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Pentagon Pursuit | Part 29 | Rasamu’s Ruthless Rebuild
A tricky few months in Curitiba had left Robaato Rasamu facing arguably the biggest challenge of his short managerial career. He’d taken charge of an Athlético Paranaense side that was underperforming and, the way he saw it, was filled with prima donnas earning far too much money and in some cases were far too old.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 28 | Moving To South America
Having fully relaxed for a month or so, it was time for Robaato Rasamu to consider the two outstanding tasks on his Pentagon Pursuit. The next challenge on his globetrotting adventure was to find himself a job in South America. But importantly, it couldn’t be any old South American club.
For Sparta! | Part 10 | Spartans’ Warrior Spirit Shines
The Spartan Army massively upset all the odds to record the best season in club history and reach the Championship playoffs for the first time in 2031. But the challenge now was to build on that improvement and ensure they didn’t suffer a repeat of the relegation in 2029.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 27 | The Ultimate Revenge
The magic touch of Japanese manager Robaato Rasamu was rubbing off on his Kaizer Chiefs side as they looked set to qualify from their African Champions League group and led the way in South Africa’s DStv Premiership. A welcome two-month mid-season break moving into 2035 gave Rasamu and his players a little time to recover, reset and refocus ahead of a huge few months.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 26 | First Taste Of African Champions League
Kaizer Chiefs enjoyed a successful first season under Robaato Rasamu, winning two domestic cups and securing continental football after just missing out on the South African title on the final day of the DStv Premiership.
For Sparta! | Part 9 | Upsetting The Odds In The Championship
King Leonidas was granted iconic status at The Spartans FC as led his unfancied charges to an unlikely League 1 title at the first time of asking. That meant his Spartan army were set for their 4th campaign in the cinch Championship with everyone expecting them to fail.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 25 | The King Of Cups
These were exciting times at Kaizer Chiefs as Robaato Rasamu’s new manager bounce had seen them win some silverware and taken the Phefeni Glamour Boys top of the league after the first period of DStv Premiership.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 24 | The Phefeni Glamour Boys
Robaato Rasamu’s 4-star reputation meant he could probably work for most clubs around the world. But rather than head to Europe, he was keen to test his abilities on a different continent.
For Sparta! | Part 8 | Reid Smashes League 1 Goals Record
Relegation is always a bitter pill to swallow. But in the case of The Spartans, it was always likely to come. King Leonidas, never one to get downheartened by a little misfortune, viewed the return to League 1 as an opportunity to realign, strengthen and weed out any bad eggs in his changing room.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 23 | LAFC At The FIFA Club World Cup
At his quaint abode, away from the utter carnage on the streets of LA, sipping a particularly delicious Japanese whisky, Rasamu thought to himself “Two down and three to go.”
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 22 | Facing Familiar Foes In CONCACAF Clashes
A private jet landing on the runway at Los Angeles International Airport was far from unusual. But this latest arrival seemed a little different, based on the huddle of reporters and photographers baying for a first look at Los Angeles’ latest celebrity. While many of the assembled media had never heard of Japanese manager Robaato Rasamu, he was clearly a man with a growing reputation.
For Sparta! | Part 7 | Crazy Relegation Fight
The Spartans FC just about managed to stay in the cinch Championship for a 3rd campaign as King Leonidas’ young side finished 8th amid a really tight relegation battle. And it seemed another tough campaign lay in waiting.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 21 | Cups Kick Off & A Massive Opportunity
Half a season of tactical tinkering had seen Robaato Rasamu finetune his approach to life in México. Led by some seriously exciting prospects, including the NxGn 2032 winner Luis Fernández, it seemed like his Club Fútbol de Pachuca side were heading in the right direction, having won Liga MX Clausura last season.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 20 | Tactical Tinkering
Club Fútbol de Pachuca upset the odds to claim a first Mexican title in nine years led by a host of exciting young prospects and their promising young coach Robaato Rasamu. That success should mean continental football is guaranteed next season, as each league stage winner qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions League.
For Sparta! | Part 6 | Second Season Syndrome
Spartans FC yet again proved their doubters wrong as they secured a mid-table finish in their first season in the cinch Championship. The challenge now was for King Leonidas and his young charges to start challenging the division’s bigger sides, while remaining a semi-professional club.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 19 | Seeking Continental Football
Robaato Rasamu’s reputation for developing young players had been enhanced no end by his first few months in México. He led C.F. Pachuca into the Clausura playoffs in his first half season, led by an exciting strikeforce with a combined age of just 36.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 18 | Exciting Youth Prospects
CF Pachuca were off to a solid start under their first Japanese manager Robaato Rasamu. He’d led his new side, who only had ambitions to “not finish bottom” to eight points from six games and 13th place in the 18-team Liga MX Apertura stage.
