dkouv
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Posts posted by dkouv
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Xerez – Season 6 (2026/27)
Primera RFEF Grupo II This was a successful first season in the Spanish third tier - I couldn’t repeat my double promotion feat with Durango, but we spent the season much closer to the top than the bottom of the table, finishing a very respectable 6th.
The main worry are the finances, with us approaching 500k in the red after turning pro and no improvement in sight; I hope that my chairman (who seems quite stingy anyway) doesn’t start selling players for pennies once our finances become insecure.
Players: This was a nice season of youngsters stepping up and improving steadily. I kind-off wrote off the last two intakes but to my surprise they seem to have given us a solid first-choice keeper in Juan Gabriel Ramirez 04b, and a potential future star striker in Clement Nwachukwu 05a, with Ramirez already a starter and Nwachukwu doing well after breaking into the first team at the end of the season. Left back Fouseinni Traore 03b was my favourite player this season - not the highest rating since he plays at full back, but very solid both in defence and going forward. The main problem is in central defence where my two starters have aged badly, but…
Youth intake: It looks like we finally have a centre back prospect!! Ok, intake looks pretty rubbish overall again, but if Oliver Sayabera 06a develops well we will finally have a solid centre back which I think will make a world of difference to our results on the pitch.
Facilities: no upgrades
Transfers: trying to get rid of a few fringe players, and youngsters which are not developing
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo IV. | 4 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 11 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 5 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 3 | n/a | Lucas Correa (DC) | Lost in playoff final 2025/26 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 1 | n/a | Javi Gomez (MC) | Promotion via playoffs 2026/27 | Primera RFEF Grupo II | 6 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2022/23 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2023/24 | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2024/25 | Fairly basic | Average | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2025/26 | Fairly basic | Average | Below average | Adequate | 800 2026/27 | Fairly basic | Average | Below average | Adequate | 8006 -
Xerez – Season 5 (2025/26)
Segunda Division B Grupo IV We absolutely bossed the league this year, finishing 1st and qualifying for the playoffs with ease.
In the playoff semi, we had the traditional B-team match-up against Elche B. The first leg was the definition of uneventful - with no shots by either team in the first half - but exploded into life late on with us scoring goals in the 94th and 96th minutes to win the tie 2-0. Given the number of late comebacks I suffered in this save, this felt like a bit of karma finally striking back. We did not play well in the second leg, but an early penalty made sure we made it through despite a 2-1 defeat.
In the final we faced Orihuela, a team who did really well in their league (winning it with only 2 defeats) but are generally one of the smaller semi-pro sides, so I felt we had a chance. In the home leg, we went 1-0 down against the run of play but roared back to a deserved 3-1 win. The second leg was absolutely amazing. We went 3-0 up within 8 minutes (!!), and despite Orihuela trying to peg us back at 4-2 and 5-3, we ended up winning this entirely mad game 6-3, and with it sealing the tie and promotion to Segunda Pro! Absolutely chuffed with this, those first 10 minutes of the second leg were definitely the moment of this challenge (both for Durango and Xerez) for me so far.
We won’t get much more money but we’re turning professional so plenty of change on the horizon, and hopefully some faster development for our players.
Players: Javi Gomez was absolutely superb for us, scoring 14 goals running in from deep positions in what is probably his last season at his peak. I don’t know what it is about this challenge, but like with my Durango team we are very well stocked upfront - with Miguel 01d and Sebas 01f each having a stormer (40 goals and 21 assists between them) - but are pretty shocking at the back. One ray of hope is Fousseiny Traore 03b who had a very promising first season at left back.
Youth intake: The less said about this one the better; we’re basically still living off the fruits of our first three intakes with this year maybe even worse than the last. Not much talent and no defenders in sight, but Clement Nachukwu 05a does have some pretty good starting attributes for a youth intake striker.
Facilities: Training facilities got downgraded and we’re almost 200k in the red so no upgrades are in sight.
Transfers: Got rid of a few mostly ageing fringe players, with the main departure being club legend Lolo Garrido who was key for us during the first three seasons but declined rapidly after hitting 30.
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 4 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 11 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 5 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 3 | n/a | Lucas Correa (DC) | Lost in playoff final 2025/26 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 1 | n/a | Javi Gomez (MC) | Promotion via playoffs Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2022/23 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2023/24 | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2024/25 | Fairly basic | Average | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2025/26 | Fairly basic | Average | Below average | Adequate | 8007 -
Xerez – Season 4 (2024/25)
I made the mistake (or genius move) of bringing my laptop on holiday, so here comes another update.
