Tips on managing "nearly" teams in Football Manager
Average Rating: 8/10 Hits: 764 Submitted: Sep 4, 2008
Europe is geographically the 6th biggest continent in the world, but in terms of football, the continent is second to none. Ask anyone from Argentina to Australia, the Bahamas to Burkina Faso, and they’ll tell you who the strongest countries in Europe are. Invariably they’ll mention Spain, England, Italy, France and Germany. Add to those names Portugal, Holland and Scotland and you have the 8 countries which most Football Manager users tend to stick to. This guide helps you if you want something a little different, from Champions League teams and National Champions to UEFA Cup teams and sleeping giants; we travel from Russia to Denmark, in hope that we’ll find a challenge that will interest you. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at the 3 teams outside the big leagues, who have a realistic chance of doing well in Europe’s premier club competition.
Team: CSKA Moscow
Country: Russia
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Igor Akinfeev, Daniel Carvalho, Vagner Love, Jo
Ever since they won the UEFA Cup in 2005, CSKA Moscow have been viewed as one of Europe’s better teams, and in terms of Champions League hopes, the media views you as one of the dark horses to win the competition. In goal, you have one of the best young keepers, if not the best, on the whole game, Igor Akinfeev. His reflexes are second to none, and at 21, there is still plenty of room for improvement. As backup for Akinfeev, you have Russia’s third choice keeper, Veniamin Mandrykin, an excellent goalkeeper in his own right, who would be 1st choice in many of the top European leagues. In the full back roles, you have another two Russian internationals, the Berezutskiy brothers. You also have the excellent Eduardo Ratinho on loan at the club, so CSKA are spoilt for choice in this area. A weaker position for the club is centre-back. You do not have one out and out CB in the first team, and although the Berezutskiys and anchorman Eugeny Aldonin can play in the position, you need to splash some of your clash on one, if not two, quality defenders. In the middle of the park, you have two of the most reliable midfielders in the league, Aldonin and the Bosnian Elvir Rahmic. Back-up comes in the form of Sergey Grichenkov, an Under-21 international, who can definitely do a job. On the wing, you are spoilt for choice, with 4 or 5 international-class players at your disposal. On the right, Russian international Rolan Gusev and Serbian Milos Krasic fight for selection, and on the left, one of the squads many Brazilians Daniel Carvalho is first choice ahead of Yury Zhirkov. With Dude Cearense as a possible attacking midfielder, you have one of the best engine-rooms in the whole of Europe. Up front are the Brazilian partnership, Vagner Love and Jo. Jo is the taller of the two, and is good in the air, so look for him to knock balls on to the smaller and faster Vagner. In all reality, you should be walking the domestic league, you are by far better than Lokomotiv, who are the nearest challengers to the Russian crown. As for the Champions League, CSKA automatically qualify for the group stage, so a 2nd/3rd seeding is most probable. No matter what sort of group you get, CSKA should be getting to the knockout stage, year in year out.
Team: Shakhtar Donetsk
Country: Ukraine
06/07 League Position: 2nd
Key Players: Darijo Srna, Razvan Rat, Nery Castillo, Brandao, Cristiano Lucarelli
For many many years, Dynamo Kiev dominated the Ukrainian High League. Not any more. Shakhtar have been a Champions League team for a good five years now, winning the Ukrainian championship three times since then. Between the sticks, Bogdan Shust, who is the 2nd choice for the national team, is a solid option, although there is no real back-up. Shakhtar have a good budget, so a good back-up goalkeeper should be the first thing you look for. At full-back, Shakhtar are at their strongest. Darijo Srna, the Croatian and Razvan Rat, the Romanian are your first choice, although you have strong back-up in starlet Ilsinho and stalwart Flavious Stoican. At centre-back, Shakhtar are experienced, but thin on the ground, with Thomas Hubschmann and Artem Fedetskyi the only out and out defenders there. In the anchorman slot, Igor Duljaj has little competition, whilst Zvonomir Vukic usually sits in front of him. Fedetskyi is another option, whilst Brazilian Willian is one for the future. On the wings, you’re full-backs double up as wide-men, so Ilsinho or Darijo Srna will play down the right when the other is at RB. On the left, you have the excellent Nery Castillo, who can double up as a Rooney-esque striker, linking up the midfield with the attack. The strikeforce is without doubt the best in the country, with the quartet of Belik, Brandao, Lucarelli and Luiz Adriano all fighting for the starting spots. Lucarelli and Brandao are the more experienced of the four, and should be your mainmen up top. In domestic terms, Shakhtar have better individuals than Kiev do, but Kiev have the bigger squad, which is important when it comes down to the crunch. Shakhtar are not seeded high in Europe, so could find it difficult to get out of the group, that’s if you win the 3rd qualifying round of course.
