ChaosClive

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou January 2040 The start of the new decade carried forward the form from the previous with a 2-0 win against APOEL in the cup. Back in the league, all 4 games were won in convincing fashion. AEL were beaten 4-0, including a first half hattrick from centre half Bielan. Next Ermis Aradippou were beaten 8-0 in one of the most lopsided games in the history of the First Division. The first goal conceeded in the 2040s came in the next game, as Apol Limassol scored a consolation in a 4-1 defeat. Aris Limassol were then beaten a week later 2-0, which included Yakubu's first non penalty goal. News With a lot of money still in the bank, Clive decided to ask the board for even more improvements in the club, this time, it was the junior coaching and youth recruitment that were improved. Transfers Despite the increase in transfer budget, there were no players bought in, but 5 players were sent out on loan. Delgado, Coufal, Cuellar, Holub and Savran were all sent out to gain more playing time. Table The gap at the top was now 6. Fixtures A 6 pointer against Omonoia would end the first half of the season, before the Europa League R32 against Sassuolo.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou December 2039 December bought some much needed improvements. Alki were beaten 2-0 at home, before Chelsea won 2-1 in the Champions League, partially down to Bilbao getting sent off in the 18th minute thanks to 2 yellow cards. Although Diaz levelled the scores with 10 men, Chelsea proved too strong over the 90 minutes. Back in the league, Othellos were beaten 5-2, before the same fate was given to Nea Salamina, this time the score was 4-1. In the cup, Geroskipou came away from GSP with a respectable 0-0 draw against APOEL to take back home, and then Larnakas were thumbed 3-0 in the final match of the decade. Thanks to the wins against Inter and Hertha Berlin, a second consecutive berth in the Europa League R32 was on the horizon. And thanks to the prize money from the wins, the board announced that they were looking to expand the stadium to bring in extra revenue. Also the transfer budget was increased, despite Clive's usual lack of activity in the January windows. Tables The gap was now 8 points with just over half the season gone. At least there was no doubt in if Geroskipou would even make it into the top 6. Fixtures The first match of the naughty 40s would start with APOEL at home in the second leg of the cup, before winnable games against AEL, Ermis Aradippou, Apol. Limassol and Aris Limassol were all penned in to the league calendar.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou November 2039 A sea of red on the calendar greeted Clive at the end of the month. A loss 3-0 loss to Inter in the Champions League had proved that Rodgers was at least about one thing. This was then followed up by a tight 1-0 loss to APOEL in the league, where neither side could create much go forward. The biggest shock of the month was soon to come though, as a poor Apol. Limassol side beat a fully rotated Geroskipou side 2-1 in the cup. Clive was outraged, and played a full strength side in the return leg, he could not have his side fall at the first hurdle in the cup. The full first team was sent out, and goals from Diaz and Bielan turned the tie around, winning 2-0 on the night, and 3-2 on aggregate. More heartache for Geroskipou was just around the corner though, as they lost 4-2 to Omonoia, with Iosifidis grabbing a hattrick for the visitors. In the Champions League, Geroskipou were down by 1 in the 86th minute after another poor showing, but then a fire was ignited underneath them. Pereyra scored in the 87th minute, and then Karagiannis poked home in the 90th to win 2-1 and send Hertha back to Berlin pointless. In the final game of the month, Geroskipou travelled to Anorthosi and dominated the game. With the luck that Geroskipou were currently experiencing, it was no shock that the professional players could not put away chances that Ray Charles would have scored, and in the 80th minute, Anorthosi's only shot on target in the game went in from 30 yards. The game finished 1-0, and it was the first time that Geroskipou had lost 3 games in a row in the league since 2034. Tables Geroskipou were now 10 points away from the top, although 2nd was still in touching distance. The two wins had also given them an outside chance of getting through the Champions League group. They would need to beat Chelsea and hoped that Inter lost to Hertha Berlin in the final round of matches. Fixtures Alki and Chelsea opened up the month, before an easier game against Othellos gave the best chance of regaining some form. Nea Salamina in the league would also be a crucial game to qualify for the top half of the table, before the QF of the cup against (Probably) APOEL. Then a trip to Larnakas would round out the month on New Years Eve.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou October 2039 October bought along one of if not the biggest shock in the club's history. A routine 4-0 win against AEK Larnakas was followed by a 5-2 win against AEL with a rotated side playing before the only Champions League fixture of the month. Going into the game, Brendan Rodgers claimed that Geroskipou were an easy scalp, even if the game was hosted in Cyprus. He could not have been more wrong though. On the night, the Geroskipou faithful were out in full force and voice, and on the pitch, the players took every chance that the created. Thanks to a Diaz hattrick, broken up by a goal from Sundstrom, the plucky underdogs beat Inter 4-2. After the match Rodgers doubled down on his arrogance, and claimed that his side would batter Geroskipou in the next meeting. The squad was riding on a high, beating Apol. Limassol 5-0, Ermis Aradippou 4-1, but could not convert their chances in the final match of the month against Aris Limassol, with only a last minute equaliser from Pereyra getting Geroskipou a point in a 2-2 draw. Table The dropped points against Aris saw Geroskipou sit just 1 point behind Omonoia, but they were now the only undefeated side in the league. Fixtures Inter would be looking for revenge at the San Siro, before a shorter trip to GSP against APOEL in the league. The Cup second round would see Geroskipou pit up against Apol. Limassol, who were having a poor season, before another 6 pointer against Omonoia. Hertha Berlin would visit Geroskipou, and Clive would hope that the home crowd would help with another win in the group stages. Finally, an away trip to Anorthosi would see Geroskipou into the festive period.