KlaaZ

The season ticket waiting list also shows the need for stadium expansion. I'm actually hoping we can build a new one going forward.

Player development I think our first eleven are now quite decent and almost ready to challenge for greater things. Our weakest link is probably still defense, both central and full back positions are doing ok but they are not of the same standard as the rest of the team. Idris on the right had been developing well until he was set back with broken ribs, seeing the first appearances of 18-year old Ivan Camacho as a result. On the left, 16-year old Lucas Mendoza has slowly been introduced to the first team and will probably take over permanently from an aging Nkounkou next season. In the center, 19-year old Mosiatlhaga has been emerging as a starter. We will probably look to invest into a new center back to play next to him, preferrably someone who is comfortable on the ball.

2032-2033: Season recap We finally finished the our season, let's start with La Liga. We were actually leading the league for big parts of the season, starting off incredibly well and only losing twice before in 2032, in Getafe and a heavy beating in Barcelona. We actually didn't do much worse in 2033 but losing away at both teams from Madrid had Real overtake us. The Galacticos only lost one game during the entire season, drawing four. If we had been able to turn some defeats into draws, we probably would have been able to grab our first league win but it just wasn't meant to be. All this despite scoring the most goals and conceding the least, but in the end it's all about winning games.. It's our highest league standing ever, and there were other records and individual trophies to go with it. D'Cruz won goalkeeper of the year, breaking La Liga's clean sheet record. Moses became player of the year, with Moll as runner up, and also top goalscorer, finding the back of the net 29 times. I won manager of the year, again. Moses and D'Cruz made it into the team of the year. There's also recognition of the financial sanitizing I've been doing concerning the wages, as we have the lowest wages to turnout ratio in the league, by far. The good financial news means we will both get a decent transfer budget next year, and the stadium will get expanded to increase long term profitability. On top of that, the training facilities also get a facelift. In the Champions League, we did well enough in the group stage, reaching the knockout rounds where we made quick work of Lazio Roma. We then beat Ligue 1 champions Monaco before eliminating PSG on penalties in the quarter finals (in a return game which honestly should have been buried long before extra time). When Moses then put us ahead after only four minutes in Newcastle, I thought we might go all the way but they pinned us back and sent us home with a 3-1 loss. In the return game, we went behind after only two minutes and it was all downhill from there. Close, but no cigar. We also made it to another cup final, beating Barcelona on the way there, only to once again lose out against Real. So close to trophies but every time we put ourselves in a position to finish it, we blow our chance.

Just chipping in fwiw, Belgian league finances have been bugged for years. The top division has a tv money deal similar to that of Holland, had it for years actually, and it's worth about 120M p/a if I remember correctly. But for some reason, I've never seen a Belgian club get more than 1.6M from domestic league tv money, which is wildly inaccurate. It's sad because there's so much potential for good saves there.

Hardest month ever..

Two months and an insane sixteen games have gone by, no rest for the wicked. I'm not going into detail on every game because of the sheer volume of them, but some highlights nontheless: The Super Cup loss against Barça was actually a very close contest. We had a goal chalked off and they got a penalty to grab the win. Could just as easily have been the other way around though. We could have gone straight to the round of sixteen in the CL but the draw against Juve sealed our fate of playing an additional two games. We were the better team against Lazio and deserved to go through though, Monaco is up next in the CL. Looked like a fairly easy draw until I saw that they beat PSG to the title last season.. We'll see how it goes, I'm just happy to be here. We had a complete offday against Atlético. We're still first in the league, but Real still have that game in hand so on paper, they could jump over us with a win.

Transfer news One new signing, a kid from Hajduk that has been on my radar for a while but didn't want to move until he was 18. By then, half a dozen top clubs were interested but promising him regular first team football was enough to convince him to join Sevilla instead. He'll be Thorne's understudy and has been doing very well in the few appearances he made so far.

Well deserved, hopefully on his way to be one of the best left wingers in the world.

