[FM18] Real Betis - Bringing Glory to the Estadio Benito Villamarín - Season Two Review

[Ewan0404]

After spending the past few days researching a few teams on who to build a dynasty around I decided to settle for Real Betis in the Andalusian capital of Seville. Real Betis share the fans of the city with Sevilla FC with whom they have a fierce rivalry both on and off the pitch. The two sides remain fairly even in terms of domestic trophies won with both clubs lifting the Primera División on one occasion, Real Betis in the 1934-35 season and Sevilla lifting the trophy in the 1945-46 season. Real Betis have lifted the Copa Del Rey trophy on two occasions - 1976-77 and 2004-05 - whereas Sevilla have lifted the cup on five occasions - 1935, 1939, 1947-48, 2006-07 and lastly in 2009-10. It is however in European competition where Real Betis are really trailing having never lifted a European trophy, Sevilla on the other hand have won the UEFA/Europa League five times - 2005-06, 2006-07, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. As well as this Sevilla lifted the UEFA Super Cup in 2006.

Despite the dominance in the city by Sevilla FC in terms of their trophy haul the loyalty in the city is split nearly equally with both sides maintaining a large and passionate following, with both sides averaging home crowds of around 32,000 last season.

Reasons for playing as Real Betis

• A large stadium which will help generate a large income
• It's a challenge to try and compete with the bigger sides in the league in the first few seasons
• The club in general look a very exciting prospect with a mix of young talent and some older experienced players

Goals

Short-term:

• Solidify Real Betis as a top ten side
• Qualify for European football
• Sell out the 60,720 seater Estadio Benito Villamarín on a regular basis

Long-term:

• Consistent qualification for European competition
• Challenge the big three in Spain for the league title
• Overtake Sevilla FC as the most successful team in the city

I hope you are all looking forward to joining this journey with myself.

 

 

[Ewan0404]

Due to this being a long term save and challenge I decided to take a more in depth look into the finances and structure of the club that admittedly I don't always do when starting a save. We are debt free at the start of the game which is a massive bonus and with a healthy £25,000,000 bank balance to start the future looks bright at Betis.

The sponsorship deals however are really low and will hopefully improve drastically in the next few years to allow us to compete at the top end of the table. A £190k general sponsorship deal and a kit deal valued at only £525k per season are nothing to shout about.

As for the coaching staff at the club I will assess this over the course of the first few months of the season if any changes will be made.

Transfers

As for the playing staff we made a few changes in regards to this however nothing to drastic as we weren't given a massive budget to play with. In came central midfielder Jan Kirchhoff for free following his release from Sunderland at the end of the season. Even if he doesn't become a vital part of the team his value on signing is £6,500,000 so could potentially be sold for a nice fee. The next signing is the controversial signing of Benoît Trémoulinas who recently spent three seasons at city rivals Sevilla FC. He will be a nice player to back up either at left back or left midfield. Another left back coming into the club was that of Jordan Lukaku from Lazio on loan for the season - it's as simple as if he impresses when he plays then we will look to sign him in the summer of next season. The last signing of the summer is that of Gustavo Gómez from AC Milan for the relatively low fee of £2,400,000. Personally I feel like this is an absolute steal for a centre back with plenty of international experience having been capped twenty-three times by Paraguay.

Only two players left the club in this window, one of which was the departure of Fabián on loan to CA Osasuna on loan for the season. The only player to leave the club permanently is Aïssa Mandi. The Algerian has left for Southampton for £4,500,000 along with a 30% sell on clause for ourselves.

Friendlies

Overall a good pre-season with wins in four of the five games we played. The Napoli loss wasn't too unexpected as they are a top quality side so it doesn't concern me at this stage. The stand out performers of pre-season were Boudebouz with two goals and two assists. The little Spaniard Tello also had a fine pre-season with two assists and creating numerous chances for his team mates.

I like the way we are playing going forward with our build up play and ecstatic with how we are defending - apart from the Napoli game. We are looking to Adán to be a hero amongst the sticks and marshal the defense. 

