[FM24] The Replacements - A MultiKulti Generation

[albertluque]

                  

The Replacements - A *new* MultiKulti Generation

 

The Swiss national team is the embodiment of a multi-kulti national team. As always, representative national teams bring together a select group of elite players from their nation, stitching together individuals from different cultures and heritages to compete against other national teams, often themselves demonstrating the beauty of multi-kulti.

Once upon a time, Switzerland was ranked 3rd in the World, although they have never gotten beyond the 1/4 finals at the World Cup or the European Championships. More recently, a golden generation of players finished runners up at the under 21 European Championships, losing out to Spain. This generation has contributed to Switzerland's participation in 9 of the last 10 major tournaments. A record that eclipses that of Italy and Netherlands, and equals that of England.

Unfortunately, this golden generation is coming to the end of its journey, opening the door for a new crop of superstar Swiss players. For the last 12 years, a handful of Swiss players have been the backbone of the national team, accompanied by many others who have been unable to dislodge the generation we refer to.

Yann Sommer | GK | Class of 2003 (FC Basel) | Swiss

Fabian Schar | CB | Class of 2006 (FC Wil) | Swiss

Ricardo Rodriguez | LB | Class of 2007 (FC Zurich) | Swiss, Spanish, Chilean

Remo Freuler | DM/MC | Class of 2006 (FC Winterthur) | Swiss

Granit Xhaka | DM/MC | Class of 2007 (FC Basel) | Swiss, Albanian, Kosovan

Xherdan Shaqiri | AMC | Class of 2006 (FC Basel) | Swiss, Albanian, Kosovan

 

The Mission

600 international appearances are soon to be retired from football and although Switzerland has established itself as a reliable source of footballers, it is about time they pushed through to the next level and started pulling their weight at the international level. There are a range of clubs in Switzerland who have had their time in the limelight; Basel, Grasshoppers, Young Boys, Zurich, and others who have had brief skirmishes in Europe; Aarau, Sankt Gallen, Lugano but most importantly Thun.

Super League runners-up in 2005, FC Thun has 1 piece of silverware on display in their trophy room, a second-division title in 2010. Following their 2005 2nd-place finish, Thun mixed it with two European heavyweights - Ajax and Arsenal, with the latter needing late goals in both fixtures to defeat the Swiss outfit. It is imperative that we return FC Thun to the top table of European football. Of course, it isn't expected that Thun will go far but we must compete amongst the elite. Furthermore, we must develop an elite academy, providing local, national, and international talent with the perfect pathway from academy, to first team, to respective national teams.

Despite the long-term goals, there are key short-term objectives that must be accomplished to even consider the 'sexy' objectives. Currently sitting in the Brack.ch Challenge League with finances that limit the work that can be done, a return to the Super League is a priority, followed by maintaining top-flight status and building the club with the prize money that accompanies these accomplishments. Eventually, the club will reap the rewards on the pitch by attracting top young, preferably Swiss eligible, talents, developing a new generation of Swiss superstars to push the national team onto the next level.

Why FC Thun?

Located in a central area of Switzerland, situated perfectly between Basel, Geneva, and Zurich, as well as Bern being a neighboring city, Thun is strategically ideal for attracting talent from 4 population hubs in Switzerland. The lakeside town boasts a relatively small population of 43,000 which itself helps promote the development of elite athletes, meaning potential stars will move to the town dedicated to their development, free from distractions associated with the larger aforementioned cities of Switzerland. The club itself is very much a blank canvas but with the correct investment and recruitment, the club can establish itself as a key player in the development of young, Swiss footballers.

 

Ones to watch

Until an elite academy can be established, players of international pedigree will remain limited. Currently, there are two individuals worth watching. Both attacking options who should play a key part in the clubs return to the Swiss Super League.

78. Valmir Matoshi | M/AMRC | Class of 2018 | Swiss, Kosovan

 

27.  Daniel dos Santos | M/AMLC |  Class of 2017 | Swiss, Portuguese

Achievements:

 

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by albertluque

[albertluque]

                  

The Replacements | Season 1 | Mid-Season Report | December 2023

Expectations, Aspirations, and Squad Collations

The media predicts a 3rd place finish, whilst the board want us to target a top-half finish (<5th). In terms of salary expenditure, we should be aiming for a top-2 finish, which would see us qualify for a promotion/relegation playoff. Realistically, a top-2 finish seems a suitable target for the squad that has been built.

