[FM20][FM21][FM22][FM23] Calcio

[goonergez]

12 minutes ago, Ewan0404 said:

@goonergez

Great season well done. 

Have you been given your initial budgets for next season yet? 

Only £8m to spend so we’re going to have to be very shrewd to strengthen sensibly. I am worried for us if I’m honest, but it’s exciting nonetheless

[Jogo Bonito]

3 hours ago, goonergez said:

Only £8m to spend so we’re going to have to be very shrewd to strengthen sensibly. I am worried for us if I’m honest, but it’s exciting nonetheless

There are always free transfers to be found, so £8m should be enough (unless it's Italian Lira )

You can definitely stay up and I'll be expecting nothing less from you maestro 

Meanwhile, as you complete your latest season, here I am in after just one completed season at Parma. Updated link below from FMCU form for anyone interested.

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by Jogo Bonito

[JRS192]

It's been a big year... :D

 

[JRS192]

So yeah, it was a tremendous season last year. I was a bit gutted we didn't manage an invincible league season, losing to Atalanta with a couple of games left but there's a lot of great results in there. The 5-0 against Inter on the last day was a shocker as they've really pushed me all season - the trophy presentation at the San Siro will have been something else! :')

I'm delighted we managed to win the CL losing in last year's Final. Nicolo Zaniolo scoring the extra time winner. Poor Pep didn't even make the post-match interview, getting sacked in the tunnel - his Goalkeeping Coach took it. 

In terms of squad building, I'm not expecting major surgery. Theo Hernandez is agitating for a move to Chelsea (as he did last summer), so it's likely that he'll move on - should that happen we'll be well prepared, Luca Pellegrini has developed into Italy's starting left back, while Riccardo Calafiori was signed last summer in anticipation - and now has a full Serie A season under his belt following an impressive spell at Monza. 

Franco Vazquez will also be leaving in the summer when his contract expires. He proved to be one of my best signings, for a mere £1million in my first season, he offered 10 goals/assists a year in a squad role. At 34, he's deteriorated physically to a point that he couldn't get into the squad regularly enough to justify keeping him. 

[Jogo Bonito]

58 minutes ago, JRS192 said:

So yeah, it was a tremendous season last year. I was a bit gutted we didn't manage an invincible league season, losing to Atalanta with a couple of games left but there's a lot of great results in there. The 5-0 against Inter on the last day was a shocker as they've really pushed me all season - the trophy presentation at the San Siro will have been something else! :')

I'm delighted we managed to win the CL losing in last year's Final. Nicolo Zaniolo scoring the extra time winner. Poor Pep didn't even make the post-match interview, getting sacked in the tunnel - his Goalkeeping Coach took it. 

In terms of squad building, I'm not expecting major surgery. Theo Hernandez is agitating for a move to Chelsea (as he did last summer), so it's likely that he'll move on - should that happen we'll be well prepared, Luca Pellegrini has developed into Italy's starting left back, while Riccardo Calafiori was signed last summer in anticipation - and now has a full Serie A season under his belt following an impressive spell at Monza. 

Franco Vazquez will also be leaving in the summer when his contract expires. He proved to be one of my best signings, for a mere £1million in my first season, he offered 10 goals/assists a year in a squad role. At 34, he's deteriorated physically to a point that he couldn't get into the squad regularly enough to justify keeping him. 

A great season, congrats. I guess your motivation is to try and repeat those feats again this year?

Pellegrini and Calafiori are ones for me to keep an eye on for Parma. Talking of which...

Despite my awareness of the non-EU slots, it seems to think I have used them up already. I thought if one came from within Italy and was under the age requiring registration that it wouldn't count. The other non-EU signing was also under the registration age but he joined from a club elsewhere in Europe. It seems these two count as my allowance, which isn't ideal as both were for 'future years'.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Jogo Bonito

[JRS192]

10 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

A great season, congrats. I guess your motivation is to try and repeat those feats again this year?

Pellegrini and Calafiori are ones for me to keep an eye on for Parma.

I think so - a lot of our mainstays had attracted attention from the Premier League/La Liga in January so I was expecting to lose a few of them, and have more of a transition season, but up to now only Hernandez is leaving (£90mill to Chelsea).

I managed to sign Pellegrini for silly money in my second season (£1.4mill) and he's really been excellent for me, keep an eye on Juventus transfer listing him following his loan. Calafiori was considerably more expensive (£26million), but between them they lock down the LB position for years to come.

I've only made one addition to the squad this summer, I've picked up Pietro Pellegri from Monaco for £950k - I've occasionally been using a two striker system when chasing a game, and I only have Belotti and Colombo. Pellegri fits a similar mould to my other strikers, happy to sit on the bench, I don't have to register him due to his age, and I should be able to turn a profit on him if he flops. 

