The Royal Redemption

Whitehawk today announced their squad numbers for the new season. Fernando Olivera was assigned the number 27, Amoroso got number 23 and Lucas Echegaray was handed the number 19 shirt, which was previously assigned to Miodrag Kostic. The Serbian World Cup winner was the only player to have seen a change in shirt numbers, as he was re-assigned to the number 7 shirt. Kostic follows in the footsteps of Ryan Gauld and Kevin Griffiths, the two previous owners of this iconic jersey.

Miodrag grew up in Belgrade, Serbia. His love of football, combined with faith and fortune, saw him play for Partizan Belgrade's junior teams. Youth coaches were impressed with his qualities and he was fast-tracked to the U19s, aged 15. He played regularly at this level before sealing a move to Whitehawk in 2025, at the age of 18. A torn hamstring and a broken ankle plagued his first season at the club but he soon found form the following season, scoring 25 times in a campaign where he played 49 times (starting 27) as a left sided inside forward, or as a central striker.

Miodrag continued to impress current coach Prince William and his eye for goal saw him quickly become a fan favourite. Kostic has been at the heart of the great Whitehawk side which has picked up so many trophies, including four back-to-back league titles and three back-to-back Champions League titles. His record at Whitehawk to date speaks for itself, he's a truly iconic figure at this football club. 246 appearances in all competitions for Whitehawk, scoring 140 goals. At the age of 24, Kostic is just getting started.

Miodrag Kostic: "I love this club with all my heart. Ever since coming here just over six years ago, I have been at home and have loved the football I play. We are a very successful club with great players and staff and I love the fans. They create the best atmosphere in the league and so I am very happy to play for them. We are like a family and everything we do, we do it together.

It is a great honour for me to wear this number seven shirt. It is has great significance to every football club to wear this number and I will treat it no differently. Last season I scored thirty goals, but I want to score more this time. We want to win everything once again and I want to do this jersey justice. The number seven deserves a fantastic player and I hope that the fans will accept my contribution to its legacy when I retire."

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Looks a great player, very deserving of #7!

Finally caught up with this story So much quality and Prince Will is certainly doing the country proud Great story man

Absolute belter of a winger/striker. Well worth the shirt of legends

Caught-up with the story after an absence.. Well done with sales and enjoying the story as well

LFC, yeah and his history at the club is certainly a testament to that!
TheLFCFan, thank you!
Jack, hopefully he'll become one
Jer, thank you

This is the game of champions; you have to win to come here to play in this reputable competition. This is the curtain raiser of English football; the start of a new season. The two biggest sides of last season in England come here to open the account for this season. Many great tales are told of previous Community Shield fixtures. The two sides for this year's competition have met on this stage twice previously, with one apiece from the two contests. But who will claim this one? Whitehawk or Manchester United?

Whitehawk are the undisputed champions of English football, European football, and world football. However, their opponents cannot be underestimated for one second. Manchester United were the only team in the world who came close to Whitehawk last season. Under Guardiola, the Red Devils finished second in the league (behind Whitehawk), reached both the FA Cup and Capital One Cup finals (where they lost to Whitehawk), and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League (losing to Whitehawk once more). The hopes of those wishing upon Whitehawk's downfall certainly rests on the shoulders of the Manchester United players and manager. But what can they threaten Whitehawk with?


Manchester United have certainly not hit the heights they previously had under Sir Alex Ferguson. Louis van Gaal won the league twice, in 2014/2015 and 2016/2017, but the Dutchman retired following the second season. The club languished in the top four without winning the title until Andres Villas-Boas lead the side to two league titles in 2024/2025 and 2026/2027. However, AVB's departure, coupled with the emergence of Whitehawk under Prince William, have knocked them back off their perch. They now have to settle for fighting for second place each year with neighbours Manchester City, while Whitehawk seemingly storm away with the league each season.