[john1]

Good luck with this Will be keeping eye on this  

[SixPointer]

Good luck with this!! A team I considered going before I choose heerenveen! Only thing I don’t like is the green and white mostly because am a hearts fan and our rivals are geeen and white  hopefully you can topple Seville i love derbys and city’s that are split with 2 clubs so I will be following!

[Dan McCullough]

Good start here. I will be reading!  

[Ewan0404]

2 hours ago, john1 said:

Good luck with this Will be keeping eye on this  

Cheers. I'm really looking forward to the challenge.

1 hour ago, SixPointer said:

Good luck with this!! A team I considered going before I choose heerenveen! Only thing I don’t like is the green and white mostly because am a hearts fan and our rivals are geeen and white  hopefully you can topple Seville i love derbys and city’s that are split with 2 clubs so I will be following!

Haha that may have been an issue then  I hope so too, and I love them as well living in Glasgow I'm vert familiar with them. Also how are you finding Heerenveen? I had a save as them on fm15 or 16 and I loved it.

 

24 minutes ago, Dan McCullough said:

Good start here. I will be reading!  

Thanks, stay tuned as I will have a few updates out over the weekend  

[SixPointer]

I haven't had much game time due to work. Am 7 games in and just about to do an update keep your eyes out for it. am guessing your a Celtic fan if your from Glasgow and going green and white teams  

[Ewan0404]

August

We started our season with what on paper should have been two losses straight away, however this wasn't to be and the players done themselves proud and really showed our intent for the new era at the club.

What a first game of the season. I was hoping for results like this maybe next season but to beat Real Madrid so convincingly in our opening fixture is amazing. A near sell out crowd was in attendance to witness us put Zidanes men to the sword and take our first big scalp of the Smith era. Despite the heavy scoreline we were bested by Real in terms of shots on target, possession and passing accuracy, however at the end of the day its how many times you hit the back of the net that matters.

Another early season scalp sees us dispose of Valencia CF at the Mestalla. The all time leading scorer for the club Rubén Castro scored his first goal of the season for us to wrap up the win in the 75th minute. A great day for the 380 travelling supporters that made the trip East.

League Table

Two wins from two sees us sitting pretty at the top end of the table, can we just end the season now please?

[Ewan0404]

September

We start the month off with the season ticket announcements. This season the club have sold 50,100 tickets meaning we should have a large fanbase attending every match willing the team on.

As for the battles on the pitch it was another month of good fortunes with three wins from four played in the league. The loss to Girona FC was hard to take as this was arguably the easiest game of the month for us - no disrespect to Girona. As well as picking up nine points this month Adan managed to pick up three clean sheets meaning that we have four already for the season.

The best match of the month had to be the emphatic victory over Deportivo de La Coruña. All four of our forward players managing to score in this one shows we won't be reliant on one player for our goals this season. As well as his goal Castro manged to set up fellow Spaniard Tello for his goal.

League Table

Still sitting high up the table in second place for now is a great start. We're building a solid foundation of points at the moment while we can as I can't see this run continuing all season.

[Fosse]

I've got a soft spot for Betis, they've got great support

The Seville derby is one of the best in Spain, arguably the best.

[Ewan0404]

October

This month saw us play four games in the league and the first leg of our Fourth Round Copa del Rey clash with Rayo Vallecano - whom we eased past comfortably bagging six against them with six different goalscorers (Tello, Castro, Trémoulinas, Boudebouz, Camarasa and Joaquín) This month we managed to pick up five points from our four league games this month, which if you asked me before hand if I would take I'd have snapped your hand off as I didn't expect anything from FC Barcelona, Villarreal or Atletico Madrid.

Our best match of the month was undoubtedly the home win over FC Barcelona. Two early goals from two ex Fc Barcelona players in Sanabria and Bartra meant we could then sit deep for the rest of the game and just soak up the pressure from the constant waves of attack from Messi, Suarez and Coutinho. The midfield pairing of Camarasa and Kirchhoff played superbly here breaking up countless attacks and providing a strong protective barrier in front of our back four.

League Table

After the first ten rounds of La Liga we are still holding onto second spot in the standings. It is still very tight below us and a bad run of games could see us tumble right down the table. In other news it is great to see Sevilla FC struggling in the early stages of the season.

