FM20 - Cyprus (Fair Game)

[Travis Bickle]

Wow, well done! Massimo Carrera for U19s is a huge hire  Credit to you for building a strong team with a good culture. 

[karanhsingh]

Nice updates @Jogo Bonito

Some of the staff members look excellent. I really like the look of the Thai fellow as well. Have you brought in any new-gen yet?

[Jogo Bonito]

9 hours ago, Travis Bickle said:

Wow, well done! Massimo Carrera for U19s is a huge hire  Credit to you for building a strong team with a good culture. 

Thanks, yes I think the squad and staff are fairly good now. Did you notice I won the Travis Bickle Trophy in pre-season 

8 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Nice updates @Jogo Bonito

Some of the staff members look excellent. I really like the look of the Thai fellow as well. Have you brought in any new-gen yet?

Thanks very much. Yes, I hope to give the Thai teen some games as the season progresses. I took on some of the youth intake but only a small number and I don't plan to recruit any as I prefer real players where possible.

[Travis Bickle]

@Jogo Bonito

Just started an unemployed journeyman save. First job is with APOEL, probably I'll only stay 2 seasons but I'll show you my progress. 

[Jogo Bonito]

2 hours ago, Travis Bickle said:

@Jogo Bonito

Just started an unemployed journeyman save. First job is with APOEL, probably I'll only stay 2 seasons but I'll show you my progress. 

Excellent, it will be good to see how you approach it.

[Travis Bickle]

@Jogo Bonito

Will post an update soon! Just bear in mind I am the most loan heavy first season manager ever. 

[Jogo Bonito]

5 hours ago, Travis Bickle said:

@Jogo Bonito

Will post an update soon! Just bear in mind I am the most loan heavy first season manager ever. 

Haha, sounds intriguing. Personally I hated the number of first season loans already at APOEL.

[Jogo Bonito]

APOEL - Season 2021/22

Well, it's fair to say that my 3rd season with APOEL has been the hardest to date, even if my squad is probably stronger than ever before

My difficult Champions League group turned out to be just that, with some heavy defeats being served out along the way

Luckily I plucked two wins from nowhere at the end, and hauled myself in to 3rd spot to qualify for the Europa League (at the expense of Arsenal)

In the league, it has been far from impressive and despite beating 2nd placed AEL in the penultimate game, I have dropped far too many points already

Credit to both Pafos and AEL for raising their game, they are both ahead of me on merit

I am still absolutely certain my team and squad is the strongest in Cyprus, so I have to make sure the players go out and do the business on the pitch

Despite the frustration, it's also refreshing in some ways to have some tougher competition and more challenges domestically

The transfer window has just opened, and I have midfield wonderkid Diego Rosa joining on a free transfer from Gremio now he has turned 18 years old 

I've already made one sale that gave a very quick profit as he had signed for free, and there might be a few more offloaded to trim the squad

But I have also suffered a bit from injuries and although a couple are nearly back, one or two are still out for a while (Gabrielli being the biggest absentee)

As a result of this, I may have to consider recruiting a couple of new players to step in to the first team

The next update will include a full transfer review of the business being done in January 2022

Edited August 22, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

29 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

my 3rd season with APOEL has been the hardest to date

But still some way to go and all to play for! Looking good financially, too 

[Jogo Bonito]

3 minutes ago, warlock said:

But still some way to go and all to play for! Looking good financially, too 

Thanks, yes I am still expecting to win it but it won't be easy to overhaul the top two.

Financially it's all looking great. The maximum contract handed out is still £10,000 per week (10% annual increase put my highest earner Al-Tamari up to £11,000 now) and money from Europe is really rolling in. 

[Gunner 101]

Don’t appreciate you beating Arsenal.  But good stuff. Nice bank balance and still time to turn the league around. 

[Jogo Bonito]

56 minutes ago, Gunner 101 said:

Don’t appreciate you beating Arsenal.  But good stuff. Nice bank balance and still time to turn the league around. 

I guess you're not 'Gunner' let me forget that one eh? I like building bank balances and trying to get some success with sensible spending. 

