karanhsingh Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 Pity you lost Knauff in what seems like a very strange sideways move. Anyhow, good luck with the new season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 7, 2023 Author Share Posted June 7, 2023 (edited) Season 2025/26 - Part 1 Director Sven Mislintat delivered this reminder of our targets for the upcoming season And we got off to a decent start, punished only by two very late goals away to RB Lepizig as we chased a result Otherwise, we are unbeaten in our early matches despite some injury issues (Akor Adams the biggest miss as he only played the first few games) The progress report below shows we are in a customary 'there or thereabouts' position in the league, and financially we get stronger and stronger Anything else? We had no plans to sign any new players late in the transfer window, but on deadline day 1st September 2025 we made a couple of sensible sales Diego Moreira (now 21) had arrived on a free transfer in July 2024, but the below deal brings in a big sum for a talented squad member who is not a regular starter Also on deadline day we sold 2nd Team striker Wahid Faghir for a decent fee as we just couldn't see him finding a pathway to the senior team Alou Kuol - another striker - joined Adelaide United on loan even though we had plans to retain him after several goal-laden years in the 2nd Team As a result of the above two sales, we spent 6.25m Euros on left-footed central midfielder Tom Bischof from TSG Hoffenheim Despite the fee, he will join the 2nd Team for now - but we expect to see him in and around the main squad in the near future After these deals, Chairperson Alexander Wehrle proudly shared with us our sensible wage expenditure comparison We recently discussed a promising 17 year-old striker in our U19 squad, but this 15-year old also has great potential and already has 15 goals in 10 (1) appearances this season Edited June 7, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 Take over the training of the 15 year old. Put him on CF-A training and add PPMS like Back to Goal and plays one two's, He can become a beast! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 7, 2023 Author Share Posted June 7, 2023 2 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: Take over the training of the 15 year old. Put him on CF-A training and add PPMS like Back to Goal and plays one two's, He can become a beast! I've done that with the 17 year-old already, but he hasn't performed like last season so far. I'll see how that goes over a longer period before making a similar decision on the 15 year-old. But thanks for the training tips Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 I agree, the young boy seems better as a striker. Nice solid start to the season. What you gonna do with all that money Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Good start to the season. And nice to see you keep bringing young talent to VfB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 (edited) 9 hours ago, karanhsingh said: I agree, the young boy seems better as a striker. Nice solid start to the season. What you gonna do with all that money Absolutely, he is a striker already. I dislike with a passion the best position, best role and best duty part of the player profile. Complained to FM about it years ago when it also came up like that in scouting lists. No idea why they need anything other than natural position (which says striker) and medial description (which says promising striker). Just. Leave. It. At. That. Rant over. Yes making money in Germany seems easy, although as the wage bill shows we are cautious with our spending. But I wanted to try and achieve something in a realistic way, through doing sensible business with mainly Germans or players trained in the nation. I'm not one for spending big (just ask my wife, the biggest investment/drain on resources I could ever attach too lol). 8 hours ago, Carambau said: Good start to the season. And nice to see you keep bringing young talent to VfB Yes a reasonable start. This 4th year may be my last as I normally only do 1-3 seasons (too many clubs appeal to stay long anywhere). But will be giving it our best shot. Edited June 8, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 10, 2023 Author Share Posted June 10, 2023 (edited) Season 2025/26 - Part 2 October brought mixed results, OK in Europe, awful in the DFB-Pokal (rotated squad didn't perform) and average in the Bundesliga The standout result was the league win over FC Bayern as we scored three early goals and rode out a comfortable (and very rare) victory over the 'Giants of Germany' November (helped by the return of Akor Adams) delivered good form and consistency and only a 97th minute goal by FC Augsburg prevented a perfect set of results However, in fairness it has to be said that our own victories over Eintracht Frankfurt and Schalke were both courtesy of last-gasp winners December was another excellent month, with the only blemish being against FSV Mainz last time out - we always seem to struggle against them At the end of the calendar year (2025) we sit 3rd in the