[Ewan0404]

14 hours ago, Fosse said:

I've got a soft spot for Betis, they've got great support

The Seville derby is one of the best in Spain, arguably the best.

Yeah I am really looking forward to managing in the derby matches.

[Ewan0404]

November

Another four games this month and with two draws and two wins you think I would be happy, but to be honest we really should have beaten Malaga and picked up the three points. Another win over Rayo Vallecano puts us through to the fifth round of the Copa del Rey. Hopefully we can avoid the big guns for another round at least.

The best match this month was the away win against Levante UD. All three goals in the match were scored within an insane final fifteen minutes of the first half where there could have easily been six goals all in as both sides threw away countless chances just before the half time whistle. However goals from Boudebouz and Sanabria were enough for us to pick up the three points on this occasion.

League Table

We were unbeaten this month, however this wasn't enough as we dropped down to sixth place as our rivals overtook us. The board are wanting a top half finish and I have said to the players I want top seven this season so at the moment we're still on target for these aims.

[SixPointer]

Still going along nicely! When is the derby?

[Ewan0404]

7 minutes ago, SixPointer said:

Still going along nicely! When is the derby?

The derby will be in my next update so will be this afternoon. I'm nervous about it.

[SixPointer]

19 minutes ago, Ewan0404 said:

The derby will be in my next update so will be this afternoon. I'm nervous about it.

Best of luck!!

[rodesire]

Very strong start so far.  Great choice of Betis, they were great a decade ago, hopefully you can bring the glory days back

[Ewan0404]

December

Another good month for us as we win three and draw two of the games we played in the league. We managed to score ten goals this month while keeping it relatively tight at the back, only conceding four goals. Cristian Tello has really started to find his feet here in Seville and scored an impressive two goals this month while continually causing opposition defenders all sorts of hassle. Hopefully he is finally starting to live up to the 'next Messi' tag he was given when he first appeared on the scene at FC Barcelona, only time will tell.

Our best match of December had to of course be the 2-2 draw with our bitter rivals Sevilla FC. Going two goals down was not the start we wanted or expected to be honest and it looked like it was going to be game over from there with Sarabia and Mesa both scoring in the first half. It was looking like they were going to take that lead into half time until Gómez scored from a corner two minutes before half time. Going into half time with the late goal gave us real momentum to start the second half as Boudebouz was fouled in the box before slotting home the penalty to tie the game up. Both ourselves and Sevilla FC had chances to win the game but it wasn't to be.

League Table

Another unbeaten month keeps us sitting in the UEFA Champions League places as we clutch on to fourth place as it stands.

[SixPointer]

Great month!! And a decent result in the derby! Your flying now!

[Ewan0404]

1 hour ago, SixPointer said:

Great month!! And a decent result in the derby! Your flying now!

Thanks. Hoping to keep the run up and hopefully get European football for next season.

[Ewan0404]

January Transfer Update

Overall January was a relatively quiet month for ourselves on the transfer front as only one player came into the club. That man is twenty year old Italian striker Patrick Cutrone on loan from AC Milan for the remainder of the season. The young Italian comes in with a lot of potential and will prove to be a serious goal threat in our fight to keep ourselves in the European qualification places. He comes with an optional future fee of £22,000,000 if he manages to shine while he is with us at the Estadio Benito Villamarín.

We also confirmed the signing of thirty-one year old German midfielder Aaron Hunt from Hamburg SV on a pre-contract deal meaning he will link up with us in the summer when his contract with the Bundesliga club expires.

In other transfer news three players left the club on loan as they have no future here sadly.

In other news I have been offered a new contract until the summer of 2020 after becoming a hit in the green half of Seville. I gleefully accepted as I can see myself staying here for many years and continuing to grow this club and grow myself as a manager. 

 

[john1]

Superb draw against Sevilla  

[deltablue]

I must admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Betis

[Ewan0404]

January

As you are about to see January was a hectic month for us as we played nine games this month - four in La Liga and five Copa del Rey matches. I am very pleased overall with how we played throughout this month, although it really has taken its toll on my players with many of them now being absolutely knackered and run down unsurprisingly. Two wins in the league against CD Leganés and Valencia were really positive, the loss to Real Madrid was to be expected to be honest , however losing to SD Eibar was really unexpected and I am really hoping this doesn't cost us later on in the season. As for the cup we managed to dispose of Real Sociedad fairly easily winning 6-3 on aggregate. The next round of the cup saw us face FC Barcelona and we managed to knock them out 6-5 on aggregate in a really tight contest over two legs to set up the matches with Valencia in the semi finals - of which we have drawn the first leg 0-0.

