smp20 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Club Esportiu Europa - Introduction So here I am in the heart Barcelona. I'm taking on the Big Euro Challenge and I've decided to take on the worst team I could have done so from those promoted. However, Europa are a club with some history. They were considered the 2nd best team from Catalonia and were one of 3 Catalan clubs (guess the other two) that formed the first La Liga. Recent history has been bleak. Since relegation from the Adelante League in the late 60s, the club has spent just one season in the 3rd tier with the rest being played out in Catalan regional leagues. The last season they were in the third tier was 94/95, precisely 20 seasons ago and I hope to fare a lot better than they did then. Europa have a nice little seated stand along with terracing all the way round and an artificial pitch. Overall, Nou Sardenya can hold 7,000 (1,000 seated). However, as you can see, there is a major flaw - half of Barcelona can watch us on their balconies! I'm not expected major crowds . So that's the club introduced, next update will be my squad and August transfers. We started with myself, the chairman and 10 players so some serious structure building was needed. I could be in for a long season... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 That must be rare. An apartment block on one side of the pitch that is bigger than the main stand. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 C.E. Europa August 2014 Update Transfers In Bayarri is an excellent acquisition for us, he will slot in the TM role as a key player despite just being 16! He has a very promising future and according to reports could become a LigA BBVA player. Juanra is a player who has plied his trade in the top two tiers of Spanish football for all of his career bar last season where he made a handful of appearances for Championship side Bolton. He brings a wealth of experience and is still good enough to be considered our best player. Initially he came on trial, and signed for us to be ''closer to his roots in Spain''. The Squad & Staff I'm pretty happy with the quality and depth of the squad. Could do with 1 or 2 more, but we are already over budget. Lots of experienced players in there, hoping their wits can steer us away from relegation back to obscurity. I'm also very happy with the staff I've been able to get in. I always find it difficult to get in a good assistant when you can't filter but the one I've got will do for now and we cover all bases in terms of coaching, management and scouting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 That must be rare. An apartment block on one side of the pitch that is bigger than the main stand. Yeah it's pretty crazy! Though I'm hoping in a couple of decades to have stands like that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 November Spoiler: Superstar Senna moves to Europa I will be posting an overall update at the end of December, but here's my latest signing. What a coup for the club! He wanted to be closer to his roots in Spain after leaving New York Cosmos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 C.E. Europa Sep-Dec 2014 Update Results League Table Player Performances So here we are at the half way point of the season and I have to say I'm quite happy with how its gone so far. We've not been setting the world alight, but we're performing well above expectations considering we were predicted to finish rock bottom. We need a solid second half though, otherwise we could get sucked into the relegation play-off spot. As you can see from the player ratings, we've struggled defensively which I think is a combination of the players not being great and also not 'fitting' the tactic as I require a quick aggressive back-line to play my Sacchi like high pressure. But I'm stubborn so I will persevere. The front two have formed a great partnership scoring 22 goals between them. For some reason I'm not in the Copa del Rey or the Federation Cup, so it's just the 2nd half of the league season coming up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 The world of football seems pretty happy with me so far Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 C.E. Europa Jan-May 2015 Update Results League Table Player Performances We had an excellent 2nd half to the season and we rose all the way up to 7th. On the back of our 5 match winning streak we had an outside chance of the play-offs, but a loss to champions Sabadell put a stop to that. Defensive performances were a lot more solid and we kept a fair few clean sheets - huge increase in the average ratings for our defenders. Top performers were Bayarri and Martinez who shared 44 goals and 26 assists 50/50. Ozkoidi, one of only two signings in January (both loans), also performed very well. Senna was exactly what we were looking for in DM, but his downfall was his red cards! At the moment we have one huge problem - FINANCES! We're racking up big debt and I need to work out a way to stop this spiralling out of control (see below). Our youth intake was reasonable, but I was able to add two very good youngsters from other sides. Joseba Arrieta has all the makings of a quality player - for my tactic he will become a winger which will suit his dribbling. Jesus Maria Lopez is joining us from struggling Amorebieta and will provide competition for our front two. We have some great prospects here and, along with Bayarri, they are very saleable assets which may be needed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 What an excellent feature the ''Ask to reduce wage demands" option is. I've managed to get lots of my players to take big wage cuts. I've gone from £2k over budget to £1k under budget. Also took a big pay cut myself from £1,100 to £300 Edit: And then the board come up with the budgets for the new season, 9.75k down from 12k, over budget again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kontermann Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Massive transfer with Senna Bad luck with your board though - The spanish football board members are not really known for looking after their finances so exactly, are they? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 C.E. Europa Summer 2015 Transfers I had kept on the majority of the squad from last year of whom most had agreed to a lower wage to help with the club debt. Bayarri was also sold in order to help reduce our debt, £575k up front £25k over 12 months, 25% of next profit and we get to have him back on loan. Also on his way out was Josep Obon. He was our best prospect from our youth intake but I don't play AMCs so I didn't see too much of a future for him. I've laready shown you the first two youngsters, so here are the other four: Inaki Marin - Released after a couple of seasons at Cultural Leonesa. Pretty quick for a DC and still has great potential Kenny Shields - Loaned in from Celtic to provide competition for places at DC along with Marin and my two golden oldies Alvaro - Another loanee, he will slot straight into the first 11 to partner Senna in DM Iosu Ozkoidi - Impressed last season on loan so it was ideal to bring him in. Senna is still the key man even at 39 and although the quality of the squad hasn't improved immensely, we now have more depth and youthful options. It's been difficult because we've had the slash the wage budget and build a squad that can compete. This year we are predicted to finish 6th! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Massive transfer with Senna Bad luck with your board though - The spanish football board members are not really known for looking after their finances so exactly, are they? I really don't know how it's possible to make profit, or even to break even, at this level. I reckon most teams must be massively struggling also. Need to get out this league otherwise the finances will spiral and we'll end up semi-pro again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 C.E. Europa Sep-Dec 2015 Update Results League Table Player Performances We got off to a terrific start in the league picking up 6 clean sheet in the first 7 games. Although in recent weeks our defence has become somewhat leaky, we are on a great unbeaten run and find ourselves 6 points clear at the top! I was very disappointed to get dumped out of the Copa del Rey in the first round, particularly against lower league opposition, but we have got a good little run in the Federation Cup which we actually have a chance of winning. Bayarri has been in outstanding form leading the league's scoring and average rating charts while his strike partner Lopez has been regularly finding the net as well. Still the same old problems with Senna, doesn't seem too bothered about fines, but he's performing when he's still on the pitch so I can't complain too much. I hope I can keep up this form in the 2nd half of the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyquest409 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Great start smp20, love the stadium. Give it a few years and the price of apartments in that block of flats will fly up once they can watch La Liga football out their window! One point about Senna's red cards - I've had similar problems with a couple of players, almost always getting at least a yellow card per match - do you set your own opposition instructions, or let a coach do it for you? I found that, with letting my coach do it, he was setting half of the opposition team to be tackled hard, so my DM was just going around and kicking everyone. Once I eased off that, the number of bookings plummeted without much of a noticable drop in performance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Great start smp20, love the stadium. Give it a few years and the price of apartments in that block of flats will fly up once they can watch La Liga football out their window!One point about Senna's red cards - I've had similar problems with a couple of players, almost always getting at least a yellow card per match - do you set your own opposition instructions, or let a coach do it for you? I found that, with letting my coach do it, he was setting half of the opposition team to be tackled hard, so my DM was just going around and kicking everyone. Once I eased off that, the number of bookings plummeted without much of a noticable drop in performance. Cheers, I like the stadium too! I'm not sure what the regulations are for La Liga, but I'm not sure my stadium would meet requirements . On Senna, I did used to have my AM do OI, I still do, but I make sure Senna is not tackling hard. I guess he's just too aggressive and dirty for his own good! I should probably sub him more often. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 C.E. Europa Jan-May 2016 Update Results League Table Our form carried on into the second half of the season and we were able to secure the title at the home of fierce rivals Sant Andreu. We had a couple of bad losses towards the end, I reckon complacency slipped in and I nipped it in the bud before the final game. We may be champions, but promotion is not secured yet. We must win in the promotion play-offs to book a place in the Adelante otherwise this season won't mean a thing. We also managed to get to the quarter final of the Federation Cup before being knocked out by eventual finalists Alaves 18-17 on penalties. Play-off update to follow! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 C.E. Europa: Promotion to the Adelante We secured a big win against Xerez that secured us a place in the Adelante . We then played for the Segunda Championship, narrowly losing out to Alaves on away goals. At the time I didn't realise that I'd already secured promotion so I was gutted...until I saw we were up anyway! Best Eleven 66 goals from the forward line this time. It's a shame that Bayarri is officially going to Real Sociedad as he's been a great servant for the club. Marcos Senna has now retired and a few others retired/didn't want to sign new contracts so we're completely re-building again this season. Lets hope I can bring in the players to keep me up. We have a budget that has trebled in size this season, mostly thanks to the £1.8m TV Money we're getting from playing in the Adelante Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Yeah it's pretty crazy! Though I'm hoping in a couple of decades to have stands like that Well, blocks of flats are rather tall things. Pity you're losing Bayarri so soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 C.E. Europa Summer 2016 Transfers There's one outgoing that really stands out here. A big money move for Arrieta to Lazio. I would have been happy with a couple million, but I found playing clubs off against each other brought out some crazy bids (see here)! The big bonus is that we have him back on loan for another season. We needed to re-shape the squad and I'm very happy with the depth and quality we've brought in without breaking the bank - not spent a penny of the Arrieta money. Our three best signings are Adrian the former West Ham keeper, Jony a tricky winger who's performed at this level and Mikel Arruabarrena who has the daunting task of replacing Bayarri. We're predicted bottom again, but I'm quietly confident I can keep this group up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 C.E. Europa Aug-Dec 2016 Update Well a big surprise as we enter the new year top of the league . I was not expecting that, lets hope we can keep it up and not let our form and league position dwindle away. However for the second year running we were disappointing in the Cup. Nevermind, I'd happily take this league start over that! Once again its our forward line that's getting us the results - high ratings and lots of goals. Adrian has been fantastic between the sticks too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 C.E. Europa Jan-Jun 2017 Update We managed to maintain our good form into the 2nd half of the season and went on to win the League. La Liga here we come ! It came down to the final game and we could have finished anywhere up to 4th, A 0-0 draw and a man of the match performance from keeper Adrian meant we were able to finish top and Sporting followed us in 2nd. Just a few loans brought in January and the addition of Mendoza. He is a real talented player and is the ideal replacement for the outgoing Arrieta. As usual, our strike force was incredible, and once more they shared the goals between them with 29 each. Our defence didn't get great ratings at all and we will need to bring in higher quality players if we are to survive next season in the top flight. We've got there quicker than I expected! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kontermann Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 So its Barca and Real next year! Good luck mate! Pretty sure you wont be easy to defeat Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Mendoza looks quality, should definitely help you cope well with the Primera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 So its Barca and Real next year! Good luck mate! Pretty sure you wont be easy to defeat Mendoza looks quality, should definitely help you cope well with the Primera. Cheers guys, I've got a whole season to update now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 C.E. Europa 2017/18 Season Update Transfers Soldado ~ Mierzejewski ~ Javi Garcia ~ Dani Alves ~ Altidore I decided that this season I was going to bring in players with lots of Primera experience and as such I got in quite a few big names. Out of all the big named players that were signed, only Javi Garcia was near the standard he was back in 2014, the rest have declined and as you can see from the screenshots, taken a season in, have decline a lot as they have been with me. Nevertheless, I felt their experience would be invaluable. Results League Fixtures (1st Half) ~ League Fixtures (2nd Half) ~ Copa Del Rey Past Positions We had a season I was very happy with. We started pretty well but then hit a real blip which saw us plummet into the relegation zone. We were one of just 3 teams to beat champions Real Madrid, but it was the Barcelona game that seemed the turning point of our good form into a terrible run. We we're 2-0 up, but conceded in 89,90+1 and 90+2 to lose it! However, we were able to have a very good second half of the season to finish in a comfortable 11th place, just 9 points off a Europa League