[FM20] [FM19] The Great San Marino Challenge

[duesouth]

2040/2041 Season (FM19) - Part 2

National Team

We kicked off the World Cup qual campaign with an easy 5-0 win against Belarus with a rotated squad.  I kept my best players fresh for a trip to Spain - and with our defensive 4-1-4-1, we managed to get a point courtesy of a saved penalty from Serie A and Champions League Goalkeeper of the Year Michael Bronzetti, who at 23 my coaches now rate as a star Serie A talent.  The penalty was a good one - the save better.  There's no question he makes a huge difference to the team.

We then had both games against Kosovo - both were fairly routine, although the home game we didn't score until 67 minutes, but quickly got a 2nd before they got one back in injury time.

The U21's had a big win in a friendly - beating Finland U21's 4-0 away from home as well as a 10-0 win vs Malta and 9-0 vs Lativa.  The U19's drew away to Germany U19's 0-0 and also drew against Sweden 2-2, but did lose to Holland and England.

We're currently 53rd in the world.

San Marino Calcio

Very easy in Serie A, as Milan fell away and we walked it.  We went with our strongest XI for the semi and finals of the CL - beating Arsenal in the final in extra time.  Our 34 year old DM Mathias Belli will be leaving as his contract is up and he's in decline - in his last game for us, he got the winner, so a nice way to finish.  With nothing coming through the youth ranks, I've made a few signings just to make sure I've got enough depth.  We actually managed to win all 6 trophies this year, the first time we've managed that.

I did take get umbrage at FM telling me to "Use Youth Facilities" - stop giving me garbage intakes then!!

Youth Intake

For the second year in a row, our top prospect is Italian.  There's a 3.5-4.5* PA Sammarinese player... but he's a keeper and we already have 2 who are at Serie A level (Belotti has been on loan to Empoli and looked very good - with 12 months left on his contract, we'll have to sell him as he wants to be a first teamer and I can't give him that).  The rest is garbage and we'll have problems fielding an U18 XI.

San Giovanni

A pretty easy treble - I felt we were better this year, while the others in the league were all bunched in a group behind us.

Youth Intake

A really good group.

[north_london_fan]

End 2026 with San Marino:

This year, we got promoted back into the UEFA Nations League Division C, after we won our Division D group. We ended up winning every game, except a 1-0 away loss to Andorra.

Our ranking, is now up to 161st in the World.

[north_london_fan]

End of 2026/27 season with San Giovanni:

In the cup this season, we got as far as  the quarter final, where we lost 4-1 to Folgore. We once again qualified for the the final stage, where we made it to the Semis. However, we lost to Cailungo 2-1, but we did win the 3rd place playoff against Pennarossa 2-0.

[north_london_fan]

End of 2027 with San Marino:

In our European Championship qualifying group, we failed to win a game. However, we did draw 5 games against Estonia and Cyprus twice and Kosovo once. In the playoff semi final, we will play Georgia at home.

Our World ranking is now 155th.

[north_london_fan]

End of 2027/28 season with San Giovanni:

We made it to the San Marino Cup semi final, but we lost on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate tie against Domagnano. This team, also beat us in the final stage quarter final 2-0.

With the national team, we were drawn against Belarus, Faroe Islands and Northern Ireland in our Nations League Division C group.

[north_london_fan]

End of 2028 with San Marino:

In the Euros playoff we beat Georgia 2-1, after extra time and were a game away from qualifying for the group stage. Unfortunately, we lost that game to Hungary 2-1. We got a decent result away against Montenegro, in a friendly match, where won 1-0.

We did pretty well in the UEFA Nations League, where we comfortably avoided the drop, from the C Division, with a a credible 9 points from 6 games. In the group, we beat Faroe Island both away and at home and we beat Northern Ireland 2-1 at their place.

We have broken into the top 150 national teams in the World. We now are ranked 146th.

In our World Cup qualifying group, we were given a very tough draw. We will play Belgium, Scotland, Cyprus and Slovenia for a place in the World Cup finals.

[north_london_fan]

Unfortunately, our record top goalscorer Filippo Berardi, with 42 goals from 95 caps, has hung up his boots. This is a shame as had he stuck around for a few more years, he could have been the first San Marino player to get 50 goals for his country. It will be a while before his record is broken, as the next best scorer, who still plays, is still not reached double figures. 

[north_london_fan]

End of 2028/29 season with San Giovanni:

In the San Marino Cup, we got knocked out by Faetano, by 2 goals to 1, in the 1st round.

In the league, we made it into final stage, but lost in the semis against Pennarrosa 1-0. In the 3rd place playoff, we lost on penalties, against Cailungo, after 1-1 draw.

[north_london_fan]

End of 2029 with San Marino:

In our World Cup group, only won one game that being a 3-2 away win against Cyprus. But, we only lost by more than 3 goals in 1 match which was an 8-0 demolition against Scotland.

We are the 147th best national team in the World.

[north_london_fan]

End of 2029/30 with San Giovanni:

This season, we won the league for the first time in 5 years, beating Fiorentino 2-0 in the final stage final. However, we got beaten in the cup quarter final going down 2-1 against Virtus.

The board have decided to build a new stadium with a capacity of 4,401 seats. Fortunately, we can afford this without getting a loan.

In our UEFA Nations League Group Division C, we got drawn against Greece, Northern Ireland and Faroe Islands.

Edited July 26, 2020 by north_london_fan

[north_london_fan]

End of 2030 with San Marino:

In our Nations League C group, we only lost 1 game and finished 2nd to Greece. We got draws in both games against Northern Ireland and one against Greece. We beat Faroe Islands in both games.

In our Euro qualifying group, we were drawn against Belgium, Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. We should finish 4th, in that group, if all goes well.

We are now past the 150 best teams in the World, as we are ranked in 137th place.

[north_london_fan]

End of 2030/31 season with San Giovanni:

In Europe, we got knocked out of the Champions League 1st qualifying round losing 3-2, on aggregate, against Malmo. After that, we were a game away from qualifying for the Europa Conference League group stage, but we lost 3-0 Sarajevo after winning the 1st leg 3-2.

In the cups, we won  the Super Cup beating Juvenes Dogana 2-0. In the San Marino Cup, we got knocked out by Murata, losing 1-0 on aggregate, in the first round.

We also won back to back league titles, for the first time, after we smashed 5 goals past Fiorentino in the final stage final.

[parkin90]

I look at the 2029/30 season in my San Marino challenge as we take on Serie A, World Cup Qualifying and the Champions League for the first time! Find out how we got on.

https://stratmangaming.wordpress.com/2020/07/27/a-serene-rebirth-19-wow/

[duesouth]

2041/2042 Season (FM19) - Part 1

National Team

Our group turned out to be pretty easy.  I thought Ukraine might be tricky, but we beat them twice.  We were able to draw again with Spain 0-0 with my defensive/possession based 4-1-4-1 tactic - we finished 2nd in the group but qualified for our second World Cup finals fairly easily.  I might ask striker Andrea Bugli to re-consider his retirement - nothing like a World Cup finals to tempt him!  Sadly, we have no dual nationals who might help us who I can tempt in the same way...  Our World Cup group is Canada (who we beat 2-0 with a rotated team in a friendly in September and should pose no problem) and Argentina, ranked 6th in the world.

We're now ranked in the top 50 in the world!

San Marino Calcio

Not much to report - Milan and Juve are pushing us in Serie A, but likely will fall away.  We won the World Club Cup with our U20's winning in the semi and a San Marino heavy team winning in the final.  We've drawn Barcelona in the CL 1st knockout.  It's all about the youth intake - the last good one we had was before a World Cup - so fingers crossed, although pretty safe to say I won't hold my breath!!

San Giovanni

We got nice draws in CL quals and got through to the group stage again pretty easily after we nearly dropped the ball and lost in the 1st round, winning on penalties!  We drew Schalke, Arsenal and FC Nantes in the group stage.  Nantes won the Europa League last season and beat San Marino Calcio in the season curtain raiser (the Euro Super Cup), so for our first group stage game, I thought no chance.  However, after falling 1-0 down in the first half, we equalised in the second and held on for an amazing point.  We then lost 3 in a row - before we had home to Nantes, who had also lost there last 3 games.  I knew a win would mean we finished 3rd, so I went 2 up front (although still cautious) and we scored just before half time and again held on for the best San Gio victory of the save so far!

We've drawn Norwegian side Valerenga in the Europa Lg 1st knockout round - they will be in their pre-season, so won't be as sharp as us - so hopefully that will give us an advantage.

Our players have drawn a little interest from English League One teams, but no bids so far.  The Saudi league has now got 3 of our players - although I'm not sure selling them there has helped development. We've got so many young players coming through, it's still pretty easy to keep the standard - and actually in most cases, the young players are better once they've got a few starts under their belt.

[mcleera]

San Marino Calcio 2032-33

League: Champions (AND INVINCIBLES!)

Italian Cup: Quarterfinal (l. to Juve)

Champions League: First Knockout Round (l. to Barca)

Italian Super Cup: Winner

Season Summary

In the first half, we pretty easily got through our CL group, coming in second to Atleti. We also managed to roll through the first half of the season unbeaten, with quality rotation pieces allowing us to keep the side fresh and keep our run going until the new year. I decided to really forego the Coppa Italia, trying to go the Serie A season undefeated. We end up losing to Juve with a heavily rotated side, which was expected. Slightly more annoyingly, we lost to Barca on away goals, drawing 3-3 away (conceding late on) and drawing 0-0 at home. On the positive side, this allowed us to focus on the league, and we pretty well cruised to an undefeated season. We never trailed in the second half of any match throughout the season, and only faced a deficit 3 times throughout the domestic campaign. We finished with 106 points to set a new Serie A record. We also won the Italian Super Cup 5-0 over Inter.

The team of the season in Serie A was mostly Calcio players, with Nicola Arzilli and Stiven Lasso the best players. Ultimately Arzilli was names POTY, scoring 24 and adding 10 assists. Another productive season at Calcio.

 

Transfers

In terms of incomings, I brought in Sorrentino and Alemao as cover at RB and AML, respectively. Both are young and should turn into top players (especially Alemao). Dude is a fairly pacy Brazil CB with professional personality who is only 18. He should develop into an elite defender in the future. I would also be lying if I said that the potential headlines weren’t a motivating factor in the acquisition XD. Lastly, we brought in Julio David from Brazil. He is another midfielder that I expect to be worth $100M+ before too long. I then dumped $225M into the San Marino League. Overall, I’m very happy with the business, spending only $65M (effectively) on four new players, with one of those four (David) on the verge of being world class, and two others (Alemao and Dude) potentially 2-4 years from being world class.

I am fairly happy with the outgoings. Antonio had fallen down the pecking order, so a fee rising to $54M is good business, and basically funded the 4 incomings. Samir had kind of a weird trajectory, finding himself on the fringes 4 years after winning Serie A player of the year. He had been largely ineffective last year and Ruiz was clearly first choice, so moving him along for $35M is good, especially after I had lined up the wonderkid Alemao. The other big deal was a loan-to-buy for Albert de Haas at $68.5M. He had been frustrated by a lack of playing time during his time here, and Lasso was obviously not going to be supplanted. A tidy $50M profit on him is a big win.

Youth Watch

Casali is a Sammarinese LB who looks like he might be pretty good for club. In any case, he will be the top LB in the pool, so he fills a need. A handful of others might be bit part players, as well.

 

Club Infrastructure/Finance

We finished June with $155M in the bank. The early exits, particularly in CL, cost us quite a bit in light of our heavy investment into San Marino. The de Haas sale certainly helps, however. I plan on trying to build the money back up through a couple more sales. I actually think going out early adds a bit to the intrigue of the save, since I will now need to fund my cash infusions into San Marino through transfer market wheeling and dealing.