Instantly, the team appeared weak in relation to full-backs, as well as having no suitable player to fit the roaming playmaker role we would be utilising. Throughout the search for a suitable player, we brought in 6 players on trial; Anicet, Franco Zuculini, Stefan Johansen, Stefano Beltrame, Jamie Bowden, and Davide Mariani.  Initially, Stefan Johansen was the player who stood out and appeared to be the best fit but demanding a wage in excess of £5,000/week saw him move to Molde. This meant we turned to Mariani as a short-term solution and going into the January window, the only permanent signing made. A resolute individual who not only can play central midfield but also act as a backup to dos Santos on the left wing, should the youngster need rest.

14. Davide Mariani | M/AMLC | Class of 2008 (FC Zurich) | Swiss, Italian

Additionally, we looked to bring in competition at right back, with Lucien Dahler being the only first-team option on that flank. Luckily, Bayer Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso were feeling charitable, allowing newly signed Arthur to join on loan, with no requirement on own behalf to pay any of his £26,500/week wage. Although, there is a chance he will be recalled. Hopefully, he can see out the season with us and if we are lucky, Jeremie Frimpong and Fosu-Mensah will continue to be first and second choice, despite their being interest from Saudi Arabia in Fosu-Mensah, meaning that should we gain promotion, it may be beneficial for Arthur to continue his develop with us next season.

13. Arthur | D/WBR | Brazilian | Bayern Leverkusen

These two acquisitions, along with 25.  Florian Hoxha | D/WB/ML |  Class of 2015 (Grasshopper) | Swiss, Kosovan and 30. Mateo Joseph | STC | Spanish, English, Antigua and Barbudan | Leeds United, sees us lineup in a 4-2-3-1. Play is focused down the wings, with both wide players vacating their positions, leaving behind pockets of space for the advancing wing-backs to fill, more on the right-hand side with Arthur. Additionally, getting plenty of players in and around the edge of the box to create and convert chances, as well as having numbers in central positions to control possession and counteract any counter attacks attempted by the opposition.

 

Progress so far...

2023 is drawing to a close and matchday 19 has just concluded. No football now until the end of January, if only we could continue throughout the winter months. 7 points clear, 2 defeats in 19 against Neuchatel and Aarau respectively. 49 goals scored, 5 more than our nearest rivals and joint best defensive record alongside Aarau.

A fantastic start to our campaign, setting us up for a 17-game post-winter run to the line. Despite this, there is doubts setting in, with our top scorer Koro Koné leaving us to join ASEC Mimosas having requested a transfer due to concerns over work permits, meaning we must replace his 18 goals in 19 league games. Furthermore, interest in Daniel dos Santos and Valmir Matoshi is intensifying with a host of clubs being interested in both talents.

20. Koro Koné | STC | Ivorian

 

78. Valmir Matoshi | M/AMRC | Class of 2018 | Swiss, Kosovan | Asking Price: £600,000

27.  Daniel dos Santos | M/AMLC |  Class of 2017 | Swiss, Portuguese | Asking Price: £1,000,000

At present, both are contracted through until the end of next season and with asking prices that seem to be putting interested clubs off, it may come down to players not wanting to renew their existing deals and us having to cash in. Therefore, the renewal of both players' contracts is high on the priority list once the transfer window has closed.

 

Youth & Intake Preview

At FC Thun, we have high standards - everything less than a 'C' is worthless. Looking at the distribution, we are expecting 4 players (3 CBs, 1 LB) as the focus of our first youth intake. Our German head of youth development has 12 months to improve the players given to us, or else he will be looking for a new job.

Meanwhile, our current crop of youngsters have started their season solidly - although they did crash out of the U18/19 cup, losing 4-0 to LS U19. Over the second half of the season and throughout the summer, I intend to work on staff recruitment for our youth teams.

 

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by albertluque

[Sizeman21]

Looking forward to this! Swiss football is excellent!

[albertluque]

                  

The Replacements | Season 1 | Transfer Window Update | February 2024

Administrative Errors

Well, well, well... if it isn't the consequences of my own actions. You ever get one of those bits of tech and see the instructions and think to yourself, "nah, I don't need to read any of that"? Well, sometimes it's worth reading the instructions. Here in the Swiss league, there are a range of player registration rules. You are allowed to register 21 players - I knew that. You do not need to register players under the age of 21 who are trained in Switzerland - I knew that. The key bit of information that I decided to skip was probably the most important. Any player who makes an appearance whilst registered cannot be unregistered and any player sold or loaned out who makes a single appearance cannot be replaced within the squad. Oh dear. Well, I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that a player was sold in September who played 70 minutes. I'm sure you'll also all remember that our star striker has just been sold to ASEC Mimosas, meaning that he cannot be replaced.

