[FM18] [FC Suðuroy] [Faroe Islands] ::: A Faroese Fairytale Adventure

[ajcardall]

No changes to our facilities, although the board have started work on upgrading the Training Facilities, which should bear fruit next season and be reflected as such then. Huge jump in average attendance, thanks to our European run, so that could be seen as a false return, and next season I'd expect that to drop back off as the chances of a repeat of our European run are quite minimal right now.

Financially things look decent, although the values are prior to the deduction of the cost of the training facilities upgrade, so pretty soon they will surely drop off.

 

The national team had a decent year, and rose in the rankings. Likewise, our co-efficient for this season improved. Hopefully a few more good European performances and we can really start to see some progress being made in that regard.

 

Our Europa League qualification places changed again for the 2022/23 season, as they regressed. Disappointing, but hopefully our performances this season may start to help improve upon that, especially if we're able to reproduce the efforts on a regular basis.

 

No changes here yet since I achieved the Continental B Licence.

[ajcardall]

Our sensational European progress in the 2022/23 competition has borne fruit, with the club rising hugely in the European ranking table - the most improved of any club - as well as a big change to the qualification places for the Faroe Islands.

[ajcardall]

2023 European Campaign and Youth Intake

 

We managed to reach the second round of the Champions League qualification, before being eliminated on away goals by Trepca 89.

We therefore dropped into the 3rd Round of the Europa League qualifiers, where we faced the same team we'd eliminated from the Champions League, Rijeka. They took their revenge and sent us home 5-6 on aggregate.

So we both did and didn't do better than last season. While we left Europe at an earlier stage, we did progress further than last time in the Champions League.

Interested to see how this will affect our co-efficients.

 

A poor intake, with only 4 3-star potentials. The four players have been tagged, but I'm not expecting much.

[ajcardall]

2023 Season Review

 

League: Winner

Faroese Cup: Winner

Super Cup: Winner

Champions League: 2nd Qualifying Round

Europa League: 3rd Qualifying Round

 

We retained both the league title and the Faorese Cup for the third year in a row, and have once again booked passage into the 1st Qualifying Round of the Champions League next season. Domestically we were extremely strong, only losing 2 games and drawing 2, going on to score the most league goals and concede the least, both by comfortable margins. In the end, we finished an incredible 20 points clear at the top, and we look to be emerging as the dominant force in the Faroe Islands. Of course, the challenge is to maintain our growing hold over domestic football, meanwhile we have to look to improve in Europe. While we may be some way off challenging for a group stage place in either of Europe's top competitions, we definitely have to be looking to reach the latter stages of qualifying on a regular basis. Naturally as our European performance increases, so does our stature and that of our league, which will be a boon, and hopefully help the other teams that enter Europe from the Faroe Islands.

 

Exceptionally strong performance across all domestic competitions. We let our foot off of the gas at the end and played some of the better youth prospects, but all in all it was an exceptionally good season and one we can be very proud of.

 

100 goals scored and just 24 conceded - no-one ever looked like challenging us for the title. B36 and HB both had poor seasons by their own standards, and Vikingur Gota looked good.

 

Our attacking force was irresistable at times, and even managed to produce the goods against some stronger opposition in Europe.

 

No major injury worries, with our longest injury sideline being a 2 month spell.

[ajcardall]

Further progress made with both Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment receiving an upgrade during the season. The training facilities also got their upgrade which was approved at the end of last year. Disappointed we lost revenue from sponsorship and from the TV, but hopefully it will increase next season. Once again our average attendance across all competitions was boosted by Europe, domestically it was much lower. It's improving, but is still slow progress.

 

Our co-efficient took a big increase thanks to the 2022/23 European campaign, so the further victories this year should improve it further next summer. The National team continue to ping-pong around the rankings, but we are seeing more and more of our players featuring - especially at a youth level.

 

We dragged the Faroe Islands higher up the qualification place table in the 2022/23 campaign, so like the co-efficient, hopefully our European victories - although not as spectacular as last year - will help even further when the rankings are released next summer.

 

Now studying for the top level qualification, and the stats have come on in leaps and bounds.

 

The cabinet grows. The U-19s are also starting to dominate in the youth leagues and competitions.

[ajcardall]

 

A mixed bag when it came to the rankings after the end of the European season. On a personal club level, our stock rose on the back of another decent European showing in the 2023/24 season, moving up 113 places to 259th. The Effodeildin also increased in stature, moving to 110th position.

However, our qualification places suffered, with one team now entering the Europa League in the Preliminary Round for the 2025/26 campaign.

[DazRTaylor]

How on earth have I missed this save?  Cracking stuff, a great read and I love a good Faroese save.  Brilliant stuff.  

[ajcardall]

2 hours ago, DazRTaylor said:

How on earth have I missed this save?  Cracking stuff, a great read and I love a good Faroese save.  Brilliant stuff.  