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou September 2039 A massive 3-0 win against APOEL was followed by 3 disastrous performances. A 3-0 loss to Hertha Berlin in the Champions League was sandwiched between 1-1 draws against Anorthosi and Alki. Normal service was resumed against Othellos, as a Marchesi hattrick helped Geroskipou win 5-0, but some more rotten form ended the month. First a 0-0 draw against Nea Salamina, and then a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This left Geroskipou at the bottom of their group in the Champions League, and 6 points behind where Clive would have liked them in the league. Table It seemed everyone was beating everyone, as despite the slow start, Geroskipou were only 2 points off top spot. Fixtures 5 wins would be expected from Clive in October, with all opposition typically seen as weaker sides in the league. The Champions League matchup against Inter was of little importance apart from the first ever home game in the competition.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2039/40 Pre-Season After the continued success of Geroskipou, it was no wonder that more and more big clubs were interested in Clive's services. The big news in the pre-season was that Inter were desperately trying to aquire his signature. Even the fans were excited to see English at the helm, although Clive turned down the interview to their dismay. And the dominance that Inter had shown in Serie A, winning 6 of the last 8 league titles slightly tempted Clive, but he knew that the people of Geroskipou would never forgive him if he left. Transfers In A lot of new faces made themselves known around the club in pre-season after a lot of hard work by Clive and his scouting team. In order of transfer date: Rodriguez, a Uruguayan who was bought on a free to start at DL over Bello Holub, a young Czech, who could be loaned out for the future Diaz, another Uruguayan, who would useful for goals up front Rosca, a young Moldovan, a youth prospect Cuellar, a Columbian centre half Coufal to provided a 3rd option at ML Yakubu, a 6'6 German striker, to provide some sort of ariel threat in the box Karagiannis, the club's first official 'wonderkid', who would be able to fill the void left by Leiva a few seasons ago Pereyra, yet another Uruguayan, bought in on a 2 year loan deal to provide a backup for Yakubu Konate, a French striker, who Clive wanted to grow into a superstar As the U19 squad was also filling out a bit more, Clive needed some help with the coaching. A recently retired van Looy answered the call, and despite not being the best coach in the world, he knew that his old boss started the exact same way, so joined up as the first U19 coach at the club. Out Eiriksson was sold. Despite being able to score, his gametime was limited, and when Rijeka came in with an initial £1.7m offer for the 25 year old, Clive accepted the bid. He may have done this prematurely though. As soon as that sale went through, AC Milan came in with a £4.8m offer for Blichfeldt, who had a clause in his contract that however much Clive tried to take out, his greedy agent would not. All Clive could pray for now is that Blichfeldt turned down any contract offers from the Italian giants. But with the sort of money that they threw at him, Clive was not shocked when the paperwork came through, confirming that his star player was now no longer his. His new wage was £38,500 p/w. Some other notable outs included Benedini, who was sold to Alki for £1.3m despite only making 1 or 2 appearances off the bench. But Alki had cash, and Geroskipou made a massive profit on the young Italian. One sale that made Clive upset was Rui Carvalho. Over the previous 2 seasons, he had only made 12 league appearances, most of which off the bench, but his contributions early on in his time at the club helped propel them from the Second Division and gain a foothold in the First Division. Champions League As Cyprus was now high enough in the co-efficient table to merit a direct place into the Champions League, Clive was happy that he didn't have to go through qualifying, but less thrilled when he recieved news of the draw. Chelsea, Hertha Berlin, and Inter, the club that was looking at him over the summer were the teams that his side would have to try and beat if they stood any chance of even making it into the Europa League. But the payout that had so desperately eluded the club was finally here. Nearly £14m into the club bank account dwarfed anything that they had ever seen before. Although betting on his own team was illegal, with odds of 10,000-1, Clive was finding it hard to resist the temptation. Other News With the prospect of Champions League football, the ticket office was struggling to keep up with demand, selling 3,337 season tickets compared to 2,863 from the previous season. With the CL money, Clive thought it was time for more improvements to the club. Both the training and youth facilities would be upgraded over the course of the season. League Odds Clearly 2 straight league titles means nothing to both punters and bookmakers alike, as Geroskipou were still predicted to finish 3rd, a position they had finished higher in for the previous 6 seasons. Yet Alki and APOEL were throwing money about like nobody's business, so they must have had an incling that something was up. Results The typical routing of lower oppositions to get tuned up for the season that lay ahead. The Super Cup did not go the way Clive would have liked, losing 3-1 in extra time against Alki. But as nobody seemed to mind that they had lost, neither did he. Fixtures The season opened with a toughie, APOEL at home, before Anorthosi and the club's first ever Champions League game, away in Berlin. Alki away continued a pretty tough start, before an easier game against Othellos would give the chance for some rotation. Trips to Nea Salamina and Chelsea would round the month out.

