Crazy Canuck on FM14 World Tour - Job Retraining

rancer890 · July 18, 2014

Shanghai Shenhua F.C. - China - 2025 Wanda Plaza CFA Super League

Standings | League Fixtures | Cup Fixtures | Past Positions

A fantastic season again as we won the league, cup, and super cup.

AFC Champions League

It was a very exciting start to the ACL, but we fell in the 2nd Round to another Korean team.

CSL All-Star Game

No CSL All-Star Game, because I won't get a chance to manage it.

Squad | Transfers

A solid team with good depth. Unfortunately, guys like Wang Jun, Joe Anderson, Da Silva, Zhang Fang, Li Duo, and Fernando Lopez were all wanted by foreign clubs this past season. It's going to be tough to keep everyone at the club long term.

GK - Wang Jun | Zhang Yu | Tang Yong

DR - Joe Anderson (YP7a) | Li Zhongrong

DC - Huang Wei | Otkur | Shen Jun

DC - Da Silva | Ma Zhong

DL - Du Kang

DM - Zhang Fang

MR - Sabban Khalaf | Zheng Baoxiang

ML - Gao Dan

AMC - Mohsen Ahmadi | Cui Haijun (YP9a) | Su Chanhui (YP8a)

ST - Li Duo | Yao Xidi (YP12a)

ST - Fernando Lopez | Chen Yuantong (YP9c)

Compared to other seasons, we had a lot of balanced scoring. Giving our young players a lot of playing time meant that Lopez and Li didn't score as much as they were used to. But having 3 strikers, as well as two AMCs, and our midfielders share the scoring load certainly helped.

Club Info | Facilities | Finances | Affiliations

Hopefully with the club getting another commercial deal with Fenerbahce helps with the finances. Shenhua will receive $6 million from the two commercial deals in total.

Awards

Chinese Player of the Year - Sabban Khalaf
Chinese Foreign Player of the Year - Sabban Khalaf
Manager of the Year - Ricky Nakano
Team of the Year - Wang Jun, Da Silva, Huang Wei, Sabban Khalaf, Fernando Lopez (sub), Li Duo (sub)

Goals and notes/observations

Find a new job. I have an offer already, and I think I will take it. (I'll keep an alternative save just in case the new job has a lot of bugs because experience tells me it's a bugged league )
Hopefully Lopez (577 days at time of update) and Da Silva (809 days) can stay in China long enough for citizenship. Both players signed through 2028 so if they aren't sold it's good.

Career

2013/14: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, Manager of the Year

2014/15: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, Manager of the Year

2015/16: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, 2015 AFC Cup champions, Manager of the Year

2016/17: kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, HKFA League Cup Grand Final, Manager of the Year

2017/18: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, Canbo Senior Challenge Shield, HK FA Cup, Manager of the Year

2018: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Joined May 26, 11th-place finish, TOSHIBA FA Cup Finalists

2019: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - 5th-place finish

2020: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - 2nd-place finish, AFC Champions League qualification, Manager of the Year

2021: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, AFC Champions League winners, Toshiba FA Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2022: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, AFC Champions League winners, Toshiba FA Cup, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2023: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2024: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2025: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, Toshiba FA Cup, Manager of the Year

rancer890 · July 18, 2014

Shanghai Shenhua F.C. - BREAKING: Ricky Nakano resigns

25/11/2025

SHANGHAI - Club legend manager Ricky Nakano has decided to step down from his managerial post at Shanghai Shenhua F.C. In a statement that will be posted on the Shanghai Daily website and on the newspapers tomorrow:

To all fans of Shanghai Shenhua and Chinese football,

I am writing this because I have decided to resign from my post as manager at Shenhua. I have experienced a lot of success since I joined the club in 2018, including winning 5 consecutive league titles, as well as the two AFC Champions League titles, and our successful runs at the FIFA Club World Cup. From day one, the club and the supporters have opened their arms and supported me and gave me the tools for success. I will forever be grateful for my time here, but I want to experience new things in the footballing world.

Although I will not manage the club next season, I will always be a Shanghai Shenhua fan and I hope the club continues the success that I have achieved in my 7.5 seasons here. I came here without fanfare and expectation, but I can leave with my head held high, because we have achieved so much together. Without the fans support, the league titles and the Champions League titles would not have been possible.

So thanks to all who supported me in my time here, and I hope to spread the beauty of Chinese football around the world.

Nakano leaves the club as a legend, as well as an unbelievable record of 233 wins, 43 draws, and 56 losses for a 70% winning percentage. The club also managed to score an astonishing 894 goals, and conceding only 407. He has also won 13 cups and the 5 league titles in 2740 days in charge. The next manager will have to accomplish a lot to meet these expectations.

===

It sucks that I will leave with Lopez not having secured Chinese citizenship, but I seriously stayed here a long time, and probably a year or two too long. There's not much left to do....

Hopefully the Great Shenhua Player Exodus doesn't happen, but you never know with the amazing abilities of FM AI to literally destroy a league winning squad for no reason. But I wouldn't really blame him because the wage budget is really high. Just keep Lopez for another 2 seasons please.

rancer890 · July 18, 2014

Portland Timbers - USA - 2025 Major League Soccer

Ricky Nakano introduced as Portland Timbers new head coach

PORTLAND, ORE - New Bulgarian chairman Pavel Kefalov and Ricky Nakano have finalized a multi-year agreement to be the Timbers' new head coach. Nakano, who managed in Asia with Hong Kong side Kitchee SC and two-time AFC Champions League winners Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League, comes to MLS to turn the Timbers into champions.

"I'm excited that Mr. Kefalov has given this opportunity to coach in MLS. It's something different from my time in Asia and I look forward to bringing success to the Timbers."

What are you most excited about? Definitely interacting the fans and the loyal Timbers supporters, as well as the city of Portland and the state of Oregon. I watched a lot of sports when I was in Toronto before being a manager. And I know Portland loves their Trail Blazers and their Timbers. We haven't won an MLS Cup yet, and I sure hope that I can change that in my Timbers tenure.

Why manage in Portland and the MLS? Because MLS is something I wanted to try. It's an interesting league from the rest of the league, bar Australia, with the league structure and the roster rules. Watching TFC growing up, I do know the rules, but it's a bit different being a head coach and making sure we balance the US players and the internationals, as well as the other quirks like the salary cap and the homegrown players. MLS is a league with a lot of parity, and it's a challenge to win under these leagues, since a lot of other leagues around don't have salary caps and there's a money gap between the big teams and the small teams. The great thing about MLS is that all the fans of the teams have a chance once the season starts. Any team in MLS can win a championship, and that makes winning consecutive championships even more challenging, given the constraints. I'm happy to be part of the MLS coaching family.

