I’m delighted to welcome Fernando @rocksendfm back to my blog for the South America Football Manager 2022 Club Guide. My resident expert will introduce three sides from each out-of-the-box top league in Football Manager 2022 (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru & Uruguay). An easy, medium or hard challenge in each nation, meticulously researched outside of Football Manager…setting the scene for your upcoming FM adventure. Sounds good right?

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Argentina

Hard – Platense

(1) Background & Expectation

Some clubs seem to be intrinsically linked with their city of origin, like they’re part of the fabric it’s made from. Platense, which was founded in Recoleta, one of the most iconic barrios of Buenos Aires, is one such club. Tango singers like Roberto Goyeneche (who was a fan and names of their stands) and historic footballers like Angel Labruna (River Plate’s all-time record goalscorer who retired with Platense) are woven into their story, which begins in another Buenos Aires landmark, the Palermo Racecourse. If you’re looking to found a football club with your friends, betting at the races all your money seems like an odd idea; however, that’s exactly what the founders of this club did in 1905. Their horse, Gay Simon from the Platense Stud, won and they named the club in their honour. They even took their colours (white and brown) for their kit, which got them their nickname of El Calamar, the Squid. It was, however, one of the last bits of winning they did. A single 2nd place in the 1916 Argentine Championship and Runners-Up in the 1918 Copa de Honor are their only top tier achievements.. During the 80s, they defied all odds three times to avoid relegation in 1981, ‘86 and ‘87; in 1999 reality finally caught up with them. Now, after 22 years (and two trips to the third tier), they’re back in the Primera División. It’s been a long time since Platense was an established first tier side, and they don’t have a glorious past to draw inspiration from. They are, however, one of the most iconic clubs of the city.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

• Predicted to finish 26th.

(3) Key Players: Facundo Curuchet, Jorge de Olivera and Nicolás Bertolo.

(4) Young Talents: Franco Baldasarra, Brandon Barbas and Patricio Pérez.

Medium – Colón de Santa Fe

(1) Background & Expectation:

Almost two years ago, Argentine cumbia band Los Palmeras, sang their iconic hit “Soy Sabalero'' at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Copa Sudamericana final. As images of Colón fans crying their hearts out on this hymn to their club went viral, Colón de Santa Fe entered the global mainstream for the first time. It wouldn't be the last. In June 2021, a video of an ecstatic man drilling an urn to fill it with wine went viral. The man and his father had made the promise to drink the bottle when Colón won the Primera División title, and he was going to fulfil it even if his father wasn’t there anymore. The story of Colón is one of fervent support, big heartbreaks and eternal hopes. Historically a lower class club, their nickname of Sabaleros comes from their followers, often penniless fishermen who caught Sábalo, a fish often found on the Salado River, which runs next to the city of Santa Fe. A first golden era started in 1995, with the club’s return to the Primera División; two years later, they were league runners-up and got into the Copa Libertadores. Relegation in 2013 put a stop to that, but since then Colón has entered a second, greater golden age. In 2019 they got to their first ever continental final, with forty thousand people travelling to Paraguay to support them. Two years later, they lifted their first ever official title. There’s still a long road for Colón, but if they know one thing, it’s to build from the bottom.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Play defensively solid football.

• Predicted to finish 14th.

(3) Key Players: Rodrigo Aliendro, Federico Lértora and Paolo Goltz.

(4) Young Talents: Facundo Farías, Eric Meza and Santiago Pierotti.