Great save so far, congrats on Europe next season. Do you think Finnegan will be able to beat the all time goal record or do you think he is too far off yet?

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2038/39 Season Review After winning their second First Division in a row, Clive was now looking to solidify and build for the future, so went to the board to ask for even more club improvements. Luckily this time, the board were in a good mood, so accepted his requests. Soon after, UEFA released the competition rankings, thanks to Geroskipou, the First Division remained in 10th place in the list. But Geroskipou jumped from 126th to 68th in the club coefficient rankings. Some needed TV money also came in from the Europa League. And £145,000 from the coefficient pool money, hopefully with the rise and rise of the club, this money will only be increasing. Death and taxes were still at play though, with the government taking £1m away from the club. Blichfeldt had a standout year with 30 goals and 13 assists, but new signing Marchesi also contributed his fair shair of goals with 22. Unfortunately, this meant a lack of playing time for Mariano, who like his old strike partner van Looy, looked like his days at the club were numbered. Lukic was also a consistent performer, getting 15 clean sheets in 39 games. There were still no changed to the all time lists, although if Blichfeldt could hang around the club for a few seasons, Clive was sure that his name would be on the goalscorers list.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Matchday 32 - AEL (A) Going into the final day of the season, Geroskipou only needed a draw away against AEL, as they had beaten Omonoia 3 times over the season so had the h2h edge. Omonoia were playing APOEL away, and if APOEL won, they would finish 2nd. First Half Geroskipou started slower that Clive would have liked, although his side were not giving AEL a look in. In the 18th minute, a small cheer came from the away section, so Clive sneakily looked on his phone, and an APOEL penalty had put them 1-0 in the other game. Now even a loss would be enough, but Clive didn't want to take any chances. In the 31st minute, Blichfeldt raced away from his marker and coolly slid his shot in to put Geroskipou 1-0 up. 2 minutes later, Sundstrom doubled Geroskipou's lead. Around the 41st min, another cheer came from the away end, which probably meant that APOEL were now 2-0 up. Half Time Second Half Needing a 6 goal swing between both games, it looked like Geroskipou were going to win their second straight First Division title, so Clive told his players to express themselves and just enjoy the last 45 minutes of the season. The cheers from the away end once again did not come from an APOEL goal, but another Geroskipou one, this time it was Marchesi gliding through the AEL centre halves and scoring. Not even an AEL goal 2 minutes later could stop the celebrations, and they only got louder in the 81st minute when Marchesi completed his brace to make it 4-1. Full Time scores With Geroskipou winning, it didn't matter that Omonoia lost 2-0 in their game. They had done it! The APOEL dominance was now officially broken. Final Table

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Cypriot Cup Final - Alki (A) With the ongoing excitement around the title race, the cup took a backseat. With Geroskipou already guaranteed Champions League football, Clive was not focused too much on this game, although it would add another trophy to the cabinet. Clive rotated some players who were 1 yellow away from suspension, so the likes of Bielan and Bohorquez were not going to be making an appearance. First Half The first half started equally, with both teams managing to get a few half chances, although neither team could put them away. In the 29th minute though, Alki hit a well worked counter from a Geroskipou corner, leaving Daniels to slot past Lukic in goal to put Alki 1-0 up. Geroskipou could not find an answer in the remaining 16 minutes of the first half. Half Time Alki 1 - 0 APOP Geroskipou Second Half From the off in the second half, Alki looked like the dominant side, managing to play some entertaining football and keeping the ball away from Geroskipou's players. In the 55th minute, a botched clearance from an Alki corner allowed Olguin to head home Alki's second, and from then on, the game looked lost and the Geroskipou players couldn't put a meaningful attack together to get back into the game. Full Time Alki 2 - 0 Geroskipou Losing a cup final was never nice, but all Clive could think of is that he and his side would not be in the same position after the AEL game, watching Omonoia lift the First Division on the news instead of them.