2025
Top Performers and Underachievers in Season 25
Top 100 Season 25 Six Match Review
Six matches into Season 25, the highly competitive Top 100 game world is already offering plenty of intrigue. It's still early in the 38-game campaign (current in-game date Thu 1 May 2025), but comparing the action to pre-season expectations (including "Malcolm's Stats" by Sevilla manager Mister TRX, 8th historically), historical manager performance, and last season's trophy winners reveals some fascinating early narratives. Here’s an overview of who’s hitting the ground running, who’s stumbling, and potential reasons why.
Division 1: São Paulo Lead; Reigning Champs Verona Off Pace
Fittingly, the game world's top-ranked manager historically, Scott Mckenzie, has São Paulo leading (16 pts), though he acknowledged needing more despite staying unbeaten after a 2-2 draw at Sporting. Just behind are kevin mcgregor's Juventus (15 pts, 39th historically), last season's Top 100 Shield winners, who suffered their first loss 1-2 at home against Doug Earle's impressive Leicester (6th). McGregor admitted he "would of bitten your hand off if said this was the start I was going to get," showing perspective despite the setback. Adam's Barcelona (5th, 40th historically, S24 Super Cup winners) also look dangerous, spearheaded by the sensational G. Rodrygo (leading D1 with 5 goals and 6 assists). Manager Adam noted his key attackers are "getting amongst the goals more... hope they can keep it going."
The biggest divergence from Malcolm's Stats is the form of Dario Saviano's Dortmund (17th, 28th historically) and, more surprisingly, Luís André Libras-Boas's Hellas Verona (12th, 5th historically). Predicted as title contenders, their struggles are stark – especially for Verona as reigning Division 1 champions. It suggests either the pre-season analysis overrated their readiness or established managers are finding the tactical battles tougher this term. Even James Mckenzie (2nd historically, S24 SMFA Shield winner) finds Chelsea slightly off pace in 8th. Fellow S24 trophy winners André Guerra (Porto, SMFA Champions Cup - 10th) also sit mid-table.
How are last season's promoted sides adapting? Last season's D2 champions Aston Villa (David Inglis, 18th historically) are currently 14th. D2 play-off winners Tottenham (Pedro Vilar, 67th) are exceeding early expectations in 11th after beating Espanyol 3-2, a result Mullan (Espanyol) felt robbed by. Regan Thompson's Hertha BSC (44th historically), S24 Top 100 Cup winners, are currently 18th.
At the bottom, Gursimran Brar (11th historically) sees Köln last as forecast, while Espanyol and Hertha join them. Espanyol's Mullan expressed frustration after the Spurs loss, citing hitting the post multiple times and injuries.
Division 2: Leverkusen Deliver, West Brom Flounder, Schick Flies
Marco G's Leverkusen (1st, 16 pts, 59th historically) are impressively living up to their favourites tag from the predictions, dispatching Udinese 4-1 with Koopmeiners (7 goals) instrumental. Behind them are Standard Liège (2nd, 12 pts), managed by Attilio Bonnici (69th historically), who are performing well after winning the D3 title last season, despite a shock 1-0 loss at Genoa. For 3rd place Hamburger SV, manager David Marsden (41st historically) felt they "Totally dominated a strong Stoke side" but needed a late Casemiro goal for a 1-1 draw. Atlético (Gav Harmer) and Stoke (Andrew Kelly, 4th historically) are also in the mix.
The season's biggest shock remains paddy d's West Brom (16th historically). Tipped for glory by the stats, now rooted in 20th. This drastic underperformance raises questions about their high-profile recruitment strategy. Conversely, RJ Alston's Southampton (8th, 24th historically) and Jamie Alldridge's Schalke (12th, 35th) are comfortably mid-table, defying predictions of a relegation scrap. Man Utd (Dan Wallace, 25th) are struggling near the bottom (17th) as expected during their rebuild phase.
Last season's D3 play-off winners Udinese Calcio (6th), managed by Neil Frankland (23rd historically), are also competing effectively in the top half after promotion.
Individuals: Benfica's Patrik Schick is the standout scorer across all divisions with 9 goals, while Southampton's Houssem Aouar leads D2 assists with 8.