Easy – Lanús

(1) Background & Expectation:

On January 3rd, 1915, residents of the town of Villa Gral. Paz decided to host a meeting. The matter at hand was the creation of a social and sporting club; the situation had been deteriorating for years, but a recent flood of the Riachuelo (a small river that runs across the southern part of Buenos Aires) had effectively isolated them from the rest of the city. That day the Club Atlético Lanús was formed. Sporting success came quickly, with the side winning promotion to the Primera División in 1919, and lifting a Copa Competencia in 1926. However, after long periods of up-and-downs, the club entered its worst economic and social crisis in 1977. Heavily in debt and supported by just 2000 members, back to back relegations put them in the Third Division. Now we know it was the beginning of Lanus’ greatest era. They earned promotion to the Second Division in 1981, and after narrowly missing out on another promotion in 1984, they finally got back to the Primera División in 1990. Since then they’ve won two international cups, including the Copa Sudamericana in 2013, their first Primera División title in 2007 and another one in 2016. Moreover, they built one of the best youth academies in the country, producing the likes of Diego Valeri, Estaban Andrada, Eduardo Salvio, Guido Pizarro and many others. With great facilities, their current line up sitting at an average of 22.7 years old, and the likes of De la Vega, Belmonte and Aguirre as fulcrums, the ceiling is immense for Lanús.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction: 

• Develop players using the club’s youth system.

• Play attacking football.

• Predicted to finish 7th.

(3) Key Players: José Sand, Diego Braghieri and Ignacio Malcorra.

(4) Young Talents: Pedro de la Vega, Brian Aguirre and Alexandro Bernabéi.

Brazil

Hard – Grêmio 

(1) Background & Expectation:

In case you hadn’t heard, giant killing season in Brazil is on. With Vasco de Gama, Cruzeiro and Botafogo already in the Second Division, and with Santos and Sao Paulo immersed in crisis, the historic Big 12 names don’t carry as much weight. Next in line aboard the disaster train are Porto Alegre giants Grêmio. Currently looking to be set for relegation, Grêmio had hired former Brazil and Portugal Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager in June, who was fresh off saving Cruzeiro from even more humiliation with relegation to Serie C. However, after 23 matches between all competitions and a tally of 10 wins, 10 losses and 3 draws, Felipão was sacked, and Grêmio remains in relegation places. This comes as part of the enormous shift that Brazilian football has been experiencing over the last 10 years, and that started in 1971 with the first true national league. No longer do the biggest clubs from the biggest cities get to accumulate all the talent; the competition has widened, and clubs now have to look for every edge possible. With the likes of RB Bragantino, Paranaense and Fortaleza gaining more and more ground, the cost has fallen on the traditional powers. However, it’s not an irreversible trend. Grêmio still boasts some of the best facilities in Brazil, and with just Internacional SC as local rivals, they should get a good chunk of that Gaucho talentpool. It’s looking difficult, but there could still be a light at the end of the tunnel for the club that gave us Ronaldinho.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Develop players using the club’s youth system.

• Predicted to finish 7th.

(3) Key Players: Walter Kannemann, Geromel and Douglas Costa (on loan from Juventus)

(4) Young Talents: Jaminton Campaz, Vanderson and Jean Pyerre.

Medium – RB Bragantino

(1) Background & Expectation:

RB Bragantino’s ascent into the high spheres of Brazilian football has mimicked that of their brother clubs, arising as a force very quickly, and very smartly. Coming from the city of Bragança Paulista, deep in the State of Sao Paulo, their story was one of middling success, both at the State and National Championships. Their brightest hour came when they won the Paulista Championship in 1990 and followed that up with a Runners-Up spot in the 1991 Brazilian Championship. After that, it was back to the usual until Red Bull came charging in 2019. The company’s Brazilian adventure had actually started in 2007, with the founding of Red Bull Brasil. However, bad results and lack of progress meant it was back to the drawing board for the drinks giant, and back to a more familiar approach. Approaching Bragantino, the purchase of a controlling stake was settled, investing 45M Reais (around 8M USD), with RB Brasil becoming the academy club. Since, success has been unrelenting. They won promotion to Brazil’s top tier in 2019, finishing 10th the following season, which granted them access to the Copa Sudamericana. This season, they’re on pace to finish in Copa Libertadores positions and they’re also in the Sudamericana final. As with every Red Bull team, hate from other clubs and distaste for the corporatization of the game is always there. But with a young squad and smart recruitment, RB Bragantino looks like it could be challenging the continental giants quicker than their European brothers.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 22 for the first team.

• Sign players under the age of 20 for the future.

• Predicted to finish 11th.

