[FM 13] The two manager brothers story...

The beginning of a season is always difficult, most of all when you are a newcomer in a first division league and you are going to face four of the best team of the league in the first five matches. On the other hand, your fans are full of curiosity and you have a great boost of morale when you came to know that they besieged the ticket office, so that the season tickets went completely sold out!










Considering the tough draw, well, our start was definitely not so bad… The worst match was for sure the one against Barcelona, where we conceded 5 goals… They are one of the greatest team in the world, but I was not happy of our way of playing! The three draws against Sevilla, Atletico and Valencia were the greatest new, in particular the one against Atletico that was an unfortunate one as we were leading till 5 minutes before the final whistle. The victory against Zaragoza was crazy, with an outstanding counter at the last breathe, with Adrian running for 50 meters to their goal! Also the last draw against Mallorca is a great result: we were in 10 men, but a late goal by Papp gave us a deserved level.

I am happy for what we have done this month despite the difficult matches we had to face. We ended the month in the 14th position, 3 points over the relegation zone.




Our attack was not great, but our defense was tough (except from the Barcelona match) and I want to credit Wellington for this. The Brazilian guy started as a backup of Sigali, but since the first time I have decided to send him on the pitch, he started playing infallible matches, obtaining a 7.88 average rating over 4 matches.



The board’s confidence is up to the stars of course! Not only for the results we are obtaining, but also for our control on the financial aspects: the team is growing up also in this point, and we need that to stay up into the Liga in the next future. I am a little bit surprised by the fans’ complains on Leo Aro’s departure: that guy was not a world class and left no remarkable signs last season…


Only three matches this month due to the international duties of the players. The one against Osasuna is definitely the easiest one, even if we are going to play away. Athletic and Real Sociedad will be very tough opponents, with the last being 4th in the league at this very moment.

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Well, there is no word except from ‘perfect’ to describe the month that has just passed! Five matches, 4 in the league and 1 in the Champions, 5 victories, 17 goals scored and no one conceded! The guys were really great…

SERIE A

The two key matches have been the ones against Parma and Fiorentina. In the first one, we dominated what was till that moment the 2nd league force with a 1 point lead on us. We scored 5 goals in a match played wonderfully, with Falcao playing the usual stunning match and scoring an hat-trick. With this victory, we obtained the second place, 3 points beyond Juventus. Three days after, in the mid-week match day, we played in Firenze while Juventus was playing in Parma. We dominated the match obtaining a 3-0 victory, while Bianconeri lost 1-0 in Parma: now, the table was saying that we had the same points, with them leading cause of our lost in the match where we faced each other’s.

After the victory against Cagliari, with 10 matches played till now, we still have the same points of Juve, that in the meantime won against Catania, 2 points more than Parma, that are going on in their wonderful season.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

We played only one Champions League’s match during this month, and we destroyed Fenerbache 4-0 with a stunning performance by Kevin-Prince Boateng, who scored a double.

With the first 3 matches played, we are on the top of the group with 7 points, thanks to the surprising Tottenham’s victory in Parc des Princes. We have 4 more than the 3rd in the group, Fenerbache: a victory against them may give us a great boost for the qualification to the next round.

MAN OF THE MONTH

The man that I decided to award this month is the Ghanaian midfielder. If the 6 goals by Falcao are usual to me and to all those who has followed football in the last two seasons, the 4 scored by Kevin are a great result for him, who was infallible in front of the opponents’ goalies.

CONFIDENCE AND NEXT MONTH

The board is still confident in my work and very pleased on the number of youths I sent on the pitch during my job at Rossoneri. The fans are still understandably disappointed by the loss against Juventus, but we are trying to let them forget that bad moment.

The calendar will be very busy this month, with eight matches to play. The ones against Fenerbache and PSG can give us the qualification to the next round if we will do well, the derby against Inter is, on the other hand, the most important for our supporters. But also for us: a victory against Nerazzurri can let the fans forget the loss against Juventus…

November is just started, and it’s time to have a look on what happened last month in order to prepare the next one in the best way possible.

Saying that you are in the first half seems to be equivalent to saying that you are far away relegation… Well, the Liga table is so strange this season that, despite we are 8th, we are only 4 points over the relegation zone. However, there are still 9 teams among us and the bad zone of the table, and this is the most important point…

LIGA BBVA

The Osasuna match was maybe the most important of the month, because we were facing a team that was beyond us. A stunning hat-trick by our Captain, Diego Cervero, gave us a deserved victory, also helped by the red card given to Miguel Flano by the referee. The other two matches were very difficult ones, against team like Athletic and Real Sociedad that are used to be in the top division. Despite this, we obtained two draws in two very tough matches, and in both cases we could even have won with a bit of luck.