Our best match of the month was of course going to be the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal against FC Barcelona at the Nou Camp. What a games this was with Denis Suárez scoring within the first minute of the game. After managing to take the lead of the tie through goals from Boudebouz on the seventeenth minute and a Manolas own goal in the twenty-first we were then pegged back again when Leiva made it 5-5 with fifteen minutes to go. However in the eighty-seventh minute our all time top goalscorer popped up in the box to finish the tie off and send us to the semi finals. Ruben Castro has once again fired this club into the next round.

League Table

Currently sitting in 5th place just behind the last UEFA Champions League place by one point. I think the battle for fourth will to the wire with ourselves, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia and even SD Eibar all closely grouped together.

[rodesire]

Is that the Kostas Manolas?

[Ewan0404]

On 10/04/2018 at 17:15, john1 said:

Superb draw against Sevilla  

I was nervous throughout the game tbh.

9 hours ago, deltablue said:

I must admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Betis

Really howcome?

4 minutes ago, rodesire said:

Is that the Kostas Manolas?

Why yes it is. They signed him in January for £31 million.

[john1]

Great to see you knocked Barca  

[Ewan0404]

February

Six games played this month and we have managed to go another month unbeaten. Five games in La Liga this month saw us picking up thirteen points from a possible fifteen. The only dropped points were to FC Barcelona away at the Nou Camp which in the process see's us remain unbeaten in the four matches we have played against them this season. A 1-0 win over Valencia in the second leg will see us take on Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final on the 22nd April.

Our best result this month has to be the 3-0 win over Villarreal at home. It took a whole for the deadlock to be broken but once it was broken by Tello in the seventy-ninth minute the Villarreal defence appeared to fall apart. Joel Campbell has struggled for game time this season but he certainly put on a show in this match with two goals after being subbed on in the seventy-third minute. He is really trying to lay claim to that slot on the right of the attack for the remainder of the season.

League Table

At the end of February we have managed to put some distance between ourselves and our rivals for fourth spot. Opening up an eight point gap to fifth at the moment is great. It means we have our destiny in our own hands.

[SixPointer]

Will and truly running the city this season!!

[rodesire]

You're almost challenging for the title at this point and surely CL spot is yours now.  Amazing effort!

[john1]

Fantastic draw at Nou Camp! I am sure 4th spot is yours to lose!

[Ewan0404]

2 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Will and truly running the city this season!!

The city of Seville is definitely green and white this season

2 hours ago, rodesire said:

You're almost challenging for the title at this point and surely CL spot is yours now.  Amazing effort!

I've not kept an eye on the teams above me at all tbh. 

34 minutes ago, john1 said:

Fantastic draw at Nou Camp! I am sure 4th spot is yours to lose!

Yeah two wins and two draws against them. And fingers crossed thats the case.

[Ewan0404]

March

With only four games to play this month I would class this as a disappointment. One win, a draw and two losses is not what I was hoping for during this set of fixtures. Losing to Atletico Madrid was fair enough, we gave them a good game but at the end of the day their quality shined through. The goalless draw with Getafe at home was an embarrassment as this should have been a further three points to put towards our push for a UEFA Champions League place. We had been hoping to pick up something away to Celta de Vigo but this wasn't to be.

There was only one result which could be considered our best match of the month and this was of course the 2-0 win over Levante. Goals from Trémoulinas and a Boudebouz penalty were enough to pick up the win today and put more pressure on Levante's hopes of staying in the top flight.

League Table

A poor month from us see's our hold of fourth spot slip as Valencia CF now trail us on goal difference alone. This is going to be a fight to the end now.

[Ewan0404]

April Update

Copa del Rey Final

The day is finally here, it's cup final day. The match today takes place at the Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla, a stadium housed in Seville itself with no full time tenants. But with the final being played in our home town it may well feel like a home game as the streets around the stadium are clad with green and white.