Thanks for the support.

[Jogo Bonito]

On 17/08/2020 at 10:20, karanhsingh said:

Nice updates @Jogo Bonito

Some of the staff members look excellent. I really like the look of the Thai fellow as well. Have you brought in any new-gen yet?

I forgot to mention, one of my newgens from the first youth intake has been attracting the interest of Chelsea. He hasn't yet made it to my first team squad but having turned down an initial £550k and a host of clauses I think he needs to be pushed in to the main group as he is already a little bit disappointed not to get his big move. He is a right-winger and can play as a striker. Unfortunately my best player and highest earner is my right winger, and I have a great batch of strikers so he'll have to be a bench option for when my winger gets tired. 

[Travis Bickle]

I'll get some FMing in today and post an update, but luckily I made the CL Group Stages after beating Dinamo Zagreb in the playoff. 

Got some good offers for Al-Tamari but likely I'll keep him for a season. 

[Travis Bickle]

By the way, @Jogo Bonito, something I find tough with APOEL is that everyone parks the bus against you in Cyprus . 

[Jogo Bonito]

2 hours ago, Travis Bickle said:

I'll get some FMing in today and post an update, but luckily I made the CL Group Stages after beating Dinamo Zagreb in the playoff. 

Got some good offers for Al-Tamari but likely I'll keep him for a season. 

He is my highest earner on £11,000 per week and I extended his contract in the second season. He seems to need a rest after every game he plays though which is a shame. 

Good job on making the CL group stages and looking forward to your update.

2 hours ago, Travis Bickle said:

By the way, @Jogo Bonito, something I find tough with APOEL is that everyone parks the bus against you in Cyprus . 

I think the buses in season 1 and 2 were rusty and full of holes as they couldn't stop us powering past them. They must have taken in a new fleet of buses in season 3 

Edited August 23, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[karanhsingh]

On 23/08/2020 at 03:37, Jogo Bonito said:

I forgot to mention, one of my newgens from the first youth intake has been attracting the interest of Chelsea. He hasn't yet made it to my first team squad but having turned down an initial £550k and a host of clauses I think he needs to be pushed in to the main group as he is already a little bit disappointed not to get his big move. He is a right-winger and can play as a striker. Unfortunately my best player and highest earner is my right winger, and I have a great batch of strikers so he'll have to be a bench option for when my winger gets tired. 

Nice he must have good potential! Screenshot?

[Jogo Bonito]

6 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Nice he must have good potential! Screenshot?

Bids have now been received from Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus and both Milan clubs. Man City are in pole position with an offer of £5 million upfront and  potentially rising to £8 million. Tottenham were offering less upfront but their offer was reaching £12.5 million in total. I'm making a non-negotiable loan-back clause until the end of next season (18 months) which City have agreed but Tottenham haven't.

I'll take a screenshot when I open the game up later. By then his future may be decided.

[Jogo Bonito]

APOEL - Season 2021/22

Here is a short update from January 2022 which shows six games unbeaten, but masks the fact that many crucial points have been dropped

Ironically, one of the best performances in recent times did come when it mattered with a fine 4-2 win at leaders Pafos 

I was far from impressed to be 2-0 down after 11 minutes, but my condemnation of the team at half time inspired an unlikely comeback to claim all three points 

Here is the current summary, the league table shows I can clinch my third successive title if the boys get their act together during the run-in

Financially the club is in amazing shape, with European football and astute transfer deals seeing the balance of the club soar 

Here is a transfer review of the season so far, with the winter window seeing three new players in

Two also headed out (one with a loan back until the end of the following season)

The first man in was the long-awaited arrival of Brazilian teenager Diego Rosa on a free transfer

He was injured before landing in Cyprus and has yet to return to fitness, but should be a tremendous asset to the squad

The next arrival was Serbian right-back Luka Cucin who came in for £300,000 from Partizan in his own country as my own two were both injured at the time

He comes in initially to challenge Panagiotou for the right to eventually replace Gabrielli who will leave in 2023 when his contract expires

Brazilian left-back Guilherme Arana once cost Sevilla a fraction under £10 million, and despite my strength in that position I felt he would be a great buy