Team: Fenerbahce
Country: Turkey
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Demirel Volkan, Diego Lugano, Stephen Appiah, Alex, Deivid
Fenerbahce are one of the traditional bridesmaids of continental football. Always there, but never make that big impact. This could be the year for Fener, they have a great squad, with a strong Brazilian influence in the outfield slots. In goal, you have the two Volkans, Demirel and Babacan. Serdar Kulbige is also an option, so no purchases are needed in that area. At right-back, you have Turaci Onder, who is the only real option in this area, a back-up is needed. Left-back is filled by the veteran Roberto Carlos. A master at free kicks who can’t really defend, a replacement is needed, with Baris Deniz a possibility. At centre-back, you’re first choice partnership should be the South Americans, Lugano and Edu Dracena. Arat Can and Yasin are both able deputies in this area, so this is one of Fener’s strong points. In the middle of midfield is an experienced international duo, Mehmet Aurelio, the Brazilian-born Turk, and Stephen Appiah, the Ghanaian hero from the last World Cup. Alex, the captain, is probably the most gifted player in the entire squad, his set pieces are a joy to watch, and an invaluable source of goals. The wings are a talking point, with Colin Kazim-Richards, the Sheffield United reject, the best option. That speaks volumes, and a couple of replacements are a must. Up front, Chelsea failure Mateja Kezman lines up with the Brazilian Deivid, with Guneri Given and Parlak Ilhan both able deputies. Fenerbahce have without doubt the best squad in the entire Super Lig, although it will be hard to transfer that form into the Champions League, where they have to get through a tricky qualifier.
Team: Panathinaikos
Country: Greece
06/07 League Position: 3rd
Key Players: Giannis Goumas, Giorgis Karagounis, Dimitris Papadopoulos
Panathinaikos are Greek’s 2nd most successful club, behind Olympiakos, although Pana have done better than the Piraeus in European club competition. They finished runners-up in the Champions League in 1971, and got to the semi-finals as recently as 1996, where they lost to eventual winners Ajax. Recent appearances have been limited to the UEFA Cup however, due to Olympiakos’ domestic dominance. In goal, Pana have Croatian Mario Galinovic, who has won only one cap for his country. They have Polish goalkeeper Arkadiusz Malarz as back-up, but he isn’t too good between the sticks, so a replacement wouldn’t go amiss. The back four pretty much chooses itself, with captain Goumas lining up alongside Nasief Morris, Takis Fyssas and Nigerian Joseph Enakarhire. The club also has Mikael Nilsson and Loukas Ventrya as back-up, so defence is a pretty strong area. The midfield needs some work however, with only club hero Karagounis the real class act. Sotiris Ninis and Andreas Ivanschitz are the best of the rest, but apart from those above, you may want to oversee a complete overhaul of the midfield positions. Pana are also limited up front, however they do have one class act in Dimitris Papadopoulos. The former Burnley man cost just 250K but has fired over 50 league goals since moving from the Lancashire club in 2003. Dimitris Salpigidis and the Senegalese N’Doye are both able back-ups, but you may want to bring in another experienced forward who can play alongside Papadopoulos. Of course, you should be challenging for Greek honours every year, and with an improvement, the squad could definitely reach the Quarter Final stage of the UEFA Cup.
