Football Manager 2026

[moore_94]

2nd season in the Prem comes to an end with an improved league finish. 1 position higher, 8 more points gained, and a +7 improved goal difference. Just had the email to confirm we have qualified for the conference league, I like to think we have a good chance of winning that.

 

 

Our first ever foray into Europe ended at the quarter final stage of the Europa League with a 3-1 aggregate loss to Hamburg. Our lack of squad depth really started to hinder us after January and I spent the last few months of the season with usually at least 2 players needed to be rested, and that was up to about 7 players as we got into May.

 

The biggest breakout star for us this season was definitely Axel Gastaldi, signed last summer for £13.5m as my initial backup to Ruairi Lithgow, he got a chance due to injury and I just could not drop him. A lot of clubs sniffing around him and quite a few of my other players so going to be a fun summer... £43m and £70k budgets provided to improve the squad this summer, with my main focuses definitely being a starting full back for both sides, and also a starting right winger.

 

 

Edited 18 May by moore_94

[shen]

@moore_94 Yeah, that Gastaldi looks genuinely world class. Great personality and good traits (unsure about knocks ball past opponent when his dribbling and technique are so good).

[moore_94]

7 minutes ago, shen said:

@moore_94 Yeah, that Gastaldi looks genuinely world class. Great personality and good traits (unsure about knocks ball past opponent when his dribbling and technique are so good).

I have managed to keep a pretty good wage structure so far, highest players only on £60k a week

 

I get the feeling I might have to break that to keep Gastaldi haha

[Tommy Fresh]

First year in Chile done, I got Curicó Unido promoted and somehow got to the Chilean cup final, which I lost to Católica but I did qualify for the Libertadores as cup runners up, as Católica won the top flight.

 

Then I got offered the Universidad de Chile job post season, one of the big 3 in Chile, but they've not won a title in quite a few years, so I decided to take it, just trying to clear out the crap they've got. (They also have a retiring Charles Aránguiz)

[Dan]

On 14/05/2026 at 16:48, Dan said:

Another season done, 2030/31...

 

Budget not as generous this season but it was never going to be. We still spend around a million net and brought in a few decent, albeit not gamechanging players. Key ones of interest were Vasilije Novicic and Igor Jovanovic of relegated IMT, and once again we bullied Cukaricki taking their number 10 Uros Miladinovic. Entirely domestic based recruitment again.

 

The absolutely non rigged and totally fair fixture computer sent us to a 2-0 loss at Partizan as title holders on the opening day which was predictably bleak, but we were given a generous CL qualifier against Qarabag and beat them 8-0 on aggregate, Qarabag firmly getting the 'greyed out' treatment I'd imagine. We continue our bullying of Cukaricki by beating them 5-0. Our start in the league is reasonable but we're knocked out of the CL by RB Salzburg after a 2-2 draw in Austria and a 1-2 loss at home - no shame in that at all really. We're given Kairat Almaty in the Europa play-off and beat them 5-0 on aggregate. Europa League it is.

 

The one thing that massively underpins my season in a negative way is that I think unless I've misinterpreted the rules of the league, we were benefitting from something last season that we shouldn't have been, and my squad building didn't take it into account. In this league you must have two U22 Serbians on the pitch at all times and we definitely didn't last season - it seemed to take Donno (Australian), Gotea (Romanian) and Croes (Aruban) as qualifying for this and it never really mattered. Unless U20 players just count regardless of nationality, but I see nothing that suggests that and this would make the entire ruling quite self defeating anyway. Anyhow, Gotea has gone, Croes and Donno are no longer counted as domestic U22 players, so we're constantly having to rotate our team to ensure that two of them get in the side. Luckily new signings Novicic and Jovanovic are both U22 for this season, but neither were signed to come straight in as I had pretty key players in their positions anyway. This meant bring in a couple of loanees, promoting a couple of academy players a bit early (one of whom is actually really coming along quite well tbf) and generally rotating. It was so annoying though. It meant I'd built my team meticulously around something that wasn't ever actually going to be achieved. So our entire season by default became a bit transition.

 

I won't go into huge detail in the league itself because for this reason primarily, we were miles off the big two this year. Zvezda won the league on the final day, drawing with Partizan to secure it when a loss would've sent it the other way. We hit a horrendous run in April where we lost 7 games in a row in all competitions, but we finished very well and clawed ourselves 3rd place, and a Conference League play-off.

 

 

For those who believe in xG - this season was a complete piss take. In pure xG terms we were by an absolute mile the best team in the division, I think finishing over 10 expected points ahead of 2nd place. But it's useless if you're letting every shot in and pretty much every forward is scoring less than they should be. The entire season was a bit frustrating domestically, but at least we finished well and at least we've got Europe again. A new stadium coming next season.

 

Europe deserves a bit more attention though. Some royal nights were had.

 

We win our opening league phase game at home to Croatian Osijek. Once again we come out on top in a balkan tussle and even funnier is that Partizan went out to this lot in the qualifiers. We lose 1-0 at FCSB in a pretty bleak showing but follow it up with probably the best result so far of the entire save.