A fee of £1.2 million was enough to land him (he was valued at £4.8 million at the time) and he will need to excel to push Wheeler out of the side

I managed to make a great profit on summer arrival Ivan Angulo who had joined on a free and was sold off for £2.1 million (rising to £2.6 million)

The Colombian winger made just one start (scoring) but was not seen as an essential foreign player to keep hold of

The biggest news of this update however was the sale of my 18 year old Cypriot right-winger Stavros Panagiotou

The talented prospect was in the youth take at the end of season 1 but was keen to move to a bigger club

I insisted on a loan-back clause until the end of next season so that I can benefit from his abilities and HGC status for another 18 months

The initial fee of £5.5 million could rise to £8 million, and there is a 50% of next profit clause in the sale too

On the other hand, there is some regret that he turned down moves to Inter Milan and Juventus

Had he moved to either Italian side, it would have netted APOEL over £11 million with £8 million upfront

Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Monaco and AC Milan all made offers but did not meet my terms

Edited August 25, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

Some excellent negotiating skills on show here. I'm going to have to be much more ambitious in my transfer dealings 

[Jogo Bonito]

5 minutes ago, warlock said:

Some excellent negotiating skills on show here. I'm going to have to be much more ambitious in my transfer dealings 

Thanks my friend. Financial good sense is one of my more obsessive traits, but feels good when I can do deals like these.

[Gunner 101]

Always very jealous of your abilities to do great deals and also how you go about building your squads. Top work. Diego Rosa looks to be a great signing for you.  

[Jogo Bonito]

4 hours ago, Gunner 101 said:

Always very jealous of your abilities to do great deals and also how you go about building your squads. Top work. Diego Rosa looks to be a great signing for you.  

Thanks, I appreciate your kind words. I do hope that Rosa settles in well and can perform to the level expected. Time will tell 

[karanhsingh]

Stavros looks fantastic I must say. Although that's a pretty good deal you got for him. 

[Jogo Bonito]

19 minutes ago, karanhsingh said:

Stavros looks fantastic I must say. Although that's a pretty good deal you got for him. 

Cheers, the deal could have been better but he rejected all Italian sides so I thought I could allow him to leave as the 18 month loan-back was in place. It's not my usual approach, but I have started using him from the bench and in domestic cup games when my main right winger is tired. I'm only in February but his early performances have been above decent.

[Jogo Bonito]

APOEL - Season 2021/22

Here is the latest update as my team tried to climb to the top of the table and clinch a third successive title in Cyprus

Domestic form was good in February with three wins from four in the league and a good result in the Coca Cola Cup

But without doubt, overcoming Bilboa in the Europa League was the biggest achievement of the month

March was a decent month too, but progress in Europe was finally halted after two highly entertaining clashes with Italian side Atalanta

It was the home leg that ultimately ended the dream, where a 3-2 loss came after fighting back from 2-0 to level before falling to a late sucker-punch

In the away leg, my boys battled bravely and came away with a 3-3 draw which could easily have ended up in an unlikely victory 

So, it was another good run and there is certainly no shame in losing at that stage to such a good side

Here is a quick summary of the season so far, and as you can see APOEL now have a seven point lead at the top with just six league games to go

Ramirez has been on an excellent scoring run in recent months, and the financial position of the club is exceptional

I managed to sell one of the strikers in March, with Herrera the one to make way

The Argentinian had a decent record since I signed him, delivering 26 goals in all competitions from 53 (10) appearances

However with some great young strikers on the books, it made sense to cash in on one of the oldest players (and 3rd highest earner too)

I didn't need to replace him with another striker for the main squad, but an opportunity to add another young player for the future is always something to consider 

And that saw me recruit talented forward Pablo Moreno (19) from Juventus for bargain fee of just £200,000 

The ex-Barca teenager had moved to Italy a few years back, and IRL has done enough at youth level to be signed by Man City this summer for £9 million

I'll let the Spaniard settle in via the Under 19 squad when he arrives at the end of the season, but at the very least he seems a good investment 

Here is a comparison of the old and the new, Herrera leaves with my best wishes and I look forward to Moreno joining in a few months

Edited August 29, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

48 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

an opportunity to add another young player for the future is always something to consider

Looks like a good deal. That's a healthy warchest you've accumulated but it doesn't look like you need to spend much of it . I see Brambilla is still delivering, too!

