Insert Interesting Name Here - Tomtuck's Second FM Career Adventure

[numbas2]

The mans a leg-end!

I know you want to build a legacy or whatnot, but if you were to win at a canter and the other teams continue to fail like this season - Schalke apart - would you still stick around? Would boredom set in? Say, if you also won the UCL this season and next...

[SRL88]

Joao Pedro

[tomtuck01]

The mans a leg-end!

I know you want to build a legacy or whatnot, but if you were to win at a canter and the other teams continue to fail like this season - Schalke apart - would you still stick around? Would boredom set in? Say, if you also won the UCL this season and next...

Well I haven't won the Champions League since my opening season with them, and winning two in a row is probably a long way off with the amount of young players that are currently in the squad - they need to mature yet.

My motivation to stay is just that - the young players. My desire is to basically have a squad full of Germans with just a few foreigners, (for instance a 25 man first team squad with twenty Germans in it & just five foreigners), with many of those Germans coming through the clubs youth system. That will take time to achieve.

The question I ask myself is "what do I do if I leave?". I like to play as realistically as possible, so I wouldn't go and take over say a big English club who has dropped down to League One or whatever.

Joao Pedro

He's my baby.

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - January 2026 - Bayern Munich

Midseason Friendlies

Another trip to Japan for a couple of friendlies to get the legs going again heading into the second half of the season.

Nothing new tried out tactically this year, just a bit of rotation to give everyone some miles in their legs. We scored two comfortable wins, hitting seven goals and not conceding. Aswell as the game time for the players, the financial benefits for the club will hopefully be felt through merchandise sales.

Bundesliga

A win and a draw from two games represenets a poor couple of games for us.

We weren't our best against Wolfsburg and indeed we fell behind just before the hour mark. We got back into it twn minutes later through defender Serge Essomba, and then with just seven minutes to go Joao Pedro won and converted a penalty to put us ahead. Rui Miguel scored three minutes later to clinch the points for us. Hannoever then came to town and we gave them a right battering. Unfortunately our finishing was very poor on the day and all that we got was a point.

Despite dropping those points we're five points clear with a game in hand. Already the destination of the title is looking clear.

Transfers

A couple of players left in the window, one permanently and one on loan.

On deadline day Timo Horn left for Dusseldorf for £3million. Over the past two years he had been in rotation with Manuel Neuer but this season he managed just one appearance as Mexican Luis Manuel Sanchez was my definitive number one. And a young forward by the name of Francesco Gnecco joined Hamburg with a view to a permanent move after failing to agree a professional contract. (Basically, he asked for far too much money).

Here is the one man that we brought into the club during the window;

Sylvain Mathieu

A decent young goalkeeper brought in on loan to be third choice behind Sanchez and Mario Oliveira. He has just turned 19 so for a goalkeeper he is extremely young and has plenty of room to improve. He's available for a free in the summer so I'll be trying to agree a contract with him.

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - February 2026 - Bayern Munich

Bundesliga

A brilliant month was we wi five games out of five without conceding a goal.

We started with a thumping 4-0 win away at Dusseldorf, with Joao Pedro netting twice. Another away game followed at Gladbach, and this was a real battle. Tackle flew in and chances were at a premium, but with twenty-three minutes to go Gunther Lange struck a wonderful goal to claim the points. Lange kept the goals coming in our next game, as he hit a brace as we beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 at home. Young Ukrainian Yuriy Polischuk got the third late on. A 1-0 win at FC Köln followed, with Lange again getting decisive goal. Our cracking month was finished off with a 3-0 victory at home to Hertha Berlin. An early goal from Polischuk gave us a great start, and we did the same early in the second half when Rui Miguel doubled our lead. Gunther Lange hit his fifth goal in four games to seal the win.

March begins with a trip to Schalke.

DFB-Pokal - Quarter Final

A desperately disappointing exit from the cup to Stuttgart. We fell behind a couple of minutes before halftime, but hit back immediately through Martin Schmidt, (the striker variety). In the second half we squandered chance after chance, and it was much the same in extra time. The game eventually went to penalties, and a couple of our players simply didn't cope with the pressure as we crashed out 4-3.