 

 

It massively flattered us but once one goal went in AZ just tumbled after largely dominating us in the first half. I couldn't believe the way they folded, every time we got the ball we seemed to score.

 

We lose 4-2 at Celtic but win another balkan game away at Zeljeznicar Sarajevo 1-5 - they were truly awful. We beat Antwerp 2-0 before something even more mental. Now it's worth pointing out that Roma have clearly totally underestimated us and played their reserves (including Jordan James) but this was an extraordinary result;

 

 

We draw 1-1 with Basel to put ourselves in the last 16. Unfortunately though Feyenoord are too much for us, we lose 2-1 in Rotterdam, scoring a last gasp goal where I actually thought we'd go through, but we don't really show up in Serbia and lose 1-3. No shame in the exit but a bit disappointing. This came in the run of 7 straight losses.

 

 

A few points on this. We largely dominated Cukaricki and conceded 3 out of basically nothing. Think Leeds Leicester in 2024. Javor-Matis we had a red card after 4 minutes. Vojvodina we got heavily FM'd. These came in the midst of tactical changes as well - I think again it was just very bad variance. Confidence dipping. But we did beat Javor-Matis at home the game after, worth saying they also had an early red, and we never really looked back from it - powering to 3rd place in what was quite a tense battle with Cukaricki and Vojvodina. The league table is actually about as accrate a reflection of the level of the teams in it as possible, it was not far off exactly as predicted.

 

The huge, huge black mark on the above screenshot though, the elephant in the room, is Graficar. The cup is the big one for us now. Out of Europe and presented with a very nice quarter final at home to Zvezda's farm club in the second tier. We completely dominated, only managed 1 goal, had 4 ruled out for offside (Jovanovic's low work rate really showing up here), concede a late penalty and I just knew what was coming after. A huge chance blown in a year where Partizan had suffered an early exit too.

 

So a very mixed season. Tough circumstances. Some great results, some horrific, but a very steady finish overall really and even more money bagged from the European run. And you'll never guess which Serbian club my top transfer target this summer plays for!

2031/32 - half way...

 

I've created a bit of a monster. Lets cut to the chase.

 

 

Summer not totally ideal missing out on top target Maksimovic from Cukaricki, but in Preljevic, Matovic, Jelic and Perisic we had four players who could contribute who class as U22 Serbian for this season. Midfielder Preljevic breaking the club record with right back Jelic matching it. Matovic at left back has been a big upgrade. Perisic is pure meat and potatoes, he isn't as good as Maksimovic, but he will do and he's out of contract in a year. The other two are 5 star prospects who'll be playing U19 football.

 

We start with a comeback win at Partizan which sets a brilliant tone for the season. The next few games, frankly, are hilarious.

 

 

Have you ever seen a club break their club record win in consecutive games? You can forgive the dreadful Havnar of Faroe Islands, but Cukaricki's ability to completely collapse at the sight of us is spectacular. We were 1-0 up in the first half before they got a red card (they're really rare on the game btw, only been two in the whole league all season) and off the back of this they just totally imploded, we ripped into them and seemingly scored every time we got the ball.

 

We didn't slow down, a near perfect August with only a second leg with a massively weakened team at Slovan Bratislava being the blot. Our first ever win at Vojvodina and actually showing we can grind out a 0-1 there and at Plovdiv, for all we had the firepower up front.

 

 

Bubanj and Jovanovic, my two strikers, were scoring a hatful. Unsurprisingly. We had a relatively kind set of Conference League fixtures (as well as the usual £2.5mil rolling in for qualifying).

 

To be honest, I think it became evident from around the end of October that we were going to win the league. We're just battering most of our opposition in this league now and the European opposition aren't faring a lot better.

 

 

We were 3-0 down at TSC so for that to be our only dropped points, even that felt like a win. We got revenge on Graficar in the cup but I tell you what, it wasn't easy, we didn't score until pretty late on. With the cup a priority this season due to it being the one missing piece in Serbia. Seemingly there is no super cup here, though I wouldn't consider that relevant if there was.

 

November was more of the same. Records could fall here.

 

 

And then came the twist. The one utter, utter nightmare result I really didn't want. So it's hit a point now where the league doesn't feel at all rewarding. The big two are both having shocking seasons and stand next to no chance of catching us bar an absolute implosion. So the plan, ideally, is win the cup and start a new save.

 

So this happens.

 

 

It would be easy to blame the red card, but honestly, we were absolutely foul throughout. I'm not really a possession player but to only have 30% of the ball against a second tier side. Both of their goals were absolute belters but they fully deserved to win. Out of the cup to lower league opposition for what I think is now the fifth time - and this was even bigger a disgrace than last year. Even bigger insult to injury was Zvezda went out to lower league dross themselves so it really was there for the taking, and we fumbled it.

 

Luckily though, we did finally get our win at their place, the first in our history. It only took totally outplaying them for about the seventh time running before it arrived, but we'll take it.

 

 

It comes with a huge blot, but what a ridiculously good season it's been so far. Virtually every player is smashing it. We've scored 106 goals already in 31 games in all competitions. Absolutely romping the league. Mateja Bubanj has scored 24 goals in 13 starts in the league  Jovanovic has 12 in 8 in the Conference League with 22 in all competitions. We've been an absolute machine.

