Football Manager Tactics: Sampaoli’s 3-3-3-1 (Olympique de Marseille) #FM22

November 11, 2021

Hello, this post allows me to break away from my usual Football Manager writing and explore tactical concepts around the World in the attempt to translate them into Football Manager.

Disclaimer: interpreting real world tactics and applying them into Football Manager is easier said than done. Often a team will have several systems that are deployed throughout the match based on in-game scenarios and events, making it very hard to translate this into Football Manager. So I’ve taken what I think are the key elements of their systems and player roles, based on observing key moments of real-life matches.

For my sixth instalment of this series, I once again look at an Argentine manager: Jorge Sampaoli. Grab a latte, tea or yerba mate with your pain au chocolat as we head to Marseille, France…

Intro

“I don’t relent with my ideas and that’s not a virtue – it’s a flaw. Sampaoli does compromise because he has the power to adapt, unlike me. That definitely makes him better than me.” (Marcelo Bielsa 2021)

As mentioned, Jorge Sampaoli is the focus of today's tactical blog post, which sees me run a Olympique de Marseille save during the early weeks of Football Manager 2022. It was both an easy and difficult choice to make: easy because Marseille is perhaps my favorite place to visit in France. My mother-in-law’s terraced apartment would overlook Vieux Port and you’d feel the buzz around the place on any OM home match day. Although Brittany is the place I visit the most...Marseille is the football team I always want to see do well. But the difficulty with the post isn’t OM, it’s rather nailing down Sampaoli’s tactical setup in the first few months with Marseille; because as the above quote suggests, he loves to adapt. Let’s begin…

Team Philosophy & Formation

2011-2021

Jorge Sampaoli came to prominence with the back-three. Usually in a 3-4-3, his Universidad de Chile side romped to a 2011 Copa Sudamericana title with Marcelo Díaz playmaking from deep. I’m not going to pretend to have heard of Sampaoli before UdC, where he had fourteen other clubs in 15 years. But since UdC, Sampaoli has become one of the most recognisable South American coaches. Iconic for delivering Chile’s first ever Copa América in 2015, this time with Díaz dropping into a defensive three as some kind of hybrid half-back/playmaker, which allowed generational talents like Alexis Sánchez, Arturo Vidal and Charles Aránguiz to shine further ahead in a 3-5-2. The aggressive press and possession based philosophy meant Europe came calling, specifically Sevilla, which allowed Sampaoli to continue with a back three but also adapt with a back four in a 4-2-3-1.

Returning to South America to manage his nation of birth (Argentina), when nobody else wanted to touch that job ended in expected failure. He neither had the team he wanted, nor the players to fit around Lionel Messi adequately in what was a haphazard 2-3-3-2 (with two centre-backs being screened by a central midfielder and then a mixture of either fullbacks or dynamic midfielders dropping deep to create the shield). The system would only work if Argentina dominated the ball by taking the game to the opponent, which unfortunately they could not during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Rebuilding his reputation in Brazilian club football, with stints at Santos and Atlético Mineiro; Sampaoli once again switched between back three and back four systems but the mantra of keeping possession and pressing hard and high remained. Something which attracted OM in early 2021 to appoint Sampaoli on a three-year contract.

Present day

It’s my view that Jorge Sampaoli is yet to find a favoured system with OM, and perhaps history has shown he never will. In the early months of 2021/22 Sampaoli has been switching from a back four (4-2-3-1) to a back three (3-3-3-1 and 3-2-4-1) interchangeably. Dimitri Payet has sometimes been used as the False 9 upfront whilst Arkadiusz Milik remained on the sidelines injured, and sometimes it’s a more natural advanced striker (Bamba Dieng).

During crunch games like Lazio (Home and Away in the Europa League) or PSG (Home in Ligue 1), Sampaoli has recently been playing a midfielder at Right Back (Valentin Rongier), which is a back four when out of possession. Once in possession, Rongier will move centrally and form a double pivot alongside the left sided DM, in what I’m classing as a 3-3-3-1. This movement in turn allows Matteo Guendouzi to roam around and get on the ball from either advanced or deep positions as Marseille’s primary playmaker. This is the system that will be replicated in today’s post, mainly because it’s the more interesting one (in my opinion) - see below.

The elements of Sampaoli’s possession game is attempted with Shorter Passing, Playing Out Of Defence and Working the Ball Into Box. It’s naturally narrow with wide men coming inside, so I’ve not forced it further via a focus play instruction. I’ve instructed the side to Hold Shape after winning it back in a Higher Defensive Line and More Often press, the reason for this is that I want the side to retain possession a bit more. I’ll still see counter attacks, but I don’t want to see them too often...when my players may already be out of possession. Instead, I want the team to attack on my/Jorge’s terms, so we’ll keep hold of the ball for a bit longer; which complements working the ball into the box. At the conclusion of this thinking is Arkadiusz Milik in the Poacher role, a guy who will need to be nursed back to full fitness after his third cruciate ligament injury - but who is perfectly suited to this player role.

This tactic differs slightly from recent Sampaoli-Marseille real-life excursions, in that I have chosen to have a supportive Full Back instead of a more conservative player role at Left Back. Sampaoli likes to have a 3rd Centre-Back here who would hold his position in order to make a flatter back three. A strategy that dates back to his UdC days. However, I’ve chosen to be more adventurous because I felt we needed a player to shuttle vertically a bit more to link up with the attack in FM. However, more often than not, I will still use a left footed Centre-Back (Luan Peres) who has no forward movement player traits which should help us be more solid defensively. For full Sampaoli, use a FB-D or consider staggering the back line to the right which will allow you the use of a WCB-D.

