Hello everyone!
Ok first things first, congratulations to my team Barcelona for winning the champions league! We had a good celebration on Saturday and spent all day Sunday recovering!
But back to my story and I will have some bad news, I guess some people will see it as bad and others may understand but I will post that later.
Last time I left you I had made the journey to Brazil and to Sao Paulo in search of my fourth Champions league trophy. However we were met by an amazing Cruzeiro side, that has dominated Brazilian football for the last seven seasons.
Winning six league titles in a row and ten of the last nine and four Copa Libertadores out of the last five!
Toppling them will be a challenege in itself, so lets have a look at the season and to that piece of news I said I will bring to you.
Cheonan (July 2010 – January 2013)
Nothing won.
— South China (June 2013 – June 2016)
Hong Kong League Title : 2014, 2015, 2016
Senior Shield : 2013, 2016
League Cup : 2014, 2015, 2016
Asian Confederation Cup : 2014, 2016
— F.C.A.K (December 2016 – November 2019)
South African First Division : 2018, 2019
South African First Divison Cup : 2019
— Moroko Swallows (November 2019 – January 2023)
South African FA Cup : 2020, 2021
South African Premier League : 2021, 2022
South African Charity Cup : 2020
South African Knockout Cup : 2021
South African Super Eight : 2021
African Champions League : 2022
— FC Seoul (February 2023 – February 2026)
The K-League : 2023, 2024, 2025
The Korean League Cup : 2023, 2024
The Pan-Pacific Championship : 2024, 2025
The Korean FA Cup : 2024
Asian Champions League : 2025
— St Gallen (October 2026 – July 2027)
Nothing won.
— Veracruz (July 2027 – June 2031)
Mexican Opening Stage : 2029
Superliga : 2030
Champions Cup : 2030
North America Champions League : 2031
— Sao Paulo (June 2031 – Present)
Nothing Yet
International Teams :
— Morocco (Febraury 2015 – December 2016)
Nothing won.
— Senegal (November 2021 – February 2023)
African Cup Of Nations : 2023
— Egypt (October 2025 – February 2027)
Nothing Won.
— Mexico (September 2028 – September 2029)
The Gold Cup : 2029
——————————-
Transfers Out Start of Season
Transfers In Start Of Season
So very unlike me as I spent alot more than I managed to recoup, the main reason was I needed to!
Cruzeiro are miles ahead of us so I needed a complete squad overhaul in order to try and compete with them.
Dont worry about the two Marcelo names you see going on loan or sold neither are my amazing striker who is worth a little more than a £100k! I will post a couple of our better signings in :
Cristain Gaitan
Bastos
So almost all my players brought in are under 21, building for the future as they say. Gaitan is that future!! Rated a massive 4 and half stars by the three scouts I sent after him he could be the perfect partner for Marcelo.
At 6’7» he is a towering striker, and with Marcelo and his pace the two should be able to score the goals we need and at 18 I have no problem in starting him this season.
Bastos is a hard working midfield player, more defensive but I payed a bit of money for him. Physically not too good at the moment but hopefully he can improve.
Just a note that both Fabinho and Leo were also rated 4 and a half stars, Fabinho is another forward and Leo is a full back/central defender, both very promising but 16 and 17 respectfully.
The Sao Paulo State Championship
So if you remember I said there were two leagues in Brazil, the main league and this the state championship. This competition is a bit wierd as most of the teams are sort of non-league or lower division.
Bar the top four the rest are no match for the powerhouses of Brazilian football hence why Palmerias and ourselves are able to show impressive results.
The Q means we have qualfied for my favourite thing, the playoffs! So excited…..
Not really, but will post the playoff results now :
Semi And Quarter Finals
The Final
No you are reading correctly! I won the playoffs!!
In all honesty Palmeiras were my only real threat as they are almost as good as we are. But two clean sheets and a comfortable home win saw us win the State Championship!
Which really means nothing as far as I can see except a bit of money and hammering low league teams with no chance of ever beating you. It feels pointless but am sure there is a reason for playing it!
Usually I post my cup competitions at the end but seeing as Brazil only have one (the copa lib or copa scuda if you qualify) I will just post it now!
The Copa Libertadores
Out in the semi final! Some say its harder to take a loss in the semi than the final either way that away goal cost us. We qualified easily beating the best that Chile and Mexico had to offer before beating Godoy Cruz a good team from Argentina.