Division 3: CSKA & Flamengo Top; Dnipro Still Surprise
Newer manager Chris Meida (71st) has CSKA leading (1st, 15 pts), alongside Carl Martin's Flamengo (55th historically), though Flamengo stumbled with a shock 3-0 loss at Saint-Etienne, with Martin citing key player absences. Mike Scallotti (10th historically) has Everton (3rd, 13 pts) well-placed, fulfilling their predicted potential.
The remarkable story is Everton Luiz's Dnipro (5th, 11 pts, 81st historically). Tipped for relegation by Malcolm's Stats, their strong start suggests effective tactics or perhaps being underestimated. Fiorentina's D. Mota leads scoring (6 goals) but his team (15th) underwhelms. Predicted promotion candidates Anderlecht (Walter Gogh, 27th) and PSG (Josh McMillan, 21st) need improvement.
How are last season's promoted teams settling into D3? Zenit Saint Petersburg (4th), managed by Christian RC 1914 (82nd) after winning D4 last year, have adapted excellently. AS Saint-Etienne (13th), under Carlos Miranda (77th) and promoted via D4 play-off, showed their potential by beating Flamengo.
At the bottom, Chris Mackenzie's Basel (52nd historically) struggle as predicted, joined by Hoffenheim and Shakhtar.
Division 4: Predictions in Disarray as New Leaders Emerge
This division completely contradicts the pre-season forecast. ruts66 (7th historically) leads with Feyenoord (14 pts), alongside Stuart Monteith's Montpellier (14 pts, 56th historically). Dynamo Moskva (Paul Rimmer, 59th) are 3rd, performing as predicted for a playoff spot. Córdoba, Salah, and Blanco share the goals lead (5).
The biggest head-scratchers are Mister TRX's Sevilla (8th historically, now 17th) and Hugo Costa's Celtic (50th historically, now 14th). Despite TRX crafting the very stats predicting his team for the title, he admits "things haven't really gone to plan." Are the established managers/squads struggling tactically, or were they simply overrated? Conversely, Melvin Udall's Werder Bremen (5th, relatively new, 91st) are defying their relegation prediction admirably.
Two teams promoted from D5 last season are now competing here: Last season's D5 winners Beşiktaş JK (yamil Mc02, 74th) are finding their feet in 15th. D5 play-off winners Olympiacos (Ricardo Ferreira, 66th) have started well and sit 7th after hitting four goals last night.
At the bottom, Murilo's Celta Vigo (new, 90th) are last, as their expected struggles materialise, joined by Sassuolo and Crystal Palace.
Division 5: Partizan Lead Tight Pack Chasing Promotion
Relative newcomer Marc Ques (79th historically) has Partizan setting the early pace (15 pts), followed closely by Bruno Neto^^'s Lyon (14 pts, 83rd). The managers predicted to dominate, Gianluca Ghio (Independiente, 5th, 57th historically) and Ignazio Barraco (Marseille, 7th, 34th), find themselves in the chasing pack but haven't asserted dominance yet. Independiente possess the division's top scorer in Trincão (7 goals). Nick Wheels' Spartak Moskva (3rd, 48th) are meeting their playoff prediction, with João Mário leading assists (6).
Perhaps most interestingly, the relegation picture defies Malcolm's Stats. Predicted strugglers Atalanta (Chris Taylor, 80th), Chievo (Carlos Azevedo, 86th), and Athletic Club (Wayne Bullough, 45th) are currently safe. Instead, Santos (Paolo Everland, 84th), Bordeaux (Sheene Ralspunsky, 81st - actively signing players), and PSV (Chris East, 57th) find themselves unexpectedly in the bottom three.
Overall Conclusion (Early Stages)
After just six games, Season 25 is proving highly competitive and often unpredictable, challenging many pre-season expectations based on Malcolm's Stats and even historical manager performance. While some favourites like Leverkusen are delivering, others like West Brom, Sevilla, Dortmund, and reigning D1 champions Hellas Verona are significantly underperforming. Standout individuals like Rodrygo (D1), Schick (D2), and Trincão (D5) are lighting up their divisions. Teams like Dnipro and Werder Bremen are providing early surprise packages. With 32 games still to play, there's ample time for fortunes to change, but the initial phase has certainly provided plenty of talking points and suggests that reputation and predictions count for little once the whistle blows.