In another divergence, I’ve also removed Counter Press and Get Stuck In. These were originally in my Sampaoli draft, but had to be taken off after we topped the disciplinary table after first few games with 67 fouls, 12 yellow cards and 2 reds. Counter Pressing is something I continue to add in though on a game-by-game basis though when I face, what I deem, a weaker opposition. But feel free to keep both in for the full Sampaoli experience 😀

Specific Player Roles

I don’t wish to focus on all the player roles, but I thought I’d briefly mention the two guys at the base of our midfield: the Inverted Wing Back and the Defensive Midfielder. They may not get the plaudits in terms of goals and assists, but they allow the Roaming Playmaker, Attacking Midfielder and Inverted Winger to focus on fashioning chances for the Inside Forward and Poacher...

Inverted Wing Back (Support)

As mentioned earlier in this post, Sampaoli has preferred to use a midfielder at right back who is instructed to position himself centrally once OM regain possession. Moving from a back four to back three is made fairly easy in FM through the use of the Inverted Wing Back role. You will see in the tactic above I have offset my DM to the left side. This is because I need to make adequate space for the IWB to move into.

Note - I avoid using two double DMs otherwise there is a conflict for space, which will revert the IWB’s behaviour to that of a normal Wing Back. Something I do not wish to do.

In a supportive duty, the IWB forms a double pivot with the DM-S when in possession of the ball. This means we’re (1) particularly controlling in games, (2) we have a shield in front of the central defenders and (3) we give full licence to our Roaming Playmaker to roam into advanced positions.

Defensive Midfielder (Support)

It’s not an exotic role by any means, but the Defensive Midfielder on Support is a nice role to see in the match engine. As the screen in front of the Centre-Back, their starting position is deep and at times they will be bypassed by the Ball Playing Defender’s forward dribbling.

However, in longer spouts of team possession the DM-S will move forward, where it’s willing to pick up loose balls, recycle attacks that may have failed or even shoot long towards goal Stationed centrally with the IWB moving inside, the opposition is going to have a hard time cutting through the side centrally with two DMs facing them.

*Pape Gueye (DM-S) wonderstrike Vs Bordeaux.*

Replicating Real Life

The Backline

As mentioned previously, the back four becomes a back two...with the two DMs maintaining a stronghold over the game. It’s an easy tactical morph and will not blow people away with its complexity, but I’ve enjoyed the dynamic and change in shape nevertheless.

*3-3-3-1 in possession with RB moving in-field IRL.*

*3-3-3-1 in possession with RB moving in-field in FM22.*

Polish Poacher Power

I previously mentioned how well suited Arkadiusz Milik was to the Poacher role, and I feel it’s an FM22 role that accurately reflects his real-life self. After taking a few weeks of the season to get back fit in this FM22 save, he hit form with a flurry of goals in October and November, which included back-to-back games of x4 goals and x3 goals Vs Legia and FC Metz.

He is always making runs in behind and it is a match engine highlight you will see frequently in this tactic. His player trait of ‘Tries First Time Shots’ has been particularly devastating too, which is benefitted by the blossoming relationship with No.10 Dimitri Payet - who makes good use of Milik’s progressive runs in behind the opposition defence with some exquisite passes. In the save so far, Milik has 17 goals in 13 starts. My Poacher.

Conclusion

How accurate is this tactic, and FM in general? It’s always hard to judge a video game’s accuracy with the ever changing landscape of a current season, let alone Sampaoli’s flexible systems. But I have played to the real-life date of publishing this blog (Friday 12 November 2021 - Ligue 1 Gameweek 13), and three of Ligue 1’s top four in my save mirror that of real-life. We’re four points better off in Ligue 1 than in real-life, but the familiar presence of PSG at the summit remains. Our For/Against/Goal Difference statistics are comparable and we’re on course for the Board’s targets of Europa League qualification via the league and progressing to the First Knockout Round of the current campaign (currently 2nd our group).

This tactic is perhaps best described as ‘functional’. It does not blow me away all of the time, but it’s generated 9 clean sheets over 17 games (52%). I did not alter set pieces and delegated team training to the Assistant Manager. So, you can perhaps try for marginal gains on the training ground and better on my performance. Our two defeats came against reigning champions Lille away from home and a disappointing 2-0 home defeat against PSG. Disappointing, but probably realistic results.

*Ligue 1 defence - whilst not impenetrable like PSG, OM conceded fewer goals than expected from the shots they faced.*

If you can’t be bothered to set up the tactic as detailed above, or play in another language, I have also published it to the Steam Workshop. Left click on the image below and download into Football Manager 2022…

Please let me know if you try this system with either Olympique de Marseille, or any other team. It would be interesting to see how you get on.

FM Grasshopper

South America: Football Manager 2022 Club Guide 🌎 feat. @rocksendfm #FM22

November 8, 2021

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?

If you like this post, or think it will be useful to others, please exercise your right to share via the link at the bottom of this page. Thanks in advance for reading.

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

South America: Football Manager 2022 League Guide 🌎 #FM22

October 29, 2021

Intro

Hello! Just like in previous years, I am back with updated league guide for South American out-of-the-box leagues in Football Manager 2022. After all, the various league systems & continental nuances can be quite unfamiliar to those outside of the continent due to changing rules/regulations between each FM and also year-on-year within the game itself. The previous Covid Pandemic has meant knock-on effects to most leagues in some way or another, and there’s also a December World Cup that disrupts schedules too.

Disclaimer(s): To avoid this becoming War & Peace in length, I have only focused on the top leagues of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru & Uruguay. Additionally, I have only chosen these nations because they are leagues that are in Football Manager 2022, which do not need any database edits for players to manage in. It is also worth noting that this is for Football Manager 2022, and more specifically from the 2022 calendar year onwards. A lot of the information can probably be used in later editions of the game, but year-on-year changes are expected which have yet to be determined at the time of writing.

If you like this post, or think it will be useful to others, please share via the link at the bottom of this page. The aim of this post has always been to tackle the “I don't know enough about South American football, which means I won’t go there” attitude towards some of the most fun leagues in Football Manager. Even if this post helps just one person in FM22, then it’s been worthwhile.