We're about to go into 2033 and it's looking good, although it could have looked even better. On the plus side, only losing to Barça (deservedly, we were absolutely nowhere) is very acceptable, and I'm very happy with the win over Real. Unfortunately, the draws against Valencia and especially struggling Espanyol mean that we did not really capitalize on that last result. It could also in part be down to rotation though, as we've had a very heavy schedule with the European games included. On paper, we're still top of the league but Real have a game in hand which could see them top us. I'm happy to still see Barça behind us after losing to them. Either way, top three seems a certainty, which is a good basis to work from going forward. We also have by far the youngest squad in the league with an average of 22, more than four years below the average for La Liga. Finally, the youth intake is looking very promising this year. We've invested in the facilities, training as well, which hopefully will pay off. Fingers crossed for an ace center back or full back, still our weakest link.

A bit of a more compact update this time, because I don't have a lot of time to write these days. We cleared another two months that almost looked faultless until we ran into a surprise (but deserved) defeat against Getafe. Annoying as a win would have seen us six points clear in the lead, and with Monaco, Athletic, Barça and Real coming up (with Cluj inbetween), this is a time where all points are really going to matter.. On the other hand, this could have happened sooner. We were trailing Antwerp 3-0 at the break and went behind against Atlético and Leipzig. We were also lucky in the draw against United, as they were quite superior. That said, our current showing has me confident of another top four finish at least.

Just found this and will add more details of my current version later. Been playing 4231 DM since my stint at Cruz Azul, and then polished it at SuperSport and now Sevilla. It's not perfect yet but is looking very good at times.

On September 15th, puniball had it's debut on the world's biggest stage, The European Champions League. We kicked off our campaign at home against Antwerp, the reigning Belgian champions. I rotated the squad heavily because we just came out of a game against Sociedad and next weekend we're playing Atlético. I thought I sent a squad onto the pitch that would be more than capable of dealing with our opponent, but at the break we were looking at a three goal deficit... And they merited it every single bit. Two copygoals from a deep cross from the left hand side behind the defense, and one piece of very sloppy defending where Scott had all the time in the world to control, turn and pick his corner in the box. A very angry speech and five substitutions and we were off in the second half, looking for a miracle. And whatever gods I prayed to during half time answered. Within the space of four minutes, we were level and another seven minutes further we even went ahead. Moses, Moll and again Moses for his hattrick completed the turnaround to make it 7-3 at the final whistle. Incredible!

Almost forgot, we also witnessed the Champions League draw. I think Antwerp is a very tough break coming out of pot 4, and the same can be said for Leipzig from pot 3, but it is what it is. I have no ambitions to get far this season, yet.

Two more games in August. Sevilla - Celta de Vigo: 3-1 This one wasn't as easy as it looked. We weren't as good as in our opener and looked a bit more impotent until we changed things around a bit for the second half. Three goals in ten minutes from Moses, who else, secured the victory, with Strand Larsen pulling one back. Remarkably Moses also had two goals chalked off. Sporting Gijon - Sevilla: 0-1 Recently promoted Gijon gave us a run for our money, although it was mostly due to our own errors with Idris almost gifting a goal to the home team on two occasions. One moment was enough though, with that same Idris swinging in a deep cross, Moses heading it back across goal and Moll tapping it in. There's also good news from the financial front as we managed to almost cut the wage bill in half since I started my job at Sevilla, from 1.9M to 1.1M. We also do a deadline deal, loaning a 21-year old Portuguese kid from Benfica to provide some extra quality on the right back. This also means that Mahe can go so he's off to Hoffenheim for 11.5M. Carvajal is also gone to Manchester United for 6.5M, and a 50% on sale clause. The deal for Saraing to Toluca for 18.25M is also done. All this combined with the prize money from the CL puts us a very healthy 40M in the white.

