFA Champions League - I met my personal target of making the group stages, but of course, we finished bottom

Cofidis Cup - Unlucky to draw Genk so early, but it was an exciting game

Supercoupe - A solid win in the Supercup.

-------

Transfers - We were champions the previous season, but I still got some more players to try to repeat, and it worked out in the end.

Peter Mbidzo - probably one of the best free transfers I ever made, he cooled down near the end of the season (although that was partly due to loss of Andre mid-season), but overall he was brilliant.

Fernando - He was a very shrewd loan signing from Santos. There are quite a few Brazilians willing to come to Belgium to play and it's about finding the right pieces, and Fernando was one of these pieces.

Abdussamed Dahir - I wanted more depth at the CM position, and Dahir provided that all season.

Giovanni Matteo - A very impressive season from a player who wasn't even on my radar till his agent offered him out to us.

Xavier - A last minute addition because of the untimely departure of Andre, we acquired another former Shakhtar player who cost a lot but he performed well in his half season.

----

Squad - It's still a very strong squad overall, but unfortunately lacking in any impact Belgians.

Overview | Facilities | Finances | Affiliations

Made nice profit again, although a lot was due to Champions League revenue, in excess of $14 million.

Goals for Next season

• Find a new country to manage in. I want a new challenge.
  

Career Summary:

Overview

Year Team Country League Position Notes
2016-2017 SV Zulte Waregem Belgium Jupiler Pro League 3rd 99 league goals scored!!!
2017-2018 SV Zulte Waregem Belgium Jupiler Pro League 1st Champions!!!
2018-2019 Club Brugge KV Belgium Jupiler Pro League 1st Domestic Double
2019-2020 Club Brugge KV Belgium Jupiler Pro League 1st Undefeated Champions!!!

Former Club Watch:

SV Zulte Waregem - made it into the European Places Playoff final but lost out in the end in the Final to Sint-Truiden

Former Player Watch:

Jan Deschacht - He was 2nd highest goal scorer on the team as Fenerbahce wins the league title. Galatasaray finish in 4th.

[rancer890]

[translated from French to English]

Ricky Nakano resigns as Club Brugge manager

MAY 24, 2020

BRUGES - It was rumoured near the end of the season, and it has down become official. Ricky Nakano, who guided 2 different Belgian teams to the Jupiler Pro League the last 3 seasons, has resigned from his managerial post at Club Brugge. In the press conference with Chairman Bart Verhaeghe, Nakano, and his family in attendance, the Canadian mentioned how proud he was to give the opportunity to manage in Belgium.

"I made many friends the last 4 years," he said, "it's always tough to say goodbye to your friends to try new things, but they've been supportive of my decision, and hope the best for me. I'm very proud of what the staff here had done over the last couple years to become champions. It's a lot of hard work and I couldn't be more happier about how we've changed for the better. I wish the best of luck to whoever becomes the next manager at Club Brugge to continue to win. The moments that happened here I will never forget."

"As for my next opportunity, I'm not ready to think about that just yet. I want to unwind after a long season and take a little break. The European Championship is being hosted by Belgium this year, and in Bruges as well. I'll love to just watch the games as a spectator and a Belgian fan. I'm open to any opportunities at the club and international level, but I will maintain I'm only interested in managing at one post at a time."

[deltablue]

Well done in Belgium.

[B.W.G]

You did a brilliant job,congrats on the invincible season as well

[rancer890]

Rubin Kazan -Russian Prem'er Liga - 2020-2021

Ricky Nakano unveiled as new Rubin Kazan manager

JULY 2, 2020

KAZAN - Chairman Anatoly Alymov has unveiled the next manager of Rubin Kazan to hopefully take them over the top and become champions. That person is Canadian Ricky Nakano, who had recently spent the last 4 seasons in Belgium, winning the league title the past 3 seasons. Nakano has said to be excited about his new challenge.