Argentina

A 2021 Copa América title win for Argentina ended an eight year wait for a trophy (since the 2008 Olympic triumph). The demons exorcised by Ángel Di María’s 1st half goal against home favourites Brazil mirrored the jubilant scenes back during that Olympic win, when once again Di María’s solitary goal proved the difference against Nigeria. 1-0 Argentina. History has a way of repeating itself.

But is the country at the summit of its powers? No, far from it. Beneath the European stars heading up the European Super League clubs there is a domestic game that has been hit hard by the pandemic. Clubs are poor, and the young starlets do not last long before being sold north to Major League Soccer/Mexico or east to Europe. However, the production line of talent never ends, history again reminding us that it likes to repeat itself: Di Stéfano, Bochini, Kempes, Maradona, Batistuta, Riquelme and Messi…every generation has an idol. It’s probably time you headed to this league to create the new one, right?

This has been updated based on FM22’s 22.3.0 Winter Patch…

Number of clubs in top league:

Argentina has a unique system that changes year-on-year, as the number of teams in the top tier fluctuates. Argentina will keep you on your toes until 2026 where the restructuring stops and sees players end up with a 20 team/38 game season league. The best way to think of Argentina for the initial two years in FM22, is a cup competition for the first half of the calendar year (Copa de la Liga), whereby teams are split into two groups based on the previous 6 months performance in the Primera División or promoted teams via the Primera Nacional. Then a more traditional league where you will face each side in one table.

However, the Copa de la Liga format only exists for two years in FM22 (2021 & 2022). For the 2023 year, players will get a one-season 26 team Primera División that starts in March before splitting into Championship and Relegation groups running from August to December. Both with 13 teams. From 2024, a more traditional system exists with 24 teams/46 game league. This drops down in each of the next two years (2025 and 2026) until we finally end up with the fabled 20 team league, playing each other twice (38 game season) where no more changes will occur!

League calendar: For 2021/22: 25 matches per regular Premier Division season (July-December). Then Copa de la Liga from February-May, where the league is split into two groups, with the top four in each progressing to a Quarter Final Stage. QF and SF ties are two legged, with penalties deciding if teams are level after 90 minutes. Final is single legged at a neutral venue.

As expected, the 2022 World Cup causes a bit of upheaval to the league calendar. There will be limited rest between both Copa de la Liga and Primera División tournaments, as the league looks to conclude two months early in October 2022.

Note - the 2022 Copa de la Liga will feature 28 teams (to include two teams being promoted from the 2nd tier). If you start a save earlier (pre-May 2021), you will have a 26 team Cope de la Liga. Winning the Copa de la Liga grants access to the Copa Libertadores Group Stage and also to the end of season Trofeo de Campeones Vs the Primera División winner (only played in the first two seasons).

Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 01 July to 05 August 2021 (foreign signings can still be announced until 16 August 2021), (2) 07 December 2021 to 20 January 2022. Maximum of 6 foreign players.

Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (1st-4th), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (5th) and Copa Sudamericana (5th-9th) from the Overall Table. Copa de la Liga gets Copa Libertadores and Runner Up gets Copa Sudamericana in 2021 and 2022. Copa Argentina Winner gets Copa Libertadores. Note - it’s worth noting that this is qualification is usually for the following year, depending on what you win and when in Argentina :-)

Club Recommendations: Platense (Hard), Colón de Santa Fe (Medium) and Lanús (Easy).

Brazil

On 26 November 2021, Palmeiras will face Flamengo in the third straight all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores Final. Continentally speaking, Brazil is starting to dominate and the Covid Pandemic seems to have exacerbated the gap between Brazil and everybody else even further. The Brazilian league is the richest in South America, and you will be able to cherry pick the best talents in the Continent to join you. So, where is the challenge?

Well, in Brazil you will find a gruelling all-year-round domestic calendar with national and state championships to ensure you will never get bored. The challenge here will be to rotate and manage your squad, because the Serie A league is competitive. It will take a good (and dedicated) Football Manager player to last the distance…

Number of clubs in top league: 20

League calendar: 38 matches per regular Serie A season (April-December), then an additional 10+ games within state leagues (January-April), Copa do Brasil runs from (February-September).

Note - A bonus 4th domestic competition is possible if you choose a club from the West (Copa Verde - running July-October) or North East (Copa do Nordeste - running January-May).

Important: The regular 20 club Serie A campaign is similar to European Leagues; each side plays one another home and away and this decides both continental qualification and relegation. However it's the state leagues that make Brazil standout as a unique challenge in Football Manager 2022.

Due to economic and geographic problems within a country as vast as Brazil, both clubs and fans have placed great importance on state based football. Each of Brazil's 26 states has its own league that will run in the first quarter of the year. You will play your geographical rivals and although it’s a chance to rotate your squad (with the national league and continental competitions in mind), there will still be an expectation to perform in the big derby games.

Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 01 January to 24 September 2021 (domestic transfers only), (2) 01 March to 23 May 2022 (foreign transfers only) and 01 August to 23 May 2022 (foreign transfers only). Maximum of 5 foreign players in the match day squad.

Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (Positions 1st-4th in Serie A + Winner of Copa do Brasil), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (5th & 6th) and Copa Sudamericana (7th to 12th). Note - from Serie A, not the state leagues.

Club Recommendations: Grêmio (Hard), RB Bragantino (Medium) and Atlético Mineiro (Easy).

Chile

I always recommend Chile to people that have never tried South America. Mainly because it’s a smaller league where everybody plays each other twice, and the winner of the league is the champion. It’s as close to the European way of accepting champions as it gets. However, the Covid Pandemic obviously disrupted the orderly pattern with the ANFP (Asociación Nacional de Fútbol Profesional) deciding that Chile’s top league will include extra promoted teams to make up for previously cancelled tournaments. Therefore, the remnants of this are felt in the first season of FM22 if you select the 2021 start year, where we see Chile’s top league made up of 17 teams with an extra team relegated in 2021 in order to get back to the pre-pandemic number of a 16 team campaign from 2022.