 

 

Bar the collapse of all collapses, the league is done. It seems to take about 73 points to guarantee top spot in this league so just 26 points from our final 16 games should do it. We won't continue at that rate, and I don't think we'll go unbeaten. Because the plan is to have a real go at winning the Conference League. I don't think we'll quite get over the line, but we only finished behind Aston Villa and Trabzonspor in the league phase. I'd be disappointed if we didn't at least make the semi finals, but with no cup competition and the league secured bar a catastrophe, it's worth throwing everything at that.

 

With 5 spots in Europe in Serbia this season (whoever comes 5th should be sending us a thankyou) and the league winner getting into the Champions League play-off round, I'm thinking one more season here after this one to give the CL (hopefully) a go and get that bastard cup won. But failing that I will probably start elsewhere. I'm seriously surprised by this though. We finished last season well but it felt like pragmatism rather than domination. We've gone up a level. I do think we're in danger of losing a couple of players, most notably Andrea Donno in January though.

 

Oh and finally, the new stadium was postponed twice and I'm thinking that after three and a half years of playing in Pancevo in the league, and Belgrade in Europe, we will be going home at last. The new ground holds just under 7,000.

Edited 21 May by Dan

[Tommy Fresh]

3 hours ago, Dan said:

2031/32 - half way...

 

I've created a bit of a monster. Lets cut to the chase.

 

 

Summer not totally ideal missing out on top target Maksimovic from Cukaricki, but in Preljevic, Matovic, Jelic and Perisic we had four players who could contribute who class as U22 Serbian for this season. Midfielder Preljevic breaking the club record with right back Jelic matching it. Matovic at left back has been a big upgrade. Perisic is pure meat and potatoes, he isn't as good as Maksimovic, but he will do and he's out of contract in a year. The other two are 5 star prospects who'll be playing U19 football.

 

We start with a comeback win at Partizan which sets a brilliant tone for the season. The next few games, frankly, are hilarious.

 

 

Have you ever seen a club break their club record win in consecutive games? You can forgive the dreadful Havnar of Faroe Islands, but Cukaricki's ability to completely collapse at the sight of us is spectacular. We were 1-0 up in the first half before they got a red card (they're really rare on the game btw, only been two in the whole league all season) and off the back of this they just totally imploded, we ripped into them and seemingly scored every time we got the ball.

 

We didn't slow down, a near perfect August with only a second leg with a massively weakened team at Slovan Bratislava being the blot. Our first ever win at Vojvodina and actually showing we can grind out a 0-1 there and at Plovdiv, for all we had the firepower up front.

 

 

Bubanj and Jovanovic, my two strikers, were scoring a hatful. Unsurprisingly. We had a relatively kind set of Conference League fixtures (as well as the usual £2.5mil rolling in for qualifying).

 

To be honest, I think it became evident from around the end of October that we were going to win the league. We're just battering most of our opposition in this league now and the European opposition aren't faring a lot better.

 

 

We were 3-0 down at TSC so for that to be our only dropped points, even that felt like a win. We got revenge on Graficar in the cup but I tell you what, it wasn't easy, we didn't score until pretty late on. With the cup a priority this season due to it being the one missing piece in Serbia. Seemingly there is no super cup here, though I wouldn't consider that relevant if there was.

 

November was more of the same. Records could fall here.

 

 

And then came the twist. The one utter, utter nightmare result I really didn't want. So it's hit a point now where the league doesn't feel at all rewarding. The big two are both having shocking seasons and stand next to no chance of catching us bar an absolute implosion. So the plan, ideally, is win the cup and start a new save.

 

So this happens.

 

 

It would be easy to blame the red card, but honestly, we were absolutely foul throughout. I'm not really a possession player but to only have 30% of the ball against a second tier side. Both of their goals were absolute belters but they fully deserved to win. Out of the cup to lower league opposition for what I think is now the fifth time - and this was even bigger a disgrace than last year. Even bigger insult to injury was Zvezda went out to lower league dross themselves so it really was there for the taking, and we fumbled it.

 

Luckily though, we did finally get our win at their place, the first in our history. It only took totally outplaying them for about the seventh time running before it arrived, but we'll take it.

 

 

It comes with a huge blot, but what a ridiculously good season it's been so far. Virtually every player is smashing it. We've scored 106 goals already in 31 games in all competitions. Absolutely romping the league. Mateja Bubanj has scored 24 goals in 13 starts in the league  Jovanovic has 12 in 8 in the Conference League with 22 in all competitions. We've been an absolute machine.

 

 

Bar the collapse of all collapses, the league is done. It seems to take about 73 points to guarantee top spot in this league so just 26 points from our final 16 games should do it. We won't continue at that rate, and I don't think we'll go unbeaten. Because the plan is to have a real go at winning the Conference League. I don't think we'll quite get over the line, but we only finished behind Aston Villa and Trabzonspor in the league phase. I'd be disappointed if we didn't at least make the semi finals, but with no cup competition and the league secured bar a catastrophe, it's worth throwing everything at that.