Segunda Division B Grupo IV Like last year, we started well and were on the edges of the playoff spots when the usual mid-season slump hit. But this time we turned things round pretty quickly, and a crucial January/February period saw us pick up points against most of our playoff rivals and move into 4th, just outside the playoffs. A strong finish made sure we finished a comfortable 3rd, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time.
The only team I really wanted to avoid in playoffs were Betis Deportivo who absolutely had our number all season, and in the first round we got L’Hospitalitet, a team much stronger than us on paper but I felt we had a chance. It was a very dramatic match, with us going up 2-0 up against 10 men in the home leg, and them scoring an away goal and missing a great chance to equalise at the death. The away leg saw them get a 2-0 lead, us peg them back to 2-1 and even on aggregate, them score to go 3-1 up, and our sub Toni Sales 02h scoring a 92nd minute goal which sent us through to the final on away goals.
We were one of only two non-B teams in the playoff final, and faced Real Sporting B, another tough but maybe potentially winnable tie. We ground out a 1-0 win at home, but they completely turned us over 3-0 in the second leg, so it wasn’t to be. Well deserved in the end, but a bit annoying to lose out after getting this close.
Cups: We managed to win Copa Federacion - a cup for Segunda B teams - while mostly playing our reserve team, which brought us a nice 80k of prize money.
Players: We look pretty good upfront, with Miquel 01d and Sales 01f now rated as good players for the division, and Lucas Correa signed a contract extension and had a very good year at centre back - but we have absolutely zero decent centre back regens so the future of our defence looks a bit worrying.
Youth intake: No depth, no PA and very little CA (given that 4.5* means a good player for our current division), so pretty rubbish all around; I think that fairly basic youth coaching is really hurting us but the board won’t upgrade it. Still, if the goalkeeper Juan Gabriel Ramirez 04b turns out half-decent he’ll be an upgrade on our current no. 1.
Facilities: somehow managed another recruitment upgrade, not that I’m seeing any results of this in the intakes.
Transfers: nothing of note
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 4 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 11 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 5 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 3 | n/a | Lucas Correa (DC) | Lost in playoff final Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2022/23 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2023/24 | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2024/25 | Fairly basic | Average | Adequate | Adequate | 8005 -
By the way, does anyone know where to set the responsibility of who brings the youth players to the club? (hoyd, U19 manager, DoF) This option used to be there in previous FMs but I can't find it anymore, and am suspecting that my U19 manager may have been the one in charge of intakes...
EDIT: ignore this, good old google tells me this option no longer exists
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Xerez – Season 3 (2023/24)
Segunda Division B Grupo IV Our league form took the usual pattern of early promise (5 wins in a row to start the season!), terrible middle and a late surge, but we were much better this season, finishing 5th. It could have been an even better season though, as I threw the last few games by playing youngsters once we could no longer finish in the top 3, only to see Sevilla Atletico leapfrog us into 4th and qualify for playoffs as the best placed 4th team…
Players: Lolo Garrido rolled back the years and had a great season, scoring 17 goals from a variety of midfield positions. Rodri was great in defence, and the youngsters are developing but no-one really stood out this season with Miguel 01d being the best of the regens and Juan Pedro Espinar 02a playing reasonably well in a deep lying playmaker slot.
Youth intake: A decent enough intake, but the last thing I need is attacking central midfielders - though I suppose a 2.5 star CA prospect there can’t harm. Shame that the promised star goalkeeper didn´t come through because our current no. 1 is absolutely rubbish.
Facilities: managed to upgrade recruitment despite our poor finances, so a bit of progress here.
Transfers: nothing
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 4 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 11 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 5 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2022/23 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2023/24 | Fairly basic | Adequate. | Adequate | Adequate | 8008 -
59 minutes ago, libbyshuss said:
I suspect relegation is way more likely than a fourth promotion though......
maybe, but let's hope your strikers can fire you out of trouble one more time ))
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@libbyshuss congrats - is that 3 promotions in a row now? This even beats London buses in terms of them all coming at once )))
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Xerez – Season 2 (2022/23)
Segunda Division B Grupo IV After a 4th placed finish, my last review said something about being sure not to be in a relegation battle in the year ahead. Sure enough, we started the season in absolutely shocking form, getting tonked 4-1, 3-0 and 4-1 in 3 out of our first 4 games (the other being a late comeback to salvage a 3-3 draw). It didn’t improve much until we scarped a couple of results against some the other bottom sides in the division, which started off a good run that took us out of the relegation zone. A mad 5-4 loss, where we were 4-1 up at half time and 4-3 up until the 88th minute saw our form collapse again, but the bottom sides were terrible so couldn't catch up, and we scraped together a few results at the business end of the season to finish a respectable 11th.