There would be no problem with the information above if we hadn't already agreed to sign a replacement striker and if we did not have a player returning from a long-term injury who we could do with registering. The former seemed like the perfect replacement for Kone having scored 7 goals in 14 appearances for division rivals FC Sion and scoring 38 in 94 during his first stint with us.

Dejan Sorgic | STC | Class of 2006 (Luzern) | Swiss, Serbian

With this revelation, there are only two solutions; we scour the youth teams for options or we scour the market for young players who are eligible to play without needing to be registered. Additionally, this bombshell increases the price necessary to prize away our two key assets, given they cannot be replaced by senior players. Although, I'm not sure at this point how much would be suitable to sell a player who cannot be replaced. All of a sudden, I feel like I'm managing Athletic Club.

 

Internal Options

As we will discover, our academy doesn't offer much in the way of players currently able to step up to the first team. It especially does not offer much in attacking areas. Despite this, two players may provide options within the first team and through the versatility of our midfielders, we may be able to shift some players out of position to fill in gaps in attacking areas. It might even transpire that Noah Zollner is utilised as an emergency striker.

20. Enis Asani| DM/MC | Class of 2018 (Solothurn) | Swiss

36. Noah Zollner | D/WB/M/AMR | Class of 2019 | German

Personal accolades lead to disaster

As has been mentioned on a number of occasions, two players stood out as youngsters who could get instant game time and grow with the club on our journey. This was further supported by their performance in the Challenge League Young Player of the Year awards. Both Daniel dos Santos and Valmir Matoshi placed in the top 3 of the awards having earned regular starting positions this season. With the existing squad registration restrictions and the league recognizing them as two of the best young players in the league, it would be very difficult for a team to offer enough money to agree on a fee for either. Although, with 18 months left on their contracts, who knows?

Well, following this news, a host of clubs from Italy, Switzerland and Austria relentlessly bid on both. Empoli offering daily bids for Dos Santos as the Italian window came close to closing. Whilst Salzburg and Luzern made repeated approaches for Matoshi. Despite their best efforts, none of the bids were acceptable - at least not to me. All it took was 30 minutes of madness from Andreas Moller for Matoshi to leave. Before I could react to the offer being accepted, he was gone. Following his departure, I publicly described our relationship as broken, to which I have heard no response. Maybe one day we will meet again Valmir. God speed.

Panic Buys

Now we were up against it. Neuchatel, Aarau and Vaduz in pursuit of our automatic promotion place - without a striker and now without our first-choice right-midfielder and the only players we can replace them with must be under the age of 21 and trained in Switzerland. It's like transfer sudoku and there's only one answer that can go in the box. Firstly, a striker who is young enough not to need registering, trained in Switzerland, has already demonstrated they can score goals and is available for relatively cheap or on loan. How many players fit that description? 1.

15. Labinot Bajrami| STC | Class of 2020 (Zurich) | Swiss | 11 goals in 23 apps for Zurich U21 | Buy Option: £1,400,000

Finally, finding a solution to the lack of depth on the right-hand side. There were more options here - so it was decided that two players would be brought in. The immediate solution on the right came in the form of existing squad members, Etienne Rolando Ndongo (4 goals, 1 assist, 11 apps), but he had agreed a deal with Zurich to join them in the summer. Therefore, the solution was one instant option on loan and a free transfer for a player who cannot be registered until next season. If this was a clickbait article, I'd say you'll never believe of the last signing is!

82. Axel Kayombo| AMR | Class of 2019 (Basel) | French | DR Congolese | Buy Option: £1,100,000

7. Hatem Ben Arfa| AMRLC | French, Tunisian

Just ignore the fact that Hatem is unhappy that he hasn't been registered and wants to leave the club. This was expected, which is why he was given an 18-month deal. See you in the summer, lad.

 

 

[albertluque]

I wrote this out twice. Stupidly pressed Ctrl+Z and deleted everything when writing it the first time - it was far more detailed that time around.