Team: Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvedza)
Country: Serbia
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Dusan Basta, Alejandro Castillo, Ognjen Koroman, Sead Banda
Red Star Belgrade, or Crvena Zvedza as they’re known at home, have a rich pedigree at home and in Europe, they won the European Cup in 1991, beating Marseille in the final on penalties. They actually start in the 2nd qualifying stage of the Champions League on the game, but they will find qualifying tough, and you have a better chance of progress in the UEFA Cup. In goal, Belgrade have Ivan Randelovic, a very tall and experienced home-grown keeper. As back-up, the only Montenegran in the squad, Zoran Banovic. In defence, Red Star are actually quite strong, with Dusan Basta and Milos Malovic on the wings, and Vujadin Savic and Boban Nedeljkovic in the middle. Back-up is needed however, as most of the youngsters aren’t good enough to make the step up to European football. In midfield, Red Star have a strong South American influence, with Ecuadoreans Franklin Salas and Segundo Alejandro Castillo flanked by the Colombian flair of Mauricio Molina. Dusan Mladenovic brings some Serbian steel to the mix, making the midfield one of the strongest areas of the squad. Up front, one of the most deadly partnerships in the Serbian league come together, with Filip Djordjevic partnering the prolific, but very young, Sead Banda. Experienced Serb Nenad Jestrovic is also an option, as is the Argentinian Hernan Barcos. Red Star have dominated the Serbian league for decades now, but the fans feel it is time for some more European glory. And who knows, if you make the right signings and get the team bonded well enough, the glories of 1991 might well be repeated, this time in the UEFA Cup.
Team: FC Kobenhavn
Country: Denmark
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Jesper Christiansen, Jesper Gronkjaer, Michael Silberbauer, Marcus Allback
One of Scandinavia’s best known teams, Kobenhavn have been the cream of Danish football for over a decade now, and they made a huge impact last season, when they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League. However, they still finished bottom of their group, and although they are in the qualifiers for the competition again this year, it is unlikely they will win through, despite the strength of their squad, and as with Red Star, the UEFA Cup is probably your best chance of European silverware. Between the posts, Danish national keeper Jesper Christiansen is the last line of Kobenhavn’s defence, and the two young back-up keepers, Coe and Larsen have found first-team appearances hard to come by, due to the reliability of Jesper. At full-back, Kobenhavn boast former Dortmund left-back Niclas Jensen, with Dickson Choto lining up on the other side of the pitch. In the middle stand the irrepressive pair of Hangeland and Graavgard. Graavgard is the captain, and as well as playing at the back, he can also play up front, scoring a few goals in his time. FCK have a very strong midfield, with former Chelsea player Jesper Gronkjaer the ‘playmaker’ and tough tackling Michael Silberbauer the ‘ball-carrier’. Canadian Atiba Hutchinson plays in the centre, whilst former Rangers player Libor Sionko makes up the quartet. With Michael’s son, Mads Laudrup as back-up, Kobenhavn really do have a midfield to take on the best of them. Up front, the impressive Lasse Qvist lines up alongside the club’s no.1 hitman, former Aston Villa man Marcus Allback. Allback has hit 26 goals in 50 games for FCK so far, and you’ll need him in top form if you’re going to challenge for major honours this season. Brazilian Ailton (not the ex-Schalke hitman) is the only real back-up, so money will be well spent on a good 15-goal a season journeyman striker, someone like Steffen Iversen, or Tore Andre Flo. FCK should win the domestic league at a canter, but improvements need to be made if the side is going to succeed in Europe, failure will not be taken lightly.
Team: Rapid Vienna
Country: Austria
06/07 League Position: 4th
Key Players: Umit Korkmaz, Mate Bilic, Steffen Hofmann
Rapid have a decent history in European competition, finishing runner-up in the ECWC twice, to Everton in 85 and to PSG in 96. In recent years, however, the Vienna club have found success had to come by, and failed to qualify for Europe in 2006/07. In goal is Austrian Helge Payer, who is better than the other goalkeepers available. Raimund Hedl is your backup here. In defence, we have Christian Thonhofer on the right, Markus Katzer on the left and Mario Tokic and Martin Hiden in the centre. Jurgen Patocka and Andreas Dober are possible back-ups for this position, though investment might be needed. In midfield, down the wings we have Korkmaz and Hofmann and down the middle Markus Heikkinen and Branko Boskovic. There isn’t a lot of great back-up, so you will need to splash some of the few cash you have. Up front are Bilic and Mario Bazina, both Croatian, who score goals for fun. Again, there isn’t much back-up, but you can get some decent loan signings in Austria. Rapid are a team in decline, so this is always going to be a tough challenge, but if you can get the right squad of players together, who knows, the Austrian league could be yours for the taking.