Flamengo vs Hoffenheim Match Report
Flamengo Dominate Hoffenheim at the Maracanã in Division 3
CR Flamengo delivered a commanding performance to secure a 2-0 victory over Hoffenheim in Division 3 action at the iconic Maracanã Stadium. Extending their unbeaten streak to five matches, Flamengo showcased their tactical discipline and attacking prowess. Hoffenheim, on the other hand, remain in search of their first win this season
First Half: Fofana Breaks the Deadlock
Flamengo started the game with purpose, controlling possession and keeping Hoffenheim’s defense on edge. Early chances from Semenyo and Kleindienst hinted at an intense battle, but neither side could find the breakthrough.
The turning point came in the 40th minute when captain Youssouf Fofana unleashed a stunning strike after linking up with Zakaria. The goal showcased his leadership and technical precision, sending Flamengo into halftime with a well-earned lead.
Second Half: Barnes Secures Victory
Flamengo wasted no time doubling their advantage after the restart. In the 49th minute, Fofana provided a perfectly weighted pass to Harvey Barnes, who fired home at the near post. Hoffenheim struggled to respond, managing only one shot on target throughout the match.
Despite some late efforts, including a dipping shot from Zhegrova, Hoffenheim couldn’t find a way past Flamengo’s resolute defense. The victory sees Flamengo climb to the top of the table, a reflection of their excellent form and consistent performances.
Substitutions and Discipline
Second-half substitutions from both sides brought fresh energy to the field. Flamengo’s Palmieri and Strefezza seamlessly integrated into the lineup, while Hoffenheim’s Gruda made little impact. The game also saw its share of bookings, with Carlos and Ito from Flamengo and Lerma from Hoffenheim receiving yellow cards.
Player of the Match: Youssouf Fofana
The captain led by example, scoring the opener and assisting Barnes for the second goal. His commanding presence in midfield was key to Flamengo’s victory, earning him well-deserved recognition.
Match Statistics:
Possession: Flamengo 58% – 42% Hoffenheim
Total Shots: Flamengo 16 – 13 Hoffenheim
Shots on Target: Flamengo 6 – 1 Hoffenheim
Corners: Flamengo 6 – 7 Hoffenheim
Yellow Cards: 2 – 1
Red Cards: 0 – 0
Match Line-Ups:
CR Flamengo:
Onana, Royal, Ito, Carlos, Zakaria (75), Joelinton (75), Musah (75), Fofana (c), Semenyo (75), Wijnaldum, Barnes
Substitutes: Palmieri (75), Bentaleb (75), Strefezza (75), Brobbey (75), Smith, Boadu, Perri
Hoffenheim:
Rossi, Wan-Bissaka, Malacia, Grillitsch, Itakura, Eggestein, Mudryk (60), Lerma (c), Kleindienst, Sanches (75), Zhegrova
Substitutes: Gruda (75), Knauff (60), Ouattara, Evans, Chalov, Florenzi, El Hilali
Flamengo vs Fenerbahçe Match Report
Match Report: CR Flamengo 2–1 Fenerbahçe SK
Venue: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
CR Flamengo extended their unbeaten streak to four games in Division 3 with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Fenerbahçe SK at the Maracanã. Coming into this match, Flamengo made one change to their lineup from their previous outing: Georginio Wijnaldum replaced Karim Adeyemi, who picked up a groin strain and is expected to be sidelined for approximately a week.
Flamengo struck early, showcasing their dominance from the outset. In the 10th minute, Yunus Musah delivered a pinpoint pass to Wijnaldum, and the midfielder unleashed a powerful strike that left Soria with no chance, putting the hosts 1–0 up.
In the 29th minute, Hiroki Ito came close to doubling Flamengo's lead with a curling effort aimed at the top corner, but Soria produced an outstanding acrobatic save to deny him. Moments later, De Arrascaeta tested the Fenerbahçe defense again, but his effort was blocked, ensuring the score remained 1–0 heading into halftime.