Future Plans

-I want to move on one CM and one CD. For CMs, I would ideally sell Mariscal. While he is a quality player, I want to get David weekly starts, which means either he or Sulaj needs to go. However, I would probably only sell them for $150M each. At CB I would like to sell at least one player, and likely two, to make room for Diego and Dude in the rotation. Fleig seems an obvious choice here, as does Castillo. With any luck, we can move them on to build our finances again.

-Giuliani had a cruciate injury, which will keep him out of action until sometime early next season. Given the emergence of Arzilli, it may be time to move the 28 year-old Italian on, especially if I can get a deal for $100M+.

-The $225M investment in the San Marino League brings total investment to $390M. The league remains 90^th in Europe. I expect to see a bit more return than I have been getting so far. I hope to have $1B invested in the league by the end of the 2036-37 season, which will hopefully mean some useful youth players from the league for the 2038 World Cup. This means an annual input of $152.5M over the next 4 years, which should be doable, so long as I can maintain domestic dominance and European competitiveness, which will both keep the value of my players high and give me a bit of prize money.

-Brief SMNT update: We have 6 points through 3 matches. The first win was against the defending world and European Champion Netherlands, while we split a pair against Denmark. These figure to be the toughest matches in the group, so if I can sweep the matches against the bottom 2 teams, we will finish with 18 points, even if we lose to the Dutch. This would almost certainly be enough to qualify for the WC. This is undoubtedly the closest I have felt to qualifying for the finals.

Completed Goals: Have a youth product score 20+ goals in Serie A, have a youth product win POTY in Serie A, go undefeated in Serie A.

[as7025]

Haven't been able to play for a while but just finished my second season....back to back promotions mean San Marino Calcio will be playing top flight football next season. 

Edited August 4, 2020 by as7025

[mcleera]

2033 San Marino National Team

World Cup Qualifying: 2^nd (18 points; Qualified in 3^rd place of Second Place Table)

 

Summary

The World Cup qualifying group looked to be fairly difficult, but manageable, with us drawn into a group with the Netherlands, Denmark, Albania and Kazakhstan. Of that group, I sort of thought we would be middle of the pack, behind the Dutch and Danes, but ahead of Albania and Kazakhstan. The draw fixture list, however, was pretty front-loaded, with the first four matchdays being an open date, home to the Netherlands, and then a home and away to the Danes. We were going to mark out pretty early whether qualification was realistic. I targeted 16 points as our number, which could potentially keep us in the frame for qualifying (12 against Albania and Kazakhstan, 3 against the Danes, and scrape another point in the other match against the Danes or against the Netherlands).

The home fixture against the Dutch was a pretty tepid affair early on, as we played deep and tried to hit them on the break. The first opportunity came when makeshift AMR Francesco Gualandi got on the ball, skipped past a defender, and chipped forward to surging Roberto Stefanelli in the box, who buried the opportunity past the keeper in the 36^th minute. 1-0 to San Marino! We then doubled our advantage six minutes later through CB Federico Fiorini, who was able to pounce on a rebound off the post after Francesco Gualandi’s volley off a wide free kick. We defended well for most of the match until Ayoub Mazlum got them one back in the 88^th minute, but saw out the result against the defending World and European Champions. Despite gifting them 61% of the ball, we fashioned the better chances. A fair result, and one that gets us off to a flyer in qualifying.

Our second and third matches were away, then home, to Denmark. Not much to say about the first one. Both teams tried playing on the counter, which meant very few clear opportunities either way, while we were outshot 18-6. They scored early in the second half with an effort from the top of the box to scrape a 1-0 victory. The reverse match was similarly defensive, with us squeezing out a 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Gualandi headed assist for an Angelini tap-in. Based on the nature of the matches, I think both sides would be happy splitting the six points from the matches. Critically for us, it meant that our points target was revised upward to 18, now that we sat on 6 points from 3 matches, and those three matches were among the four most difficult. I figured this would be enough to qualify, so we are in great position at this point.

The fourth and fifth matches were home to Albania and away to Kazakhstan. Albania is actually a sneaky good squad, particularly in attacking areas, making them a potential banana skin for us to drop points. I decided to keep us on the counter, since it seemed to be working, and we pretty well dominated the match, going 3-0 up just before the half courtesy of Angelini, Steffanelli and Balducci. From here we eased to a 3-0 victory. We followed this up by doing what a team of our quality ought to be doing to the likes of Kazakhstan, winning the match 4-1 with a rotated side. Our sixth match saw us get the Netherlands away. Gabriele Albani had a chance to put us up early, but failed to capitalize. From here the Dutch really dominated, finally breaking through in the 65^th minute and claiming a 1-0 victory. In truth, it could have been worse for us, if not for the heroics of Thomas Berti in goal.

The final two matchdays saw us get Albania and Kazakhstan again. Meanwhile, Denmark and the Netherlands played in the first of two matchdays in what would be Denmark’ final group stage match. As it stood, the Danes and Dutch sat on 15 points while we were on 12. Both SM and the Dutch, however, had a game in hand. All we needed was for the Dutch to prevent Denmark from winning, and two wins would effectively guarantee us passage. So naturally, the Netherlands go out, concede in third minute, concede again in the 71^st, and lose 2-0. At the same time, we are 1-0 down to Albania at the half, but a second half Stefanelli hat-trick gives us a 3-1 win. A critical 93^rd minute penalty from the midfielder helps to both seal the points and improve the GD going into the final group stage matches. At this point, Denmark, the Netherlands and San Marino have all split against one another, so GD is crucial. Standings: Denmark in the clubhouse with 18 points (+11 GD), Netherlands 15 points (+13 GD), and San Marino 15 points (+8 GD). I also checked the disciplinary record to see where we were at, in case it came down to it, and knew we needed to either have a better GD or score more goals than Denmark to go through. We needed to hang-up a big scoreline, but Kazakhstan is the best opponent to have in this situation. Meanwhile, the Dutch got Albania in a match where a win would put them through.

Knowing we likely needed to win by at least 4 goals, the boys got the party started early, with Angelini heading us into the lead in the 4^th minute and Cascone taking advantage of a keeper error off a corner to tap into an empty net in the 12^th minute. Angelini then scored a decent effort on the counter in the 32^nd minute to get us within one goal of guaranteeing we go through. Unfortunately, the Kazakhs got one back off a poorly defended corner 8 minutes later, and we went into the half 3-1 up, two goals from overtaking Denmark. In the meantime, the Dutch had finally broken the deadlock with Albania late in the first half to go in 1-0 up. As expected, it seemed that we would need to catch the Danes. Much like the first half, the second got off to a flyer, as well, with 16 year old LB Mateo Casali scoring his first ever international goal in the 48^th minute to give us a 4-1 lead, bringing us level on GD and GF with Denmark. The decisive blow was landed in the 67^th minute, as Francesco Gualandi was wrestled to the ground by the Kazakh CB Amangeldy. Angelini struck it hard down the middle while the keeper dove to his right. A 5-1 advantage for us, and relative security knowing it would take two goals from the opposition to knock us out. 3 minutes later, Amangeldy again concedes a penalty, which is converted this time by RB Michele Giaquinto. At this point, we were only behind the Netherlands on GD by one, and I briefly entertained the idea that we could pip them to top spot. However, 77^th and 86^th minute goals for the Dutch snuffed those hopes out and we finished second on 18 points. This was good for third in the second-placed teams table. SAN MARINO IS GOING TO WORLD CUP 2034!!!

Dual Nationals

-CB Rattini is still on the fence for some reason, even though it is pretty apparent he is not going to play for Italy (he might not even be a Serie A player). Young CB Mateo Selva is in a similar position, only having Serie B potential and no youth appearances for Italy. Somewhat surprisingly, Serie A Player of the Year Arzilli almost committed to play for us, before backing out after talking it over with his people. I assume that the prospect of World Cup football will get all three of them committed.

-ST Marco Cenci and AMR Francesco Michelotti are both fixtures for Italy’s U21s. Now that I have secured a WC appearance, I am trying to slow-play their inclusion in the Calcio first team for the rest of the season to reduce the chances that they are called up for Italy.

-ST Alessandro Gualandi is the other “high value” dual national in the pool. He is going to be 25 by the time the WC rolls around and he hasn’t had any involvement with the Italian setup in years. I think there is a reasonable chance we can bring him in for this WC as well.

Miscellaneous

-Considering that the Dutch had won the World Cup, European Championships, and Confederations Cup in the last 4 years, the 2-1 win over them is undoubtedly the biggest result in SMNT history (and will likely remain so until we reach a WC final). Considering how strong they are, finishing level with them on points is a massive achievement.

-Federico Conti has had a miserable time since a move to Coruna in Spain’s second tier in August of 2032. He played poorly for several months before a spinal injury sidelined him for almost 10 months. He made two appearances and scored his first goal in September of 2033 before he was again injured, this time with a broken foot. Considering how important he was for the national team, particularly earlier in his career, I hope the 30 year-old can get himself healthy enough to make the WC squad.

-Alberto Righi, now playing in the Netherlands with Ajax, suffered an injury that will keep him out for 4 months. Hopefully no further setbacks before the WC, but he will be missing valuable playing time ahead of the tournament. Considering that he will be 30 by the time this World Cup starts, it may be the only time he has a chance to play in the tournament.

Completed Goals: Qualify for the World Cup.

[duesouth]

2041/2042 Season (FM19) - Part 2

National Team

I'll put the World Cup in a separate post - so just the 2 friendlies - easy 3-0 wins over both USA and Ecuador.  The squad has been selected:

GK:  Bronzetti (San Marino - Star Serie A talent); Belotti (Juve - former Calcio youth product, sold to get him first XI football after a Serie A loan move.  A wonderkid); Stefanelli (San Gio).

DR: Fiorini and Oliva - both former San Gio youth products now in the Saudi league.

DL: Zonzini (San Gio - former Calcio youth product who has developed well for Gio); Benvenuti (San Gio top prospect from the 2041 youth group - made 10 first team appearances this season and looks superb - a bit of a gamble, but he's going to be very good).

DC: Guerra (San Marino - left footer, Serie B talent); Righi (San Marino - viewed as a Serie C talent by my coaches - but 7.01 Serie A avg rating in 18 appearances, so not a bad player); Berti and Giacobbi (both San Gio and former Calcio youth products - development has been good since the move).

DM: Crescentini (San Marino Serie B/C talent - I need a DM for my systems (either 4-1-4-1 or 4-1-3-2) and he's the best of an average bunch); Mina (Santarcangelo - Serie B talent - spent 2 years on loan at our affiliate club and they wanted him when he was out of contract, so I let him leave.  Was a MC - but under a new manager (who hasn't been as good for our loanees) has been converted to a DM - good passer).

MC: Broccoli (San Marino - now 28 - 1 club guy with 242 Serie A appearances and a Serie A talent); Vecchio (as with Fiorini and Oliva - San Gio youth product who is now in the Saudi league); Ugolini (San Gio - just edged into the squad - might be needed against the big boys when we go 4-1-4-1).

ML: Bacciocchi (San Gio - former Calcio youth product who has grown big time at San Gio - had a 7.15 avg rating with 2 goals/5 assists in the Champions League run this season - only 5'5" though...); Albani (Como - bounced around at Calcio originally - loan move to Faetano; then to Santarcangelo on loan and then permanently - now at Serie C Como and has a 7.26 avg rating for them).

MR: Cimmino (San Marino - early in his career came on as a sub in a CL final and created the winning goal for our first CL win - now a Serie B talent with 10 assists in Serie A and an avg rating of 7.14); Rastelli (San Gio - another who started at Calcio and has grown big time at Gio).