 

With 5 spots in Europe in Serbia this season (whoever comes 5th should be sending us a thankyou) and the league winner getting into the Champions League play-off round, I'm thinking one more season here after this one to give the CL (hopefully) a go and get that bastard cup won. But failing that I will probably start elsewhere. I'm seriously surprised by this though. We finished last season well but it felt like pragmatism rather than domination. We've gone up a level. I do think we're in danger of losing a couple of players, most notably Andrea Donno in January though.

 

Oh and finally, the new stadium was postponed twice and I'm thinking that after three and a half years of playing in Pancevo in the league, and Belgrade in Europe, we will be going home at last. The new ground holds just under 7,000.

This looks like the first year I had when I did my Bursaspor save, I binned that off though after the first season as it was too easy 

[Tommy Fresh]

On 19/05/2026 at 07:47, Tommy Fresh said:

First year in Chile done, I got Curicó Unido promoted and somehow got to the Chilean cup final, which I lost to Católica but I did qualify for the Libertadores as cup runners up, as Católica won the top flight.

 

Then I got offered the Universidad de Chile job post season, one of the big 3 in Chile, but they've not won a title in quite a few years, so I decided to take it, just trying to clear out the crap they've got. (They also have a retiring Charles Aránguiz)

Usually find I reget moving on a save, especially after the first season, but I'm enjoying this more now after the move. Built a very good young team straight away as they had a bit of cash to spend as they'd just sold Lucas Assadi for 6 million. Should win everything domestically, had a decent Sudamericana group and managed to top it, so hoping I can get some decent (non Argentinian or Brazilian) teams in the knockouts

Edited 21 May by Tommy Fresh

[Dan]

2 hours ago, Tommy Fresh said:

This looks like the first year I had when I did my Bursaspor save, I binned that off though after the first season as it was too easy 

It has actually gotten a bit silly now and it's why the cup result has pissed me off no end, it's not really that rewarding anymore and yet I ultimately want a league and a cup in each country I do, and I'll have at least another season and a half of it. That's presuming we don't run into any big scary 2nd tier teams next year.

[Dan]

2 hours ago, Tommy Fresh said:

Usually find I reget moving on a save, especially after the first season, but I'm enjoying this more now after the move. Built a very good young team straight away as they had a bit of cash to spend as they'd just sold Lucas Assadi for 6 million. Should win everything domestically, had a decent Sudamericana group and managed to top it, so hoping I can get some decent (non Argentinian or Brazilian) teams in the knockouts

Assadi was the best player in the league when I did Greece, PAOK bought him and kept hold of Konstantelias. The main reason they stayed so good for so long. Quality player and god knows how he didn't get snapped up by anyone from PAOK.

[Tommy Fresh]

10 hours ago, Dan said:

Assadi was the best player in the league when I did Greece, PAOK bought him and kept hold of Konstantelias. The main reason they stayed so good for so long. Quality player and god knows how he didn't get snapped up by anyone from PAOK.

Yeah I had him for one game after I joined before his move went through, he's funded a big overhaul of what was a very old and pretty shit squad

[Dan]

I feel like 26 is worse than any other for illogical moves. Players who ask to leave but often turn down moves when you accept a bid.

 

Got offers of around £1mil for Donno at the start of January and he decided he wanted to go, I negotiated he could go for £6mil (which felt big). I then somehow negotiated Osijek up to £8mil and Groningen up to £10.25mil but he turned them both down. Then PAOK come in with £6.5mil which I kind of have to accept due to what I promised, however I wait and see if anyone else comes in. Hannover do the same. Both of them non-negotiable which is annoying. By the time of the week passing since the PAOK bid, he's joined them after my board just accepted it anyway. I was going to reluctantly accept it but they just did it, which was nonsense because we'd had better offers than that.

 

We're gonna be absolutely flush by Serbian standards. I mean we were before this. He's a big loss though and probably hurts my chances in the Conference.

[moore_94]

Surely I can win Shepshed's first European trophy with this being the opposition left...

 

[Dan]

 

Absolutely amazing. He's scored an own goal from 30 yards - after turning us down a second time in January.

[KFS]

Used the editor to put LCFC into L1 and get rid of all of the cast offs. Signed a few on loan but the young lads are just on a tear. GD is +30 after 19 games haha 

[Beliall]

decent season so far, was sitting second at christmas but just played first and 3rd back to back, lost them both and had a man sent off in both, the bottle is just around the corner unless i can arrest it quickly. also, still got an upload limit on my profile so we're sitting in 3rd,  level on points with 6th 2 points off second and 7 off the top. we play the bottom club next so that could go either way  

EDIT. i just discovered i can delete all my old photo uploads, in over a decade on this forum, it hasnt needed doing. nice anyway. 

the NFD 

Edited 25 May by Beliall

[Tommy Fresh]

Finished my second season and first with Universidad de Chile, won everything domestically, but I'd forgotten some Chilean clubs have ownerships that pay themselves dividens so with about 12 million in the bank they took 9 to share amongst themselves. Add in they keep turning down a lot of my requests I might resign and see what comes up, Audax Italiano went down so if that becomes available I'd fancy going there. 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

7 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

Finished my second season and first with Universidad de Chile, won everything domestically, but I'd forgotten some Chilean clubs have ownerships that pay themselves dividens so with about 12 million in the bank they took 9 to share amongst themselves. Add in they keep turning down a lot of my requests I might resign and see what comes up, Audax Italiano went down so if that becomes available I'd fancy going there. 