Line ups:

As you can see Real Madrid decided to give their fringe players a run out today which allowed me to make some slight tactical tweaks before kick off to try and give us more of an attacking intent today. This clearly worked as Tello scored an early goal which settles the nerves of our players, a wonderful pass by Boudebouz left Tello with a one on one opportunity which he took beautifully. The lead was soon doubled when Cutrone selflessly squared the ball to Boudebouz at the back post for the tap in to continue out great start. Real found a way back into the game before half time when an Asensio cross wasn't cut out and Ronaldo volleyed the ball into the roof of the next at the far post. The second half was all Madrid as they continued to push forward to try and equalise. However with just a few minutes left on the clock Durmisi whipped in a cross to the near post to find Cutrone ahead of Vallejo to poke the ball passed Casilla. The Copa del Rey is coming to Seville to stay.

Results

Overall on paper it may seem like a mixed month in terms of results but we had arguably the biggest game of our season at home to Sevilla FC and our first cup final since the 2004-2005 Copa del Rey triumph. The final three games of the month saw us manage to score twelve goals while conceding just the two. The loss to Real Sociedad was hard to take however as we were the more dominant team from the first to final whistle.

The Derbi Sevillano could not have gone any better. Club favourite Castro continues to show his class in the big games despite being thirty-six years old as he scored two beautiful goals to put us ahead comfortably. It was fitting that Cutrone scored two goals coming off the bench to replace Castro in the second half as this was a metaphoric passing of the torch from one club legend to potentially a future club legend. Fellow ex AC Milan player Gómez scored his fourth goal of the season in between Cutrone's two strikes. 

Three points, five goals and a clean sheet shows that the city of Seville belongs to us this season.

League Table

With three games left to go we are ahead of Valencia CF by a single point. May is going to be some month for us.

[john1]

Fantastic to see you beat Real Madrid to win Copa del Rey   Hopefully you can hold off Valencia for 4th!

[Ewan0404]

36 minutes ago, john1 said:

Fantastic to see you beat Real Madrid to win Copa del Rey   Hopefully you can hold off Valencia for 4th!

I think I was blessed that they put out a weaker back line. But still thats a trophy in the bag

[Ewan0404]

May Update

It all came down to the final three games of the season to see if we would be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season. We had already guaranteed Europa League qualification with our minimum league standing but also by lifting the Copa del Rey. Two wins against RCD Espanyol and CD Leganés mean we have qualified automatically for the group stages of the 2018-2019 UEFA Champions League. The loss to Deportivo Alavés was unexpected but in the end it didn't matter as we managed to pip Valencia CF to fourth place by three points.

Final Standings

End of Season Announcements

At the end of what has been a magical season for all involved at Real Betis by claiming the Copa del Rey and fourth spot in the La Liga it isn't all cause for celebration. Real Betis legend Rubén Castro has decided to retire at the age of thirty-six. Castro had a great career here becoming the all time top goalscorer for the club and even into his last season as a professional managed to contribute thirteen goals and four assists despite not being a regular starter. He has been given a job in the teams scouting department as he looks to enjoy a career in football after hanging up his boots.

Now for some happier news, the end of season awards. In the La Liga awards I managed to pick up the Manager of the Year award. Meanwhile our playmaker and talisman Ryad Boudebouz picked up the Player of the Year award with his eleven goals and fourteen assists in thirty-seven La Liga games meant he pipped second placed Cristiano Ronaldo to the award.

Real Betis Awards

 

Aims for 2nd Season

• Qualify for at least the Europa League again next season
• Have a competitive run in the UEFA Champions League
• Continue to be the best team in Seville

[ToMexico!!]

Congrats on the league performance and cup win. Absolutely smashed Sevilla too 

[SixPointer]

5-0 in the derby! 

[Ewan0404]

1 hour ago, ToMexico!! said:

Congrats on the league performance and cup win. Absolutely smashed Sevilla too 

I can't believe how well this season has went to be honest. 

1 hour ago, SixPointer said:

5-0 in the derby! 

I know it was a great day for the fans.