Team: FC St.Gallen
Country: Switzerland
06/07 League Position: 5th
Key Players: Bernt Haas, Kwabena Agouda, Stefano Razzetti
St Gallen are a team who have had little success over the years, they’ve only won two Swiss Championships, and one of those was before the First World War. They have a pretty average squad for the Swiss league, with some players you might have heard of before. In goal they have the impressive Razzetti, who is one of the better keepers in the league. Across the back they have Bernt Haas, the former Sunderland man, Fernando Cesar de Souza, Juan Pablo Garat and Swiss player Phillip Muntwiler. There is limited or no back-up for the defensive area, so spend spend spend! In midfield are David Calla, Jurgen Gjasula, Michael Lang and David Marazzi, with Diego Ciccone and Jesus Mendez as back-up. Up front are Ghanaian wonderkid Kwabena Agouda and Argentinian Adrian Fernandez. St Gallen are a team that challenge for the European slots in Switzerland every year, but whether you can get them one better and challenge for the league remains to be seen.
Team: Hajduk Split
Country: Croatia
06/07 League Position: 2nd
Key Players: Igor Tudor, Boris Zivkovic, Maris Verpakovskis
The dominating side throughout the 90’s in Croatia, Hajduk battle it out year after year with Croatia’s most successful club, Dinamo Zagreb. They have a good squad, with a couple of household names, including ex-Juve man and captain Igor Tudor and Pompey failure Boris Zivkovic. In goal, take your pick. Hajduk are spoilt for choice with two of Croatia’s best keepers, Vladimir Balic and Vjekoslav Tomic. Across the back four, we have Jurica Buljat, Goran Sablic and of course Zivkovic and Tudor. There is very few back-up players, especially at full back, so attention needs to be given to that area. In midfield, Kresimir Makarin, Florin Cernat, on loan from Kiev, Marin Ljubicic and Mirko Hrgovic. Up front is another Kiev loanman, Verpakovskis, who plays alongside either Ante Rukavina or Nikola Kalinic. There is plenty of back-up for this position, so much so you might need to loan some players out to keep them happy. With this squad, there is no reason you can’t finish Champions and push on for Europe, like the great team of the 90’s.
Country: Russia
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Igor Akinfeev, Daniel Carvalho, Vagner Love, Jo
Ever since they won the UEFA Cup in 2005, CSKA Moscow have been viewed as one of Europe’s better teams, and in terms of Champions League hopes, the media views you as one of the dark horses to win the competition. In goal, you have one of the best young keepers, if not the best, on the whole game, Igor Akinfeev. His reflexes are second to none, and at 21, there is still plenty of room for improvement. As backup for Akinfeev, you have Russia’s third choice keeper, Veniamin Mandrykin, an excellent goalkeeper in his own right, who would be 1st choice in many of the top European leagues. In the full back roles, you have another two Russian internationals, the Berezutskiy brothers. You also have the excellent Eduardo Ratinho on loan at the club, so CSKA are spoilt for choice in this area. A weaker position for the club is centre-back. You do not have one out and out CB in the first team, and although the Berezutskiys and anchorman Eugeny Aldonin can play in the position, you need to splash some of your clash on one, if not two, quality defenders. In the middle of the park, you have two of the most reliable midfielders in the league, Aldonin and the Bosnian Elvir Rahmic. Back-up comes in the form of Sergey Grichenkov, an Under-21 international, who can definitely do a job. On the wing, you are spoilt for choice, with 4 or 5 international-class players at your disposal. On the right, Russian international Rolan Gusev and Serbian Milos Krasic fight for selection, and on the left, one of the squads many Brazilians Daniel Carvalho is first choice ahead of Yury Zhirkov. With Dude Cearense as a possible attacking midfielder, you have one of the best engine-rooms in the whole of Europe. Up front are the Brazilian partnership, Vagner Love and Jo. Jo is the taller of the two, and is good in the air, so look for him to knock balls on to the smaller and faster Vagner. In all reality, you should be walking the domestic league, you are by far better than Lokomotiv, who are the nearest challengers to the Russian crown. As for the Champions League, CSKA automatically qualify for the group stage, so a 2nd/3rd seeding is most probable. No matter what sort of group you get, CSKA should be getting to the knockout stage, year in year out.