For Sparta! | Part 5 | Mission Impossible
Even for a manager who thrived on succeeding when presented with challenging situations, this was a mission impossible. The inspirational attitude and unwavering Spartan ethos of manager King Leonidas had led his unfancied charges into the cinch Championship for the 2026/27 campaign.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 17 | Sayonara Japan, Hola México
On 10 October 2030, seven years and three months since starting his career at Kamatamare Sanuki, Rasamu was swapping Japan for México.
Christmas FM Experiment | FC Santa Claus | Part 5: FC Santa Claus In The Champions League
Merry Christmas everyone! To celebrate, we’ve got a special festive blog as Kris Kringle leads FC Santa Claus, fresh from winning the European Conference League, into the Champions League group stage as bookies’ favourites to win the competition.
Christmas FM Experiment | FC Santa Claus | Part 4: Rudolph Red-Nosed Reindeer Crowned Best Player In The World
FC Santa Claus’ domination had extended from Finland into Europe as they won their maiden domestic title and topped the Europa Conference League league phase at a canter. But manager Kris Kringle wasn’t satisfied with that and wanted to take the club to new heights.
Christmas FM Experiment | FC Santa Claus | Part 3: Champions Of Finland
The young reindeer of FC Santa Claus had led the club into Finland’s top tier for the first time and sent the club into Europe for the 2025 campaign. Kris Kringle was very happy with his young team and chairperson Papa Elf was very happy with his manager with two exceptions: his inability to spend the club’s sizeable transfer budget and sign high profile players.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 16 | Another Saudi Showdown
Japan’s rising star of football management, who was also celebrating passing his Continental Pro Licence and entering the Japan Hall of Fame, didn’t let the frivolities last for too long. He was firmly focused on the major challenge of trying to win the AFC Champions League when it resumed in February.
Christmas FM Experiment | FC Santa Claus | Part 2: Relentless Rudolph
Christmas was always a particularly hectic time of year for Kris Kringle, but 2023 was his busiest yet. No sooner than he was done with the sizeable task of delivering presents to every child around the world than he and his reindeer were reporting for action at FC Santa Claus.
Christmas FM Experiment | FC Santa Claus | Part 1: Father Christmas And His Reindeer
Christmas is around the corner so I thought we’d use Football Manager and, more importantly, the FM Editor, to spread a little festive joy. I started researching Christmas-related football teams and discovered the brilliantly-named FC Santa Claus, which is based in the city of Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 15 | Final Day Drama In Japan
Robaato Rasamu came so close to sealing the first title in his mission to win all five top-tier continental trophies as Albirex Niigata narrowly lost to big-spending Al-Hilal in the AFC Champions League Final. The Japanese manager needed a little time to get his head around the defeat and consider his options moving forward.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 14 | AFC Champions League Excitement
Approaching six years of life as a Football Manager, Robaato Rasamu was enjoying his first taste of continental football in his mission to win every top-tier continental club trophy. His Albirex Niigata side just wrapped up their best-ever league campaign and reached the knockout rounds of their maiden AFC Champions League campaign.
For Sparta! | Part 4 | A Whole Lot Of HA-OOOH
King Leonidas launched into a rallying cry that concluded: “This day we rescue a world from mysticism and tyranny, and usher in a future brighter than anything we can imagine.” And his pumped up players issued a rally call of “HA-OOOH!”
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 13 | First Taste Of Continental Football
A strong start to the 2028 J1 League season saw Albirex Niigata sitting in 2nd place and dreaming of a title battle with still-unbeaten Gamba Osaka. They also had the prospect of a first-ever AFC Champions League campaign to look forward to.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 12 | Niigata’s All-Time Record Goalscorer
Albirex Niigata had qualified for the AFC Champions League, which meant Rasamu and, as far as he could tell, the club would get their first taste of continental football. And, considering this save is all about winning the leading competition on every continent, that was a pretty big deal – but it doesn’t start until well into the second half of the league campaign.
For Sparta! | Part 3 | Spartans’ First Season In League 1
The people of Edinburgh expected carnage, and carnage they received. King Leonidas led a wild rampage around the Scottish capital, dragging an army of Spartans FC players, staff and fans on a messy bar crawl across the city to celebrate the club’s back-to-back promotions and first-ever taste of tier three football.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 11 | Seven-Way Title Fight
Albirex Niigata were off to an absolute flyer in Robaato Rasamu’s first season of top-flight football. They found themselves 2nd in J1 League after 18 games but, with injuries and a heavy schedule stacking up, it would be a major challenge to maintain that form.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 10 | First Taste Of Top-Flight Football
The remarkable rise of Robaato Rasamu in the world of football management had seen him go from being unemployed to reaching the J1 League in just over three years. He now faced a huge task as he prepared for his first taste of top-flight football.
For Sparta! | Part 2 | Final Day Excitement
The intimidating figure of 6ft 8in King Leonidas burst through the front door of Ainslie Park Stadium, muttering Greek curses as he rushed towards his office. He’d just received the news that big-name signing Asamoah Gyan had agreed a move to Bosnia just days after Leonidas had allowed backup striker Cammy Russell depart for Elgin City.
