corinthiano Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 (edited) So I finally got to the point where I can play the save I wanted to since FM24 is out, first because I found a database that is mostly accurate when it comes to the South American leagues not in the original game, and secondly because with the 24.3 update we have the 2023 Copa Libertadores results updated, which as will be explained was an important factor. The Copa Libertadores de América is South America's elite tournament and has been in place since 1960. There were informal precursors to the tournament but it only came into creation after the European Cup inaugurated in 1955. In 1958 the then FIFA president João Havelange announced the Copa de Campeones de America with the ultimate aim being a game between the European and South American champion to determine the best club in the world. In 1965 the tournament was renamed to Copa Libertadores, in honor of the liberators of America such as Simón Bolívar. In its 64 editions the tournament has been primarily won by Argentinian and Brazilian teams, with the title going outside of these countries only 16 times, half of those to Uruguay. Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela have never had a team win the tournament, with the first having a couple of finalists. In terms of successful clubs there is not a clear dominance like Real Madrid in Europe. Independiente of Argentina is the biggest champion with 7 titles, but the latest was in 1984. The Premise Inspired by other saves I have decided to try and win the Copa Libertadores with a team from every CONMEBOL nation. With only ten countries this should be an achievable goal. In line with the other saves and to make it a bit more challenging I will try to win it only with teams that have not won it before. This means the choices in Brazil and Argentina will be more limited and it will take out some of the big hitters in the other countries. I will start from the country with the league that has the highest reputation and work my way down, which currently means a start in Brazil and end in Bolivia. The manager taking on this task will be Gabriel Libertador (a.k.a Gabriel the Liberator), loosely inspired by Brazilian rapper Gabriel O Pensador (a.k.a. Gabriel the Thinker, which is very random I know, but is what came to my head ). He will be the youngest age he can be and have his experience and coaching badges matched to his first club, which I will select and explain later. As soon as he wins a Libertadores he will resign and look for a club in the country with the next lowest reputation. He can move clubs between countries but can never manage a club that has won the Libertadores before. So on we go to the first country... Edited March 21 by corinthiano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Country 1 - Brazil Brazil is the largest country in South America, and 5th largest in the world. It borders every country in South America, with the exception of Chile and Ecuador. It is the only country in South and Latin American that speaks Portuguese and is the most populous too, and 7th most populous in the world. São Paulo is its biggest city, but Brasilia is the capital and was actually built precisely for this reason. The area which is Brazil today was previously inhabitated by various tribes before Pedro Alvares Cabaral discovered the land and claimed it for the Portuguese Empire. Brazil remained a colony for over 300 years until 1822 when it proclaimed independence and became the Empire of Brazil. It became a presidential republic in 1889 and has mostly remained that, apart from the time between 1964 and 1985, when it was ruled by a military dictatorship. It is politically divided into 26 states and a federal district, where the capital Brasilia is located. Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and 9th largest in the world by nominal GDP. Brazil has a very diversified economy with a majority of the GDP coming from services and industry, but it is also rich in natural resources and agriculturally rich, being one the biggest exporter of various items such as coffee, sugarcane, soy and oranges. Corruption, crime and social inequality do hold the country back however. Tourism is a large and growing sector, with a variety of attractions in the country, from the beautiful beaches to the Amazon Rainforest and Pantanal, as well as several historic cities. The most iconic image of the country is the Chris Redemeer statue overlooking the Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro. Football in Brazil. Football and Brazil go hand in hand. It was introduced by the British in the late 19th century and has become part of the Brazilian culture from then on. The Brazilian national team is arguably the most successful in history with a record 5 World Cup wins, albeit the last one came over 20 years ago in 2002. Football did develop regionally first with tournaments in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which would become the centres of success within the country. A national league was only created in the late 50s and had various formats (sometimes very unusual) until 2003 when a standard league format was adopted. The team with the most titles is Palmeiras, who have won 12 and won the title last year. They have had a very strong team in the last few years but as you can see from the league winners in the last years the title does not tend to stay in one place for too long. In FM Palmeiras are also considered one of the more reputable clubs, behind Flamengo. There are plenty of strong clubs in a balanced league, however historically it has been dominated by the Big 12. The Big 12 are a collection of clubs from the biggest hubs in Brazil - São Paulo (Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo), Santos (which is just off São Paulo), Rio de Janeiro (Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco), Belo Horizonte (Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro) and Porto Alegre (Grêmio and Internacional). Between them they have won all but 6 Brazilian Championships and despite ups and downs are considered the largest in the country. 