First Team Squad looks like this going into Season 4:

Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Salvatore Sirigu

Defenders
Luca Pellegrini, Riccardo Calafiori, Davide Calabria, Takahiro Tomiyasu
Alessio Romagnoli, Andrea Papetti, Nikola Milenkovic, Anel Ahmedhodzic

Midfielders
Sandro Tonali, Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie
Roberto Gagliardini, Nicolo Rovella, Manuel Locatelli

Attacking Midfielders
Gaetano Castrovilli, Nicolo Zaniolo, Daniel Maldini
Emanuel Viganto, Alejandro Gomez

Forwards
Andrea Belotti, Lorenzo Colombo, Pietro Pellegri

[goonergez]

Perugia FC: 2026/27 Preview

My career with this football club is now entering it's seventh campaign, with a first in the top flight of Italian football. It's a return after an absence of over twenty years for this club and comes after we clinched a second league title and promotion with me at the helm last time around. My efforts have seen me ranked amongst the idols of the club now, which really is a fantastic feeling. For me my hunger to succeed here is now just getting started though. My first long term goal was to get this team back into Serie A, and now we have a new set of goals to aim for. Initially it is all about safety though, and avoiding an immediate relegation straight back. It wont be easy, but I have confidence in my players to give it their all to try and achieve it. Thankfully the board match my expectations for this coming campaign, with a brave fight against relegation their target. They gave me £8,000,000 to spend on transfers, which although not massive, was more than enough to keep me happy. Recruitment was definitely not going to be simple, and the squad definitely needed some work. We had a number of players I felt were capable of the step up in quality, but we also had some who may well have been punching above their weight in the second tier anyway. The big question was how to approach the summer market. I obviously wanted to keep the bulk of our squad together, but with arrivals I saw two potential approaches. Should we go all out for one or two big signings? Or should we be methodical and look to bring in cheaper options to fill the squad with a little spruce of quality throughout. My personal decision was to make a huge effort to reward the players who got us to this level, and move to bring in just a few new faces. I knew we needed to add some quality, but I didn't want to go all out and try to replace the whole team. 

The toughest part of our summer was having to offer out a number of new contracts to existing players to give them significant pay rises. This saw Fulignati, Dragomir, Basit, Carboni and Cristiano all sign on with us long term, but all with much bigger wages. This ate up a lot of our remaining weekly wage budget.

There were no major deals out of the club, although we did bring in some funds. Cover players Fabio Pavone, Ludovico Gelmi and Obertan Manetti all sold to bring in funds. We didn't lose anybody that we wanted to keep though, so in that regard it was a very successful summer.

Our first piece of business regarding improvements to our squad was to offer AC Milan an extension to the loan deal of left back Giovanni Cavallero. The youngster was a superb replacement for Angelo Ndrecka last summer after a last minute move to loan him, and I didn't want to lose him for this season. Thankfully we agreed a deal with his club to keep him here for another season. After spending the last three years on loan with us from Atalanta we managed to complete a permanent deal to sign Alessandro Vogliacco. The experienced central defender has been one of our most consistent performers over the last few years, and now we get to keep him here on a longer term deal. Other than those two we didn't really need to do much in the market. My main priorities were to bring in another option for central midfield, and a striker to compete with Alberto Cristiano for the starting role. I've tried and failed in the last couple of seasons with a few options, but this season needed to get it right. In central midfield we picked up two new signings, including smashing our club record transfer for my number one target of the summer.

The youngster looks really promising and is a player I have hunted for a while now. We ended up paying more than I wanted too, but I see him as an improvement on Abdallah Basit and a long term prospect who will be a real key player in our squad. Alongside him we also snapped up 20-year old Jorge after his release by Real Madrid. He should offer some creativity to our midfield line which should help us moving forwards. The final two deals were to add some cover to our squad. Firstly we signed full back Mattia Novella from SPAL, and he can play on the left or right hand side of defence. At £300,000 he should prove a snip and offers some valuable cover. 21-year old striker Andrea Barbieri arrived from Serie C side Sudtirol, and looks a promising long term replacement perhaps for Alberto Cristiano. He will be used mainly as a backup option for now, but I am excited to see how he gets on with us.

We had a pretty good summer, although I am a little worried about how this season may unfold. We're not fancied to enjoy a very positive campaign and everybody believes we are favourites to be immediately relegated. For me safety is the only priority even though it will be hard work. Hopefully we can surprise people though. If we avoid the drop I honestly think it'll be my biggest achievement with this club so far.

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

Honours:

2020/21 Serie C/B Winners

2025/26 Serie B Winners

[JRS192]

4 minutes ago, goonergez said:

Perugia FC: 2026/27 Preview

Another great post - you're flying through seasons!

Giannusa looks a great prospect.

[goonergez]

Perugia FC: Serie A Squad

After all of our summer activity was completed I thought it was the right time to assess the squad we will be taking into the campaign with us. It's our first season back in Serie A, and here is a rundown of the players we will be using throughout the coming season;

Andrea Fulignati 31yo (220apps): Still at the club since my arrival, the experienced stopper has been a mainstay throughout. Initially at the club on loan before we signed him on a free from Ascoli. How we’ve kept hold of him until now I really am not quite sure.

Dani Valori 20yo (9apps): Still only young Valori came through the youth ranks here and has impressed every time he’s played. Still planned as a long term replacement for the impressive Fulignati.

Alessandro Voggliacco 27yo (109apps, 4gls): Experienced centre back who’s spent the past three seasons on loan at the club from Atalanta. A real key member of the squad here we moved quickly in the summer to tie him up permanently.

Mario Ierardi 28yo (130apps, 7gls): Experienced right back who’s been a regular since signing on a free transfer from Vicenza. This will be his first ever campaign at this level.

Rodrigo Guth 25yo (41apps): Brazilian centre back who offers great cover for our first choice partnership. Joined the club a couple of January windows ago from Entella in a £100,000 deal.

Ettiene Marius Catena 22yo (7apps): Young Ivorian who has never really featured much after arriving on a free transfer from AC Milan. He spent last season at Pordenone in Serie A so hopefully can bring some experience with him after that loan spell.

Mariano Mulas 21yo (4apps): Another young prospect snapped up last summer after his release by Cagliari. He looks really talented but has so far struggled here for first team opportunities.