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Matchday 31 - APOEL (A) It was do or die time for both sides. APOEL needed a win to give them a chance of the title going into the last day of the season, whereas Geroskipou knew that a win would see them lift the league at GSP. First Half The game started off very well for Geroskipou as they won a penalty in the 4th minute. The usually reliable Blichfeldt put his shot wide of the post. Geroskipou kept the pressure on and with a high line, won the ball back time and time again. Whereas Geroskipou had problems getting shots on target despite good positions, APOEL had problems getting shots off altogether. At the halfway point of the game, they had registered just 1 shot. Half Time APOEL 0 - 0 APOP Geroskipou Second Half The pressure from Geroskipou continued, with them grinding out more and more chances, and being able to take their shot on target % from 25% in the first half to 57% in the second half, but APOEL's keeper made some excellent saves to keep his side in the game. In the 54th minute, APOEL were awarded a dubious penalty of their own, but Lima also put his kick wide of the post. This would be APOEL's only shot of the second half, and as the final whistle blew, Clive had a mixture of emotions. Obviously he was delighted that he had masterminded a great defensive performance and the fact he had stopped APOEL winning the league in their own back yard, but also frustration that his side couldn't seem to find a way to score the one goal they so desperately needed. Full Time APOEL 0 - 0 APOP Geroskipou With a top 2 finish in the league, Geroskipou had assured themselves of a Champions League spot for next season. The board told Clive that his new wage budget would be a massive £105,000 p/w, a massive increase from the £80,000 it currently was. Table With Omonoia winning their game, they had gained ground, making the final game of the season a real nail biter.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou April 2039 Clive was skimming through the newspaper and thought that Alki being included in the title race must have been some kind of April Fool's joke. The first game against Alki made this seem true, as Geroskipou turned it on beating them 4-1, with Blichfeldt scoring a hattrick, and Pikkuhookana also scoring for good measure, and made their chances of finishing in top spot nil. Matchday 29 Matchday 29 pitted Geroskipou against top of the table Omonoia in a big 6 pointer. If Geroskipou lost, they would be 4 points behind with just 3 games to go. Geroskipou started the better side, with the early dominance showing as Marchesi scored the opener in the 43rd minute. Sundstrom doubled the lead in the 67th minute, but Clive knew his team were not out the woods yet. Omonoia moved to a much more offensive formation, and started taking control of the game and really taking it to the home side. They got their breakthrough in the 78th minute, but Geroskipou held on to bring home 3 points and a 2-1 win. Matchday 30 With Geroskipou now in top spot, it was theirs to lose. Nea Salamina rolled over for them, maybe it was a conspiracy, or maybe it was Blichfeldt scoring 4 goals and grabbing an assist for Bohorquez. The final score was 5-0, and with Omonoia needing a last minute equliaser in their game, the result put Geroskipou 4 points clear at the top with 2 games to play. News Somehow, a centre half won the NxGn award. Clive had to wipe his eyes like a cartoon when he saw it was his centre half. Bielan had won, probably as he had scored 10 goals in 32 games over the course of the season due to him being 6'4 and having the leap of a salmon. Table With 2 games to go, Geroskipou were one win away from retaining the First Division title. Fixtures And they could win it against APOEL at GSP! Failing that, it could be away at AEL, a far less scenic way to win it. The Cup Final was sandwiched inbetween the excitment of the league, with the game being held away against Alki.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou March 2039 A nervy 3-2 against Karmiotissa started the month off, despite starting strong a rotated side showed why they were rotation players, as they conceeded 2 without replying. The first league match against AEL proved that Geroskipou were back in business though, taking them down 3-1, with Pikkuhookana opening the scoring within 45 seconds. The second leg of the semi final ended in the same way as the first, as the underdogs scored first to level the tie. It wasn't until some first teamers were subbed in that a difference was seen, first with Marchesi in the 78th minute, and then Pikkuhookana scoring for the second game in a row to win the game 2-1 and the tie 5-4. 4 days later, Pikkuhookana opened the scoring against APOEL, only for Clive's most hated team to come back and snatch a goal in the second half to end the game 1-1. Pikkuhookana, who was in the best form of his career, was on the scoresheet yet again against Nea Salamina as Geroskipou beat them comfortably 3-0 to round out the month. Table With APOEL and Omonoia both dropping points, Geroskipou were sitting in 2nd place and just 1 point off top spot with the final 5 matches to come. Fixtures With 3 home matches in April, Clive was hoping for both good crowds and good results at the real business end of the season.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou February 2039 February was a worrying month for Clive. First of all, they had a 50% loss ratio over 6 games, which hadn't happened since March 2038. Secondly, Geroskipou failed to score until at least the 54th minute, which made for some nervy matches. The Othellos game was ended in a 2-0 win thanks to a Marchesi brace, which gave Geroskipou top spot, but Clive was hoping for a larger score in this game. The second leg of the cup went better though, as his side beat APOEL 2-0 away from home and 4-1 on aggregate to knock out one of the better sides out and send them through to the Semis. A smash and grab win against Atalanta came next, with Eiriksson scoring in the dying embers of the game and more importantly gave Geroskipou an away goal to take into the second leg. After the league split, Alki handed Geroskipou their first loss in the league since November, beating them 1-0. The second leg of the EL ended in a total collapse. Atalanta took the lead on the night thanks to an own goal