Champions League - 1st Knockout Round, 1st Leg

A cracking first leg performance that has realistically put us through to the quarter finals already. Gunther Lange's great form in the league transferred to the European stage as he hit a double. Joao Pedro got one, and Cesare Scarchilli hit a fourth late on after Granada has pulled one back.

[fuzzrab]

Glad to see this being updated again. here's hoping you can win the treble. Pretty crap cup campaign, i hope it doesnt affect the treams morale.

[tomtuck01]

Glad to see this being updated again. here's hoping you can win the treble. Pretty crap cup campaign, i hope it doesnt affect the treams morale.

I can't win the treble if I'm out the cup.

[fuzzrab]

I can't win the treble if I'm out the cup.

Surely Germany must have a pseudo charity cup? did you win that, i cant remember? SO i reckon you win the league, the Champions league and you have (hopefuly if it exists) already won thye charity cup (or whatever the Germans call it).

See a treble in the making. and i am not that drunk (hopefully).

[tomtuck01]

Surely Germany must have a pseudo charity cup? did you win that, i cant remember? SO i reckon you win the league, the Champions league and you have (hopefuly if it exists) already won thye charity cup (or whatever the Germans call it).

See a treble in the making. and i am not that drunk (hopefully).

Personally wouldn't count that as a treble - it's only FM that does that.

[Cleon]

No goal in 4 games for Pedro? Pfft

Great form in the league though 22 wins out of 24 is quality

[fuzzrab]

Personally wouldn't count that as a treble - it's only FM that does that.

If you're as bad as me at FM then any cup win is a major success.

[tomtuck01]

No goal in 4 games for Pedro? Pfft

Great form in the league though 22 wins out of 24 is quality

He was injured for 2-3 weeks to be fair.

The form may tail off very soon as we've got Schalke and Dortmund away in our next two!

If you're as bad as me at FM then any cup win is a major success.

Haha fair enough.

[tomtuck01]

Three in a row.

[fuzzrab]

Congratulations on another title.

[SRL88]

Excellent achievement .

[numbas2]

Congratz

[tomtuck01]

Congratulations on another title.

Excellent achievement .

Congratz

Thanks alot chaps, hopefully there's another trophy to follow this season.

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - March/April 2026 - Bayern Munich

Bundesliga

March

A sticky month but with three tough away games I was happy enough with our return.

The month started with a trip to Schalke, and despite not being at our best we came away with all three points after Joao Pedro converted a penalty just before the break. Schalke came on strong in the second half, but we held on to the points. Another tough away trip followed as we headed to Dortmund. They were well on top throughout, but we managed to take the lead eleven minutes into the second half through Gunther Lange. We were seven minutes from another great away win, when Dortmund hit a stunning goal to draw level. It finished 1-1 and I really couldn't complain. Hoffenheim then came to town and we gave them a good thrashing. Gunther Lange put us ahead in the first minute and just before the break Joao Pedro got a second. Within thirteen minutes of the second half we were 4-0 to the good and Joao had completed his hattrick. The month was finished off with a 2-2 draw at Hamburg. We went ahead early, but in the space of twelve second half minutes HSV had turned it around. Thankfully Mr.Pedro got us level soon after, but we were unable to find a winner.

April

Three wins from four, but a first league defeat of the season put a bit of a downer on things even if we secured the title.

A strange game started the month off as Kaiserslautern came to town. Within an hour we were 3-0 up and cruising. Kaiserslautern then went down to ten men, but in the last ten minutes we slacked off and they got a couple of goals back and very nearly an equaliser. In the end end we were fortunate to win. The Stuttgart game was just days after a tough away game in Europe, and frankly we deserved to lose. Stuttgart took the lead after just seventeen minutes, and we never created enough to get back into it. A poor day. The league was secured before the Mainz game due to results earlier in the day, so with a Champions League game coming three days later I rested some players. Young debutant Roland Hauptmann made a huge impression, scoring twice in a little over half an hour. Striker Martin Schmidt added the third late on. The month finished another 3-0 home win, this time against Werder Bremen. Hauptmann again got on the scoresheet, and Joao Pedro added another soon after. Martin Schmidt, (striker), added the other with six minutes remaining.