CF: Bugli (San Marino - big news in that he has decided to come out of international retirement for the World Cup!  Serie A talent); Fabbri (San Marino - wonderkid and Serie A talent); Valentini (San Marino - a poor personality (unambitious and 4 determination) held him back for a while - but now determination of 11 and a balanced personality.  Game has picked up this season - 11 goals in Serie A and a Serie B talent.  6 caps for San Marino - 6 goals - and scored a boat load for the San Marino U21's),

San Marino Calcio

An 11th straight Serie A title and an Italian Cup win.  Out in the first knockout round of the CL to Barca.

Youth Intake

No help for the World Cup.

San Giovanni

I mentioned last season that I felt we had taken a big step forward as a team - and that was confirmed in the CL group by taking 4 points from Nantes who won the Europa League last year.  The Europa League knockout stages have given us some horrible draws with the likes of PSG and Arsenal - but this time we had Valengra.  The Norwegian side were fresh out of a winter break and so I went for them in the first leg and we won 4-2.  I wasn't pleased with the 2 away goals - but we drew the away leg 0-0, so they didn't hurt us.

I thought pulling Napoli out of the hat meant the end of the line.  Despite playing defensive tactics, the first leg (away) was very open - and we managed to get 2 away goals, but lost 3-2.  I decided to be less cautious at home and go for it more - and we went 2-0 up.  Napoli pulled one back to leave a nervous last few minutes - but we had done it!!

Next up was one of the easier draws in Galatasaray.  We drew 1-1 in the away leg - and the home leg was comfortable with us going 2-0 up..., until they got one back on 90 minutes.  But we held on and drew Chelsea, 2nd in the Prem.  In the finest performance of this over 20 seasons save, we went 2-0 up in the first 20 minutes and kept them out - so no away goals!  I knew we were better, but not this better!!  The away leg was tough.  They came after us and went 3-0 up courtesy of a hat-trick from their star striker.  However, 2 minutes after he completed his hat trick we got a corner - the ball was cleared, but then a pass to the edge of the area gave Zonzini (playing out of position at right back due to injuries) the chance to shoot and he arrowed a shot into the bottom corner!!  That precious, precious away goal saw us through on away goals and into the final!!!

In the real world, I'm a Southampton fan - and in the final that's exactly who we played.  I went with my defensive/slow/short passing 4-1-4-1 and managed to hold on.  Extra time was pretty uneventful, so it went to penalties.  We scored our first - but our keeper saved Southampton's first to nudge us ahead.  The rest of the boys held their nerve and that was it - we had won the Europa League!!  I thought we might have a decent run - but this was above and beyond what I expected!

Youth Intake

Another cracking group - very much how I wish San Marino Calcio would work!!

 

[mcleera]

33 minutes ago, duesouth said:

In the real world, I'm a Southampton fan - and in the final that's exactly who we played.  I went with my defensive/slow/short passing 4-1-4-1 and managed to hold on.  Extra time was pretty uneventful, so it went to penalties.  We scored our first - but our keeper saved Southampton's first to nudge us ahead.  The rest of the boys held their nerve and that was it - we had won the Europa League!!  I thought we might have a decent run - but this was above and beyond what I expected!

Congratulations on the Europa League win, mate! Brilliant work to get that over the line.

Edited August 10, 2020 by mcleera

[duesouth]

7 minutes ago, mcleera said:

Congratulations on the Europa League win, mate! Brilliant work to get that over the line.

Cheers, mate - I was quite pleased I actually remembered to put penalties into my training calendar before the final!!!

[duesouth]

2041/2042 Season (FM19) - Part 3

National Team - 2042 World Cup

I use 4 tactics - three are 4-1-3-2 - one attacking, one cautious and the other defensive.  After being "FM'd" by the AI a bunch (I've logged 1902 hours on FM19), I also developed a defensive 4-1-4-1 for the big boys - either in Europe with San Gio or with the National Team - I attempt to "FM" the AI.

We kicked off the group stage against Argentina - 6th in the world.  Buoyed by San Giovanni's Europa League win, I had a feeling we might be ready to mix it with the big boys.  I therefore went with my attacking 4-1-3-2 - the base tactic I use in the league with San Marino Calcio and San Giovanni.  I knew if we lost, we should beat Canada and get through.  However, I had no worries as we scored in the 7th minute and added another just after half time.  They pulled one back on 65 minutes, but we gave them very little after that and we got the 3 points and pole position in the small group.

I elected to rotate for Canada to help keep the starting XI fresh.  We struggled a little to break them down, but Michele Valentini scored in first half injury time and although we didn't add more, we won to top the group.

We had a little break while Argentina beat Canada in the last group game - and then we drew Iran - so a nice easy one.  I kept most of the backups in and was getting worried as they looked like they might "FM" us - they scored a penalty on 37 minutes - 2 minutes after we had missed one!  Stern words were spoken at the half - and we responded well with goals on 58 and 66 - phew!

Next up were a better team in Mexico - and the first choice XI took to the stage.  This was a complete performance and we stuffed them 4-0 - the result was never in doubt.  Onto the Quarter-Final... and France!

I had a long think about the way to go tactically here.  In the end, I decided to go 4-1-3-2 and cautious - it seemed wrong to leave out one of Bugli or Fabbri - 2 of our better players.  They out shot us 30 to 14 - but it was 0-0 and went to penalties.  Step forward Michael Bronzetti who saved 3 of their penalties and we scored all 3 we took to advance to the Semi-Final... and Croatia!

The boys were very tired after the France game - and so I had to rotate a little.  I kept 2 up front - but Michele Valentini came into the team as Fabbri was exhausted.  We gave away a pen on 17 mins - and weren't having much of the game.  As the second half went on, I had to go for it - and was rewarded when we won a penalty of our own on 80 mins, which Broccoli put away to make it 1-1.  Another extra time game!  4 subs were made as the boys were flagging - but so were they.  The board went up for 1 minute of injury time in the second half of extra time and we had the ball on the right with Fabbri as we went into it.  He switched play out to inverted left winger Albani, who dribbled forward and put a cross in the box where Fabbri controlled, turned and got away a shot.  The keeper got one hand to it, but the ball came out and Michele Valentini toe poked the ball against the inside of the post and it just crept over the line!!  He's the first guy I've had real success mentoring - and I am so glad I bothered to do it!!!  It is possible I ran around the room at that point - and my virtual self would have done a Porto Mourinho and ran down the touchline to celebrate!!

Spain awaited in the final - the number one team in the world.  There was no question we had to go 4-1-4-1.  They managed 23 shots on goal, but only 7 were on target.  We struggled to threaten, which is the problem with the tactic.  But, I didn't want to risk changing it - I have to admit I was really nervous!  In injury time Spain had a wide free kick and headed down to their striker who put the ball in the net... but the flag was up for offside.  For a second, I thought we had lost it - phew!!  We went to extra time and they still couldn't break us down - so onto penalties.  Our third 0-0 against Spain in recent times!

They were first up and a save from Bronzetti - a good penalty, but diving full stretch to his right he tipped it around the post!!  Andrea Bugli was up first for us - he went down the middle, but the keeper stayed home and saved it.  Their second taker went the other way to the first - but Bronzetti made a mirror image save!  Broccoli, another experienced hand, was second - again he went down the middle and again the keeper stayed home to save.  0-0 after 2 each - what pressure!!  Their third taker had seen our two go down the middle and thought it would be a good idea - Bronzetti stayed at home and saved a third!!  Step forward right back Oliva - the keeper went the right way and got a hand to it, but it went into the top corner for 1-0 after 3 pens!    Their fourth attempt was at a nice height for Bronzetti - he made yet another save - an amazing 4 in a row!!  Midfielder Vecchio had the chance to win the World Cup - but their keeper made an identical save to Bronzetti's last one - on we went!  Finally, their last taker got the job done, although Bronzetti went the right way, it had too much on it.  So, another chance to win it with left winger Albani stepping up.  He sent the keeper the wrong way, calmly putting the ball into the bottom left hand corner for the win!!  The 21 year-old will never have to buy a drink again in San Marino!  We had actually done it - 24 seasons - a lot of ups and downs along the way - but so happy to have cracked it!!!

Results

San Marino 2 - 1 Argentina (Cimmino and Fabbri)

San Marino 1 - 0 Canada (Valentini)

San Marino 2 - 1 Iran (Vecchio and Fabbri)

San Marino 4 - 0 Mexico (Cimmino, Bugli and Fabbri x 2)

San Marino 0 - 0 France (advanced on penalties)

San Marino 2 - 1 Croatia ET (Broccoli and Valentini)

San Marino 0 - 0 Spain (won on penalties)

[mcleera]

Congratulations, @duesouth!! Are you planning on trying to win Nations League and/or the Euros, as well? 

Also, I think it's time to put an order in for that customized Bronzetti San Marino jersey.   Sounds like he was unreal in those pen shootouts.

[mcleera]

San Marino Calcio: 2033-34

Serie A: Winners

Italian Cup: First Round (l. to Bologna)

Champions League: Semifinal (l. to Juventus)

I’m going to keep this one brief, but I do have some big updates on the save at the end of the season. We kept our winning streak in Serie A going into February, having gone 63 matches without a loss in Serie A until Empoli smashed us 4-0. It was pretty inconsequential, since we were 14 and 16 clear of Juve and Atalanta at the halfway point and we coasted to our 7^th Serie A triumph in 8 years. A heavily rotated side lost to Bologna in the Italian Cup, as well, but I don’t really prioritize this competition anymore.

In CL, we finished 2^nd in our group to Dortmund in a group that also included FCP and Maccabi Tel Aviv. We went into the final match of the group stage needing all 3 points against FCP to advance, and we crushed them 5-1. In the first knockout round we drew Barca in a repeat of last year’s first knockout round tie. We got our revenge for that defeat with a 3-2 aggregate victory. This set a date with Spurs in the QF, who we beat 6-3 on aggregate. We were perhaps even more dominant than the scoreline indicated, with us 5-0 up through 140 minutes of action. We then got domestic rivals Juventus in the semifinal of CL. We traded 2-1 victories over the 2 legs. Unfortunately, we missed a chance in ET of the tie to get an away goal that would have surely seen us through, as Stiven Lasso failed to convert. We then ended up on the losing end of the lottery, as Juve knocked us out on spot kicks. Fortunately, they lost 3-2 to Sevilla in the final.

My boredom has somewhat increased at Calcio this past year, particularly after qualifying for the World Cup (I just wanted to get to summer). Frankly, I spent most of the season on holiday just to get through it, since the league was pretty much won before New Year’s. On the positive side, my domestic dominance means that Juve has now gone over a decade without winning Serie A. In the San Marino League, the Tre Fiori job became available after they failed to make top 4 for the season. As such, new manager Enzo Sammarco has taken the reins and (hopefully) alleviates some boredom. At present, I plan to take on more of a “general manager” role with Calcio, buying and selling players, keeping facilities up and continuing to funnel money into the San Marino League.

Youth Intake

Forgot to take a screenshot, but we got a 3* PA RB who might help us out. Maybe some other bit part players, but no real difference makers.

Transfers

Mendes was brought in for a record Calcio transfer of $73M to shore up RB. He did just that and especially turned up in CL. Regilson is AML who will compete with Ruiz for that spot, along with Alemao. Good candidate for high profit. Proll is a 17 year-old CM who I will try to develop. Rocca and Chema are backup keepers.

The big outgoing is obviously Arraial for $100M. This is a perfect move for all parties: he gets a(nother) big club, Berti moves into the first team, and we get a cool $81.5M in transfer profit. The de Haas mandatory buy option triggered. Rolin, Molina, Jansen, Kawaya and Le Bail were all sort of fringe players that I decided to just offload. Lastly, I loaned Angelini for the season and Cenci for half the season to Serie A sides, with the former having a decent spell with relegated Benevento and the latter having a more successful time with Palermo. I will look to get Cenci more involved with the first team next season. 