from Gonzalez. They had an oppertunity to double their lead from the spot, but Lukic guessed right and kept out the penalty. Despite pressure from both sides, the tie ended 1-1, with both teams having an away goal extra time was needed. In the 101st minute, Delgado made up for his defensive partners mistake by smashing a header in from a corner to put Geroskipou up 2-1 on aggregate. It would end up being heartache for the Cypriots though, as in the 115th minute, Atalanta would grab the winner both on the night and in the tie as they progressed 2-1 winners on the night, and 2-2 on away goals. The bad form continued the next game, as Omonoia edged another close game between the two sides 1-0. Table With the losses against Omonoia and Alki, Geroskipou were leapfrogged at the top of the table and now sat 2 points behind both Omonoia and APOEL, with Alki closing in on them. Fixtures Another easy draw in the cup against Second Division Karmiotissa allowed Geroskipou to hopefully start to turn their form around. AEL, APOEL and Nea Salamina rounded out the first set of games in the league post split.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou January 2039 Marchesi was the hero in the Alki game, as he scored the equaliser in what would end in a 1-1 draw. Due to international call ups, the APOEL match was re-arranged until February which gave the team some time to recover, and they beat Aris 4-1 away from home in the next game. Revenge was served to AEL, with Blichfeldt and Marchesi both scoring, before an away trip to APOEL ended in another 1-1 draw thanks to a last minute winner from Bohorquez as he found space at the back post from a deep free kick. Anorthosi were put to the sword in the final game of the month a week later, as they were beaten 4-0 at Geroskipou Stadium. Transfers Clive made some additions to his squad in defense during the January window. Hauptman coming in for DL cover from Brazil on loan, Llagostera to provide a 3rd option at DR on loan from Wanderers in Uruguay, and Delgado being bought from Columbia for a fee of £11,250. In the other direction, Da Silva was sold for an initial £300,000 after complaining that he was not getting enough playing time, and Benedini was sent to Serie B with Bari to develop to hopefully bring his market rate up, as Clive didn't think he would be able to make the grade at Geroskipou. In the coaching department, Jon Ellis was hired by Barnsley as their manager in the Championship, and they paid a massive £200,000 for his services. Table With just 11 games to go in the league Geroskipou, along with APOEL and Omonoia were pulling away from the pack. Fixtures Othellos would be the last chance to grab some easy points before the league split, then a week later, the re-arranged second leg of the cup. There would be some league games shoved into February for good measure as well as both legs of the EL R32.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou December 2038 December started off poorly, with a 1-1 draw away at AEL. The next game against Omonoia was the first time in the season that Geroskipou had to really dig deep to grab a result. They went 2-0 down within an hour and it looked like they were going to get blown out. After a few tweaks though, Blichfeldt fired in a goal before Marchesi finished off an unbelievable comeback, scoring in the 79th and 83rd minute. Bilbao was shown a red card in the 88th minute, but Geroskipou managed to hold off an onslaught for the final 8 minutes of the game and won 3-2. A rotated side then fell to a 3-1 defeat in the Europa League against Vit. Guimaraes, with a result that saw them slip down to 2nd in the table, meaning that they would have to go through a R32 matchup if they had any chance of progressing. With a full strength side out, Nea Salamina snatched a 1-1 draw, despite only having an xG of 0.38 compared to Geroskipou's 2.39. Needing a big response, Clive fielded another full strength side against Ypsonas, and Geroskipou were 3-0 up within 8 minutes. Ypsonas scored a consolation goal late on, but the win never looked in doubt. After the international break, Geroskipou defeated APOEL 2-1 in the first leg of the QF of the cup to take an aggregate lead to GSP in the second leg. During December, some big clubs from Italy came in to enquire about Clive's availability. Napoli and Atalanta were both turned down, as Clive had no interest of leaving Cyprus just yet. In some poetic justice for Atalanta, the draw for the R32 of the EL saw the two clubs pitted up against each other. On New Years Eve, Blichfeldt was announced as the winner of the World U21 Footballer of the Year award after getting 39 goals and 12 assists in 40 appearances in the calendar year. Tables At the halfway point of the league season, Geroskipou were sitting 3 points behind APOEL and level on points with Omonoia. Fixtures If Geroskipou were to kick on in the league before the split, it would be crucial that they won 5 from 5 in the league. This included Alki, AEL and APOEL all in the top 5. Games against Aris Limassol and Anorthosi would be easier, but they were still considered banana skins, especially as the second leg of the cup was 4 days before the Aris game.