Players: Lots of the senior players from last season just stopped performing full stop, so I had to throw in quite a few youngsters. The only ones that really shone were the Xavi-esque newgens without a surname Miquel 01d and Sebas 01f, who scored 17 and 16 goals respectively and are developing nicely, so it looks like we have some good attacking options on our hands.
Youth intake: I was excited by the preview promising a golden generation of defenders, but in the end I got a load of centre midfielders which is the only position where we still have good senior players. Sigh… So more excitement is sure to follow next season as our defence gets worse with some contracts expiring, but our attack gets better as the youngsters develop. Juan Pedro Espinar 02a does look like a very good prospect, but since he has 2 surnames instead of none I'm not sure I can put that much faith in him.
Facilities: no upgrades
Transfers: no ins or outs
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 4 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 11 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 8006 -
Congrats @darren1983, fantastic stuff! )) Don't forget to add yourself to the Hall of Fame will you
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Xerez – Season 1 (2021/22)
Segunda Division B Grupo IV After an evil plot by Athletic Bilbao put an end to my Cultural Durango career, I’m giving this another go in Spain. This time proper Spain, down south where it's nice and hot and (to my knowledge) there are no movements to create a new independent country. Xerez were a stable La Liga 2 club before financial troubles saw them relegated down to regional divisions, but they’re back in business and have hired an up-and-coming manager to take them to glory. Little did they know that this manager had no inclination at all to splash on any transfers, so there will be no quick fixes for their problems.
We did really well in the league - even though I complained about the squad, there was actually a decent player for every position in a strikerless 4-4-2, even though with a squad size of 15 we were often left very thin on the ground, and the reserve goalkeeper made a customary first team appearance at left wing. We started off inconsistently but still way better than relegation form, and had a fantastic end to the season which saw us climb all the way up to 4th, just outside the play-offs. Some key players are ageing or leaving soon, so I doubt we will repeat it next season, but we should be able to stay well clear of relegation.
Players: Our centre back Lucas Correa is amazing for this level, and as expected he played very well. But the surprise of the season was midfielder Lolo Garrido who, due to the lack of strikers, had to be our main goal threat and did not disappoint, scoring 20 goals in 30 games before a hip injury put an end to his season in March. Just goes to show how overrated the finishing attribute can be in the game, at least at lower levels.
Facilities: Training and youth facilities are decent and I managed to get up recruitment to fairly basic, but now we’re in the red and based on my Durango experience there will be no further upgrades until La Liga 2 (( It’s a shame to be stuck with fairly basic coaching and recruitment early in the game, hope I can somehow upgrade at least one of them once more.
Youth intake: Exactly what we needed in terms of filling up the numbers - lots of 5 star potential due to the poor quality of our squad but I doubt there is that much real quality there; still they’ll all get plenty of game time so we’ll see. Antonio Manuel Oviedo 01a and Miquel 01d look the most promising given their good personalities and potential, and Miquel has already scored a brace in a league game.
Transfers: no ins or outs
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 4 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 80012 -
4 hours ago, libbyshuss said:
I got that beat. I got that beat.
This challenge is like running a ponzi scheme, you ramp up your youth setup to unsustainable levels and hope you can sell enough players or get promoted before going bankrupt ))))
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Allright, gonna give this another go - sticking to Spain for now, but now I've set up with a smaller database so that there is more transfer activity and made sure I didn't pick one of the 10 or so of Bilbao's feeder clubs who cannot play in the same division as them )))
I fancied a bit of a change from Northern Spain, just to play in a different regional division if nothing else - and picked up Xerez C.D, a club with an interesting history: apparently one of the first cities playing football in Spain due to Jerez's trade links with the UK, and a club that spent a lot of time in La Liga 2 before a massive fall from grace due to financial troubles. Plus I'm pretty sure I've managed them in FM years ago like Durango, so I'm trying to maintain as much continuity as possible ))
We start with a squad that is even more thin than my Durango team, something I didn't think was possible - no strikers at all this time but one absolutely amazing Uruguayan center back, we are almost literally a one man team! So I'll be continuing with my well trusted strikerless formation from the Durango years )) Let's see if we can survive until the first intake.