We open the league away at Almeria. Never an easy game against the team from Southern Spain in their home ground, something we learned the hard way last season when it was one of the few games where we didn't find the back of the net. We've been running a more possession oriented version of puniball during preseason, with great results including a 21-0 hammering of Portuense. Herman Ceballos (formerly known as Ivan) will make his debut on the right because Dordevic ran into a yellow suspension in the final game of last season. Nianzou is not fit yet, so Giraldez and Jimenez will occupy the center of defense. Apart from that, no surprises compared to last year. We start off rather well, with the ball and having a few attempts on goal while preventing Almeria from breaking in their 4-4-2, one of the more difficult formations for me to break down. They give us one big scare when Hlozek broke away and put it over the bar. Ten minutes later, Moll played a beautiful diagonal ball over the top, with Moses making the run and putting it into the far corner. In the 38th, the Spanish striker doubled the lead. Moll recovered the ball from Hlozek, Matic picked it up and pinged it into space for Moses, who added to his tally with his left. From there on, it was pretty much played and only four minutes into the second period, Moll made it three when Moses was too fast for Almeria's goalkeeper, ran it wide and pulled it back to Thorne, who then set up the left winger with a one touch pass to finish it. And in the final minutes, Ceballos lit up his debut with a goal after Moses sent him through, banging it in while hitting both goalposts.

Transfer news Quite a bit of news. We bring in two more players: Quique, a 21-year old striker from Mar Menor who was also followed by Napoli, and Hector Ballester, a very young defensive midfielder from Malaga. The former will be loaned out to Girona, while we keep the latter with the first team despite his young age because we lack depth in defensive midfield and I'm sure I can give him some playing time off the bench this season. Lots of loans on the outgoing side, with players leaving to get more experience and improve their abilities. Only Taborga leaves permanently so far, to Levante in a 425k deal. Good riddance. We're also in the process of moving on 25-year old academy product Sariang, an attacking midfielder who is surplus to requirements. Toluca offered a deal totalling nearly 20M, which was quickly accepted. Now let's hope he also agrees to the move, as we could use the money. I'm also considering selling Balda, who joined us from Burgos last year, as there is just too much competition for him to claim a first team place, and Carvajal who, despite his deemed potential, just doesn't seem to get there. With some luck, the sale of both of them combined could rack in 40-50M.

Hallelujah! After rejecting several offers, Moses finally threw another fit when we rejected Napoli. His new reason for wanting to leave was money, so we agreed on a substantial new deal which more than doubles his current wage. More importantly though, it also more than doubles his release clause to 160M, so he'll only leave for absolute crazy money.

Got offered a little side gig and decided to accept, because I really want a stab at European and/or World Cup glory. And the money is very good too! FIrst order of business was going through all of the squads and editing the Ivans to some more diverse names.

Transfer news Three new signings so far: A central defender with potential, an offensive minded midfielder who I may retrain to play in the DM position and a French inverted right winger for the future, who will go straight out on loan. The first signing was actually arranged last year, but we had to wait until he turned 18 in order for him to move to Europe. It's another South African who was on my shortlist during my spell at SuperSport. Mosiatlhaga will be a rotation option straight away, especially with Nianzou's injury in mind. Serious bargain deal at 600k. Our second addition is an 18-year old Bulgarian playmaker from Levski. He gathered a lot of attention but for some reason chose us in an excellent 3.8M deal. I'm actually considering playing him next to Thorne rather than higher up the pitch, where he faces stiff competition from Yanakiev and Rojas. Our final incoming player is a young Frenchman, who was more of an opportunity than anything else at the price of 400k from Osasuna. He'll join a French or Belgian club on loan to get some experience under his belt and further his development.

Cheers! This one will be the hardest I think, to try and repeat it with the additional pressure of continental football.

Can't tell much without your setup, really, but have you considered that the problem might not be your full backs? Could also very well be giving away acres of space for opposition midfielders to pick their passes, or opposition full backs getting the time and space to put it down the line.

Squad assessment: Attack Moses really turned up this season. The only question is whether or not we'll be able to keep him at the club as he's wanted by among others PSG, Arsenal, Tottenham, Inter and Napoli. Madonsela did really well as a backup option but I don't see him leading the line as first choice. We still have two high potentials in the youth team, with Mba making his debut this year, but they are also far from ready to take over.