Team: Shakhtar Donetsk
Country: Ukraine
06/07 League Position: 2nd
Key Players: Darijo Srna, Razvan Rat, Nery Castillo, Brandao, Cristiano Lucarelli
For many many years, Dynamo Kiev dominated the Ukrainian High League. Not any more. Shakhtar have been a Champions League team for a good five years now, winning the Ukrainian championship three times since then. Between the sticks, Bogdan Shust, who is the 2nd choice for the national team, is a solid option, although there is no real back-up. Shakhtar have a good budget, so a good back-up goalkeeper should be the first thing you look for. At full-back, Shakhtar are at their strongest. Darijo Srna, the Croatian and Razvan Rat, the Romanian are your first choice, although you have strong back-up in starlet Ilsinho and stalwart Flavious Stoican. At centre-back, Shakhtar are experienced, but thin on the ground, with Thomas Hubschmann and Artem Fedetskyi the only out and out defenders there. In the anchorman slot, Igor Duljaj has little competition, whilst Zvonomir Vukic usually sits in front of him. Fedetskyi is another option, whilst Brazilian Willian is one for the future. On the wings, you’re full-backs double up as wide-men, so Ilsinho or Darijo Srna will play down the right when the other is at RB. On the left, you have the excellent Nery Castillo, who can double up as a Rooney-esque striker, linking up the midfield with the attack. The strikeforce is without doubt the best in the country, with the quartet of Belik, Brandao, Lucarelli and Luiz Adriano all fighting for the starting spots. Lucarelli and Brandao are the more experienced of the four, and should be your mainmen up top. In domestic terms, Shakhtar have better individuals than Kiev do, but Kiev have the bigger squad, which is important when it comes down to the crunch. Shakhtar are not seeded high in Europe, so could find it difficult to get out of the group, that’s if you win the 3rd qualifying round of course.
Team: Fenerbahce
Country: Turkey
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Demirel Volkan, Diego Lugano, Stephen Appiah, Alex, Deivid
Fenerbahce are one of the traditional bridesmaids of continental football. Always there, but never make that big impact. This could be the year for Fener, they have a great squad, with a strong Brazilian influence in the outfield slots. In goal, you have the two Volkans, Demirel and Babacan. Serdar Kulbige is also an option, so no purchases are needed in that area. At right-back, you have Turaci Onder, who is the only real option in this area, a back-up is needed. Left-back is filled by the veteran Roberto Carlos. A master at free kicks who can’t really defend, a replacement is needed, with Baris Deniz a possibility. At centre-back, you’re first choice partnership should be the South Americans, Lugano and Edu Dracena. Arat Can and Yasin are both able deputies in this area, so this is one of Fener’s strong points. In the middle of midfield is an experienced international duo, Mehmet Aurelio, the Brazilian-born Turk, and Stephen Appiah, the Ghanaian hero from the last World Cup. Alex, the captain, is probably the most gifted player in the entire squad, his set pieces are a joy to watch, and an invaluable source of goals. The wings are a talking point, with Colin Kazim-Richards, the Sheffield United reject, the best option. That speaks volumes, and a couple of replacements are a must. Up front, Chelsea failure Mateja Kezman lines up with the Brazilian Deivid, with Guneri Given and Parlak Ilhan both able deputies. Fenerbahce have without doubt the best squad in the entire Super Lig, although it will be hard to transfer that form into the Champions League, where they have to get through a tricky qualifier.