Number of clubs in top league: 16 (from 2022)

League calendar: 30 matches in the 2022 season (February to November) containing 16 teams. Two teams relegated in 2022, the bottom team and one of 14th and 15th after a two-legged relegation playoff. There is no average points in Chile. Plus a Copa Chile cup competition that has two-legged ties running from April to November.

Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 31 December 2021 to 13 February 2022 and (2) 04 June to 19 July 2022 (maximum of 3 players). Maximum of 7 foreign players (only five over-21 years).

Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (1st & 2nd), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (3rd & winner of Copa Chile) and Copa Sudamericana (4th, 5th, 6th & 7th).

Club Recommendations: Santiago Wanderers (Hard), Audax Italiano (Medium) and Union La Calera (Easy).

Colombia

Football is often seen as a distraction away from the day-to-day struggles of real-life, but even for Colombians this has been hard to do over 2021. The Government’s planned tax reform, in part to prop up and boost the country’s economy after the pandemic, has led to many months of violent protests. Violence I should say led directly by the armed riot police…who used live ammunition over tear gas on protesters, who used brutality over discourse; football rightly came secondary to the tragedy unfolding. In May 2021, Colombia was removed as co-host for the 2021 Copa América amid the ongoing protests. Colombia should have been celebrating its rich and entertaining football with its neighbours, instead the violence rumbled on.

Despite this, Colombian football continued in 2021. A domestic league that follows an Apetura/Clausura format over the course of a calendar year, which has the unique angle of crowning two league champions a season with an additional gameweek dedicated to a fixture against a local rival. It’s where I spent my enjoyable time in FM21, is it now your turn to experience the 70-80 game a season format for FM22?

Number of clubs in top league: 20

League calendar: 20 game Apertura (January-May) followed by a 6 game Apertura-Quadrangular (June) & 20 game Clausura (July-November) followed by a 6 game Clausura-Quadrangular (November-December). Copa Colombia cup competition also runs throughout most of the year (February-November). Note - domestic football in 2022 is curtailed for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar at early November, leagues are condensed slightly.

Important: Colombia has a classic South American Opening & Closing system, whereby the league campaign is split into two halves. After each half (Apertura & Clausura), the top eight teams are separated into two groups of four who will play one another twice home/away (the top 2 teams from Apertura and Clausura will be separated, but the other 6 teams are drawn into each group). The winner of each group (Quadrangular) will then play one another (again home/away) to see who is crowned league winner. This means there will be two league champions each year.

From there, the winner from each or the Apertura & the Clausura will go on to play in a grand final (known in FM as the Colombian Super Cup). These two legged ties are played mid-late January and can almost be seen as the following season’s opener (think: English Community Shield). Some teams will still count this as a trophy and place more importance to it, but it is acknowledged that there are two league winners every year from the Apertura/Clausura-Quadrangular (rather than one overall winner).

Note - the additional 20th match is a reverse home/away fixture with a local rival.

Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 01 January to 06 February 2022 and (2) 01 July to 07 August 2022. Maximum of 4 foreign players (only 3 in the starting XI).

Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (Winner of the Apertura Quadrangular & Clausura-Quadrangular), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (Winner of Copa Colombia and next best place team in the annual aggregate table). Copa Sudamericana (the four best teams in the annual aggregate table that did not qualify for the Copa Libertadores).

Note - Winning the 2020 Copa Colombia resulted in direct qualification to the 2021 Copa Libertadores Group Stages. However, this has been amended slightly to only grant a Copa Libertadores qualifying spot in FM22. So, Libertadores Group Stage qualification reverts back to Apertura-Quadrangular and Clausura-Quadrangular winners.

Club Recommendations: Once Caldas (Hard), Deportes Tolima (Medium) and América de Cali (Easy).

Peru

Like other Andean mountain nations, many Peruvian clubs have the added advantage of altitude when foreign opponents come to play. This is particularly needed since Peru is probably the weakest (and poorest) South American nation in Football Manager 2022, you will need shrewd management to be a success here. But there is a unique league system and a Bicentenaro cup between the two league divisions, meaning there are many surprises in Peru. One of my favourites being the unique added points for Reserve League Winners and Runners Up that could impact on the points tally for your First Team. It could be the difference in a title challenge or a relegation dogfight, it pays to keep close attention to what your reserves do! Please note - Peruvian domestic football changes annually, so the below is documented to the best of my knowledge but is subject to change.

Number of clubs in top league: 18 in 2022 (with two relegations).

League calendar: Two domestic tournaments (34 games in 2022 and then 30 games in 2023) before a playoff to decide national champion (Apertura winner Vs Clausura winner). Copa Bicentenaro - a recently launched domestic cup competition played between the two top leagues in Peru. Ties are played June to August between Apertura and Clausura.

(1) Apertura (Opening) from March to May. Two groups of 9 playing one another once. Before a single legged final of the two group winners to decide the Apertura winner.

(2) Clausura (Closing) from August to December. 18 teams playing each other once. 1st place is Clausura winner, a playoff is arranged if teams finish with the same record.

(3) Championship Playoff in December. The least likely scenario sees four teams contest to decide who is the national champion: winners of both the Apertura and Clausura plus the two leading teams in the aggregate table play a two-legged semi-final (home and away). Each time, the side with the most points in the aggregate table will choose the order of their home leg. No away goal ruling in the final, so in the event of the stalemate the tie will be decided in extra time or penalties.

However, what’s more likely to happen is one of the winners of the Apertura and Clausura being in the top two from the overall table. This team would go straight into the final…meaning there would be just one semi final. Alternatively, there is a scenario where the Playoff goes straight to a final, with both the Apertura and Clausura winners topping the Overall Table.

Lastly, there is a scenario where no Playoff is played. Where one team wins both Apertura and Clausura and is therefore automatically crowned the annual domestic Peruvian champion.

Note - 1st place in Overall Table in Reserves league earns their main team two extra points, 2nd Reserve league finishes earn one point. So, keep an eye on your Reserves as the season progresses. The aggregate table (Overall Table in FM22) will include both the Apertura group stage and Clausura match results - excluding Apertura final.