 

Thanks mate. This is my first time in the Faroe Islands, and I've got to say its very enjoyable! 

[ajcardall]

A tough draw to kick off the 2024/25 campaign. Maribor have made the Europa League group stages for the past three years, and they even managed a very credible 1-1 draw at home against AC Milan last year!

It'll take a big effort to get through this two legged tie.

[ajcardall]

Wow! While the victories over Djurgardens and Dinamo are still our biggest victories thus far in my career, this result definitely comes in close.

The article highlighted the fact that Maribo recently lost their manager - I'd rather say we put in a classic performance and the 3-0 was a result of our application rather than managerial vacancy!

A very strong position as we head into the second leg. Three away goals and a clean sheet is almost as good as it gets!

[ajcardall]

A draw at home and we progress 4-1 on aggregate.

We knew we would face either Qarabağ FK Ağdam or KF Kukësi in the 2nd Round.

I was hoping the Gods would favour us and it would be KF Kukësi, a team who haven't progressed further than the 3rd Qualifying Round for the Europa League so far. Qarabağ, on the other hand, had featured in the group stages a number of times, so hopefully we can avoid them.

Delighted! May be being a little optimistic, but I don't see why we shouldn't progress from here. We're both roughly even in terms of our UEFA co-efficient. In fact, they're just a handful of places ahead of us on the rankings, in 253rd spot to our 259th.

[ajcardall]

Ouch. I don't think it would be on over-exaggeration to say that, should be progress to the 3rd Qualifying Round, we'll face the toughest draw. AZ Alkmaar or Legia Warsaw.

[ajcardall]

Well. I don't think I've seen the likes!

1-0. 1-1. 1-2. 2-2. 3-2. 4-2. 4-3. 4-4. 5-4. 6-4.

6 away goals is impressive, but we still only have a 2-goal advantage going into the home leg.

Then again, clean sheet and we're laughing!

[ajcardall]

A very professional and pleasing performance, and we romp into the uncharted territory - the 3rd Qualifying Round for the Champions League!

Earlier, we'd been drawn against either AZ or Legia Warsaw - either way, it is going to be tough.

 

Legia Warsaw it is. The progressed thanks to away goals, with their tie against AZ finishing 3-3 on aggregate.

I'll be honest, I feared AZ more than Legia, but it's still going to take a mammoth effort to progress. Chances are we'll be entering the 4th Round of Qualifying for the Europa League!

[ajcardall]

Wow. Wow wow wow. Despite them peppering our goal, we have some how come away with a 2-0 victory in the first leg!

The clean sheet is a fantastic performance, and maybe, just maybe, could be the deciding factor in this tie.

The trip to Poland is going to be tough, and we'll doubtless be hammered for 90 minutes, but we have certainly put ourselves in a good position, and given a fantastic account of ourselves.

Could we go all the way...?

[ajcardall]

It comes as no surprise that the crowd numbers and gate receipts for the home match against Legia Warsaw have set new records.

We sold out the national stadium, and made a whopping £230K in ticket sales!!

Genuinely think we'd have sold more had the national stadium been a bigger capacity.

[ajcardall]

If we can somehow come away from Poland with a decent result, then its København or Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the Champions Play-Off.

It definitely could have been worse - Celtic, Olympiakos or Basel would have been the nightmare teams, I think!

Still going to be tough (should we progress that far), with København featuring in the Champions League group stages in three of the past four seasons, and Tel-Aviv also being group stage mainstays.

[DefenseLover]

hace 3 minutos, ajcardall dijo:

If we can somehow come away from Poland with a decent result, then its København or Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the Champions Play-Off.

It definitely could have been worse - Celtic, Olympiakos or Basel would have been the nightmare teams, I think!

Still going to be tough (should we progress that far), with København featuring in the Champions League group stages in three of the past four seasons, and Tel-Aviv also being group stage mainstays.

Good luck, I can see a hammering in the horizon...

[ajcardall]

8 minutes ago, DefenseLover said:

Good luck, I can see a hammering in the horizon...

 

You were saying....? 

To be fair, I always had the feeling it was a 'bridge too far', and we shall have to content ourselves with dropping into the Fourth Qualifying Round of the Europa League!

[ajcardall]

The reward for our failure is a tie against Sparta Prague.

Ouch!

[ajcardall]

I... I can't even!

[DefenseLover]

hace 22 minutos, ajcardall dijo:

 

You were saying....? 

To be fair, I always had the feeling it was a 'bridge too far', and we shall have to content ourselves with dropping into the Fourth Qualifying Round of the Europa League!

It was just weird winning agaisnt such a team, WEhat a bad luck with the CL Qualifiers!

[DazRTaylor]

4 minutes ago, ajcardall said:

I... I can't even!

