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Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 17: Establishing Turf Wars Dominance
The streets of Cataluña were once again awash with red and yellow as the heroic young team of Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu paraded the La Liga trophy through the streets of the region. Homegrown stars like newly installed club legend Genar Iglesias, captain Luis Marín and his fellow Spain international Norbert led a wild party as […]
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 16: An All Catalan Title Battle
Supporters of Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu were in dreamland as, for the second summer in succession, they honoured their footballing heroes with an open-top bus celebration parading the European Cup trophy through the streets of Cataluña. The region was used to decking the streets out in red and yellow as their Catalan heroes Luis Marín, Genar […]
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 15: Massive Turf Wars Showdown
The people of Cataluña, traditionally accustomed to following the Blaugranes of FC Barcelona, had a new group of heroes as they celebrated the unexpected of Los Quadribarrats. One of their own, Oriol Ribas, had transformed Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu from fourth-tier anonymity to the very elite of the footballing world, as the former Ultras leader turned manager and his team of exciting youngsters became Champions of Europe in 2038.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 14: Sant Andreu’s European Champions!
In just 13 years, former Ultras leader Oriol Ribas had transformed his beloved Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu from fourth tier minnows to European champions. And the key to that success had been plenty of homegrown academy products and an army of exciting young prospects.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 13: Sant Andreu Youth Revolution Continues
Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu recorded yet another highest-ever finish as they came 3rd behind Turf Wars rivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in 2036. And Ultras leader-turned-manager Oriol Ribas was excited about the massive potential at the club.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 12: New Era Inspires First Turf Wars Victory
Unió Esportiva Sant Andre came within a couple of penalty kicks of becoming shock European champions, only to lose out to Turf Wars rivals FC Barcelona in the Champions League Final in 2035. That marked an impressive decade at the helm for former Ultras leader Oriol Ribas, who was preparing to lead the club into a fifth season in LaLiga.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 21 | Gunma’s First Asian Footballer of the Year
Thespakusatsu Gunma racked up a record four consecutive Japanese titles, taking them to five in total, with a new league record 97 points in 2045. However, it was the end of an era in July as a special homegrown talent, Atsushi Shimizu, departed the club after 13 years to claim a payday in Saudi at the age of 29. And this was likely to be the final season at the club for manager Robaato Rasamu, now 62 and heading into his 21st season at the club.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 11: Turf Wars Reaches Fever Pitch in Unprecedented Triple Crown Bid
Nine years ago, Oriol Ribas was the leader of one of Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu’s Ultras groups, proudly taking his place leading the chants at Narcís Sala every weekend. Now, he was the even prouder manager of this great club who, unbelievably, had led it to consecutive European trophies in the Conference League and the Europa League.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 20 | “Special One” Rasamu Establishes Thespa Gunma Dynasty
Thespakusatsu Gunma bagged consecutive Japanese titles and became world champions with a famous 3-0 victory over the mighty FC Barcelona in 2043. That success saw the club rise up the world rankings, becoming the 15th most reputable club in the world – 18 years on from lingering in J3 League mediocrity. Less than a year […]
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 10: Sant Andreu Academy’s First Spain International
The people of Cataluña showed the rest of the world how to party as they welcomed their team of young superheroes home after leading Sant Andreu to an unexpected Europa Conference League success. Around 30,000 Catalans ripped Turin to shreds before bringing the celebrations back to Barcelona, eclipsing the celebrations of their cross-city glory supporting rivals.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 19 | Continental Conquests
The streets of the Gunma Prefecture witnessed one of the wildest parties this part of Japan had ever seen as the homegrown heroes of Thespakusatsu Gunma paraded the J1 League, AFC Champions League and Emperor’s Cup trophies.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 18 | Celebrating Our Greatest Ever Wonderkid Factory
Our fourth iteration of the Wonderkid Factory may well be our best yet as, 17 years into Wonderkid Factory IV, our homegrown Thespakusatsu Gunma squad won a second J1 League title, their first domestic cup and became Champions of Asia in 2042. Furthermore, 12 of the homegrown players are in the current Japan squad.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 9: Sant Andreu in Europe!