Profile:
Facilities / squad:
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19 minutes ago, XaW said:
Umm... I actually think he is correct. I think you are unable to get into the same league as them, because you are de facto their reserve team. The clause "this link will be severed if the teams play in the same division" is the one that I think you are thinking of.
Feel free to try it out, but I genuinely think you might be screwed...
Damn, I think you guys are right actually, I just checked and I can't cancel the link, and it doesn't say that the link will be terminated, just that I can't play in the same division... Greedy Bilbao hoovering in all the Basque talent! And for all that they haven't even tried to send me a loan or buy any of my players :o
All I can say is that this was definitely not the case when I last managed them in FM 2005
Paying the price for not rolling with the times; looks like I may have to start over...
Edit: and Bibao even have two proper B teams in the game (Athletic B and C); impressive! Guess this is what you have to do irl if you want to play in La Liga with Basque only players.
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20 hours ago, vice91 said:
btw what did you do about the affiliate link with Athletic Bilbao, it has a line in there that says "The terms of this deal prevent Durango from playing in the same division as Athletic Bilbao" meaning that you can't get promoted to LaLiga...
Think this just means the link gets terminated when I get promoted, so it's not like with B teams which can't go up (eg in the league these teams are not greened out when in promotion slots, but Durango is). Well, I hope at some point I get to test out this theory ))
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Cultural Durango – Season 8 (2028/29)
La Liga 2 After the successes of last season I was hoping for another playoff push, but we definitely had a bit of a second season syndrome and for much of the year I was much more concerned with relegation rather than promotion. We started well but then hit a terrible run which saw us slide down the table to hover just above relegation places. Our defence was not great as usual but what was really killing us is the lack of scoring - not many chances, and the ever reliable Diomande kept on hitting blanks.
What saved us in the end was a 3-month injury to Diomande 02a which saw me push last years intake star David Rodriguez 07a into the starting line-up, and his pace - alongside some minor tactical tweaks - made a lot of difference with the youngster scoring 10 and assisting 7 in 20(9) apps, while also getting better with every game. We stabilised our poor run with a few draws and then won 5 in a row which saw us steer clear of relegation with 4 games left, and allowed me to play the youngsters in those final games, which resulted in 4 straight defeats but still saw us finish a respectable 13th.
Players: Our keeper Goikoetxea was the most consistent as usual, but a breakthrough season from Rodriguez 07a and some great attacking midfield performances from Pascual 01d was what made sure we stayed up this season. Bibao 04c probably remains our most indispensable player, as he is still our only good defender.
Youth watch: Apart from Rodriguez 07a, Mikel Franco 07c managed to break into the first team towards the end of the season and has developed well, but the other young defenders are all stagnating.
Facilities / Finances: I maxed out recruitment, and now we are at a level where we’re just about breaking even so no more upgrades for now.
Youth intake: The preview promised plenty of talent, and plenty of fullbacks - a position where I am desperately lacking - and the intake actually delivered! I think Mateo 08a (DRL) and Seguin 08b (DR) could be our starting fullback pair for some time to come if they stay at the club, and there’s plenty of other talents too - though unfortunately the £1.4k p/w minimum wage limit meant that I couldn’t sign too many.
Intake 04 review The top two full-back prospects didn’t quite live up to the hype, but Alejandro Bilbao 04c was a very important addition, being our best defender by far, and the one player who seems to be consistently wanted by other clubs.
Transfers: not much, just tried to sell off some players who were on the high minimum wage and not developing
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo II | 9 | n/a | Juanma Iparragirre (MC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo II | 14 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo II | 3 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | Lost in playoff semi final 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo II | 5 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | 2025/26 | Segunda B Grupo II | 1 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | Promoted through the playoffs! 2026/27 | Primera RFEF Gupo I | 1 | n/a | Alejandro Bilbao 04c (DC) | Promoted 2027/28 | La Liga 2 | 8 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | 2028/29 | La Liga 2 | 13 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Average | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2022/23 | Average | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2023/24 | Average | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2024/25 | Average | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2025/26 | Average | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2026/27 | Average | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2027/28 | Excellent | Good | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2028/29 | Excellent | Exceptional | Adequate | Average | 30007 -
@libbyshuss Willsmer looks ace, hope you manage to sign him up on a long-term deal with some extension clauses; could be your main striker for a while!