 

Time for you to wait for the Velez job imo, unfinished business

[Tommy Fresh]

7 hours ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

Time for you to wait for the Velez job imo, unfinished business

Velez are untouchable now as you well know

[Dan]

On 21/05/2026 at 17:35, Dan said:

2031/32 - half way...

 

I've created a bit of a monster. Lets cut to the chase.

 

 

Summer not totally ideal missing out on top target Maksimovic from Cukaricki, but in Preljevic, Matovic, Jelic and Perisic we had four players who could contribute who class as U22 Serbian for this season. Midfielder Preljevic breaking the club record with right back Jelic matching it. Matovic at left back has been a big upgrade. Perisic is pure meat and potatoes, he isn't as good as Maksimovic, but he will do and he's out of contract in a year. The other two are 5 star prospects who'll be playing U19 football.

 

We start with a comeback win at Partizan which sets a brilliant tone for the season. The next few games, frankly, are hilarious.

 

 

Have you ever seen a club break their club record win in consecutive games? You can forgive the dreadful Havnar of Faroe Islands, but Cukaricki's ability to completely collapse at the sight of us is spectacular. We were 1-0 up in the first half before they got a red card (they're really rare on the game btw, only been two in the whole league all season) and off the back of this they just totally imploded, we ripped into them and seemingly scored every time we got the ball.

 

We didn't slow down, a near perfect August with only a second leg with a massively weakened team at Slovan Bratislava being the blot. Our first ever win at Vojvodina and actually showing we can grind out a 0-1 there and at Plovdiv, for all we had the firepower up front.

 

 

Bubanj and Jovanovic, my two strikers, were scoring a hatful. Unsurprisingly. We had a relatively kind set of Conference League fixtures (as well as the usual £2.5mil rolling in for qualifying).

 

To be honest, I think it became evident from around the end of October that we were going to win the league. We're just battering most of our opposition in this league now and the European opposition aren't faring a lot better.

 

 

We were 3-0 down at TSC so for that to be our only dropped points, even that felt like a win. We got revenge on Graficar in the cup but I tell you what, it wasn't easy, we didn't score until pretty late on. With the cup a priority this season due to it being the one missing piece in Serbia. Seemingly there is no super cup here, though I wouldn't consider that relevant if there was.

 

November was more of the same. Records could fall here.

 

 

And then came the twist. The one utter, utter nightmare result I really didn't want. So it's hit a point now where the league doesn't feel at all rewarding. The big two are both having shocking seasons and stand next to no chance of catching us bar an absolute implosion. So the plan, ideally, is win the cup and start a new save.

 

So this happens.

 

 

It would be easy to blame the red card, but honestly, we were absolutely foul throughout. I'm not really a possession player but to only have 30% of the ball against a second tier side. Both of their goals were absolute belters but they fully deserved to win. Out of the cup to lower league opposition for what I think is now the fifth time - and this was even bigger a disgrace than last year. Even bigger insult to injury was Zvezda went out to lower league dross themselves so it really was there for the taking, and we fumbled it.

 

Luckily though, we did finally get our win at their place, the first in our history. It only took totally outplaying them for about the seventh time running before it arrived, but we'll take it.

 

 

It comes with a huge blot, but what a ridiculously good season it's been so far. Virtually every player is smashing it. We've scored 106 goals already in 31 games in all competitions. Absolutely romping the league. Mateja Bubanj has scored 24 goals in 13 starts in the league  Jovanovic has 12 in 8 in the Conference League with 22 in all competitions. We've been an absolute machine.

 

 

Bar the collapse of all collapses, the league is done. It seems to take about 73 points to guarantee top spot in this league so just 26 points from our final 16 games should do it. We won't continue at that rate, and I don't think we'll go unbeaten. Because the plan is to have a real go at winning the Conference League. I don't think we'll quite get over the line, but we only finished behind Aston Villa and Trabzonspor in the league phase. I'd be disappointed if we didn't at least make the semi finals, but with no cup competition and the league secured bar a catastrophe, it's worth throwing everything at that.

 

With 5 spots in Europe in Serbia this season (whoever comes 5th should be sending us a thankyou) and the league winner getting into the Champions League play-off round, I'm thinking one more season here after this one to give the CL (hopefully) a go and get that bastard cup won. But failing that I will probably start elsewhere. I'm seriously surprised by this though. We finished last season well but it felt like pragmatism rather than domination. We've gone up a level. I do think we're in danger of losing a couple of players, most notably Andrea Donno in January though.

 

Oh and finally, the new stadium was postponed twice and I'm thinking that after three and a half years of playing in Pancevo in the league, and Belgrade in Europe, we will be going home at last. The new ground holds just under 7,000.