Fenerbahçe returned stronger in the second half and earned an equalizer in the 66th minute. A well-delivered corner from Gaetano Castrovilli found De Arrascaeta, who powered the ball past Onana to make it 1–1. Fenerbahçe’s ability to capitalize on set-piece opportunities underlined their tactical discipline.
Flamengo continued to create chances, and in the 78th minute, Musah once again showcased his playmaking prowess, threading a perfect pass to substitute Brian Brobbey. Brobbey’s deft touch sent the ball past Soria, restoring Flamengo’s lead at 2–1.
Despite Fenerbahçe's late attempts, including a near miss from Giacomo Raspadori in the 82nd minute, Flamengo held firm. Onana and the defensive line ensured the hosts maintained their narrow lead until the final whistle, securing a victory that showcased their resilience.
Georginio Wijnaldum’s outstanding performance, including the opening goal and consistent creativity, was pivotal to Flamengo’s success, earning him the Player of the Match accolade.
Match Statistics:
- Possession: Flamengo 51% – 49% Fenerbahçe
- Total Shots: Flamengo 15 – 8 Fenerbahçe
- Shots on Target: Flamengo 5 – 3 Fenerbahçe
- Corners: Flamengo 6 – 4 Fenerbahçe
- Yellow Cards: 0 – 0
- Red Cards: 0 – 0
Match Line-Ups:
CR Flamengo:
Onana, Royal, Ito, Carlos, Zakaria, Joelinton, Musah, Fofana (c), Semenyo (75), Wijnaldum (75), Barnes (75)
Substitutes: Palmieri, Gnonto (75), Bentaleb, Boadu, Strefezza (75), Perri, Brobbey (75)
Fenerbahçe SK:
Soria, Gorosabel, Pedraza, Gabbia (c), Martínez Quarta, Veiga (60), Karlsson, Pobega, Raspadori, De Arrascaeta, Soares (60)
Substitutes: Jensen (60), Castrovilli (60), Aguilar, Brereton Díaz, Sosa, Collado, Destanoglu
Season 25 Power Rankings
Season 25 power rankings are out. This is a season-over-season and change since season 20 look at where teams stack up across divisions.
Sevilla, Boca, St. Etienne, and Napoli are the biggest risers from last season. Unsurprisingly, Schalke, Celta, Stuttgart, and Man U are the largest fallers from last season.
Looking at the change over 5 seasons, Sevilla again tops the list, followed by Shakhtar, Espanyol, and Cologne. What teams have been made a mess of over this period? Schalke, Man U, Ajax, and Werder Bremen certainly stick out. Of course, I imagine many of these teams were older, etc but...the longer you look at this data with the same manager, the more questions that may be asked?
Youth Cup S25: Teams, Schedule, and Knockout Format
48 managers registered their teams for this season's Youth Cup.
Groups and fixture schedule can be viewed at the Top 100 Youth Cup tournament website.
Teams are seeded according to manager's self reported average team ratings.
Groups were created by the Challenge tournament website seed-shuffler and groups creator.
Matches will be played using the friendly fixture schedule beginning Saturday 3 May and every Saturday thereafter until the final group games are completed on Saturday 7 June.
The top two teams in each group qualify for the Youth Cup Knockout Stage.
The bottom two teams in each group will enter the Youth Shield competition.
Seeding for the knockout stages will be based on position in the groups and then points and goal difference.
The Knockout Stages will begin a week or two after the groups finish to allow for the draw to be made and fixtures to be arranged.
The likely format for the knockout games for the Youth Cup will be:
21 June 1st Round (one leg)
28 June and 5 July 2nd Round (two legs)
12 and 19 July Quarter Finals (two legs)
26 July and 2 August Semi Finals (two legs)
9 and 16 August Final (Two legs)
The Youth Shield will follow a similar schedule, but the the 1st and 2nd Rounds will both be over one leg only and begin on 28 June.
All managers who arrange all their games and play eligible players in every match will be entered into a random draw for three winners of a free pick of any new player in S26.
For the hard of clicking, here's a screenshot of the schedule.
Division-by-Division Betting Odds for S25
After the first round of matches, here's GinoBetFrank100 bookmaker's latest title and relegation odds for each division in S25. (Remember this is just for fun.)