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Cultural Durango – Season 7 (2027/28)
La Liga 2 After two promotions in a row I was a bit fearful about our survival chances, but we did brilliantly. We spent much of the first half a year in playoff spots, dropped down the table after Christmas and then had a late surge which put us into playoff contention again, but 2 wins from the last 10 games ensured we finished just outside the playoff spots in 8th.
Players: The players keep improving and we now have four La Liga 2 standard players, one of whom is our star keeper Goikoetxea who I rated as player of the season again. Diomande 02a is no longer one of our best players but continues to be a key performer, finishing with 22 goals, 3rd highest in the division. Most of the squad are still 3rd/4th division standard, but despite the late-season slump in form there should be enough there to keep us above water next season, and I'll be trying to give the promising youngsters more game time to get them to develop.
Youth watch: Right back Gorka Garai 04b has developed nicely, which means that the number of decent defenders in our squad has doubled from 1 to 2 ))
Facilities / Finances: Finally, we’re making some money. The £5m TV deal meant that we could improve facilities, and make several upgrades to our coaching and recruitment. It also turned out that our “excellent” youth coaching rating from earlier was a bug, and it was actually something like average; so now after a few upgrades we’re finally up to excellent now ))
Youth intake: The preview had me excited and the intake didn’t disappoint; the best one to date I think, with two highly-rated prospects in defence, so a chance to double our number of decent defenders again )) Center back Mikel Franco 07c will already be pushing for a starting place next season. The only annoying thing is that La Liga 2 seems to have a £1.4k p/w minimum wage requirement which meant that offering the youths contracts quickly brought me above my wage budget, so I’ll probably have to limit the number of players I sign up from now on.
Intake 03 review I wasn’t too excited about this one and I was kind-of right, with the top two prospects proving complete duds, with bad personality halting Imanol Angulo 03a’s progress and lack of PA halting that of Sergio Arconada 03b. But the third rated prospect Miguell Llorente 03c actually turned out to be rather good, and untagged Pedro Moreno has played 130 games at centre back for us - largely due to lack of viable alternatives, but still... So in the end this intake did plug some important holes in defence and up front, not too shabby.
Transfers: finally managed to send out some players on loan
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo II | 9 | n/a | Juanma Iparragirre (MC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo II | 14 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo II | 3 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | Lost in playoff semi final 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo II | 5 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | 2025/26 | Segunda B Grupo II | 1 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | Promoted through the playoffs! 2026/27 | Primera RFEF Gupo I | 1 | n/a | Alejandro Bilbao 04c (DC) | Promoted 2027/28 | La Liga 2 | 8 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Average | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2022/23 | Average | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2023/24 | Average | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2024/25 | Average | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2025/26 | Average | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2026/27 | Average | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2027/28 | Excellent | Good | Below average | Adequate | 30005 -
@TerminalPortugal Congrats!! That was a bit unexpected wasn't it; I checked this forum for the first time in a few days and you've jumped from season after season in midtable to two league titles and a CL win - super stuff! Sounds like you finally managed to hang onto a few of the promising players, and get one over the teams that have been buying them off you )))
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@scarp congrats, completing this with Brora is no mean feat for sure! Nerves of steel there in the final ))) Wonder what you were thinking when Real scored that 94th minute equaliser... Probably something unprintable
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19 hours ago, Brentmeister said:
I was listening to a FM podcast by The Athletic this week (I'm sad, I know!) and they had one of the developers on who said HOYD preferred formations can have an affect on the types of player brought through.
Sounds like a good podcast, might make me finally subscribe to The Athletic ))) Might give it a go then, there's currently a HOYD with a 5-3-2 preferred formation going spare
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Does anyone know if the HOYD preferred formation affects the distribution of positions in the intake? I'd like to get some defenders in so thinking about hiring a HOYD who prefers a back 3 or back 5 formation, but not sure this would make much difference (I remember in the past there was a forum post somewhere arguing that the preferred formation does not matter)
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Cultural Durango – Season 6 (2026/27)
The club turned professional after the promotion, so I spent the summer offering everyone new contracts and trying to keep us under the £7k per week wage budget. The quality of the teams in this division didn’t seem that much higher than in the one below, so I was hopeful of us being able to stay up without too much trouble.