The winter window takes a turn as the vultures finally cotton onto Andrea Donno, and as stated in an above post he left for PAOK for £5.5mil rising to a potential £6.25mil. It's a great deal but it's definitely going to make a dent in my team in the short term, and annoyingly as well it's the loss of a club grown player, meaning somebody will have to be dropped from the European squad. In came Romanian winger Lorenzo Biliboc for £800k.

 

We sell our 4th choice CB Stefan Gudelj to Honved for £600k which is a decent deal albeit he does need replacing. Where else to look but to go back to Cukaricki to finally secure Maksimovic who has regained interest in joining us. Only for him to sign yet another new deal at Cukaricki. His one goal all season happens to be for us. We break our club record on deadline day to bring in this tank from Vojvodina, who is better than Maksimovic anyway for me. £2.5mil.

 

 

We finally move back to Vrsac after three and a half years but unfortunately, despite facing the worst team in the division in Novi Pazar, it is they who score the first ever goal. Though we manage the next four. Truth be told the league has become a bit of a procession and everything just follows the same pattern as before. We have a disappointing draw at OFK Beograd but produce an absolutely hilarious result at the end of February. We draw Sturm Graz in the round of 16 - quite middle of the road, tricky, but winnable.

 

 

We put in a very decent performance in Austria and take a 1-2 lead back to Belgrade. Unfortunately the ground still isn't big enough to hold European games, which I wish they'd thought about. We actually make very hard work of the second leg and it's far more frantic than I was hoping for, but we do see it out in the end. To the quarters we go. It'll be Hoffenheim.

 

 

I think the funniest part about the form of Bubanj, who managed 9 goals in the Subotica and Partizan games, is he isn't even our best striker. The younger Igor Jovanovic has been just as good, albeit mostly played deputy. He's delivered far more in Europe, while Bubanj seems to save most of it for the Serbian league. In short, he's too good for Serbia, but he's not really that great against better opposition.

 

We beat Mitrovic's old club Vojvodina away before the league kindly postpone our game between the Hoffenheim games. Unfortunately we totally flunk it and are 0-3 down in the first half at home. We do push them and end up losing 2-3, but it's very uphill from here.

 

It's a similar story in Germany. We're 2 down very early on and it's just too much. Despite doing most of the attacking over the two legs, Hoffenheim's superior quality showed. I do wonder what if Mitrovic was able to actually play, but that's the shit side of the registration rules I suppose. Out in the quarters. Respectable, but I do feel like we probably could've offered a bit more. Poor goalkeeping and defending cost us.

 

The rest of the league season is a procession. We secure the title with four remaining games beating Zvezda 4-0. The job now is to do the invincible season. We have three kind home games after this but on the final day travel to 2nd placed TSC, who we've drawn 3-3 with on both occasions.

 

Job done.

 

 

 

An amazing season but a sign that things probably ought to come to a bit of an end. I won't better that season because I found myself instant resulting a couple of games by the end. I will have one more year, with a £5mil budget and £70k a week in wages (we're spending £33k!). The aim is the domestic double. We're in the Champions League play-off round so it's either that or the Europa League this year. I have an itch for a new save after this season.

 

Bubanj signs off with 38 goals in the league which is a new record for the league. Jovanovic scores 17 in the league from 11 starts and 17 sub appearances, but bags a remarkable 15 goals in the Conference League in just 10 games. This has alterted the vultures, and with a £2.9mil release clause, interest from Italian giants and no interest in a new deal, he'll almost certainly be off.

[Beliall]

this league is so tight and we completely fell apart against orbit college. injuries are piling up too. i hope we can at least make the playoffs but i think its going to be another season in this league. mr bang average strikes again

[shen]

Season just finished five minutes ago, here's the update:

 

With qualification to the latter stages of the Conference League confirmed, it was full focus on the league and keeping the squad fit and ready for a tough last five months. 
I made a single free signing in January, getting Anayo Iwuala in as a desperately needed speed merchant on the left wing.

My options on the left wing had been particularly weak all season, to the point I felt compelled to change formations and use two central AMCs instead, so getting Iwuala in would give me some tactical flexibility.

We continued the good form in the league with some steady, if unimpressive home wins, sprinkled with a couple of solid defensive showings away at KAA Gent and surprise package OH Leuven. The defence in particular was a highpoint this season - after 28 games in the Pro League we had only conceded 13 goals while we had just conceded 4 goals in the ECL league phase. 
Things picked up with great wins at home against Anderlecht (2-0) and away at Club Brugge (0-1).

We smashed four past Antwerp and relegation threatened Zulte Waregem in the lead up to our round of 16 tie with Brann Bergen.

 

To be honest, they looked like a very solid team and they played a style that totally did not suit us. A tough 1-1 draw away and everything finely poised for the return leg.

We snuck in a very 2-1 win at home against a resurgent Genk who were the form team this second half of the season - one that would prove crucial as lept to the top of the table for the very first time.

 

The only blot at this point was that our top scorer Djenairo Daniels had completely stopped scoring in the Pro League, so I made the bold call to rotate him with our loan signing from Copenhagen, Viktor Dadason, a weird striker with 20 jumping range (yet decent pace but no strength), who would be our main striker in the league going forward.

 

We welcomed Brann at home and looked comfortable, without really threatening them - 0-0 at HT and a pretty nervous manager. Should I stick or twist?
I stuck to it deciding I would switch it up at 60 minutes if there was no change.