11 out of the 12 have also won the Copa Libertadores before, with Fluminense winning it for the first time in 2023 (told you this was important), which leads me to Gabriel's first club... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas was initially founded as a rowing club in the Botafogo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, but ten years later it created a football team. They won some of the early Rio de Janeiro State titles and have won 21 of those in total, making them the 4th most successful in the state behind the other big 3 clubs. The mantra of successful, but not quite as succesfull is repeated in most competitions, as they have won the joint fewest national titles (2) of the Big 12 and have not won a Copa do Brasil or Copa Libertadores. They have historically had financial difficulties, but in 2022 became a plc and were acquired by John Textor, who also owns Crystal Palace and the group behind Olympique de Lyon. This saw renewed investment in the club and a competitive team for the first time in decades. They dominated the first half of the Brazilian league in 2023 but managed to collapse spectacularly after its coach Luis Castro left for Saudi Arabia. Bruno Lage came in but only lasted 3 months as Botafogo only finished in 5th, with a qualifying round place in the Copa Libertadores hardly a consolation prize. They play their games at the Estádio Nílton Santos, built for the Panamerican Games in the early 2000s. It is new and very modern, but the olympic track is a little bit anti-climatic. Despite the club having John Textor in FM the finances don't seem to be amazing, with only around $5M in the bank and a $600k monthly loan repayment on a $140M loan...The expectations of the board are to qualify for the Libertadores again which should hopefully be doable as we are predicted 7th (which is the last place to get there if the Copa do Brasil winner is also amongst the top 7). In theory we could get out of Brazil within a season as we will be in the Libertadores but I don't think we are quite there yet compared to the other big boys. We seem to have a balanced squad but maybe needing a bit more quality in midfield, the 3 top rated players at the club are: Experienced club captain at the club for 7 years. Another more experienced player, can play AP or Mezzala. Worryingly another experienced player, seems like we need to inject youth into the club. Initial Fixtures We have a month until the long season in Brazil kicks off and we start with a tough one at Flamengo... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 January 2024 Our debut was rough as we were outclassed by Flamengo and could have been beaten by way more. The game against Fluminense was also gutting as we were 2-0 up with 20 mins to go but a defensive lapse saw us concede a penalty and have a man sent off. It looked like we were going to hold on to a win but Germán Cano scored with virtually the last kick of the game to deny. Early days so not a worry and the board only expects us to get to the Semi Final of the State Championship so if we keep beating the smaller teams we should be good. Transfers In Out With a squad that is relatively balanced with few gaps I decided to use our transfer budget on one big signing by bringing in Nathan from Grêmio. He adds quality to midfield and will play for us as a Mezzala. Alan was an opportunistic signing on a free to give us depth up front. On the outgoing front I started clearing some players as our squad is way too big. Next Fixtures Our last "big" game in the State Championship in the league stage before we host Venezuela's Portuguesa in the Second Qualifying Round of the Libertadores, a tie which we should really progress from. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick87 Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Interesting save idea, I played in Bolivia with Club Aurora for a few seasons, but I did find the file I was using to make Bolivia playable was inaccurate and lead to some very funny scheduling such as no Apatura or Clausura, sometimes not having games for a month at a time, having no awards and incomplete trophy histories. all of these combined kind of spoiled the experience for me. But hopefully you have found some better editor data. Good luck with a momentous challenge! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 February Another derby loss was not a great way to start the month but our form definitely picked up from there and we beat the smaller teams in the Carioca quite easily. In the Libertadores Portuguesa were not much of a match for us and in the final qualifying round we played Godoy Cruz from Argentina. They were in theory a tougher opponent but had a terrible start in the Argetinian league and we capitalized on that by scoring 8 goals across two games to easily make it into the Group Stages. Because we had to go through the qualifying rounds we were seeded 4th and got a really tough group. We'll do well to make the Last 16 from here. Transfers Out Just a loan out this month, with the transfer deadline quickly approaching I dont see us making a lot more movements. Next Fixtures Looks like a light month but we'll have to include at least a State Championship Semi Final in there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 1 hour ago, Rick87 said: Interesting save idea, I played in Bolivia with Club Aurora for a few seasons, but I did find the file I was using to make Bolivia playable was inaccurate and lead to some very funny scheduling such as no Apatura or Clausura, sometimes not having games for a month at a time, having no awards and incomplete trophy histories. all of these combined kind of spoiled the experience for me. But hopefully you have found some better editor data. Good luck with a momentous challenge! Thanks! I did see your save with Aurora and you did incredibly well!! I have had issues with editor files recently so I ran a test for 5 seasons and everything seemed to be in order, fingers crossed it remains the same! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 24 Author Share Posted March 24 March 2024 A mixed month. In the Libertadores Atlético Mineiro completely outclassed us but at least we gave Rosario Central a good beating. Millionaros beating Atlético Mineiro though really puts pressure on us having to do well against them. In the Carioca I was very pleased by how we played against Vasco and getting to a first final since 2018 was great for the club, however losing the first leg 3-0 means a State Championship title is very unlikely. Transfers Out As expected not much activity as the transfer window closed. Next Fixtures The busy schedule continues as we start our Copa do Brasil and Série A campaigns. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houdini777 Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 Very cool idea for a save mate, I had a save with Newell's earlier in this FM cycle and loved how different managing in South America is. Some of the young players I had (already at the club!) were fantastic. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 25 Author Share Posted March 25 8 hours ago, Houdini777 said: Very cool idea for a save mate, I had a save with Newell's earlier in this FM cycle and loved how different managing in South America is. Some of the young players I had (already at the club!) were fantastic. Thanks! Yes plenty of great youngsters in South America, I look forward to getting some of those in when we get into the second season with Botafogo as the team is really old and needs some rejuvenating. I just hope I get the budget for it. Newell's is probably the biggest side in Argentina eligible for the challenge so fingers crossed I get to manage them too 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 April 2024 Série A Copa Libertadores In the Copa Libertadores we did well to get a late win at home against Millonarios but then put ourselves in a tricky position by letting them score a late winner in Colombia. A win against Atlético Mineiro puts us back in the running, we will need to beat Rosario Central in Argentina in the last game by a couple of goals to make sure that either result in the other game does not matter. On the domestic front as expected we did not overturn the first leg deficit against Flamengo in the Carioca but I was pleased we matched them and avoided defeat. In the Brasileiro two unspectacular wins put us in second place, I am definitely pleased with the start. We also beat Londrina 2-0 in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil Third Round and look good to make it through there. Transfers Out A few reserve players and players on loan had their contracts expire in April and I let them go to continue the clear out. Next Fixtures Another packed month as we look to continue progress in the Libertadores and Copa do Brasil, whilst continuing the succesful start to our Brasileiro campaign. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 May 2024 Brasileirão Copa Libertadores A really solid month. Job done in the Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brasil as we progress from both. In the Copa Libertadores we get Talleres in the Last 16, which is probably one of the kinder draws we could have gotten. We then turned our attention to the league and are having a really solid campaign, winning at home and mostly drawing away. We could have probably turned one or two of those draws into wins but I am happy with 2nd place after 8 games. Next Fixtures We play Internacional in the Fourth Round of the Copa do Brasil, which will be tough. In the league we start with winnable fixtures before ending the month against tough opposition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 June 2024 We made a right mess out of our Copa do Brasil tie, we were 4-1 against Internacional at home before they scored 3 goals in 5 minutes in the last 10 minutes of the game, going from a comfortable to unfavorable position. At Internacional we did well to come back from a 2-0 deficit but conceded two late goals to crash out of the competition. At this point I feared we would go on a bad run as some players have been making a stink about playing time with whole squad getting involved, but we have gone on an excellent winning run to maintain second position in the league. Next Fixtures We hope to keep pushing in the league but will turn our focus onto the big one at the end of the month as we face Talleres in the Copa Libertadores Last 16. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 30 Author Share Posted March 30 July 2024 A mixed month that ended on a real high! We dropped off the pace in the title race as we started the month badly and then rotated the squad ahead of the Copa Libertadores matches and did not get away with it against Vasco. It did end up paying off though, just. We were better in the first leg against Talleres but they pegged us back and it meant we had a lot left to do in Argentina. It looked pretty grim as they dominated the first half, but in the last 15 minutes we rallied back, first with Luiz Henrique and then in the dying seconds with an excellent Patrick de Paula free kick to see us into the Quarter Finals! Transfers In Out We paid around $7M in add ons for Luiz Henrique's transfer that happened before I took over, so money is tight and we were only able to bring in Rodrigo Dourado who provides us with more options in midfield. I continued the clearout with only Gustavo Sauer commanding a decent fee. Next Fixtures The big one is the derby against Fluminense in the Copa Libertadores Quarter Final. It will be tough but we can beat them. Priority in the league is to maintain our Copa Libertadores qualifying spot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 August 2024 First let's talk about the important one, we smashed Fluminense to put us in a really strong position to reach the last 4. We shouldnt take it for granted though as they showed us in the league game that they can beat us. Talking of which, we started the month strong there and caught up to Palmeiras, but no wins in 3 means they pulled ahead again. Transfers Out No transfers in and with the transfer window closing in a couple of days I don't think we will bring anyone in. On the outgoing front Victor Sá was kicking up a fuss and he was just a fringe striker for us so off he went for a decent sum, which allowed us to at least be just a little over the wage budget... Next Fixtures An unusually light month due to the international break and we have two key games as we face Palmeiras in a top of the table clash before trying to see out our place in the Copa Libertadores Semi Final. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 September 2024 We have rescued a lot of draws this month, the first against Palmeiras meant we stayed ahead of them in the league and after that they have had a bad of run of results that sees us top of the league by 3 points, thanks in part to another late goal that a rotated squad managed against Cruzeiro. The squad is rotated because we have a Lubertadores Semi-Final second leg to play. After seeing out the Quarter Final against Fluminense we were handed another derby, as if we needed more of them this year . They are the in form team right now and have even gotten into the title race, so I think this is where our journey may end this year. We have given ourselves a chance by drawing the first leg but we'll need an excellent performance to see us through a rival I have only beaten once in 6 attempts this season. Next Fixtures The big one up next and after that our schedule eases up to one game a week, with another crucial title decider at Palmeiras at the end of the month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 3 Author Share Posted April 3 (edited) https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2024/04/02/brazil-textor-protest-matchfixing/3e13680e-f13d-11ee-a4c9-88e569a98b58_story.html# Boy am I glad the Botafogo president, John Textor, is not this controversial in FM EDIT: this is also a great article on how they managed to spectacularly lose the title after having a 13 point lead: https://apnews.com/article/botafogo-brazil-title-slump-a3b59605147e9fac9f2b872a38d85dc2 Edited April 3 by corinthiano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 October 2024 Let's get the really bad out of the way first. We were well and truly beaten by Flamengo, they were up 2-0 within 10 minutes and 4-0 up at half time. They have a stronger team than us but we never showed up which didn't help. At least we have a chnce to make that up in the league and 3 wins combined with Flamengo and Palmeiras dropping points put us in a strong position. Losing to Palmeiras did not help but the title is still in our own hands. Next Fixtures Final 5 games of the season. Not losing to Flamengo would really help, otherwise we will need to win the other 4 games to ensure we win Série A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KibworthBull Posted April 4 Share Posted April 4 Flippin Flamengo Always next year Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 November 2024 Oh boy, this was tough to take. We drew against Flamengo (after leading 2-0), but pretty much nothing else went our way. We needed a win from our last two games and were leading Internacional until the 83rd minute but let them turn the game around. I knew it would be tough to beat Atlético Mineiro at their place and so it proved to be. In the end not even second place... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 (edited) 2 hours ago, KibworthBull said: Flippin Flamengo Always next year Flippin Flamengo x2! EDIT - Actually three when you consider they beat us in the State Championship as well, safe to say I do not like them right now. Edited April 4 by corinthiano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 2024 Season Review I would have taken this performance across the competitions at the start of the season, but ultimately it was a disappointing end, especially in the league where we lead for a good part of the final stretch of the season before 1 point in the last 4 games derailed our title bid. I think we have shown that we can compete at the top now we need to find an edge against the two best clubs in the country at the moment. Squad by Appearances Lots of games means lot of players making appearances. We generally rotated the squad quite a lot, especially in midfield and at the back. Best XI This is probanly a fair representation of our Best XI, although Nathan would have probably edged it ahead of Marlon Freitas for me. Eduardo and Tiquinho Soares are retiring/leaving and Damián Suárez is 36, so we have a little rebuilding to do. Awards Three players make team of the year in the league, with Danilo at the back as I started using him there more often towards the end of the season. Top Performers Was key to us up front this season and will be a big miss as he has his head turned by Saudi money. Probably better suited as a winger but did well for us, especially in the beginning of the season. Lost his place to Erison towards the end but if we do not find a replacement for Tiquinho he should be back in the starting XI. Such a strong and versatile midfielder, played across several functions for us but was particularly strong as a Mezzala. Finances Finances improved a lot throughout the season, but the initial budgets for next season are not too inspiring so we may need to wheel and deal to improve the squad. Summary A season of almosts, which we can hopefully build on in 2025. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 5 Author Share Posted April 5 2024 CONMEBOL Update Copa Libertadores The two best clubs in the continent at the moment faced off in the final and Palmeiras came out the winner to claim their 4th title. Notable mention to Bolívar who got to the Semi-Final and did better than us... Copa Sudamericana All Argentinian final here with Boca claiming a record 3rd title. Copa Libertadores Records Palmeiras moves up to joint 4th in the Ranking, with Brazil closing in on Argentina. CONMEBOL League Rankings No changes here yet. Most Reputable Clubs The list is dominated by Brazil with only Boca and River breaking into the top 15. National Champions A season of few shocks, with the biggest ones being Sportivo Luqueño in Paraguay winning their second title and Academia Puerto Cabello in Venezuela winning their first. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 2025 Season Preview Not much of a break in Brazil, so less than 45 days later we start again. The league doesnt start for another 4 months and before that we have the State Championships but the media fancies us less this season and has us down in 10th, from 7th last year. This is probably because we lost a couple of key players and have not replaced them yet, so let's see if that changes. Transfers In Out We have made some signings, all free transfers as of now with three of them coming in to add to the first team. Juan José Aguirre and Kevin Altez are ones for the future and may be loaned out. We got a ton of money into the club and have over $50M in the bank, but the board wont give me more budget so I am selling a few players to raise funds for a new striker, which I think is the only position I am going to invest heavily in. Here are the three that will challenge for the first team: A steal and covers the concerns I had at RB with Damián Suárez getting older. Not an automatic starter but a great option to have across all positions in midfield. Not the youngest but is an improvement at LB for us. Assistant XI Fairly acurate although I would have Luis Segovia as our CD and push Nathan up to AP with Marlon Freitas or Danilo Barbosa coming into midfield. Luiz Henrique is our weak spot at DLF I feel. Initial Fixtures We start the season with a derby but after that we will have a few easier games to get into a rhythm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 January 2025 The season started interestingly as Weigandt decided the best way to start a debut was to be sent off after 35 seconds against a rival...despite that we went up twice with Fluminense pegging us back before Patrick de Paula scored a screamer in the dying seconds to seal the game. In the remaining games we have done OK without really being convincing as the team is still adapting to the new starting players. Transfers In Out On the outgoing front we are mostly loaning out youngsters but we did sell a few players, most notable Danilo Barbosa. I didnt really want to sell him but his contract was up at the end of the season and he did not look like he wanted to stay so I decided to cash in on him. On the incoming front our big signing of the season was made as we got the young Argentina Jerónimo Domina. He has played for the Argentine U20 team so I have high hopes for him. I also snapped up Soñora on a free as a midfield option and he looks pretty decent. Copa Libertadores I thought that by qualifying directly we might get an easier group but luck was not on our side as we get drawn with three previous winners... Infrastructure With a bunch of money at the club and no chance of additional transfer funds I decided to ask the board for improvements and they agreed to everything but Junior Coaching. Next Fixtures Not having to go through Libertadores qualifying stages this season makes February look nice, with the game against Flamengo the only big event. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 7 Author Share Posted April 7 February 2025 Flamengo continue to be a pain and despite us keeping it close they were comfortable. This sees us drop to third place but we have secured qualification to the Semi Finals and looks like at least we will avoid 4th place and Semi Final game against Flamengo as Fluminense is struggling to even make the last 4... Transfers In Out I managed to convince the board that signing Igor Gomes would be key despite not having the budget with it. They agreed and we got ourselves as great AP, which feels like we are missing since Eduardo's departure. I might try to see if the board would sign one or two other players in the same way but I have less than a week until the transfer deadline closes. Next Fixtures We start our Libertadores campaigns which means I will probably de-prioritize the last two Carioca league stage games. We'll also have the Semi Final coming up in the last part of the month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 March 2025 Rio State Championship Copa Libertadores We started the month with a solid start in the Libertadores and ensuring second place in the Carioca, which would prove vital for the Semi Final. Fluminense did manage to squeeze in too but lost a staggering 11-3 to Flamengo in the Semi Final. Before we played Vasco in the Semi Final we did really well to come back from 2-0 down to draw at River, putting us in a good position in the Libertadores so far. The our focus shifted to the Carioca were we never managed to pull away from Vasco, but luckily higher seeding meant we went to the final with two draws. This applies to the Final too which makes it tricky as we have to outright beat Flamengo over two legs. The first didnt start well and they were 2-0 up within 30 mins, Igor Gomes scored twice to put us level and then from the penalty spot to make it 3-3 and give us a little hope going into the Final game. Next Fixtures Things start getting busy in April as we play in 4 different tournaments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 April 2025 Brasileirão Copa Libertadores Trust Flamengo to give us another beating in the Carioca final as we lose out to another title. At least we got them back by beating them in the league, only our second win in 11 attempts against them and curiously the other one was at home in the league too. In the Libertadores a couple of home wins have helped us to qualify for the last 16 and we have a very good chance of making that a first place, we just need to avoid defeat to Peñarol in the last game. We also squeezed past Avaí in the Copa do Brasil, a tie which should have been more comfortable. Next Fixtures We close out the group stage in the Copa Libertadores and have a tricky