(3) Key Players: Lucas Evangelista, Aderlan and Léo Ortiz.

(4) Young Talents: Praxedes, Artur and Cleiton.

Easy – Atlético Mineiro

(1) Background & Expectation:

If some Big 12 sides are unable to translate their state dominance into the national level, Atlético Mineiro show what can happen when they do. Founded in 1908 by a group of young men, they quickly became widely successful in the Minas Gerais State Championships. Their nickname of Galo (Rooster) was given in the 1930s after they were compared to the black and white roosters that ruled the cockfight rings of that era. However, all that couldn’t be translated into the national stage, with Mineiro winning just a single Brazilian League title, in 1971. They slowly lost standing outside of the State Championships, culminating in their relegation to Serie B in 2005. They returned in 2007, but a 6-1 loss to Cruzeiro in 2011 was too much. The fans started pressuring the president, and a full restructuration of the club was put in place. Putting together a great team that included the likes of Diego Tardelli, Jo, Bernard and Ronaldinho, they won the Copa Libertadores in 2013, their first ever top tier continental title. Now, Mineiro seem to be back on track. Adding players like Matías Zaracho, Ignacio Fernández, and international big names like Hulk and Diego Costa, they had another run at the Libertadores in 2021, falling at the semi finals. The prize they truly want, however, is now within reach, with the club looking set to win the 2021 Brasileirão, their first in 50 years. Moreover, the club seems set to join Flamengo and Palmeiras in a new “big 3” that rules Brazilian football for years to come.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Play attacking football.

• Develop players using the club's youth system.

• Sign high-reputation players.

• Predicted to finish 2nd.

(3) Key Players: Diego Costa, Hulk and Ignacio Fernández.

(4) Young Talents: Matías Zaracho, Alan Franco and Guilherme Arana.

Chile

Hard – Santiago Wanderers

(1) Background & Expectation:

Football arrived in Chile, as it did mostly everywhere, with the British. As early as the 1880s football matches and clubs were popping up all around, and in 1896, a group of young men founded Santiago Wanderers. If you’re at all familiar with Chilean geography, you might make the mistake of thinking this is a club from the capital city of Santiago de Chile, but you’d be wrong. Wanderers was formed in the coastal city of Valparaiso. The name Santiago was taken for two reasons, a club named Valparaiso Wanderers, mostly composed of British expats, already existed. But much in the opposite way, to these young Chilean men, giving it the name of the capital was about sending a message, this was a criollo club, a club for Chileans, with a national identity. After years of success in the Valparaiso league, the club joined Chile’s professional football association in 1943 (after a failed attempt in 1937), and entered a golden era in the 50s and 60s, managing two league titles and two cups, as well as two runners-up finishes. Since then, however, the club has been mired by instability and crisis, failing to establish itself as a Primera División side and getting relegated multiple times. After promotion in 2019, the club managed to survive their first season in the top tier. However, second season syndrome is hitting them hard, currently stuck to the bottom of the table. For such an historic name in Chilean football (the oldest surviving club in the country), they deserve better.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction: 

• Develop players using the club’s youth system.

• Predicted to finish 17th.

(3) Key Players: Ronnie Fernández, Damián Arce and Mauricio Viana.

(4) Young Talents: Daniel González and Matías Marín.

Medium – Audax Italiano

(1) Background & Expectation:

In 1910, members of the Italian community in Santiago decided to found a club to represent them. They were cycling fans, so they named it Audax, a latin word that was often used to refer to those who practiced the sport. They first started playing football in 1917, but it wasn’t until 1921 when the football section was officially founded. Debates over whether the club was supposed to branch out or stick to its cycling beginnings were intense, and things came close to a schism, but in the end it was decided that the community should come first. The club changed its name to Audax Club Sportivo Italiano, and they never looked back. A founding member of the Chilean Primera División, Audax has won the title on four occasions, namely in 1936, ‘46, ‘48 and ‘57. However, they struggled to remain competitive, and spent the 60s and 70s struggling, with two relegations. In 1993 they returned for the second time to the Primera División, and managed to remain in the top tier. Good performances qualified them to the 1998 Copa Conmebol (a precursor to the Copa Sudamericana), and since then they’ve been able to qualify for continental competitions more times, getting to the Libertadores Group Stage in ‘07 and ‘08, and to the Sudamericana in ‘07, ‘18 and ‘20. With good performances in the last few seasons, a recently renovated 12,000 seater stadium and a competent squad, Audax is in a great position to take one step forward and go back to the good times.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• No club culture.

