How We Picked Freddie for Sporting

The Situation

After Joao got sacked from Sporting for not doing his WCC games and going inactive, we had to find someone new. Twelve managers applied for the job.

Who Applied

We had a mix of people – some big names from D1 clubs, some D3 and D4 managers looking to step up, and others from various divisions. Won’t name everyone but there were definitely some experienced candidates in there.

The Admin Discussion

When we first looked at the list, there was a lot of head-scratching. Some of us thought none of them were good enough for such a massive club. Others worried about giving Sporting to someone who might mess it up.

The main debate was: Do we give it to a proven winner who’s already got a top club, or do we give a chance to someone who’s earned a step up?

The Top 3

After going through everyone, we focused on three candidates:

The Big Name: Top-rated manager with tons of trophies and 1000+ games. Wrote a long application listing all his achievements. Problem was, he’s already got a top D1 club.

The Legend: Our #1 ranked manager who took his current team from D5 to D1. Short application but massive reputation. Again though, already successful where he is.

The Active One: D4 manager who’s spent 1.5 years rebuilding Wolfsburg. Made it clear he follows the rules and stays active. Not the biggest name but definitely earned a chance.

Why Freddie Won

In the end, Fredrik (Wolfsburg) got the job because:

• He’s active and follows the rules (which is why Joao got sacked in the first place)
• He’s proven he can rebuild a team
• It gives him a proper step up rather than just moving sideways
• His application showed he actually wanted the job

The Logic

We sacked Joao for being inactive, so we couldn’t then give the job to someone who might have the same issues. We also thought it was better to give a progression opportunity to someone who’s earned it rather than just shuffle the top clubs around.

Fredrik’s done well at Wolfsburg with less resources. Now he gets a chance with a proper squad. If he does well, great. If not, at least we gave someone a fair shot at the big time.

Bottom Line

Sometimes you have to be practical. Fredrik ticked the boxes we needed – active, capable, and ready for the challenge. Not everyone will agree with every decision, but that’s how it went down.

Thanks to the admin team for giving up part of their weekend to get this and the other ten jobs sorted. No easy task!