Important: Relegation is decided via the annual aggregate table, with two sides going down. There is also the possibility of a 16th Position Playoff, should teams draw on points tally via the aggregate table (as Goal Difference is not used to decide relegation).

Points deduction are likely if teams cannot grant 810 minutes to sub-20 players over a rolling eight game period. To be on the safe side, it’s best practice to have a couple of players under 20-years-old in your starting XI.

Note - The Copa Bicentenario has changed once again. It’s now a traditional knockout cup competition with five rounds between June and August (single legged ties). The winner will be granted entry into the Copa Sudamericana.

Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 07 January to 29 March 2022 and (2) 13 June to 12 July 2022. Maximum of 5 foreign players.

Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (Top two teams in the annual aggregate table), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (3rd & 4th in the annual aggregate table) and Copa Sudamericana (5th, 6th, & 7th in annual aggregate table and the winner of the Copa Bicentenario).

Club Recommendations: Academia Cantolao (Hard), Universidad César Vallejo (Medium) and Alianza Lima (Easy).

Uruguay

The Uruguayan system of Apertura/Clausura with a Intermedio mid-season tournament sandwiched in between is my favourite South American league system in Football Manager. I think the smaller/intimate league is appealing and you can certainly use that middle tournament to rotate youth prospects, as the prestige lies elsewhere in the traditional leagues on either side of it. Uruguay has a single domestic champion each year and all the good work of a league campaign can come undone in that grand finale.

The country is also notorious for developing warriors with guile, and every generation has its heroes: Enzo Francescoli of the 80s, Álvaro Recoba of the 90s, Diego Forlan of the 00s and present day Luis Suárez. Can you develop the next World Class Uruguayan for the 2020s?

Number of clubs in top league: 16

League calendar: Three domestic tournaments (37 games and possible +2 games extra for finals):

(1) Apertura (Opening) from January to April. Sixteen teams playing each other once.

(2) Intermediate (mid-season tournament) from July to August. Sixteen teams split into two groups of eight - those finishing in odd positions in Apertura in one group and evens the other. The group winners play each other in a one-legged final to determine the mid-season Champion.

(3) Clausura (Closing) from August to November. 16 teams playing each other once (with home and away switched from the Apertura)

Important: despite there being three separate tournaments, there is an overall table of which points from all three tournaments are collated. The reason is that the overall table has a say in who gets to be crowned the Uruguayan Grand Champion (see below) for that calendar year and also decides who gets relegated.

Grand Champion: the winner of both the Apertura and Clausura play one another in a Semi Final*. The winner plays the team in 1st place of the overall table in a Grand Final. There are occurrences where either the Semi or Grand Final never happen, e.g. a Semi Final winner topping the overall table meaning no Grand Final OR a club winning both Apertura & Clausura AND heading up the overall table, meaning no Semi Final.

*There is even the rare possibility of a Position Playoff in either the Apertura and Clausura if two teams finish on the same points. This would be played prior to the Semi Final.

Relegation: Bottom 3 teams in the average table go down.

Transfer windows & restrictions: (1) 11 June-20 July 2022 and (2) 01 January-02 February 2023. Note - Free Transfers are unlimited and can be signed any time. Maximum of five players on loan at any one time. Maximum of 6 foreign players.

Continental qualification: Copa Libertadores Group Stage (1st & 2nd), Copa Libertadores Qualifying (3rd & 4th) and Copa Sudamericana (5th, 6th, 7th & 8th). Note - from overall table.

Club Recommendations: Centro Atlético Fénix (Hard), Liverpool de Montevideo (Medium) and Montevideo City Torque (Easy).

Continental Competitions

Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha will host the 2022 Copa Libertadores Final.

Whichever nation you choose to manage in, the spectacles of the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana tournaments are offered to all. Specific details as follows:

Copa Libertadores - South America's most reputable trophy, which runs throughout the calendar year (January to November). 47 teams participate in three stages: Qualifying, Group Stage and Knockouts. Knockouts are two-legged home & away ties with away goals…until you get to the final, which is played as one tie at a neutral venue (the 2022 final will be in the Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha, Guayaquil, Ecuador).

Winning the Copa Libertadores will mean you qualify for it once again. The winner will also enter the FIFA Club World Cup & the Recopa during the next calendar year (see entry below).

Copa Sudamericana - South America's second continental competition, which also runs throughout the calendar year (March to November). 44 teams enter in at various stages to a knockout competition. Games are two-legged home & away ties with away goals…until you get to the final, which is played as one tie at a neutral venue (the 2022 final will be in the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil). The winner will qualify for the subsequent Copa Libertadores campaign and also enter the Recopa (see below).

Recopa Sudamericana - This is the South American Super Cup: winners of both the Libertadores and the Sudamericana face-off against one another over two legs home & away. Ties are usually played in the South American mid-Winter (May). If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner.

Although not as prestigious as the Copa Libertadores, clubs and fans will still place a great deal of importance on winning this trophy. In my opinion, the move towards neutral venues in both the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana may also heighten the excitement for the annual Recopa tournaments. As it would give more fans the chance to once again see their clubs win continental honours live in their own stadium (something the Libertadores & Sudamericana have recently ditched).

I hope you found this guide useful, and you enjoy Football Manager 2022 on the South American continent!

Tony / FM Grasshopper

“Why Inter Miami in #FM22?” - La Plata: Vice

October 20, 2021

“My advice to you is after this is done, vacate Miami”

- Sonny Crockett, Season 1, Miami Vice

Intro

The purpose of this post is to demonstrate to myself (and to you: the reader) the reasons for me doing something. I feel it’s the bit that matters most in terms of Football Manager writing…otherwise what is the point? Always ask yourself why. Why should I do something this way? Why should I care about doing this? Why should my readers care? Because asking yourself ‘Why?’ really forces you to determine if this is the right course [or not]. Florida, USA is the right course.