Bundesliga, despite missing Adams from August to November (the want-away Silas really stepped up) We are very happy with progress (we peaked at 2nd before the Mainz result) but competition here is tough so any CL spot would be a real triumph for the club With six games played (two to go) we are also in with a fairly good shout of making the Europa League knockout stages without needing any play-off Anything else? After the shock departure of Ansgar Knauff in the summer, Kilian Fischer really pushed on and made the right-back slot his own Fischer has been superb and attains a training score of over 9.0 virtually every week, whilst the disappointing Josha Vagnoman has been awful in games & training Despite wanting Josha to stay and get games, it seems we will need a second option as the 2nd Team right-backs are not quite ready to move up to this level So we looked around and had a really good deal agreed on 19th December for Monaco's admired right-back Vanderson However, we felt we should not be looking to blocking the progress of Fischer so against all logic we eventually backed out of signing the Brazilian We did, however, agree a pre-contract deal for ex-Stuttgart midfielder Orel Mangala who had almost rejoined us in the summer for 17m Euros The 'buy now' option at 5m Euros has not been triggered, but there is massive interest in Amadou Haidara's low 14m Euros release clause so we may be forced to move early Bernard Mensah returned to the club today after 18 months away, but the now 31-year old is unlikely to feature and we will try to sell him before his contract expires in June Florian Muller (3rd choice in goal and on a week-to-week deal since the summer) finally decided to walk away in November but has not been replaced Edited June 10, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 Damn Mainz! They really seem to be what Jahn Regensburg was to us in my save Nevertheless strong first half of the season Champions League qualification beckons!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted June 10, 2023 Share Posted June 10, 2023 (edited) There always seems to be that boogie team that is only decent generally, but is a massive struggle to beat. Good stuff overall as you juggle the squad management. Tough choice on the RB - you want a player that can perform now, but to spend money and block the progression of a player is not something you want to do either. Great win over Bayern, though, and doing well in a tight race at the top of the table. Edited June 10, 2023 by 13th Man 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 10, 2023 Author Share Posted June 10, 2023 (edited) 8 hours ago, Carambau said: Damn Mainz! They really seem to be what Jahn Regensburg was to us in my save Nevertheless strong first half of the season Champions League qualification beckons!! I think Mainz are getting revenge as I so nearly started with them instead of VfB. Decent form so far, in the mix for CL spots but still prepared for anything to go wrong 7 hours ago, 13th Man said: There always seems to be that boogie team that is only decent generally, but is a massive struggle to beat. Good stuff overall as you juggle the squad management. Tough choice on the RB - you want a player that can perform now, but to spend money and block the progression of a player is not something you want to do either. Great win over Bayern, though, and doing well in a tight race at the top of the table. True. Not only do we struggle against them, they nicked a CL place from us before, then stole my star right-back for a very low release clause. But they're a good club so deserve their success. Agree with your views on the RB. Vanderson was too good for an understudy and Fischer really deserved to keep his place. The easiest solution would be for Vagnoman to get better, he had a reasonably good first season when he was a regular with 32 league appearances at 6.86 rating. Since then, as a bit-part player he hasn't got near that level - and trains badly. I've had an experiment in mind for two seasons now and circumstances recently pushed me to try Fuhrich (a winger by trade, converted in to a mezzala by me) as full-back with wing-back duties in my five-man defence. He performed brilliantly in the few games he started there on the left and can play both flanks so it's probably time to use him as first understudy for those roles (on either flank). The win over Bayern was very satisfying. Of course they and Dortmund are stronger than us, but if we can snatch 3rd that would be tremendous - and may even convince me to stay on another year. Edited June 10, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 10, 2023 Author Share Posted June 10, 2023 (edited) Season 2025/26 - Part 3 We headed in to 2026 in 3rd spot, not too far away from the big two Bayern & Dortmund - but with Wolfsburg hot on our heels and a bunch of others just behind January went well enough, the opening game being a disappointment but the win over RB Leipzig and draw at Wolfsburg were both good results Our continental form remained strong with two wins in our last two games of the league phase February was also good as we won four out of five - in the other it took leaders Dortmund 84 minutes to break us down in front of their passionate yellow wall So at the end of February we remain in 3rd, although it isn't looking likely we will ever bridge the gap to the top two Everything else is looking rosy, apart from the fact that key players Silas (2026) and Amadou Haidara (2027) both insist they will walk away for free when their contracts end Our Europa League run saw us finish 3rd and the reward was that we missed any play-off stage that followed And our draw for the knockout stage was kind as we will face Eredevisie side FC Twente over two legs in March The tie that will interest everybody will undoubtedly be the 'Nonsense Names Derby' as the mighty Parthenope take on Spanish giants Real Hispalis Anything else? The transfer window came and went peacefully (we rejected the invite to be involved on deadline day), although we did have to complete one minor deal on 29th January Our starting goalkeeper Dennis Seimen got injured for a month and we only had an inadequate rookie available for the bench in domestic & European matches At around the same time we discovered that one of our shortlisted keepers Jan Olschowsky was available and ready to accept a back-up status That role acceptance was essential as we already have two starting-quality keepers when fit, and the fee of 700k Euros and modest wage was a savvy investment for now Edited June 10, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Still in with a shout of some serious silverware this season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Great progress, now for the business end of the season. You okay to lose Silas on a free i guess? Hopefully he comes around if you qualify for the CL. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted June 11, 2023 Share Posted June 11, 2023 Looking good for that 3rd spot in the league, and arguably doing better in Europe. You're probably right about the prospects of overtaking Bayern and Dortmund but you never know if you can stay within touching distance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 13, 2023 Author Share Posted June 13, 2023 On 11/06/2023 at 06:59, SixPointer said: Still in with a shout of some serious silverware this season! Thanks, I appreciate your optimism! On 11/06/2023 at 07:30, karanhsingh said: Great progress, now for the business end of the season. You okay to lose Silas on a free i guess? Hopefully he comes around if you qualify for the CL. Pressure time now, yes! Really not pleased to see him leave on a free transfer but would rather use him than lose him early. It looks like his mind is made up unfortunately, and the same will happen with Haidara in 2027. On 12/06/2023 at 00:25, warlock said: Looking good for that 3rd spot in the league, and arguably doing better in Europe. You're probably right about the prospects of overtaking Bayern and Dortmund but you never know if you can stay within touching distance. More optimism! Yes we just have to see how it unfolded.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 13, 2023 Author Share Posted June 13, 2023 (edited) Season 2025/26 - Part 4 March 2026 arrived with nine league games to go and the Europa League challenge still alive Confidence was high and the formation was still working, but our next game was against FC Bayern and we came out second best Winning away against FC Twente set us up for a safe passage through our Europa League 'Round of 16' clash, but we dropped league points at home to SV Werder The month ended on a high with a hard-fought away win over FC Augsburg to maintain 3rd spot April started with another league draw and an away loss to Juventus in Europe, but we bounced back to beat Schalke Next up was the home leg against Juventus and we couldn't make a breakthrough until Christoph Baumgartner came off the bench late on The Austrian international then fired in a 25 yarder to level the tie 1-1 on aggregate - and then repeated the trick from the same distance after 92 minutes It was an unlikely comeback and a little bit fortunate, but we had hit the Europa League Semi Final stage for the second year running Our much-improved defence kept two clean sheets as we took four points from the next two league games, and then it was European action again Akor Adams was the difference maker as we went to Lisbon and came away with a 1-0 away win over Sporting in a tough first leg With that on our mind we heavily rotated the league side away to Arminia Bielefeld but 'super-sub' Silas scored two late goals to seal 3rd spot in the league And then we hosted Sporting in Stuttgart and our deadly strike duo both contributed to a convincing 3-1 win We then made 11 changes for our last home clash with FSV Mainz, and Lilian Egloff scored the only goal of the game in his first start of the season That was a really good moment as their loss saw them miss out on a Champions League place - finally we got one over on our nemesis So we headed to Serbia for the Europa League Final against Napoli as we hunted the first trophy of this managerial reign Despite resting Silas for the last match he somehow picked up blisters in training and