tie again in the Copa do Brasil against local rivals Vasco. We also start to focus in the Brasileirão to kick on from a decent start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 11 Author Share Posted April 11 May 2025 Brasileirão Copa Libertadores Not a great month as we go on a terrible run of form in the league and crash out of the cup. With things looking bleak I decided to play the back-up players in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil and it paid off as they did a decent job and then a rested first team easily beat a struggling Corinthians. I am hoping this is the start of a turnaround for us. In the Copa Libertadores we finished off the Group Stage with a win and a first place. We will play Belgrano of Argentina in the last 16 which is a winnable tie. Transfers Out With some of our signings in midfield Savarino fell down the pecking order and wanted a move. The deal includes a mandatory $2.6M fee to make it permanent, which was good business for us. The board have also made some money available for transfers due to our finances being good so I am trying to sign a left back as we seem to be short in the position. Next Fixtures The focus is 100% in the league next month where we need to get back into the top 4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 11 Author Share Posted April 11 June 2025 We went on a great recovery run before the end of the month where a red card meant we only drew with Athlético Paranaense and then we lost a tight game against the league leaders. Nonetheless we are back in the race for Top 4 which is positive. Transfers Out Another foreign attacking midfielder that has become unhappy and has been sold. Infrastructure Next Fixtures Back to then important one at the end of the month, until then we have to remain strong in the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 12 Author Share Posted April 12 No thank you, not even without the restrictions of this save. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 12 Author Share Posted April 12 July 2025 I could not have wished for a better month as we win all of our games and only concede two goals. It has shot us right up in the league, although Grêmio and Flamengo can still catch us with their games in hand. In the Libertadores we breezed through Belgrano and even played a rotated side in the second leg. Transfers In Out Two strong signings that strengthen our defence, with Dória an excellent BPD and Rubens a good left back. I did oversee the fact that Rubens had already played 7 games in the league for his prior club and so I cant play him in the league...at least he will be well rested for the Libertadores Next Fixtures Independiente del Valle in the Quarters could be tricky and if we get through them we may have a replay of the last Semi Final...some tough fixtures in the league so we will do well to end the month at the top. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 13 Author Share Posted April 13 August 2025 Well we are still top but it was not a good month. We lost three big games in the league and Palmeiras and Flamengo can catch us with their games in hand, the performance against the bigger teams is going to cost us the title this year I think. Talking about not performing on the big stage we almost blew the Libertadores Quarter Final agains Independiente del Valle. We went 3-0 in the first leg only to let them bring it back down to 3-2 in the last 15 mins before we went behind twice at home against them luckily we kept our nerves during penalties and ensured we were in the last 4 of the Libertadores for a second year in a row. Transfers In Out You may have noticed a familiar name in the goalscorers this month, yes it is him. I saw a news article saying Santos were trying to sign Neymar and with them being mid table I though we would have a shot at that too. Brilliant signing and has already scored some crucial goals for us. The transfer window shuts in a couple of days, but the board made more funds available to us so I could bring two more players in on deadline day. Infrastrcuture Next Fixtures Flamengo again...not feeling optimistic but you never know... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 13 Author Share Posted April 13 September 2025 Ugh, the wheels are starting to come off... Transfers In An unlikely source for us to buy two players on deadline day. Tobias Heintz is a great option in midfield and Daniel Naumov becomes our new No. 1. we do have too many foreign players at the club now, but we can manage through it as some have become fringe players. Next Fixtures I am not hopeful of upsetting Flamengo in the Second Leg or beating them in the race to the league title, but we do have to pick up our form to make sure we finish in the top 4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 14 Author Share Posted April 14 October 2025 Yep, season is over for us. Flamengo beats us easily again to make another Libertadores final, I wish we could at least start making these a little closer rather than getting trounced. In the league we stumbled a couple of times and Flamengo are way out of sight, but I think we have enough to finish in the top 4. Next Fixtures It's not an easy end of the season as we play 3 teams in the top 10. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 14 Author Share Posted April 14 November 2025 A couple of very decent away wins ensure we finish the season well, 1 point and 1 place better than last year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 14 Author Share Posted April 14 2025 Season Review On the face of it a carbon copy of last season, with losing out to Flamengo in the league, state championship and Copa Libertadores, whilst we excited early in the Copa do Brasil again. If we go a little deeper it is still almost a copy of last season - the positives are that we are slowly refreshing the squad and with a more decent $14.5M budget next season we could afford 2-3 good signings. Squad by Appearances As usual a lot of rotation, as well as the big new signings coming later in the season. I think quite honestly they disrupted things a little so hopefully we can integrate them better into the side next season. I also think that we lacked a consistent goalscorer this season, Erison did well in the State Championship but faded away in the second half of the season, whilst Domina was better suited to the DLF role and therefore was not going to score as much. Best XI Awards Two players in the team of the year and both of them defenders. Top Performers We added a lot of midfielders this season but Marlon Freitas' place was never under threat as he continued to deliver consistently. Despite him not delivering as much in the league and Libertadores he was still one of our better players. Has been an unquestionable starter at the heart of defense since I joined, but has some Saudi Arabian clubs lurking and with a $9.75M release clause I fear he may leave sooner rather than later. Finances We spent a lot more on players this season but still made a very healthy profit, which is great as we can keep improving the team. Progress Small steps, but hopefully with additional investment this year we can get a little closer to Flamengo, or if we are lucky they will have a terrible year Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 14 Author Share Posted April 14 2025 CONMEBOL Update Copa Libertadores Not a great year overall from Brazilian sides as they only have two representatives in the Quarter Final, but it is Brazil once again that claims the trophy as Flamengo beat surprise package Atlético Nacional in the Final. Copa Sudamericana RB Bragantino make it a Brazilian double as they claim their first Sudamericana title. Copa Libertadores Records Flamengo are now back most joint Brazilian winner with Palmeiras and Brazil equal Argentina's record. CONMEBOL League Rankings Still no changes here. Most reputable clubs Flamengo overtake Palmeiras to become number 1 in South America. National Champions We have a new champion in Argentina as Talleres claim their first title, whilst in Ecuador Emelec is chasing down Barcelona. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 14 Author Share Posted April 14 2026 Season Preview We still have a way to go until the league kicks off but it is nice to see we are now considered 3rd favorites, which is a fair assessment. We also have a player in the Media XI with Neymar. Transfers In Out We are still in the midst of getting the squad together and the transfer window has just opened up. Igor Rabello, Joaquín Pereyra and Juan Dinenno are all good squad options for central position in defence, midfield and attack, respectively. França is one for the future and Vitor Roque and Léo Borges should feature in the first team. On the outgoing front we continue to trim the squad somewhat and make a nice $3M for a Savarino and Carlos Alberto. I couldnt pass on the chance to sign the wonderkid, even if it is on an expensive loan. He could absolutely make the difference up front for us and I am excited to see him perform. A slight improvement at left back but at that price I felt I had to make the move. Domestic options are hovering around the $8M-$10M mark which I dont pay for a single player. Assistant XI This is a fair assessment, we are a bit overloaded in midfield so will try to sell a couple of players. Up front I have not decided if I will use Neymar as AP or DLF yet, if it is the latter then Norwegian Heintz would come in as AP. Initial Fixtures We start against Fluminense in the Carioca for a second year in a row, hopefully we can beat them again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 16 Author Share Posted April 16 January 2026 The defeat against Vasco puts a downer on an otherwise decent first month. Transfers Out No more transfers in for the rest of the month, just a bunch of youngsters being loaned out and a fringe player sold. Next Fixtures The draw for the Copa Libertadores was made and whilst there are no easy teams in the group we should be able to make it through. February is a light month but one where we face Flamengo twice. We are in the Supercup as Flamengo won the double and they'll get a chance to beat us in yet another tournament Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 It is only the Supercup and we just about won it on penalties, but it does feel great to get one over Flamengo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 February 2026 Things go back to normal after we beat Flamengo in the super cup as they beat us in the State Championship again. Unless there are upsets it looks like we will play them in the Semi Final and they will have the advantage of playing for two draws, which means me might not make the final for the first time. Transfers In Out I did not have enough budget to sign Khellven so I asked the board to negotiate the deal and they duly obliged, great signing especially considering he rejected Flamengo a few weeks earlier. The transfer window shuts in a week and I am very happy with the squad as it is, so other than clearing one or two players out I don't expect us to do much more. Next Fixtures Our Copa Libertadores campaign starts this month so again we'll rotate for the last two State Championship games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 March 2026 Rio State Championship Copa Libertadores Playing a weakened team in the last league stage matches of the State Championship actually dropped us to 4th, which had the positive effect of avoiding Flamengo in the Semi Final. We had a stormer of a first half of the first leg against Vasco, going 5-0 up and easing us through to the final despite a crazy second leg. Fluminense pulled a shock and we are finally not playing Flamengo in the final, but it seems it wont end our fortunes in this competition as we lost the first leg and because Fluminense are higher seeds we will need to beat them by two goals in the second leg to lift the trophy. In the Copa Libertadores we are cruising our group after comfortable home games against Universidad Católica and Olimpia and a somewhat fortunate away win against Atlético Nacional, where an even game was decided by an awful defensive error from the Colombians which Tobias Heintz pounced on 5 minutes before the end of the game. Transfers Out Just a couple of loans and fringe player sales before the transfer window shut at the beginning of the month. Next Fixtures We get a weeks rest to try and overturn the State Championship final before resuming our Copa Libertadores campaign and starting the Brasileirão with a tough game at Brazil's Red Bull franchise. In the Copa do Brasil we get a good draw in third tier side Sampaio Corrêa. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 April 2026 Brasileirão Copa Libertadores It is an all green month but the first game was full of disappointment. We scored two goals at the end of the first half to give us hope of the title, but Fluminense pulled back in the second half before we scored a late winner that saw us lose due to lower seeding. 3 final losses in 3 years really stings. We did bounce back from it though and have been imperious in the league and Libertadores, as well as blowing away third tier side Sampaio Corrêa in the Copa do Brasil. Next Fixtures We start the month with two very tough away trips, good results here will set us up well in the league. In the Copa do Brasil Athlético Paranaense will be tough opposition but I would really like to get past the Fourth Round for the first time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 May 2026 Brasileirão Copa Libertadores In the league we did not really get the results we wanted against Palmeiras and Flamengo, but we put in a well fought winning run after that to still keep us top of the table. In the Copa Libertadores a second string side saw us close out the Group Stage. I was surprised at how bad last years finalist Atlético Nacional did. Biggest news of this stage however was the fact Flamengo finished behind River and Independiente del Valle in their group and are out, which opens up a huge chance for us and the very least meansd they wont knock us out this year . Lastly, we seem to be continuing our Copa do Brasil Fourth Round hoodoo and will need a very good away performance to get past this stage. Next Fixtures We draw Godoy Cruz in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores. We beat them easily in the qualifying stages a couple of seasons ago so hopefully can repeat that. It will be something for July though as the focus this month is domestic. It will be tricky as we have 4 players out at the World Cup, including our starting strikers Vitor Roque and Neymar, this combined with injuries mean our squad is pretty thin right now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 We are still running at a decent profit so the board agreed to a couple more improvements. Youth Recruitment is now up to Exceptional. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 June 2026 As predicted, this month was a struggle. Between 4 players at the World Cup and on average 4-5 injured we had 8-9 players out consistently this month and so preformances were just disjointed. With that in mind I am happy we are only 2 points from the top. Our Copa do Brasil campaign did end in the 4th round again as well. Transfers Out Alan fell down the pecking order and wanted to move, with us needing to get rid of foreign players that ended up being a good solution. Inter Miami can make the deal permanent for $4.6M at the end of the year if they wish. Next Fixtures By the end of the month I am hoping to have a fit squad ready to beat Godoy Cruz. In the meantime we'll try to accumulate points in the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted April 21 Author Share Posted April 21 July 2026 Getting past Godoy Cruz was really easy and we even played the second leg with a rotated team as the tie was pretty much in the bag when we beat them 3-0 at their place. In the league we have mostly been good, with the draw against Vitória the only really frustrating game. Losing against São Paulo was unfortunate, but they are a strong team. We are leading the Brasileiro but Flamengo can catch us with their games in hand. Transfer In Out Reinier comes in after his time in Madrid did not work out, he is a great addition to our midfield. On the outgoing front Adamo is not in the first team picture so got a loan out to his native Uruguay whilst Matheus Nascimento was complaining too much so I decided to sell him as his game time was also more limited this season. Next Fixtures A tough Quarter Final draw in the Libertadores despite Internacional not having a good season. The month in itself will be tough with no easy games. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted Monday at 12:09 Author Share Posted Monday at 12:09 August 2026 A positive month for us despite the draws, with two early red cards for the opposition crucial for positive results. The first one was for Flamengo in the league, which meant that even with a rotated team we beat them 2-0 and kept them at bay in the title fight. The second was in the following match as Internacional threw away their chances of progressing in the Libertadores after holding us to a draw at their place in the first leg by getting the early red card. From then we were comfortable in the tie and booked a place in the last 4. Next Fixtures We play Talleres in the Copa Libertadores Semi Final. We beat them in the Last 16 two seasons ago so hopefully we can repeat that and book our place in the final for the first time. That will be in October though as we have an unusually really quiet month in September. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corinthiano Posted Monday at 13:18 Author Share Posted Monday at 13:18 September 2026 Yep, we just handed the league title to Flamengo again. Transfers In Out Only minor activity on deadline day, with a promising Czech being singed on the cheap and a fringe player loaned out, Next Fixtures With slim chances in the league it is time to focus on getting to the Libertadores final. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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