Then came the pivotal moment - a fortunate penalty to us in the 56th which our big game player Koba Lein converted. And thus it all fell apart for Brann.

Twenty minutes later we had scored two more and were cruising to the quarters. Job done.

 

Then came the sticky patch I had feared would come once we relaunched the European campaign.

Three straight draws away at STVV and Charleroi and at home to Standard, who are turning into the bane of Diegem.

We conceded 7 goals in total in that run and conceded late equalisers in each one of them (91st, 82nd and 86th minute respectively).
Dadason, our backup striker, scored six of our seven goals though, so at least we solved the striker issue, but to see our main strength - our defence - desert us so badly and inexplicably, was a tough pill to swallow. We had lost touch with USG who were now 5 points ahead with four games remaining when we had been 1 ahead with seven remaining...

 

But before the last of those draws, we played against St Pauli in the quarters of the ECL and boy did we put on a superb performance! Our right back, Douglas Borel chose the perfect time to score two of his three goals this season as we took a 3-1 lead back to Belgium in what was easily the performance of the season up to this point. If it wasn't for a late St Pauli goal, it would have been tie over after 90 minutes.

 

 

We finished the job at home with another superb performance where Eliyas Strasner, our German on-loan left back from Hertha Berlin, repeated Borel's trick from the first leg and scored two absolute stunners in another 3-1 win resulting in a 6-2 aggregate rout of the Bundesliga team. My biggest regret was not acting sooner with Strasner, whose contract expires at the end of the season. FM26 showed up again how useless the bugs are as I got no message that someone had offered him a contract. The useless plonker chose to agree a deal with Dynamo Dresden, my hometown German club, of all clubs. Bugger. He looks the real deal as well and could've been my main left back for years.

 

 

Then came a weird break with no league game which meant my very next game was against AZ in the ECL semis, who themselves knocked out pre-tournament favourites Brighton. 
Roma was still in it as they dispatched Charleroi in the other quarterfinal and were up against Panathinaikos in the other semi.

This AZ side was no joke. Yoanne Wissa, Leon Bailey, Thomas Lemar, Leif Davis, Andreas Skov Olsen, Amine Adli, Troy Parrott, Peer Koopmeiners. All household names really.
We played them at home first in a fantastic tie, where I went super analytical and found that they were trapping opponents outside. So I chose to play with my attacking wing play formation and boy did it pay off. Iwuala, our January LW signing, had a stormer and assisted both goals as we went 2-0 up and cruising. AZ were pinned back and I was so stoked that I didn't change anything.

Which was probably my biggest mistake of the season...

AZ came back with a poorly defended backpost header from Skov Olsen on 78 minutes and then equalised on 88 minutes through Parrott - both of them subtitutes. Their Japanese LW Kodai Sano was just unplayable and assisted both goals.

Deflated, we had to quickly summon some energy to stay alive in the league with a game three days later at Westerlo. It was only here that I stopped and realised that we were actually oin an incredible unbeaten run stretching back to the Roma game in my last post. There had been no news or comments about it, but it sure boosted my confidence again and lo behold - Westerlo were promptly dispatched 3-0 with Dadason scoring another brace and securing a Champions League spot for next season. SWEEEEET!!!

And what's that?! Cercle drew USG 0-0? Surely we couldn't... Our last three games are away at Cercle, at home to USG and at home to Beerschot. USG were playing Club Brugge at home, us and finally Antwerp away. Maybe, just maybe, if Club Brugge would show up, we could turn it around if we beat USG at home... But USG had only dropped points in 7 out of 31 games, so this was just FM toying with me, surely...

 

----

 

Then came the defining game of the season and of this save - the return leg at AZ. Defeat and we would've wasted our best chance of a European trophy. Victory...well... 

This time I chose to start with my cautious double-AMC formation which had proved a reliable tactic away from home and we kept our own, creating decent chances first half, even looking on top. We were without Strasner this game, due to suspension, which was a massive blow, so Waem, one of our stalwarts at the back had to replace him, but he's no forward threat at all.

 

0-0 at HT and some word of encouragement with a superbly motivated squad.... only for disaster to strike almost immediately. In the 47th minute, a calamitous and frankly unbelievable mistake at the back happened when Milo Roekarts, our stable goalkeeper with great passing skills, chipped it out to right back Morsi Machmoum (that Tunisian prodigy that bizarrely arrived on loan out of the blue) but the ball bounced off his head like a rubber band and Sano, that Japanese LW from the first leg, picked it up the loose ball and fed Parrott in front of goal for an easy tap in. 
Before I had time to react, disaster struck again. Machmoum clumsily tackled Sano (again!) and gave away a penalty on 52 minutes. Before I'd even seen the VAR check, I immediately hauled off Machmoum, Boonen (our waning LW captain) and Dorival one of our skillful DMs and subbed in Borel, Willy (our starting striker two seasons ago in the Challenger league) and skillful attacking playmaker Carvalho. Back to the wing play formation of the first leg.