Next up was a game against Javier Mascherano (the Barca player!) River! He was a legend at the club managing them for the past 14 years and bringing alot of success but we won four one to book a semi final with our biggest rivals. They edged in and I have no complaints Cruzeiro beat them in the final, so no surprises!
That Piece Of News I Mentioned
So I mentioned this earlier about a piece of news that I would post and some people would not like it so here it is.
I have grown tired of this challenge and of FM in general so I have decided to leave the site. I would like to thank Johnny for allowing me to write here for the past few years and for Darren for allowing me to post this story at his site in the first place. I am so sorry it had to end this way….
Just kidding!! I am not leaving and I still love this game! It was just a ruse to sucker you in to the real piece of news so here it is :
I know! I took the cowards way out!
But I couldnt decline after I was offered the job at Cruzeiro, their squad is amazing and I should be able to win the Copa Lib alot quicker than it would have taken me at Sao Paulo!
Their manager left to join the Brazilian national side and so left the door open for me to sign, I joined a few games into our main season so will post that next time.
Hopefully Johnny and Darren (and everyone else) have gotten their breathes back! Just to confirm I am not leaving the site, unless Johnny was so shocked he asks me to leave! :)
It was a joke so people wouldnt be mad because I took the Cruzeiro job! In my last post CSAtlantis asked me for a picture of that £34 million pound Cruzeiro player and now with pleasure here he is :
Tony
:)! You now see what I mean when I say Cruzeiro have an amazing squad!
Tony came through the ranks at Cruzeiro and is now valued at £34 million! We also have some other amazing players but I will post more next time. Try and guess his best position!
So thats it! Hopefully you enjoyed this post and dont hate me for taking the easier option! To say again I wont be leaving the site as I love it here so dont be confused at my attempted humour!
This challenge was always about winning all five champions leagues as quickly as I could, Cruzeiro are set up to win it straight away but Sao Paulo would have been a three, four or even five year plan. And even then all would have depended on the Cruzeiro team so I think I made the right choice.
I look forward to reading your thoughts on whether I did do the right thing in your opinion and next time I will post from my newest club Cruzeiro!
Excessive
31 мая, 2011 at 17:12
Haha.. I read those first few lines thinking ‘Oh, here we again….’
You had me going ;)
Well, you did really well with Sao Paulo but even if it was the cowards way out, you can see why you chose it. That player looks absolutely amazing!!
Hoping you get that South American Champions League under your belt this year Ana, lets have this challenge done!! :D
Ana Garcia
31 мая, 2011 at 23:53
Thanks Jake!
Am glad you saw things my way, he is just one of a few amazing players they have I couldnt really reject the job offer.
I am confident of doing well, I mean Cruzeiro are defending champions!
Sibo
31 мая, 2011 at 17:30
Seemed a bit odd to quit just as you were having a good season and everything else! :D
I completely understand the choice of Cruzeiro although I now expect you to win the Libertadores next season and get on to the biggest challenge yet…Europe! It will be fantastic to see you complete the challenge! :D
Ana Garcia
31 мая, 2011 at 23:56
Thanks Sibo,
I honestly cant state how good this Cruzeiro side is, I wasnt even expecting the offer! It sort of happened really quick but I had to accept and am now fairly confident of winning the Copa Lib.
Am already looking at Europe!
vaibhavc
31 мая, 2011 at 17:31
Hey Ana
Congratulations to Barca, we were just outclassed. You fooled me and I actually thought you were leaving. Tony is an amazing player, 34 million! And you actually won a playoff. Surprising. :P
Ana Garcia
31 мая, 2011 at 23:58
LoL! Thanks! :)
I am surprised too! Winning in the playoffs make a nice change!
Tony is amazing, I did forget when I was at Veracruz we played Cruzeiro in the groups and Tony scored twice seems like so long ago!
JeanPaul Borg
31 мая, 2011 at 17:38
I want to kill you! lool you scared me damn it xD
Good job about everything :)
Ana Garcia
31 мая, 2011 at 23:59
Ha! My apologies! :)
Just a bit of fun and to soften the blow of selling out as it were!
Chris Atkins
31 мая, 2011 at 17:41
Excellent story.
Wow! Tony is a player, could play almost anywhere on the pitch with ease. Going to guess he is a DL/WB L just because it is not obvious and in Brazil it could easily happen.
Unlucky in the Libertadores, so close once more…
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:02
Thanks Chris,
Agreed Tony is amazing, I cant believe that he hasnt been bought by a bigger club but I will not be selling him! ;)
You are close he is a left winger but he does everything in both scoring and creating, an amazing player!
