FM16 The Sammarinese Challenge.

[leonavich]

Olimpico Proves Double Edged Sword for Titani as CL Makes up for League Heartbreak

Chelsea faced off against San Marino in what proved to be an enthralling final at Rome's Olimpico Stadium.

Just two weeks ago, Roma ended San Marino's aspirations of lifting the Serie A title for an unprecedented 8th consecutive time, by beating them 2-1. Yet 13 days later, Olimpico proved to a place of jubilation as Titani overturned a 1-0 scoreline to win 2-1, the same score they surrendered over the title to Fiorentina in their loss to Roma.

Chelsea started the better of the two sides, and it was only a matter of time before they were able to convert their opportunities into goals.

They struck through Faetanini and midway through the first half it looked as though they would control proceedings from here on out.

It was the control of one man for the second part of that first half, that ebbed the tide and swung things into a more neutral game. Simon Martin may not of had his best game at either end, but he proved the calming presence in the middle of the park as he completed close to 94% of his passes, most of which came as they worked the left hand side of the field for their attacks.

Martin completed 73 of 78 of his kicks. Two of which were defensive clearances, and one was a contested intercept in an attacking play that almost lead to a goal.

This display was one of which allowed San Marino to control the play and reset themselves after Chelsea had taken the upper hand, and though not looking like it based on his play at either end, he controlled the middle of the park to reel the Sky Blue back into the match.

On 40 minutes, new starlet, Saint-Maximin netted a brilliant run away goal, as he found acres of space to run into and slotted a nice finish from the edge of the area.

From this point on, the match was fairly even, though Chelsea never really threatened again, with Canini forced into one parrying save in the second half. Though we had the bulk of chances into the second half, it seemed as though the match was destined to go into extra time. However, after making what could only be described as the best impact substitutions seen in recent times, all three substitute players culminated in what would become the winner, 84 minutes into the match.

De Vita picked up the ball near halfway and found Hernandez on the right, a wing they had not attacked much throughout the course of the match. Zafferani cut back towards the wing to make space to receive the ball and, with his back to goal, turned on a dime and headed towards the box. He took a controlling touch and one more, drawing the defender, which allowed Zak to run off his last man and break the offside trap. He took a sharp shot, catching the keeper off balance, but hit the cross bar, only for it to drop on the 6 yard line. The keeper and Navarro were oth the same distance away, however, the keeper needed to scramble form the floor after his earlier attempted save. The result... An open net for Navarro to net the winner!

San Marino held on in the final 6 minutes to claim their 6th Champions League title and second in just 3 years. Though they lost the league on the same ground just 13 days ago, Olimpico proved a double edged sword as they tasted the sweetness of victory in Europe's most prestigious Club competition, giving them the last laugh of the season.

[leonavich]

Shirt Sales Spike as Leon looks to 2,000 Matches

As the World Cup approaches, San Marino manager, Breakenridge Snr. is about to partake in his 2,000th game in management. In what has been a long and illustrious career, it wasn't always as grand as they have been over the past 15 years

"I remember getting my break in the lower leagues after retiring from football and having a tough slog of it for a good while. It wasn't until about 10 years in that I really found myself and my style and I think both the club and I underwent that metamorphosis together. We got bruised and hard some tough times, both domestically and internationally, but we have come out better for it. I'm proud and privileged to have worked in such great company and I hope to do so for some years to come. I don't have any plans of retiring and I am just taking it one match at a time, starting with Saudi Arabia tomorrow."

From humble beginnings in the Serie C, to Serie A winner, Champions League holder and World Cup wizard, who knows what else is in store for the man who has done it all with the unlikeliest of giants, San Marino.

In creating the behemoth that has become Titani, we have seen great players rise and follow in the mold of their ever present manager, however in light of the most recent milestone, jersey sales have spiked. It should be no surprise that the likes of his son, Giacomo are on the list, having a break out year, alongside the familiar face of Captain Navarro. Surprisingly however, Saint-Maximin, the new signing has become a fan favourite quite quickly alongside Cabrera, both in their first and second season at the club respectively.

Jerseys can be purchased from the club site and other leading retailers, with specially marked limited edition 2,000 matches jerseys available for a limited time only.

[leonavich]

World Cup Squad Announced

The San Marino World Cup Squad was announced this afternoon amid much speculation of whether Leon would proceed with bringing his youth players to the tournament, or the ageing side that carried the team to the Quarter Finals 4 years prior.

The 23 Man squad ultimately has quite a mix of youth and experience and it is good to see Leon take some risks by selecting some of the younger players despite their lack of experience at international level. Like he did some 16 years ago in San Marino's first World Cup foray, Leon is giving his young crop the opportunity to shine.

He has included some familiar faces as well, as many of the experienced players are still currently the teams best. The likes of Dini and Ceccoli are in the twilight of their careers and will most likely bow out after the conclusion of the tournament, but have made the squad due to their invaluable experience and quality, even with their aging legs carrying them.