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou November 2038 The trip to Ibrox culminated to another 3 points in Europe. Clive continued with a full strength side in the next game against Othellos with the aim to start a rotated side in the cup. This plan paid off in a big way as the final score was 8-0 to the hosts. In the cup 3-0 and 2-0 wins were good to bring Geroskipou into the quarters once again before the 0-0 draw against Paralimni the previous month was avenged with a 3-0 battering in the return leg, this time with a full strength side. Basel visited Pafos next, and Geroskipou continued their winning run in the Europa League before the Apol. Limassol game. The only team that managed to beat Geroskipou in the first round of fixtures managed to do it once again, although this time it was a poor showing from Clive's side, and not just bad luck. With award season nearing, Clive was pleasantly suprised when he saw that Bohorquez was nominated for the European Golden Boy award and Blichfeldt was nominated for World U21 Footballer of the year. Table The loss against Apol. Limassol saw Omonoia overtake Geroskipou, but they still had their game in hand. Fixtures Clive was looking for 4 wins in the league, and a good start in the cup match before the new year.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou October 2038 October was a great month apart from a single draw. Bielan's header from a corner was enough for Geroskipou to beat Alki 1-0. Aris Limassol were next to be beaten. Blichfeldt grabbed a brace and Marchesi also got involved in the action to win 3-0. Rangers were convincingly dismantled 4-0 in somewhat of a shock result to leave Geroskipou top of their EL group at the halfway stage. 3 days later, APOEL visited the APOP Geroskipou stadium and Geroskipou were on fire once again, beating their rivals 4-1 to leapfrog them in the table. The run ended the next game against Paralimni, who were sitting level on points at the bottom of the table. After playing 2 games in 6 days, Clive opted to play a heavily rotated side, and this proved to be part of the undoing of the winning run. The match was a 0-0 draw, and despite subs being made in desperation of a goal, nothing came. In the last match of the month against Anorthosi, who were bottom of the league, it was only a Marchesi hattrick that saved further embarrassment, but Geroskipou ran out 3-2 winners. Table After the run, as well as APOEL losing 3 of their 4 games, Geroskipou were at the head of the table, a point clear of Omonoia and a game in hand. Fixtures Another hectic month lay in store, with games from 3 competitions. Rangers and Basel were both beatable once more in Europe, as were Othellos, Paralimni and Apol. Limassol in the league. The cup draw had been favourable, with Second Division Ermis Aradippou being the first round of Geroskipou's cup defense.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou September 2038 Things looked bleak after the Apol. Limassol game, despite dominating the game, nobody seemed to be able to get the ball in the back of the net, and Geroskipou lost 3-2 to open the season. The result then gave the players a kick up the backside that was needed given the quality of opposition for the rest of the month. Basel were dispatched 2-0 thanks to early goals from Eiriksson and Blichfeldt. The Omonoia game was quiet until the first minute of added time before Blichfeldt thought he had scored the winner. Omonoia responded quickly in the 92nd minute, but a draw would be more than fair result. In the 93rd minute, Mariano scored on a counter attack and left Clive speechless. The final score was 2-1 but it felt like Omonoia were robbed. The good form continued into the rest of the month, with Nea Salamina going down 3-0, and then Ypsonas were beaten by a 2nd string team 3-1. In the final game of the month, a rested Geroskipou side squeezed past Vit. Guimaraes 3-2 thanks to a late goal from Blichfeldt. Tables With a game in hand due to fixture congestion, Geroskipou were 6 points off APOEL, who had managed to go 5 from 5. Two wins from two saw Geroskipou sit top of their Europa League group. Fixtures October would kick off in a top half clash with a visit to Alki. Clive saw Aris as an easier win before Geroskipou would host Rangers and try and hold on to top spot in the EL group. 3 days later they would have to entertain APOEL in a game that would be crucial to try and catch up on points lost. Then Paralimni and Anorthosi would also have to be beaten in a short turnaround.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2038/39 Pre-Season Before Clive's first official day back in the office, he had to go to the new stadium unveiling. He stood there with the Mayor of Pafos while he used the big scissors to cut the ribbon, and could not help but be full of pride at the journey of the club. On his first day, Clive was inundated with interviews from big clubs, including Osasuna and Arsenal. One of Geroskipou's best was approached by Alki to be their new manager. As they had a habit of ditching managers every few months, Clive did not want to see the same thing happen to his friend, so offered him a new contract. Although with a wage bill like Alki's, he was not sure about if this would work. But it did. Critchley was now a fully bled member of Geroskipou now. Transfers It was that time of the pre-season that big clubs coming sniffing for some of Clive's best players. This season it was West Ham in for Lawson. They put an offer of £3.3m plus add ons. The board went over Clive's head once again and accepted. He stormed into the boardroom to try and get this reversed, but to no avail. Other players to leave in the pre-season included Wilkin, who was bought in for free, netting nearly a million profit. In Clive strengthened his sqaud in prep for another long season. Savran could play on either wing with bundles of