Any idea on tactics? I'm a big advocate on attacking soccer, so that's what I will be preaching during my first pre-season. There's a lot for the team to digest though so the main thing is to just take things slowly and as the players understand the concepts and tactics we can succeed. I will probably play the 4-4-2 diamond like I did in Asia, because we already have the existing personnel for it. I'm not a guy to hold back and defend. I want to attack and score goals, and that's how I want my team to play.

Terms of the agreement? It's a straight three-year deal. No options or anything like that. I've been pretty loyal to my other teams in Hong Kong and China, and hope it continues here in Portland.

Get to know the players yet? No, not yet. I've looked a bit into the basic stats, and a bit of film. But nothing beats seeing them in training camp and pre-season and some game action. So I'm very open-minded in terms of the players. Everyone will have a chance to prove themselves.

Have you looked at the MLS Superdraft? Not yet, but we don't have a pick in the main Superdraft, only picks in the Supplemental Draft. It's something I knew and it's something I want to change. I am very open to re-acquiring some picks in the SuperDraft and replenishing our young talent that way.

How about acquiring Designated Players? I think it's important to utilize all the tools in MLS. I'm definitely open to acquiring a DP but we already have 3. I'm going to have to see the squad playing in games, including our DPs, to make a more informed decision.

What are your expectations? It's hard to say because we haven't done well the past few seasons. Are we ready to win the MLS Cup? Maybe, maybe not. I need to build my foundation first and then I can answer that question.

You spent a lot of money in China, how can you cope in MLS? I know MLS has a restriction in the salary cap, so I knew I wouldn't have as much money as I did in China. But it's the same in terms of building a team within a budget. It's just that the numbers are different. If you don't think of salary cap as a restriction but as a wage budget like a lot of other leagues, you can manage it properly.

Thank you for this interview, and good luck in the upcoming season! Thanks for making me welcome here in Portland and MLS.

===

So, the Portland Timbers, one of the best supported MLS teams alongside the Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC. They still play at JELD-WEN Field after all these years, along with a $1 million a season stadium sponsorship agreement. They have average corporate facilities, with good training and youth facilities. Junior coaching is average and there's above average youth recruitment. Hopefully we can have a strong soccer pipeline in the PNW and beyond.

We also have no Superdraft picks in the next 3 seasons, only Supplemental draft picks. Oh, this will get interesting.

Here's a couple screenshots of the basic stuff:

Job Offer

MLS Contract rules information

Kudos to SI for the second screenshot. It's going to help people new to MLS.

EDIT: We do have a 1st rounder in the 2027 and 2028. Just no Superdraft picks for the 2026 draft!

pezza1 · July 18, 2014

I am familiar with MLS, living as I do in Vancouver, but I still can't get my head around the acquisition of players! I may have to venture to MLS in my career if I get the chance, just to try it out.

rancer890 · July 18, 2014

Portland Timbers - USA - 2025/2026 Major League Soccer Offseason

Trades

Trading is fun.

The priority of the off-season is to just get more depth and talent.

December 8, 2025: We made two minor trades.

Portland trades its 2026 MLS Supplemental Draft 4th Round pick to the Montreal Impact for Chris Alexander

Coach's take: Chris Alexander is a solid player who will give us depth at the LM position. We have a surplus of draft picks in the Supplemental Draft, and giving up a 4th rounder for a player who is on an expiring contract (who we promptly signed to an extension) is a good deal.

Portland trades Robbie Greenslade to the San Jose Earthquakes for its 2027 MLS Superdraft 2nd Round pick

Coach's take: Greenslade gets a chance to develop with the Quakes, and we get a 2nd round pick in the 2027 draft on a youngster or an asset for a future trade.

December 9, 2025: One very big trade for us.

Portland trades Juninho to the New York Red Bulls for $300,000 in allocation money, rights to Abraham Scicluna and Sean Armstrong, RBNY's 1st Round Pick in the 2026 Superdraft (4th overall) and 2nd Round Pick in the 2027 Superdraft.

Coach's take: We trade a valuable piece in Juninho (a player who wants a DP contract at a wage we can't afford in his next contract) but we receive some very good assets, including the rights to two youngsters who I will try to bring over next season, the 4th overall pick, and a 2nd rounder next season. Armstrong will be on the team next season.

Waiver draft: Gilberto Rojas and Armando Torres. Two guys who can hopefully provide decent depth.

December 12, 2025: Another depth move.

Portland trades Chivas USA's 4th Round Pick in the 2026 Supplemental Draft to the Montreal Impact for Gary Kish

Coach's take: We acquire another veteran defender who's best played at right back for a draft pick. Kish is another guy on an expiring deal and Montreal get something for nothing.

December 22, 2025: Huge trade.

Portland trades RBNY's 1st Round Pick (4th Overall) in the 2026 Superdraft, its 1st Round Pick in the 2026 Supplemental Draft, and RBNY's 2nd Round Pick in the 2027 Superdraft for FC Dallas's 1st Round Pick (1st Ovearll) in the 2026 Superdraft.

Coach's take: The player we want is not going to be available at #4, so I elected to trade three lower picks for the right to pick 1st overall in the draft. So I essentially traded Juninho and a Supplemental pick for the rights to 2 players and the 1st overall pick. We only have one pick in the 2026 Superdraft, so we might as well make it count. We also have an extra 2nd round pick from the Greenslade, so I could afford to deal the other 2nd rounder.

December 29, 2025: A trade to collect extra assets.

Portland trades Juan Carlos Castellanos to FC Dallas for Chris Long and Chicago's 2nd Round Pick in the 2027 Superdraft.

Coach's take: We trade away a good CB in Castellanos and acquire a replacement for Juninho in Chris Long (who fits nicely as an Anchorman) and another 2nd round pick.

January 15, 2026: Probably our biggest trade with the MLS Cup champions Chicago Fire

Portland trades Pablo Ghione to the Chicago Fire for Jeremy Thompson and Chicago's 1st Round pick in the 2027 Superdraft.

Coach's take: I wanted max flexibility with our DP situation and we get a year of Thompson and another 1st round pick to reload.

Our overall situation is much improved now. We have cap flexibility and a lot of picks where we can either use in the next Superdraft, or use these picks in trades for established players. We also sold a few players, two which are DPs (well one is out on loan), so we have two available DP slots at the moment. I'm going to try and find a DP, but I need the right player at the right salary.