Captain: Claudio Stefanelli

Vice Captain: Federico Ceccoli

Oldest Player: Mario Dini (36 Years, 340 Days)

Youngest Player: Marco Bologna (15 Years 360 Days)

Average Age: 24

Most Caps: Mario Dini (218)

Debut: Filippo Paoletti

Total Caps: 1,515

Average Caps: 66

The 23 Man Squad

Goalkeepers

1. Luciano Canini (31)

2. Michele Tideschi (32)

3. Filippo Paoletti (27)

Defenders

4. Giacomo Zonzini (21)

5. Rocco Ferrari (16)

6. Mario Dini (36)

7. Raffaele Felici (31)

8. Luciano Selva (25)

9. Luca Valli (24)

Midfielders

10. Federico Ceccoli (34)

11. Claudio Stefanelli (33)

12. Gabriele Felici (19)

13. Matteo Masi (19)

14. Marco Bologna (15)

15. Alan Berti (35)

16. Michele Zafferani (30)

17. Matteo Cecchetti (23)

Forwards

18. Pietro Canti (25)

19. Maurizio Vannucci (27)

20. Matteo Tamagnini (18)

21. Giacomo Breakenridge (16)

22. Nicola Cervellini (16)

23. Maurizio Balducci (16)

Key Players

Pietro Canti



Federico Ceccoli



Claudio Stefanelli



Luca Valli



Maurizio Vannucci



Michele Zafferani

Ones to Watch

Giacomo Breakenridge



Rocco Ferrari



Matteo Tamagnini



Giacomo Zonzini

[toonbalmy87]

Season 1

Another New Game

Club



Manager Profile



Squad

Transfers

Finances

Key Players

O'Neil

Margiotta

Youth Candidates

Pregnolato/Report

Raschi/Report

International



Squad

Fixtures

Just beat Northern Ireland 2-1 so tide is changing

[leonavich]

World Cup preparation shows cracks in armor

San Marino will go into their first match against Brazil knowing that any kind of result will put them in a good position to qualify for the second round, in a group also containing Honduras and Ghana. However, their pre-tournament warm up matches have done nothing to convince their fans as they crawl into the tournament on the back of some mediocre performances.

They started well, beating Saudi Arabia convincingly. Being a participant in the tournament, Leon was pleased at such an efficient game against them, though problems started against Jamaica. A relativity easy game, they really struggled even though Jamaica didn't play especially well. Failing to connect passes and create space, getting cluttered and out muscled in the midfield proved the story in the following games against local Chinese side Baxy and then Peru. This all finally culminated in a 2-1 loss to Japan, which should of been much worse and finally encouraged some changes to be made.

The final test was against fellow Group G participants, Ghana and although coming up trumps 3-2, it required a hattrick from Canti and 2 rather late goals in 6 minutes to turn the match in which they were losing 2-1 at the time.

"I am pleased we were able to grind out results but we need to improve our overall play. These are just friendlies, so we are still experimenting and working on what works best, but the lads have trained well and the result against Ghana I think shows we are ready for our group games and can show up at crunch time as we did in the second part of that match"

Leon is confident of progressing in a group with Brazil, Ghana and Honduras, but how far will the Sky Blue go is anyone's guess after a chink in their armor was shown this past week.

Navarro bid divides club

In other new, Club captain and legend, Jose Luis Navarro has had a bid from Manchester City to the value of £47M however San Marino are playing hard ball and not settling for less than £60M.

The fans are divided as the player is currently in his peak at 27, but the offer may be too good to turn down.

San Marino are a side who support and remain loyal to their long serving players, with Morra being testament to that, moving on into a coaching role and eventually as Assistant Manager after more than 20 years as a club player and Captain. However the side has never seen an offer of this magnitude and should Manchester meet the valuation, it may be an offer that is too good to refuse.

[leonavich]

Nice start to a new save Toon. Any reason for the restart?

[toonbalmy87]

Nice start to a new save Toon. Any reason for the restart?

i did 1 year and forgot to save and my com crashed so i couldnt be bothered doing another year of the same season

[leonavich]

i did 1 year and forgot to save and my com crashed so i couldnt be bothered doing another year of the same season

Fair enough!

I am going to play the World Cup tonight after I am out of Work, so will hopefully get through it all tonight if I have time.

[amosbastian]

I've applied for the job and declared interest, so now let's wait and see

[leonavich]

goo luck in getting the job!

[leonavich]

San Marino Qualify for Second Round

San Marino have a history of defying the odds and for a change, they had the odds in their favour as they entered a group consisting of Brazil, Honduras and Ghana, in which hey were favourites for a top two finish, and qualification to the next round.

Facing a plucky Brazil first up was not in either sides best interests as it would put a lot of pressure on either or bot sides, should they not get a result. Nonetheless, both sides had the upper hand in a topsy turvey game, that saw San Marino strike first, before Brazil had 2 quick goals midway through the second half. A red card and some great Sammaranese passing resulted in a tired Brazil outfit, and La Serenissima where able to do what they do best. A goal from prolific goalkeeper Canini followed by a calamitous error allowed San Marino to take all 3 points and gain a very strong upper hand in the group stages.

San Marino 3 - 2 Brazil

This was then backed up with an efficient but not very convincing display against Honduras in the second match, where they were fortuitous to take an early 2 goal lead. An early goal to Breakenridge, followed by Canti's lucky rebound right on the stroke of half time, meant that a strong Honduras second half, including an early goal, was nothing more than consolation as they held on to win 2-1.