would miss the final (Kevin Schade was also still out with a long-term injury) So this is the line-up and bench we selected - with 2nd Team striker Jovan Milosevic promoted to the bench as our first striker replacement option We also included three other 2nd Team players on the bench in left-back Felix Konighaus, midfielder Tom Bischof and striker Max Wagner Star striker Adams put us 1-0 up after 6 minutes but the Italians struck back and the game looked to be heading for extra time at 1-1 But there was a twist, as we rolled the dice near the end and put Milosevic on as our 5th and final substitute Amazingly, it was the young Serbian who was then in the right place at the right time to head home the winner after 80 minutes As the below fixture run shows, we had been strong to the end and 3rd in the league booked a place in the Champions League The rewards are shown in the league table, and the financial boost was massive too - further improving our wages to turnover excellence Poor Dortmund suffered as if real life, leading in to the final day on GD but they drew and Bayern won to steal the title Dortmund then went and lost the DFB=Pokal Final to Schalke to finish empty-handed Meanwhile Union Berlin were relegated after several poor seasons - and Hamburg won the relegation/promotion play-off to demote Arminia Bielefeld But it was of course the first trophy that was the real talking point as the season drew to a close Here is the end of season performance review, which shows impressive results in every column Silas was top league scorer with 16 Bundesliga goals (Adams missed a few too many league games with injury to be top this year) And Silas also scored the most Europa League goals for the club with 10 (closely followed by Adams of course) Here is the run down of our first team squad stats across all competitions - Milosevic is excluded despite his heroics in the final of the Europa League The board has yet again provided excellent budgets for next season - they really have been a pleasure to work with And the final word goes to our U19 squad, who managed to replicate last year's achievement of a League & Youth Cup double Edited June 13, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted June 13, 2023 Share Posted June 13, 2023 Great Season! Congratulations on winning the Europa League! That means Champions League Next season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 2 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said: we rolled the dice And won, big time. Awesome season and some well-deserved success. Well played, that man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 What a brilliant season! Congratulations on becoming europa league champions! Silas is a real idiot to leave this bunch of winners Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13th Man Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 European success! And CL next year! And you beat Mainz! Well done all around. With CL football secured, is Silas still leaving or has he changed his mind? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 (edited) Wow! Now thats what i call quick progress Congratulations on the Europa League title and qualification for the Champions League (where we all know VfB Stuttgart belongs ) Time to splash the cash ! Edited June 14, 2023 by Carambau Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 14, 2023 Author Share Posted June 14, 2023 18 hours ago, Hootieleece said: Great Season! Congratulations on winning the Europa League! That means Champions League Next season! Thanks, really appreciate your support. Yes CL for that and for our league position. Maybe that means we can have two cracks at it? 16 hours ago, warlock said: And won, big time. Awesome season and some well-deserved success. Well played, that man Thank you very much. We were lucky to get past Juventus, but better than Napoli and deserved that one. 3rd in the league was just as hard, probably harder. 14 hours ago, karanhsingh said: What a brilliant season! Congratulations on becoming europa league champions! Silas is a real idiot to leave this bunch of winners Again, thank you. Cannot complain at all about this season. Maybe Silas might change his mind when the new season date kicks in. There has been literally no interest, enquiry or approach to sign news. 2 hours ago, 13th Man said: European success! And CL next year! And you beat Mainz! Well done all around. With CL football secured, is Silas still leaving or has he changed his mind? Thanks, and yes it all came together in the end. It's 1st June and Silas has gone on holiday. Apparently to Cuckoo Land as he and his agent still don't want to even talk about staying. 6 minutes ago, Carambau said: Wow! Now thats what i call quick progress Congratulations on the Europa League title and qualification for the Champions League (where we all know VfB Stuttgart belongs ) Time to splash the cash ! Yes, not usually able to get through seasons like that! It's success for me, but nothing compared to what you achieved at the club. Will be taking a few days break to see whether to have another year in charge. Off to watch Malta v England here on Friday night, so not likely to add much at all in the next few days. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 17, 2023 Author Share Posted June 17, 2023 "There has been recent speculation over the future of VfB manager Mario Gómez following the conclusion of our successful 2025/26 season. Mario insisted on working tirelessly through the summer, playing a prominent role in the retention of key staff and assisting the board as they made plans for the new season As part of that process, Mario has naturally been actively consulted over his views on player retention & the direction we should take in terms of player recruitment These discussions were always open and positive, and now that the return to pre-season training is imminent, we expect Mario to make known his own plans The club hopes that Mario will commit to continue his excellent work at VfB, but fully respect his position of silence whilst deciding his own future We know the fans are keen to hear more, and a further announcement will be made shortly - ahead of the pre-season training camp trip to Tyrol, Austria in July" 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 21, 2023 Author Share Posted June 21, 2023 (edited) 30th June 2026 "After much deliberation, VfB manager Mario Gómez has decided to step away from his role at the club. It is believed that the departure of Silas despite achieving Europa League success may have been a factor in the decision. Whilst that in isolation was something that we could overcome together, some other issues had suggested that it may be time to part ways 'on a high' Jovan Milosevic had been promoted to the first team squad for the new term, but immediately announced he wanted out as soon as possible. And we already knew that midfield gem Amadou Haidara was planning to 'do a Silas' and leave for free in June 2027. Money was available for replacements (Orel Mangala & Garang Kuol had already joined on free transfers) but Mario felt it was the end of a cycle. Mario has gone on record to wish all at 'his club' every success in the 2026/27 Bundesliga and Champions League campaigns. The club also wish to express their thanks to Mario for his professionalism, determination and positivity that stood out under his successful stewardship" Thanks to everyone who read, liked and commented on this 4-year career. The enjoyment from managing VfB exceeded my expectations and this was (for me) a faster-paced and longer adventure than usual. I think that says it all. I'm sure to be back soon in a new country with a new project. Thanks again for following. Edited June 21, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted June 21, 2023 Share Posted June 21, 2023 1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said: Mario Gómez has decided to step away Least surprising news of the thread . Twas a fine career and a good story... eagerly awaiting the next one! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 Yes this was a good read as always! Look forward to the next one 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 23, 2023 Author Share Posted June 23, 2023 (edited) On 21/06/2023 at 20:37, warlock said: Least surprising news of the thread . Twas a fine career and a good story... eagerly awaiting the next one! It was actually a close call. And watching several of my VfB players on duty for Germany in the U21 Euros did also make me re-think. But so far in FM23 all I have done is two seasons at Sheffield Wednesday, a part of a season with Hamburg, and these four seasons with VfB Stuttgart. So I think it's time to try somewhere else. When I started with VfB, it was going to be Italy next. But now it's almost certainly going to be Holland. I did strongly consider Belgium or Denmark, and even Norway because in the summer I watch their league (this year I am watching the Lillestrom games to keep an eye on Akor Adams). The trouble with starting in Norway in June 2023 is you need to go from either Feb/March of 2022 or 2023. The former seems way too far back, and the 2023 start just doesn't calm any OCD feelings as dates, ages and so on are all out of sync. On 22/06/2023 at 06:16, karanhsingh said: Yes this was a good read as always! Look forward to the next one Thanks mate, I really enjoyed VfB and feel I built something nice. Progress from 10th, to 6th, to 5th, to 3rd (plus Europa League). It's not impossible that I may go back and do another year at some point... But for now, I think it will be a red & white Eredivisie team. Any guesses??? Bonus point for guessing which former Dutch player will be reinvented (with a twist) as the new manager. UK based fans will know him, but he is Dutch of course... Edited June 23, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Knowing at least some of your FM history I think your average time at a club is 2 or 3 seasons so 4 at Stuttgart seemed like a long save. Heading into season 4 with Brentford I'm familiar with the lure of pastures new. As for the new club, AZ? Good luck wherever you go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 7 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said: It was actually a close