12 points in 9 matches, and most of all only one match lost (the one against Barcelona) is a really good score for a team that is completely new at this levels. I am really happy for what we are doing till now!

COPA DEL REY

This month signed also the beginning of the Copa del Rey. Alcorcon, that have beaten Celta in the previous round, was set to be our opponent, with the first match being played at their home.


A difficult match despite they are a second division team. We managed to win 1-0 thanks to the season’s first goal by Wilfred Osuji. I used this match to let some of the players who played less have some time on the pitch, and they all respond quite well.

MAN OF THE MONTH

This month I want to award the Captain as the best player. He scored 4 times, with a wonderful hat-trick in the match against Osasuna. I heard someone saying that he was not a player suitable for a first division… He is shutting all up…

CONFIDENCE AND NEXT MONTH

The confidence is still high, and for the second consecutive month we closed with a positive balance, increasing the financial position of the side.

The matches of the next month will be all really important! All the teams that we are going to face, except from Real Madrid, of course, and Sporting are beyond us, with this side being only two points above us. This is going to be a fundamental month for our possibilities to stay up…

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It has been a cold autumn day. I have just arrived home. I am waiting for my wife coming back home from work and my thoughts go back to the last 10 hours I spent between my office and the training field…
I arrived in Milanello at 8:30 a.m., 2 hours before the training session was planned. Tomorrow we are leaving for Istanbul, where Fenerbache are waiting us for the 4th match of our Champions League group. I was reading some news about the last matches played by our next opponent, when the phone rang (me, Adriano Galliani)…

“Andrea? Here is Adriano.”
“Hey sir! Tell me…”
“I just wanted to tell you that the two young guys you contacted last days, Gerace and Vivacqua, have just signed their contracts. They are ready to join us in January.”
“Wonderful! Thank you very much Adriano, a good news to start the day!”


These two 17yo strikers had both a youth contract and I contacted them to let them enter my youth team. They have a good potential and I payed less than a million for both of them. I hope this will become a good deal for me…

Unfortunately, the good news was followed by a bad one. Forty minutes before the training session start, someone knocked on my door (me, Giampaolo Pazzini)…

“Yes?” ,
“Hey sir! May I have five minutes of your time?” ,
“Of course Giampaolo! Come in and sit down. Something to drink?” ,
“A glass of water may be fine, thanks!” ,
“Tell me, what’s the matter?” ,
“Well… Yesterday I was thinking about these last months boss… I have just turned 30, but I feel I can still do my job as a regular. And I am also losing my place in the national team. I was just guessing what are your plans on me…”,
“Mmm… I see… Well, to be sincere, as I have always been to you and to all the other guys, in my hierarchy you come, at this very time, after both Radamel and Carlos.” ,
“It is what I was thinking boss. That’s why I was planning to ask you to leave the team. I wouldn’t like to do that, but I still want to play regularly sir, I am sorry!” ,
“Don’t be sorry Giampaolo! I can understand your feelings. I am only a bit surprised because I thought you were leaving peacefully the situation. The only thing I am asking you is to stay until the end of the season: I am going to need you in some occasions.” ,
“It’s good to me boss! Thank you very much!” ,
“You’re welcome! And I have to say that I am sad for this happening…”


And I really was… That man is a really good lad, one of those that never causes problems in the dressing room and that is ready whenever you call him. It’s a real pity to lose him. Even if I was already planning to let him leave in one years or two…

We had our training sessions, one in the morning and one at 3:30 p.m. There was someone hurting me from some time. As soon as I came back to my office, I pick up the phone and made the number of the President’s office: his secretary passed him the call(me, President Berlusconi)…

“Hey Andrea! How are you? It’s some time I am not hearing from you…”,
“Good afternoon boss! I am sorry if I am disturbing you. Things are going pretty well here, except from one single thing…”,
“Tell me man.” ,
“During the today’s training sessions I had a look to the youth training ground. The structure is becoming really obsolete, the ground is awful and, having a talk with Pippo (Inzaghi, youth manager), he was telling me that also the changing rooms and the gym are really bad. I had in mind to ask you to think about a little bit of renewal to it.” ,
“Mmm… I am really aware of how much you and Pippo care about the youth in our team, and I do too. So your request sounds good to me. I will make some calls…”,

I thanked him. He always cares about his side and this was a first step we have to make in order to develop the team more and more. Then, I closed my laptop and exit my office to come back home. As soon as I arrived here, I received an e-mail from Mr. Galliani, where he wrote me that the works on the youth facilities would have started at the end of the season and would have been completed before the end of October.