Yeah, Palmeiras are a good side but we didnt play well so I wasnt too down, am at a better club now!
Stromson
31 мая, 2011 at 17:41
You nutter, trying to trick us into think you were leaving! I’m with you on the State Championship thing, I still haven’t really figured out the point (aside from just an excuse to play more football). I think you made the right decision with Cruzeiro, especially since you still have the UEFA Champion’s League to win!
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:05
Ha! Thanks! :)
Am glad I am not the only one who fails to see the point of the state championship! Maybe a financial thing to help the smaller clubs? But I have no idea!
Agreed, I want to wrap up the Copa Lib and return to Europe and try to complete this challenge!
Johnny Karp
31 мая, 2011 at 17:46
Ana, you really gave me a good scare! I was going to shut down the computer but then I thought to scroll down :) Congrats on the playoff win, that’s one for the history books! :) And now Cruzeiro, you’ll surely be hammering your way to the Copa Libertadores next year! It would be great if you could win the Club World Cup too, that would be quite an achievement even though it’s not required in the challenge.
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:08
Sorry Johnny! :)
LoL! Yeah a playoff win I knew I was overdue a win!
Agreed the club world cup would be nice, I finished third I think with Swallows and fourth with Seoul and I left before I got to play with Veracruz. But am rushing ahead as I need to win that Copa Lib first!
But am very confident here at Cruzeiro everything is in the perfect state.
Kieranooo
31 мая, 2011 at 17:57
Well done ana,
Been following your story for a while now and i think Cruzeiro are going to be the best team you have had at your disposal in the whole challenge!
That player looks insane, and i will take a guess that he’s either a winger or a attacking mid ;)..
Good Luck!
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:12
Thank you!
I agree, infact I think Cruzeiro could be the best team I have ever managed on FM! The squad is amazing full of talent, youth, pace and goals.
The finances are fantastic the facilities are state of the art the perfect club really!
You are correct about Tony! He is a left winger/attacking midfield player and your prize is a few kisses!
xxxxx
LoL! Thanks for luck but am more confident at Cruzeiro having looked at their squad!
Laxeyman
31 мая, 2011 at 18:14
Thought another one was going then Ana, gave me a bit of shock! You had a good season with Sao Paulo, but I can’t blame you for taking the Cruzerio job, if Tony is anything to go by then they look better than Sao Paulo. Hopefully you can now win the Copa LIbertadores, good luck!
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:15
Thanks Laxeyman,
Sorry! Just a little joke to soften the blow of me selling out to a better club!
Tony is the star but he has some top talent around with players valued at £15-20 million, not to mention that we have about £60 million in the bank and no loans or debt!
I guess the only downside is we dont own our stadium but the rent isnt too much. I agree I want to get the Copa Libertadores out the way and then move back to Europe!
MRDNRA
31 мая, 2011 at 18:14
I’m going to guess that Tony plays AMR. He’s undoubtedly one of the best players I’ve seen on FM.
You had a good season, unlucky to not make it to the CL final.
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:17
Oh very close!
He is an AML but I agree he is one of the best players I have seen no idea why he is still at Cruzeiro…
Good loyalty I guess but he will be a key man for me as I chase down that Copa Lib trophy!!
Sears
31 мая, 2011 at 18:37
Tony is incredible, wow. Good luck with Cruzerio.
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:17
Thanks Sears. :)
Darren Smith
31 мая, 2011 at 19:17
Ana!!!!! That was really naughty. Not to sound cheesy, but I read that first sentence and my heart was in my mouth so to speak, I actually felt a little queezy!! You really had me, but hope you realise this could lead to some payback! lol :)
Now that my stomach has settled let me congratulate you on the new job. You deserved the offer and it isn’t a cowards way out, I will be interested to see those amazing player profiles.
To finish, don’t ever do that again!!! ;)
Ana Garcia
1 июня, 2011 at 00:21
I apologise!! :)
LoL! Just a bit of fun!
Am glad you saw things my way, Cruzeiro are set to dominate Sao Paulo are a work in progress I couldnt really decline the offer.
I wont, thats if you dont kick me of the team! ;)
Lye
1 июня, 2011 at 01:44
Hi Ana,
It’s not funny. lol :). You can’t leave, you are the only gal among the writers. We love you and will be sad to see you go.