The season is rounded off with a trip to Leverkusen and a home game against Union Berlin.

Champions League

March - 1st Knockout Round, 2nd Leg

Another 4-1 gave us an 8-2 aggregate victory.

Cesare Scarchilli put us ahead after twenty-five minutes and then early in the second period were two up thanks to Gunther Lange. Joao Pedro added a third with a little over twenty minutes to go, and although Granada pulled one back central defender Serge Essomba wrapped it up late on from a setpiece.

April - Quarter Finals & Semi Finals

We drew Juventus in the quarter finals and if truth be told we dismissed them with little effort. We totally dominated the home leg and could well have won by four or five. The second leg was a little trickier, but we still should have won rather than drawn. Juve took the lead early on from a setpiece but Joao Pedro made it 1-1 early in the second haf. They went back ahead soon after but we had chance after chance to get level. We eventually did equalise twenty minutes from time and then should have won it, but 2-2 was good enough to go through 4-2 on aggregate.

We then faced Barcelona in the semi-finals with the away leg first. We put in a great performance as we came away with a 1-1 draw. Jose Alejandro Tapia put us ahead ver early on, but Barca grabbed a late equaliser to make it 1-1. Heading into the second leg we were ahead on the away goals rule, and in the first half we gave them a good going over without being able to score. In the second minute of the second half though Barca took an undeserved lead. We continued to pile the pressure on after that but we simply couldn't find an equaliser.

A 2-1 defeat on aggregate, very disappointing indeed.

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - May 2026 - Bayern Munich

Bundesliga

A solid end to the season to level the record points tally in the Budesliga.

We won very well away at Leverkusen with the man Joao Pedro hitting a brace in the second half to give us all three points. In our final home of the season against Union Berlin I gave Javi Martinez and Robert Lewandowski starts in what was their final match for the club. Both played fairly well in what was a close game, but it was again Joao Pedro who grabbed the headlines, scoring either side of a terrific Union Berlin goal to make it thirty league goals for the season.

[SRL88]

A huuuuuuuuuuuuge gap you had over the rest .

[tomtuck01]

A huuuuuuuuuuuuge gap you had over the rest .

I was very surprised indeed. I think the biggest issue was with Dortmund - they bought alot of new players over the summer and it took them a long time to gel. Schalke though actually managed eight more points than last season.

[tomtuck01]

The man is just wow! In the end he actually ended up with seventeen Player Of The Match" awards throughout the season.

[tomtuck01]

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

The third year in a row he has won this.

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - Season Review 2025/26 - Bayern Munich

Bundesliga

Results 1 - Results 2

Final Table (1st - Champions)

A third title in a row was secured by a huge margin of nineteen points over second placed Schalke. We really were superb in the opening half of the season, winning sixteen of our opening seventeen games to put us in a commanding position heading into the second half of the campaign. With games coming thick and fast in Europe I rotated as usual meaning we dropped a few more points in second half of the campaign, but we still put some decent winning runs together to extend a huge lead at the top. The season ended with us equaling the record points tally of 91.

Dortmund had a poor league season this time around, but I'm sure there'll be back next season, and also Schalke are getting stronger year by year.

DFB-Pokal

Eliminated in Quarter Finals

Hugely disappointing throughout really. Easy win in the first round as usual, but we struggled past Hambug and Osnabruck in the econd and third rounds before facing VFB Stuttgart in the quarter finals. We simply didn't play well enough in the match and they may well have won it sooner. Eventually it went to penalties and we deservedly crashed out by four spot kicks to three.

Dortmund won the competiton in the end, defeating Leverkusen 3-0 in the final.

Champions League

Eliminated in Semi Finals

Yet another disappointing exit after a good first leg performance on the road.