I’m keeping my save introduction relatively short this year, because ultimately my MLS stint is likely to be short too: a two/three season multimedia adventure with Inter Miami…and then remnants of whatever can logistically happen after [Destination TBC, I go with the flow]. There’s a semi-story arc, there’s certainly a definite end to the madness that’s unfolded over the last two editions of Football Manager (FM20 & FM21) and I hope you can join me…

Why Inter Miami in FM22?

So, the answer to my titular question is today’s focus…I hope to answer it with four reasons below:

(1) Miami: Capital of Latin America

There’s no secret that the story drives some of my save decisions, especially regarding where I start from each year. The narrative I build in my head in this current ‘Bastardoverse’ has led me across multiple destinations in Latin America…so it’s little wonder then that I eventually end up in what’s known as the ‘Capital of Latin America’: Miami, Florida. It is estimated that 70% of Miami’s population is either Hispanic or Latino (of any race) with Cuban being the most significant, in what is known as a US majority-minority area (something the whole country is predicted to be by 2043). It’s a place where Ángel Bastardo would naturally agree to see out his final two terms of ‘jail time’, whilst managing Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami for his people. A quote from former anti-communist Cuban activist Armando Valladares perhaps sums Miami nicely:

“It’s a unique case in the history of the United States where the identity of a city was born, in a sense, in another country.”

— Armando Valladares

Not only does the Hispanic population factor into my decision making, Miami has personally always been one of the more attractive American cities. Culturally via TV/Film/Music and Gaming, Florida is the setting of some of the most influential crime/action dramas such as Miami Vice, Scarface, Blow, Baywatch [the underrated 2017 movie] and Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach. It’s also the stereotypical reference point for a lot of 80s music, and its modern day retrowave counterpart, that just makes my working day that little bit more bearable! Then throw in PlayStation 2’s Vice City (a city modelled on Miami), which I grew up playing with my brothers, there is no cooler place to manage in.

Whilst my Northern Irish counterpart in this save (see entry below) will no doubt be picking a save somewhere in the cold woodlands of the north…I’ll be in and amongst the vibrant colours of Miami, where the Flamingos stand on one leg eating shrimps all day in the sun; that’s the place I want to start FM22!

(2) Friendship over troubled waters

In the years between graduation from University and marriage/mortgage/children, I left the house a lot more to pursue other adventures/pastimes…I therefore did not play the game that much and there was no social element to me playing FM. I had around eight years of undocumented single player offline saves - I remember hardly any of it. However, since fatherhood-induced-FM Blogging began…I've found some really nice friends to produce content with, content that remains on my blog. From blogging to podding…I love that social side to FM nowadays. It reminds me somewhat of my University era (and even some years before that), where I would play network saves with mates or share in each others narratives. In my opinion, the social element that FM can bring was heightened during the lockdown months of 2020/21, not just personally but across a lot of the content creator scene. With certain levels of normality returning towards the second half of 2021, should we therefore all try to go back to ‘normal’ as before? I don’t think so…I am instead transitioning to a 'new normal' and I believe my FM22 plans are a reflection of this.

I'm not sure when I began talking to Chris aka FM Eadster, but he's definitely improved my life. Naturally our discussions around content/FM get a bit crazy, as we both have a natural inclination to think and write creatively. The wild stories of Bastardo and Chepiga are pretty absurd, whose activities around drugs/espionage/geopolitics make entertaining discussions (for us at least). We now often find ourselves talking about our saves with one another prior to writing things up, and our decision to move into the same virtual house (coffeehousefm.com) blurs the lines even more, as we can now dip in-and-out of one another's draft posts.

We're therefore merging our stories (and content) even further this year for FM22 by streaming a shared network save. This will see us meet up over a call 2-3 times a week whilst we traverse the small matter of MLS draft/league systems (more on that later). It will not be a fast playstyle by any means, for that reason we are only aiming to complete two/three seasons before we break away from one another and take our various save files ‘offline’. This should, in our opinion, provide another unique way of consuming our content…as we may see conflicting save narratives build up in our respective write ups. We also intend to stream most, if not all, of our MLS adventure together on Twitch - with the finer details confirmed at a later date. However, it does mean that this save is likely to kick off a few weeks after FM22's release…just to make sure the game is safe and stable before we dive in. Feel free to stop by and say hi, twitch.tv/fm_grasshopper.

Note - I will still blog this save, I love writing and can’t think of anything better to do during the long dark nights to come.

(3) Major League Soccer

I have played Sports Interactive management simulations for over 20 years, and I would say a large portion of these years was always spent in my comfort zone: Europe. Mostly just a few nations in Europe too: England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain (with the exception of good saves in Czech Republic and Sweden). However, since deciding to write about the game from 2015 I’ve taken the approach of going to a few nations I’ve never been to. I no longer feel deterred by fancy league structures of mind puzzling rules, in fact I now see them as a good mental challenge to overcome.

Major League Soccer is one of those fancy league structures. With no promotions/relegations, footballers moved upwards in the pyramid via college drafts. Clubs can exchange players by offering draft picks, waiver them when they do not wish to use them and even unregister injured players temporarily. Then there is the financial element, with some superstar players sitting outside of a reserved allocation. The disparity in terms of squad player and MVP wage can be ridiculously far apart. Much of North American ‘soccer’ feels alien to the European fan.

I think for this reason, MLS gets a bad press. If I’m honest, there is a lot to like about how the Americans have done things in not just football, but also sport in general. They are light years ahead of much of the Globe in terms of the statistical interpretation of sports performance data. They also put fan experience at the heart of their ‘spectacle’. So, I’m giving MLS a go…even if I don’t see it as a league I want to manage in for long; which is a nice segue into my next justifying reason for Inter Miami in FM22.