"I'm really happy to be here with Mr. Alymov to become the next manager of Rubin Kazan. The club has finished in the top 4 the last 3 seasons (4th in 17/18, 2nd in 18/19, and 3rd in 19/20) so I know there's already the right pieces in place. The next logical step here is to win the league title."

"With the likes of CSKA Moscow, Zenit St. Petersburg, Anji Makhachkala, Locomotiv Moscow and Dinamo Moscow, I'm certain the league will be competitive every season, and I relish this big challenge."

The terms of the deal is a 3 year contract until June 2024 that pays Nakano $425,000 annually.

-------

I am given a $10,250,000 transfer budget. It's a bit less than at Club Brugge but manageable. I also have a big wage budget of $27 million, although there's not much free wage budget, as $26.76 million has already been used.

[rancer890]

Well done in Belgium.

Cheers deltablue.

You did a brilliant job,congrats on the invincible season as well

Cheers B.W.G. Just trying to follow suit with your current invincibility with Vitoria.

[deltablue]

Rubin should go well.

[cerud]

To Russia with Love! Great job in Belgium

[rancer890]

2020 UEFA European Championship - Hosts: Belgium

Group Stage:

A - Israel (7), Greece (4), Sweden (4), Croatia (1)

B - Wales (7), Russia (4), Belgium (4), Romania (1)

C - Germany (6), Serbia (6), France (4), Norway (1)

D - Spain (7), Portugal (6), Poland (2), Scotland (1)

E - Italy (5), Netherlands (5), Ireland (4), England (1)

F - Slovakia (7), Turkey (7), Czech Republic (1), Ukraine (1)

Second Round:

Israel 2-0 Russia

Italy 2-3 (p) Turkey

Wales 2-2 (p) Sweden

Slovakia 4-2 Belgium

Netherlands (e) 2-1 Greece

Germany 2-3 (e) France

Ireland 1-3 Spain

Serbia 0-2 Portugal

Quarter-Final:

Turkey 1-2 Israel

Sweden 3-0 Slovakia

France 3-0 Netherlands

Spain (p) 1-1 Portugal

Semi-Final:

Israel 0-2 Spain

Sweden 1-3 France

Final:

Spain 2-1 France

----

Notable job openings after the Euros include Spain (1st in World Rankings), Portugal (5th), France (6th), Italy (7th), Turkey (8th), Germany (12th), England (18th), and Russia (21st).

[rancer890]

Rubin should go well.

To Russia with Love! Great job in Belgium

An interesting offer has been given to me and I will have to resign from Rubin...

[deltablue]

Already! wow.

[rancer890]

Spain

World Ranking: 1st

Star Players: David De Gea (Man Utd), Cesar Azpilicueta (Marseille), Javi Martinez (Athletic), Iker Muniain (Athletic), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Juan Mata (Chelsea),

Sergio Busquets (Man Utd)

Rivals: Italy, France, Portugal

Accomplishments:

FIFA World Cup Winners - 2010

UEFA European Championship - 1964, 2008, 2020

FIFA Confederations Cup - 2013

July 19, 2020

A press conference will announce Ricky Nakano's hiring from Russia club Rubin Kazan later on in the evening, along with an analysis of the squad (will come later as I'm going out now).

[B.W.G]

Wow,quick reign at Rubin but Spain is a much better job Hopefully it's a good omen as I started my stint as Spain manager on 19/7/20 as well

[Jason the Yank]

Should change your name to George Jefferson, because you're movin' on up.

[rancer890]

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

JULY 19, 2020

[translated from Spanish to English]

Ricky Nakano is hired as the new manager of Spain

MADRID - Shock would be a good word to describe the faces of the many football fans in Spain, as the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RSFF) unveiled the new manager of the senior national team, Canadian Ricky Nakano. Many loyal followers would have expected a more familiar name among the ranks, like Spaniard Juan Carlos Garrido, but the 34 year old, whose only major managerial experience is in Belgium with Zulte Waregem and Club Brugge, as well as a 10 day stint in Russia with Rubin Kazan. The timing of this hire was unexpected to say the least, but the new manager of the world's best football team is looking forward to his new role.