👌

[ajcardall]

A 3-3 draw in the Czech Republic and we are into the Europa League Group Stage!!!!!

They'll be dancing in the streets of Vagur tonight!!!

[DefenseLover]

hace 1 minuto, ajcardall dijo:

A 3-3 draw in the Czech Republic and we are into the Europa League Group Stage!!!!!

They'll be dancing in the streets of Vagur tonight!!!

What is our group?!

[ajcardall]

Not the worst group in the world, not by a long shot! Avoided some of the really big clubs - Liverpool, Napoli, PSV, Fiortentina...

For reference, here are the remaining groups:

Looking at the other groups, we did pretty well with ours. Beşiktaş will definitely be the toughest opponent in our group. We've beaten Dinamo previously, so can be quietly optimistic there, and BATE we could well get something from.

I don't see us making progress past the group stage, but I also don't think we're going to come away with P:6 L:6, either.

EDIT:

Interesting to see Birmingham and Newcastle have made it to the Europa League! As well as Pescara!

[higgins]

11 minuti fa, ajcardall ha scritto:

A 3-3 draw in the Czech Republic and we are into the Europa League Group Stage!!!!!

They'll be dancing in the streets of Vagur tonight!!!

Congrats, this is a terrific achievement, you surely deserved this for your efforts

[ajcardall]

2 minutes ago, higgins said:

Congrats, this is a terrific achievement, you surely deserved this for your efforts

Thanks! I've achieved some memorable wins in Football Manager - winning Premier League with my beloved Sheff Weds, taking home-town Chesterfield to the Prem... but reaching the group stage with a Faroese club is definitely the highlight. 

[BoxToBox]

Brilliant work!

[ajcardall]

1 hour ago, BoxToBox said:

Brilliant work!

Thank-you! High praise indeed

[ajcardall]

Oooh this is a massive, massive step up! Of course the advances were rejected out of hand, but we must be making waves for a La Liga club to come knocking!

[ajcardall]

After a few disappointing intakes, I'm very happy with what we've brought through this season. There are a couple of players here who I will be moving straight into the senior squad and getting some of the experienced pros to take them under their wing.

Magnussen and Hojgaard are the two picks from this year's bunch. Magnussen will need to be tutored to improve his determination, and if he can get his tackling and strength improved he'll be a star defender for us.

Hojgaard is one for the future, I shall be looking to him to understudy our attacking midfield magician, Solvi Nolsoe.

[ajcardall]

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE....

Football is littered with moments of shock and upset, and everyone once in a while, the footballing world is stunned into silence as things unfold in front of them. In 1992, Denmark - who qualified on a technicality - won the European Championship. Greece emulated that achievement in 2004, beating the much fancied Portugal in the final in their own back yard. Of course, no fairy-tale is complete with mentioning the likes of Leicester, and their unbelievable Premier League victory, or going further back, Nottingham Forest retaining the European Cup, becoming the first team to win Europe's top club competition more times than their own domestic league. In France, Montpellier laughed in the face of the mega-rich PSG as they clinched the Ligue Un title in 2012.

Everyone loves the underdog, and watching their story unfold, and being able to turn and say "Do you remember when.....?"

The 2024/25 Europa League was unfolding along those lines.

In the cold North Atlantic, a tiny archipelago is home to just over 50,000 people. People had heard of the Faroe Islands, but when it came to football, people only knew them in the same way people knew Andorra, San Marino and Liechtenstein - they're that team you can guarantee points from in qualifying for the European Championships. I doubt anyone could name a club from the small islands.

Until now.

In what must surely be one of football's remarkable stories, a club from those rugged islands is laughing in the face of all opposition, and refusing to roll over. Remember the name, it'll be pub-quiz lore in years to come.

 

FC Suðuroy

 

[ajcardall]

2024 Season Review

 

League: Winner

Faroese Cup: Winner

Super Cup: Winner

Champions League: 3rd Qualifying Round

Europa League: 1st Knockout Round (ongoing)

Pre-Season Odds ¦ Pre-Season Expectations

 

It was more domination this season, and we managed to move our superb domestic form into Europe, reaching the 1st Knockout Round, with the matches to be played pre-season next year.

In the league we finished with an outrageous goal difference, and look unstoppable at times. I'm hoping we can improve still and have an unbeaten season domestically soon.

 

We scored 4 or more goals in 12 of our matches this year, which is an amazing return. We scored 5 or more on 8 occasions. Only once did we fail to score.

 

The Faroese Cup was routine enough.

 

The final table. We're really starting to look a class apart from the other teams in the league, with only Vikingur anywhere close.

 

The budgets for next season were released, and I'll admit, they bowled me over:

A £1.2M transfer kitty is incredible for a Faroese club, and we are benefiting from the European money.

 

 

Topped the Faroe Islands Hall of Fame!