Manchester United have plenty of quality in their squad. Former Whitehawk star Natanael leads the line for Manchester United. The Brazilian scored an impressive 27 goals in all competitions last season for United, his first season back in English football since leaving Whitehawk for P Ferreira back in January 2028. Fellow Brazilian Gilmar has claimed plaudits for winning the Barclays Premier League Golden Glove last season, and was a key part of Brazil's Copa America winning squad in the summer, where he was of course managed by Prince William. Pacato completes the trio of Brazilian superstars at Man Utd, and the right-back has been heavily linked with a move to Whitehawk in recent weeks, with Prince William even publicly announcing his intentions to sign this player. Other key players include German midfielder Kevin Rinke and English central defender Ian Bennett, who captains the side. Will he lift the trophy at the end of ninety minutes, or will Whitehawk's supremacy continue?

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United look strong but you're almost undefeatable. Complacency may be lurking though

Line-Ups

Whitehawk begin this season as they ended the last. Just as they lined up at both the FA Cup and Champions League finals of last season, Whitehawk will begin in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation. Argentine Claudio Elorrieta tends the goals today, while Vicente Acosta, Emmanuel Acuna, Dennis Seifert and Dino Slavica start in defence. Adauto will protect the defence in deep midfield, with Matt Ursell and Bismark Nyarko ahead of him. Captain, and legend, Albert Wetzel lines up behind the deadly duo of Hippolyte Chabbert and Christiaan Pattinama.

Josep Guardiola has opted for his favoured 4-1-4-1 formation. Pacato starts for Manchester United despite both clubs being in talks over the potential sale of this player. Former Whitehawk striker Natanael leads the line for Manchester United, while World Cup winner Pedro Belsué plays at right midfield.

Game Commentary

1' Kick-off: Manchester United open the English season with kick-off.

23' Save! From a throw-in on the right,Hippolyte Chabbert picked up the ball and weaved his way past Latimer before powering a left-footed effort at goal. Copa América winning goalkeeper Gilmar was forced in to a sharp diving save to deny Whitehawk the opening goal of the game. It is all Whitehawk right now!

29' Penalty! From a short corner routine, Matt Ursell picks out Christiaan Pattinama in the box. He prepares to fire a shot on goal but is brought down by Viegas. It is a stone-wall penalty and Whitehawk now have a clear chance to open the scoring. No booking.

30' Penalty Miss! Matt Ursell powers the penalty straight down the middle but it is just a fraction too high and it cannons back off the crossbar only to be cleared by Llewellyn of Manchester United. Another missed opportunity for Whitehawk in the opening thirty minutes, they should be two up!


31' Woodwork! Whitehawk quickly counter attack and Wetzel rolls Chabbert in but the Frenchman can only hit the inside of the post, with the ball rolling across goal and away from danger. How have Whitehawk not scored yet?!?

45' Miss! It is a rare chance for Manchester United as Natanael beat the offside trap to get on to the end of Rojas' long ball. He gets one-on-one but fluffs his shot and misses by a mile. Poor effort.

45+1' Save! Wetzel plays Chabbert in to a dangerous area, and he rolls in his strike partner Pattinama with a very neat through-ball. However, the Dutchman's rasping effort is palmed away by Gilmar. It looks like this half will end without a goal, but what great entertainment so far!

45+1' Half-Time: The first half ends scoreless but Gilmar has had plenty to worry about in the Manchester United goal. How much longer can they hold out for before Whitehawk break the deadlock?

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46' Kick-Off Whitehawk start the second half looking to make amends for missed chances in the first half.

49' Save! Wetzel has been very creative so far in this game and he has just created another golden chance for Pattinama! Wetzel received a pass from Nyarko before nutmegging Rojas in midfield and sending Pattinama one-on-one, with the latter having yet another shot tipped away by Gilmar. Whitehawk have continued on from the first half and don't look like easing up on their pressure.

67' Save! Wetzel's the creator once again! Hey plays the one-two with Ursell before finding Chabbert in the box, but Gilmar frantically dived to his left-hand side to deny Whitehawk a goal once more. This has probably been the best game in the keeper's career to date!