San Marino 2 - 1 Honduras

Coming in to the final game, San Marino were safe, but qualification is only half the battle, as placing may determine an easier navigation in the knockout stages. The other three teams were still vying for a ticket to the next round, and Ghana seemed to want it more than the rest, as Brazil played out a 2-2 with Honduras, to end up on only 1 point whilst Honduras managed 2. The result had no impact on the final fixture, but Ghana not knowing due to playing in parallel, came out guns blazing and put San Marino to the sword, slotting 3 goals home. The 3-1 result was good enough to put Ghana through in first, whilst San Marino ended in second on 6 points. Honduras and Brazil, one of the tournament favourites, were packing their bags early, whilst San Marino got lucky, drawing the USA, who topped their group over Uruguay.

San Marino 1 - 3 Ghana

[leonavich]

America pay the Penalty

America were unfortunate tonight as they are dumped out in a tight match against San Marino, who triumphed 5-4 in a penalty shoot out, late in China last night.

The US played a great game, striking early in the first, but unable to put San Marino to the sword and hit the net a second time.

San Marino made them pay within just 3 minutes of the second half, after which the game had both sides have good chances saved and squandered. Going the distance so early in the competition was going to wear both teams out, but it seems San Marino came up triumphant as they managed to hold off the resilient US, Canini making the final save to progress San Marino to the Quarter Finals against Czech Republic.

Tamagnini proving to be the spear head and equalising goal will have some heavy competition to start in the next match, with Breakenridge back to fitness and raring to go, having already scored once in the tournament.

[leonavich]

San Marino Coast into Semi Finals

For the second time in their history, San Marino have qualified for the Semi Finals, after beating the Czech Republic convincingly in a 3-1 scoreline.

After having some trouble thus far in the campaign, with 2 wins against Brazil and a lowly Honduras, a draw with results coming via way of penalty against the US and a loss to Ghana, San Marino boss Breakenridge Snr. was hoping for a much better performance, and he got it in spades.

The Czech's scored early, however Breakenridge Jnr. took the game by the scruff and hammered home a delightful brace just before half time, before Canti virtually ut the game beyond doubt with just a minute to go. The Czech Republic went from a goal up to 3-1 down over the course of the half, which allowed San Marino to play their possession style play and keep the Czech's off the ball.

Though the Czechs had their chances, they failed on numerous occasions to show a lethal touch and even with a late second half goal dissalowed, The Czech's never looked too threatening bar their opening 5 minutes and initial goal.

San Marino 3 - 1 Czech Republic

[amosbastian]

Crazy that your son, who you expected to be a Serie A backup player, scored 2 goals in the quarter final of a World Cup! Also crazy that Brazil only got 1 point in the group stage

[coady]

I've applied for the job and declared interest, so now let's wait and see

Doesn't look good for me. I've got 2 weeks till my fate is sealed.

[coady]

Marco Ceccoli has finally accepted a call-up 2 games before my inevitable NT sacking! So frustrating

[leonavich]

Stoppage Time Heartache Keeps Dream Alive Amid Controversial Goal

This was a game of small moments and big decisions and the small moment of magic came at a controversial time.

San Marino went up first, through defender Ferrari who headed home from a set piece on 29 minutes, but that could not subdue a Mexican team who has grown from strength to strength, and also currently has San Marino Captain, Jose Louis Novarro. San Marino are well known for their critical moment abilities to score, however they were on the end of a howler as Mexico equalised with just 1 minute remaining in the half. Rendon slotted home after the Sammarenese backline failed to communicate, allowing him through for a one on one opportunity, which swung the tide. Despite the Mexican opportunities, it was a controversial goal that sealed progression.

With 3 minutes of stoppage time down, Mexico had one last display of genius, as they passed sublimely from halfway through to Cid, who raced away one on one and nailed his shot into the bottom right of the net. The controversy? The goal appeared offside and was scored a good 30 seconds after stoppage time for the game had eclipsed. Upon watching the replay's, the goal scorer was well onside, however his other two attacking compatriots were not. Though they did not interfere in the shot, they were in an offisde position during the motion of the attack and drew defenders away as the pass and shot came through.

Breakenridge commented, saying "Full credit to Mexico, it was an even game but they scored when it mattered. One or two chances going the other way and the outcome could of been different, but that's Football....

Whether it should of been allowed or not? That decision is made by the referee and he did. We will need to live with that, the result can't be changed"

Mexico will now face England in the final, whilst San Marino will face Uruguay in the Third Place Playoff.

England will be looking for their first World cup in 80 years, last winning it in 1966, whilst Mexico are yet to win the tournament, but have a lot of momentum, having a good run of form on the way to the final.

[leonavich]

Crazy that your son, who you expected to be a Serie A backup player, scored 2 goals in the quarter final of a World Cup! Also crazy that Brazil only got 1 point in the group stage

He is doing amazingly actually. 24 caps and 15 goals, with a value of £2.4M at only 16.

He is currently considered a leading player for Serie B sides, but looks like he is developing in the right places, so even if he has a 2-3 star potential, he could very well develop nicely.