call. And watching several of my VfB players on duty for Germany in the U21 Euros did also make me re-think. But so far in FM23 all I have done is two seasons at Sheffield Wednesday, a part of a season with Hamburg, and these four seasons with VfB Stuttgart. So I think it's time to try somewhere else. When I started with VfB, it was going to be Italy next. But now it's almost certainly going to be Holland. I did strongly consider Belgium or Denmark, and even Norway because in the summer I watch their league (this year I am watching the Lillestrom games to keep an eye on Akor Adams). The trouble with starting in Norway in June 2023 is you need to go from either Feb/March of 2022 or 2023. The former seems way too far back, and the 2023 start just doesn't calm any OCD feelings as dates, ages and so on are all out of sync. Thanks mate, I really enjoyed VfB and feel I built something nice. Progress from 10th, to 6th, to 5th, to 3rd (plus Europa League). It's not impossible that I may go back and do another year at some point... But for now, I think it will be a red & white Eredivisie team. Any guesses??? Bonus point for guessing which former Dutch player will be reinvented (with a twist) as the new manager. UK based fans will know him, but he is Dutch of course... Sounds like Feyenoord perhaps? I'd be happy with that choice, since i have a soft spot for them after visiting their stadium for a game last season - my first live game in about 5 years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 24, 2023 Author Share Posted June 24, 2023 (edited) 12 hours ago, warlock said: Knowing at least some of your FM history I think your average time at a club is 2 or 3 seasons so 4 at Stuttgart seemed like a long save. Heading into season 4 with Brentford I'm familiar with the lure of pastures new. As for the new club, AZ? Good luck wherever you go. You're right, I think. Four seasons is long enough for me even when that enjoyable. 8 hours ago, karanhsingh said: Sounds like Feyenoord perhaps? I'd be happy with that choice, since i have a soft spot for them after visiting their stadium for a game last season - my first live game in about 5 years. Interesting to hear that was where you returned to watching live football. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ As I see it, there are eight Eredivisie clubs with red and white kits. Listed in perceived stature order this would be Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, AZ, FC Twente, Utrecht, Sparta and FC Emmen. AZ & Feyenoord were mentioned, and both are very strong clubs. Also, I wanted to move somewhere near water or coastal rather than land-locked for immersive reasons. So that means goodbye to FC Twente (unfortunately), Utrecht, Emmen & PSV, This seems to leave four teams from three locations of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Alkmaar as potential destinations. Ajax doesn't appeal as they have their own unique way and it feels like meddling to go there. So, Rotterdam or Alkmaar seems to be the final choice. Sparta is the weakest of the clubs, have no recent success, and a smaller stadium. But the squad has useful assets like Olij, Verschueren, Kitolano, Vito van Crooij and Sambo (on loan). AZ has Sugawara and Beukema in defence, Reijnders, Mijnans and De Wit in midfield, plus Karlsson in attack. They are a top-four side with a nice stadium, and will play in Europe. Feyenoord has the bigger stadium and fan base, some recent success and also play in Europe. Their valuable players go through the spine from Bijlow in goal, Hancko and Geertruida as central defenders, Wieffer in midfield and Gimenez in attack. They also have a lot of good Dutch youngsters in and around the first team, and in their other squads. And a fair number of valuable non-Dutch players who would be seen as saleable assets in my quest to focus on forming a squad largely from certain geographical areas. Edited June 24, 2023 by Jogo Bonito 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 Thank you for the journey! You did take a different approach to it than me which I enjoyed very much. Some players developed completely different in our saves which is always nice to see, like for example Egloff and Ulrich Anyway, it was a great read and I hope to see your next project soon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jogo Bonito Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share Posted June 26, 2023 10 hours ago, Carambau said: Thank you for the journey! You did take a different approach to it than me which I enjoyed very much. Some players developed completely different in our saves which is always nice to see, like for example Egloff and Ulrich Anyway, it was a great read and I hope to see your next project soon Thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed it even though I did absolutely nothing there compared to you! But I really had a good time with the club, and if my new project at Feyenoord doesn't go well (or even if it does), I may yet return here and do another season in Stuttgart 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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