Division 1:
- Hellas Verona: 5/2
- Dortmund: 3/1
- ⬇️Chelsea: 5/1
- FC Porto: 10/1
- ⬇️Barcelona: 14/1
- 🔝Juventus 15/1
- 🔝Leicester City: 20/1
- Levante: 50/1
- Espanyol: 50/1
- Aston Villa: 100/1
- Bayern (to finish 6th): 1/2
Division 2:
- ⬇️West Bromwich Albion (WBA): 3/1
- Leverkusen: 3/1
- Genoa CFC: 7/1
- Stoke City: 8/1
- Internacional: 10/1
- ⬇️Benfica: 20/1
- Liege: 50/1
- 🔝Hamburg 50/1
- 🔝Southampton 100/1
- River Plate: 100/1
- Zagreb: 100/1
- Atletico Madrid (to finish 12th): 2/1
Division 3:
- Everton: 1/1
- ⬇️Paris Saint-Germain (PSG): 4/1
- CR Flamengo: 10/1
- CSKA Moskva: 20/1
- 🔝Augsburg: 20/1
- ⬇️RSC Anderlecht: 25/1
- St Etienne: 50/1
- West Ham United: 50/1
- AS Roma: 100/1
- 🔝Sampdoria: 500/1
Division 4:
- Sevilla: 2/1
- Celtic: 11/4
- ⬇️Mo Salah: 6/1
- Club Brugge: 12/1
- ⬇️Lille OSC: 12/1
- Dynamo Moskva: 16/1
- 🔝Werder Bremen: 20/1
- Sassuolo: 25/1
- Olympiacos: 25/1
- 🔝Feyenoord: 25/1
Division 5:
- 🔝AZ Alkmaar: 3/1
- Independiente: 5/1
- Olympique Marseille: 5/1
- SSC Napoli: 10/1
- Torino: 10/1
- Spartak Moskva: 20/1
- 🔝Lyon: 25/1
- ⬇️Rubin Kazan: 25/1
- Partizan: 25/1
- Villareal: 50/1
- Twente: 50/1
Relegation favourites
Division 1:
- AC Milan: 1/2
- Tottenham Hotspur: 4/6
- 🔝Cologne: 1/1
- Hertha Berlin: 6/4
Division 2:
- ⬇️Manchester United: 1/5
- ⬇️Schalke: 1/5
- Galatasaray SK: 5/4
- Southampton: 6/1
- Hamburg: 6/1
- 🔝Benfica: 20/1
- 🔝Atletico Madrid: 25/1
Division 3:
- ACF Fiorentina: 4/5
- Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk: 6/4
- FC Basel: 7/4
- 🔝Sampdoria: 2/1
- 🔝Anderlecht: 10/1
Division 4:
- ⬇️Stuttgart: 1/6
- ⬇️Celta Vigo: 1/4
- SV Werder Bremen: 1/2
- Feyenoord: 3/1
- Ajax: 5/1
- Sassuolo: 7/1
- Montpellier: 10/1
Division 5:
- Athletic Club: 1/6
- Chievo Verona: 1/5
- PSV: 2/1
- 🔝Bordeaux: 3/1
- Olympique Lyonnais: 5/1
- Lazio: 5/1
- 🔝Monchengladbach: 10/1
- Santos: 20/1
- Newcastle United: 25/1
More New Player Prizes for Managers? Community Says No!
Every season we have a random prize draw for three lucky managers who arranged all their friendly fixtures and set their teams correctly every match day in the Youth Cup and Shield. The draw winners get a free pick of any new player added to the database throughout the following season.
Should we roll this out for full participants in the World Club Cup (and Shield), and winners of each division and the Top 100 Cup and Shield?
Please vote below!
New player prizes for division winners?
New player prizes for playoff winners?
New player prizes for Top 100 Cup and Shield winners?
New player random prize draw for World Club Cup full participants?
(i.e., managers who arrange all their fixtures)
Season 25 Division 5 Stats and Facts
Any one of 6 for the title?
Realistically there are a number of teams who could win the title, which could only leave 1 play off spot free for the rest.