(4) Short-termism & square pegs in round holes

Inter Miami have recently created a scandal from their own handiwork by messing up the registrations of their Designated Players (knows as DPs). It’s especially damming for a club to be in preparation for a number of years and still get one of the fundamentals of MLS squad registration so disastrously wrong: by trying to justify the signing of 33-year-old World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi with Targeted Allocation Money (known as TAM) and some real estate supplements thrown in. The league favoured against the Miami club and fined them around $2m in the process. Matuidi should have been a DP along with Gonzalo Higuaín (33), Rodolfo Pizarro (27) and Matías Pellegrini (21)…meaning that one had to go in order to make three again.

Matías Pellegrini struggling to get off the boat and on to dry land in Miami!

If you want to see an example of Inter Miami’s short-term approach, then look no further than the treatment of ex-Estudiantes de La Plata forward Matías Pellegrini - who was bought out from his contracted and loaned to lower league affiliate club Fort Lauderdale…just so Matuidi could be properly registered [again] for the 2021 MLS season. After training for a number of weeks away from the squad, the 21-year-old eventually re-signed with Estudiantes on loan.

Whilst some MLS clubs, notably Atlanta and FC Cincinnati, are recruiting highly rated young DPs for their First Team; Inter Miami’s approach to transfers (and the treatment of Pellegrini) seems focussed on the short term with no apparent strategy in place. The club is paying around $11m for two players nearing retirement (Higuaín and Matuidi) and a Mexican Attacking Midfielder in Pizarro who has yet to prove himself outside of Mexico’s Liga MX. It’s the highest combined DP salary in the league, and I’m not sure it’s deserving of it!

I’ll now move on to Phil Neville’s recruits (or at least that’s who I am crediting with these deals), with Premier Legends Kieran Gibbs and Ryan Shawcross joining Miami in Summer 2021. Both in their 30s, and probably looking for their last big pay cheque, neither signing fills me with confidence or argues against my theories that Inter Miami are not focussed on anything other than the next 6-12 months. Maybe this will prove to be an effective strategy in real-life? Yet, I cannot help but feel some succession planning and foresight is needed. Whilst I intend my stay to also be short, my aim over the next 24 months is to provide a platform, at the very least, for younger players to ply their trade here. Whether that’s moving on a DP and going for somebody younger with potential OR use the various draft options and fit youngers players into a system that suits remains to be seen.

Tactically, the way the squad has been assembled means not everything will suit. I feel that I have to make use of my $11m DPs, and then fill around the holes with what I am calling ‘square pegs’…essentially guys that have been thrown together in a scattergun way that perhaps don’t share a common identity or footballing philosophy. It’s a great challenge to have, and something I look forward to relishing in what I think will be a 4-1-4-1 /4-3-3.

Too long; didn’t read

I am managing Inter Miami in FM22 (post-full release) for the first two/three seasons of my save - providing I don’t get sacked in the first few months. Why?

Because many Hispanic/Latino people live there, and I love the vibe.
Because I want to catch up with my friend Chris in a regular network save setting.
Because Major League Soccer represents a sizeable headache, and it will be a good mental hurdle to overcome.
Inter Miami have a very imbalanced squad, and a tactical system will need to be tailored to suit them.

I don’t really have aims or aspirations right now, just to have fun and meet the Board’s criteria. Thanks for reading/sharing and caring,

Tony / FM Grasshopper

"Bastardoverse: the story so far" - La Plata: Vice #FM22

October 1, 2021

FM22 La Plata Vice Image for Twitter Header.png

La Plata: Vice is the conclusion to a three part series that intertwines creative writing alongside Football Manager save updates. It probably feels like it never ends, but there is a definite story arc coming to its conclusion for FM22. Whilst a lot of the Bastardoverse story has been documented on the blog, some probably still sits in my head…so in order to bring readers up-to-speed, or to simply re-cap on past events, I intend to set the scene ahead of FM22’s La Plata: Vice. The post begins with a timeline of past events, before I move on to introducing key characters to include a short synopsis of their arc so far.

Bastardoverse Timeline

The concept of time is a fluid one in the La Plata series. Not only does time ‘reset’ with each edition, I also have to factor in the lengths of each saves and narrative wait time between saves to build a cumulative timeline across multiple editions of FM. I’ve spent way too long thinking about this, but the best way to accept it is to not think of this series in Earth Years…but rather years since Bastardo’s successful Estudiantes spell in Football Manager 2018 [known on this site as ‘Return to La Plata’]. For me, this is the starting point of Bastardo’ journey (as I also accept FM17’s antics were all a drug induced dream). Never mind that, I present the Bastardoverse timeline:

FM18 - Return to La Plata, FM19 - Bastardo At War, FM20 - Río de la Plata & La Plata: Mexico, FM21 - La Plata: Colombia and FM22 - La Plata: Vice — FM18 - *Return to La Plata*, FM19 - *Bastardo At War*, FM20 - *Río de la Plata* & *La Plata: Mexico*, FM21 - *La Plata: Colombia* and FM22 - *La Plata: Vice*

Major Characters

Ángel Bastardo

It’s been a near 30 year journey for Ángel Bastardo’s in my stories. From humble beginnings, to political scandals, drug trafficking and Copa Libertadores/Copa América triumphs. Bastardo inspired a generation in La Plata, but also on the whole of the South American continent. However, drama always followed Bastardo and much of it was self-inflicted. After winning back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles with his hometown city, his decision to rob La Plata’s Central Bank in order to self-finance an invasion of the fictional African country of Equatorial Katanga was probably the start of a lot of problems. Alienating the United Nations, notably the United States of America, he fell into a fragile alliance with Russia and their agent Ruslan Chepiga, before running away to the Colombian jungle to hide.

After a period in exile, Bastardo’s story picked up again when neutral Uruguay offered protection - providing he agreed to manage ex-Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez’s favourite team: Club Atlético Peñarol. A return to football management and winning trophies followed in Río de la Plata, including the Copa América triumph with the Uruguay National Team. But would we get a happy ending? Not if Ruslan Chepiga had anything to say about it…his organised shootout at the World Cup isolated Bastardo from his protection and ensured Bastardo would be given over to the US. Once extradited to a maximum security prison in Butner, North Carolina, Ángel Bastardo would serve a undefined sentence for narcotics and war crimes.