Good news… Bad news… Good news… A really strange day…

I am back home, in my studio, and I have just turned on the TV. I put the DVD in the reader and press play on the remote. The video starts: it’s the recorded Sky video of our today match against Sporting Gijon… (RT - Riccardo Trevisani, HC - Hernan Crespo)



RT - “Welcome everybody! We are here to follow the first Derby Asturiano of our country-mate, Stefano Gagliardo, on Real Oviedo’s bench! I am here together with Hernan Crespo. Hernan, what you think about the match?”
HC - “Hi Riccardo and hi everybody! Well, that’s a match among two teams that had a similar way in the league. Sporting is two point over Oviedo, but I think that it will be a tough match. And to be home will be a great point to Los Carbayones.”

RT - “Well, here there are the line-ups of the two teams. Gagliardo chose his regulars, with Adrian next to Cervero in the attack. Some surprises in Sporting’s house: Sandoval sends Juan Pablo in the goal instead of Vega that played the most matches up to now. The captain, De Las Cuevas, sits in the bench, with Cristian Alfonso replacing him beyond Mate Bilic, another surprise, who sends Trejo on the bench. What do you think Hernan?”
HC - “Some strange choices from Sandoval. But he is the one who follows the squad during the week and he may have his reasons why to do that.”

RT - “Player are ready to start in the middle of the ground… The ref blows his whistle and the match starts!”

RT – “Gijon is moving the ball through the midfield. Cordero for Lora. Lora with a through pass to Muniz. Muniz shoots… GOOOAAAL! Sporting take the lead after 22 minutes with a powerful shot by Muniz! 0-1 in Nuevo Carlos Tartiere!”
HC – “A good shot by the Sporting’s winger, but Gomes was not perfect at all. Now, we have to see how Oviedo will react to this!”

RT – “Oviedo is attacking. Six minutes are passed from Sporting’s goal. Oviedo is attacking on the right. Ball moved to Meziani, who passes to Fabio Henrique. The Brazilian gives the ball back to Zuculini, then Meziani again. He crosses the ball… IT’S IIIINNN!!! Cervero headed the ball into Gijon’s net! The Captain’s goal levels the match after only 6 minutes! 1-1!”
HC – “A great goal for Oviedo’s Captain! A drill cross by Meziani and a stunning Cervero’s header from 12 meters. Fantastic goal!”

RT – “The minute of added time is going to finish… And the ref blows his whistle. The first half is finished and Oviedo and Sporting are 1-1 at the end of it. What do you think Hernan?”
HC – “A tough match and the result is right in my opinion. Both the teams had their chances and I cannot see a favorite for the final victory.”

RT – “Throw in for Oviedo on the left side, 30 meters far from Gijon’s goal. Benedetti for Cervero, who gives back the ball to the Italian left back. He immediately crosses the ball in… GOOOAAALLL!!! Adrian headed the ball into the net! Another header goal for Oviedo, that now take the lead! 2-1!”
HC – “A deserved goal for Gagliardo’s man. We were waiting for that. Oviedo has had the control of the match since the beginning of the second half.”

RT – “Ten minutes to the end of the match. Sporting is controlling the ball in the midfield, but Zuculini steals the ball from Cala. The ball arrives to Wellington, that sends it forward… The ball arrives to Adrian… Great move by Oviedo’s striker… He is running to the goal… He is alone in front of Juan Pablo… He shoooots… GOOOAAALLL!!! Adrian scores! This is his second goal! Oviedo closes the match: 3-1!”
HC – “This goal puts a virtual end to the game. I don’t see how Sporting can come back.”

RT – “And the ref blows three times! Oviedo won the first derby Asturiano that has been played since a long time.”
HC – “Gagliardo’s team deserves the victory. The goal was pure unlucky, than the players were great in stay focus and obtain their coming back.”
RT – “That’s all from Nuevo Carlos Tartiere! Greetings from Riccardo Trevisani…”
HC – “And Hernan Crespo…”
RT - “See you soon on Sky Sport. Bye bye!”