James Guidi 20yo (5apps): A young right back who came up through our youth department. He looks talented but much like Mulas has struggled to gain any first team opportunities here.

Daniele Maggliocca 23yo (16apps): Versatile full back who can play on either side of defence. He arrived last summer from Brescia in a £150,000 deal to offer cover for our full back options.

Giovanni Cavallero 20yo (31apps, 1gl): Young full back who joins on loan again after a successful spell with us last season. Was signed to replace our left back when he departed on deadline day, Giovanni stepped up and performed brilliantly for us during our league winning campaign.

Mattia Novella 25yo: A recent £300,000 arrival from SPAL, Novella can play on either side of defence. That verstility is sure to help us over a long league campaign.

Jeremy Joly 20yo (72apps, 2gls): Young centre back signed as an 18-year old on a free transfer from Reims in his homeland. Slotted almost straight into the first team and is already a key member of our defence despite of his young age.

Jacopo Petriccione 31yo (30apps, 2gls): Signed last summer on a free transfer from Brescia, Jacopo proved the perfect replacement for long time holding midfielder Marco Toscano. He may even have been better for us in that role. 

Abdallah Basit 26yo (143apps, 8gls): Signed as a 22-year old, the Ghanaian has become an integral part of our midfield since arriving on a free transfer from Benevento. A consistent performer who always works his hardest for the team. Is versatile enough to play as either the creator in our midfield or as a ball winner.

Enrico di Gesu 24yo (77apps, 7gls): Another player snapped up as a youngster after being let go by AC Milan, he’s developed into a very good midfield player indeed. Mainly used as cover but he’s an adequate replacement for our first choice central midfield partnership.

Vlad Dragomir 27yo (269apps, 22gls): The now Romanian international joined the club prior to my arrival and is surely a club legend by now. He’s been here since 2019 and has been a regular in my team since day one. I’ll be devestated if we ever let the former arsenal youngster leave the club.

Jorge 20yo: A Spanish under-21 international, Jorge was snapped up this summer after his release by Real Madrid. A creative spark, the central midfielder is a really exciting arrival for us.

Gaetano Giannusa 20yo: A  club record £4,500,000 summer signing from SPAL, the central midfielder really is an unbelievable prospect. He provides another centrl midfield option and is a player I see as a key component for the future of this club.

Franco Carboni 23yo (95apps, 15gls): A £200,000 signing from SPAL three summers ago, Franco has developed into a very impressive winger. With a keen eye for goal, his murading runs down the wing are at times an absolute joy to watch. He's one I am really excited to see strut his stuff in Serie A.

Marko Jankovic 30yo (98apps, 19gls): Experienced Montenigrin international, Marko joined the club at the beginning of the 2022/23 season on a free transfer from SPAL. He's been a great servant to the club, although first team football is a little harder to come by now.

Riccardo Tonin 25yo (71apps, 19gls): Backup striker who can play on the wing too, he’s a great option in our squad. He’s been chased by a number of top flight clubs over the years but we’ve kept hold of him so far. Arrived three summers ago after being released by AC Milan.

Mohammed Sarr 23yo (38apps, 10gls): Senegalese winger signed for £800,000 from Bologna last summer. His arrival changed our whole fortunes and he was a huge part of our league winning campaign. He definitely possesses the ability to play in the top flight and I’m excited to see how he gets on.

Giulio Armellino 18yo (21apps, 6gls): A winger who can play up top, the youngster has developed through our youth system. He broke into the first team this season with a goal on debut and I have real high hopes for him going forwards. 

Alberto Cristiano 23yo (88apps, 43gls): Signed three summers ago in a £1,000,000 club record transfer from Catanzaro, Alberto has fit into our system perfectly. Ended the league winning campaign with 15 goals, but the season before was the top scorer in Serie B with 19 strikes. An exciting striker with many years ahead of him yet.

Andrea Barbieri 21yo: We parted with a £500,000 fee to sign the young striker from Serie C, and he's a real prospect. He will primarily be a backup option for us but long term could be a really good striker indeed.

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

Honours:

2020/21 Serie C/B Winners

2025/26 Serie B Winners

[Jogo Bonito]

2 minutes ago, JRS192 said:

I managed to sign Pellegrini for silly money in my second season (£1.4mill) and he's really been excellent for me, keep an eye on Juventus transfer listing him following his loan. Calafiori was considerably more expensive (£26million), but between them they lock down the LB position for years to come. I've only made one addition to the squad this summer, I've picked up Pietro Pellegri from Monaco for £950k - I've occasionally been using a two striker system when chasing a game, and I only have Belotti and Colombo. Pellegri fits a similar mould to my other strikers, happy to sit on the bench, I don't have to register him due to his age, and I should be able to turn a profit on him if he flops. 

Takahiro Tomiyasu, Sandro Tonali, Franck Kessie, Nicolo Rovella, Manuel Locatelli, Gaetano Castrovilli, Nicolo Zaniolo, Daniel Maldini and Andrea Belotti are all players I have looked at, tried to sign, or hope to sign. Roberto Gagliardini was on loan in my first Parma season with an agreed fee but he wouldn't join and won't return on loan even though he has been put in the Inter U20 squad.

[goonergez]

Just now, JRS192 said:

Another great post - you're flying through seasons!

Giannusa looks a great prospect.

I am getting through seasons quickly! I'm working but I get home at like 1pm and then play through til bed time! I'm racking up like 8-9 hours a day! Hopefully I can make my team as dominant as yours! That was a great season for your team!