Independiente look the strongest, best keeper in the league, decent defence, midfield. Marseille is just a little weaker but do have more depth for the final push. AZ 1:1 could beat Marseille or Independiente back they have even less depth than their title rivals. Torino have very strong attack for the league they are in but defensively are weaker. Napoli even more so but will they get enough possession to make use of that 91 rated attack option. Kazan finally goes for the strong first team, lack of depth approach.
Spartak are ahead of the rest of the pack and while not title contenders should sew up the final playoff spot and maybe that could be to their advantage.
218 is the cut off for survival in D4 so Villareal, Partizan, Twente could also be in contention.
Bilbao are favorites for the wooden spoon, although Chievo should give them plenty of competition for last place.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Ave | ETOT | Pre | |
| Independiente | 89.0 | 89.0 | 88.2 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 88.0 | 219.96 | 1 |
| Olympique Marseille | 88.0 | 89.0 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 87.0 | 88.0 | 219.80 | 2 |
| AZ Alkmaar | 89.0 | 88.5 | 88.6 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.8 | 219.76 | 3 |
| Torino | 87.0 | 87.5 | 88.0 | 90.0 | 85.0 | 87.5 | 219.54 | 4 |
| SSC Napoli | 87.0 | 87.3 | 87.4 | 91.0 | 85.0 | 87.5 | 219.51 | 5 |
| Rubin Kazan | 88.0 | 87.3 | 88.6 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 87.6 | 219.29 | 6 |
| Spartak Moskva | 88.0 | 88.3 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.5 | 218.96 | 7 |
| Villarreal CF | 88.0 | 87.0 | 88.2 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.4 | 218.24 | 8 |
| FK Partizan | 87.0 | 87.5 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.1 | 218.08 | 9 |
| FC Twente | 88.0 | 87.3 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.2 | 218.00 | 10 |
| Newcastle United | 87.0 | 87.5 | 88.0 | 87.0 | 86.0 | 87.1 | 217.71 | 11 |
| Santos FC | 87.0 | 86.8 | 87.6 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.1 | 217.44 | 12 |
| Monchengladbach | 87.0 | 87.3 | 87.6 | 87.0 | 86.0 | 87.0 | 217.19 | 13 |
| SS Lazio | 88.0 | 87.0 | 86.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.0 | 217.00 | 14 |
| Olympique Lyonnais | 86.0 | 86.0 | 86.4 | 89.0 | 83.0 | 86.1 | 216.05 | 15 |
| Girondins Bordeaux | 85.0 | 86.8 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 84.0 | 86.0 | 215.83 | 16 |
| PSV | 87.0 | 86.3 | 86.4 | 88.0 | 82.0 | 85.9 | 215.60 | 17 |
| Atalanta BC | 87.0 | 86.0 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 85.0 | 86.4 | 215.59 | 18 |
| Chievo Verona | 88.0 | 86.0 | 86.6 | 87.0 | 83.0 | 86.1 | 215.15 | 19 |
| Athletic Club | 85.0 | 85.5 | 86.6 | 87.0 | 84.0 | 85.6 | 214.51 | 20 |
Season 25 Division 4 stats and facts
All or nothing the new Division 4 theory.
No team in D4 can be strong all areas, even if you have a strong overall team, probably you will lack depth.
So Sevilla are at least for now the favorites and over last season and the preseason pushed their team from 14th or 15th rated to 1st. The 2nd strongest attack and midfield , with plenty of depth. Celtic are the most balanced team of the big 3 and have some depth, much more so that Boca who really are a 1 man band with Salah leading the line. The playoff crew should see Brugge with their good attack, Lille who are a well rounded side and Dynamo getting 3 of the 4 places. Olympiacos also sit just above the mini pack on 219.5 or more. To survive D3 you need 220 so there are 7 teams who could get promoted and then do a partial rebuild without throwing the team in the bin.