[john1]

Get in  

[Ewan0404]

19 hours ago, john1 said:

Get in  

☺ what a season. Especially Boudebouz. The guy was our saviour time and time again.

[rodesire]

Magnificent season here, Ewan!  Can't wait for your European adventure, keep Sevilla white and green  

[Ewan0404]

17 hours ago, rodesire said:

Magnificent season here, Ewan!  Can't wait for your European adventure, keep Sevilla white and green  

Thanks. 

Next season will be a shock to the system for my squad. I hope our league form doesnt suffer with the added games. 

[Ewan0404]

Summer 2018

Well after that amazing season we were given a grand total of £2,000,000 with which to improve the squad for the clubs first UEFA Champions League adventure since the 2005-2006 season. 

Transfers In

We were able to bring in eight players this season: four on free transfers, three on loan and one with a minimal fee.

Aaron Hunt: The ex Bundesliga midfielder has come in to provide some extra legs in the middle of the park and will rotate in and out of the squad throughout the season.

Dennis Diekmeier: Another ex Hamburg player here. He will come in to slot into the right wingback role and look to make this position his own for the coming years:

Ki Sung-Yeung: The ex Celtic and Swansea man like Hunt has come in to add some depth to the centre of midfield. There is also a hope that we will see an increase in our South Korean fanbase with this signing.

Rafael: The Brazillian goalkeeper has been signed to be the understudy to Adán this season following the departure of Giménez.

Paco Alcácer: The Spanish striker has been signed on a season long loan from FC Barcelona as he struggled for game time in the Catalan capital.

Davide Zappacosta: Another option at right back to rotate with Dennis this season.

Tin Jedvaj: The young Croatian has joined on loan from Bayer Leverkusen and will provide some cover in the heart of the defense.

Pablo Insua: The only man to cost us a transfer fee. The Spaniard has been signed for £1,600,000 to provide back up to the other defenders in the squad. 

Patrick Cutrone: We managed to extend his loan deal for another season which I was thrilled about.

Transfers Out

There were a lot of players leaving so I will just right a report on the main ones.

Javi García: Javi was looking for first team football which sadly I just couldn't offer him here. So he was shipped away on loan to Middlesbrough.

Germán Pezzella: As soon as he was back from his loan spell at Fiorentina he was sold to Bournemouth as we just had no use for him here.

Cristian Tello: This was a hard one as he is a good player. But in the summer we changed our style of play and he didn't fit in properly so to receive a fee rising to £24,000,000 was a no brainer.

Friendlies

An undefeated run in pre-season was a great bit of preparation before the upcoming fixture packed season. Some of the games we were always expected to win but the draw with Napoli shows we can hopefully compete in Europe this season.

[john1]

Decent money for outgoing players   Decent pre season as well  

[Ewan0404]

9 hours ago, john1 said:

Decent money for outgoing players   Decent pre season as well  

Yeah true. But the board only let me have 10% back in the transfer budget.

[SixPointer]

Good business over the summer. Selling club for the time being but another  Season like last should see you get more backing!

[Ewan0404]

August

We kicked off the new season by taking on Real Madrid home and away in the Supercopa de España. We managed a credible draw at home however away in the Spanish capital we were absolutely torn apart by Ronaldo and co. Maybe they wanted revenge after the Copa del Rey final last season. In the league we managed to start with a winning run picking up six points quite comfortably. 

Our match of the month was the 3-0 victory against Málaga CF at home in front of a packed crowd. Two goals from young Paraguayan striker Antonio Sanabria either side of a classic long range effort from Boudebouz picked us up the three points on this occasion.

League Table

We sit in second place at the early stages of the season so we can't really draw a lot from that at this point of the season. Hopefully it is a sign of things to come though.

UEFA Champions League

We were seeded fourth for the group stage draw as expected with our lowly coefficient but I was not expecting the draw we received. We have been given a group containing FC Bayern München, Chelsea and AC Milan. So I think it is safe to say we are the favourites to finish bottom of the group. I had originally hoped that with a good group we could sneak through into the knockout rounds or with a hard group finish third and make a go of the UEFA Europa League. However with this group I am just looking to not finish bottom with 0 points. 

[SixPointer]

Tough group but that’s what it’s all about!!