[JRS192]

3 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Takahiro Tomiyasu, Sandro Tonali, Franck Kessie, Nicolo Rovella, Manuel Locatelli, Gaetano Castrovilli, Nicolo Zaniolo, Daniel Maldini and Andrea Belotti are all players I have looked at, tried to sign, or hope to sign. Roberto Gagliardini was on loan in my first Parma season with an agreed fee but he wouldn't join and won't return on loan even though he has been put in the Inter U20 squad.

All of the above have been great for me. Keep an eye on Lorenzo Colombo aswell, I sent him to Monza on loan in season 2 and he was Serie A's 2nd top scorer behind Belotti. Popped up with 15 for me this year even while playing understudy. 
I was able to snag Locatelli and Rovella fairly cheaply due to release clauses (Locatelli £20mill for a team playing in Europe, and Rovella for £5mill(ish?) due to a relegation release clause) - both playing 30+ games for me this season. 

I've got some incredible deals by ripping players from underperforming teams. 

10 minutes ago, goonergez said:

I am getting through seasons quickly! I'm working but I get home at like 1pm and then play through til bed time! I'm racking up like 8-9 hours a day! Hopefully I can make my team as dominant as yours! That was a great season for your team!

Can't fault that, I'll play regularly for a few days then stop for like a month! :') Thank you! 

 

[goonergez]

2 minutes ago, JRS192 said:

All of the above have been great for me. Keep an eye on Lorenzo Colombo aswell, I sent him to Monza on loan in season 2 and he was Serie A's 2nd top scorer behind Belotti. Popped up with 15 for me this year even while playing understudy. 
I was able to snag Locatelli and Rovella fairly cheaply due to release clauses (Locatelli £20mill for a team playing in Europe, and Rovella for £5mill(ish?) due to a relegation release clause) - both playing 30+ games for me this season. 

I've got some incredible deals by ripping players from underperforming teams. 

Can't fault that, I'll play regularly for a few days then stop for like a month! :') Thank you! 

 

I am very lucky at the moment thats for sure. I'm a food delivery driver so at the moment it's dead with the lack of schools and restaurants etc. My job is as easy as it will ever be and it gives me so much time to play FM. I'm also only running the Italian leagues so processing speeds etc are rapid! My game speed will slow down for sure when things start going back to normal.

Your reference to release clauses intrigues me. I wasn't able to sign anyone in Serie A without adding in a release clause to their contracts!

[Jogo Bonito]

11 minutes ago, JRS192 said:

All of the above have been great for me. Keep an eye on Lorenzo Colombo aswell, I sent him to Monza on loan in season 2 and he was Serie A's 2nd top scorer behind Belotti. Popped up with 15 for me this year even while playing understudy. I was able to snag Locatelli and Rovella fairly cheaply due to release clauses (Locatelli £20mill for a team playing in Europe, and Rovella for £5mill(ish?) due to a relegation release clause) - both playing 30+ games for me this season. I've got some incredible deals by ripping players from underperforming teams. 

I'm not seeing any release clauses like that yet but will keep an eye out for them. Locatelli is valued at £23m and they start the bidding at £62m when I enquired. Rovella is currently way out of reach too.

Colombo is on my shortlist mainly due to being young and Italian but they want £5m rising to £6m to take him away ahead of the 2021/22 season. With my budget (most of it reserved for my central midfielder), and as he would be only fighting for 3rd/4th choice striker role along with my own prospect Adorante (21) it may not be worth the investment yet.

Here are the Italian strikers on my radar. Belotti would be the dream, but way out of reach. There are a mix of ages and abilities, some would be massive punts for sure 

 

[JRS192]

24 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I'm not seeing any release clauses like that yet but will keep an eye out for them. Locatelli is valued at £23m and they start the bidding at £62m when I enquired. Rovella is currently way out of reach too.

Colombo is on my shortlist mainly due to being young and Italian but they want £5m rising to £6m to take him away ahead of the 2021/22 season. With my budget (most of it reserved for my central midfielder), and as he would be only fighting for 3rd/4th choice striker role along with my own prospect Adorante (21) it may not be worth the investment yet.

Here are the Italian strikers on my radar. Belotti would be the dream, but way out of reach. There are a mix of ages and abilities, some would be massive punts for sure 

That's fair, Adorante looks a great prospect aswell tbf! 

Here's Colombo on mine;

[JRS192]

Got a few quality regens coming though - here's some of the best ones; 

[Jogo Bonito]

@JRS192Mele, Pinato & Scaramelli look fantastic. I'll see what happens with my midfielder bid before deciding on Colombo. I guess it won't harm to have two exciting young Italian striker prospects at the club.

[JRS192]

Hoovering them up from our rivals on intake day! Bianchi and Scaramelli are from our academy - I know you've got Galli at Parma; he's doing great things here! 

Annoying thing with Scaramelli is that he's only an accomplished centre forward, despite his skill set, he's naturally a right winger. I'm trying to force teams to play him upfront when he goes on loan, but it never happens!  

[goonergez]

Perugia FC: 2026/27 Mid-Season Report

My seventh season in charge of this club see's a new challenge as we face Serie A. I was slightly surprised we managed to win promotion last season but was left excited at the opportunity to manage in the top flight. We faced a difficult summer in the transfer market, although we did bring in some new faces. The priority was to keep the core of our promotion winning squad together, which we managed to do. Expectations were for a difficult season, with the only priority being to avoid an immediate relegation straight back down.