Finances/Infrastructure/San Marino League

Whelp, I need to be a bit more careful. We invested another $140M in the San Marino League, bringing total outlay to $530M. This, coupled with the Mendes transfer, got us perilously close to FFP trouble. We narrowly avoided sanction (losses were just over $3M), owing almost entirely to me selling transfer clauses.

In less stressful news, San Marino had a bit more success in European competition. All of the Euro Cup teams lost in their first ties, as did CL qualifier Tre Penne. However, Tre Penne was able to defeat Kosovar side Trepca 89 3-1 on aggregate, then defeat Northern Irish club Cliftonville 2-1 on aggregate. In the final round of qualifying, they lost to Slovak side Zilina 4-3 AET on aggregate. Still, the San Marino League slid back to 93^rd in the competition rankings. Needless to say, I am generally pretty unimpressed by the league’s stewardship of more than half a billion dollars.

[mcleera]

San Marino National Team: World Cup 2034

Group O: 1^st (4 Points)

Dual Nationals:

After qualification, I set about trying to convince players to commit to us for the WC roughly every month from December through May. Cenci and Michelotti are both heavily involved in Italy’s youth setup and both look the part of future Italian full internationals, so they turned me down immediately. Meanwhile, Arzilli had considered switching, but elected to remain with Italy throughout the early months of 2034. He eventually made the Italian 30-man prelim squad, but was cut in the end. I spoke to him afterward, and he will at least entertain the idea going forward. Alessandro Gualandi didn’t give us any consideration, which I find somewhat strange, given the circumstances. He has never received a call-up from the senior Italian team and last appeared for the u21s about 3-4 years ago. On top of this, his contract has a clause that would see him get a significant pay bump (around 17.5%) after 5 international matches. It is hard to believe that wouldn’t be a motivating factor in making a switch. Lastly, there is Michele Rattini. After giving the runaround for months about joining, I finally make one last attempt to pitch him on joining the day preliminary rosters are due for the WC. I offer him a WC spot one more time, which he thinks is great… but he has to talk it over with his people. On the day WC rosters are due. What are you thinking, man? He, of course, comes back a week later FINALLY ready to play for us. A week after rosters were submitted. Aggravating. So I added ZERO dual nationals for this WC (although I at least have Rattini for EIL Division C, which is at least SOMETHING). Hopefully some wins will push our ranking up and we can nab a couple more of these guys.

Summary:

We got a decent draw for the forthcoming World Cup, with Cameroon and Iran a reasonable pair to contend with. Iran, ranked 34^th, has a keeper who plies his trade for Wolfsburg, and a talented young uncapped striker at Union Berlin. However, the rest of the top players in their squad play their football domestically. I think our top outfield players (Righi, Angelini, Balducci, and especially Stefanelli) are simply better than theirs, so three points from this match is the target. Cameroon, on the other hand, is ranked 11^th and has quality players all over the pitch. Their keeper is second choice for Bayern, and they have two forwards who are prolific (73 in 84 cap and 25 in 24 caps). I am going to bunker in and try to steal a point here, or at least keep the loss narrow. I can’t see Iran getting more than a point off Cameroon, so that would likely see us through. Ultimately, I would class advancement to the knockout stage a success. We warmed up with 2-0 victories over both Japan and Nigeria and set off for Australia, the culmination of almost exactly a decade of work.

Group O kicked off with the match between Iran and Cameroon. Surprisingly, Iran managed to scrape a 1-0 victory from the match, complicating matters a bit for qualifying. I had hoped that Cameroon would get at least a draw, allowing me to beat Iran in the second match and rotate for the final group match with qualification secured. No such luck. In the match against Iran, we took the lead in the 3^rd minute, but Iran restored parity 11 minutes later. We were in the ascendancy for most of the match, with Manuel Angelini proving to be the match winner in the 55^th minute to give us the points. This brought us to the final match against African champions Cameroon, with any result better than a loss by 2+ goals seeing us through. This, coupled with Cameroon’s attacking threat (and their necessity), got me playing deep on the counter from the opening whistle. It was a pretty drab match for the most part, as we really contained their forwards. They had a man sent off late, which got me in a bit more of an attacking mood for the final 10 minutes, but we didn’t break through. A 0-0 draw sees us top the group and knock 11^th ranked Cameroon out of the World Cup.

The first knockout round gave us Ukraine. We tried to play attacking in the early going using our 4-1-2-3 DM wide formation. They had more shots and fashioned an early opportunity, which was hit tamely at Thomas Berti. The breakthrough came in the 33^rd minute when 16 year-old RB Amici chipped a ball over the top of the Ukrainian defense, which Angelini was able to get on just ahead of the Ukrainian keep Bogomolov to stab it home. From here, I wanted to just hold onto the result, going to the defensive 4-1-2-3 formation. This gave us another chance on the counter in the second half, but Angelini couldn’t keep his nerve, firing wide when in on goal. The Ukrainians had a similarly good opportunity late in the match, but Berti was up to it, parrying the forward’s effort around the post. We held on for a fantastic 1-0 victory.

At this point, the draw had opened up a bit. Paraguay had upset Croatia 1-0 in the previous round to set up our Round of 16 clash. A match against the 44^th ranked side seems to be more than we could hope for at this stage. For this match I decided to come out swinging with my attacking 4-2-4 formation for the first half. I did this for two reasons. Firstly, my top midfielders Balducci and Stefanelli are exhausted. As such, I need to nurse them through by giving each a half and reducing the number of CMs/DMs to 2 for a significant portion of the game. Secondly, I think the attacking formation might catch them off guard after playing on the counter for the past 2 matches. The latter certainly came to pass early, as Ugolini won a penalty in the 2^nd minute, which was converted by Giacquinto, and Angelini doubled our lead 4 minutes later on a long ball from Bonifazi, cooly slotting past the onrushing keeper. We were 2-0 up 5:45 into the match. From here, the first half was a bit end to end, with the pacy Angelini missing another opportunity on a run behind the defense. At halftime, I dropped a gassed Angelini for DM Albani to tighten things up, then swapped Stefanelli for Balducci in the 65^th. Paraguay headed home from a corner in the 80^th minute to get back to 2-1. We spent the final ten minutes of normal time pinned back in our own end, and in the 89^th minute, Paraguay had a free kick. Up over the wall and saved by Berti. The rebound fell to a Paraguayan forward and another save from Berti. However, the second rebound fell to Paraguay and was tapped in. But the assistant has the flag raised from the first rebound! Offside, no goal! We hold on for 4 minutes of added time to claim a 2-1 victory and advance to the quarterfinal. Here we get Switzerland, who beat Portugal 3-0 to advance. Switzerland is a strong side, for sure, but I would much rather get them than the Portuguese. I expect Stefanelli to be in better shape for this match after only playing 25 minutes, and we also get RB Amici back from suspension, who has been incredible in his 4 SMNT caps thus far, including his 8.3 rated MOTM performance against Ukraine. However, we lose Gualandi and Balducci to suspension, which are crushing blows.

The Swiss have good players everywhere, especially at the back, as well as a talented young striker. They are certainly more talented, and I think only Stefanelli, Berti, and maybe Righi could crack their XI. As such, we revert to counter-attacking football again. Hopefully we can keep it competitive, because our squad is absolutely cooked right now.

The match against Switzerland was in many ways a rerun of the Paraguay match, with us going two up then holding on for dear life. We opened the scoring through a goal from Giacomo Bonifazi, who surged into the box to get a short pass from Angelini and took advantage of the clear-cut chance off the counter. Angelini then doubled our advantage in the 39^th minute as he got on a long ball which carried him to the right side of the box, putting his laces through it to rifle past the keeper from a tight angle and become joint top scorer of the tournament on 4 goals. He nearly scored again just before the half, but pushed the effort just wide of the far post. A 2-0 lead at the half to try to hold on to. The second half saw a handful of saves from Berti until forward Fabian Berg got the Swiss on the board from a corner in the 73^rd minute. We absorbed the pressure the rest of the way and were able to come away with a 2-1 victory which was a total smash and grab affair. We next get Belgium in the semifinal, and we will once again try to hit the opposition on the break.

The semifinal against Belgium was much the same story: knackered squad playing on the counter. For the first 10-15 minutes we were reasonably in the game, but then Belgium sort of grew into the match from there, moving into the attacking third with greater regularity than us. The matche really turned in the 40^th minute, when Francesco Gualandi got himself sent off with a straight red for a dangerous challenge. From here, we defended desperately, and the second half saw us all but abandon the pretense of an attacking threat. Time and again Berti was called into action and he was up for the task on each occasion, making several saves to keep the match level. Late on, Belgium forward Redouane Lemaire turned a deflection into the goal, but La Serenissima were once again saved by VAR, with the Belgian forward several yards offside. Somehow, we were able to withstand Belgium’s assault for 50 minutes with 10 men, taking them to extra time.

Belgium started the shootout. Berti guessed correctly, diving to his right, but it didn’t matter. Lemaire put the ball wide and we struck first blood in penalties. Angelini stepped up next and went to the keeper’s left. The keeper dove left, getting a hand to the ball, but was unable to keep it out, as the ball squeezed into the side netting. 1-0 after one round. Belgium’s next kick was taken by Emmers. He tried going left, but Berti was up to the task, diving to his left to deny the Belgian on what was a pretty tame penalty. Next up for us was Stefanelli. He goes to the keeper’s right, and the keeper guesses correctly. The quality of the pen renders it irrelevant. High and hard into the top corner, and San Marino leads 2-0 after two rounds. Chauvin step up for the Belgians next, and he goes straight down the middle, where Berti waits to parry the effort away and bring us to the brink of the World Cup final. Balducci steps up next and the moment seems to get the better of him as he gets his contact all wrong, putting the ball about 20 rows deep over the crossbar. 2-0 it remains after the third round. Up steps Tessier for the Belgians. For the first time, Berti is caught going the wrong way, diving to his left as the Belgian powers it to the right top corner to finally get his team on the board. Up steps striker-turned-AML Alex Ugolini to try to win it for us at the second time of asking. He never looked like missing it. The Belgian keeper guessed correctly, but Ugolini hit it cleanly, arrowing it into the bottom corner, out of reach of the keeper as he dove right. San Marino advances to the final against France on pens 3-1! The funny thing about this is that Ugolini almost missed out on the WC squad, having been the very last man I decided to take. Now he is a San Marino folk hero.

We take on France in the final and I just hope we do ourselves justice. We are, as always, completely exhausted, with our top players playing many more minutes than I would like. However, this hasn’t cost us the last few matches, so we will give it a go. We actually got off to a reasonable start in the final, limiting France over the first 15-20 minutes in the attacking third, with the French registering no shots over this period. However, they begun to grow into the game as an attacking threat and scored in the 27^th minute through and Armand Onana header to open the scoring. We kept it tight for the remainder of the half, however, to keep it 1-0. Despite keeping it close, we offered almost nothing going forward. I knew we needed to try attacking to get back in the match. This proved largely ineffective, as well, and France doubled their lead in the 54^th minute through Slim Ouni. At this point, I went to the 4-2-4 formation to try salvaging something, but we didn’t even get a sight of goal. France didn’t create much after the second, choosing instead to focus on the defensive side of things and close out a comfortable 2-0 victory.

The Retrospective

Wow! What a tournament we had. Going to the final at the first time of asking is way more than I ever could have expected. We were opportunistic with our chances and effective in our defending especially in the latter stages of the World Cup. We also had a fair bit of luck, from VAR to shots-to-goals ratio. It also helped that the draw opened up for us a bit (Paraguay instead of Croatia in the R16, Switzerland instead of Portugal in the QF). On top of that, we made this run with a pretty pedestrian squad. Here is the best XI, with league CA in parentheses:

                                                                                Angelini (Lower Serie A)

Gualandi (Serie B)                                                                                                            Conti (Serie C)

                                                Stefanelli (Leading Serie A)           Balducci (Serie A)

                                                                                Albani (Serie B)

Casali (Serie C)                  Fiorini (Serie C)                                 Righi (Serie A)    Amici (Serie C)

                                                                                Berti (Leading Serie A)

As you can see, I have almost as many Serie C players as Serie A players. We clearly took this thing as far as it can go. Frankly this was a fluke, and we will need to rely on strong intakes going forward to even approach this in the future. That said, it was a wild ride, and about the most fun I’ve had in FM in awhile.