[TheLutterworthFox]

Really enjoyed reading your updates. I loved managing in Switzerland, had a FC Sion save on FM18. The player registration rules seem really tough, does it change when you get into the Swiss Super League? 

[DefinitelyTaylor]

FC Thun are on my list for a potential save this year so I’m glad to see someone is giving them a go on the forum. Quite the dramatic start to this thread, I have to say! Nonetheless, hopefully you can continue on the great start you have enjoyed. I’ll be following from this point.

[albertluque]

7 hours ago, TheLutterworthFox said:

Really enjoyed reading your updates. I loved managing in Switzerland, had a FC Sion save on FM18. The player registration rules seem really tough, does it change when you get into the Swiss Super League? 

Cheers! I'm not sure. Hopefully, I can tell you soon...

[mibsweden]

Can I just ask what’s the name of the skin you are using?

[_Ben_]

I've a soft spot for Swiss football so will be following this! Great start so far.

[roganp]

Nice start to the save! I've always had Switzerland on the list of places I'd like to manage but have never got around to it. I will be following the journey!

[Domoboy23]

Always wanted to manage in Switzerland (had some enjoyable ones in Denmark) and you're making me plan a save! 

[TangoFM]

Great start, will follow with interest!

[albertluque]

On 30/10/2023 at 11:40, mibsweden said:

Can I just ask what’s the name of the skin you are using?

It's called WTCS Gold v1.1

[albertluque]

                  

The Replacements | Season 1 | The Chase | April 2024

The chased becomes the chaser

The second half of the season has seen Xamax drop just 5 points, whilst we have dropped 14. Despite this downturn in form, we still boast the second-best record over the last 12 fixtures. There are 6 fixtures to go, which having looked at the matchups, doesn't give us much hope. As you can see below, a terrible run of 4 fixtures three defeats in a row against Xamax, Schaffhausen and Sion respectively, sees the gap switch from 4 in our favour to 5 in Xamax's. Xamax's immaculate second half of the season is further demonstrated by our ability to extend our lead over 3rd, despite having a poor 2024.

With this in mind, we must overturn a 5-point gap in just 6 fixtures to secure the top spot. So, let's have a look at the remaining fixtures and the points accumulated when these matches were played previously this season.

Xamax:

FC Baden (away): 2-1 Win

Stade Nyonnais (home): 3-0 Win

Vaduz (away): 3-1 Win

Wil (home): 6-0 Win

Thun (away): 3-2 Win

Bellinzona (home): 1-1 Draw.

Total: 16 points

Projected Points: 85 points

 

Thun:

Stade Nyonnais (away): 2-1 Win

Vaduz (home): 1-0 Win

Wil (away): 2-0 Win

Bellinzona (away): 6-2 Win

Xamax (home): 2-3 Loss

Schaffhausen (away):  3-0 Win

Total: 15 points

Projected Points: 79 points.

 

Should the results fall the same way as earlier in the season, Xamax take the title by 6 points. However, should our 3-2 loss be reversed, the league title would be decided on goal difference. Our primary aim, is to take the title race down to the last day. If we achieve this, who knows what might happen?

 

Youth Intake

As suggested by our head of youth development, central defenders and wingbacks were the only players worth looking at.  Both central defenders are already not far off from being able to make a mark on the first team, although this may depend on our league status next season. With some small improvements, Fejzullahu and Zovko could become internationals for Bosnia and Kosovo respectively.

Bojan Katic| GK | Class of 2024 | Serbian (Subotica), Switzerland

 

Fabian Steiner| RWB | Class of 2024 | Switzerland (Thun)

 

Donat Fejzullahu| DC | Class of 2024 | Switzerland (Thun), Kosovan

 

Ivan Zovko| DC | Class of 2024 | Bosnian (Posusje), Swiss

 

 

 

[albertluque]

                  

The Replacements | Season 1 | The Run In | May 2024

 

Matchday 31

A good start for us, bettered by Xamax. The 5-point lead is maintained and Xamax secures a playoff spot.

 

League Table

 

Matchday 32

Again, both teams match each other. This time, we secure our playoff spot.

 

League Table

 

Matchday 33

Wil score with their only shot on target, taking a 2-1 win with an xG of 0.1. Very disappointed we didn't build on our 1-0 lead after 6 minutes. Xamax extend their lead to 8 points. A miracle run of form needed for Xamax (LLL/LLD) is our only hope.