We've really been found out this season, and a lack of quality amongst our young squad really has me worried. Scoring goals is clearly our problem, and it's not something I feel can be solved without moving into the transfer market.  Alberto Cristiano has only scored twice so far, with winger Franco Carboni our biggest threat so far. Defensively we're conceding a lot, but not due to poor performances it's just a lack of quality. Club record signing Gaetano Gianussa has been distinctly average so far, and legend Vlad Dragomir has been awful so far. It's all been a real slog, and I am genuinely worried for us at this stage. To add to our misery we suffered an immediate exit from the Italian Cup too, losing on penalties to Pro Vercelli of the third tier after a 2-2 draw.

Spending so much of our transfer budget on midfielder Gaetano Giannusa means we have minimal funds available for the January transfer window. We need a striker urgently. If we can't start scoring goals soon then we really are going to fade into insignificance. It's a really big few months coming up, and I am extremely worried about how it's going to unfold.

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

Honours:

2020/21 Serie C/B Winners

2025/26 Serie B Winners

[Ewan0404]

@Jogo Bonito if your still after a striker I know Pellegri was amazing on last years game.

Signed him at Milan in the first season and over my 5 seasons there he scored no fewer than 20 a season. 

[Jogo Bonito]

@goonergezThat really has been tough. Don't forget that I was 19th after six games with a 0-3-3 record. I felt I had paid too much respect to our opponents so changed to positive and slowly turned things around. You may not have the quality but don't pay the price for over-estimating your opponents too much either. Hang in there and good luck.

[goonergez]

30 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

@goonergezThat really has been tough. Don't forget that I was 19th after six games with a 0-3-3 record. I felt I had paid too much respect to our opponents so changed to positive and slowly turned things around. You may not have the quality but don't pay the price for over-estimating your opponents too much either. Hang in there and good luck.

I haven’t changed my mentality really, focusing on positive but occasionally shifting to cautious. We haven’t really been beaten heavily by many, just can’t score goals and so losing out 0-1 or 1-2. It’s been really tough to take but I can’t see a revival of any sort. We just don’t have the quality or the money to compete really. It’s been tough. I think I would stick with it if we were to be relegated though. 

[JRS192]

What sort of system are you playing @goonergez? From my time in the Serie A, the hardest thing about it is how so many teams play 5 at the back formations, with a DM, horrible to break down systems. 

If you're attacking those, without the quality to break them down - you're going to struggle. I've seen my Milan side struggle to break down teams like Lazio with their 5-3-2 - crosses just don't touch them...


 

[goonergez]

2 minutes ago, JRS192 said:

What sort of system are you playing @goonergez? From my time in the Serie A, the hardest thing about it is how so many teams play 5 at the back formations, with a DM, horrible to break down systems. 

If you're attacking those, without the quality to break them down - you're going to struggle. I've seen my Milan side struggle to break down teams like Lazio with their 5-3-2 - crosses just don't touch them...


 

Up until this season i had played a 4-1-2-2-1 system kind of like a 4-5-1 but with two wingers further up the pitch and a holding midfielder. After we suffered a few defeats I moved it this season to play two holding midfielders in a 4-2-1-2-1. As I say we play well, we just can’t put the ball in the net. We create chances we just don’t score. It’s been hard to watch at times

[MWE]

Season 4 done with Sassuolo

Juventus walking to the title although we did  get to the semi finals of the Champions League

Also won the Italian Cup

 

[Jogo Bonito]

Nice going @MWEalthough I noticed not many goals from your strikers there (maybe David will solve that). I was looking at your midfielders Tommaso & Manuel for Parma.

@goonergez A quiet day from you, does that signal the problems remain?

My pre-season summary for 2021/22 Parma has just been added.

 

[MWE]

8 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Nice going @MWEalthough I noticed not many goals from your strikers there (maybe David will solve that). I was looking at your midfielders Tommaso & Manuel for Parma.

 

I play striker less hence most of my goals coming from midfielders

[goonergez]

31 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

 

@goonergez A quiet day from you, does that signal the problems remain?

I’ll be honest I haven’t played on too much more. Decided to attempt the journeyman style ultimate challenge. I played a few more matches this morning though and we actually played a little better. Picked up a second win of the season and a couple of hard fought draws. Unfortunately other results haven’t gone for us and with 12 games remaining we sit 14 points adrift of safety and requiring a miracle.

[Jogo Bonito]

2 minutes ago, goonergez said:

I’ll be honest I haven’t played on too much more. Decided to attempt the journeyman style ultimate challenge. I played a few more matches this morning though and we actually played a little better. Picked up a second win of the season and a couple of hard fought draws. Unfortunately other results haven’t gone for us and with 12 games remaining we sit 14 points adrift of safety and requiring a miracle.

Tough times. Whether you go back to it or not, it's been a great effort.

[Muttley84]

Love readin in here about your careers, probably going to start in Serie B soon also. Havent yet decided on a team, but probably looking for some of the underdogs...

[Jogo Bonito]

1 hour ago, Muttley84 said:

Love readin in here about your careers, probably going to start in Serie B soon also. Havent yet decided on a team, but probably looking for some of the underdogs...

That will be good. Any special idea of who?

[Muttley84]

10 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

That will be good. Any special idea of who?

Not really sure, but teams from the south are on my radar with Cosenza and Reggina early favorites. If only I find the time to play...

[BWZ_Tomek]

Have been waiting for the winter update patch to be released and now that it is, have decided to start my save with Olbia in Serie C. Inspired by a trip to Sardinia in October - aim is to take them to Serie A and make them the biggest club in Sardinia and a top club in Italy.

 

Will provide updates if this is the thread for it and people are interested.