The meteoric rise of Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu picked up pace as exciting homegrown attackers led them to a massive overperformance, securing European football in their first season in LaLiga. That raised expectations and created a massive challenge for manager Oriol Ribas to manage domestic and continental football.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 17 | Gunma Chase A Historic Treble
Supporters of Thespakusatsu Gunma were becoming all too accustomed to the feeling of being second best. They saw their side finish 2nd in J1 League for the fifth time in nine seasons in 2041, which, in fairness, they probably couldn’t have dreamed of before manager Robaato Rasamu arrived at the club 16 years ago.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 8: Turf Wars Heats Up As Sant Andreu Reach LaLiga
The Catalan Turf Wars rivalry was really heating up, as promotion meant Sant Andreu would be playing at the same level as cross-city rivals FC Barcelona for the first time.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 16 | Familiar Outcomes in 10th J1 League Season
Robaato Rasamu passed 15 years in charge of Thespakusatsu Gunma, fresh from leading the club to a fourth 2nd-place finish and a sixth top-four finish in J1 League. In those 15 years, Rasamu had led Gunma into battle 680 times, winning 332, drawing 163 and losing 185 en route to leading the club out of the third tier and competing with Japan’s elite. And, ultimately, they achieved the pinnacle as Gunma secured their maiden J1 League title in 2038.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 7: Homegrown Trio Ignite LaLiga Promotion Dreams
The new, true pride of Cataluña, Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu, consolidated their position in Spain’s second tier for a third season, thanks largely to the goal contributions of their homegrown academy products. Manager Oriol Ribas now faced the challenge of reshaping the squad to try and build on two 15th-place finishes.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 15 | Back In Title Contention
Thespakusatsu Gunma’s first J1 League title defence didn’t exactly go to plan as they suffered a slow start but recovered to the board’s expected top-half finish in 2039. And manager Robaato Rasamu recognised it was time to shake things up a little.
Football Academy Manager: Establishing the FM Addict Academy in 20 Seasons
We recently took a sidestep away from our primary focus of Football Manager to, for the first time in the 7 years of FM Addict, play another game. Shock horror! And I enjoyed the experience of playing Football Academy Manager so much that I wanted to continue playing. So I fired the game back up and made it through 20 seasons of our first save in the game.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 6: Reyes Carries Relegation Favourites
The rapid rise of Barcelona’s Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu continued as their exciting young team survived with relative ease in their first-ever season in Spain’s second tier. And Ultras leader turned manager Oriol Ribas continued to focus on youth ahead of his fifth season at the helm.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 14 | The Slow-Burn Okamoto Project
The streets of Gunma Prefecture hosted the biggest party the region had ever seen in June 2038 as Robaato Rasamu and his team of homegrown stars were treated to an open-top bus parade. They showed off the Emperor’s Cup and the J1 League trophies as they celebrated not only winning the club’s first major honour but also an unexpected double.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 5: Registration Headaches
To the surprise of everyone in Spain, let alone in Barcelona, little Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu secured promotion to Spain’s second tier for the first time in club history in 2028. This saw the Turf Wars begin to simmer, with the club now just one league below their city rivals FC Barcelona for the first time.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 13 | Gunma’s First Trophy
Thespakusatsu Gunma finished 2nd in J1 League for the third time in five years as Robaato Rasamu’s exciting youngsters excelled again in 2036/37. But, after 12 years in charge of Gunma, Rasamu was keen to take the next step and secure the club’s first major silverware.
FM Experiment: What If English Football Went American?
