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Pentagon Pursuit | Part 41 | Huge Record Signing
VfB Stuttgart enjoyed a strong season but found themselves well short of a relentless Bayern, who’d now won 30 Bundesliga titles on the bounce. So Robaato Rasamu felt changes were needed to attempt to close the gap in his third season in Germany.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 40 | Lucky Champions League Draws
Midway through his second season in Germany, Robaato Rasamu was beginning to realise the size of the task he faced at VfB Stuttgart. FC Bayern had virtually cemented their 30th consecutive Bundesliga title after splashing £300m in the summer and his side were coming up second best against Europe’s elite. But he trusted in his […]
Rewriting Bolton History | Part 4 | Jääskeläinen Inspires Record-Breaking Defence
A historic season at Reebok Stadium saw Bolton Wanderers tie their all-time record league finish and reach a first European Final. So things were on the up for Trebor Mahtal as he usurped Big Sam Allardyce’s achievements within two seasons.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 39 | First Taste Of European Champions League
After one season in Germany, Robaato Rasamu had worked his magic to inspire VfB Stuttgart to their highest league position in 34 years and European Champions League qualification. So it was feasible – unlikely – but feasible that he could wrap up this Pentagon Pursuit inside 19 years of management.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 38 | Bundesliga Bullies Bayern
Robaato Rasamu had made a solid start to life in Europe, guiding VfB Stuttgart to just one defeat in his first 14 games and challenging the dominant FC Bayern at the top of Bundesliga. As a result, he’d already earned the love of the Stuttgart board and supporters, who both gave him A+ ratings in January 2041.
Rewriting Bolton History | Part 3 | Historic Cup Final
Trebor Mahtal had successfully stepped into the shoes of Big Sam as he led Bolton Wanderers to European qualification and a UEFA Cup semi-final run. But a big summer lay ahead as he looked to refresh his playing squad.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 37 | Rasamu Moves To Europe
In November 2039, Robaato Rasamu completed four fifths of his Pentagon Pursuit mission as his Athlético Paranaense side lifted their first-ever Copa Libertadores. The one remaining task was arguably the most challenging – to, ideally, win the European Champions League with a team that has never previously been Champion of Europe.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 36 | Thrilling Season Conclusion
Athlético Paranaense had well and truly put the pain of their Copa Libertadores defeat behind them, only losing four times in 42 matches seven months into 2039. But the hard work began now as they looked to go again in the Libertadores knockouts and aim for the club’s second Série A title and first in 38 years.
Rewriting Bolton History | Part 2 | European Nights At The Reebok
Picking up the pieces after Big Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers departure was never going to be easy. But Trebor Mahtal had made a pretty decent stab at it, leading The Trotters into the top half of the Premier League after five months in charge.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 35 | Recovering From Final Heartbreak
“To play your best in the present, you need to turn the page on the past. To move forward, see the past game as a footnote in yesterday’s newspaper. Imagine yourself flipping through yesterday’s news and refuse to see what happened yesterday.” That was the advice of Robaato Rasamu’s lead sport psychologist to his Athlético Paranaense players and staff as they tried to recover from the absolute heartbreak they’d suffered in Paraguay.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 34 | Goalkeeper Chaos
July 2038 saw Robaato Rasamu celebrate 15 years of life as a Football Manager and, having won continental titles in Asia, North America and Africa, he was potentially facing his toughest task yet. The brutal nature of Brazilian football was starting to catch up with his young Athlético Paranaense side, who’d played nearly half their Série A season in just two months.
Rewriting Bolton History | Part 1 | Stepping Into Big Sam’s Shoes
Three months on from Big Sam Allardyce’s shock departure as manager of Bolton Wanderers, Garth Crooks’s words are ringing true as there’s a new face in the dugout at the Reebok Stadium for the 2007/08 season.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 33 | Pipoca Wins NxGn
Athlético Paranaense came into 2038 armed with an exciting arsenal of young talents like strikers Pipoca and Esdras, winger Paulo Roberto Aal and Brazil international Lucas Pena Barcelos. And manager Robaato Rasamu was excited about the club’s future.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 32 | Tricky Libertadores Challenge
The phrase “golden generation” is all-too-often overused in football circles, but Robaato Rasamu believed he’d absolutely inherited one at Athlético Paranaense. His squad contained 11 players considered to have 5-star potential which, according to his staff, constituted “world class,” and an additional 17 with at least 4-star potential.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 31 | First Full Copa Libertadores Campaign
Robaato Rasamu had always loved Brazilian football, having grown up idolising the likes of Kaká, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. So being given the opportunity to manage in the country was akin to letting a kid loose in the world’s biggest sweet shop.
Pentagon Pursuit | Part 30 | Paranaense Potential
A massive summer rebuild had seen Robaato Rasamu totally reshape his Athlético Paranaense squad. He’d sold off the bad eggs at the club and was now operating with a much younger squad that was packed to the rafters with potential.
For Sparta! | Part 11 | Spiteful And Bitter
The unorthodox approach of King Leonidas wasn’t for everyone, but it had certainly endeared The Spartans FC to the Scottish football neutrals. Leonidas’ relentless focus on players with high aggression, bravery, composure, concentration, determination, positioning, stamina, strength and work rate in a bid to build a Spartan Army had seen the club rise from League 2 to the Premiership in nine years.
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.