Edited February 23, 2021 by BWZ_Tomek

[Jogo Bonito]

8 minutes ago, BWZ_Tomek said:

Have been waiting for the winter update patch to be released and now that it is, have decided to start my save with Olivia in Serie C. Inspired by a trip to Sardinia in October - aim is to take them to Serie A and make them the biggest club in Sardinia and a top club in Italy. Will provide updates if this is the thread for it and people are interested.

That will be great to see you and @Muttley84in Serie C. I will be continuing my Parma save despite the new update.

[JRS192]

One slight change to the squad before the new season. Nikola Milenkovic departs for Real Madrid for £55mill + 40% Sell On. He wanted me to accept Madrid's offer, and while he was generally rock solid for me, I did feel he was prone to the occasional lapse. While I did bemoan that Gianluca Mancini moved from Chelsea to Atletico just days before, it means I can fully push Papetti as the starting centre back alongside Romagnoli, and creates a squad position for Claudio Morrone once he returns from his loan at Verona. Ahmedhovic will move up to 3rd choice centre back, with Takehiro Tomiyasu also capable of slotting in if required. 

A couple of other bids came in - Bayern tried for Locatelli, and Atletico for Ahmedhovic but I'm not interesting in selling either at the moment. 

On paper, we're not as strong as last season, but I expected a level of transition going into the season as I create spaces for emerging talent. We're still comfortably the strongest side in Italy, and more than capable of challenging for the Champions League. Let's see how it goes!

Our Serie A campaign opens with two solid wins. 1-0 against Cagliari, and 4-1 against Brescia. I don't know if the match engine's changed since the update, but our attacking play in possession's looking rather good early on!

The Champions League draw sees us in a group with Man Utd, RB Salzburg and Sporting Lisbon. Our clash with Man Utd and Erling Haaland is becoming an annual thing - lovely!

Edited February 24, 2021 by JRS192

[Shen]

@goonergez thanks for inspiring an Italian career save! Started with Legnago in Serie C/B. Spent hours manually scouring for loan players on the cheap. Got promoted first season, but struggling to find quality players for Serie B...

[goonergez]

30 minutes ago, Shen said:

@goonergez thanks for inspiring an Italian career save! Started with Legnago in Serie C/B. Spent hours manually scouring for loan players on the cheap. Got promoted first season, but struggling to find quality players for Serie B...

Glad I could be of help. Nice to have some positive feedback and really appreciate it. I enjoyed Italy a lot actually and at some point I’ll be returning to Perugia I’m sure! Keep it going mate, it’s all rewarding!

[Jogo Bonito]

Good to see people still managing in Italy. I haven't had a chance to play for a couple of days or so, but my Parma career is definitely continuing too.

@goonergezI think you need to dust off that Italian phrase book and fly back pronto 

 

[goonergez]

12 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Good to see people still managing in Italy. I haven't had a chance to play for a couple of days or so, but my Parma career is definitely continuing too.

@goonergezI think you need to dust off that Italian phrase book and fly back pronto 

 

I’ll definitely be returning but it’s hard to motivate for a certain relegation. 14 adrift with just ten games or so to go and only 2 wins all season. I’m enjoying South Africa at the moment which I never thought I’d say, but Perugia is definitely not a closed book just yet. Excited to see how Parma are getting on after a good first season.

[Kostropaty]

Currently 4th season online game with Lucchese, where finished 9th in Serie B last season. Comparing to FM20 it seems not as easy (loans!) and -despite being a really nice tuscan city- players refuse to play there due to the clubs reputation. Below are some interesting players and im curious whether they are performing well in your saves.

Pio Schiavi- my 1st transfer, very reliable right wingback, equally good at serie B and C level


Salvatore Santoro -bought from Casertana just to be picked up by Parma in the following season. Pretty good MC for a good value.


Vincenzo Della Pietra -an absoulte unknown. Brough from Serie C Juve Stabia to replace excellent duo of loanees (Bianchi and Rovaglia), one of few interesting and cheap strikers who wanted to play in Lucca (started the season with 825 pounds to spend...)



More about the save in a dedicated online saves thread.

Serie C - career mode - FM Online Careers and Game Modes - Sports Interactive Community (sigames.com)

Edited February 25, 2021 by Kostropaty

[Jogo Bonito]

@KostropatyThey all look good for Serie B. I haven't noticed any of them in my game to be honest.

3 hours ago, goonergez said:

I’ll definitely be returning but it’s hard to motivate for a certain relegation. 14 adrift with just ten games or so to go and only 2 wins all season. I’m enjoying South Africa at the moment which I never thought I’d say, but Perugia is definitely not a closed book just yet. Excited to see how Parma are getting on after a good first season.

Thanks, I hope to get some games in tonight. South Africa is an interesting choice, glad it is working out for you. Perhaps your Italian return should be with a new club on the new update?

[BWZ_Tomek]

Just a question for you guys: What is the best way to scout, in your opinion? I only have 2-3 scouts as Olbia and as I play with attribute masking on and lowest possible badges and reputation, very few attributes are visible for players in my league. This is the case even after my scout files his report on next opponent. Is there a way to scout teams in my division better, or will I only get more in depth information about their attributes if I select them individually so that I receive a report on them? Thanks for any advice.

On another note, it's all going well so far with Olbia. Granted it's only been 9 matches, but we're up in 4th place having been predicted to finish 17th. Somehow we are still undefeated having only conceded 3 goals. As I say, I'm not really sure of the level of my opponents' players as I can't really see most attributes, but it seems my players are good enough to be in control of most games. 