We breezed through the group stage five of our six games, scoring ten goals and conceding just two. Granada were brushed aside in the first knockout round as we tumped them 8-2 on aggregate. Juventus were seen off with little fuss in the quarter finals, despite the away draw. We really did dominate them in the away leg, just made sloppy mistakes at the back to concede the two goals. In the semi-final we faced Barcelona and claimed a very credible away draw, although it was a touch disappointing as we conceded so late. We dominated the first half of the second leg without scoring, and then Barca hit us with the sucker punch early in the second half. We piled on the pressure but simply couldn't find the net. We exited 2-1 on aggregate.

Barcelona faced our German rivals Borussia Dortmund in the final, and Dortmund won it 2-1, scoring twice in the final ten minutes to take the trophy.

Other Info

Squad Stats - Transfers - Finances

As always there was a huge amount of rotation throughout the season, and indeed there were only seven players to start more than thirty games in all competitions. The young players did well again when called upon, and hopefully they can have even more influence next season.

We spent quite a lot over the summer, having a net spend of over £30million. That was down to the two big deals on transfer deadline day at th tart of September. One of those, Tapia, wasn't particularly impressive as he managed just eight goals in twenty-one appearances. Hopefully he can do better next term.

The finances are a bit better than at this stage last season, but it doesn't really matter either way in all honesty.

Top 3 Players

João Pedro

It's every bloody season now. He's just amazing. Simple.

Günther Lange

A great season as he really came of age. He banged them in in both the Bundesliga and Europe, and his final tally is superb, especailly when you consider the side is set up to get the most from Joao Pedro.

David Alaba

Brilliantly reliable, despite his advancing years. He slots in at Halfback aswell as Central Midfield with no trouble whatsoever - a great player to have around even if it could be said he i stopping a younger lad or two getting games.

What Next

Not too sure. Javi Martinez and Robert Lewandowski are retiring and joining the coaching staff, but Thomas Muller and Thiago are carrying on. Muller though has signed a new deal until the end of next season with a reduced squad status and a coaching role. Thiago still influences things so it's just about picking and choosing his games.

As always I'll consider offers for most players, but there won't be a rush to sell anyone. I can't imagine there will be much coming in over the summer.

[tomtuck01]

How are my Former Clubs Doing?

Bukovyna

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Season    |  League            |  Lge Pos |  Notes                                            |  Other
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 2015/16  |  Premyer-Liha  |  9th         |                                                       |  Beaten in Europa Lge Playoff Rnd
| 2016/17  |  Premyer-Liha  |  16th       |  Relegated                                     |  
| 2017/18  |  Persha Liha     |  9th         |                                                       |  
| 2018/19  |  Persha Liha     |  1st          |  Promoted as Champs                   |  
| 2019/20  |  Premyer-Liha  |  13th       |                                                       | 
| 2020/21  |  Premyer-Liha  |  12th       |                                                       | 
| 2021/22  |  Premyer-Liha  |  12th       |                                                       |  Kubok Ukraini Quarter Finals
| 2022/23  |  Premyer-Liha  |  12th       |                                                       |  Kubok Ukraini Winners
| 2023/24  |  Premyer-Liha  |  10th       |                                                       |  Beaten in Europa Lge Playoff Rnd
| 2024/25  |  Premyer-Liha  |  10th       |                                                       |  
| 2025/26  |  Premyer-Liha  |  8th         |                                                       |  Kubok Ukraini Quarter Finals

Outstanding season in all honesty as for a long time they were competing for a place in Europe. A poor run of no wins in six after the winter break made qualification tougher but they were still just a point short of getting into the Europa League. Terrific stuff.

Brighton

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Season    |  League            |  Lge Pos |  Notes                                            |  Other
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 2017/18  |  Premier Lge    |  20th       |  Relegated                                     |
| 2018/19  |  Champ'ship     |  9th         |                                                       |
| 2019/20  |  Champ'ship     |  16th       |                                                       |
| 2020/21  |  Champ'ship     |  7th         |                                                       |
| 2021/22  |  Champ'ship     |  12th       |                                                       |
| 2022/23  |  Champ'ship     |  11th       |                                                       |  Quarter Finals of both domestic cups
| 2023/24  |  Champ'ship     |  4th         |  Defeat in playoff semi-finals       |  Quarter Finals of FA Cup
| 2024/25  |  Champ'ship     |  2nd        |  Promoted to Premier Lge             |  
| 2025/26  |  Premier Lge    |  12th       |                                                       |  

A great seaosn back in the Premier League as they finished comfortably in midtable. They had some memorable games, including winning away at eventual Champions Manchester City.

