Ana, FM 2012 : Season 4 Seoul 2025 -2026

So hi everyone!

Been really busy over the past few days so havent had much time to play so this season took a lot longer to play than usual. However I did manage to finally get it done so here is how my fourth season at Seoul went.

Last season was another of mixed frustration as we managed to regain our K-League title but fell at the first knockout stage in the Asian champions league.

I was hoping for a better run this season but with Ulsan providing a stern test it would be another competitive season in South Korea.

Managerial C.V

— Black Aces (June 2011 – June 2018)

African Premier League : 2016

Super 8′s Winner : 2015, 2016

First Division : 2012

South African Knockout Cup : 2016

The African Champions League : 2017

— New York Red Bulls (January 2019 –December 2021)

U.S. Cup : 2019

MLS : 2020, 2021

North American Champions League : 2020

— FC Seoul ( January 2022 – Present)

K-League : 2023, 2024

Korean FA Cup : 2022

Korean League Cup : 2024

International Career

— U.S.A (May 2017 – July 2021)

Nothing.

— Spain (July 2024 — Present)

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So our club’s value raised by a few million over last year from £11.25 million to £13.75 million, Kim-Jae Hyung joined the clubs icons and Amadou Toure joined the favoured personnel.

So financially we only went up by £800k as we continue to struggle with our finances. This meant that my transfers were reduced to only a few new faces and we had to sell a few players also.

Transfers In and Out — First Window

So three new players spent on two Korean players and one who has Korean citizenship so I didnt mind paying a bit extra to get him. I sold Bang-Min Soo as I had loads of better midfield players available and Cabelo was just a poor signing that I wouldnt play much this season.

Lets have a look at the new faces.

Lee-Yong Jae

Lee-Jung Ho

Samba Keita

So I decided to sign Lee-Yong Jae even though he is quite old but I felt he had a few good seasons left in him and he was free so I have nothing to lose really, Lee-Jung Ho was yet another midfield player that I probably didnt need but he was cheap.

Keita was  pretty good signing which I will need as you will see later on in the post. :)

K-League Results 15 Games Gone

So in all honesty this was a really weird run of results things began really well and then we had two back to back seven zero wins before a defeat against Ulsan despite dominating the game.

Then we somehow lost five four against Seongnam with them only having three shots as we scored two own goals that followed another defeat against Incheon.

We did improve to win our next two matches but then lost again away at Chunnam meaning already this is our worst ever season since I have been here!!

Transfers In and Out — Second Transfer Window

So as I said earlier on I bought Keita knowing that I would lose my star defender Edison West. In all honesty I had no choice as he was unhappy and wanted to leave and we did get a very good price, considering we signed him on a free transfer.

Having sold West I freed up a foreign slot for my squad so signed another Nigerian defender and here he is.

Tosin Williams

Spain — World Cup Qualification Results

So as you would have expected we qualified for the upcoming world cup finishing top with a few poor results especially away at Greece, Slovakia and of course Scotland as we lost our only group game.

I did pick almost a whole squad of uncapped players, but no excuse really as we were very poor.

Lets look at the draw for that upcoming world cup finals.

So we were drawn in group H alongside Norway, Columbia and Burkina Faso and on the face of it looks like a pretty easy group. Am not sure what I would say is the hardest group maybe D or F but I hope to draw the USA and try to get a bit of revenge after them sacking me!

K-League Final Results and Table of the Season

So despite a pretty good second half of the season we failed to finish top after Ulsan claimed a  huge twelve point advantage over us.

They out-scored us and had a far better defense so we had to settle for second place, which means we must play an extra playoff game which I forgot to take a picture of!

Apologies for that but we did beat Suwon 3-0 to set up yet another playoff final against Ulsan, from last season were have really dipped am not sure why but we still have a chance to retain our K-League title.

K-League Playoff Final vs Ulsan — First Leg

Hate this game at times!

This was one of those games where we just dominated had loads of clear cut chances and for one reason of either terrible finishing from pretty good forwards or an inspired keeper we just couldnt score. Then with their only shot on target they score and we have to settle for a defeat.

We did score but yes you guessed it, it was offside so didnt count and now we face a huge uphill battle to retain our K-Leage title!

K-League Playoff Final vs Ulsan — Second Leg

Yes I really do hate this game at times!