[Jogo Bonito]

On 25/02/2021 at 18:05, BWZ_Tomek said:

Just a question for you guys: What is the best way to scout, in your opinion? I only have 2-3 scouts as Olbia and as I play with attribute masking on and lowest possible badges and reputation, very few attributes are visible for players in my league. This is the case even after my scout files his report on next opponent. Is there a way to scout teams in my division better, or will I only get more in depth information about their attributes if I select them individually so that I receive a report on them? Thanks for any advice.

On another note, it's all going well so far with Olbia. Granted it's only been 9 matches, but we're up in 4th place having been predicted to finish 17th. Somehow we are still undefeated having only conceded 3 goals. As I say, I'm not really sure of the level of my opponents' players as I can't really see most attributes, but it seems my players are good enough to be in control of most games. 

Good start with Olbia. Sorry I don't really use scouts so hopefully somebody else can help with an answer in that one.

The latest update to my Parma effort on FMCU is now up.

[WilsonJuve]

Well after losing all my data and struggling to get back into a save I return to Italy. I have set the game to start with the Chinese late pre-season start date which is 22/02/2021 which leaves the season pretty much exactly the same as it is in real life.  You can see the table in the screenshot below. 




As you can see the team I have chosen to manage is Udinese there the bottom team in the league and 6 points from safety. The Aim for the current season is clear remain in Serie A at all costs. Then looking to the future I want us to work on our youth setup and create a team that could possibly bring us our first top flight trophy be that the Coppa Italia or the Scudetto.  As I selected a late start date no transfer windows have officially past so the teams are all correct and current as of the winter update.

[LucasBR]

Are you guys enjoying this year's version? I'm finding very difficult to play as I did last year =S

[Jogo Bonito]

I've been enjoying FM21 myself, but I am a slow player and not a frequent visitor to Italy.

I'm nearing the end of season 2 with Parma now, updated on FMCU forum and details of which can be found on this link for anyone interested.

 

[WilsonJuve]

Well here is the update from a couple of posts ago. I started with Udinese where 24 games had been played prior to me joining. I will be using spoiler tabs because there is going to be a lot of images uploaded.

I started my reign with a home fixture against Verona one of the better starts I could have asked for 2 goals from our talisman Rodrigo De Paul helped us on our way to a 3-2 victory. These were very important as our next opponent would be Fiorentina away from home. Playing slightly defensively the game was a snooze fest and finished 0-0 but considering the strength of the opposition it felt like another victory. Then onto Spezia a team currently in the drop zone with ourselves and a fantastic 3-0 
victory would get us out of the relegation places with only 3 games played. The fact we managed 7 points from a possible 9 had me feeling very optimistic.

Spoiler

The next game was a crushing blow a 4-3 defeat away to Sassuolo which the winner was scored in the 93rd minute really hurt. But the next game at home to  A giants AS Roma was the highlight of the season two goals before half time and an amazing display in the second half helped us hold on for a 2-1 victory. Morale was high but a 3-1 defeat away to Genoa followed  by a 3-1 home defeat to AC Milan changed the mood. We did manage a late equaliser against Torino despite only having 10 men from 23 minutes to secure a crucial 2-2 draw. This was followed by a 1-0 home defeat to Napoli which had seen us pick up 4 points from our last 6 games.  This kind of form seen us slip back into the relegation zone. Here is the Relegation battle as it stands.

 

Spoiler

As you can see in my opinion we have the best run in of any of the teams around us. Looking at these fixtures this could be an exciting season finale. The Bologna game gave us the best possible chance a 2-1 home victory heading into the game against Cagliari and that result can be seen below......

 

Spoiler

Captain marvel strikes again!!! And what a time to do it I was resigned to accepting a draw but what a finish!!!!! 6 points from a possible 6 leaving 3 games to go to decide the season. We are only one point behind both Parma and Cagliari with Verona another two points ahead of them. The next game was at home to Crotone who had fell off the ball quite a bit we were at home but could only manage a 0-0 draw this really hurt. But we had to dust ourselves off because up next we had Benevento........

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

All these late goals were not doing my heart any good. A late 3-2 victory did see us once again move out of the relegation places with only one game to go. We had an extremely tricky game at Home to Atalanta whilst Cagliari the only team who could catch us had a home game against Crotone the team directly below them......

 

Spoiler

Absolute HEARTBREAK Crotone managed to do us a favour and beat Cagliari but Luis Muriel was on fire to score a 11 minute hat-trick and relegate us on goal difference to Serie B. When looking at the form table we were 8th in the league for the second half of the season. I just didn't have quite enough time to turn it round. 

6 Wins 3 Draws and 5 Defeats in my time in charge and we were gone. At first I thought this was going to be a complete nightmare but its actually turned out pretty good for the Club. When we got relegated we received a £22m parachute payment as well as the £2m for finishing 18th. We had a load of players come back from loan and have managed to sell £30.5m worth of players. I made the decision to sell our first choice GK  Juan Musso to Dortmund for £12m (mainly because I have Scuffet and I want Gasparini to get more game time) but the rest of the players are older players I wanted to leave anyway. Some members of the team became unhappy that I wanted to keep them but they have time remaining on there contracts and I decided to ride it out.

Now onto the signings because I started in the late Chinese start date nobody had been signed so we managed some Amazing deals. The defence for the Foreseeable future is sorted Gasparini in goal long term with two CB in front of him Mattia Viti £1.9m and Andrea Papetti £0. Sidnei Tavares joined us from Leicester on a free as we needed some young blood in the CM position we also got Nico Williams for free from Atletic Bilbao. An amazing talent to play on the wing. Goncalo Esteves is yet another free transfer from porto who will fight for a starting place as we sold our main cover in the transfer window. Finally I bought a player I have worked with before Ricky Jade Jones from Peterborough for £2m he has pace and a good eye for goal. Kevin Lasagna is still out on loan for another season and Llorente was released at the end of the season. Jade Jones has currently played one Coppa Italia game 2goals and two league games 3goals. 