It’s great that you are taking over the reigns in Cruzeiro. Tony is simply amazing. His attributes can see him play anywhere as long as you train him. Can’t wait to see you start winning with those amazing players.
Ana Garcia
2 июня, 2011 at 19:20
Thanks Lye, I love you all too!! :)
LoL! But I agree about Tony just an amazing player, I asked the question on his position because like you said he could easily play anywhere!
Am hoping to get this champs league over as soon as I can and move back to Europe!
CsAtlantis
1 июня, 2011 at 05:00
Congratulations on the Barca win, the state championships looks more like a pre-season tournament rather than anything serious i suppose, hopefully you can wrap up the Copa Libertadores and move on to the UEFA Champions League
Tony could play just about any position really, poacher / central midfield won’t be beyond him
Ana Garcia
2 июня, 2011 at 19:22
Thanks!
I guess that what it may be for a pre-season competition but I have no idea!
I agree I want the copa lib done a.s.a.p, my main reason in moving to Cruzeiro. So hopefully we can win it very soon!
workoutdude
1 июня, 2011 at 09:10
Hi Ana,
Thanks for the massive corronary!!!!!
Ok, now on to guessing what’s Tony’s best position……hmmmmmm….
Goalkeeper!!!!?????
Looking forward to you hammering your opposition with CRUZEIRO…you will CRUIZE to the championship title…..(wow, that’s so lame).
Ana Garcia
2 июня, 2011 at 19:25
Hi!
I liked that joke!
Am hoping that too so I can get to Europe and try to finish this challenge!
LTN
1 июня, 2011 at 09:43
Hi Ana!
Well you shocked me over there, I really thought that you have decided to quit! That was an evil joke! Haha, just joking!
You had a really good season, winning the state championship is a good achievement. Now that you have gone to Cruzeiro, I believe that you will win everything within one season and then move to Europe. I really want to see which team you are going to win the CL with.
Ana Garcia
2 июня, 2011 at 19:27
Hello!
Just a bit of fun! :)
I agree Cruzeiro have everything in place to win at my first attempt, just need a few extra players to make absolutely sure I win it!
Martin
1 июня, 2011 at 09:50
Hey Ana!
Fantastic season with Sao Paulo…and I had to read the play-off part again…you won :S…did you bribe the ref? hahaha only joking! Fantastic achievement. Also Semis of the Copa LIbertadores is a great result.
HOW DARE YOU SCARE US LIKE THAT!!! WASN’T EVEN A TAD FUNNY lol!
Congats on the Cruziero job, you deserved it for sticking with the story all this time and would be stupid to have turned it down. How many more Tony’s do Cruziero have lol…he is the most impressive regen I have ever seen!
I’m hoping for a trophy filled season next year Ana to round off your time in Brazil in STYLE! Which leagues did you load from Europe??? You mentioned them in your very first post of this story but I cant remember now lol.
Awesome post as always…i’ll stop this essay now lmao :)
Ana Garcia
2 июня, 2011 at 19:33
Hi Martin!
LoL! Maybe I did! I knew my luck would change makes a nice change in actually winning a playoff!
Afraid I have only one Tony, but there are many players who are good enough to play in top leagues in Europe they have a brilliant squad!
I loaded a few leagues from Europe but most I have no chance with, the ‘best’ leagues are Portugal and Holland so maybe Ajax or Porto if I am lucky!
Kevin
1 июня, 2011 at 09:51
Hi Ana
Well you certainly had me fooled and I let out an «oh no» on the subway as I had a print out of your update. Got some strange looks indeed. Glad you are staying though abd you did the right thing in moving on as ulitmately the whole point of this story is to complete the challenge. Good luck
Ana Garcia
2 июня, 2011 at 19:34
Hi Kevin,
Ha! I am sorry!
Thanks, hopefully I can wrap up the copa lib and get a good job in Europe.
Nick
2 июня, 2011 at 08:43
You just ruined the suspense! I skipped to the end of the post immediately! :-(
Seriously though, that Cruzeiro player seemed amazing, how has he only got 13 caps for Brazil???????
And you didn’t take the cowardly option, I would have definitely done the same thing! Good luck!
Ana Garcia
2 июня, 2011 at 19:36
Thanks Nick!
He is amazing! 13 caps isnt many I agree but then again Brazil always have brilliant squads so alot of competition.
Am glad you saw it my way! I just wanted to get the copa lib out the way and get back to Europe and try to finish this challenge!