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Alphabet Challenge | Part 41, Club 20 | 17-Year-Old Superstar Inspires Historic Season
Zambian manager Trebor Mahtal wasn’t getting any younger, so a long stay in Scotland wasn’t exactly at the top of his list of objectives as he aimed to tick off the 18th letter of his Alphabet Challenge. Yet, for just the second time in his career, the 76-year-old began a fourth season at a club as he extended his stay at Scotland’s oldest club Queen’s Park.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 40, Club 20 | Queen’s Park’s First European Football After 192 Years
For the first time in its 192-year history, Zambian manager Trebor Mahtal led Scotland’s oldest club Queen’s Park to European qualification in 2059.
Cornish Crusade | Part 11 | Celebrating A Decade Of Upsetting The Odds At Truro
Ten years ago, in 2023, the city of Truro was only really known for its traditional tin mining. Fast-forward to 2033 and the city’s football team, Truro City FC, was one of the big talking points amongst national commentators and supporters. People across the UK were adopting the club as their second team as The Tinners continued to defy the odds.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 39, Club 20 | Potential Homegrown Superstars
Queen’s Park recorded the best league finish in club history as Trebor Mahtal led them to 5th place in the cinch Premiership in 2058. However, they only managed to get 6 points out of 48 against Scotland’s big four sides, Aberdeen, Celtic, Hibernian and Rangers.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 38, Club 20 | Blooding Youth In Scotland
Eleven months was all Trebor Mahtal needed to win his second Swiss title with Young Boys, and tick letter Y off his Alphabet Challenge. That meant the 73-year-old Zambian now only had more letters to tick off his challenge: C, D, F, G, H, I, K, Q and X. Upon resigning from the Swiss side, […]
Cornish Crusade | Part 10 | Truro City In The Championship
A fairy tale was well and truly coming to life in Cornwall as little Truro City earned their place in the second tier of English football for the first time. The club with comfortably the smallest budget in League One earned automatic promotion with a squad of promising youngsters
Alphabet Challenge | Part 37, Club 19 | Gashi’s Goalscoring Exploits
Trebor Mahtal led AC Milan to its first-ever Europa League success in 2056, ticking off the 16th letter of his Alphabet Challenge. That meant that, after 32 years as a Football Manager, the 72-year-old now had 10 more letters remaining to complete this epic journey: C, D, F, G, H, I, K, Q, X and Y.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 37, Club 19 | Gashi’s Goalscoring Exploits
Trebor Mahtal led AC Milan to its first-ever Europa League success in 2056, ticking off the 16th letter of his Alphabet Challenge. That meant that, after 32 years as a Football Manager, the 72-year-old now had 10 more letters remaining to complete this epic journey: C, D, F, G, H, I, K, Q, X and Y.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 36, Club 18 | Record-Breaking Goal Tallies
AC Milan secured a solid 5th place after a massive summer clearout as Trebor Mahtal took control of his fourth Italian club. The Zambian now faced another big summer as he looked to bridge a big gap to the big two of Juventus and Napoli.
Cornish Crusade | Part 9 | Huge Record Sales Before Promotion Race
Local hero Perran Trevelyan had led Truro City to eight consecutive club record high finishes and a second cup competitions as they won the EFL Trophy in 2031. And he was keen to develop his young squad to build on last season’s League One playoff place.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 35, Club 18 | Mahtal’s Fourth Italian Club
It was a case of one year and out as Trebor Mahtal celebrated his 70th birthday by winning the Slovenian league and cup double with NK Olimpija Ljubljana. The Zambian wrapped up the 13th league and 13th cup of his 30-year career and went in hunt of his 18th club to begin the task of ticking the 16th team off his Alphabet Challenge.
FM Experiment | What If Clubs Were PUNISHED For Winning Matches?
We changed the long-standing rules of football to actively punish teams for winning matches. Teams gain more points for drawing and losing than they do for winning, and gain more money if they draw or lose a match.
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Alphabet Challenge | Part 34, Club 17 | Defence First In Slovenia
A Swiss domestic double saw Trebor Mahtal move into the second half of his Alphabet Challenge. An army of homegrown youth led him to a league and cup win before going in search of his 17th club in 29 years of management.
Cornish Crusade | Part 8 | Record Appearances Holder & Truro Head Back To Wembley
Truro City came close to a surprise playoff push in their first season in England’s tier three. But a tricky summer looked to be in store as manager Perran Trevelyan looked to restore the youth in his squad.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 33, Club 16 | Exciting Attack Inspires Zürich Excellence
After overseeing a massive firesale of around 40 players and signing zero replacements in his first six months in Switzerland, Trebor Mahtal led his young FC Zürich side to an unexpected second place in Raiffeisen Super League. He now faced the dilemma of whether to continue putting faith in homegrown youth or bolster the squad with additions.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 32, Club 16 | Z Target Begins With 40-Player Firesale
Free-scoring Valencia ran riot to lift LaLiga and help Trebor Mahtal hit the halfway mark on his Alphabet Challenge, in which he bids to win a major trophy with a club beginning with every letter of the alphabet. But the world-class manager was only out of work for two days before being offered an interview.