This is the Current Serie B standings after two games.

Spoiler

Onwards and upwards lets bounce back at the first time of asking!

[Jogo Bonito]

1 hour ago, WilsonJuve said:

Well here is the update from a couple of posts ago. I started with Udinese where 24 games had been played prior to me joining. I will be using spoiler tabs because there is going to be a lot of images uploaded.

I started my reign with a home fixture against Verona one of the better starts I could have asked for 2 goals from our talisman Rodrigo De Paul helped us on our way to a 3-2 victory. These were very important as our next opponent would be Fiorentina away from home. Playing slightly defensively the game was a snooze fest and finished 0-0 but considering the strength of the opposition it felt like another victory. Then onto Spezia a team currently in the drop zone with ourselves and a fantastic 3-0 
victory would get us out of the relegation places with only 3 games played. The fact we managed 7 points from a possible 9 had me feeling very optimistic.

  Reveal hidden contents

The next game was a crushing blow a 4-3 defeat away to Sassuolo which the winner was scored in the 93rd minute really hurt. But the next game at home to  A giants AS Roma was the highlight of the season two goals before half time and an amazing display in the second half helped us hold on for a 2-1 victory. Morale was high but a 3-1 defeat away to Genoa followed  by a 3-1 home defeat to AC Milan changed the mood. We did manage a late equaliser against Torino despite only having 10 men from 23 minutes to secure a crucial 2-2 draw. This was followed by a 1-0 home defeat to Napoli which had seen us pick up 4 points from our last 6 games.  This kind of form seen us slip back into the relegation zone. Here is the Relegation battle as it stands.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

As you can see in my opinion we have the best run in of any of the teams around us. Looking at these fixtures this could be an exciting season finale. The Bologna game gave us the best possible chance a 2-1 home victory heading into the game against Cagliari and that result can be seen below......

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Captain marvel strikes again!!! And what a time to do it I was resigned to accepting a draw but what a finish!!!!! 6 points from a possible 6 leaving 3 games to go to decide the season. We are only one point behind both Parma and Cagliari with Verona another two points ahead of them. The next game was at home to Crotone who had fell off the ball quite a bit we were at home but could only manage a 0-0 draw this really hurt. But we had to dust ourselves off because up next we had Benevento........

 

  Reveal hidden contents

  Reveal hidden contents

All these late goals were not doing my heart any good. A late 3-2 victory did see us once again move out of the relegation places with only one game to go. We had an extremely tricky game at Home to Atalanta whilst Cagliari the only team who could catch us had a home game against Crotone the team directly below them......

 

  Hide contents

Absolute HEARTBREAK Crotone managed to do us a favour and beat Cagliari but Luis Muriel was on fire to score a 11 minute hat-trick and relegate us on goal difference to Serie B. When looking at the form table we were 8th in the league for the second half of the season. I just didn't have quite enough time to turn it round. 

6 Wins 3 Draws and 5 Defeats in my time in charge and we were gone. At first I thought this was going to be a complete nightmare but its actually turned out pretty good for the Club. When we got relegated we received a £22m parachute payment as well as the £2m for finishing 18th. We had a load of players come back from loan and have managed to sell £30.5m worth of players. I made the decision to sell our first choice GK  Juan Musso to Dortmund for £12m (mainly because I have Scuffet and I want Gasparini to get more game time) but the rest of the players are older players I wanted to leave anyway. Some members of the team became unhappy that I wanted to keep them but they have time remaining on there contracts and I decided to ride it out.

Now onto the signings because I started in the late Chinese start date nobody had been signed so we managed some Amazing deals. The defence for the Foreseeable future is sorted Gasparini in goal long term with two CB in front of him Mattia Viti £1.9m and Andrea Papetti £0. Sidnei Tavares joined us from Leicester on a free as we needed some young blood in the CM position we also got Nico Williams for free from Atletic Bilbao. An amazing talent to play on the wing. Goncalo Esteves is yet another free transfer from porto who will fight for a starting place as we sold our main cover in the transfer window. Finally I bought a player I have worked with before Ricky Jade Jones from Peterborough for £2m he has pace and a good eye for goal. Kevin Lasagna is still out on loan for another season and Llorente was released at the end of the season. Jade Jones has currently played one Coppa Italia game 2goals and two league games 3goals. 

This is the Current Serie B standings after two games.

  Reveal hidden contents

Onwards and upwards lets bounce back at the first time of asking!

Very unlucky to go down on GD but a good effort from where you started. A great opportunity to clear the decks and hopefully you'll have enough to make a strong challenge.

[WilsonJuve]

28 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Very unlucky to go down on GD but a good effort from where you started. A great opportunity to clear the decks and hopefully you'll have enough to make a strong challenge.

Yeah the bank balance is up from £22m to around £67m and I’ve managed to lower our wages from £600k to around £330k without losing the core of the squad. I’m really enjoying it so far. 

[Jogo Bonito]

17 minutes ago, WilsonJuve said:

Yeah the bank balance is up from £22m to around £67m and I’ve managed to lower our wages from £600k to around £330k without losing the core of the squad. I’m really enjoying it so far. 

Excellent, a great opportunity to re-set and come back stronger.

Gasparini looks like real star in my Parma game (he doesn't play for my team) and wins lots of plaudits for his performances.