 

League Table

 

Matchday 34

What isn't shown is the horrendous decision to award both penalties against us and the two goals we had disallowed that, for me, would have been awarded were we to have VAR in the Challenge League. A result made all the worse by Xamax' inability to beat Wil, which, had we won our match, would have still seen us in with a very slim hope of automatic promotion.

 

League Table

 

Promotion Playoffs

Instead of celebrating a league win and promotion, our focus must now swap to our promotion playoff. Which at present, could see us face-off against as many as 5 different opponents. Ideally, I would like to face one of the promoted sides; Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, Yverdon or Lausanne-Sport and avoid heavyweights FC Basel. The final two league fixtures for us are a balancing act, do you risk morale dropping, if it hasn't already, in favour of resting key players or do we try and wrestle our way back into good form given we have lost our last 2 matches? Tough decisions must be made.

 

 

[albertluque]

                  

The Replacements | Season 1 Finale | May 2024

The matchup

Fortunately, Basel scraped a win and pulled themselves away from the relegation places. The concern for the playoff match is that we were eliminated from the Swiss Cup by already relegated Grasshopper Zurich, losing 5-3. There is a clear problem within our system and it is conceding goals in the second half of the season but we do not have the personnel to adjust or fix this problem.

Two injuries to key players on the eve of the first-leg have put us at a disadvantage. Bertone has missed the last 8 matches, of which we won 5. Whilst Burki featured in 34 of our 36 league matches and will be a major loss at the heart of our defence. Finally, our current top scorer following the departure of Koné, Sessolo, has been ruled out for 3 months with a hip injury. His 17 goals in the second half of the season almost singlehandedly secured us second place. As if things couldn't get worse in the final third, potential Sessolo deputy, Ndongo, has a tight groin and seems only fit enough to take a place on the bench.

Issues across the entire pitch going into the biggest game of the season is just what we ordered. In an already depleted squad due to registration rules, it would be a miracle if we come away with a win over the two legs.

 

First Leg

We start the match with the two players we promoted from the youth teams in January and are left with no choice but to utilise Noah Zollner as an emergency striker. The small squad size is also highlighted by the ability to name only 6 substitutes with 3 of those having late fitness tests.

Full Time

A mixup between Bamert and Asani in the 16th minute sees Okou race through to give Luzern the lead. Asani later redeemed himself by pulling us level with a powerful effort inside the box. Bamert started poorly, giving away the first goal, then went on to give away a penalty after the referee deemed him to have fouled Abubakar. However, Matic saves a poor effort from Frydek to take us into the second leg with a chance where Ndongo should be fit enough to start and Janjicic looking increasingly likely to be able to have an impact off the bench.

 

Second Leg

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Ndongo is passed fit to start but Kayombo has left to join up with the French U20 squad to take part in the Toulon Tournament. Having reflected on the first leg and our lack of options off the bench, it seems beneficial to load it with youngsters. 4 new names; Berger, Marques, Morales Batalla and Sollberger all set to make their debut should they come on.

Full Time

A valiant effort from our boys but having a reduced squad finally caught up with us. An early goal from Abubakar put us on the back foot but we managed to level from the spot through Mariani. However, before half time Luzern restored their lead when Novak turned in a rebound from close range. Batalla and Sollberger both came on with 10 minutes to go with the latter setting up a glorious chance for Ndongo but a good save from Loretz could only win us a corner.

To quote a once great philosopher...

"We go again"

 

Edited November 1, 2023 by albertluque

[DefinitelyTaylor]

Very frustrating. I think the chaos in January probably played a key role in you, firstly, missing out on automatic promotion and, secondly, not quite having enough to squeak past Luzern. Another season in the second-tier could prove to be fruitful though as it will enable you more time to shape the squad into one that fits you. 

[albertluque]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyTaylor said:

Very frustrating. I think the chaos in January probably played a key role in you, firstly, missing out on automatic promotion and, secondly, not quite having enough to squeak past Luzern. Another season in the second-tier could prove to be fruitful though as it will enable you more time to shape the squad into one that fits you. 

Yes, I like to think that had the board not sold that one player, things would have been different.

[albertluque]

On 29/10/2023 at 16:47, TheLutterworthFox said:

Really enjoyed reading your updates. I loved managing in Switzerland, had a FC Sion save on FM18. The player registration rules seem really tough, does it change when you get into the Swiss Super League? 

We'll have to wait another 12 months to find out...