I am giving him a lot of substitute game time and it seems to be paying off.

I will do comparison once he signs a professional contract and follow his career a bit more closely

Brazil have been playing so poorly, in fact, even Italy got knocked out in the group stages, to the likes of Senegal and South Korea, so very interesting from a few teams this World Cup.

[leonavich]

Three for third as Uruguay trump

Third place is usually an interesting match because whilst you are not playing for the ultimate in world football, there is still pride in knowing you made it this far.

For highly ranked sides, it can sometimes be case of always the bridesmaid never the bride, but for lesser teams, there is still a lot to play for.

Uruguay and San Marino are both previously World Cup winners, but neither were favourites, so thus had a lot to play for.

San Marino where unashamedly upset at being eliminated amid controversy and it showed in their performance as they were aggressive and fast in their approach, which allowed them to enter the scoresheet first, through Breakenridge, netting his 4th of the tournament.

That is where Uruguay picked up their game and it was virtually all one way traffic after that as the South American's dominated the game thereon out. They struck twice before the break and whilst San Marino held on valiantly, they conceded a 3rd late in the second half to make it a 3-1 match.

Both San Marino and Uruguay can be happy with their performances in getting this far, though San Marino may be displeased at their performance, previously showing they had what it took to turn up when needed most. They are a mostly young side, unlike Uruguay, so expect them to be back next tournament looking to better their performances.

Uruguay 3 - 1 San Marino

Mexico overcome odds to lift first World Cup

Mexico have shown they can win ugly as they beat a strong England side to the title with a goal in the 40th minute coming through captain Navarro. The English pushed early and conceded on a counter attack which caused them to ease of for the remainder of the half. Mexico looked steady but were never really threatening, tending to walk the cautious line, whilst England continued to slowly increase the tempo and their anxiety.

They went more attacking in the final third of the match, but were not able to penetrate the Mexican defensive line, allowing Mexico to claim maiden World Cup trophy, as well as the first for a North American CONCACAF regioned team.

The side is young and strong enough to attempt to back up the victory in 4 years time.

[leonavich]

Whilst I am pretty devastated, I am actually quite happy with the 4th place finish. The team wasn't as strong as the past World Cup or the one that we won, but it's developing. I got lucky a few times and rode it until it swung the other way against Mexico.

It is just sad that the likes of those who got me there at their peak - Dini, Ceccoli, Stefanelli, Berti will most likely not be there in 4 years time.

I am getting a little nostalgic, so I may spend the next wee while getting a recap piece together to look at some of the key players who got the national team to where it is today.

[coady]

Whilst I am pretty devastated, I am actually quite happy with the 4th place finish. The team wasn't as strong as the past World Cup or the one that we won, but it's developing. I got lucky a few times and rode it until it swung the other way against Mexico.

It is just sad that the likes of those who got me there at their peak - Dini, Ceccoli, Stefanelli, Berti will most likely not be there in 4 years time.

I am getting a little nostalgic, so I may spend the next wee while getting a recap piece together to look at some of the key players who got the national team to where it is today.

That's not bad at all, can't complain at the semi finals with most key players a long way either side of their peak. Based on the NT issue, I'm halfway through Nov 2023 matches, after which most managers have been getting sacked. I wait in hope it won't happen, especially now I have a world class central midfield partnership.

[coady]

Sacked! 14 points, 1 point off play off, top 80 world ranking, 61% (very secure) confidence just before kick off. Challenge ruined.

[leonavich]

Breakenridge remembers the Titani's!

San Marino Enquirer has published a 3 page spread on Leon and the rise of the San Marino National team since he took over as he goes through the players that helped shape his career and San Marino's rise to the powers of Europe and the world, some 33 years on from their FIFA 200 ranking back in 2013

Legends and Icons

Matteo Vitaioli - Was the most capped player for 13 years until 2031, with at 84 matches. He decided not persue a footballing career and moved back to Serravalle

Mattia Berardi - So often referred to as (Youth 1), the first International star out of the small nation of San Marino. He scored 43 goals from midfield and went on to make 126 caps, the first to break the century mark. He played in 245 league matches, of which over 100 were for Titani, before a move to Germany where he finished his career. Helped shape the game in San Marino and is the original source and foundation of what San Marino has now become.

Michele Bindi - One of the first players to really hit the international scene hard. Led the way with important goals scoring 41 in 93 caps. He now runs the National B side for San Marino. He was a regular impact payer in the Serie A for the Titani until he moved abroad to the Czech Republic, making a swan song return before moving into the national side Under Breakenridge.

Simone Mularoni - Our most prolific scorer. Had a tough decision between us and Italy but ultimately represented his country of birth. He scored 86 times for the national team but was also very successful throughout Europe, playing at the highest level in Italy, England, Spain, Portugal and France. At each of his clubs, he suffered injury plagued seasons, but proved prolific when he was n the pitch, having multiple seasons with a strike rate of more than a goal every other game.

Matteo Urbinati - Ever present, Urbinati was the type of player that proved impactful and helped in a successful World Cup campaign. He spent time in the lower leagues of Italian football before a lucrative offer in Qatar saw him become one of the Marquee players of league.