Miscellanea

-19 year-old wonderkid Angelini won the Bronze Boot.

-In addition to being the youngest player in WC history, the “RB who might help us out” Amici played to a 7.3 rating over his first 7 caps, 5 of which came at the WC. Solid.

-We go into Nations League Division C next. Oddly enough our group also includes World Cup semifinalist Norway, which seems like an odd place to find a semifinalist and runner up for a WC.

-Lastly, I am petty. Italy went out in the Round of 32, and I danced in the ashes of their World Cup hopes all the way to the final. I hope this inspires a few dual nationals to change (it won't) but I would think going that far would at least give reason for pause.  (ahem... looking at you Alessandro Gualandi).

World Ranking: 48th (+25 from beginning of year)

Completed Goals: Get San Marino into the top 50

 

Edited August 12, 2020 by mcleera
Images were not in the right places

[duesouth]

13 hours ago, mcleera said:

Congratulations, @duesouth!! Are you planning on trying to win Nations League and/or the Euros, as well? 

Also, I think it's time to put an order in for that customized Bronzetti San Marino jersey.   Sounds like he was unreal in those pen shootouts.

Cheers, mate.  Bronzetti's media description is now "World class keeper" - so he certainly made a name for himself!!

I'm not sure if I'll continue for Nations League and Euros.  I'll have a break first and then see.  The club element of the save was getting dull, although San Gio in Europe sprung into life this last season.  In the end I think having myself managing San Giovanni as well helped as I could make sure San Marino Calcio rejects were developed correctly.  Certainly something clicked for San Gio in the last 1-2 seasons - not sure what as I was youth heavy with the odd San Marino Calcio reject.  The trouble is, a few Serie B/C talents I basically hide in the San Marino Calcio team would get transfer listed by the AI right away if I quit as club manager.

[mcleera]

San Marino National Team 2034: Nations League

International League Division C: 1^st of 4 (13 Points)

 

Dual Nationals

As mentioned previously, CB Michele Rattini has committed to San Marino. He never quite became the player I thought he might, but he is still a Serie B type talent now playing for Spartak Moscow. Gualandi had a talk with me about joining us but ultimately turned me down, as did Cenci. Meanwhile, Arzilli decided to make the switch to San Marino, despite (evidently) being pretty close to Italy’s senior team. However, the biggest coup of my time as manager of the SMNT is definitely the capture of right winger Francesco Michelotti, who agreed to join us immediately after our WC run. So in the three months around the WC, I have gotten commitments from three of the five best dual nationals in the pool, including Michelotti, who is the most important due to the lack of wingers we have. Given the ages of Arzilli (24), Rattini (23) and Michelotti (21), these players should form the core of the SMNT for the next 2 World Cup cycles. In November, toward the end of International League, we were able to flip Cenci, as well, who should be the top Sammarinese striker going forward. He won’t be cap-tied until Euro qualifiers in March, but still a huge capture. That just leaves Gualandi uncommitted, and given the other strikers in the pool (Angelini, Cenci, and Arzilli), getting him is really more of a luxury than necessity.

It turns out I was wrong: the World Cup run made an immense difference in NT recruitment. Here are the attributes of the newly committed players.

International League Division C

We were just barely able to win the group in Nations League, with a tough group that includes WC semifinalist Norway. Frankly, we did not play all that well, and were really stymied by injury for much of the competition. In the opening match against Slovenia, we won 1-0 after Arzilli won and converted a penalty in the 90+5^th minute to scrape 3 points. We then squeezed out a 2-0 victory over Norway in a pretty even match. The third match was the worst of the bunch, as we suffered a 1-0 defeat to lowly Georgia, largely thanks to wasting a slew of opportunities to put the ball in the net. We could have secured the group with a win over Norway in the 5^th match, but a 77^th goal by Johannesen meant the match ended 1-1, leaving us level with the Norwegians on points and 4 points to 1 point ahead on head-to-head result. The final match saw us need to overturn the result against Georgia to win the group. We were able to win with an unconvincing 2-0 victory to take the points, thanks to a brace from Michele Rattini. The matches against the Slovenians and Georgians were pretty ugly, but fortunately we played some good stuff against Norway, which was the difference.

The most frustrating aspect of Nations League was the inability of some newbies to play well. Arzilli was pretty ineffective, with the exception being his critical stoppage time penalty against Slovenia. Meanwhile, both Arzilli and Michelotti missed matches due to injury. On the other hand, Rattini was pretty good, playing all 6 matches with 7.32 rating. Righi and Rattini should be an effective CB partnership through WC 2038.

World Ranking: 45

[mcleera]

2034-35 San Marino Calcio

Serie A: Winner

Italian Cup: Winner

Champions League: Winner

Season Summary

Not much to say domestically. We pretty easily won the Coppa Italia, capping it off with a 1-0 victory that could have been 4 or 5-0. Same in Serie A, which we won with 4 games to spare. In Champions League, we coasted to a quarterfinal against Dortmund. After a 0-0 at home, we got 4 away to win 4-0 on aggregate. In the semifinals, we lost the away leg 3-2 to Atleti, but were able to get a 2-1 win at home to advance to the final on away goals. Two first half goals in the final ensured that we got our revenge for the loss in our previous CL final appearance against Tottenham, giving us a 2-0 victory over Spurs and our 2^nd CL triumph. 

Transfer Summary

I got $100M for Jean Ruiz, which was fantastic business on $900K investment, especially with youngsters Regilson and Alemao ready to take over the AML position. The biggest news, perhaps, is that Nicolo Giuliani was moved along after scoring 259 career goals for Calcio, including 166 Serie A goals. The 29 year old dealt with a couple significant injuries in the 2 years prior to moving on, which caused him to fall down the ST pecking order to 4^th choice. I would like to have gotten a bit more for him, but can’t really have any complaints after all he has done for the club, serving as a primary component of everything we have done from promotion to Serie A all the way to being named European Champions.

For the incomings, Sapronov is an awesome LB, serving as a good complement/replacement for Nenem. Meanwhile, Delorenzi looks like he could be quite a good CM, and will play a role next season in the CM rotation.

Youth Watch
Nobody worthwhile in this intake. So it goes.

Club Finances

Between selling a lot of bit-part players and winning all of the competitions we have entered, we generated a profit of roughly $150M (including a $45M payment to Tre Fiori). This has taken us far away from FFP trouble, and should allow us to resume heavy investment into the San Marino League.

2034-35 Tre Fiori

San Marino League First Phase: 2^nd of 7

San Marino League Group 1: 1^st of 8

San Marino League Champions Playoff: Winner!

San Marino Cup: Winner!

Season Summary

The first season at Tre Fiori was nothing short of fantastic. After a rocky start where we only took 1 point from our first two matches, we won 4 in a row to easily qualify for Group 1. We then won Group 1 with only one loss and two draws through the stage, beating league favorite La Fiorita to the top spot by two points. Meanwhile, we easily progressed in the cup, with an 11-5 aggregate win over Libertas and a 7-3 victory over Cosmos.

The highlight of the season was overturning 0-1 deficits in the semifinals of both the Champions Playoff and the San Marino Cup, against Tre Penne and La Fiorita respectively. We won the La Fiorita second leg 2-0, winning the tie courtesy of an 84^th minute winner by Calcio loanee Ciavatta. The second leg of the Champions playoff tie was more complicated, as we leveled early on, only to concede two more midway through the first half. A penalty in first half stoppage time got us back to 3-2 on aggregate, and we added our third of the tie early in the second half. The match finished 3-3, and we advanced as the higher seed. The final of the Champions Playoff ended up being a pretty relaxed affair, as we took a 2-0 lead within 11 minutes. We added a third in 89^th to get a comfortable 3-0 victory. We squared off against rival Fiorentino in the Cup final. They scored what looked to be the winner with an 80^th minute penalty. However, an OG in stoppage time brought us back level and sent the match into extra time. We dominated the extra period, scoring once in each half of ET to win the cup 3-1.

Transfer Summary

Ciavatta was the signing of the season, and Nanni shored things up at the back to a degree, as well.

Youth Watch

It looks like we have a few that could be decent here. Esposito will get a look in from the beginning of next season. Giacobbi and Gobbi might also play a part, and Raschi will be retrained as a LB to potentially help us in that department.

Club Finances

We basically ran at a zero balance outside of the $45M we got from Calcio. I probably won’t have much need to spend it until the league rep goes up significantly. The problem I am running into is that I need to get the best Sammarinese players possible because of registration rules, but the league/team rep is so poor that Calcio youngsters that have no shot of playing there are unwilling to come here. Hopefully this is a situation I can rectify over the next 3 years or so, which will also allow us to start developing some squad players for the NT.

Completed Achievements: Qualify for Group 1 of the Second Stage, Qualify for the Champions Playoff, Win Group 1, Qualify for Europe, Win the Champions Playoff, Win the San Marino Cup, Win the Double.

 

[TacticalGenius]

[mcleera]

2035 San Marino National Team

Euro Qualification: 2^nd of 6 (22 points out of 30)

 

Euro Qualification

1-2 vs Holland: Scored in the 87^th only to concede deep in stoppage time to lose.

3-1 vs Serbia: Scored twice in the last 15 minutes to take the points against our principle rival for second

2-3 vs Northern Ireland: By far our worst defensive performance, we conceded 3 in the first 18 minutes to find ourselves 3-1 down. We got one back in the 21^st but were denied by the post 4 times over the remainder of the match. This likely required us to win the Serbia game to control our destiny, rather than draw.

0-0 vs Holland: An unexpected point from a match that was a bit of a bore. Neither side created much, but the point got us back to a situation where a point against Serbia would be sufficient. A fantastic result in Amsterdam, especially just three days after the debacle in Belfast.

2-1 vs Serbia: Pretty much shut the door on Serbia with this one, with matches against Armenia, Andorra and Northern Ireland on the docket and us needing to drop points in at least two of those matches. They got one back late, but it was a pretty controlled performance on our part. A loss to the Dutch by Serbia three days later pretty much put this away for us.

Looking Forward

A fairly straightforward qualification, save the hiccup against Northern Ireland, that gets us out of the secondary tournament for winning our EIL group. Now heading to our third European Championships, I fully expect to build on our previous two appearances, where we earned a single point and went out in the group stage. With the new players we have cap-tied and the evident strength of our team from the WC run, failing to make the knockout rounds would be a huge disappointment.

Other stuff

-Gualandi finally broke the 50-goal barrier against Armenia. Pleased he finally got there, since his scoring has slowed down in recent years due to injury and being deployed as an AML.

-Alberto Righi is now the all-time cap leader on 137 caps.

-Blitzed Andorra to the tune of a 12-0 victory, which sets a record for largest victory for the SMNT. 

World Ranking: 44 (+1)

New Achievements: Have a player score 50 goals (Francesco Gualandi-53)

[Mikey1505]

I used to always manage San Marino but as I haven't played FM for 5+ years, who are their best players now? Obviously Andy Selva has retired now. Is Mattia Stefanelli any good?

Will definitely give them a try on FM21.

Edited October 4, 2020 by Mikey1505

[mcleera]

4 hours ago, Mikey1505 said:

I used to always manage San Marino but as I haven't played FM for 5+ years, who are their best players now? Obviously Andy Selva has retired now. Is Mattia Stefanelli any good?

Will definitely give them a try on FM21.