spot. Player Performances It's obvious to spot our areas of weakness and also where we get our joy. Our defence was the 2nd worst in the league and it shows through the ratings. On the contrast, only Barca, Real and Valencia scored more goals than us. This season it was tough to get a forward partnership due to injuries and the rapid decline of Arruabarrena but we managed to get 4 strikers into double figures. But Mendoza was a cut above the rest, scoring 16 and assisting 16 - I hope I can keep hold of him! Next season I really need to bolster my defence with some real quality. The players I got in were just not good enough to make a real difference in the top flight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesey1975 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 what a great read so far good luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 what a great read so fargood luck Cheers Cheesey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Agreed, some excellent progress and nice to see you able to bring in a few familiar names Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 C.E. Europa Summer 2018 Transfers Vicent Espi - becomes the first player we have splashed cash on and it has been well spent. His contract was up and was £1m+ compensation so I was pleased to negotiate a deal for less. Broke into the Villarreal team last season that gained promotion back to the Primera and he's got great all round attributes for a centre back. Isco - THE signing. What a capture for the club and no doubt shirt sales are likely to boost. Isco is a world class player who after being on trial with us must have liked the club as he originally didn't think we could meet his demands. He will be the creative force on the left side. Kieran Gibbs - Another good signing for us who will link up with Isco down the left. Hopefully we can keep him injury free and get him back into the England setup. Jerome Sinclair - At 21, Jerome still has time to reach his potential so I hope I can make his deal permant after a successful loan period. David Bayarri - A familiar face will be re-joining us this season. Bayarri left two seasons ago but has struggled to break into the Sociedad first team. Well worth the money we spent on him. We've now got a very good squad together. Don't be fooled by the low star ratings, the quality of Mendoza and Isco makes everyone else look average. They are world class players and I expect them to score and create loads of goals for us this season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Wow! Ramsey on free You're definitely building a decent team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 And after a trial! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 A new hint of mine, if a player says he's not interested in your club as you can't reach his wage demands, bring them in on trial. Sometimes they accept a much lower offer after a few weeks. I even had Wilshere on trial but he ended up going Monaco (Ramsey was without a club until November!). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 C.E. Europa Aug-Dec 2018 Update A very promising start to the season as we sit in 3rd played. El Classico are storming ahead as expected, but we are the best of the rest currently. We managed a good draw at the Bernabeu, but Messi tore us apart in our stadium, which is currently Barca B's. We've got through to the 5th round of the Cup which is the furthest we have been so far. A bizarre 7-4 victory over Elche, who knocked us out in the cup last season, was enough to put us in the last 16. Jerome Sinclair has been the star so far scoring just under a goal a game and rightly getting his first England cap in which he also scored in. Mendoza has been a constant goal and assist threat whereas Isco has been solid but yet to be spectacular. Hoping for a good second half of the season, particularly defensively, so we can push the average ratings of the back line into the 7.00s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Incredible signings! No wonder you're doing so well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kontermann Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Great progress there again Fantastic signings in Isco and Ramsay! But the best is welcoming Bayarri back to his home club What a nice move that is! Keep it up, you´re gonna soon catch both Barca and Madrid im sure! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 C.E. Europa Jan-Jun 2019 Update Latest Transfer News Another big named player finds his way to Europa. He may be 34 and has been without a club for nearly 9 months, but there's always something a little bit special about Ronaldo. It's also the first time I've ever had him on FM14 Results A season I am extremely happy with. In the league we didn't slip out of the top 6 all season. We also managed to beat Real Madrid again stopping them from getting a win against us this season, though Barca proved a more difficult opponent. We had a couple of very good streaks of form which at one point meant we had an outside chance of catching El Classico, but a loss to Atletico and subsequent poor form meant we just about clawed the 3rd place. Biggest disappointment for me was the manner in which we went out of the cup, we were well and truly thrashed by Bilbao. Oh and I wasn't fooled by this Player Performances As expected, European Golden Boy Mendoza was the top performer in the . Jerome Sinclair was great in front of goal and would have scored more had he not been injured at the wrong time. It looks unlikely we will be getting him in as Liverpool want ~£30m for him now. Ronaldo took ages to score his first goal but when he did he started playing very well. But what a welcoming season from Bayarri - the 6'5'' striker was effective and efficient, finishing off 20 himself and laying on 18 for others. For next season I will be looking to bring in a DR, DC, DM and a top class forward. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Incredible signings! No wonder you're doing so well. Yes very happy with my signings Great progress there again Fantastic signings in Isco and Ramsay! But the best is welcoming Bayarri back to his home club What a nice move that is! Keep it up, you´re gonna soon catch both Barca and Madrid im sure! Lets hope so, CL football next season to look forward to, maybe I will splash out on a player Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Shame he's on his way but it was only a matter of time - he's been moaning about moving to a bigger club for months. Will be hard to replace Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laker9 Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 So this is where you are now! Wondered what happened to the career haha. Shame you had to sell Mendoza, although i'm sure with £36M you can find someone to replace? How are the finances of your club going now, surely that would help massively? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Yeah, the other game crashed and I couldn't get it to work, but recently I was able to so I may dovetail between the two. Here's the finances. It worked out about 50% up front and the rest over 30 months, which isn't bad as it ensures regular cash flow and stops me from overspending! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 C.E. Europa Summer 2019 Transfers Bojan Voros - This lad I hope will become the long term replacement for Mendoza. He has some amazing attributes for a 16 year old and I'm looking forward to developing him. Steve Durham - An excellent loanee for us who will slot in next to Espi. Charly Boyer - He will be our 2nd choice ML to Isco, who is currently injured so he's straight in. Marco Verratti - Released by Atletico after 5 seasons as a rotation player, Verratti will partner Ramsey in DM. Theo Walcott - Our second big named free signing. Theo still has the pace to terrorise defences and is the short term replacement for Mendoza. Martin Cholakov - Has the potential to become a ''World Class Striker'' and is already capped by Bulgaria. Currently being tutored by Ronaldo, who I hope he will replace in the long term. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
smp20 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Shocking News: Europa Sack Page! After being annoyed by the fact that the board rejected the idea of building a new stadium, I leaked my frustrations to the press. We fill our 10,500 stadium out weekly and its surely time plans were put in place for one so we can grow as a club. As I had legendary status at the club I was hoping it would spur a positive reaction from the board, but it had the opposite effect I hoped. I was given an ultimatum of 9 points in the next 5 games. We had started the season very well and I was confident that we could achieve the board's expectations of 9 points, starting from the Mallorca game. Unfortunately losses against Athletic, Atletico and Sociedad meant I didn't reach the aim. Bloody hell. I'm left deflated, depressed, gutted, angered and also annoyed that I allowed this kind of situation to happen in the first place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laker9 Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 If they wouldn't expand they don't have the same vision as you! Better off moving on, find someone with the same ambition have you had any offers? That or go back to the original save! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kontermann Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 :eek: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taleron Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Shocking by the board there! Maybe try for one of the other Catalonian/Barcelona clubs and crush Europa? Like CE L'Hospitalet for example. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 What the!!!!!! Maybe an unwise move to play with fire even if you were completely justified in feeling like you needed an expansion. You'd have thought they'd show a little more gratitude. The ' fixed points target ultimatum' thing is one of the things that I feel spoils the enjoyment of the game now, essentially meaning you might as well give up and leave when you'd otherwise have had a bit more time. Being under more pressure than ever is admittedly realistic and does add something to the game but I generally swing the other way in terms of ideology and I feel FM14 was where the game swung a little too far away from that, among other things. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Gutted for you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maw74 Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 That sucks, you have done a great job with Europa and that's how you get treated, you get them CL football and they don't want a bigger stadium, great ambition............ not, hope they sink now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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