Maurizio Carlini - Was never tactically gifted but worked hard to become a permanent fixture in the National side and make a name within Italy and England as a hard working, ball winning defender. His ethic and focus led him to play through multiple levels of the English game, culminating in a Premier League season with Bournemouth, helping them to a mid table finish before taking a big money move to the UAE.

Andrea Bacciocchi - One of the first defenders to stand out on the international scene and make it abroad. He went on to play in the Bundeliga, Serie A and the Premier League for the likes of Augsburg, Cagliari and Crystal Palace.

Highest Capped Players

Player              Caps  Goals
---------------------------------
Raffaele Felici*    83    5
Matteo Vitaioli     84    5
Michele Bindi       93    41
Maurizio Carlini    96    3
Matteo Urbinati     104   27
Maurizio Vannucci*  106   37
Andrea Bacciocchi   107   6
Mattia Berardi      126   43
Michele Zafferani*  140   38
Simone Mularoni     149   86
Claudio Stefanelli* 163   14
Alan Berti*         180   39
Luciano Canini*     185   38
Federico Ceccoli*   201   12
Mario Dini*         220   22

* Still playing

[leonavich]

That's not bad at all, can't complain at the semi finals with most key players a long way either side of their peak. Based on the NT issue, I'm halfway through Nov 2023 matches, after which most managers have been getting sacked. I wait in hope it won't happen, especially now I have a world class central midfield partnership.

Yeah, I was very impressed with how far they got, but was pretty gutted to lost in stoppage time to Mexico... They beat us in the last World Cup too, I think. They went on to win, which was nice, but coming so close and then losing, and then getting pretty waxed in the third place as well was not fun to watch. Next World Cup, if Ferrari, Breakenridge, Tamagnini, Canti, Vannucci, Bologna and Zonzini develop, we will have a pretty good squad. Our midfield, which is probably our strongest area right now, will be weak unless we pick up a few good youths in the next couple of intakes, or the ones that have come through develop better than we expect.

Sacked! 14 points, 1 point off play off, top 80 world ranking, 61% (very secure) confidence just before kick off. Challenge ruined.

That really does suck! Hopefully whoever takes over will do a decent job so you can take over again once the players coming through are stronger.

Otherwise, I'm sure it would be acceptable to hire and retire a manager to vacate the spot again until you can be rehired, as it is a challenge ruining bug and not your actual performance leading to the sacking.

[sherwinriga]

coady, it's time for Plan B. Plan B is to make sure that the successor is sacked before you want to apply the NT job again. I think you're almost fit to be the head coach of the San Marino NT, but that's not the good way to be sacked. Let's hope that you're going to restart the challenge or keep it until you get rehired.

[amosbastian]

I love your posts leonavich, it's a pleasure reading them. Really sucks that you got sucked coady, it was one of the reasons I didn't want to take over straight at the start and instead wait a bit. Hopefully you can get reappointed sooner rather than later.

[leonavich]

I love your posts leonavich, it's a pleasure reading them. Really sucks that you got sucked coady, it was one of the reasons I didn't want to take over straight at the start and instead wait a bit. Hopefully you can get reappointed sooner rather than later.

Thanks Amosbastian!

I had a period where I kind of stopped and instead of just doing yearly updates, which kind of felt like a slog, I am just doing updates as things kind of happen. Makes me enjoy the game a bit more and gave me a second wind. Getting my son in the game as also pushed me on

Really enjoying the save again.

[amosbastian]

[amosbastian]

Also another thing, Steven King who is one of our best midfielders came to me with his concerns that he wants to leave to a bigger club because he doesn't see us winning the Serie A any time soon. So I told him that he should wait and see what players I bring in and that in the future we'll definitely be challenging for the title. Of course he's not having that and demands that he's allowed to leave, but I told him he's staying and that resulted, once again, in him threatening to let his friends in the squad know how I've treated him. Weeks go on and then one day I notice an information thing next to 7 or 8 of my player's names that I've never seen before saying that they were against the way King was acting and that they didn't want him to leave!

Only unfortunate thing is that his morale is still in the yellows months later, any idea when that will improve (if ever)? Sy is also still unhappy that I didn't give in to his ridiculous contract demands 7 months ago...

[coady]

Once the interested clubs stop showing interest, they normally return to good.

[amosbastian]

Once the interested clubs stop showing interest, they normally return to good.

Literally just got a message saying he's happy how the squad is progressing so he dropped his concerns

[amosbastian]

Got interviewed in the tunnel and they mentioned that our under 18s apparently won the cup! Very surprising, because I haven't really been keeping up to date and let my assistant manager take charge of them They use the same tactics as the first team, so I guess I should take some credit as well Only 10th in their group though.

The front 5 players have been playing especially well

[leonavich]

Well done! That is a good result. Your MC and ST look very good. They are also both dutch!