 

AZ scored the penalty and this was looking grim. Then - straight from the kickoff, Iwuala gets the ball and flies down the wing to feed it to Daniels and we pull one back! Two minutes later, Iwuala gets the ball as we tiki-taka it around their box, he dribbles back inside from the byline and finds Willy at the far post who's made a late run from his deeper position and boom, 2-2, and we're still only in the 55th minute!!

 

At this point, I'm thinking it's all or nothing. And then came the killer - a long range goal from Scipioni in the 82nd minute that surely killed all hope. One last throw of the dice with Dramé, a talented young wingback from the academy, replacing our leader at the back, Waem. A bit of encouragement and a prayer. And then it happened. Iwuala - again - did some magic on the wing and finds Koba Lein with a cut back, who rifles it into the top corner on 87 minutes. Pure elation and disbelief.

 

Full-time. 3-3 on the night, 5-5 on aggregate in an unbelievable tie where both left wingers have carried their teams. A nervewracking ET played out with my team shattered from the high-pressing tactic just trying to hold off AZ. Roekarts pulled off some strong saves as we were swarmed. But we held on for penalties and we went first. 
I truly couldn't bear to watch as one flash, two flash, three flash... all flashes, all square with one taker left for each. Willy steps up, Rangel guessed right, head in hands... heart sinks as the final kick from Skov Olsen flashes. The adventure over. But what an adventure this was. FM when it's at its best and at its most exhilarating.

 

A brilliant campaign, but now we had three games in the league which we had to win to stand any chance of winning the title.

 

Our game against Cercle started out fantastic. The first highlight on 18 minutes and boom, Koba Lein (not for the first time) scored a crucial goal. Incredibly there was only one more highlight the ENTIRE game where both sides had just four shots and a single one on target in what is easily the worst match I've seen in FM26. How fortunate that Lein chose to score our only chance. And what's that?!?!? USG lost at home to Club Brugge!? This meant we went equal on points, but with a worse GD. Oh I could not believe my luck!

Then came the big one. I even got different training advice screens in preparation for this game (nice touch SI). I decided to go with the formation that got a good performance away at USG earlier in the season, where we probably should've won - a cautious 4-3-3/5-2-3 with wingers. And boy oh boy oh boy. 
Straight from the kickoff, Dadason scores the fastest goal in Diegem history after just 11 seconds! Unbelievable stuff!

We smother their attack and then Boivin, our promising right-sided inside forward just dribbles and dazzles to create a magical second goal on 38 minutes. 
We are flying, soaring. What a beautiful team and performance.

 

Until USG reduce the arrears out of nowhere on 78 minutes.

 

Suddenly, nerves kick in, several players have red faces looking anxious. I make some tactical changes and only sub in my captain for Boivin in the dying minutes. .. ... A chance for USG. Just please don't. Don't do this to me. Shot comes in. BLOCKED!! Waem hacks it clear. FT whistle blows!!! We've done it, we've turned it around!!!

 

 

All hinges on our final match against Beerschot and my mind is racing as I struggle to decide what the best approach is. Try to blow them out of the water and then switch things around and control things? What if I don't blow them out after thirty minutes, then my players will have tired a lot and then we may just lose to a wayward attack? I decided to stick to the trusted formation that got us the result against USG. 
Another fantastic start as we get a penalty on 14 minutes, which Koba Lein, our midfield maestro, dispatches coolly. Let the celebrations begin in front of the full crowd. 
Then FM strikes again. Wonderboy Yani Segers, who I will do everything I can to sign if I can, bursts through the middle and equalizes 20 minutes later. We were NOT comfortable at all and had to rely on Beerschot missing a one-on-one to go into HT level.

1-1 at HT and I rip into the players. Beerschot are no mugs, but come on, wake up guys!! We just need the one point, don't throw it all away NOW!

The players respond and Dadason, our saviour in the league, is played through on 54 minutes and four minutes later Dorival scores a belter into the far top corner from the edge of the box. This time, there would be no slip up.

 

 

Diegem are Belgian Champions 2028/2029 after an incredible season with one of the wildest rollercoaster seasons I've experienced. The disappointment of the early cup exit, the fantastic but ultimately heartbreaking run in the ECL and the unbelievable comeback in the league to steal it from USG at the end. 

Oh FM, I do love you 

Edited 27 May by shen

[TiffToff88]

On 25/05/2026 at 00:28, KFS said:

Used the editor to put LCFC into L1 and get rid of all of the cast offs. Signed a few on loan but the young lads are just on a tear. GD is +30 after 19 games haha 

 

Did you update all English promotions/relegations? If so can you send me the editor file to save me having to do the same? 

[Beliall]

update seems decent so far, not bothering with world cup mode just yet but theres a couple of nice UI changes and dynamic mode seems fixed so thats good. also, SPFL ad boards in south africa  

[shen]

7 minutes ago, Beliall said:

update seems decent so far, not bothering with world cup mode just yet but theres a couple of nice UI changes and dynamic mode seems fixed so thats good. also, SPFL ad boards in south africa  

Good spot!

[Beliall]

i take it back, the update ****ing sucks, i just lost 4-2 to the team in the relegation zone. didnt change anything after taking the lead, just decided to concede 3 goals for some reason