[Jogo Bonito]

7 minutes ago, warlock said:

Looks like a good deal. That's a healthy warchest you've accumulated but it doesn't look like you need to spend much of it . I see Brambilla is still delivering, too!

Thanks, I hope he will show patience when he arrives as I already have four strikers including my young Cypriot & Thai contenders. He'll be 5th choice so hopefully a spell in the Under 19 squad will not cause any conflicts. I say that because that's what I planned for the Thai player when he joined and he immediately went mad when I stuck him in that squad so I was forced to promote him early.

I have to say, the finances are very good but I'm happy banking most of it. 

Brambilla does indeed deliver, but many assists are from corners and free kicks, which he excels at. I'm keen to try him at EFL level sometime to see how he would perform in England.

Edited August 29, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[Gunner 101]

Nice one @Jogo Bonito! Looks like a good piece of transfer business that too. Hopefully Moreno will develop the way you want him too. 

Glad to see you turn it back around in the league and the finances are soaring still. Lots of positives. 

[Jogo Bonito]

2 hours ago, Gunner 101 said:

Nice one @Jogo Bonito! Looks like a good piece of transfer business that too. Hopefully Moreno will develop the way you want him too. 

Glad to see you turn it back around in the league and the finances are soaring still. Lots of positives. 

Cheers for that, yes the league title looks like it should be heading my way again. With Moreno coming in, it looks like I'll need to commit to at least another season!

[Jogo Bonito]

APOEL - Season 2021/22

As April arrived it was looking very unlikely anyone could wrestle the title away from my team, and that proved to be exactly the case

In fact, both April and May were unbeaten months and the difference in class was eventually evident for everyone to see

The final game of the season saw my boys lifting the Coca Cola Cup, the first time I was able to win the competition in three years at the club 

The performance graph shows it wasn't until later in the season that my side surged ahead of the pack

And with decent runs in Europe and good transfer dealings, the club can now boast a bank balance of nearly £80 million

Here is a quick review of the season in all competitions

Confirmation here of the domestic treble (a first for me in Cyprus)

And here are the player stats across all competitions for those that made it to the end of the season

The stats show who contributed the most, with Brambilla again performing to a very high level 

A special mention goes to striker Ignacio Ramirez who grabbed 22 goals (even though Santiago Gomez was top league scorer for APOEL with 12 goals)

It's time to say goodbye to loyal servant Tomas De Vincenti who has been excellent over my three seasons (and before)

He leaves as his contract is expiring, whilst the loan spell of Ronaldo Camara is also coming to an end after a very productive 18 months

Yet again it was midfield set-piece king Brambilla who received the fans player of the season award

Brambilla also won the domestic player of the year award, whilst team mate Christos Wheeler claimed the global award for best Cypriot player 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

18 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

April and May were unbeaten months and the difference in class was eventually evident for everyone to see

Dominant indeed . Given that you have Cyprus cowering before you, what do you need to make further progress in Europe? Just a question of incremental upgrades to the squad, or something more structural (coaching, facilities, etc)?

[Jogo Bonito]

1 minute ago, warlock said:

Dominant indeed . Given that you have Cyprus cowering before you, what do you need to make further progress in Europe? Just a question of incremental upgrades to the squad, or something more structural (coaching, facilities, etc)?

Thanks boss! I've asked for improved training facilities because I don't know what else to waste my money on really. In Europe, I've beaten some very good sides each season, further progress is probably down to luck of the draw as much as anything else.

With two players leaving, there isn't much need to bring in replacements, in fact one or two more may be allowed to leave. I'd like to get a really top class central defender with leadership skills to make him my new captain, but the players I have are already doing a good job. I'll see what the squad looks like at the end of pre-season, and if I like it, I will crack on for another year.