Benfica

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Season    |  League               |  Lge Pos |  Notes                                            |  Other
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Left the club in December 2020 to join Tottenham - Roberto Mancini was my replacement

| 2020/21  |  Liga Zon Sagres |  1st         |  Champions                                   |  Taça de Portugal & Taça de Liga winners
| 2021/22  |  Liga Zon Sagres |  1st         |  Champions                                   |  Taça de Portugal winners & Taça de Liga runners-up
| 2022/23  |  Liga Zon Sagres |  1st         |  Champions                                   |  Taça de Portugal & Taça de Liga Winners
| 2023/24  |  Liga Zon Sagres |  1st         |  Champions                                   |  Taça de Portugal & Taça de Liga Winners
| 2024/25  |  Liga Zon Sagres |  1st         |  Champions                                   |  Taça de Portugal & Taça de Liga Winners
| 2025/26  |  Liga Zon Sagres |  1st         |  Champions                                   |  Taça de Portugal Qtr Finals

Another league title but a much more disappointing season than recent years. They only reached the quarter finals on the domestic cup, and were knocked out of the league cup at the group stage on goal difference. They again exited the Champions League in the 1st knockout round, going down 4-1 on aggregate to Schalke.

Tottenham

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Season    |  League               |  Lge Pos |  Notes                                            |  Other
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 2022/23  |  Premier League |  4th         |  Champs Lge Playoff Rnd             |  FA Cup Winners, Champions Lge Quarter Finals
| 2023/24  |  Premier League |  4th         |  Champs Lge Playoff Rnd             |  FA Cup Quarter Finals
| 2024/25  |  Premier League |  5th         |  Europa Lge Grp Stage                  |  Champs Lge Runners-up, FA Cup Quarter Finals
| 2025/26  |  Premier League |  4th         |  Champs Lge Playoff Rnd             |  Lge Cup Winners, Europa Lge Quarter Finals

A good season in the end. For a long time there were languishing in midtable, but after sacking Remi Garde and replacing him with Josep Guardiloa in mid February they started to climb the table and eventually got that all important top four place. They also managed to lift the League Cup, beating Chelsea in the final.

[tomtuck01]

Superb achievement.

[deltablue]

At least you're still getting a nice challenge in Europe.

[tomtuck01]

At least you're still getting a nice challenge in Europe.

Well, I am domestically aswell in the cup!

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - Season Preview - 2026/27 - Bayern Munich

Board Expectations

Bundesliga - Challenge for the title

DFB-Pokal - Not Important

Champions League - Reach the semi-finals

DFL-Super Cup - Not Important

Personal Expectations

Bundesliga – Europe is the priority

DFB-Pokal - Rotate

Champions League – Would love to win it

DFL-Super Cup – Against Dortmund again - win

The expectations from the board are exactly the same as last season, so I can't complain about them asking too much. Mine however have changed a bit. After two semi-final exits and a quarter final exit over the last three seasons in the Champions League, I think it's about time we won it again. Last season Dortmund lifted the trophy, beating Barcelona 2-1 in Berlin, and it really hurt to see a fellow German side win it in Germany. It is my priority this season.

Budgets

Transfer: £205,485,941

Wages: £5,000,672 p/w (Currently spending £2,157,154)

Balance: £684,424,290 (+£17,951,928)

With no major business on the cards this summer, this transfer budget is rather wasted on me. However, it's nice to have it there in case a couple of long term targtes become available for a decent price. As for the balance, not that it matters but it's nice to see it has gone up this time compared to a year ago.

[fmFutbolManager]

Excellent season and a comfortable league in there. Champions League was disappointing. You've done better with lesser teams, but it gives you a challenge for next season and keeps things fresh.

Do you think there was anything more you could have done in the game against Barcelona, something missing from the squad or was it just not your night do you think?