pace. Vallejos was an Argentine DR, who would compete for a starting spot. Bello was a young DL, to provide another body in the back 4. Sundstrom was bought back in on loan for another season. Markovic was a youth player from Montenegro, who would spend a season in the U-19s. Bilbao was bought back from Athletic Bilbao for £190,000, meaning that they lost a massive £1.49m from their purchase a few seasons before. Marchesi was bought in from Italy to provide backup up front. Results The usual tune up games were easily won, before a near post flick on from Bielan won Geroskipou the Super Cup against APOEL 1-0. Then Celtic knocked them out of the Champions League before 2 final tune up games before the league fixtures start. Odds Despite winning the league, Geroskipou were still clearly not rated by the bookies. Fixtures September would kick off against Apol. Limassol. Then the start of the fixture congestion would start, with Basel away in the Europa League before 3 days later, Omonoia resumed league fixtures. 3 days after that, Nea Salamina would come to Pafos, before Ypsonas would round out the league month and Vit. Guimaraes finishing the EL month.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2038/39 Champions League Qualification - Playoff Round The draw had not been kind to Geroskipou. Celtic were one of if not the toughest side in the draw, so sods law that they would be drawn against the Scots. Even tougher is that both legs would have to be played without Blichfeldt, who went down like he was shot after twisting his ankle in training. This would never have happened when Clive was playing when he was a kid. Game's gone. First Leg Clive was raging after the first leg. The score did not reflect the game due to a poor game from Lukic in goal and a great game from the Celtic keeper. As the score was only 1-0 at half time, Clive still thought that Geroskipou had a shot. But then goals in the 54th, 56th, 66th and 72nd minutes basically killed off the tie. Second Leg The second leg was again frustrating. Celtic threw out the same team as in the first leg, and were beaten in every aspect of the game apart from the scoreboard. A 0-0 draw was played out to leave the score over two legs as 5-0 Celtic. Clive was certain that his side should have gone through over the two legs, as they made themselves the chances, but just could not convert. Europa League Group Stage Geroskipou were drawn in a group that Clive saw at least a few wins from. Rangers were the biggest stature-wise, but Basel were also no pushovers. Since the 20/21 season, the Portugese league was also improving, so Vit. Guimaraes would also not be pushovers. Although just north of £2.5m was a great payday, the £12m for the Champions League would have tasted sweeter.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2037/38 Season Review Despite winning the league, Clive still had his suspicions about the refereeing in Cyprus. Going back over the stats for penalties, he saw that Omonoia were given a massive 17 penalties over the season, and APOEL and Nea Salamina both picking up 15 over the season. The mystery in corruption was now a shut and closed case in Clive's eyes. Because of APOEL's performances in Europe, there was now an automatic group stage position in the Champions League opened up. If Geroskipou could win the league next season, a much easier route into the millions would open up. Harnwell's buyout clause was sold to increase the clubs bank account by £282,000. Iosifidis was now the club's most capped player. In terms of goalscoring, Blichfeldt had a breakout year with 41, and Leiva left the club on a positive note, as he grabbed 26 assists over his final season before leaving on a free transfer.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou May 2038 As the league was over before the month was even started, Clive used the oppertunity to finish the season off experimenting with different rotations of players. This started poorly, as the trip to Omonoia ended in a 1-1 stalemate. The next week, Clive rotated once again to save players from suspension for the upcoming final. This seemed to work, as Nea Salamina were beaten 2-0, with Eiriksson getting a brace for a now rare start. The cup final was covered in the previous post, but just as a recap, Geroskipou managed a 2-1 extra time win against their new rivals APOEL to win the double. For the final game of the season, a tired Geroskipou team travelled to face a tired APOEL side. The game finished 1-1, with Mariano grabbing the only goal for Geroskipou, who were unfortunate not to finish their season off with a win. Final Table When all was said and done, Geroskipou had won their maiden First Division title by a massive 10 points ahead of the chasing pack led by APOEL. It was a sweet moment for Clive being given a guard of honour for them in the final game. The win had also broken APOEL's streak of 13 straight league wins. News Clive had also managed to squeeze his way into the Cyprus HOF for managers. The list contained mainly APOEL managers to no suprise. But now his sights were set on reaching the top.