[Jogo Bonito]

I forgot to add, that one or two of the Cypriot staff will probably be allowed to move on as I am hoping I can get some more 'names' attracted to the club. For example, I've been chasing Kluivert for a couple of years as HOYD but he like some of the others hasn't yet seen APOEL as a big enough club to come and join. Maybe this summer might see some progress with some of those I have been tracking.

Edited September 2, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

1 minute ago, Jogo Bonito said:

one or two of the Cypriot staff will probably be allowed to move on as I am hoping I can get some more 'names' attracted to the club

That would be interesting - see how much difference a staff upgrade might make. In any event, improved European performances should make it easier to attract bigger talents for both players and backroom staff. I guess you've already got the money for the purely mercenary types 

[Jogo Bonito]

2 minutes ago, warlock said:

That would be interesting - see how much difference a staff upgrade might make. In any event, improved European performances should make it easier to attract bigger talents for both players and backroom staff. I guess you've already got the money for the purely mercenary types 

Hopefully it might help. And maybe with more well-known staff, it could make attracting other players easier. However, I'm still keen to work to my wage structure (top earner now £15,000 per week).

[Jogo Bonito]

Well, I've done pre-season now, and I have improved the staff a little. I've made three first team signings in total (plus Moreno and a newgen youth player for the Under 19 squads).

One of the new first team options is a midfielder on loan for five months (a target I failed to land for APOEL a few years back, and who is now taken on because I couldn't get the one I was after). Another is a central defender (but not the one I wanted, or even second or third choice), and finally is the exciting one.

I have broken my transfer record on a Brazilian striker who is now aged 22. I've been keeping an eye on him for a couple of years and with £40 million to spend (again), I eventually decided to take a punt on him as his scoring record in Brazil has been good. The fee for him was £8.5 million which smashed the previous record of £1.3 million significantly. I don't recall seeing his name mentioned before on the GPTG forum so his arrival will hopefully convince me to continue for another year. Unfortunately he arrived injured and was only fit for the final friendly (in which he scored once). 

I've loaned a couple of players out, a few left on free transfers and a few left upon expiring contracts. The final squad will be around 25 players, but there are about three more that I am trying to sell so it could be less.

 

[karanhsingh]

Who is the Brazilian striker Jogo 

[Jogo Bonito]

7 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Who is the Brazilian striker Jogo 

Ah, did I not mention his name? Sorry about that 

[Jogo Bonito]

APOEL - Season 2022/23

Here is a short preview of my 4th season with APOEL in Cyprus, starting with the board expectations

I'd identified that I wanted to sign a central defender and central midfielder, and possibly a striker too

The central defender I wanted to be my best player in that position, and a team leader and captain (ideally a right-sided centre-back)

I put in offers up to £16 million for what I thought could be the right man, but my top targets were either asking for too much money or not interested in joining

In the end I spent just £1.1 million as Diogo Leite arrived from FC Porto after a couple of good seasons on loan at Omonia in Cyprus

I'm satisfied with the player, but he is left-footed and instead of a man to play on the right of the pairing, he takes the left slot from Ioannou

The central midfielder I wanted to bring in was ex-loan player Grigoris Kastanos from New York City

I'd previously missed out on the Cypriot international when he was available for free, but now offered the £6 million release clause to get him back

However his agent demands were still ridiculous even though I was willing to pay more than his £16,500 per week current wage, and the deal fell through again

So I went for a short-term fix instead with the loan signing (for five months) of my previous trialist Joao Schmidt on much more modest financial terms

As for the striker, that was only needed if new man Moreno would not moan about being in the Under 19 squad

Even then, I would need one of the others to be sold or loaned out

Once I found that Moreno was compliant, the second aspect was sorted when a loan move was arranged for Thai teenager Mueanta

So who was going to be the new man? And how much would I be prepared to spend?