Hugo Ojeda

Sensing immediate betrayal prior to the World Cup shootout, Ángel Bastardo passed the reins of the business to refugee-turned-understudy Hugo Ojeda in what was dubbed ‘Operation Isabella’. The instruction was to relocate all operations to Sinaloa, Mexico which would see Bastardo’s empire overshadowed by the United States’ bigger Mexican headache: the ongoing drug war against the Cartels along border states.

Much like his predecessor, Venezuelan Hugo Ojeda aka The Snake of Sinaloa used football management as a public front…managing Sinaloan teams Murciélagos FC and Dorados - who he earned a successful promotion to Liga MX in La Plata: Mexico. Outside of football however, Hugo Ojeda longed to set Bastardo free from prison and seek revenge on Ruslan Chepiga (and anybody from Russia for that matter). His way to do this was to become the Cartel’s unified leader, which eventually led him to Barranquilla, Colombia; where he controlled cocaine production alongside his Mexican distribution. Once again, football was the public front to deter suspecting eyes…with a successful five year spell at Junior de Barranquilla, which included a Copa Libertadores title alongside multiple domestic accolades in La Plata: Colombia.

With the help of US legal firm Theydon Mortimer, Hugo Ojeda successfully negotiated Bastardo’s release, which is where the La Plata: Vice story picks up from.

Natasha Sibiski

Legal firm Theydon-Mortimer'‘s origins are shrouded in anonymity, with several benefactors choosing to not reveal themselves. One of the firm’s biggest accounts is Ojeda’s Barranquilla outfit, which has been tasked to Theydon-Mortimer’s top legal executive: Natasha Sibiski. Over the course of 5 years, Natasha Sibiski has taken on the dual role of negotiating the planned release of Ángel Bastardo and ensuring Hugo Ojeda is not extradited to the US on drug trafficking charges.

The Devil Recovered Thumnail cropped.png

Her paternal ancestry remains a mystery. But her maternal links to mainland Russia, and the sudden reappearance of Ruslan Chepiga, have seen her relations with Hugo Ojeda become strained in recent months. Natasha has a growing importance to the story, after being introduced in La Plata: Colombia - is Hugo right to not trust her? Whose side is she truly on?

Others

Ruslan Chepiga

Ruslan Chepiga is FM Eadster’s character, I merely borrow him from time-to-time to flesh out the Bastardoverse’s wider catalogue of scoundrels. Ruslan Chepiga is a great character…known for being a ‘Superior Agent’ to the Russian Federation, his story mixes geo-political struggles alongside Football Manager. His involvement in the Bastardoverse sprung from Bastardo’s aforementioned African invasion. At a time of heightened political tensions…Ruslan was the man to carry out the silent murders and subterfuge that nobody else would be willing to do. Ruslan works in the shadows within the former Soviet Bloc - notably in Pripyat, Ukraine…where his mission to rebuild the former Soviet satellite city ended miserably. His betrayal on Bastardo is what sees the Argentine now in jail, and what has led Hugo Ojeda to seemingly undertake a near-15 year campaign to find him and take revenge.

Alas, Chepiga was missing for all this time and presumed dead in an airplane crash along the Bering Strait around a decade ago. However, it was a clever ruse and Ruslan would in fact be hiding in the United States under witness protection. Now seemingly let out of the cage once more, and offered a chance at football management in Major League Soccer; his path once again crosses with Ángel Bastardo.

Father Martínez

The Colombian jungle compound that Venezuelan refugee Hugo Ojeda grew up in had two heads: the pious Father Martínez and the flamboyant exiled Ángel Bastardo. It was Father Martínez who would strongly object to those that would follow Bastardo to Montevideo, which included young teenager Hugo Ojeda (and the majority of residents). Years of resentment as to what was said festered for both Ojeda and Martínez, which came to a head almost 15 years later when Hugo Ojeda re-visited the sparsely populated compound once again en route to Barranquilla.

Father Martínez was burned alive under Hugo’s orders, which served as the introduction to La Plata: Colombia and was a clear indicator that things were not right with Bastardo’s heir apparent.

Diego Mendoza

A devout ally to Bastardo, Argentine journeyman Diego Mendoza serves as the football idealist that crosses paths with Bastardo from time-to-time in the Bastardoverse. Mendoza provided Libya as a base for operations during the African war, and would also host Bastardo on several occasions for glamour ties around the World; such as in the United Arab Emirates. Although their rivalry to become Argentina’s most successful manager is evident, there is a mutual respect between the two managers that stands the test of time.

José Luis Brown & Carlos Valderrama

The now deceased José Luis ‘Tata’ Brown was the loyal No2. to Ángel Bastardo during the La Plata years. Some say ‘Tata’ was critical in any success Estudiantes had during this spell and question whether Bastardo can return to previous managerial heights without him.

Carlos Valderrama was No.2 to Hugo Ojeda, following the Venezuelan’s arrival to Junior de Barranquilla. Like Tata Brown’s support to Bastardo, Valderrama would be critical to footballing successes and is often credited at grounding his younger superior with sage counsel. Valderrama is reportedly willing to return to MLS, where he played in the 1990s, in order to work under Ángel Bastardo.

Edinson Cavani

Ángel Bastardo has been known for his fibra philosophy, which is epitomised in certain players he has managed throughout his managerial career like Santiago Ascacíbar, Diego Polenta and Gary Medel…but none more so than Edinson Cavani who was willing to take a bullet for Bastardo during the infamous Chepiga shootout. Cavani has widely acknowledged that he would like a Bastardo reunion before hanging up his boots. It’s too early to say if a deal with Inter Miami can be finalised.

La Plata: Vice

I will reveal more how I intend to convey the La Plata: Vice story as we move closer towards Football Manager 2022’s release date (09 November 2021). Because of these yet-to-be-disclosed plans, the series will not start right away - instead I will likely play a 1-2 season beta save first.

As always, thanks for reading/sharing/caring.

Tony / FM Grasshopper