• Predicted to finish 8th.

(3) Key Players: Joaquín Montecinos, Federico González and Lautaro Palacios.

(4) Young Talents: Bryan Figueroa and Nicolás Fernandez.

Easy – Unión La Calera

(1) Background & Expectation:

For the vast majority of its history, Unión La Calera struggled to achieve noteworthiness in Chilean football. Founded in 1954 from the merger of three clubs from the area, they first got to the Primera División in 1962, where they’d stay until 1974. However, after that they would wander the 2nd and 3rd tiers mostly. That all changed when Sergio Jadue became president in 2007. Jadue, a shrewd politician, had formed a career from nothing, and was building contacts with the high spheres of power in Chilean football. Under his management, ULC would get promoted to the first tier for the first time in 26 years, and gave good accounts of themselves the following season. In 2013, a permit to rebuild their stadium was granted, putting another building block. Even after relegation in 2016, the future was secure, this time thanks to another powerful man, Argentinian Christian Bragarnik. A controversial figure in South American football, Bragarnik is a super agent, with over 100 players and 15 managers in his books. With him involved in the club, players like Gabriel Arias, Brian Fernández and Walter Bou arrived, and ULC shot up the places. They finished in continental qualification spots in 2018 and ‘19, and even managed a runners up spot in 2020, which got them into the Copa Libertadores. Of course, so many links with shady characters have made them a resisted club, but with a top level squad and the brand new Estadio Nicolás Chahuán Nazar re-inaugurated in 2019, Unión La Calera’s prospects are limitless.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign Argentinian players.

• Predicted to finish 4th.

(3) Key Players: Gonzalo Castellani, Alexis Martín Arias and Gonzalo Jara.

(4) Young Talents: Simón Ramírez and Jeisson Vargas.

Colombia

Hard – Once Caldas

(1) Background & Expectation:

It’s January 1961. Several men from the Caldas Department in Colombia have met, looking to bring back their county’s football tradition. Carlos Gómez Escobar represents Deportes Caldas, a side that was Colombian champion in 1950; Carlos Gómez Arrubla stands for Once Deportivo, another of the city’s sporting clubs. Hermán Bueno Ramírez suggests a third option, a merger. The proposal is accepted and Once Caldas is born. However, less than a decade after, the club is once again in economic trouble. This time it’s sponsors that come to the rescue. Once Caldas became not only the first Colombian club to have a shirt sponsor, they also got a name sponsors. Over the years, mired by ups and downs and near misses, they would play under names like Cristal Caldas, Varta Caldas and Once Philips. The late 1990s brought an end to that. A great 1998 campaign under Javier Álvarez got them their first ever league runners-up finish, qualifying to the 1998 Copa Libertadores. Álvarez left later that year, but the seeds had been planted. The new millennium brought a first title under the Once Caldas name, winning the 2003 Apertura title. The club’s brightest hour would come the following year, with a surprise campaign that saw them lift the 2004 Copa Libertadores.. In the following years, Once Caldas would remain a force in Colombian football, but it’s now been ten years since their last title, and this season problems have deepened, with the club struggling to remain in the top tier. They’ll need a saviour, like Álvarez, to survive.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

(3) Key Players: Geraldo Ortíz, Cristian Higuita and Juan David Pérez (on loan from América de Cali).

(4) Young Talents: Robert Mejía and Marcelino Carreazo.