I'm still on FM 19,  and Filippo Berardi seems to be the best outfield player in NT pool by a pretty wide margin. Not sure if that is still true in 20/21.

[Mikey1505]

2 hours ago, mcleera said:

I'm still on FM 19,  and Filippo Berardi seems to be the best outfield player in NT pool by a pretty wide margin. Not sure if that is still true in 20/21.

I'll look him up when I start the save! Thanks.

[Surd]

Meanwhile in real life:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54531143
PROUD OF MA BOYS!!

[Surd]

Bit of a delay since the last post, but I was getting really hacked off with the Sammarinese club board. A transfer saga had developed with my star man Macina.

Despite being rated at £90m by the media, as soon as the bids went north of £3m the board accepted on my behalf. I used my ultimatum, which bought me 6 hours on deadline day. Then as soon as £4m came in there was nothing I could do. I had used my ultimatum. I may admit a wee bit of save scumming trying to save the guy and experimenting with ways to prevent anything similar in future.

This morning I had a brain wave. Offer him for free to all clubs. The offers came streaming in and I rejected them all. The board didn't mind because the offers were so low. The guy's got a contract for the next 3 years, as long as he's happy at SOME point I can get that extended and he's MINE!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!

Hope this helps anyone else losing a player with a long contract for peanuts. I reckon this guy could go all the way. He's already the nation's top scorer having only played 10 matches, he scored 5 goals in one game during a 9-0 demolition of Carrarese getting multiple records at the same, I'm sensing a future Ballon D'Or. Anyone else got one of them yet? Could we get that added to the list?  Sammarinese Ballon D'Or?

Edited October 15, 2020 by Surd

[duesouth]

On 15/10/2020 at 11:13, Surd said:

I'm sensing a future Ballon D'Or. Anyone else got one of them yet?

One of my dual nationals who went on to play for Italy - so I then sold him when a bid came in - is in the running - but I think I rotate too much!!

[duesouth]

After trying a whole bunch of different saves in FM19 and FM20, I ended up coming back to this save as nothing was holding my attention for that long.  So, here we go again!!

2042/2043 Season (FM19) - Part 1

San Marino National Team

Our first crack at Nations League Div A - where we drew Serbia and France.  We got a nice away win against Serbia to kick things off in a tight game.  We then had France at home.  After playing 4-1-4-1 against them in the World Cup finals, I decided to go 2 up front and that was a good decision, as we beat them easily 3-1 (with their goal an injury time consolation).  We had a chance to win the group with a game to spare, but fluffed our lines, losing 0-1 to Serbia despite dominating possession and chances.  However, we drew away to France, going back to a 4-1-4-1, and doing to them what Serbia did to use in the game before, to win the group.  Amazing how frustrating that is against me - but rewarding when it's for us!!  So, into the semi final in the summer - we've been drawn against Holland.

San Marino Calcio

Very easy in the league so far - 12 points clear at the winter break.  However, the Champions League didn't go well at all.  We lost at home to HJK (Finland) who finished bottom as we went down to 10 men and played poorly.  We needed to beat Marseille in the final game to qualify, but lost 1-0 despite out-shooting them.  So, off to the Europa League knockout stages for us - Molde being first up.

I'm going to be very, very interested in the youth intake this year.  We're now ranked 13th in the world as a national team and the San Marino League 41st - so I'm hoping there are more consistent intakes.  I'd quite like to have a 100% Sammarinese squad, but I suspect that will take quite a few more seasons.

San Giovanni

Easy in the league and cup so far - although we did lose the San Marino Super Cup on penalties after a 0-0 where we dominated the entire 120 minutes.  In Europe, we've broken through another ceiling - we've qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time.  Getting drawn against Schalke, Sporting and Athletic Madrid despite being 1st seeds wasn't a great draw - and I wasn't sure how it would go.  However, after our U19's beat Schalke U19's 3-1 the day before our first game, I decided to play 2 up front against Schalke and be positive.  I was rewarded with an amazing 4-0 win!  We followed that up with a more cautious tactic - but another 3 points, winning 1-0 on the road against Sporting.  We got a lucky 1-1 draw with Athletico - our equaliser coming via a penalty with 2 minutes to go.  We lost to them away - and were lucky to keep it to 1-0.  Schalke were tougher on their own turf - but we got a point and qualified with a game to spare - that only took like 25 in-game seasons!!  We finished things off with another 4-0 thumping - this time of Sporting.

We've got a tough draw in the first knockout round though in Man City.

[Surd]

5 hours ago, duesouth said:

After trying a whole bunch of different saves in FM19 and FM20, I ended up coming back to this save as nothing was holding my attention for that long.  So, here we go again!!

And that's why I'm back here! There's something intangible about this save. I tried a China save and Ireland in my absence, but the Chinese restrictions on transfers got annoying and Ireland just didn't cut it as the national team were already decent. 

[mcleera]

17 hours ago, duesouth said:

After trying a whole bunch of different saves in FM19 and FM20, I ended up coming back to this save as nothing was holding my attention for that long.  So, here we go again!!

@duesouth,the legend returns! 🙌

[mcleera]

2035-36 San Marino Calcio

Serie A: Winner

Italian Cup: Winner

Club World Cup: Winner

Champions League: Group Stage

Euro Cup: Winner

 

Season Summary

In Serie A, we more or less walked it, save a blip in January/February. We had been up by 17 points, but Roma slashed the advantage to 8 by March. However, a convincing 3-1 against them snuffed out their longshot title challenge. Meanwhile, we also won the Coppa Italia.

The big talking point of the season was an exit in the group stage of the CL. It was a tight group and we narrowly missed out. I took the positive perspective that we could push on and win Euro Cup for the first time, which we did. We also won the Club World Cup, for what that’s worth.

 

Transfer Summary

The transfer activity for this season has been pretty good. Three $100M+ outgoings is decent. Mennella sold for twice what he was worth, so the deal was just too good to pass on, while Gualandi wanted to move on. Considering we had already been bounced from Champions League, I figured I could move Gualandi out, with Cenci first choice striker, Arzilli as the second choice, and wonderkids Aglietti and Svendsen getting some time. I would have preferred to keep Nenem, but he didn’t want to resign, instead signing a pre-contract with Tottenham. They gave me $20M to take him 6 months early.

On the incomings, Gaber should be the best of the bunch, with exceptional technicals for such a young player. He should be a rotation piece next year. Svendsen and Barros both look good, likely going out on loan this year before challenging for a spot in the first team.

Youth Watch
Thomas Della Balda adds another CM to a long line of quality Sammarinese midfielders. Only 15, he will be going to Euro 2036.

Club Finances and Infrastructure

The huge outgoings and minimal incomings have left us with more than $450M in the bank. Due to FFP, I’m going to want to spend it sooner rather than later so it isn’t near the three year rolling deadline for using it.

 

New Achievement: Win Europa League

 

 

2035-36 Tre Fiori

San Marino League First Phase: 2^nd

San Marino League Group 1: 1^st

San Marino League Champions Playoff: Winner!

San Marino Cup: Semifinal (l. to Tre Penne)

San Marino Super Cup: Winner!

Champions League: Second Qualifying Round (l. to BATE)

Europa League: Fourth Qualifying Round (l. to Dinamo)

 

Season Summary

Domestically, the league went well, with our last loss coming on October 28. We blew through the playoff, capping it off with a 2-1 win over Tre Penne. This gave us a bit of revenge for the semifinal defeat at their hands in the San Marino Cup.

On the continental front, things went fairly well. We beat Olimpija on pens after a pair of 0-0 draws, then took BATE to extra time in the next round. A 117^th minute strike from the Belarusians sunk us, preventing us from getting a shot at what would have been a deserved penalty shootout. This sent us to Europa League, where we reversed our extra time fortunes, scoring a 120^th minute winner to beat Faroese club HB. This got us to a matchup with Dinamo, where our defensive frailties were on full display, as we went down 11-6 on aggregate. All in all, a decent foray into European football.

 

Transfer Summary
The two best signings were ST Reggio and club-record signing AML Saccon, with both players bagging 20+ goals. Other than this, just added the best Sammarinese players I can get my hands on due to the restrictions on foreign players.

Youth Watch

Not much here.

Club Finances and Infrastructure

Our finances are holding pretty steady and we have upgraded youth facilities. We are going to continue dumping money into infrastructure (even though the board has not been terrifically cooperative), and invest heavily in bringing in the Calcio releasees.

 

Completed Achievements: Qualify for Europe (I did this last year, but I don’t think it was added), Win the San Marino Super Cup, Win a European qualifying game.

[parkin90]

Its time for new owners in the San Marino challenge! Can they help us to defend our first ever Serie A title? https://stratmangaming.wordpress.com/2020/10/18/a-serene-rebirth-20-under-new-management/

[Wooh!]

Hello all, I previously undertook the San  Marino a number of years ago, and I’ll be picking up FM21 in a few weeks time. I wanted to know if there is a ‘true’ way to play this now, having read the intro about the San Marinese club team now being defunct in real life.
 

So will there now be a club in the lower leagues where I won’t have to change any database data or add any teams in on the new game?

 

 Help appreciated!

[mcleera]

San Marino National Team: Euro 2036

I had high hopes for this tournament after our unexpected run to the final of the World Cup. Minimum expectation is to get to the knockout rounds. Our preparation was solid, as well, with us beating the USA, Syria and Honduras, drawing with Ecuador, and losing by a single goal to Austria despite playing for 75 minutes with 10 men.

Group Stage

I was drawn into a group with Sweden, Norway, and Hungary. The goal going in was split with the Scandinavians and beat Hungary to get through. We opened with Norway, where we eased to a comfortable 3-1 victory. The second match, against Sweden, was more frustrating, with us managing to go a goal down early, score three on the bounce to go two up, throw away the two goal, then score 2 within 15 minutes to restore the two goal lead and ultimately secure a 5-3 victory. Most critically, this ensured advancement and allowed a heavily rotated squad for the Hungary match so our stars could recover for the knockout stage. Even so, we managed to win that one 1-0, thanks to Federico Conti, and close the group with a perfect record.

First Knockout Round (vs. Turkey)

Marco Cenci got the scoring started in the 29^th minute, but it was really a perfectly played short through ball between defenders that created the goal, courtesy of Federico Balducci. Pure class. Unfortunately, the lead didn’t last long, as the Turks headed home from a corner. We go into the half at 1-1.

The second half begins, and Casali wins a penalty within 5 minutes to give us the opportunity to nudge ahead. Unfortunately, the keeper is up to the challenge, denying Cenci from the spot. Just over ten minutes later, Turkey makes us pay for our failure to convert, converting a tap in from a cross. With time winding down, we probed for an equalizer. Finally, a poor throw in allowed us to counter, with Conti whipping in a cross that Gualandi got on the end of to volley past the keeper in the 86^th minute to level things. The magic didn’t end there though. In the 4^th minute of four added for stoppage time, we get a corner. A decent headed clearance lands at Albani’s feet outside the box. He takes a couple touches and squares to Stefanelli in the center of the goal, 27 yards out. No hesitation from the midfielder as he takes the strike on first-time with his weaker left foot. The technique is spot on, and the ball bulges the back of the net. On we go, boys!

Quarterfinal (vs. Norway)

A rematch with the Norwegians awaited us in the quarterfinal on the same pitch we dominated them on 20 days earlier, and it could not have been more different. The Norwegians had a player in on goal within 5 minutes, where Berti bailed us out. They continued to threaten our goal throughout the half, although we did effectively restrict them to long range efforts. Coming out of the half, the team played much better going forward, threatening Norway’s goal more in the first six minutes of the second half than the entire first 45. Unfortunately, we got no immediate reward and the Norwegians hit us on the counter in the 55^th minute. This seemed to suck the life out of us for most of the second half. It took a moment of individual brilliance from Cenci to break us out of our stupor, as the striker got on a long ball around the midfield stripe, turned his defender, hit the afterburners, and lashed a violent left footed strike into the top corner from 30 yards out to restore parity. A second came just four minutes later, as Cenci converted an easy header to finish off a brilliant counterattack. Not as spectacular as the first, but just as effective. Norway pushed for an equalizer, but the defense held firm and we move on. Interestingly, this marks two consecutive matches where we have been a goal down in the 80^th minute or later and came back to win in normal time. The record of falling behind is something I will not want to repeat in the semifinal, where we get a rematch of the World Cup 2034 final against France.