2026 MLS Superdraft

Round 1, 1st overall: The Portland Timbers are proud to select, from ZPA Perth, Eric Morris.

Coach's take: Eric Morris is the most pro-ready player in the Superdraft. He's going to go into camp and pre-season and he'll be part of a group to fight for a starting spot. As a Generation Adidas player, he also won't take up any salary cap room. The GA status helps, but Morris is the best player in this draft and was at the top of our draft board. We are very proud to select a player of his caliber.

ESPN Soccernet.com draft grade: C+

2026 MLS Supplemental Draft

Round 1, 16th overall: The Portland Timbers select, from the LA Misioneros, Edwin Vega

Round 2, 25th overall: The Portland Timbers select, from the Internationals, Alex Butler

Round 3, 44th overall: The Portland Timbers select, from the Michigan Bucks, Joaquin Mondragon

Round 3, 54th overall: The Portland Timbers select, from the Portland U23's, Jonas

Coach's take: These guys are technically from Rounds 3 to 6 in the draft, since the Superdraft consists of two rounds, and the Supplemental draft four rounds. These guys will probably be no more than the backup to the backups. We'll bring them into camp and see how they are. Even if they don't make the team out of training camp, I can stash them out on loan and avoid their cap hits.

rancer890 · July 18, 2014

I am familiar with MLS, living as I do in Vancouver, but I still can't get my head around the acquisition of players! I may have to venture to MLS in my career if I get the chance, just to try it out.

It's kind of like what Mike Gillis did with the Canucks, if you exclude all the awful trades and signings he did.

Raware · July 18, 2014

Well done on such a successful stint in China :thup: . Time to move on though eh? I always expected you to go to MLS at some point...but Portland Timbers?! I would've put my money on TFC! . That's a hell of a lot of trades and drafts . I've read that SI competition screen...still struggling

rancer890 · July 18, 2014

Well done on such a successful stint in China . Time to move on though eh? I always expected you to go to MLS at some point...but Portland Timbers?! I would've put my money on TFC! . That's a hell of a lot of trades and drafts . I've read that SI competition screen...still struggling

Cheers Raware. It wasn't an ideal move. I did want to try and make it big from Asia to Europe. I am the 2nd best manager in Asia if you look at the Hall of Fame. But MLS is good too. I wanted a team on the American west coast: either Seattle, Portland, or LA. I didn't want to manage a Canadian MLS team, much less TFC.

It's not that hard to understand if you play around with the options. I'm still trying to use allocation funds to lower a cap hit. But it looks much better than MLS in previous seasons!

AK22 · July 20, 2014

Rancer! Great progress you are making in this, and I am loving the spreadsheets too (I organise my life on Excel ) :thup:

Good luck in the MLS - I should really give it another go, having not mastered the rules during my previous effort. However, for Brits, the idea of drafting is completely incomprehensible!

rancer890 · July 20, 2014

Rancer! Great progress you are making in this, and I am loving the spreadsheets too (I organise my life on Excel )
Good luck in the MLS - I should really give it another go, having not mastered the rules during my previous effort. However, for Brits, the idea of drafting is completely incomprehensible!

Cheers AK22. The spreadsheet is definitely one of the highlights of the thread. :lol:

You should definitely have another go at MLS. It's still a bit confusing for even me (just interface and where to find some things), but I'm getting the hang of it.

For those who don't understand drafts, just remember back in the day you and your mates had two team captains and you picked players. It's just like that except with 19 teams.

rancer890 · July 20, 2014

Former Clubs Watch

Kitchee had a fantastic season again, winning two trophies. Unfortunately, they still can't shake off losses in the 2nd Round of AFC Cups. Lassine Fofana has acquired HK citizenship and even has a couple caps now. It's great to see that Kitchee are continuing my success and my former ass man has now won 5 straight trophies himself.

Shanghai Shenhua are doing well in the half season since my departure, in first. Dutch manager Gert Heerkes replaced me. They haven't averaged 3 goals a game like I did, but they're doing ok. Notable departures include Mohsen Ahmadi (Pohang), Da Silva (Atletico Paranaense) and Gao Dan (Locomotive (CHN)). Yao Xidi is also on the move to Shenxin soon. Lopez also unfortunately tore his calf muscle so he's out the rest of the season. It's fascinating how the AI can destroy a squad so quickly! He spent more money on replacements ($10 million plus) than I did my entire 7.5 year tenure at the club. Hopefully he keeps Lopez until the end of next season for citizenship, although his injury should deter suitors from Europe.

rancer890 · July 22, 2014

Portland Timbers - USA - 2026 Major League Soccer

Standings | League Fixtures | Cup Fixtures | Past Positions

A fantastic season despite an awful start. We had another awful stretch during a five game road trip mid-season but we finished very strong. We're a great team at home in front of the Timbers Army supporters. Hopefully we can do even better at home, and improve our road record a bit and we can fight for the Supporters' Shield and the playoffs. Asking for a berth past our current position was always a stretch because of our awful defending, but we were definitely entertaining at least this season. Hopefully we can turn entertaining soccer into winning soccer.

MLS All-Star Game

We had two All-Stars Justin Arroyo and Gus Brown. West Brom were the opponents but we lost 2-1. I have no idea why the game was at Reliant Stadium (home of the NFL's Houston Texans) rather than BBVA Compass Stadium (Dynamo's home stadium), but I guess it's just cosmetic...

Squad | Transfers | Trades

It was a squad in transition because I made an awful lot of moves in my first season. I think we were sloppy due to the lack of team cohesion and breaking in my tactics. We'll be better next season (offensively at least. I can't guarantee how good we will be defensively..).

GK - Neyzinho

DR - Gary Kish | Eric Morris

DC - Justin Arroyo

DC - Dale Davis | Josh Clark

DL - Aaron Devine | Armando Torres

DM - Chris Long | Sean Lunan

MR - Brett Allen

ML - Chris Alexander

AMC - Jeremy Thompson

ST - Gus Brown | Ben Santana

ST - David Rolfe | Edwin Vega

It's a squad with lots of improvement. We will need a replacement for Devine because he's leaving for Cyprus. Look for more wheeling and dealing during the offseason!

Club Info | Facilities | Finances | Affiliations

We have a nice 3000 seat expansion to bring JELD-WEN Field to 22,000 seats. Hopefully the fans in Portland and Oregon keep coming to Timbers games and we can have even more seats in the future.