 

[ajcardall]

Fantastic season for the club. The Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment both received upgrade and investment, and we managed to make money hand-over-fist thanks to the ongoing European adventure. A seasonal profit/loss of over £4M is fantastic at this level, but we really have to make sure it isn't a flash in the pan and it will take a few key signings over our winter pre-season to ensure we're in a position to replicate our European results next year.

 

Poor for the National Team this year. However, our own co-efficient was rising year on year. Hopefully we can drag the league reputation up with us!

 

I imagine this will look very different when they are updated in the summer!

 

Top qualifications now achieved, and some nice looking stats, especially at this level.

 

Dominance is starting to show. The U-19s didn't win the cup this season, but did win their league title.

[ajcardall]

After topping our group, we've been pitted against Spanish outfit Real Sociedad in the First Knockout Round. A tough draw, but one that could have been much worse.

 

And here are the remaining First Knockout Round ties.

[ajcardall]

The domination of domestic football has reached such a level that, in the Season Preview for the league, the Media Dream XI is comprised entirely of FC Suðuroy players 

[DazRTaylor]

How many players in the National Team came from your academy?

[ajcardall]

3 minutes ago, DazRTaylor said:

How many players in the National Team came from your academy?

Sølvi Nolsøe is in-and-around the first team squad for the Faroe Islands, but he wasn't an academy product, rather he was a newgen created at the start of the game.

A few youth players are coming through the ranks in the U-19s and U-21s, however:

U21 Academy Players:

Allen Clementsen, Hanus Jacobsen, Bárður Magnussen and Rógvi Clementsen are all currently in the U21 side. It's worth noting that both Hanus Jacobsen and Bárður Magnussen only came through the academy last year, so for them to already be featured in the U21 squad is brilliant.

U19 Academy Players:

Jákup Olsen, Jóannes Mortensen, Kári Hansen, Øssur Højgaard and Rói Thomsen are all academy graduates that are currently in the U19 side. Olsen and Højgaard are another two prospects who graduated from the academy last season and are already at international youth level.

 

[DazRTaylor]

Bárður Magnussen especially looks impressive.

[ajcardall]

Just now, DazRTaylor said:

Bárður Magnussen especially looks impressive.

 

Definitely. Got him being tutored right now to get his determination up. Get his strength and tackling into double figures and he'll be a class apart at this level.

[ajcardall]

UEFA Europa League - 1st Knockout Round - 1st Leg

 

On a wet evening in San Sebastian, Spain, 32,000 Spaniards arrived at the Anoeta for what should have been a routine victory against the plucky, but ultimately weaker, team from the Faroe Islands.

When Angel Perez gave opened the scoring for Real Sociedad after just 7 minutes, slotting home a cool finish, everything looked rosy for the Spaniards, and everyone was expected the floodgates to have been opened.

 

But football doesn't always follow a script...

On the 40th minute, a neat cross from Filip Djordevic was expertly converted by Danish striker Allen Larsen, and the world stood stunned. 

 

If that wasn't enough to send shockwaves through Europe, on the 55th minute the Faroese minnows did the unthinkable. They took the lead. That man again, Allen Larsen, played off the shoulder of the Sociedad defence and slotted home.

Sociedad were trailing 2-1 at home to a team from the Faroe Islands!

 

However, just when it looked like Sociedad were going to be humiliated at home, up popped Arkaitz Moreno with an 85th minute header to clinch a point.

 

The relief in San Sebastian was palpable, but FC Suðuroy had done what they needed. They avoided defeat. More than that, they bagged two away goals, which could be crucial.

 

The tie is very much alive as we look forward to the return leg in a weeks' time.

 

[ajcardall]

Crash dump!!

I'll have to replay the First Leg again 

[BoxToBox]

4 minutes ago, ajcardall said:

Crash dump!!

I'll have to replay the First Leg again 

Brutal, after such a result.

[ajcardall]

Bloody hell.

It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but still! I'd rather have the 2-2.

I'm going to keep the original result post in place as a keepsake 

[ajcardall]

Heartbreaking.

Were it not for the crash dump, and had the original result stood, we'd have qualified for the 2nd Knockout Round.

Never have I cursed a crash drump more than now!

Well, the remarkable adventure is over. Now we just have to see if we can repeat the amazing feat in the 2025/26 campaign.

[BoxToBox]

Robbed by the game itself.

[deltablue]

You didn't deserve that

[Kubson]

[ajcardall]

2 hours ago, BoxToBox said:

Robbed by the game itself.

 

2 hours ago, deltablue said:

You didn't deserve that

 

2 hours ago, Kubson said:

It felt very harsh, but such is life. Can't lose sight of the fact that even to make the knockout round was a fantastic achievement, and plenty to be pleased about overall.

Just a matter of when it was a one-off, or we can sustain it.