What a match we had! Chiara recorded also the post-match interviews by Alessandro Alciato. The first to arrive at his mic was José Ramon Sandoval, Sporting’s manager.

AA – “Mr. Sandoval, what do you think about the match?”
JRS – “Oviedo deserved the result. We have been good in the first 20 minutes and we obtained the best taking the lead. Then, they kept the control of the match and the final 3-1 is the result of their great work.”
AA – “What are the feelings? You lost the derby…”
JRS – “We are disappointed, especially for our supporters! But we are ready to come back from the next match on!”

Then, my face appears on the TV…

AA – “Stefano, what a match!”
SG – “Yes, our start was not so great, but then we could come back and we started to dominate the match after their goal. I think we deserved the victory: the guys have been great in the last 70 minutes of the match!”
AA – “The supporters were really delighted by the victory…”
SG – “And all the team is too, and I am! I know that this was an important match for the supporters and I am happy that we won it, for them and for all Real Oviedo team.”
AA – “This victory leads you to the 6th place in the league…”
SG – “I only think that this victory leads us 8 points far from the relegation zone. This is the only thing I have in mind!”


Is this really true, Stefano? Aren’t you starting to think to something more? No no… I have not! Ambition is good, but this sounds utopic!

Also Adrian released some words to the press, saying how he was happy for having led the team to this victory. This guy played wonderfully in the pre-season, then it stopped a while when the matches started to count for something. I hope that now he is definitively come back!

Now, it’s time to switch off the TV. Chiara is coming back home and I have to prepare the dinner for us. After all, I am not only a manager, but a husband and a father too…

It was a really crazy month in Serie A! Five managers were sacked, four in the same day! These were Luzhny (Inter), Ranieri (Napoli), Sannino (Lazio) and Rossi (Sampdoria), followed by Aguirre (Fiorentina) few days ago… Moreover, Donadoni (Parma) decided to move to the English Premier League to Liverpool side.


Following their decisions, Inter decided to hire Mazzarri, Napoli went to Stramaccioni, Sampdoria to Del Neri, Lazio to their former player Di Matteo, Parma to Laudrup, while Fiorentina’s bench is still vacant.

Fortunately, I am still here on my bench… But, looking at our results, the board has no reasons to sack me…







A good month in the league, with 4 wins and 1 draw against Napoli, a tough match whose result do not hurt us so much as Juventus had the same result in Cagliari in the same day. The peak of the month has undoubtedly been the derby against Inter: that was the first Mazzarri’s match on Inter’s bench and we destroyed the Nerazzurri completely dominating the match from its very beginning! The supporters were enthusiastic at the end of the match, as I were myself… The last match against Torino was not our best one, with a ‘penalty victory’. But 3 points are always 3 points…

The league table says we are second, three points down Juventus, but with a match still to play against Verona, delayed cause of the international call-ups of many players. The Bianconeri are still doing great, but we are not going to let them go far from us…





The match against Fenerbache was not the best one in my history on Milan’s bench: we were 2-0 up at the end of the first half, but we let them come back with two goals in 10 minutes in the middle of the second half.

Fortunately, PSG and Tottenham drew in the meantime, so that our following 1-0 victory against the Parisien let us win the group and qualify to the next round.


The match against PSG was also the one in which we obtained the attendance record (73,880 supporters) and the highest gate receipt in the last years (4.5M€).


In the meantime, this month also the U19 European Champions Cup groups ended, and our U20 team qualified thanks to the first place in their group, with 6 victories in 6 matches.




The Coppa Italia’s qualification rounds has ended and the draw assigned us an home match against Fiorentina in the first round.



In the last days I have been asked to choose the 23 players to bring with me for the Club World Championship. I had to leave 3 players out of the registration, and I chose Raul Albiol, Luca Antonini and Michael Essien, the oldest three of the team, as I would like to make the youngest guys play this competition.




It is difficult to mention a particular player for this month, but I think that Maxime deserves one. The French midfielder not only scored his first goal of the season, but he was also the key player of our midfield during the whole month, giving very good performance in all the matches.




The board’s and supporters’ confidence on my work still remains high, with the last ones delighted by the victory against Inter, but a little bit disappointed for the draw against Fenerbache. The good point is that they seem to have forgotten the bad defeat against Juventus…

Next month will have the World Club Championship as its protagonist. The draw is still to come, but we know we are going to face a tough competition that we are ready to win for the first time in our history together. Fortunately, on the other hand, the league matches will be not so tough, and the Champions League and Coppa Italia ones have not great importance to us.