Awards

Jeremy Thompson - USA Player of the Year (2nd place)
Jeremy Thompson - XBOX 360 Individual Fair Play Award
David Rolfe - MLS W.O.R.K.S. - US Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award
MLS Best XI - Jeremy Thompson

Goals and notes/observations

We had a great season at the club. The beginning of the season was more of an experimentation of what worked and what didn't, so we didn't start off very well. But we got better and better.
We're fine offensively as you can see. We don't have any problems scoring goals. The problem is giving them up. I did encourage a high defensive line to score more goals (I have used a high line my whole career), but to concede less we might need to either drop the high line shout (which I don't want to do) or get better defenders (which I will do).
Transfer targets in the offseason will be defensive players. I like we have a solid group of strikers and midfielders. If we can get some defenders with (1) good physicals for a physical league like MLS, and (2) someone who can pass a lick (our weakness is our passing, and it's the reason why we conceded a lot), I think we can compete in the MLS playoffs.
Do I want a DP? Yes I do. If I can find a midfielder or defender who's better than the current group, at the right price (probably no more than $600-700k a season). I got scouts in North America, Central America, the UK and Ireland, and Asia. I'll probably sign another scout to look into South America. Unfortunately, nearly everyone wants a DP salary, and we got three slots to work with, so we need the right player. I also think giving DP money to a goalie is awful, so I would like deal Neyzinho for something and bring in an American goalie. Just need to find the right trade, because I'm not giving him away for free.
Jeremy Thompson is either going to go to Europe (or Oil-rich Asia), or occupy one of my 3 DP slots one day. I don't mind doing the latter (especially if you look at the Zusi/Besler example at SKC). I never made a lot of incoming transfers after the first few seasons, and I want to keep my players happy. If they do well and contribute, they deserve a raise.
It's also real awesome to see some of these Award names. Only in capitalist America! Reckon they need to update the Fair Play award to the XBOX One Individual Fair Play Award.
A bit of a late edit, but after the MLS Cup, I noticed I'm going to the CCL, CONCACAF Champions League. Awesome

Career

2013/14: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, Manager of the Year

2014/15: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, Manager of the Year

2015/16: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, 2015 AFC Cup champions, Manager of the Year

2016/17: kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, HKFA League Cup Grand Final, Manager of the Year

2017/18: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, Canbo Senior Challenge Shield, HK FA Cup, Manager of the Year

2018: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Joined May 26, 11th-place finish, TOSHIBA FA Cup Finalists

2019: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - 5th-place finish

2020: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - 2nd-place finish, AFC Champions League qualification, Manager of the Year

2021: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, AFC Champions League winners, Toshiba FA Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2022: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, AFC Champions League winners, Toshiba FA Cup, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2023: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2024: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2025: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, Toshiba FA Cup, Manager of the Year

2026: Portland Timbers (USA) - Playoff spot and Western Conference Semi-Finalists

rancer890 · July 22, 2014

Former Clubs Watch

Shenhua won the league relatively easily, but they blew it in the FA Cup and ACL. They lost to Iranian club Sepahan 2-1 on aggregate in the Semis and saw a 4-1 first leg lead against Guizhou Renhe in the FA Cup Finals vanish with a 3-0 away loss, and losing the FA Cup on away goals. Fernando Lopez is 204 days away from citizenship at time of posting (December 3, 2026), and Joe Anderson is coming to Portland.

rancer890 · July 22, 2014

Portland Timbers - USA - 2026/27 Major League Soccer Offseason (Pre-draft)

Trades/Signings

December 7 - Signed Chris Ramirez from Minnesota United (NASL) on a free. Sold Aaron Devine to AEK Larnakas (Cyprus) for $1.2 million

Coach's take: We acquire a backup AMC for cheap and sell my starting left back who was too inconsistent for my liking for 7 figures (although MLS took half, so we get only $600k...)

December 7 - Traded Jonathan Tolleson to the Montreal Impact for two 3rd round picks (2028 and 2029 Supplemental Drafts).

Coach's take: We trade Tolleson, a guy I took a chance on from the New York Red Bulls, for a couple picks in future Supplemental Drafts. It's more of a case of getting something for nothing. I would have waived Tolleson eventually.

December 8 - December Waiver Draft. Acquired Bryan Gonzalez (Colorado Rapids) and Anthony Leonard (Philadelphia Union). Lost Todd Peterson (Colorado Rapids).

Coach's take: It's basically a trade with Colorado for goalies in the Waiver Draft because I want to get more depth at the position (I'm not interested in resigning Neyzinho because he simply does not fit in my salary structure). Leonard might or might not replace Devine. He was actually a former Timbers farmhand, an academy graduate of 2022.

December 24 - Traded $300k in allocation money, the 10th overall pick in the upcoming Superdraft, and our 2029 1st Round Pick in the Superdraft to Chivas USA for Philadelphia's 1st overall pick in the upcoming Superdraft.

Coach's take: Yeah yeah, kinda cheating to get the 1st overall pick again. It's all in the name of testing MLS and science .

December 27 - Not a trade. Just a proposal from the LA Galaxy. It's only 9 players for $300k + two horrible draft picks + 5 year international slot when I have only 1 international player and 7 open slots

Coach's take: Did they legalize pot in Cali too? Their GM must be in another mental state to offer such a package...I'm shocked he didn't ask for everyone in the trade proposal.

Other

December 17 - Rejected a job offer from Lille (finances are insecure) despite $80 million wage budget and $725k transfer kitty. I would have taken it if finances weren't insecure.

Next up should be the 2027 MLS Superdraft and Supplemental Draft.

rancer890 · July 22, 2014

Portland Timbers - USA - 2027 Major League Soccer Superdraft and Supplemental Draft

Superdraft:

Round 1 (1st overall) - Keith Pineda

Round 1 (14th overall) - Chris King

Round 2 (24th overall) - Sam Johnson

Round 2 (29th overall) - Fabio Robinson

Fox Soccer Channel draft grade: F :lol:

I think Pineda can be a very good player, and the other guys can at least be backups or trade bait. On the job front, I rejected Elche, a midtable La Liga club. I'll see how we do in the CONCACAF Champions League first.