"I'm very excited about this unique opportunity to manage the Spanish national team," the Canadian said, "it's another unique challenge because managing a national team is a lot different than a club team. We get to choose the players but we're not necessarily buying them. The players have less chemistry because a national team only has a few days to prepare for fixtures than a club team that has all season to train together and build chemistry. There's a lot of talent here, and several world class players, but we have to play as a team to win, and that's my responsibility."

During the press conference, Mr. Nakano has stated that at a minimum he would stay through World Cup Qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and perhaps the 2024 European Championship. "I resigned from Rubin Kazan because I want to focus solely on the national team. It would be unfair to both parties if I wasn't into the job 100%. Rubin understood my position, and they're happy for me."

"I'm going to encourage attacking football," he continued, "I had a certain style of play in Belgium, and I would like to teach these methods over to the national team. We certainly have the players to succeed within the system."

As for the winning culture on the team, he knew what's in store with expectations: "I want to win, the players want to win, and the supporters want us to win. I am fully aware of the pressure here, and I want to deliver on our promise to win to our fans."

Although there were rumours that he wouldn't be allowed to continue in both posts unless he was the Russian national manager, Nakano refused to comment any further on the rumours.

The national team will be participating in World Cup Qualifying against Cyprus, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Serbia, and Ireland.

----

Upcoming fixtures in 2020:

Sept. 5: vs Serbia (WCQ)

Sept. 9: at Ireland (WCQ)

Nov. 10: vs Cyprus (WCQ)

Nov. 14: at Switzerland (WCQ)

[rancer890]

Wow,quick reign at Rubin but Spain is a much better job Hopefully it's a good omen as I started my stint as Spain manager on 19/7/20 as well

What a big coincidence. Now I just need a Sola lookalike.

Should change your name to George Jefferson, because you're movin' on up.

Cheers Jason. I'm on top of the international football scene.

[cerud]

Should change your name to George Jefferson, because you're movin' on up.

Comic gold, my friend

[deltablue]

I think a Sola playalike would be more useful

[alexcharliemann]

Enjoying this! Bet the Russians were surprised

[rancer890]

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

* = Denotes newgen

Goalkeepers - David De Gea (Manchester United), Vicente Guaita (Valencia), Sergio Asenjo (At. Madrid)

Defenders - Cesar Azpilicueta (Marseille), Marc Bartra (FC Bayern), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Alvaro Rodriguez (At. Madrid), Jordi Amat (Malaga), Martin Montoya (At. Madrid), Mikel San Jose (Athletic), Jose Angel (Malaga), Jordi Alba (Valencia)

Midfielders - Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic), Kiko Femenia (Lyon), Thiago (Barcelona), Rubin Perez (At. Madrid), Sergio Canales (Fiorentina), Sergio Busquets (Manchester United)

Forwards - Iker Muniain (Athletic), Kleber (Malaga), Patricio Manzano (Sevilla)*, Juan Mata (Chelsea)

2022 World Cup Qualifying

Game 1: vs Serbia - W 4-2 - Stats

Game 2: at Ireland - W 3-2 - Stats

So my first two games with Spain go without a whole lot of problems. I expected to score goals and expected to give up some too. As the players get accustomed to the formation and style of play they'll get better. I'm going to stick with the same group of players for now because it's not a good time to experiment with many players in competitive matches.

Standings

It's early but we're doing well.

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Upcoming fixtures:

Oct. 10: vs Cyprus (WCQ)

Oct. 14: at Switzerland (WCQ)

Nov. 14: vs England (Friendly)

Nov. 18: at Belgium (Friendly)

[rancer890]

I think a Sola playalike would be more useful

That would be better than just a lookalike yes.

Enjoying this! Bet the Russians were surprised

I'm sure the Russians never experienced something like that before!

[AK22]

Well, that was brief!

You had a great couple of seasons with Brugge, but Spain is a huge step up! Good luck!