Team: Panathinaikos
Country: Greece
06/07 League Position: 3rd
Key Players: Giannis Goumas, Giorgis Karagounis, Dimitris Papadopoulos
Panathinaikos are Greek’s 2nd most successful club, behind Olympiakos, although Pana have done better than the Piraeus in European club competition. They finished runners-up in the Champions League in 1971, and got to the semi-finals as recently as 1996, where they lost to eventual winners Ajax. Recent appearances have been limited to the UEFA Cup however, due to Olympiakos’ domestic dominance. In goal, Pana have Croatian Mario Galinovic, who has won only one cap for his country. They have Polish goalkeeper Arkadiusz Malarz as back-up, but he isn’t too good between the sticks, so a replacement wouldn’t go amiss. The back four pretty much chooses itself, with captain Goumas lining up alongside Nasief Morris, Takis Fyssas and Nigerian Joseph Enakarhire. The club also has Mikael Nilsson and Loukas Ventrya as back-up, so defence is a pretty strong area. The midfield needs some work however, with only club hero Karagounis the real class act. Sotiris Ninis and Andreas Ivanschitz are the best of the rest, but apart from those above, you may want to oversee a complete overhaul of the midfield positions. Pana are also limited up front, however they do have one class act in Dimitris Papadopoulos. The former Burnley man cost just 250K but has fired over 50 league goals since moving from the Lancashire club in 2003. Dimitris Salpigidis and the Senegalese N’Doye are both able back-ups, but you may want to bring in another experienced forward who can play alongside Papadopoulos. Of course, you should be challenging for Greek honours every year, and with an improvement, the squad could definitely reach the Quarter Final stage of the UEFA Cup.
Team: Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvedza)
Country: Serbia
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Dusan Basta, Alejandro Castillo, Ognjen Koroman, Sead Banda
Red Star Belgrade, or Crvena Zvedza as they’re known at home, have a rich pedigree at home and in Europe, they won the European Cup in 1991, beating Marseille in the final on penalties. They actually start in the 2nd qualifying stage of the Champions League on the game, but they will find qualifying tough, and you have a better chance of progress in the UEFA Cup. In goal, Belgrade have Ivan Randelovic, a very tall and experienced home-grown keeper. As back-up, the only Montenegran in the squad, Zoran Banovic. In defence, Red Star are actually quite strong, with Dusan Basta and Milos Malovic on the wings, and Vujadin Savic and Boban Nedeljkovic in the middle. Back-up is needed however, as most of the youngsters aren’t good enough to make the step up to European football. In midfield, Red Star have a strong South American influence, with Ecuadoreans Franklin Salas and Segundo Alejandro Castillo flanked by the Colombian flair of Mauricio Molina. Dusan Mladenovic brings some Serbian steel to the mix, making the midfield one of the strongest areas of the squad. Up front, one of the most deadly partnerships in the Serbian league come together, with Filip Djordjevic partnering the prolific, but very young, Sead Banda. Experienced Serb Nenad Jestrovic is also an option, as is the Argentinian Hernan Barcos. Red Star have dominated the Serbian league for decades now, but the fans feel it is time for some more European glory. And who knows, if you make the right signings and get the team bonded well enough, the glories of 1991 might well be repeated, this time in the UEFA Cup.
Team: FC Kobenhavn
Country: Denmark
06/07 League Position: 1st
Key Players: Jesper Christiansen, Jesper Gronkjaer, Michael Silberbauer, Marcus Allback
One of Scandinavia’s best known teams, Kobenhavn have been the cream of Danish football for over a decade now, and they made a huge impact last season, when they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League. However, they still finished bottom of their group, and although they are in the qualifiers for the competition again this year, it is unlikely they will win through, despite the strength of their squad, and as with Red Star, the UEFA Cup is probably your best chance of European silverware. Between the posts, Danish national keeper Jesper Christiansen is the last line of Kobenhavn’s defence, and the two young back-up keepers, Coe and Larsen have found first-team appearances hard to come by, due to the reliability of Jesper. At full-back, Kobenhavn boast former Dortmund left-back Niclas Jensen, with Dickson Choto lining up on the other side of the pitch. In the middle stand the irrepressive pair of Hangeland and Graavgard. Graavgard is the captain, and as well as playing at the back, he can also play up front, scoring a few goals in his time. FCK have a very strong midfield, with former Chelsea player Jesper Gronkjaer the ‘playmaker’ and tough tackling Michael Silberbauer the ‘ball-carrier’. Canadian Atiba Hutchinson plays in the centre, whilst former Rangers player Libor Sionko makes up the quartet. With Michael’s son, Mads Laudrup as back-up, Kobenhavn really do have a midfield to take on the best of them. Up front, the impressive Lasse Qvist lines up alongside the club’s no.1 hitman, former Aston Villa man Marcus Allback. Allback has hit 26 goals in 50 games for FCK so far, and you’ll need him in top form if you’re going to challenge for major honours this season. Brazilian Ailton (not the ex-Schalke hitman) is the only real back-up, so money will be well spent on a good 15-goal a season journeyman striker, someone like Steffen Iversen, or Tore Andre Flo. FCK should win the domestic league at a canter, but improvements need to be made if the side is going to succeed in Europe, failure will not be taken lightly.