Semifinal (vs. France)

Another matchup with Les Bleus in the business end of a major international tournament, we came out of the blocks quickly, looking to adopt an attacking approach (trying to save the highly effective counter-attacking football for the World Cup). Francesco Michelotti hit a strong strike right at French keeper Guillon in the 4^th minute and Marco Cenci forcing an acrobatic stop from the French keeper a few minutes later. In truth, we were the slightly better team for the first 30-35 minutes. Unfortunately, this dominance did not get us a lead, and the French grew into the game. The gut punch came in first half stoppage time, as Bonifazi played a poor cross-field pass that was intercepted by the French full back and sent France on the counter, with Ibrahima Gbingue finishing the move with an easy tap-in in the 6-yard box from a cross. Gutting.

To start the second half, I maintained the same attacking mentality, but it didn’t work as well as the first half. For the first 30 minutes, France had the better of the action, although we did restrict clear opportunities. Fortunately, Berti was up to the task, making several saves to keep us in the match. In the 90^th minute, we finally got the one opportunity we were looking for, as Stefanelli fed Albani in the middle of the park, then Albani picked out a brilliant through ball to Conti, splitting the French LB and CB. One-on-one with the keeper, Conti takes a touch and shoots… saved by Guillon. Cenci hit a couple free kicks in stoppage time right at Guillon, and the match finished 1-0 to France. A good showing, as we gave France a much tougher match than the World Cup final and were really much more in the game generally than the last time. A semifinal finish (albeit with another somewhat soft draw) is fantastic, and something to build upon.

Recap and Looking ahead

For the first time, the SMNT featured prominently in the post-tournament honors of a competition. Marco Cenci won the Golden Boot with 5 goals, with the thunderbolt against Norway winning goal of the tournament. Cenci was also in the team of the tournament, while Righi and Balducci were in the reserves.

The European Championships highlighted much of what I already knew about my squad. Firstly, the first team is really quite good, with the bulk of my first team comprised of Serie A players, several of which (Cenci, Stefanelli and Michelotti) are legitimate star players. Secondly, it has also highlighted the weakness when I need to dip into the pool beyond the starting XI. As a result of this, I have to ride the first XI deep into the tournaments, which has left the squad pretty exhausted by the business end of the competition, especially in the middle of the park, where I play with 2 CMs and a DM. Hopefully this is a situation that could improve with the development of Della Balda into another high quality option, which will allow me to preserve the two electric CMs a bit more. In any case, it seems likely that the competition I am most likely to win first is Nations League, because the lack of depth is less of an issue.

The next competition is Nations League Division B, where we have been drawn in a group with Slovakia and Russia. Given that group, I think there is a reasonable shot at advancement, but the minimum expectation is to stay in Division B. Slovakia is clearly the least talented team in the group, with very few players plying there trade in strong European leagues, so I am expecting to take all 6 points here (and for Russia to also take all 6). The matches against Russia are a different proposition altogether, with their national team featuring players at several top clubs, most notably a pair of attackers at Real Madrid. With a little luck, I hope for a win and a draw to squeak through, but the reality is that these matches are really a 50/50 proposition.

World Ranking: 30 (+14 places)

[duesouth]

22 hours ago, Wooh! said:

Hello all, I previously undertook the San  Marino a number of years ago, and I’ll be picking up FM21 in a few weeks time. I wanted to know if there is a ‘true’ way to play this now, having read the intro about the San Marinese club team now being defunct in real life.
 

So will there now be a club in the lower leagues where I won’t have to change any database data or add any teams in on the new game?

 

 Help appreciated!

San Marino Calcio is now gone - and they've merged with Cattolica to form Cattolica Calcio San Marino.  Now, in FM20 this new club produces mainly Italian new gens.  I chatted with SI's San Marino researcher after FM20 came out - and he said this is to mirror the real life fact that Sammarinese young players aren't going to this new club, but to the San Marino Academy.  So, unless something has changed out there to make the researcher suggest a change to the database structure - it looks like being the same as this year.  As the nationality of the youth intake seems to be hard coded somewhere we all couldn't find in the editor (I will admit to have very limited editor skills though!), it's a case of waiting for a Serie D database - and then unextinct San Marino Calcio and replace Cattolica.

I haven't decided whether or not to buy FM21 yet, so not sure I'll be running the thread - I figure someone with some editing skills might help!

[duesouth]

2042/2043 Season (FM19) - Part 2

San Marino National Team

We started off our Euro 2044 qualifying campaign with 2 wins - easy at home to Czech Rep - and a tougher away win against a weaker Albania.  The Nations League semi against Holland was a tight game - they scored in ET, but we got the goal back within 3 minutes courtesy of Fabbri - now 21 and operating at Serie A level.  Keeper Bronzetti was at it again in a penalty shootout - saving 3 and we only missed 1, so through to the final against England.  This was a bore draw and I was happy to get it to penalties as they had the better of the game.  This went to sudden death and Bronzetti saved another 2 - it certainly helps to have a world class keeper, without him I don't think we would be as good in penalty shootouts.

San Marino U21's

I don't worry about the U21 or U19's much - but the U21's are worth a mention after winning the U21 Championship.  I have 2 top Serie A keepers - and one is still 20.  Massimo Belotti was a Calcio youth intake - and spent time on loan at Empoli.  With 1 year left on his deal and him wanting first team football, he was sold - and he starts for Juve.  As there were just 2 games in the Nations League, I didn't pick him for the squad to allow him to play for the U21 team (and the same with Calcio striker Michele Valentini).  This helped them top a group of Spain, Holland and Bulgaria - and beat Italy in the semi, before beating France in the final.

As you can see, there's a ton of potential in this squad:

San Marino Calcio

An easy Serie A win with 8 games to spare and just falling short of 100 pts (98).  We won the Italian Cup and also the Europa League for the first time with an easy win against Monaco.

Youth Intake

3 dual national players with good potential - hopefully this is a sign of things to come!!  All 3 have agreed to play for San Marino and were in the San Marino  U21 squad - I'll probably get them into the first team for the next round of qualifiers as we have easier games against Montenegro and Kosovo to tie them up.

San Giovanni

An easy league and cup double - and almost a famous treble.  After drawing 0-0 at home to Man City in the CL 1st knockout round, I thought we were done - but we won 1-0 away courtesy of an 87th winner from right winger Mazza.  We had Bayern next and I went 2 up front for the home leg and we went 3-0 up - but did concede in injury time, which had me slightly worried.  However, we got that away goal back and drew 1-1 to progress.

Chelsea were next up in the semi - and we got an away goal from striker Berti, but lost 2-1.  The second leg was a wild game!  We had to go 2 up top as we were losing the tie - and we went 3-0 up - 2 goals from Berti.  However, they came back at us and scored in the 71st and 77th minute - meaning they were going through on away goals.  We went for it - and with 5 minutes to go a cross to the far post saw Berti head in for the hat-trick and a Champions League final place!!

The final saw us take on Spurs - and in truth they bossed the game from first to last.  We struggled as an attacking force and they scored in the 8th minute.  They should have got more, but we still lost.  Gutted, as I don't know if we'll have that kind of run again - but we were far from good enough in this one.  The run has done great things for the coefficient though (helped by Pennarossa making the Europa League group stage again), which can only help the league.

Youth Intake

Another solid effort.

[Surd]

2021/2022 Season
So, been away for a while, tried some other projects, but honestly this just called me back, I am definitely most invested in this saved over my others. I think it's the national challenge that is the hook here!

San Marino Calcio
It's been a great year for San Marino Calcio. Back to back to back promotions and I'm into Serie A! Serie B was no joke. It started slow, several defeats and draws, but eventually I clawed my way to top spot and stayed there. The league was tight with everyone drawing and losing to each other. Really no standouts in this league! It reminded me of the English Championship. Always a slog. Yellow cards for days! 

 

The real highlight was my team as a whole. The group gelled better than any season so far, with 8 of my first team making Team of the Year, and individual awards for my loanees and of course, ya boi Macina who finished top scorer in the league.

Things went so well, that I was offered the Juventus job! Which of course I took great delight in refusing. Only one team in my heart!


All of this progress means that I'm way ahead of where the board wanted me to be, so they'll be off my backs for quite some time! Also I hired the worldie Paul Scholes as my technical coach, so there's that, hopefully those volleys will go flying in now!


And finally, the real talking point...... 
Simone Macina, your friend and mine, has been bestowed the highest honor imaginable, he has been dubbed by the media..... *holds back tears*..... well, just see for yourself. There could be no greater honorific.

His stats are looking phenomenal and he is destroying the Haaland model of national goalscoring.
 


Youth Intake
A disappointing year, no real outstanding players, only one in a position I've got covered already. Looks like the transfer market is my next stop to prevent the immediate relegation of San Marino!


San Marino National Team
A tough year for the national side. A bit of a group of death in the World Cup lead me to not qualify. Picking up two wins over Azerbaijan and a draw with Czechia, but outclassed ultimately. I'm in the Group C Div 1 now, and a good start join top of the group with N. Ireland, with whom I battled a draw. Macina scored in the 93rd minute for 3-3 then missed a 95th minute penalty. Still, the boy puts 9/10 in the back of the net, can't complain too much! We're up to 172nd in the rankings. Next European team above me is Andorra, so I'm up to the starting point of those filthy casuals playing the Andorra Challenge *spits*. 





And a couple of team records, one hilarious!

My Under 19s are doing well though!



Achievements:
I'm going to start tracking achievements to make it easier to find.

Beat Andy Selva's record
Get promoted from Nations League D
Win promotion from Serie B
Win the Serie B Title
Qualify for Group 1 of the 2nd stage of the league season
Win either Group A or Group B in the 1st stage (The Academy won league cup doubles for years, but can't qualify beyond that)
Win Group 1
Win the San Marino Cup
Win the double (Champions Playoffs and San Marino Cup)
Have one of your youth products score 15+ goals in a season
Go from Serie D to Serie A in 3 seasons (if using a custom database):
Go from Serie C to Serie A in 2 seasons (if using a custom database):

Roll on Serie A! Gulp....

Edited October 29, 2020 by Surd

[mcleera]

San Marino National Team 2036: European International League Division B

European International League: 1^st place (8 points)

Not much to say on the first 3 matches. We opened with Slovakia and managed to only get a 1-0 win. Against the Russians in the second match, we somehow drew 0-0 despite outshooting them 30-4, being denied by the woodwork on 3 occasions. The third match brought a much more comfortable 3-0 win against Slovakia, landing us on 7 points from 3 matches, while Russia has 4 from 2. The way the group has developed, a win over Russia puts us through and a loss puts Russia through. Meanwhile, a draw is likely better for the Russian because they will then just need to beat Slovakia by more than one to go through.

The last match for us got off to a good start, with Angelini scoring early in Moscow. In the second half, we sat back and played on the counter. It almost got us over the line, but second-choice LB Poggiali got caught ball watching, allowing a long cross-field pass to find Russian AMR Svitlik, who drove in a low cross for an easy tap-in in second half stoppage time. Ouch. The match finished 1-1, and now a win for Russia of 2 or more goals against Slovakia would push me into second position. Three days later, our international break got worse as we lost a smash-and-grab result to Australia, albeit with a fully rotated side. Afterward, the Russians faced off against the Slovakians in the final group match. In an even game, the Russians struck first and held a 1-0 lead late on. The Slovakians launched a counterattack in the 85^th minute that ended with a header crashing off the bar, hitting the keeper in the back, and rolling over the line. Bullet dodged, as the match finished 1-1 and we win the group on only 8 points, 2 clear of Russia. Division A awaits!