With the other two incoming deals being done for much less than expected, I agreed to pay a club record fee of £8.5 million for Alerrandro of RB Bragantino

I'd been watching him for a couple of years, and his career stats show he had a good scoring record in his native Brazil 

In real life, the Brazilian has got off to a good start in the 2020/21 campaign, and after some background checks and video analysis I decided to make my move

Pre-season has been completed, and I hope to move another three players out by the close of the transfer window on 31st August

If that happens there might still be a slim chance of adding another new player, but I can't justify it unless I can trim the squad a little first

Here is a summary of friendly results, and it looks like the team is ready for the competitive opener against Celtic in the CL qualifier

The board have agreed requests to improve training facilities and youth recruitment 

And finally, I've added a few more good reputation staff this summer, including ex-Barcelona pair Patrick Kluivert and Ramon Planes

 

Edited September 4, 2020 by Jogo Bonito

[warlock]

Alerrandro looks like a player - although, let's hope you signed the 2021 version and not the 2022 'upgrade' 

Looks like the backroom renovation project is off to a good start 

[Jogo Bonito]

13 minutes ago, warlock said:

Alerrandro looks like a player - although, let's hope you signed the 2021 version and not the 2022 'upgrade' 

Looks like the backroom renovation project is off to a good start 

Yes the staff is really strong in all areas, these were just the pick of the summer arrivals 

I noticed Alerrandro's form was much worse in 2022 after dropping down to Serie B. I hope he will justify the massive price tag 

[warlock]

42 minutes ago, Jogo Bonito said:

I noticed Alerrandro's form was much worse in 2022 after dropping down to Serie B

Well, you can see why he might be miffed - hopefully he'll rise to the challenge of sunny Cyprus 

[karanhsingh]

Nice one I like the transfers and the new boy Alerrandro 

What are the aims for this season? 

[Jogo Bonito]

10 hours ago, warlock said:

Well, you can see why he might be miffed - hopefully he'll rise to the challenge of sunny Cyprus 

I hope he isn't miffed when he discovers we are nowhere near the coast 

7 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

Nice one I like the transfers and the new boy Alerrandro 

What are the aims for this season? 

I hope Alerrandro will play for me like he currently is in real life at RB Bragantino! Aims are to win the league and do the best I can in Europe. I don't feel as confident in the current squad for some reason, even though the three additions look to have improved the team.

[Jogo Bonito]

APOEL - Season 2022/23

It's been a contradictory start to my 4th season in Cyprus as I look back at the end of October 2022

It started off in disappointment when my boys 'did a Celtic' and had a really disappointing exit from the Champions League at the first hurdle

My expectations are always to reach the group stages, but at least the Europa League gives me a second (less lucrative) chance to make an impression

I've also managed to lose the Cypriot Super Cup again, but that's not really something to lose sleep over

I've done well enough to qualify with a game to go in the Europa League after some nervy moments when even that looked questionable

But in the league, it's a perfect start with eight wins from eight as I look to win my 4th straight title at home

On the player front I have been missing Arana and Alerrandro for large chunks of the opening period, and their absence has been a factor in mixed results

My new Brazilian striker started well with a couple of braces, but has been hit and miss since then with injuries and occasionally poor form causing some concern   

Looking at the positives, October has been a really good month and hopefully I can maintain that form until the new year (and still be in Europe)

I alluded to some transfer moves that might happen, but I was unable to sell Silva, Cucin, Toledo or Gomez so I didn't add anyone else to the squad  

[Gunner 101]

Nice start. Shame about your Brazilian striker misfiring but it’s early and I’m sure he will come good. 

[Jogo Bonito]

1 hour ago, Gunner 101 said:

Nice start. Shame about your Brazilian striker misfiring but it’s early and I’m sure he will come good. 

Yeah it's a shame. He had four goals in his first four starts but he's taking time to adapt as injuries keep affecting him. I'm sure he will come good, I might just need to make a tweak to get him scoring every game. I am sure he has it in him!

[Travis Bickle]

Really impressed with your save @Jogo Bonito. 

May I ask, what are your sponsorship deals looking like? 

[Jogo Bonito]

7 hours ago, Travis Bickle said:

Really impressed with your save @Jogo Bonito. 

May I ask, what are your sponsorship deals looking like? 

Thanks, that's kind. I'm not sure to be honest but next time I open it up I will take a look and let you know