Supplemental Draft:

Round 1 (14th overall) - Dominic Henderson

Round 2 (33rd overall) - Pete Cherneski

Round 3 (52nd overall) - Charlie Colton

Round 4 (71st overall) - Pedro Antonio Gonzalez

Round 4 (73rd overall) - Benedict Ogbeide

Safe to say that most of these guys won't do much for the club this season. We'll try to loan them out.

rancer890 · July 23, 2014

Manager Ricky Nakano announces shock resignation from the Portland Timbers

March 2, 2027

PORTLAND, ORE - Ricky Nakano has handed a shocking resignation to Chairman Pavel Kefalov 4 days before the Timbers' first game of the season against Real Salt Lake. There are rumours circulating that Nakano will be introduced as a club manager in Europe. More to follow.

If the rumours are true, the 38 year old Canadian will finish his 462 day Portland career with a record of 16W-11L-10D (43% win ratio) in only 37 games, scoring 73 goals and conceding 68.

His overall career is still very impressive: 401 wins, 102 losses, and 78 draws in 581 games, scoring a whooping 1453 goals and conceding 656, with a 69% winning percentage.

rancer890 · July 23, 2014

Ajax hires World-Class manager Ricky Nakano

March 2, 2027

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - Ajax Chairman Mathias Hanel has announced the hiring of manager Ricky Nakano, one of the best managers in Asian football history, from the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. Nakano, who managed Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua to two AFC Champions League titles, as well as an AFC Cup trophy with Kitchee Sports Club in China, comes to Ajax with a solid reputation for attacking football, having scored 1453 goals 581 competitive games (2.5 goals per game). He also has a very good reputation for winning league titles, with 5 consecutive championships at both Kitchee and Shenhua. He's well respectful among players, fans, and media alike in Asia, and is one of the best managers of the continent.

"I'm very excited to join the Ajax family", Nakano stated in his press conference, "Ajax are a club rich with tradition, from its success in the Eredivisie, to the famed Ajax Youth Academy, and to its 4 UEFA Champions League titles. I think the fans know that we have not won the league since the 2013-14 season. I would like to change that. The outgoing manager (John van den Brom, now manager of the Netherlands national team) has a great nucleus at the club, and my goal is to motivate the players to the best of their ability and win. I can't wait to get to work!"

Terms of the deal were not publicly announced, but sources say it's a 3 year contract (until June 2030), worth $1.3 million a season, which is a nice wage increase from his current $300,000 salary.

====

Contract Offer

League expectations: Challenge for the title

Transfer Budget: $9.5 million

Wage Budget: $81 million

No agreed philosophies

No agreed board requests

====

Standings

Squad

I'm just going to rely on my ass man for the rest of the season. But it's an exciting time.

rodesire · July 23, 2014

Oh, Ajax! Exciting! WHo has been winning eredivisie for 15 years???

rancer890 · July 23, 2014

Oh, Ajax! Exciting! WHo has been winning eredivisie for 15 years???

Quite boring actually!

2014/15 - 2021/22: Vitesse

2022/23 - Present: PSV

This season has been pretty exciting already. 5 games to go and the top 4 teams separated by 1 point!

rancer890 · July 23, 2014

Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands - 2026/27 Eredivisie Youth Intake

I never did intakes with Portland because they weren't very good. But with Ajax and the famed academy, it's safe to say I'm back with the intakes. It's YP14 now because I never did posted my YP13 intake with Shenhua.

Since Ajax are a pretty high level, even 3 star potential guys will probably be signed.

Youth Intake

YP14a - Jeffrey Meijs - Apparently, my HoYD with JPA/JPP 2020 said he could possibly be one of the best players of his generation. That's certainly exciting to hear. I'll sign him to a pro contract right away he agrees to terms on a youth contract. I'll introduce him to the first team slowly.

YP14b - Roel Parris - We could use a good DM, and apparently he has potential. He's going to have to hit the weight room.

YP14c - Ralph van Galen - A young keeper with potential. Could be good but I can't develop goalies very well so we will see.

YP14d - Jeffrey van der Vlugt - A right back with solid base attributes. I think he can play a role with the senior Ajax team with the right guidance.

I'm also going to bring my Chinese/HK staff from as early as Kitchee over with me to Ajax, so hopefully I can get some Dutch players with Chinese or HK second nationality. And if they're not good enough for the Netherlands, they can always represent China/HK.

rodesire · July 23, 2014

Jeffrey is pretty good but could have a bit more composed head, really..

rancer890 · July 24, 2014

Jeffrey is pretty good but could have a bit more composed head, really..

Yeah that's the part that sucks about him...he's already on Composure training so we'll see how that goes. But our HoYD is amazing so I'm going to trust his judgement. Good news he is still 15 so there's a lot of room for improvement.

rancer890 · July 24, 2014

Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands - 2026/27 Eredivisie

Standings | Fixtures | Past Positions

Only one could somehow bring a team in a CL spot to a EL spot. But maybe it was for the best, because I learned a lot about the players from my struggles. The club also participated in the KNVB Beker and the UEFA Europa League, but I didn't manage those.

Squad | Transfers

An 8-game stretch isn't really enough for me to gauge what's good and what's not. But what I do know is that there's loads of players on the senior team and Jong Ajax. With so many players wanted and my scouts looking everywhere for talent, this group might change very quickly (well I hope it does but plans don't work out sometimes). I went back to my 4-4-2 diamond after a game because there's some decent pieces and if there's a time for experimentation for competitive matches (since I wanted to change tactics anyways), now is it. I learned a lot about this team heading into the off-season. Unfortunately, a lot of players are wanted and I don't really want to sign any of them to new contracts so I rather sell them.

But anyways, this team is a mess:

Goalies: we have a total of 5 goalies on the senior team and the B team and spending $6.8 million on salaries for them. I have no idea why the club spent $6 million on 30-year old Jacopo Pagnini and pay him nearly $3 million. He sucks and he's flawed.

Defense: The LBs and the RBs are good enough for me. But CB is a big problem, and they have the same weaknesses: they're too slow and they're not very good technically. Need some better talent.

Midfield: We could use a LM, but overall it's solid. Lacks a bit of depth but it's manageable.

Striker: The numbers of strikers on this team is too damn high! It might figure itself out because a lot of our team is wanted by other clubs.

GK - Armands Melgalvis | Jacopo Pagnini | Daniel Perea

DR - Khaled Kermiche

DC - Washington Cabrera | Ricardo Ojeda

DC - Thodoris Pappa

DL - Fernando Rivas

DM - Sebastian Correa | Imad El Amrani

MR - Jose Vicente

ML - Samir Messai

AMC - Aad Inia | Gabriel Barbosa

ST - Alban Selaci

ST - Pablo Machain

Club Info | Facilities | Finances | Affiliations

Amazing facilities at a club this big, and it's nice to have connections in China. I asked for a merchandise feeder so hopefully one from China or MLS.