74' GOAL! At long last, the deadlock has been broken! Wetzel was at the heart of the move as he found Chabbert in an advanced position. The Frenchman played substitute Miodrag Kostic in to the box and Whitehawk's #7 fired first time, without hesitation, through the legs of the helpless Gilmar and in to give Whitehawk a much deserved lead! Whitehawk 1-0 Manchester United


83' GOAL! And it's 2-0 to Whitehawk! Albert Wetzel played a beautifully weighted chipped through ball in to the feet of Kostic who in return squared a beautiful pass in to the path of Hippolyte Chabbert, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net. That's Whitehawk's second and that should leave Manchester United dead and buried! Whitehawk 2-0 Manchester United


84' GOAL! It's not over yet, Manchester United have clawed one back! From kick-off, the ball found it's way to Pedro Belsué on the right wing. Good link-up play with Pacato saw the latter pick out substitute Louis Kay in the box, who turned Dennis Seifert, Dino Slavica AND Adauto on the spot and saw his cross-goal effort beat Elorrieta. Whitehawk 2-1 Manchester United


86' PENALTY! A sly reverse pass from Albert Wetzel had put Miodrag Kostic in acres of space to the left of the goal but before he could deliver a cut-back pass, he was brought down by Manchester United captain Ian Bennett, and now Whitehawk, once again, has the opportunity to score from the spot. Can they make amends for the previous miss?

87' GOAL! No mistake from Matt Ursell this time. The former Manchester United man looked a lot more confident and while Gilmar went the right way, Ursell's powerful effort in to the top right-hand corner proved to be unstoppable. Is it game over now? Whitehawk 3-1 Manchester United


90+3' Full-Time! And the referee calls time to yet another thrilling match between the two English giants. Whitehawk win once again, can they win every possible trophy for a third consecutive season?

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Fairly comfortable win.. just another piece of silverware in to the trophy cabinet

Just days after Whitehawk's Community Shield success, they are back in yet another final as they face UEFA Europa League winners Manchester City in the UEFA Super Cup final. Having won it in each of the previous two seasons, Whitehawk are clear favourites for this tie and will look to make it a hat-trick of victories when the two sides face each other at Telia Parken in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Super Cup is a competition which AC Milan holds the proud record of most victories for, having won it five times. However, their most recent victory came no less than twenty-four years ago, when they defeated Sevilla in 2007. Manchester City have won it just once, and it is worth noting that Whitehawk were their opponents that time when they claimed the cup at Marcantanio Bentegodi in Italy, just seven years ago in 2024.


Manchester City will be looking to repeat the feat and new manager David Stockdale will look to hit the ground running in his first competitive game in charge of the Citizens. The former Fulham and Brighton goalkeeper has never won a major trophy in his nine year managerial career, having won just three lesser league titles. He won League One with Walsall in 2024, and the Championship twice. His first Championship title came during his spell as Blackburn manager in 2028, and the second when he was manager of Blackburn last season. This isn't his first venture in to management with a top team, having managed Chelsea from December 2028 to December 2029. It was an unsuccessful spell and he was eventually sacked.


Manchester City's main threat is their captain Rik Van Loon. The thirty-two year old attacking midfielder/striker has won it all and is still one of the world's leading players, despite his age. He joined Manchester City from Barcelona in 2020 for a fee of £46.5M, and has been a star ever since. He has won 18 trophies with Manchester City, including the UEFA Champions League (2024) and three Premier League titles (2022, 2024 & 2026). He is the one man who Whitehawk should definitely target as a potential danger to their chances of winning this game.

Van Loon is not alone, as Cameroon winger Thierry Tchami and Portuguese winger Bruno Miguel Paiva will be looking to produce the goods and score or create chances for the Citizens. Spanish midfielder Rafael is also a very dangerous creative player, and he knows how to shoot from range. Club legend Miguel Barboza is unlikely to start, the Paraguayan midfielder is now 32 and has slowed up quite a bit. Any part he will play is likely to be coming off the bench but his experience and intelligence would prove to be a vital asset.