Primera Division RFEF Grupo I The early season form justified my hopes as we were solidly mid-table and playing well in most games. But then our form really started to click and we went on a pretty crazy 16 game unbeaten run which actually saw us go all the way up into the promotion slots. I definitely expected our form to tail off but we just kept on going, beating the teams around us and below us, and sealing the title with a game to spare. To my immense relief there are no playoffs in this division, so up to La Liga 2 we go!
This means that in a rather bizarre turn of events, after 4 seasons of bouncing around Segunda B we are suddenly two promotions to the good, and will be mixing it up with the (almost) big boys in La Liga 2.
Players: The usual suspects Goikoetxea and Diomande 02a continue to be key, but the player of the year award goes to Alejandro Bilbao 04c who developed really well after going pro, which now means that we have one good defender! This guy really carried the team at times, being the only member of our back line rated above 2 stars, and thanks to him we actually ended up having one of the meanest defences in the league.
Youth intake: Not much depth and no defenders once again, but Mikel Dulce 06a is a good prospect with good personality. I could do with a new HOYD next year though.
Intake 02 review This was the key intake that brought in most of our current first teamers, and was responsible for the two promotions once these guys developed. Syndou Diomande 02a and Urko Gomez 02b are the two star talents, but Diomande is much more consistent which makes him much more important to us despite his lower CA rating. But it was also the other players like Iker Llorente 02d, Ignacio Kortazar 02h, and most of all Diego Garitano who proved to be the unexpected successes and gave us much of our first eleven.
Facilities/Finances: More than 400k in the red now, I hope La Liga 2 brings in some money.
Transfers: nothing of note
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo II | 9 | n/a | Juanma Iparragirre (MC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo II | 14 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo II | 3 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | Lost in playoff semi final 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo II | 5 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | 2025/26 | Segunda B Grupo II | 1 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | Promoted through the playoffs! 2026/27 | Primera RFEF Gupo I | 1 | n/a | Alejandro Bilbao 04c (DC) | Promoted Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2022/23 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2023/24 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2024/25 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2025/26 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2026/27 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 30005 -
@libbyshuss congrats!! great to see you complete, from your updates it felt like you were getting closer and closer for a while now ))
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Cultural Durango – Season 5 (2025/26)
Segunda Division B Grupo II We started the year with three 4 star attackers who are rated as good players for this division and four 2 star defenders who are not very good at all. This set the tone for a very exciting season, where we scored a lot, conceded quite a few, and mounted a number of comebacks thanks to our high (fine-induced) squad determination. We were bouncing around close to the playoff spots, but this season we actually seemed able to beat the top teams. The crucial game was away to last season’s champions Cornelia, with us going 1-0 down after 3 minutes, fighting back to lead 2-1, then going 3-2 down with 20 to go and coming back again to win 5-3 in a mad finish. Towards the end of the season, the form of the teams around us collapsed and our form improved so we quite easily qualified for the playoffs and even won the league.
The Spanish promotion playoff system seems pretty mad: I thought that winning the league would either get us a bye or put us against a weaker team, but instead we got pitted against Talavera who only lost one game all season. Here’s how it went:
Playoff semi final
SpoilerAway leg: a great performance where we dominated for the first 70 minutes, then went 2-1 down and deservedly salvaged a draw in the 92nd minute thanks to two goals from Diomande 02a.
Home leg: we blew them away in this one, scoring in the 3rd minute and never looking back, with midfielder Pascual 01d the star of the show with 2 goals, including a glorious 20-yard chip towards the end of the game.
I couldn’t believe after all that I had yet another game to go to get a chance at promotion, this time against Llagostera who finished 2 places behind us in the league.
Playoff final (if applicable)
SpoilerHome leg: Dominant throughout but with only one go to show for it thanks to the ever-consistent Diomande. At least we didn’t concede, but things are very much in the balance ahead of the second leg.
Away leg: They scored with a long shot after 2 minutes and we proceeded to dominate the game without being able to score, until our ever-reliable goalkeeper Goikoetxea converted from the spot at the end of the first half. No more goals came despite our continued dominance but we didn’t need them, and we managed to clinch promotion!