[amosbastian]

San Marino Calcio - Serie A - 2020/2021

End of Season

Club Profile / General / Facilities / Affiliates / Manager Profile / Squad / End of Season / Season Review / Transfers

Expenditure / Income / Overall Best Eleven

Serie A: Team Stats / Player Stats

Serie A

We made the push for Champions League football that I was hoping for last year, but it was so extremely close up until the last moment I didn't think we would make it. Fiorentina completely bottled it to be honest, their form towards the end of the season was absolutely dire, but I'm not complaining we managed to sneak in on goal difference! Compared to last year we drew 5 games less and our losses stayed the same, which is good. We only scored 2 more goals which is pretty bad considering how many goals our new signing Casca scored, so the difference in points probably came from us conceding less or just being more efficient overall. We also had a deep Europa League run to deal with at the same time and lost 2 of our best players, so considering that it's a good improvement. Only problem I have is that I changed some of ours tactics and because of this we commited the most amount of fouls in the league (by quite a bit) and had the most red cards, will try and sort that out next season.

TIM Cup

Out on penalties again, but this time already in the first round against a worse team

Europa League

It was an amazing run! We completely demolished our group, only dropping 2 points while scoring 15 goals and conceding only 2! Out of the group Casca destroyed Hoffenheim and we managed to grind out 2 games against PSV to advance even further (should've been much more comfortable, I think we hit the bar 4 times in 1 game). Then came the craziest 2 games against Olympiacos. In the first game we were 1-3 up, and they somehow managed to come back and win 4-3, it was so frustrating! Luckily we could put that result behind us and Casca once again turned up. Then finally we unfortunately went out on away goals to Marseille, who went on to lose 2-0 in the final to Tottenham.

I'm disappointed that we didn't reach the final, but I'm definitely proud of how we performed overall. Marseille were definitely the better team over both legs so I can't be too upset.

Youth Intake

Our youth recruitment and junior coaching had been improved this season, and that is definitely reflected in the overall quality of the youth intake. Not only did we get 1 extremely good player, but quite a few players that could be playing for the national team in the future as well!

Luigi Casadei (07a) - Another Casadei with sky high potential (not related) who unfortunately is rejecting a call up to the national team. Nuno Gomes thinks he has the potential to be one of the best players of his generation, so I can't wait to see how he turns out!

Giulio Fragapane (07b) - Unfortunately not Sammarinese, but looks like he could play in the Serie A in the future, and if he doesn't manage that, then definitely

Federico Muratori (07c) - Could also potentially be a Serie A player, but more likely a Serie B player, which is great since he's Sammarinese! Considering D. Casadei plays in his position I will be converting him to a right winger instead.

Matteo Matteoni (07d) - Great name and could also be a Serie B player. Will definitely be of use in the national team as a left winger.

Duccio Urbani (07e) - Unfortunately not Sammarinese, because he could be the starting right centre-back for the national team playing alongside both Casadeis Probably a Serie C player to be honest, maybe lower Serie B.

Important Players

Klingenburg and De Silva, amongst others, left and I miss them both . Could only get Jonuzi and a few loanees as a replacement, who weren't near their level, but still did well. King also stepped up and cemented his place in central midfield.

Staf van Gestel - Right full-back to rotate with Casadei (and to have some more experience), who offers more pace, but worse crossing. Did extremely well and was signed for just £190K from PSG, so I'm really happy with him. Our second highest rated player alongside Casadei (I guess right full-back is our best position then)!

Sérgio Ribeiro - His average rating went up by 0.01 but unfortunately his amount of assists dropped from 17 to 11. Improve a little bit compared to last year, and his value increased even more. Can't believe we signed him for just £55K back in the Serie B and that he already has 144 apps for us (not sure if it's the most of all time at our club?). Great player and captain.

Daniele Casadei (04a) - Unfortunately didn't improve that much this year, but he was our highest rated player this year which is amazing considering he's only 19 and came from our youth! Hopefully he can keep improving alongside van Gestel.

Steven King - Went from defensive midfielder last year to switching between central midfielder and advanced playmaker this year. Did extremely well this year, but unfortunately that comes with him demanding a new contract every 2 weeks with outrageous demands (think wages of £30K p/w).

Christopher Lichaba - His performance went up from last year, but still didn't reach the same level as he reached in his first year. Stagnating a little bit, will have to see what happens to him considering I want to slowly transition to using IFs.

Casca - Without a doubt the best player at the club, an absolutely phenomenal player. At 19 years old he scored 32 goals for us in 41 starts and was the top scorer in the Europa League. Unfortunately already wants to leave to Porto for higher wages... He has a £40,000,000 minimum fee release clause, which I think will definitely be triggered either this season or in the future. Hopefully it doesn't, as I have a Brazilian friend coming to play alongside him next season

Ardit Jonuzi - New signing to replace Klingenburg, who he is unfortunately nowhere near in ability. He did well though, but unfortunately for him I have someone special joining us next season who will definitely be starting ahead of him.

Henrik Hansen - Our best performing central defender who is probably going to be the captain in the future. Little bit slow, but normally has a faster centre-back playing alongside him.

[leonavich]

Navarro find form as Saint-Maximin leaves for record deal

San Marino currently sit third in the League with fantastic starts from Inter and Napoli keeping the favourites 5 points adrift after 13 games, but it is Navarros form in light of the record transfer fee for Saint-Maximin that has the media chirping.