With all the quality that Manchester City has in their ranks, Whitehawk is still on a completely different level and it would be crazy to bet against the Hawks. They have more firepower and more defensive strength than any team in England, and Europe. Will they secure the result expected of them?

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Line-Ups

Manchester City manager has opted for a conservative 4-5-1 formation today. Spanish #1 Abel Gómez tends the goals today. In front of him as a back four of Marcelao, Álvaro Díaz, Bjarne Rask and Mark Hall. Thierry Tchami starts on the right wing, with Bruno Miguel Paiva on the left wing. In midfield is a bit more of a surprise. Thirty-two year old Miguel Barboza unexpectedly starts, with former Whitehawk midfielder Thomas Granvang and Spanish international Rafael lining up beside him. Up front is Manchester City's captain and greatest ever player, Rik Van Loon.

Whitehawk have an unchanged formation and line-up to that which demolished Manchester United just days ago in the FA Community Shield final. Clearly Prince William is not worried about Manchester City's chances in this game!

Game Commentary

1' Kick-Off: Rik Van Loon gets the game underway for Manchester City.

10' GOAL! It is an early goal for Whitehawk and for Hippolyte Chabbert! Manchester City were unable to remove the ball from their own half and Christiaan Pattinama picks out his strike partner on the edge of the area with a tidy aerial through-ball, and the Frenchman unleashes a thunderous drive which powered in to the back of the net. Manchester City 0-1 Whitehawk


26' Save! More fantastic flowing football from Whitehawk. Slavica finds space on the left-hand side and he picks out Chabbert with a great delivery. Chabbert strikes the ball on the volley but Abel Gómez was able to tip the ball on to the cross bar and out of play. Close call for Manchester City, Whitehawk look dangerous!

41' GOAL! Albert Wetzel gets his name on the score sheet this time. It was beautiful passing play from Whitehawk in the middle. Adauto picked out Wetzel on the edge of the box with his back to goal. Wetzel picked out Vicente Acosta on the right wing. The full-back in turn crossed the ball in to the front-post area and Wetzel was there to power a header home and give Whitehawk a two goal cushion before half-time. Manchester City 0-2 Whitehawk


45+2' Half-Time: The referee calls time on a dominant first-half performance from Whitehawk.

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46' Kick-Off: Whitehawk get the game underway once more, having dominated the first half.

50' Save! First real chance of the match for Manchester City. Thierry Tchami gets in to an advanced position on the right hand side after leaving Slavica for dead. He cuts back for Rafael on the edge of the area who in turns slips the ball in to Rik Van Loon. The Belgian takes a touch before firing across goal but Elorrieta is equal to the tasks and parries the shot away.

59' Goal! And that should surely put the game to bed, Chabbert has scored his second! Pattinama burst past two players outside the box before firing a shot which Gómez tipped away. However, Chabbert picked up the rebound and hit the post but the ball fell kindly for him once again and he made no mistake with his second effort, sealing the win with a simple finish. Manchester City 0-3 Whitehawk


89' Save! A missed chance for Chabbert to bag his hat-trick! Debut sub Amoroso picked up the ball on the half-way line before going on a thirty yard run, weaving in and out of City's midfielders. He then laid it off to Pattinama who picked out Chabbert in the box with just the goalkeeper to beat. His left-foot effort was too close to the centre of the goal and Gomez palmed it away. Another great save in a difficult game for the Spaniard!

90+1' Full-Time: That's it, Whitehawk have won their second trophy in a matter of days! A promising season lies ahead of Prince William's army!

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Man City 0 - 3 Whitehawk isn't something you hear everyday! Superb result.

Absolutely battered them. 2 trophies already this season, and I don't think they'll be the last ones. Good to see Hippolyte adding another two to his tally

Just caught up with the story. Fancy WFC Winning TWO Trophies, and happy to see them dismantling the MANCHESTERS. I bet you will lose if it was Liverpool.Haha.