[tomtuck01]

Excellent season and a comfortable league in there. Champions League was disappointing. You've done better with lesser teams, but it gives you a challenge for next season and keeps things fresh.

Do you think there was anything more you could have done in the game against Barcelona, something missing from the squad or was it just not your night do you think?

Well, I haven't done much better - I've won it twice, once each with Benfica and with Bayern. Since winning it in my first season here at BAyern there has been a semi-final, a quarter final and another semi. I'm not sure what you expect?

As for if we could have done more against Barcelona, no I dont think we could have. We dominated possession (57%-43%), and had nearly three times as many shots at goal (19-7). It literally was just one of those days.

[SRL88]

£684m in the bank .

[tomtuck01]

£684m in the bank .

The word "ridiculous" was invented for such a thing.

[fmFutbolManager]

Well, I haven't done much better - I've won it twice, once each with Benfica and with Bayern. Since winning it in my first season here at BAyern there has been a semi-final, a quarter final and another semi. I'm not sure what you expect?

As for if we could have done more against Barcelona, no I dont think we could have. We dominated possession (57%-43%), and had nearly three times as many shots at goal (19-7). It literally was just one of those days.

Ah, for some reason I thought you won it with Spurs. My mistake

[tomtuck01]

Ah, for some reason I thought you won it with Spurs. My mistake

Na that was the Europa League.

[fmFutbolManager]

Ahhhh that's the one!

[edgar555]

Just read through this tom. Very good work. Of course I was most taken with your work at Spurs and am disappointed you didn't stick around longer but moving to Bayern was understandable.

[tomtuck01]

Just read through this tom. Very good work. Of course I was most taken with your work at Spurs and am disappointed you didn't stick around longer but moving to Bayern was understandable.

Cracking effort reading through - I'm not honestly sure I could be bothered myself!

Ahh yes Tottenham, that was a fun time. And atleast I delivered a few trophies in my eighteen months there! As you said though, the move to Bayern was too much to resist given the recent struggles they had been having.

[edgar555]

Cracking effort reading through - I'm not honestly sure I could be bothered myself!

Ahh yes Tottenham, that was a fun time. And atleast I delivered a few trophies in my eighteen months there! As you said though, the move to Bayern was too much to resist given the recent struggles they had been having.

I got started and then just thought, what the hell, might as well keep going.

Lamela was a beast for you. My hopes for this in the real world persist.

[tomtuck01]

I got started and then just thought, what the hell, might as well keep going.

Lamela was a beast for you. My hopes for this in the real world persist.

Tried to bring him to Bayern with me, but Spurs were having none of it.

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - Preseason 2026/27 - Bayern Munich

Transfers

(Deals below the red line were made after the start of the season).

A very quiet summer transfer window for us, with seven players leaving, (mostly youngters), and just one player joining.

Pascale Bieler had been a very important member of the first team last season with regular rightback Jackson missing half the season with a broken leg. However, he had just a couple of years left on his deal and was wanting to more than double his £40,000 p/w contract. I could have got more money for him, but I decided to take £10million with 50% of profit clause and a buy-back fee of £25million. He may wll return.

Uwe Altwasser is a very good young leftback, but as he entered the last year of his contract he wanted too much money to stay. For a guy who had never played for the first team I found his £30,000 p/w wage demands very disrespectful, so to get £4.9million and a 40% of profit clause was quite pleasing. We got a good fee for Kerem Can Yildiz who I never felt would be good enough for Bayern, and we got the same £2.5million fee for Mattias Tempesta who moved back to former club Ternana after failing to settle in his two and a half years in Germany. We also have a 50% of profit clause in his contract. Youngster Abbas Rahmani was a young lad I never wanted to let go - I'm convinced he will be excellent in the future. But his wage demands were excessive so I decided to get rid. No decent offers were forthcoming, so I let him go for fee, though we will get 50% of whatever he is next sold for.