After Saint-Maimin came in last season, both he and Cabrera took some of the spotlight of Navarro and forced him to share his goal scoring burden. This season however, he has gone on a rampage to start the first part of the season scoring 11 in 13 in the league, but 21 in 19 in all forms of domestic football this season

His form has been across the board also as he has chipped in with 2 assists and is passing at 80% to find his frontmen in crime, Breakenridge and Cabrera.

This has all come in light of Saint-Maximin who was recently pried away by Real Madrid in a big Money move and record for the club at £52M, with the fee to rise to £60M based on additional clauses

The big money move has also lead the way for Breakenridge, who has started in 15 of his 19 appearances, adding 5 goals to his name, but a whopping 8 assists.

Signs are looking bright for a hot firing duo, and with the rest of Titani's firepower, Cabrera, Zafferani, Roales and co waiting in the wings, expect for this form to continue as they look to regain their crown of the Serie A.

[amosbastian]

Was about to sign this striker with really high potential who I want to convert to a IF, but got this:

It's currently the 14th of June, so the transfer window hasn't opened and I have already signed 2 Spanish youngsters, a Brazilian wonderkid (that's 1 non-EU player) and a Croatian youngster. Surely Croatia is part of the EU?

[leonavich]

Yes, as of 2013 Croatia was in the EU I believe.

Did you sign anyone last year perhaps that is only coming through in this window?

What does the Transfer History show?

[amosbastian]

Yes, as of 2013 Croatia was in the EU I believe.

Did you sign anyone last year perhaps that is only coming through in this window?

What does the Transfer History show?

I signed a Brazilian who will be joining us on the 1st of July, but other than that no other non-EU players, as you can see our future transfers here:

I did sign 2 non-EU players last season, but surely that doesn't affect this season?

[leonavich]

Perhaps they consider this signing as part of the previous window as the next window is not open yet?

I haven't really come across this or know how they decide when the transfer attributes to non-EU players in FM16

[amosbastian]

Perhaps they consider this signing as part of the previous window as the next window is not open yet?

I haven't really come across this or know how they decide when the transfer attributes to non-EU players in FM16

That's what I thought, but then I wouldn't have been able to sign Pirai, as I signed 2 non-EU players (Casca and Ahn Dong-Won) last transfer window as well. Will have to wait and see what happens when the transfer window opens and I try to sign him again...

[coady]

Its done on windows. July & January window equal one season. So you cannot confirm another non-EU signing until the July window opens again (even pre-agreed).From July 1st you can confirm & sign.

[leonavich]

Its done on windows. July & January window equal one season. So you cannot confirm another non-EU signing until the July window opens again (even pre-agreed).From July 1st you can confirm & sign.

That's what I was thinking, but based on amosbastian's new signings, one pre agreed is a non-EU, plus the the last window equate to three.

EDIT: Is it possible one of the three has a second nationality that is EU?

[leonavich]

Consortium Pulls Plug on Eve of Navarro World Player Award

Mirko Cecchetti of the Issime Consortium and the San Marino board led by Edigio Viola have not been able to agree terms in the takeover talks of the San Marino Football Club.

The contract negotiations had been rocky for a number of weeks though looked possible after progress in talks as recently as last week had had forward ground.

It is believed the key stumbling blocks were the evaluation of the club, currently estimated at £1.3B, with the board looking for a payout to surpass this evaluation, rather than an undercut value, allegedly proposed by the consortium, of £1B. There was also a discussion around the change of philosophy, moving from a ground roots club, to a high profile and merchandise system.

Though an agreement was not met, Viola stated he was still looking for viable candidates, however the evaluation may be a key detractor in any further bids.

Following the news and halted takeover, it was announced that Jose Luis Navarro was awarded the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year Award for his efforts over the past 12 months.

Whilst his last season was not as fruitful, he has had a sensational start to the current campaign to round out a great run of scintillating form. striking the net 26 times in 26 games and scoring the Winner on the way to Mexico lifting their first World Cup.

Navarro is in his peak years and playing some of the best football we have seen in recent times and is fully deserving of the Award.

It is a proud moment for me and I must thank my team mates for providing me the support to get this far. Football is a team game and I could not achieve this without my team or my coaching staff. I hope to continue my form and achieve many more trophies and successes in the years to come with both Mexico and San Marino

Navarro is the current Captain and leading scorer of both Mexico and the San Marino side.

[leonavich]

Navarro set to lead the way in latest FM release

Navarro's new fpund fame has led to him becoming the new face of football and with that a spot on the elite list of FM players in the franchises upcoming game patch.

Navarro recently won the Ballon d'Or and World Player of the year awards by some margin and is set to record new endorsements and bring in a new stream of revenue for both club and country.

His form over the years has been spectacular and his last 12 months have only added to what will undoubtedly become a legacy left behind, should he continue to light up the footballing world. He currently has 26 goals from 26 games this season to make up for the slow end to his last seasons performance, however the World Cup win was surely the winning factor in his run to the ultimate individual prize.

He won by quite a margin, upping the Goals and assists on his nearest rivals in a very one sided vote. Voting is conducted by Managersof all FIFA recognized national sides and with the major World tournament on this season, it is believed to have had a large bearing on decisions being made this time around.