On the flip side, our finances are not so amazing...

Awards

none

Goals/Observations

Before I can think about CL football, first I need to fix the wages and finances. Then I need my scouts to bring back someone decent. Then we gotta buy those guys and we should be good. I'm sending a couple scouts to Asia. I really hope to get someone from there but scouts haven't found anyone good yet.
My goals are simple in the short term (1 season-long goal): just improve on this season. Even beyond standings and point totals, it's about playing good games and finishing. Old cliche: Take things one game at a time. Take care of the present, and the future will take care of itself.
I don't mind the Europa League tbh. I felt that this team was flawed. We might struggle a bit more, but I have a plan to fix things. I just have to stay on course (which I didn't really do at Portland. I went from rebuild to win-now in one season)
This is probably going to be the most interesting off-season in my career. I can't wait to see what will happen.

Career

2013/14: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, Manager of the Year

2014/15: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, Manager of the Year

2015/16: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, 2015 AFC Cup champions, Manager of the Year

2016/17: kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, HKFA League Cup Grand Final, Manager of the Year

2017/18: Kitchee SC (Hong Kong) - Won league title, HKFA League Cup, Canbo Senior Challenge Shield, HK FA Cup, Manager of the Year

2018: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Joined May 26, 11th-place finish, TOSHIBA FA Cup Finalists

2019: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - 5th-place finish

2020: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - 2nd-place finish, AFC Champions League qualification, Manager of the Year

2021: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, AFC Champions League winners, Toshiba FA Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2022: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, AFC Champions League winners, Toshiba FA Cup, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2023: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2024: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, CSL All Star Game, Manager of the Year

2025: Shanghai Shenhua (China) - Won league title, Chinese FA Super Cup, Toshiba FA Cup, Manager of the Year

2026: Portland Timbers (USA) - Playoff spot and Western Conference Semi-Finalists, CONCACAF Champions League qualification

2027: Portland Timbers (USA) - Left 4 days before the MLS season-opener!

2026/27: Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) - Joined March 2, 2027, 4th-place finish, UEFA Europa League qualification

Jonfun1980 · July 24, 2014

Are you running all the leagues? If so how is it running?

rancer890 · July 24, 2014

Are you running all the leagues? If so how is it running?

Yes every league bar the 3rd tier of the Indonesian leagues.

It's a bit slow sometimes, especially during the transfer window deadlines and the day where most of the European leagues have their youth intakes, but overall it's pretty good for me. Players-wise it's around 194,000. It's obviously not a setup for everyone, but speed-wise its bearable for me.

I have an i7 with 6 GB ram on Windows 8 fwiw.

rodesire · July 24, 2014

I am just going to stick my head in and claim that Pagnini is better than your main goalie. You could defo unload one of them if not both!

Jonfun1980 · July 24, 2014

I have a i7 with 16gb so I might give it a go

rancer890 · July 24, 2014

I am just going to stick my head in and claim that Pagnini is better than your main goalie. You could defo unload one of them if not both!

They're both pretty bad, but Melgalvis played a bit better, so he wins the eyeball test. My preference is to get rid of both for a new starter but I still need to find the new starter.

I have a i7 with 16gb so I might give it a go

I think that's good enough to load everything. Good luck and have fun.

rancer890 · July 24, 2014

Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands - 2027 Off-season

Sponsorships

Considering that I never really had huge sponsorships at my previous workplaces, it's nice to have a lot of money to work with (although I did get hit with a $5.25 million tax bill because I apparently had $21.02 million in taxable profit ):

10-year, $125 million stadium sponsorship agreement (so $12.5 million a season), up from $7.52 million a season under the old agreement
1-year individual TV deal (Fox Sports Eredivisie maybe?) worth $10.75 million, up $10,000 from the old $10.74 million agreement
1-year continental competition sponsor worth $2.3 million, up from $1.92 million

Total sponsorships equal $25.5 million, up from $20.2 million

Financial Fair Play

I'm very new to this, which is not a surprise because in FM13 I barely played the game and in FM14 I spent 13 years in Asia and North America. Apparently we cannot make a loss of more than $6.55 million over a 3-year period or else no continental competitions for a season. The board is also allowed a maximum investment of $32.75 million towards calculated income. (Thankfully FFP doesn't exist in Asia. )

We are safe in FFP: we are coming to the end of the 3-year period, and we have made $88.16 million in profit. It's going to be something important to look forward to because wages have to be controlled for the next couple seasons.

European Competition Ranking: 7th (1st - EPL, 2nd - Bundesliga, 3rd - Liga BBVA, 4th - Serie A, 5th - Ligue 1, 6th - SOGAZ Prem'er Liga)

European Club Rankings: 46th (up 21 places)

I still haven't reached July 1st yet, but the next update won't come till after the end of the summer transfer window. It's already like a garage sale, (nearly) everything must go (at the right price)!

Budgets

Eredivisie Expectation: Title Challenge

UEFA Europa League: Group Stage

KNVB Beker: Not important

Transfer Budget: $31 million

Wage Budget: $81 million (currently spending $56,590,628)

A nice budget to work with and lots of salary space.

rancer890 · July 25, 2014

Former Clubs Watch

The worst season for Kitchee in 5 years as they fail to win the league title, losing to Sun Hei on H2H results. They have no AFC Cup for the 2028 season either as they lost to South China in the AFC Cup Qualification Playoff Semi-Finals.

DavidBeckham · July 25, 2014

Ajax \o/ Fantastic club which doesn't spend much, good luck mate! :brock:

rodesire · July 25, 2014

*1-year individual TV deal (Fox Sports Eredivisie maybe?)

Mor like Sky Sports, mate, or maybe EuroSport

rancer890 · July 25, 2014

Ajax \o/ Fantastic club which doesn't spend much, good luck mate!

Doesn't spend much? You're going to be in for a surprise. (although I'm trying to even out transfers in and out)

Mor like Sky Sports, mate, or maybe EuroSport

Not sure where can you see Eredivisie and Ajax games anyway. Was just a wild guess.

rancer890 · July 26, 2014

Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands - 2027 Off-season Transfers

With a ton of transfer budget and salary space to use, it's time to get to work and sign some guys!