World Ranking: 30^th (No change)

Completed Goals: Earn Promotion from Nations League Division B

Edited October 29, 2020 by mcleera

[mcleera]

2036-37 San Marino Calcio

Serie A: Winner

Italian Cup: Quarterfinal (l. Chievo Verona)

Italian Super Cup: Runner up (l. Inter)

 

European Super Cup: Runner up (l. Arsenal)

Champions League: Winner

 

Season Summary

Won Serie A relatively comfortably again, marking 8 titles in a row. We also rebounded from our disappointing CL campaign last year to win the competition for the third time. The final was pretty crazy, as we were level at 1-1 in the 80^th minute against Sevilla until Sammarinese star attacking left winger Francesco Michelotti came to life, scoring a hat-trick and laying on an assist to give us a 5-1 win with the best 15 minute span I have ever seen from a player, especially in such a big match. Not too bothered by losing the other competitions, since I barely count “super cups” as silverware anyway, and I have won the Coppa Italia several times at this point. Bottom line: we won the two big prizes, which included getting back on track in CL.

 

Transfer Summary

Just huge amounts of money being pushed around. Sulaj, unfortunately, wanted to leave, but at least I got a huge fee for him, which I used to largely fund the move for 20 year old Serbian wonderkid Cocovic. Smith (CM) and Aboker (AML) are world-class players and played reasonably well. Fofana, Quadros, Delmar, Castillo, Diaz and Pereira are all wonderkid signings, and I think many of them will be first-team players as the previous generation of Calcio is phased out.

A generation of Calcio stars have been moved on over the last few years, and this has continued. In addition to Sulaj, Arzilli left on a free and the increasingly marginalized Balducci went to Galatasaray to get some games. I also moved Amici on to MLS side D.C. United to continue his development. All-time Calcio league appearances leader Marco Vagnetti has decided to let his contract run down and signed with Chelsea on a free after more than 360 career appearances. Keeping him for one or two more seasons would have been preferable, but I have several young CBs and one should be able to slot in and do the job.

Youth Watch

The best of a so-so bunch is Davide Fabbri. His potential is very good (5 star), and he can play CB, DM and CM (although I doubt he will ever play as a CM for club or country). He is a little slower than I would like, but has good mentals, which will hopefully compensate for that. Outside of him, Pizzi (CB) and Di Nicola (RB) have the look of players that could find themselves around the national team setup, with Di Nicola behind Amici and Pizzi being possibly the 3^rd or 4^th choice CB.

Club Finances and Infrastructure

We improved youth facilities back to state of the art again. Also sitting on about $80M at the end of the year. The San Marino Calcio machine rolls on, as we remain among the top clubs in Europe and the board happily spends the money to keep us there.

2036-37 Tre Fiori

San Marino League First Phase: 1^st 

San Marino League Group 1: 1^st

San Marino League Champions Playoff: Winner!

San Marino Cup: Winner!

San Marino Super Cup: Winner!

 

Champions League: l. Playoff (FC Kobenhavn)

Europa League: First Knockout Round (l. to Mainz)

Season Summary

Our Champions League campaign got off to an inauspicious start as we fell to Ferencvaros at home 2-1. Fortunately, we were able to put the Hungarians to the sword in the reverse fixture, burying them 6-1 to win 8-2 on aggregate and get our campaign started. We then surprisingly beat Red Star Belgrade 6-1 on aggregate and BATE Borisov 4-1 on aggregate to improbably get to the CL playoff round against FC Kobenhavn, securing our first ever group stage appearance in European competition, regardless of result. Here we drew the first leg 2-2 but found ourselves down 2-0 at home in 2^nd half stoppage time. However, the boys showed some fight, and former Calcio man Giorgio Alfieri got one back. Then, with the final kick of the 90 minutes, star AML Jacopo Saccon buried the equalizer to send us to extra time! What a comeback! Unfortunately, we had a clear cut chance early in the extra period that we failed to convert, and Kobenhavn scored shortly thereafter to basically kill off the tie with the away goal, and we lost 5-4 on aggregate. A fun and unexpected CL journey which landed us in the Europa league group stages, while also seeing Jacopo Saccon lead the CL scoring charts for the foreseeable future with 9 goals. Incidentally, the draw gave us a group of Palermo, Legia, and (again) BATE.

The Europa League got off to a good start, as we welcomed Legia to San Marino for our opening match and got a 1-1 draw that was thoroughly well deserved. We followed this up by once again beating BATE, this time away, 2-1. The third matchday saw us get Palermo at home, and somehow we managed to scrape a 2-1 win. We were outplayed, but did limit their opportunities and were clearly opportunistic with ours. Somehow, we managed to top the group with 7 points halfway through. We traveled down to Sicily for matchday 4 to take on Palermo in the reverse. We were dominated from the opening whistle, and they found the opener in the 15^th minute. Palermo continued to roll over us, but some tremendous goalkeeping kept us in it. For the final 10 minutes I went with 2 up top to try to salvage something from the match, pushing Saccon up top. We got a reward out of nowhere as Saccon slid onto the end of a cross just ahead of a defender in the 6 yard box to poke home the equalizer in the 87^th minute. Immediately after this, more heroics were needed as Palermo went down and had 3 opportunities to score in a single passage of play, denied in order by my keeper, the post, and my right back. Off the ensuing corner, we were under duress again, as the keeper kept them out and the CB blocked the follow up. The CB block deflected upfield, setting Alfieri on the counter, who found Saccon over the top. In on goal, the forward once again demonstrated his lethal touch in the 90^th minute. The match could easily have been 3-1 to Palermo at this point, but instead our brave and desperate defending kept us at parity, and we snatched a winner for 2-1. This put us on 10 points from 4 matches, and by some miracle we have not only qualified for the knockout rounds but have done so with 2 matches to spare. We then defeated Legia and BATE by 1-0 scorelines to top the group.

Unfortunately, the knockout stage saw us lose to Mainz 9-5 on aggregate over two matches where we were consistently second best. Still, this European run has been great for us, boosting our balance to nearly $50M. Some notable results relevant to us in Europa League were Mainz reaching the final, as well as the Red Star team we destroyed 6-1 in the CL qualifying stages reaching the Europa League semifinal. Perhaps the craziest thing, though, is that Jacopo Saccon’s 9 goal haul in the qualifying rounds of CL actually made him the competition’s top scorer.

The European success carried over domestically in a big way. We generally dominated matches and went undefeated against Sammarinese opposition. The only times we were really in trouble were in a league match against La Fiorita, where we trailed 1-0 with less than 30 minutes to go. A four goal blitz ultimately saw us collect a win that looked much more comfortable than it really was. The league playoff semifinal against Fiorentino was even more dire, as we trailed 2-0 (and were level at 2-2 on aggregate) in the 70^th minute. Fortunately we snatched two goals to level things on the night and maintain our undefeated record. We recovered well from this lackluster performance, dominating the league and cup finals from start to finish, with a total scoreline of 7-1 across the two matches.

Transfer Summary

Getting $375K for Buscarini was a great deal, especially with him being a rotation option. Bringing in Ghana international Samuel Arthur from Empoli was a coup and proved highly successful, as he was awesome at both CB and DM. Vannucci and Selva were a top CB pairing in the league as well, both joining on frees, as did Alfieri, who dominated up top. Lastly, David Miller looks like he will be one for the future, with the U20 Australian international having relatively high potential and putting in some decent performances. On the other end, the Mugnai and Fabbri signings fell flat.

Youth Watch

Nobody here to play for Tre Fiori, nonetheless the SMNT.

Club Finances and Infrastructure

The board agreed to upgrade youth facilities this summer, as well as increasing junior coaching and improving youth recruitment. These are huge development, as the board had been reluctant to invest in these areas. We also brought the San Marino League’s reputation from 90^th to 75^th in Europe. Hopefully we can keep building on this in Europe, although it will be difficult.

Completed Achievements: Win Group A, qualify for Europa League group stage, qualify for Europa League knockout rounds, win the domestic treble, go undefeated domestically.

[duesouth]

I searched for Cattolica in the FM21 database, but can't see it...  Did a quick Google search and found this article (translated):

"Registration for the 2020/2021 Serie D championship closed at 6 pm this evening. Cattolica SM and Vigor Carpaneto did not make the request, in fact being excluded from the Serie D championship. In this way San Marino lost the right to participate in the next Serie D championship and in the very difficult case of restart should only do it from lower categories. In this way, after 61 years of history, of which 16 years lived in professionalism, the number 630465 that has always belonged to San Marino Calcio will also disappear. At the basis of the decision, the difficulties encountered in the last two years to find "a territorial and sporting identity", which clashed with the problems associated with the change of name and the transfer of the title to an Italian company. In the press release of the company, there is talk of presuppositions that are missing, despite the salvation achieved."

Looks like some major editor work needed then..., can't say I would want to do the Phoenix thing again - too easy at L6 and 7...

On the plus side, irl, San Marino 0-0 Gibraltar - despite San Marino going down to 10 men!

[duesouth]

For info from the Italy Co-Head Researcher:

"Cattolica SM didn't register for 20/21 season, with Marignanese sharing their club with the city of Cattolica. There are no more San Marino based clubs  in Italian league system, expect for San Marino Academy (FA youth system) that take part to Serie C u18/u20 competitions. You can find them ingame.

Some clubs nearby (Rimini, Cesena, Tropical Coriano, Pietracuta) should produce some sammarinese newgens (in terms of 1 or 2 every 100).

San Marino Calcio experience - unfortunately - is over. Any idea planned in last summers was a flop.

There has always been (for years..) a rumour of creating a FA-owned team in italian lower division to help Sammarinese players grow and train together all year round, but it's a quite complex plan (which will potentally destroy domestic league), so I doubt we'll see something new in next future."

Marignanese Cattolica are Serie D - on my beta save I've loaded Sammarinese players just to have a look and they have 2 playing for them, including a familiar name in Mirko Palazzi.  Rimini are Serie D; Cesena Serie C; Tropical Coriano Eccellenza; Pietracuta Promozione - but 1 or 2 every 100 won't be enough to make a decent go of the challenge, it will need some work in the editor again.

 

Edited November 18, 2020 by duesouth

[TheArsenal]

On 18/11/2020 at 08:55, duesouth said:

For info from the Italy Co-Head Researcher:

"Cattolica SM didn't register for 20/21 season, with Marignanese sharing their club with the city of Cattolica. There are no more San Marino based clubs  in Italian league system, expect for San Marino Academy (FA youth system) that take part to Serie C u18/u20 competitions. You can find them ingame.

Some clubs nearby (Rimini, Cesena, Tropical Coriano, Pietracuta) should produce some sammarinese newgens (in terms of 1 or 2 every 100).

San Marino Calcio experience - unfortunately - is over. Any idea planned in last summers was a flop.

There has always been (for years..) a rumour of creating a FA-owned team in italian lower division to help Sammarinese players grow and train together all year round, but it's a quite complex plan (which will potentally destroy domestic league), so I doubt we'll see something new in next future."

Marignanese Cattolica are Serie D - on my beta save I've loaded Sammarinese players just to have a look and they have 2 playing for them, including a familiar name in Mirko Palazzi.  Rimini are Serie D; Cesena Serie C; Tropical Coriano Eccellenza; Pietracuta Promozione - but 1 or 2 every 100 won't be enough to make a decent go of the challenge, it will need some work in the editor again.

 

Damn - FM21 was going to be the year I finally gave this challenge a go. I hope someone is able to pull together the work required in the editor.