Looking forward: Squad assessment Defensive midfielders Thorne is the man to watch. We managed to extend his contract, including a very nifty 170M release clause which almost tripples his previous one. PSG is interested though, so it's possible that even this amount will not throw them off. Next to him, Matic had a decent debut season but I'm still not sure what his best role is. I actually want someone more creative next to Thorne and the Serb is doesn't really fit that profile with a bad trait and average passing. I'm actually considering of turning him into a full back in due time. We filled up this position with two loanies who will return to their clubs. It would be nice to reloan Centurion but I don't think that's an option as they want to try him in the first team. Left wing Just like with Thorne, we signed Moll on an improved deal with a 150M clause as he's one of the brightest gems of the team at his young age. I plan to rotate him with Ivan Lobo, a 21-year old two footed winger who did well on loan at Almeria this season. There's also Carvajal but he doesn't have the ability yet to challenge for the first team. Right wing A very impressive Dordevic didn't disappoint in his debut season, racking up nine goals and fifteen assists in the league. Solbakken also performed well as a rotation option but doesn't justify his wage so we'll not extend his contract, which runs out at the end of this season. I'm considering using Ivan, who played on loan at Valencia, as his backup since he's also a natural on the right. He's a different profile though. Attacking midfield A wealth of depth here. Rojas did very ok but I'll expect more of him next year, with Yanakiev performing above expectation. We also still have young Balda but I'll probably either loan him out again or sell for profit.

Looking forward: Squad assessment Goalkeepers I had my doubts about D'Cruz at the start of the season but overall, he did very well, showing some great improvement in his ability in the process. I'll keep him on board for at least another year, maybe two. If all goes well, that should be enough for our new Indian kid from this year's intake to take over the reigns. Left back Probably our biggest weak spot right now. 31-year old Nkounkou filled the gap this year but he's average at best and behind him, there's nobody to take over yet. We do have a very good 15-year old from the academy, but he's not ready, at all. Sanusi turned 34 and just hasn't got it anymore, his contract runs out and will not be extended. This is one of the positions that we'll need to creatively strengthen, probably. Right back 21-year old Duke Idris is our main man for now. He also came through the academy which is always a good thing, but it's unlikely for him to become the world class player we need here. Especially on his physicals, he's a bit lacking as he possesses neither pure speed or aerial prowess. Behind him, young Frenchman Mahe fills the gap whenever necessary, but he also isn't really that good. Central defense We played new signing Jimenez and veteran Nianzou here, with Giraldez as a backup, until Nianzou ran into a major injury near the end of the season. Giraldez played surprisingly well but in all honesty, he's not La Liga level and I'm not entirely convinced by Jimenez either. I'd like at least one new center back but with money being tight, I'm not sure how we'll find him. We also still have Collins but he's a better footballer than he is a defender really.

Season recap It was a debut season to remember, with the team overperforming thanks to an excellent Moses up front and clenching third place in the league, a record high for Sevilla. That said, the end of season for put a bit of a question mark on whether this is something we can repeat, especially considering the financial trouble we find ourselves in. Things pretty much imploded when Nianzou ran into a damaged achilles tendon against Villareal. The loss against Real in the cup final also hurt, a lot. Moses had an excellent season and ended up league top goalscorer with 31 roses. The good news is that he's still under contract until 2036, with an option to extend for a year, but he has a 73M release clause so I'm fairly sure that we will lose him during the summer. His sale would go a long way to improving the club finances but we'll be hard pressed to replace a player of his quality, In other good news, we improved training and youth facilities, junior coaching and youth recruitment when the finances were still ok, which can only help us going forward. The bad news is that those finances are really not looking good. Despite slashing the wage cost by almost 25M, we still find ourselves heavily in the red. The only thing I can hope for is that the combination of Champions League revenue and a hopefully higher income from both sponsorship and domestic tv money will help us turn this around so we can work towards become a title challenger.