Team: Rapid Vienna
Country: Austria
06/07 League Position: 4th
Key Players: Umit Korkmaz, Mate Bilic, Steffen Hofmann
Rapid have a decent history in European competition, finishing runner-up in the ECWC twice, to Everton in 85 and to PSG in 96. In recent years, however, the Vienna club have found success had to come by, and failed to qualify for Europe in 2006/07. In goal is Austrian Helge Payer, who is better than the other goalkeepers available. Raimund Hedl is your backup here. In defence, we have Christian Thonhofer on the right, Markus Katzer on the left and Mario Tokic and Martin Hiden in the centre. Jurgen Patocka and Andreas Dober are possible back-ups for this position, though investment might be needed. In midfield, down the wings we have Korkmaz and Hofmann and down the middle Markus Heikkinen and Branko Boskovic. There isn’t a lot of great back-up, so you will need to splash some of the few cash you have. Up front are Bilic and Mario Bazina, both Croatian, who score goals for fun. Again, there isn’t much back-up, but you can get some decent loan signings in Austria. Rapid are a team in decline, so this is always going to be a tough challenge, but if you can get the right squad of players together, who knows, the Austrian league could be yours for the taking.
Team: FC St.Gallen
Country: Switzerland
06/07 League Position: 5th
Key Players: Bernt Haas, Kwabena Agouda, Stefano Razzetti
St Gallen are a team who have had little success over the years, they’ve only won two Swiss Championships, and one of those was before the First World War. They have a pretty average squad for the Swiss league, with some players you might have heard of before. In goal they have the impressive Razzetti, who is one of the better keepers in the league. Across the back they have Bernt Haas, the former Sunderland man, Fernando Cesar de Souza, Juan Pablo Garat and Swiss player Phillip Muntwiler. There is limited or no back-up for the defensive area, so spend spend spend! In midfield are David Calla, Jurgen Gjasula, Michael Lang and David Marazzi, with Diego Ciccone and Jesus Mendez as back-up. Up front are Ghanaian wonderkid Kwabena Agouda and Argentinian Adrian Fernandez. St Gallen are a team that challenge for the European slots in Switzerland every year, but whether you can get them one better and challenge for the league remains to be seen.
Team: Hajduk Split
Country: Croatia
06/07 League Position: 2nd
Key Players: Igor Tudor, Boris Zivkovic, Maris Verpakovskis
The dominating side throughout the 90’s in Croatia, Hajduk battle it out year after year with Croatia’s most successful club, Dinamo Zagreb. They have a good squad, with a couple of household names, including ex-Juve man and captain Igor Tudor and Pompey failure Boris Zivkovic. In goal, take your pick. Hajduk are spoilt for choice with two of Croatia’s best keepers, Vladimir Balic and Vjekoslav Tomic. Across the back four, we have Jurica Buljat, Goran Sablic and of course Zivkovic and Tudor. There is very few back-up players, especially at full back, so attention needs to be given to that area. In midfield, Kresimir Makarin, Florin Cernat, on loan from Kiev, Marin Ljubicic and Mirko Hrgovic. Up front is another Kiev loanman, Verpakovskis, who plays alongside either Ante Rukavina or Nikola Kalinic. There is plenty of back-up for this position, so much so you might need to loan some players out to keep them happy. With this squad, there is no reason you can’t finish Champions and push on for Europe, like the great team of the 90’s.