For those keen on Navarro's form, we have insight of his abilities in the upcoming FM46 patch to be released this January. The image points to him being one of the leading players in the game following his Ballon d'Or win. Fans and most likely Navarro himself cannot wait for the patch to be released as this season's Football season runs into a frenzy as we enter the January Transfer period.

[amosbastian]

Its done on windows. July & January window equal one season. So you cannot confirm another non-EU signing until the July window opens again (even pre-agreed).From July 1st you can confirm & sign.

You're right, I can now sign 1 more non-EU player, but guess what? They accepted a £5M bid before, but now they want £12.5M! Great!

[leonavich]

You're right, I can now sign 1 more non-EU player, but guess what? They accepted a £5M bid before, but now they want £12.5M! Great!

That's unfortunate

[amosbastian]

That's unfortunate

I ended up signing someone else instead

Also, since we are in the Champions League this season we apparently have to change the width of our pitch from 78 meters wide to a maximum of 68 meters wide. Guess it works out since I decided to switch from using wingers to inside forwards this season. A lot of players left us this season and some real quality came in (and we held onto Casca!), so I'm pretty excited to see how our new tactic works out.

[leonavich]

I ended up signing someone else instead

Also, since we are in the Champions League this season we apparently have to change the width of our pitch from 78 meters wide to a maximum of 68 meters wide. Guess it works out since I decided to switch from using wingers to inside forwards this season. A lot of players left us this season and some real quality came in (and we held onto Casca!), so I'm pretty excited to see how our new tactic works out.

How is the new formation working for you thus far? Have you had any transitioning issues moving over to the new style?

I changed my formation two seasons ago but I think it is proving a bad decision. Tweaking it has led to more goals, but we are currently sitting in second, I think about 5 or so points off Inter, and we lost out to Fiorentina last season. I feel like we may be on a bit of a decline, so will need to see how I can swing things around.

I really want Navarro to keep shining as he is a real talent, but I also want my son to develop as best he can. I'll post a screenshot next time I open my game as he is steadily improving. I hope he doesn't have a low ceiling, as he is now 17 but finishing is on 13. Not sure how much more it can go up in the next 5 years, but I'm worried of it stalling at around 15.

[leonavich]

First Hattrick's A Charm

In what was locked in to be a tough match against current league leaders, Internazionale, key players such as Navarro, Zafferani and Roales were being looked to as the key players to close the 9 point gap between Titani and the current front runners. San Marino newcomer, Breakenridge Jnr. however, proved to be the hero of the evening as he struck his first domestic hattrick, netting 3 times in the 5-2 scoreline to the away side.

He struck his first two goals within 4 minutes of each other in the first 15 minutes before netting the third 10 minutes into the second half to seal the match. The third was a belter, coming form the edge of the box, not typical of his recent goals. However, he managed an all round striker performance, scoring a tap in and a header, to go with his driven shot.

The young 17 year old has enjoyed a good spell in the first team this season with the departure of Zak to A.C. Milan in this seasons window and he has now scored 10 in 18 league games after this weekends hattrick.

What is good to see is that he is also not afraid to roam from his position, quite often tracking back and helping out the defense, a position in which his father played in his time for the National Team on occasion. Breakenridge Sr. had to add

He plays well and covers a lot of ground well, but we are hoping to have him sit further up the field as he grows and becomes a more competent striker. He is doing well and we will give him every opportunity as long as he continues to perform and grow as a player

Indeed, it can be seen from his heat map that he sits, on average, fairly deep, which is as a result of his tracking back into the defense. Though it is refreshing to see a player unafraid to come back and get involved in the play. Whilst his passing is situated in the final third more often than not, he has dropped back beyond half way to get some touches on the ball and even aided in a few clearances and blocks when the opposition were on the attack.

Breakenridge is still growing and the hattrick will do wonders for his moral and motivation to grow into the mold of Titani greats, Cabralis, Oosting and current Captain, Navarro.

The win puts San Marino 6 points off the pace as Inter still retain first place (46), with Napoli in second on 42 and Titani on 40 in third.

[leonavich]

Youth Intake shows promise for San Marino Future

After 30 games, Titani are currently sitting in second place in a tight top of the table, which sees the race pit Inter and Napoli against the favourites, with Giulianova also in the running.

The top four currently sit as

Inter 62

San Marino 59

Napoli 58

Giulianova 55

With such a tight competition, the youth prospects can play an important role in ensuring teams remain competative in the long run, as has proven the issue with the likes of Udinese, Palermo Roma and Juventus, who have all struggled fr consistency in recent years, having a few seasons of prosperity, followed by a sharp decline.

San Marino is one such side who has remained consistent over the last few decades by ensuring a lot of emphasis on their youth training and recruitment leads to results. This year has proven no different, as two such players stand out in their current class, one significantly so.

Broccoli and more notably, Tamagnini are two bright stars that the Titani side will be looking to in future, just a few of those who are on a conveyor belt of talent in recent seasons, following the likes of Ferrari, Breakenridge and a more senior Tamagnini, not related other than by name.

The most recent crop of academy graduates and their leading alumni are presented below.

Youth Intake

Fabio Broccoli



Marcello Tamagnini