I cant really say what happened we were fantastic again we dominated the match only to lose harshly on penalties. I guess my two big curses came back to haunt me of losing in the playoff’s and losing on penalties and even if that wasnt bad enough we played most of extra time with 9 men after injuries to Malam Mane, Kim-Dong-Hyuk and Tosin Williams meant we had no substitutes left.

Then to add more insult to injury! At three successful penalties each they went on to miss their next only for my team to miss twice in a row! They then scored both and that was that a very tough defeat to take as we were far and away the better side

Cup Competitions

Korean FA Cup

So we were knocked out very early after losing a two goal lead against Pohang then falling to win on penalties. I wasnt that dissapointed but I always hate losing on pens!

Korean League Cup

So we also failed to retain our league cup after a humbling defeat at the hands of our biggest rivals Ulsan, in all honesty it should have been a lot more we were just so poor.

The Asian Champions League

So we finally had a good run in the champions league having had our worst ever season since I have been here.

We managed to sail through the group stages with only one defeat but it didnt affect us that much then we knocked Australian side Perth Glory out it the first knockout stage.

Al-Sadd in the quarter finals were no real match as we managed a five zero victory away to almost seal a semi-final place after the first leg, where our big rivals Ulsan were next.

We were fantastic at home winning by three goals to one however away the game did its best to try and make me lose!!

Kidding of course I dont think the game would do that but they did beat us by four goals to two having only had four shots on target to our twelve. Thankfully that didnt cost us and we progressed to the final.

The Final

Yay!! :)

Finally I have completed this champions league stage and in all honesty I couldnt have had an easier final. Within 30 minutes we had a three goal lead and we never looked liked we would ever lose it Han-Sung Hwan opened the scoring after only two minutes and when Mane doubled that on 19 minutes we looked home and dry by then.

Kim-Jae Hyung added a superb third then just before half time new signing Tosin Williams rose unmarked from a free kick to add a fourth, the second half was simply all one way, we dominated the possession created so many chances but through a mixture of shocking finishing and an inspired goal keeper we had to settle for four.

Obviously I didnt mind! I would have settled for a terrible one zero win provided that we won it, my third champions league with only two left to go.

Club World Championship

The Final

We beat Man Utd!!

I was amazed after we played so well then held our nerve to knock them out on penalties, they are my parent club but one of my better victories I think. :)

Final was bad as you can as we never got to the level that we did in our semi-final win but to get to the final was pleasing enough for me.

Final Player Ratings of the Season

So after the departure of Edison West and a sort of sub par season for our star striker Kim-Jae Hyung it was Amadou Toure who led the way and far and away our best performer of the season.

Williams our West replacement had a really brilliant start and is defiantly a promising understudy to my former defender Lee-Yong Jae did really well in an injury hit season but for free I cant complain really. Kim-Yae Young is defiantly a star in the making at the heart of our midfield but was pleased with most of our players this season.

Star Man — Amadou Toure

End of Season Finances and Save Game Status

So we are in a very healthy situation now mostly down to winning the champions league but also the money in from Edison West’s departure. Having been struggling with our finances for a while its nice to see us with a large amount in the bank.

And Finally the End -Plus End of Season Round-Up!!

So I resigned after four season at Seoul with some mixed feelings, I enjoyed my time at Seoul last year however I didnt really enjoy it as much this time around.

I was glad that Ulsan provided such a great rivalry for me and the fact that my playoff curse still lurks after me! Maybe as I played the same team as last year I kind of knew what to expect and as such didnt enjoy it as much am not sure.

I am glad that I finally got this champions league and I can move on to a new journey!

I added a few extra leagues like Italy, Portugal, France along with England, Spain, Croatia, and Russia for a chance at an European side with Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Chile added for my copa libertadores (South American champions league) attempts.

I resigned from Seoul with only 7 months until the world cup so my plan is to take no club jobs until after that and then re-evaluate my options. Ideally I want to try and conquer South America before ending up in Europe but I have been offered so very big jobs including Liverpool, Arsenal, Sevilla, Valencia and Villarreal so am still weighing up my options!

I really want to manage in Argentina which is dominating South American football at the moment having claimed six out of the last five copa lib’s, with River, Velez or Boca high on my list. Boca are really struggling at the moment so that job could be available really soon so will just wait and see what happens.

As always thanks for reading! This post took a lot longer than I would have hoped but that the price of being super busy!

I will do my very best to get the next season done as soon as I can, bring you my brand new club and of course all the world cup results! :)