Cornish Crusade | Part 7 | Loanees Flourish In Tight League One Battle
The pride of Cornwall was stronger than ever as the county folk took to the streets to celebrate Truro City’s promotion to England’s tier three. But Perran Trevelyan faced a tough task to revamp a squad for the big step up to League One.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 31, Club 15 | Free-Scoring Valencia
Valencia CF came so close to an unexpected Spanish title in Trebor Mahtal’s first full season, only losing out to Real Madrid on the final day of the 2049/50 campaign. A summer of change was around the corner, but Trebor Mahtal was positive about his young side’s future.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 30, Club 15 | Pushing Real Madrid All The Way
Half a season in Spain had seen Valencia CF finish in a fairly distant 4th position in LaLiga and just fall short in the Conference League Final. And manager Trebor Mahtal now had his eye on improvements to close the gap on Spain’s big three.
Cornish Crusade | Part 6 | McAtee And Heskey Inspire Promotion Push
Cornwall’s love of football was exploding as Truro City, the county’s first-ever Football League club, survived with relative ease in their first season in League Two. Manager Perran Trevelyan now had to try and take his team to the next level to push towards the top half of the division.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 29, Club 15 | First Taste Of Spanish Football
Trebor Mahtal wrapped up consecutive Mexican titles as he led a strong Tigres side to Liga MX Apertura in December 2048. That saw him win a major trophy with the 12th letter of the alphabet, moving him close to halfway to completing his Alphabet Challenge.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 28, Club 14 | A Major Mexican Opportunity
After two fairly tricky years at Necaxa, including 15 months without winning an away game, Trebor Mahtal led an exciting young team to an unexpected Liga MX Clausura success. That ticked N off his Alphabet Challenge, alongside A, B, E, J, L, M, P, S, U and W, meaning he’d completed 11 of the 26 legs of the challenge.
Cornish Crusade | Part 5 | Cornwall’s First Football League Club
The rapid rise of Truro City showed no signs of slowing down as Perran Trevelyan led his hometown club to Vanarama National League glory, establishing The Tinners as Cornwall’s first-ever Football League side. The Cornish folk were out in full force as Trevelyan and his young team celebrated their third trophy with an open-top bus tour around the county.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 27, Club 13 | Away Despair And Draw Happy Before Mahtal Celebrates 1,000 Matches
Five months in Mexico had seen Trebor Mahtal consolidate Club Necaxa’s position as an upper-mid-table Liga MX side while bringing £8m into the club. However, a weak squad was in dire need of improvements to be competitive.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 26, Club 13 | Exploring A New Continent
Trebor Mahtal completed the 10th leg of his Alphabet Challenge in May 2046, leaving him with the task of winning a major trophy with clubs whose names begin with 16 more letters of the alphabet. Big success at Borussia Dortmund meant he’d now ticked off A, B, E, J, L, M, P, S, U and W.
Cornish Crusade | Part 4 | Big Cup Upset And Promotion Push
Football fans in Cornwall weren’t accustomed to celebrating success for their local sides, but Perran Trevelyan and his exciting young Truro City squad were slowly putting a dent in that mindset.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 25, Club 12 | Back In Germany And Chasing A Treble
Trebor Mahtal ticked off the ninth leg of his Alphabet Challenge as he led Juventus to its first Serie A title for 25 years in 2045. The Zambian now went in search of his 12th club and immediately eyed up a few interesting roles.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 24, Club 11 | Big-Spending Juventus Chase First Scudetto In 25 Years
Juventus enjoyed an improved campaign after Trebor Mathal cleared out the old boys and brought some young talent into the Old Lady. But the Zambian was keen to keep improving a squad that lacked in certain areas to close the gap to Italy’s elite.
Cornish Crusade | Part 3 | A Big Day Out At Wembley
Exciting times were afoot in Cornwall as the county’s first-ever National League side Truro City ensured survival a few months after attracting a tycoon takeover from Indian investor Richard Mukherjee. Manager Perran Trevelyan now faced a huge task to rebuild and strengthen a pretty weak squad.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 23, Club 11 | Moving The Old Boys Out Of The Old Lady
Mahtal applied for vacancies at big clubs across Europe and teams that would tick off challenging letters. The biggest offer ticked off both, which took Mahtal to his third Italian club.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 22, Club 10 | Two Dreadful Cup Finals
A few months back in England with West Ham United had seen Trebor Mahtal lift the club’s first silverware in 19 years and take them back into European football. But the Zambian manager had significant challenges ahead if he was to help the Hammers compete with England’s best.
Cornish Crusade | Part 2 | Truro City Tycoon Takeover!