Medium – Deportes Tolima

(1) Background & Expectation:

Founded in 1947 as Club Deportivo Boca Juniors de Ibagué (although ironically wearing a kit inspired by Racing Club), Deportes Tolima would take on their current name in 1954, when members of the board appeared in front of the governor of the department, asking for money to build a championship team. The governor agreed, and Tolima signed a number of players from Argentina’s Racing Club, some of the last done under the era of El Dorado. Tolima managed to finish runners-up in 1957, but after that they’d struggle to establish themselves as a power in Colombian football. It would all change in 1979 with the arrival of businessman Gabriel Camargo Salamanca. Under him, Tolima would invest heavily in top tier players, managing to finish runners-up again in 1981, and would take part in the 1982 and ‘83 Copa Libertadores. His decision to take a step back in 1983 would hurt Tolima, which slipped from contention and eventually was relegated just a decade later. Camargo’s return in 1994 marked an instant bounceback for Tolima, which won promotion that year, and managed to finish fourth in 1995, achieving qualification to continental competitions. In 2003, Camargo’s dream would be fulfilled, with a dominant Tolima winning their first ever league title. Since then, Tolima has been a staple of the Colombian Primera División, winning their second title in 2018, and managing several runners-up finishes. With Camargo’s son César taking over this year, the club can now look to further its ambitions.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

(3) Key Players: Julián Quiñónes, Juan Fernando Caicedo and Álvaro Montero.

(4) Young Talents: Luis Miranda.

Easy – América de Cali

(1) Background & Expectation:

If you sat down and tried to write the history of a made up football you probably wouldn’t end up with a history like America de Cali’s. The club was officially founded in 1927. After getting good results on two country-wide tours, they achieved a national following, so in 1940 the board decided to turn professional. Benjamín Urrea, a founding member of the club better known as Garabato, was against it, and was expelled. He was so angry he set a curse on the club that they would never be champions. During the 1950s the club struggled, after the inflated salaries of the El Dorado age took its toll on clubs, but when the 60s came around, managing two runners-up finishes in 1960 and 1969, and a third place in 1967. Lost opportunities in 1974 and 1978 were too much. In 1979 the board contacted Garabato and reached an agreement so the curse would be lifted off. That very year, América won its first title, and entered its greatest era. Five consecutive titles between 1982 and 1986 put it as one of the most successful clubs in the country. Garabato’s contract, however, probably didn’t include continental competitions, with América losing a record three straight Copa Libertadores finals, in ‘85, ‘86, and ‘87. Since then, deep economic and institutional crisis have left the club somewhat behind, with long title droughts and even relegation in 2016. Now, however, América are on the path of recovery, and could again become a continental heavy hitter with the right hand on the rudder.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

(3) Key Players: Adrían Ramos, Joel Graterol and Carlos Sierra.

(4) Young Talents: Pablo Ortiz and Juan Fernando Asprilla.

Peru

Hard – Academia Cantolao

(1) Background & Expectation:

Some clubs have their history linked with a particular competition. It can be a league they dominate with an iron fist, an international competition where they’ve lived their brightest hours, or maybe a cup where they’ve managed multiple upsets. For Academia Cantolao, that competition is the Copa de la Amistad, a youth competition. In 1981, a group of friends met on the beach of Cantolao with the objective of putting together a football team for the youth of the area. They found astonishing success, winning their local league, then the regional tournament and even getting into the regional stages of the nation-wide Copa Perú. With the support of local leader Dante Mandriotti, they decided to create a football academy, and in 1983 they began organizing their own competition, the Copa de la Amistad. Since then, the cup has become a staple of youth football in South America and the world, with teams from all over the world taking part, and stars like Lionel Messi, Javier Zanetti, Álvaro Recoba and Hernán Crespo taking part in their youth days, as well as Cantolao’s own, like Claudio Pizarro or Carlos Zambrano. Parallel to the youth sides, the professional team has been growing as well, with the club managing promotion to Peruvian football’s top tier in 2016, playing with a side averaging just 22 years old. Since then, it’s been a tale of gaining stability, but with one of the best academies in the country one must always look ahead. 

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

• Predicted to finish 17th.