Veroljub Marovic has been in the first team squad for a couple of seasons now, but at 21 I'm not convinced he will be able to ever be quite good enough to be a regular in the side. Loaning him out may be the making of him and hopefully he comes back a better player. Hoffenheim though can buy him for £6.25million if they wish. Lutz Scherer also has the chance to showcase his talents in the Bundesliga after also moving to Hoffenheim on loan. He did well at second division side Bochum last season, so hopefully he can cope with the step up this season.

Here is the one player that came into the club over the summer;

Ralf Meyer

A decent young player who can develop an awful lot in the years to come. He has some decent little attributes already to build on, so I'm sure with the right tutelage and training he can become the "Star Bundesliga Player" my coaches seem to think he can be.

Preseason Friendlies

A good trip to China kicked off our preseason, with plenty of goals scored as we got the legs going soon again. We then hosted the Allianz Cup for the second year in a row. We thrashed Boca Juniors 7-0 in our semi-final, but then went down on penalties to Liverpool in the final. More good miles in the legs. We rounded preseason off with a trip to Duisburg after the Super Cup. It wasn't great stuff against the 3.Liga side, but we won and more of our World Cup players got useful game time.

DFL-Supercup

Delighted to have won this trophy this year after missing out on it last season - hopefully it puts down a bit of a marker for the coming campaign. Centreback Arthur put us ahead early with a thumping finish after Dortmund failed to clear a setpiece. However Dortmund were ahead by half time when they scored two in four minutes, one through a sloppy mistake. The magical Joao Pedro equalsied early in the second half, and then both sides went at each other in a thrilling end-to-end battle. We nicked the winner in the 89th minute when Serge Essomba headed home from a corner. 3-2 it finished.

The season starts against lowly Yesilyurt in the first round of the cup, before opening up the Bundesliga season at home to Wolfsburg.

[SRL88]

More trophies on the way .

[tomtuck01]

More trophies on the way .

Well here's hoping. I really want to regain that Champions League though!

[deltablue]

Meyer could still come good but I've seen far more convincing 16yr olds.

[fmFutbolManager]

Good pre-season, Tom. Here's hoping for the Champions League this year!

[tomtuck01]

Meyer could still come good but I've seen far more convincing 16yr olds.

Indeed so, but I trust my scouts and coaches.

Good pre-season, Tom. Here's hoping for the Champions League this year!

Like I've said, it is the priority.

[tomtuck01]

Bruno Gama's Management Career - August 2026 - Bayern Munich

Bundesliga

A great start to the season with three wins from three and the goals flowing.

I would say we were fabulous on the opening day, but we weren't. One man was. He scored all four, and even won the penalty that gave us our lead. We weren't at our best defensively, but we got the job done. In our first game of the season we simply blew Frankfurt away. We were a goal up at the break, and then early in the second half we just took them apart. Jose Alejandro Tapia got a brace - a good start to what hopefully will be a much better season for him personally. Red Bull Leipzig came to town and defended well against us in the first half, but early in the second Endri Dervishi put us ahead. He then added a second fifteen minutes later before Martin Schmidt (the striker variety) wrapped it up six minutes later. The month was runded off with a pretty poor performance against Mainz, but we got the win thanks to a penalty from Mr.Pedro on the half-hour mark.

We face Gladbach after the international break.

DFB-Pokal - 1st Round

A good morale boosting win a week before the Bundesliga kicked off. Endri Dervisihi really announced himself as a Bayern Munich player with a terrific hattrick. Young Roland Hauptmann also scored a brace as his development continued nicely.

In th second round we face a trip to Kaiserslautern.

[SRL88]

Excellent start to the campaign .

[tomtuck01]

Excellent start to the campaign .

Cheers - it's always the way I like to do; points on the board early.

[tomtuck01]

Champions League League Group Stage Draw - 2026/27

Top seeds as per the norm - I doubt we'll ever be anything but! There are some really good teams in the second pot who we could draw. They are; Porto, PSG, Juventus, Monaco, Benfica, and Atletico Madrid. Even some of the third seeds are tough, with Marseille, Shakhtar, Galatasary, and one or two others offering up tricky away trips.

Well it isn't a simple group, but I am not unduly worried about it. The trips to Italy and Turkey won't be easy, but I'd expect us to come out on top.