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Cypriot Cup Final With the league season wrapped up earlier than expected for Geroskipou, Clive was able to spend the best part of 3 weeks devising a plan for the Cypriot Cup Final against his old friends APOEL. The game was going to be hosted in the 22,859 capacity stadium in front of a sold out, mainly APOEL supporting crowd, which made the task even more unenviable. Geroskipou had played well against APOEL on previous meetings during the season, beating them twice and only losing once in the league. The plan was to just to win by any means necessary and secure the first double for the club since the 21/22 season. Kick off The game was inevitably tense, with neither team wanting to take the first risk. There were a few half chances here and there, but nothing highlight worthy for the Cypriot version of Match of the Day later in the evening. The first half went quickly, with the teams still deadlocked. Half Time APOEL 0 - 0 APOP Geroskipou Second Half The second half started in much the same way. It was only in the 74th minute, when Tobias bought down Blichfeldt in the box, earning himself a yellow card and his opposite number a chance to put Geroskipou 1-0 up with just 15 minutes left. Blichfeldt converted emphatically to put one of Geroskipou's feet into the winning shoes. APOEL pushed hard for an equaliser, and took control of the game. The 4th official put 6 minutes up on his board, and Clive could taste victory. This was taken away with the final kick of the ball though, as Meca hit a close range volley inside the box to draw APOEL level. If Geroskipou were to win, it would have to be in extra time. Full Time APOEL 1 - 1 APOP Geroskipou ET Kick Off It had been a long season for both teams, and it showed in extra time. The pace of the game had been milked dry apart from the odd burst of pace from a fresher subsitute. Just before the half time of extra time, it was a corner that proved to be the difference. Leiva put an inswinger into the six yard box, where the biggest player on the pitch Blichfeldt managed to just about outjump his marker and guide into the net to make the score 2-1 to Geroskipou. Half Time Extra Time APOEL 1 - 2 APOP Geroskipou Second Half Extra Time There was now only 15 minutes between Geroskipou and their first Cypriot Cup. By now though, every player to a man was dead on their feet. The majority of the half consisted of Geroskipou playing short passes around their half and trying to get APOEL to press them into another mistake. There was a heartstopping moment near the end of the game where a ball was given away cheaply, but Lukic, who was arguably the unsung hero of the season produced another save to tip the ball over the bar. Shortly after, the referee blew his whistle for the final time. Full Time APOEL 1 - 2 APOP Geroskipou

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Match Day 29 - AEL (A) The biggest game of Clive's career was upon him. After a team meeting easing expectations and some last minute talks with individuals, everyone was ready to go out and enjoy their football. First Half The first half started well, with Geroskipou putting massive pressure on the AEL back line. A few slices of cheese were handed out for some rash challenges that didn't really need to be made, but Clive chalked this down to nerves starting to creep in. He told his team to calm down and focus, and it seemed to work, with Blichfeldt rolling away in a premature celebration after slotting home from an offside position. This seemed to instil some needed confidence in the side, they had breached the sturdy defence once, so why could they not do it again. Then it all went bonkers. Mariano smashed home a shot in the 40th minute, then straight from kick off, AEL gave away a free kick just inside their own half. The ball was whipped in and Bohorquez poked home at the back post to make it 2-0. Geroskipou switched off, and a long ball played from the ensuing kick off saw Serrador go one on one with Lukic, who slotted home to make it 2-1 in the 42nd minute. 3 goals in 3 minutes. Nobody in the stadium had ever had been in such a glass case of emotion. Luckily for Clive, the third goal had managed to calm his players down and the half whittled away. Half Time: AEL 1 - 2 Geroskipou Second Half Compared to the final 10 minutes of the first half, the start of the second was the polar opposite. Both teams played in a reserved manner, not wanting to give any cheap goals away. On the hour mark, a long cross from the left wing found Sundstrom at the back post, and the winger outjumped his marker to head in from an acute angle to score to make it 3-1. In the 69th minute, Mariano was scythed down in midfield trying to start a counter attack and had to be replaced. This was Clive's last substitution, so 6 minutes later, when Blichfeldt also went down after picking up a knock, he had no other option but to move into a 4-4-1 formation, and try and kill the clock. Things really came to a head though in the 87th minute, where Leiva got himself a straight red card after trying to exact revenge on Mariano by doing his best Cantona impression, leaving Geroskipou to try and defend a 2 goal lead with just 8 outfield players. Clive moved to a very defensive 4-4-0 with 2 wing backs, 2 holding midfielders and a normal back 4 to try and snuff out any AEL attacks. The final 3 minutes plus injury time went very slowly, but there were not more goals scored. Full Time AEL 1 - 3 Geroskipou They had done it. Geroskipou exacted their demons from the previous seasons and finally won their first ever First Division title. The board gave Clive a massive wage budget for the next season, £80,000 p/w was a far cry from a few seasons ago when it was just 10% of this. Table APOEL drew in their game, meaning the gap as of winning the title was 12 points. Fixtures 4 games left in the season, 3 in the league and the cup final to put another nail in APOEL's coffin for this season.