Transfers

A lot of transfers incoming and outgoing! I lost track of how many defenders I sold (I think it's 3), and I sold several strikers as well. They were decent for me in the 8 game audition, but towards the end of the season and before the transfer window opened in June, I made up my mind that if other clubs made bids to players I would listen. If it was near market value they were gone. I was much happier to get their salaries off the books and the money was a bonus.

My goals are simple: get younger and better defenders, and get depth. I think we achieved this with flying colours.

Welcome these new players to Ajax Amsterdam:

DC Paupol Ngoy - Ngoy was by far my top transfer target from the start of transfer season. He had some good performances with Montpellier and at 21 years old, lots of room for growth. He has a great combination of strenth, athleticism, and skill. I'm excited to have Ngoy on the team and he's going to be important for us.

DC Allan Nielson - Nielson was an intriguing prospect when my scout found him from my Austrian feeder club FC Wacker Innsbruck. He was a youngster who my scouts really liked and he did well in pre-season, and his form has transferred over to the regular season and the Europa League. Anytime a young player has a handful of caps with a good European team like Denmark, he probably has good talent. He's a steal at $2.1 million.

DC/DR Jean-Marie Martin - Martin was found alongside Ngoy and he was my second transfer target, but I wanted him all along because I sold a lot of my CBs. He spent the last 4 seasons as a starter with Lens so I know he's tested in Ligue 1. He's a part of the CB rotation and he'll get his share of games.

ST Franco Ercoreca - I consider Ercoreca a steal like Nielson. I think he was found through a backroom staff recommendation (he definitely wasn't in any scouting reports from my 2 scouts in South America). My scouts liked him and I liked him, so I came to a $4 million agreement with Independiente (where he scored 14 goals in 34 games). He's been amazing so far, and already has a 5 goal game to show for it.

ST Maximilien Jacques - Jacques was actually my 2nd choice striker in the window. I had an offer to sign a striker but he (a 25-year old Dane) chose Juve over Ajax, so I went for Jacques. $11 million was a steep price for me, and a big risk for a guy who scored a career high of 12 goals in 28 games last season with Guingamp. But I felt that if he's surrounded with players as talented as he is, he will succeed. I'm happy with the signing in the early going and he's scoring goals so far (albeit against inferior opposition in the Europa League qualifiers as you will see ).

AMC Mario Hurtado - His agent offered Hurtado to me when he got transfer-listed by Arsenal. I didn't want to spend the $15 million and the $5 to $6 million in salary to sign him so I opted for a $3 million loan and paying half his wages. He's great value with a $2.6 million wage and I love the fact that his personality is a Leader. He's an expensive loan signing but you can't teach leadership. His spent time at 3 Mexican clubs before his move to Arsenal: Potros UAEM, Santos Laguna, and Monterrey.

DR/MR Ruslan Proshkin - This player was found on August 30 when I asked my ass man to find a loan option for RM. He might be my starting RB because he's very good, and he didn't cost me a loan fee and I'm only paying him 50% of wages. He should be able to settle because our Latvian goalie can speak Russian as well.

MR Frantisek Nemec - Nemec was literally found the day before the transfer day deadline and I liked him enough to spend $1.4 million on him. He's very raw though, and I hope his time with Brno helps him develop (I rather he stay there and play meaningful games than play in the Ajax U19s or the Jong Ajax team). It's a lotto ticket.

Leaving the club includes key guys from last season like: Ivan Maccarone (surplus of requirements), Thodoris Pappa (SOR and too slow), Samir Messai (wasn't going to start games this season for us), Abdoulaye Diomande (too slow and made too many stupid decisions), Carlos Chilavert (decent, but wasn't going to play), Alban Selaci (he wanted to leave for a bigger club, and I wanted him to leave, since everyone hates him), Daniel Perea (not paying a 3rd string GK $1 million), Ricardo Ojeda (was going to be the backup to the backups), Kevin Brehmer (another backup to the backups), and Jan Koops (he had 10 finishing and someone wanted to pay nearly $9 million).

Guys who I think have a future like Natan Haim (he needs to play regular games), Juraj Svoboda (needs regular games outside of Jong Ajax, and wasn't going to get p/t with Hurtado and Inia), and Osvaldo Meza Obregon (needs something better than Jong Ajax) are out on season-long loan.

I signed a few Frenchmen together because it would help them adapt to life in the Netherlands, and we got a large enough Spanish group that Ercoreca shouldn't have any problems settling in.

=====

Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands - 2027/28 UEFA Europa League

We start in the 3rd Qualifying Round:

3rd Qualifying Round vs Cukaricki (Serbia) - Cukaricki were actually a team from the 2nd tier of Serbia last season, so this should be easy for us...

1st leg: Cukaricki 0-7 Ajax

2nd leg: Ajax (9) 2-2 (2) Cukaricki

A huge 7 goal lead in the 1st leg is more than enough to advance despite a lackluster game with my backups and youngsters in the 2nd leg. Next up: Irish side Dundalk.

4th Qualifying Round vs Dundalk (Republic of Ireland) - The Irish champs from the past 2 seasons. Shouldn't be too hard...right?

1st leg: Dundalk 5-6 Ajax

2nd leg: Ajax (11) 5-1 (6) Dundalk

The 1st leg was madness. I didn't expect to trail 1 second over the 2 legs, and we trailed for 24 minutes. Even as we scored, they came back. I needed all 5 of Ercoreca's goals because Clive Mansford was running circles around my defense.

2nd leg was a bit better, rushing out to a 4-0 lead in over 20 minutes. Mansford still got his goal, but we're off to the Group Stage!

Group Stage

It's going to be a tricky group with powerhouse Norwich City (Worldwide rep + rich with $805 million estimated value. Oh, and they pay their best player $18.25 million a season. I can pay 8-10 players with that money.), an AA Gent team that finished 2nd in the Jupiler Pro League, and Bulgarian league champs Ludogorets. We can't underestimate anyone (just look at the Dundalk game), and we will have to be at 110% to advance. I think we have the depth to compete in the Eredivisie and the Europa League. I want to win that trophy.

===

And in other news, Fernando Lopez is applying for Chinese citizenship, so hope he gets it soon and can rep China.

deltablue · July 27, 2014

powerhouse Norwich City (Worldwide rep + rich with $805 million estimated value. Oh, and they pay their best player $18.25 million a season. I can pay 8-10 players with that money.),

What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How long has this been going on for?

rodesire · July 27, 2014

What the hell is going on, Norwich is rich? How, when, why?

rancer890 · July 27, 2014

What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How long has this been going on for?

What the hell is going on, Norwich is rich? How, when, why?