The English football system has been stuck to its traditional pyramid system since the Second Division was created way back in 1892. However, in the summer of 2025, a cash-strapped English Football League went bankrupt and was bought out by an American investor.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 4: Potential Catalan Superstar
Oriol Ribas led Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu to survival in Spain’s third tier, relying on young players to avoid the bookies’ prediction of a surefire relegation. But Ribas’ job wasn’t getting any easier ahead of his third season in charge of the Barcelona club.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 12 | Gunma’s Champions League Return
An improved season saw Thespakusatsu Gunma compete for the Japanese title for the second time in four seasons, two years on from a relegation battle. That improvement saw the club qualify for the Asian Champions League for the second time.
Game Review: Football Academy Manager
If you’ve read any of our FM Stories, you’ll know that one of my favourite elements of playing Football Manager is developing young players to become world beaters. I’d love the ability to get deeper into youth development in FM and gain more knowledge of youngsters coming through the system.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 3: A Mass Exodus at Sant Andreu
Oriol Ribas was the toast of every Catalan native as he led his beloved Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu to playoff glory and back into the Spanish third-tier Primera Federación. However, he quickly encountered a few challenges ahead of his second season in management.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 11 | Massive Academy Star Sales
Thespa Gunma put their relegation battle behind them to record a top-half finish in J League in 2035, while star academy product Yusuke Ishii became the club’s first graduate to play for Japan. The summer of 2035 saw big moves as Gunma’s all-time record goalscorer Masaya Nishi, who scored 133 in 334 games for the […]
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 2: A First FC Barcelona Rivalry
Revolution was afoot in Cataluña as Ultras leader Oriol Ribas was elected as manager of fourth-tier club Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu. The rookie manager was entrusted with the mammoth task of restoring Catalan glory by leading the charge to usurp the mighty FC Barcelona.
Turf Wars | Revolució Quadribarrats | Part 1: A Catalan Revolution
Thousands of people descended on Camp Municipal Narcís Sala ahead of one of the most highly anticipated nights in recent Catalan history. The football culture in Barcelona had been shifting rapidly, as club memberships had increased 600% over the last five years, passionate fans created electrifying stadium atmospheres, and local vendors were completely sold out of replica kits. But this wasn’t due to a surge in support for the club you might be thinking of.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 10 | Gunma’s First Japan International
After enjoying several seasons of success, Thespakusatsu Gunma and Robaato Rasamu came down to earth with a thump as they got drawn into a J1 League relegation battle in 2034. But, 12 months on from a title challenge, they finished the season well to maintain their top-flight status.
Trailblazer | Part 25 | The End of Trailblazer
A strong season back in her homeland of Sweden saw Freja Holm tick the Damallsvenskan title off her list with Malmö FF. That wrapped up an eighth top-tier title of the 11 playable women’s leagues in Football Manager 26, leaving Holm with Australia, Denmark and Germany to tick off.
Trailblazer | Part 24 | Freja Holm Returns Home
Freja Holm finally ended Arsenal and Chelsea’s domination of England’s WSL as she led Manchester City to their first title in 29 years. Now 20 years into her Trailblazer challenge to win the top 11 women’s football leagues, Holm had ticked off seven.
Trailblazer | Part 23 | First Realistic Shot at Defeating Arsenal
Manchester City Women finished as best of the rest behind Arsenal and Chelsea and lost Freja Holm’s second FA Cup Final to Arsenal in 2044. And it was safe to say the Swedish manager was a little sick of the two London clubs’ domination in England.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 9 | Gunma’s First Misfire
Thespakusatsu Gunma recorded a fifth successive record high finish under the tutelage of Robaato Rasamu, who led the club into the Asian Champions League for the first time by finishing 2nd in J1 League in 2033. However, Rasamu was a little concerned about how well his youthful homegrown team would cope with domestic and continental matters.
Trailblazer | Part 22 | Freja Holm Returns To England
Madrid CFF stormed to a goal-hungry maiden Spanish title led by serial title winner Freja Holm in 2043. But, with her sixth of 11 possible domestic titles in the bag, Freja Holm left Madrid with a heavy heart and went in search of her tenth job as a Football Manager.