Players: Syndou Diomande 02a continues to be key, scoring most of the crucial goals in the playoffs and finishing the season with 23 goals. But unlike last season, he finally has a striking parter in young Miguel Llorente 03c who plays better than his attributes suggest and keeps improving. Right winger Urko Gomez 02b has also finally started to live up to his potential: he’s still very inconsistent but managed 12 assists this season, more than any other player. And of course the keeper Goikoetxea deserves to be in, for that penalty kick that sealed our promotion if nothing else.
Youth intake: I got a better HOYD but it didn’t help, with this intake looking pretty weak. Goalkeeper Raul Gonzalez 05a looks like the best addition and may get some game time if Goikoetxea leaves. Despite the promised center back there are none in sight in a position where I could really do with some upgrades.
Intake 01 review Our first intake that had me sighing in relief in finally providing some depth to the squad, but it also proved that both me and the HOYD are terrible at judging players. The top prospect Perez 01b had dreadful personality and was rightfully released, and Carlos Sanchez 01a who I rated as best played a lot but didn’t develop at all and now plays for the B team. The only player who really shone is Erik Pascual 01d who is our best midfielder and has been called up by France U19s. Other than him, Jokin Uranga 01h was a rotation option in midfield and David Martin had a couple of seasons as starting center back. So a decent and very necessary intake, but most of the players are now being phased out.
Facilities/Finances: A new president provided a little cash injection but we’re still well in the red
Transfers: nothing of note
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo II | 9 | n/a | Juanma Iparragirre (MC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo II | 14 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo II | 3 | n/a | Lander Goikoetxea (GK) | Lost in playoff semi final 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo II | 5 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | 2025/26 | Segunda B Grupo II | 1 | n/a | Syndou Diomande 02a (AMC/ST) | Promoted through the playoffs! Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2022/23 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2023/24 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 3000 2024/25 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 3000 2025/26 | Excellent | Fairly basic | Below average | Adequate | 30005
The FM21 Youth Academy Challenge
in Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments
Posted
Xerez – Season 7 (2027/28)
Primera RFEF Grupo II We were in a three-way promotion race with Cordoba and Valencia B, and kept up with them for most of the season, even sneaking into 2nd place in February. But then injuries hit, our form collapsed and we finished some 14 points behind them in 3rd. To be honest our squad is quite far away from matching the 79 points of 2nd placed Valencia B, so I think I have to wait for a season where the top teams are less consistent to have a chance of promotion.
Players: Most of our first teamers are stagnating and still short of good standard for the league, but we are filling in some of the problem positions with Ruben Mendoza 04a looking promising at right back and Samuel Moreno 05b developing nicely at left wing. The star performer was Clement Nwachukwu 05a who had a great season up front, scoring 19 in 27 before his season was cut short by injury in February. On the other hand, our usual star attacker Miquel 01d had an absolute shocker of a season, I hope he picks it up next year.
The most worrying position is centre back where our two regulars are too old and I have absolutely no promising youngsters (last intake’s centre back prospect turned out to be a dud).
Youth intake [preview]: Not great, again - no centre backs and not much talent, but we do have a reasonably promising winger from Bishop's Stortford, go figure!
Facilities: youth facilities downgraded, ouch… On the other hand, our intakes could hardly get much worse.
Finances: the board helped us out with a massive £325k cash injection which kept our deficit down to a measly 500k ))
Transfers: no ins and no major outs
Season | League | Pos. | Europe | Best player | Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Segunda B Grupo IV. | 4 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2022/23 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 11 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | 2023/24 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 5 | n/a | Lolo Garrido (AMC) | 2024/25 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 3 | n/a | Lucas Correa (DC) | Lost in playoff final 2025/26 | Segunda B Grupo IV | 1 | n/a | Javi Gomez (MC) | Promotion via playoffs 2026/27 | Primera RFEF Grupo II | 6 | n/a | Miquel 01d (AMC) | 2027/28 | Primera RFEF Grupo II | 3 | n/a | Clement Nwachukwu 05a (AMC/ST) | Facilities ---------- Season | Coaching | Recruitment | Training Fac. | Youth Fac. | Stadium ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2021/22 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2022/23 | Fairly basic | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2023/24 | Fairly basic | Adequate | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2024/25 | Fairly basic | Average | Adequate | Adequate | 800 2025/26 | Fairly basic | Average | Below average | Adequate | 800 2026/27 | Fairly basic | Average | Below average | Adequate | 800 2027/28 | Fairly basic | Average | Below average | Below average | 800