I'm not too sure tbh. But here's the standings the past 8 seasons:

2019/20 - 7th

2020/21 - 8th

2021/22 - 7th

2022/23 - 7th

2023/24 - 6th

2024/25 - 4th

2025/26 - 6th

2026/27 - 6th

They have been around the 20 win mark for the past 5 seasons. Even in their lone top 4 finish they couldn't make the CL group stages. They are strong in the Europa League though, making the Quarters in 2017 and the Semis in 2023.

There hasn't been a sugar daddy either. There were two consortiums in this save (2017 and 2027). I guess having a guy like James Russell helps. Born in Rugby, he's a Norwich farmhand in the 2016 intake. Outside of a couple loans at Championship clubs Nottingham Forest (2017/18) and Brighton (2019/20) he's been at Norwich. His best season was in 2024/25, with 34 goals (25 in the EPL) in 48 games.

Tbf, we're rich and club value is only $216 million and $33 million in the bank at time of posting.

rodesire · July 28, 2014

Oh, wow, this is one of those crazy turnarounds you see in FM. Never thought Norwich could be one of those tbh.

rancer890 · July 29, 2014

Oh, wow, this is one of those crazy turnarounds you see in FM. Never thought Norwich could be one of those tbh.

Norwich and Bournemouth are the big surprises in England in my save, although Bournemouth have gone down to the Championship a couple times in my save. They do have a Europa League Quarter-Final appearance to show for though at least.

Carlisle also came up in the 2025/26 season and are doing well this season.

Even with Norwich's success in the English league, Ajax, AA Gent, and Ludogorets all gave them a good lesson.

rancer890 · July 29, 2014

Former Clubs Watch

Shanghai Shenhua: The club do not finish first for the first time in 7 seasons and all around were miserable, not even winning the Supercup or the FA Cup, and getting eliminated in the Group Stage of the ACL. Not too sure how patient the club will be if the club cannot bring in trophies. Fernando Lopez did get Chinese citizenship however, and got his first Chinese cap in a friendly as a sub. Hopefully as a 27 year old, there's much more to come from Lopez on the Chinese team.

Portland Timbers: Portland had a strong season, again finishing 2nd in the Western Conference, and 3rd in the overall league table. Gus Brown led the way with 16 goals and rookie Keith Pineda (15 goals in 34 games) and Ben Santana did well too. Hopefully they can build on the team and fight for a MLS Cup.

rancer890 · July 31, 2014

Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands - 2027/28 Eredivisie Youth Intake

Youth Intake

A fantastic intake as we have a lot of quality prospects who can be good for us in the future.

YP15a - Ray van Gelder - The fact this van Gelder already has 1.5 star CA means he's advanced development wise for his age. He has a lot of room to grow and can't wait to see how he develops. Along with van Galen from last year's group, we have a couple solid GK prospects for the future. Not sure if having more goalies for me to develop is a good thing or not.

YP15b - Erik van der Hoek - van der Hoek looks like a decent prospect. Could turn into something. Has a lot of solid attributes.

YP15c - Maarten Graafland - Graafland is a bit less polished than van der Hoek, so we'll see what happens with him in our system.

YP15d - Marco Karakaya - Karakaya could be a good CB in the future. He just needs experience in all facets in the youth levels.

YP15e - Hans van der Meulen - van der Meulen looks solid, and he'll help us in the future with the right development.

I also signed some Canadians and dual-nationality guys, because why not.

===

In other news, I surpassed my 600th game in management, and Fernando Lopez is a Chinese citizen, and even got a callup for a friendly at the end of last year.

rancer890 · August 1, 2014

Ajax Amsterdam - Netherlands - 2027/28 Eredivisie

Standings | Fixtures | Past Positions

A fantastic season where we only lost twice (and that 2nd loss was the last game of the season where I played some YP players). A great turnaround for a club that has not won a league title in a long time.

KNVB Beker

Great work in the cup as well as we hoist another trophy with a 2-1 win

UEFA Europa League

We did a fantastic job in the Europa League, but we couldn't beat Chelsea (who had no business being the Europa League, but they somehow were in a Champions League group with Inter, Dortmund, and Benfica!). A solid job all around. No more Europa League though hopefully.

Squad | Transfers

It's not a mess this season.

I think even this result surprised me. I had a lot of new players but wasn't sure if they could co-exist and win a title this early. But it's fantastic to see Ajax win the title so quickly. The squad needs some improvement but

GK - Armands Melgalvis | Jacopo Pagnini

DR - Khaled Kermiche | Ruslan Proshkin

DC - Paupol Ngoy | Erik Smulders | Washington Cabrera

DC - Allan Nielsen | Jean-Marie Martin

DL - Yaw Yeboah | Reuben Chifamba

DM - Sebastian Correa | Imad El Amrani | Roel Parris (YP14b)

MR - Jose Vicente

ML - Fernando Rivas | Christopher Beck

AMC - Mario Hurtado | Aad Inia

ST - Maximillien Jacques | Pablo Machain | Jerry van Osch

ST - Franco Ercoreca | Jeffrey Meijs (YP14a)

Ajax MVP: Jose Vicente - He scored timely goals, and was unselfish with all his assists. He can score from PKs and score from DFKs. He can do it all.

Ajax Newcomer of the Year: Franco Ercoreca - Scored a lot of goals and proved to be a very reliable option

Ajax Youth Player of the Year: Jeffrey Meijs (YP14a) - Did a good job with the U19s and did well to score a goal in limited playing time with the senior team. Still lots of potential

Club Info | Facilities | Finances | Affiliations

It's good to see we made a bit more money this season and hope it'll continue next season with the Champions League.

Awards

Eredivisie Talent van het jaar (Young Player of the Year) - Franco Ercoreca (3rd place)
Jupiler League Talent van het jaar (Young Player of the Year) - Thomas Karlsen (1st place)

Goals/Observations

We did a fantastic job to turn around the club so quickly and win a title. However, winning it next year will even be harder.
Selling players and buying better replacements is still something I need to do this upcoming transfer window, so hopefully we can find good talent at the right price

Other

The following players will be participating in the upcoming UEFA European Championship: Allan Nielsen (Denmark), Paupol Ngoy and Maximilien Jacques (France), Armands Melgavis (Latvia)
The following players will be participating in the upcoming UEFA U-21 Championship: Thomas Karlsen (Denmark), Aad Inia, Peter Jansen, Erik Smulders and Yaw Yeboah (Netherlands)