Trailblazer | Part 21 | Magical Morera Inspires Free-Scoring Madrid CFF
Swedish manager Freja Holm led Madrid Club de Femenino to its first major trophy, lifting the Spanish Cup against city rivals Atlético. An exciting young squad also racked up the club’s highest-ever finish to qualify for the Champions League for the first time. And that gave Holm the challenge of usurping a dominant Real Madrid.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 8 | Surprise J1 League Title Bid
Thespakusatsu Gunma upset all the odds to not only avoid relegation but finish 7th in their first-ever season in the Japanese top tier. Robaato Rasamu was excited about the potential at the club as his promising youngsters continued to deliver.
Trailblazer | Part 20 | Massive Potential in Madrid
Freja Holm rebuilt a Wrexham AFC Women squad to claim a historic Welsh treble and add the Adran Premier title to those won in Italy, Japan, France and USA. A few days on from that success, Holm resigned yet again and went in search of her ninth club.
Trailblazer | Part 19 | Americas Influx in North Wales
A dramatic injury-time winner saw Bay FC claim their maiden NWSL Championship and Freja Holm become the 11th greatest women’s football manager in November 2039. The 49-year-old Swede added the American title to those won in Italy, Japan and France, leaving, in theory, titles in Australia, Denmark, England, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Wales to tick off her Trailblazer challenge.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 7 | A Gunma Golden Generation
A narrow victory saw Thespakusatsu Gunma end their playoff hoodoo to earn their first ever promotion to the top tier of Japanese football in 2031. Now the hard work began for Robaato Rasamu to build a side capable of survival.
Trailblazer | Part 18 | Holm Brings Her Favourite Players to America
Freja Holm brought ageing superstar striker Barbra Banda back to the NWSL in 2038 but it didn’t quite provide the spark that the Swedish manager was hoping for. Her Bay FC side finished in a record-equalling 5th, but finished the season in really poor form. But Holm had her sight set much higher than 5th […]
Trailblazer | Part 17 | Global Superstar Joins American Adventure
Having decided to jump ship from OL Lyonnes, it takes until January 2038 for a job that was interesting and she could actually apply for. And that arrived in the form of an offer from the USA.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 6 | Surviving Board Interventions for Another Playoff Shot
For the second time in 12 months, Thespakusatsu Gunma suffered promotion playoff heartache fresh from recording the best position in club history in 2030. Their overachievement saw manager Robaato Rasamu interviewed by relegated J1 League side Cerezo Osaka, but he remained committed to the Gunma cause.
Trailblazer | Part 16 | Thrilling Six-Way Title Race… With A Twist
An eight-time European champion invites Holm for an interview and swiftly offers her their vacant manager role. So Holm is off to her sixth club in six different countries.
Trailblazer | Part 15 | Moving To Country Number Five
Swedish manager Freja Holm was back on the job hunt after a successful 12 months in Japan, leading Urawa Reds to their first league title in 11 years. That added the Japanese title to the two in Italy, as Holm looked to tick off all 11 playable nations in Football Manager 26.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 5 | Cruel Penalty Pain
Just six minutes separated Thespa Gunma from a surprise promotion to the Japanese top tier. However, the J2 League’s silly rule that the home side gets promoted if a playoff final is drawn meant they missed out, which, in hindsight, was probably for the best given they’d just recorded the club’s record high finish.
Trailblazer | Part 14 | Freja Holm’s Japanese Challenge
After wrapping up consecutive Serie A successes, including an invincible campaign in 2036, Freja Holm resigned as manager of Fiorentina and went in search of a new challenge. Upon resigning, very few opportunities were available, but Holm applied for a vacancy in Japan. And she was quickly given the chance to move to a new continent.
Wonderkid Factory | Part 4 | Transfer Errors Before Gunma Hit J2 Flying
The unfancied youthful side of Thespa Gunma were the surprise package of Japan’s J3 League as they snuck into the playoffs and put in two huge performances to seal promotion to the second tier.