South America’s Exciting Title Races
A few months ago, we wrote about why Chile had the world’s most exciting title race and, while we weren’t wrong, we also weren’t exactly right. Because Brazil, in true Brazilian fashion, has only gone and trumped the still pretty exciting battle in Chile.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 9 | J2 League Domination
The decision to depart Kamatamare Sanuki for Albirex Niigata was very much justified at the halfway mark of the 2026 campaign. Robaato Rasamu’s second club enjoyed a healthy 11-point lead with a game in hand and Niigata fans were dreaming of a return to J1 League under their exciting new manager.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 8 | Moving To Albirex Niigata
Three seasons of overachievement at Kamatamare Sakuni had hugely increased the stock of fledgling manager Robaato Rasamu. Indeed, his efforts in leading Sakuni to a club-record 7th place in J2 League saw Albirex Niigata come calling and Rasamu joined the second club of his career on 7 December 2025.
For Sparta! | Part 1 | Asamoah Gyan’s Brief Stint In Scottish League 2
With the superbly named The Spartans FC being playable for the first time in Football Manager 2024, it’s time for a save that epitomises the Spartan ethos of courage, honour, loyalty, integrity, selflessness and values of equality, military fitness and austerity in Football Manager terms.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 7 | A New Kamatamare Sanuki High
Kamatamare Sanuki were again defying all expectations as they sat safely in mid-table halfway through the J2 League 2-25 campaign. The massive relegation favourites looked to be avoiding any concerns at the bottom of the table, and even had the playoffs in their sights on the back of an eight-game unbeaten streak.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 6 | Stepping Up To J2 League
The streets of Takamatsu were painted blue as the fans of Kamatamare Sanuki celebrated an unexpected promotion and J3 League title win in 2024. The supporters were united in thinking there was only one man to thank for this success, their fledgling manager Robaato Rasamu, who was instilled as a fans’ favourite alongside the mighty Himan “He-Man” Morimoto.
Gli Azzurri | Part 13 | Our Little Argentinian Genius
Despite only losing once in the first half of the 2028/29 Serie A campaign, Empoli FC found themselves trailing leaders Napoli by five points. But there were certainly shoots of optimism at the young side’s improving fortunes against Italy’s traditional big boys.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 5 | By The Power Of Greyskull!
Football management was supposed to be a really challenging job, but Robaato Rasamu was absolutely loving life as manager of Japanese J3 League side Kamatamare Sanuki. His first half-season had been a bit of a challenge, but season two had been a flying success to date.
Gli Azzurri | Part 12 | Rejoicing In Justice
The old FM24 goalkeeper injury curse hit Empoli FC hard and curtailed their push for a maiden Serie A title in 2027/28. But that disappointment aside, we’d built an exciting young squad in Tuscany and the club was very much on the up.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 4 | First Winter Rebuild
Fledgling manager Robaato Rasamu had made a lively start to life in his first role at Kamatamare Sanuki, averaging four goals per match in his first 20 career games. But he was also a manager keen to make progress, as proven by bagging his first coaching badge, the National C License, in January 2024.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 3 | Goals Aplenty!
Robaato Rasamu was a little taken aback at how quickly he’d managed to fall into a job in football management. He’d only spent 13 days as an unemployed and inexperienced Football Manager yet Japanese third-tier side Kamatamare Sanuki had deemed him the ideal option for their vacant managerial role.
Gli Azzurri | Part 11 | Goalkeeper Injury Hits Hard
Europa League champions Empoli FC were flying high, heading into 2028 sitting 2nd in Serie A and with the Champions League knockout stages tantalisingly close.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 2 | Robaato Rasamu’s Job Hunt
Rasamu wasted no time in applying for vacancies that were available on 3 July, including a couple of roles in his native Japan and clubs in South Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia. Six days later, he attended his very first Football Manager interview with Malaysian club Melaka FC then two more interviews with Japanese side Kamatamare Sanuki and South African side Black Leopards.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 1 | Introducing An Epic Global Challenge
“These days, it seems like every man and his dog thinks he’s capable of being the next Pep Guardiola.” That was the opening line from the thesis that Robaato Rasamu (ロバート ラサム) had proudly presented to the advisory board at The University of Tokyo Sports Science Initiative a few months ago.
Gli Azzurri | Part 10 | Empoli In The Champions League
The good people of Empoli painted the streets blue with gallons of Nastro Azzurro, Chianti, limoncello and Negronis flowing freely as they celebrated the greatest day in the history of Empoli FC. Our young side defied all the odds to win the Europa League and record the highest-ever finish in club history.
Gli Azzurri | Part 9 | Homegrown Hero Primoz Kompara
These were exciting times at Empoli FC as we’d established ourselves in Serie A, were beginning to challenge some of Italy’s bigger sides, and were edging towards the latter stages of the Europa League.