(3) Key Players: Christian Limousin and Maximiliano Barreiro.

(4) Young Talents: Yuriel Celi, Christian Sánchez and Orlando Núñez.

Medium – Universidad César Vallejo

(1) Background & Expectation:

Many of us are romantic about football, but in reality it's only a few times that poetry and the beautiful game come together. In Club Deportivo Universidad César Vallejo we have one of those instances. Named after the university that bears the name of the great Peruvian poet, UCV was founded in 1996 and immediately started climbing through the ranks of regional football. In 1997 they won the Trujillo Third Division, and the following year they made it back to back promotions, getting into the Trujillo First Division. In 2003 they went one more and, just seven years into existence, they got into the Peruvian Primera División. It was a short adventure, getting relegated in 2005, but after returning in 2007, they came back swinging. They often managed to finish in the top half, managing to qualify for the Copa Sudamericana in 2010 and 2011 and 2014, and even making it into the Copa Libertadores in 2013 and 2016. Another relegation in 2017 put a stop to that run of form, but once again they’ve come back like they never should’ve been gone. Consecutive top half finishes, including a top 3 finish last season, have put them back into the spotlight and into Copa Libertadores places. Now, with one of the best squads in the country, one of the largest stadiums in the league in the Estadio Mansiche and solid facilities to take advantage of, and in a league that’s always been up for grabs, a project as solid as UCV’s can mount a genuine challenge.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction: 

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

• Predicted to finish 6th.

(3) Key Players: Donald Millán, Rodrigo Cuba and Jairo Vèlez.

(4) Young Talents: Beta da Silva (on loan from Alianza).

Easy – Alianza Lima

(1) Background & Expectation:

One of Peruvian football’s quintessential sides, alongside with big three rivals Universitario and Sporting Cristal, Alianza Lima also holds a unique distinction, that of being Perú’s most popular club. Founded in 1901, Alianza Lima (originally Sport Alianza) was the brainchild of a group of lower class boys. They had little means to found a club, much less to acquire the infrastructure required. The name Alianza comes from the grounds they used to train, the Alianza Stables, property of future presidente of Perú, Augusto Leguía, where the workers allowed the kids to play. By 1912, Alianza was an established club, taking part in the early Peruvian League, and winning their first title in 1918. It was in the 20s and 30s however, that another of the club’s defining characteristics became evident. Being a lower class club, it attracted a big following from Perú’s black community. That was when the first Rodillo Negro (literally, Black Rolling Pin) was formed, which included several black players, key among them Alejandro Villanueva, Alianza’s first undisputed legend. Alianza’s most glorious era would come in the 1970s, when a new generation of players, led by the likes of Hugo Sotil and one of Peru’s all-time greats in Teófilo Cubillas, took the club to three league titles and managed to get to the Copa Libertadores semi finals in 1976 and 1978. Since then, despite some extended trophy droughts, Alianza has largely remained one of the dominating forces in Peruvian football. With a huge following and one of the best academies in the country, there’s no reason to keep it that way.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

• Predicted to finish 3rd.

(3) Key Players: Jefferson Farfán, Arley Rodríguez and Hernán Barcos

(4) Young Talents: Oslimg Mora, Jairo Concha and Miguel Cornejo.

Uruguay

Hard – Fenix

(1) Background & Expectation:

They say there's no such thing as bad publicity. Much in the same way, it could be argued that there's no such thing as a bad record to hold. Fenix fans might want to consider it, being the club with the most ever relegations from Uruguay's top tier (a record which they share, whether that's for better or worse). Founded in 1916 in the Montevideo neighbourhood of Capurro, their name is no coincidence. Three years prior, a club from that part of town had folded. Former players and young men from the area decided it was time to put that right and started the club, naming it after the mythological bird that's reborn from its ashes. Stuck for years in a position which is known in South América as a club ascensor (literally, an elevator club, as it goes up and down forever), Fenix's luck finally changed in 2002 with Zeman-like figure Juan Ramón Carrasco, who managed to finish in third and qualify the club to the Copa Libertadores. Since then, they've qualified for the Copa Sudamericana in 2011, 2016 (with some relegations in the middle, of course) and now once again with Carrasco again at the helm in 2020. For one of Uruguay’s less glamorous sides, Fenix have a very competitive side and are one of several clubs on the outside looking in for continental spots. It will take some work and maybe some Carrasco-inspired magic, but Fenix could become a force to be reckoned with.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team.