The streets of Truro were filled with Cornish folk celebrating the unlikely achievement of Perran Trevelyan reaching the English fifth tier for the first time in club history. However, given the club’s inability to sign non-Cornish players, surviving in the National League was going to be a massive challenge.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 21, Club 10 | Return To England Yields Immediate Rewards
Interest came from Europe as Braga and West Ham United offered Trebor Mahtal interviews, and the wages on offer left him with an easy decision to move back to England.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 20, Club 9 | Swapping Riches For Racing
Mahtal resigned from his Old Trafford role one day after becoming Champion of Europe and went in search of his next challenge. Two clubs quickly came in with interview offers, and one was clearly more keen – which meant Mahtal was off to Argentina to take a £116,500 wage cut!
Cornish Crusade | Part 1 | Homegrown Challenge At Truro City
With oodles of time to fill before Football Manager 2026 sees the light of day, I was eager to take on another long-term FM24 save that wasn’t quite as intense as our ongoing Alphabet Challenge. I realised we’ve never started a series in the English non-league and fancied taking on a new long-term save.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 19, Club 8 | Inheriting The Best Footballer In The World
Mahtal was now just over one-quarter of the way through his Alphabet Challenge, having added A to the previous success at clubs beginning with E, L, P, S and U. He was also approached by Inter Milan and, intriguingly, Neuchatel Xamax but chose to head to England.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 18, Club 7 | Inheriting A Superstar Striker
Atalanta BC shook up Serie A as they beat Italy’s big three en route to wrapping up qualification for the Europa League in the first season back in the top tier. Manager Trebor Mahtal would face a significant challenge to hold onto his exciting youngsters with Europe’s elite circling in the summer of 2039 but, before he got a chance, one came calling for him.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 17, Club 6 | Upsetting Italy’s Big Boys
Atalanta BC earned a nail-biting return to Serie A at the first time of asking with a 2-1 aggregate victory in the 2038 Serie B playoff final. Trebor Mahtal now had a big task to strengthen a side now that a worrying financial situation was potentially behind them.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 16, Club 6 | Putting Faith In Italian Youth
Unexpected success in Germany saw Trebor Mahtal lead Eintracht Frankfurt to the club’s second Bundesliga title in 2037. A stellar season saw Frankfurt edge out Bayern and Leipzig, which led to Mahtal resigning from his fifth club and again searching for another.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 15, Club 5 | An Unlikely Bundesliga Title Race
Half a season in Germany had seen Trebor Mahtal lead Eintracht Frankfurt away from outside relegation worries to the edges of European qualification. He’d also swiftly removed any financial concerns and snapped up winger Iván Alonso, one of the most exciting wonderkids in Europe. Indeed, Frankfurt began the summer of 2036 with £74m in the […]
Alphabet Challenge | Part 14, Club 5 | A Big European Opportunity
After 11 years as a Football Manager, Trebor Mahtal celebrated his first national title as he led Universitario to their first Peruvian league win for 22 years in 2035. With a heavy heart, the Zambian left the club at the end of his contract and went in search of his fifth club – having ticked […]
Alphabet Challenge | Part 13, Club 4 | Exciting Strikers Deliver For Universitario
Peruvian giants Universitario had been suffering a lean spell of late. But, under the guidance of 50-year-old Zambian manager Trebor Mahtal, fans of the nation’s best-supported club were suddenly feeling optimistic again.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 12, Club 4 | Edging Closer To Former Glory
An exciting first taste of South American football saw Trebor Mahtal win five of his six matches to lead Peruvian fallen giants Universitario into midtable obscurity in 2033. The Zambian now had a big summer ahead as he looked to reshape the club and restore it to former glory.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 11, Club 4 | Joining A Fallen Giant
Perak FC finally put an end to Johor’s Malaysian domination, preventing them from completing three consecutive domestic trebles by winning the Malaysian FA Cup. That allowed Trebor Mahtal to tick P off his Alphabet Challenge, along with S and L, and start looking for his fourth job.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 10, Club 3 | Challenging Dominant Johor
Perak FC earned a solid 5th place upon their return to Malaysia’s top flight. But manager Trebor Mahtal was at a loss for how they could compete with Johor, who won a treble alongside 17 consecutive titles.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 9, Club 3 | Stepping Up To Malaysia Super League
There were goals aplenty in Trebor Mahtal’s first season in Malaysia as he led Perak to an immediate promotion and a cup final, scoring 148 goals and conceding 66 in 37 matches.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 8, Club 3 | Scoring Goals For Fun
Mahtal allowed his Longford contract to expire then, on 1 December 2028, he resigned. To begin the quest for letter number three, he had to spin the Magic Alphabet Wheel before going back on the job hunt.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 7, Club 2 | Inspired Signings At Longford
Rank outsiders Longford Town managed to secure survival as the only semi-professional club in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division in 2027. However, the positives of survival were countered by the club’s board refusing to go professional or allow manager Trebor Mahtal to start his next coaching course.
Alphabet Challenge | Part 6, Club 2 | Fighting Bravely Against Relegation
Seven months of unemployment were well worth the wait as Trebor Mahtal landed on his feet with Irish side Longford Town and led them to an immediate promotion. His success was rewarded by the club agreeing to allow the Zambian to take his first coaching course in three years of management.