• Predicted to finish 12th.

(3) Key Players: Fabián Estoyanoff, Maureen Franco and Juan Álvez.

(4) Young Talents: Rodrigo Amaral.

Medium – Liverpool de Montevideo

(1) Background & Expectation:

During the early 20th century in the Rio de la Plata estuary football was the only thing on young men’s minds; The students of the Colegio de los Padres Capuchinos Nuevo París in Montevideo were no different. They were desperate to found a club, all they needed was a name. José Freire, one of the students, remembered a geography lesson, when one of their teachers told them Liverpool was the main port in England. Coming from a port city like Montevideo, the connection was immediate. What followed for the club was long periods of struggle, fighting for mid table finishes and often falling into relegation. One of the highpoints was their 1971 tour of Europe, where under the orders of renowned manager Ondino Viera they faced clubs like Werder Bremen, Sevilla, Atlético Madrid and Sporting Lisbon, finishing with a record of 3 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses. All that started to change in 2001, when president José Luis Palma put in place a model that secured the club’s economic future, driving hardline negotiations and investing in the academy. Since then, Liverpool has taken part in the 2009 Copa Sudamericana and the 2011, and remained undeterred after a surprise relegation in 2014 to return after one season to the top tier. They’ve since won the 2019 Torneo Intermedio, the 2020 Supercopa Uruguaya, and 2020 Torneo Clausura. With solid investment, a top academy and competitive squad, Liverpool is a great choice to try and knock the big guns off their perch.

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Develop players using the club’s youth system.

• Predicted to finish 6th.

(3) Key Players: Ignacio Ramírez (on load from Saint-Etienne), Ignacio Ramírez and Sebastián Fernández.

(4) Young Talents: Thomás Chacón (on load from Minnesota), Sebastián Lentinelly and Gastón Martirena.

Easy – Montevideo City Torque

(1) Background & Expectation:

When FMG asked me to join him again in the creation of this article, I was instantly wondered… could I manage to steer clear of repeating my choices from last year? No spot worried me as much as this one, but a challenger has arisen. Founded in 2007 by Uruguayan businessman Raúl Aquino Reynoso, Torque wasn't born out of social needs or footballing interest, but as a take on a different sporting business model. Aquino was interested in the ideas of football coach Marcelo Yaurreche regarding the state of Uruguay’s football and youth development. Yaurreche, who's also an electro-mechanical technician, proposed the name Torque for the club, as it means "moment of force" in mechanics. Torque entered the Uruguayan League in the 2008-09 season in the third division, and quickly got into the Second Division. It was in 2015 that the City Group decided to invest in the club after negotiations to invest in Nacional fell through. Since then, they've achieved promotion in 2017 and despite a one season return to the Second Division in 2019, City Group's investment has ramped up, rebranding the club and turning it into one of the most ambitious projects in South American football, focusing on youth development and looking to become a key player in Uruguayan football. In a country where 82% of people claim to be fans of one of two clubs, this may seem like a fool's errand, but with time and investment, who knows?

(2) Club Vision & Media Prediction:

• Strive to make progress on and off the pitch.

• Predicted to finish 4th.

(3) Key Players: Álvaro Brun, Gastón Guruceaga and Diego Arismendi.

(4) Young Talents: Marcelo Allende, Renzo Orihuela and Nicolás Siri.

Closing Comments

Once again, a huge thank you to Fernando @rocksendfm for joining me on today’s blog.  Both this post and the league guide will remain on my site, handily saved on this page: coffeehousefm.com/fmgrasshopper for future reading.

If you do plan to go with any of these teams in FM22, we’d love to hear how you get on,

¡Vamos!

FM Grasshopper