Celta and Stuttgart will be relegated if they fail to bring in talent, Bremen are also a player or 2 short of safety. Feyenoord are just generally weaker but with plenty of depth could overcome their Dutch rivals. Last season 217 was kind of the cut off for relegation but this year 219 or less could leave you vulnerable.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Ave | ETOT | Pre | |
| SEVILLA | 88.0 | 87.8 | 89.6 | 92.0 | 87.0 | 88.9 | 222.68 | 1 |
| Celtic | 89.0 | 88.8 | 89.4 | 90.0 | 86.0 | 88.6 | 222.02 | 2 |
| Boca Juniors | 88.0 | 86.5 | 87.2 | 96.0 | 84.0 | 88.3 | 222.00 | 3 |
| Club Brugge KV | 88.0 | 88.3 | 88.2 | 90.0 | 86.0 | 88.1 | 220.54 | 4 |
| Lille OSC | 90.0 | 88.0 | 88.8 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 88.4 | 220.41 | 5 |
| Dynamo Moskva | 87.0 | 88.3 | 88.0 | 90.0 | 86.0 | 87.9 | 220.26 | 6 |
| Olympiacos | 89.0 | 88.0 | 88.2 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.2 | 219.93 | 7 |
| AS Monaco | 89.0 | 88.0 | 88.8 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 88.0 | 219.64 | 8 |
| Beşiktaş JK | 87.0 | 87.5 | 87.8 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 87.9 | 219.62 | 9 |
| Crystal Palace | 86.0 | 87.8 | 87.8 | 90.0 | 86.0 | 87.5 | 219.58 | 10 |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 88.0 | 86.8 | 87.8 | 91.0 | 85.0 | 87.7 | 219.55 | 11 |
| Wolfsburg | 88.0 | 87.5 | 88.2 | 89.0 | 83.0 | 87.1 | 218.93 | 12 |
| Lokomotiv Moskva | 88.0 | 88.0 | 88.2 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.4 | 218.92 | 13 |
| Montpellier HSC | 88.0 | 87.5 | 87.6 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 87.6 | 218.81 | 14 |
| US Sassuolo | 88.0 | 88.0 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.4 | 218.60 | 15 |
| Ajax | 88.0 | 88.0 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.4 | 218.60 | 16 |
| Feyenoord | 87.0 | 87.8 | 87.6 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.3 | 218.24 | 17 |
| Bremen | 86.0 | 87.0 | 86.8 | 88.0 | 84.0 | 86.4 | 216.64 | 18 |
| Celta Vigo | 89.0 | 86.0 | 85.4 | 86.0 | 85.0 | 86.3 | 213.90 | 19 |
| Stuttgart | 85.0 | 84.5 | 83.8 | 85.0 | 80.0 | 83.7 | 209.65 | 20 |
Season 25 Division 3 Stats and Facts
A very tightly packed division in the middle with 1 pt separating 5th to 17th
Everton appear to be the favourites for the title with a clear lead over Anderlecht or have the best attack in the league and should get at least 2nd.
PSG are also in the big 3 with a sizeable gap above Flamengo who may be relying on their great keeper.
Then we get the pack Sunderland down to Hoffenheim. Sure Sunderland are half a point better than Fenerbache and have a strong attack but each team below them have strengths and weaknesses. CSKA stand out as a top and tail team which often works at this level, they St Etienne, West Ham also have good depth.
Having said this you will need 221 to survive in the division above which realistically means Sunderland or above could have a good chance if promoted. Less than 219.3 is probably relegation territory. Fiorentina look to be shy of the rest and could well struggle with overachievers Dnipro just having strong enough attack to maybe survive. Basel have a stronger offense with Roma favoring a more balanced approach.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Ave | ETOT | Pre | |
| Everton | 88.0 | 90.8 | 89.6 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 89.1 | 223.78 | 1 |
| RSC Anderlecht | 88.0 | 89.0 | 89.6 | 91.0 | 86.0 | 88.7 | 222.91 | 2 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 88.0 | 89.5 | 89.2 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 88.7 | 222.46 | 3 |
| CR Flamengo | 91.0 | 89.8 | 88.6 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 88.7 | 221.65 | 4 |
| Sunderland | 89.0 | 88.0 | 89.6 | 90.0 | 85.0 | 88.3 | 221.46 | 5 |
| Fenerbahçe SK | 88.0 | 88.3 | 88.6 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 88.4 | 220.98 | 6 |
| Valencia CF | 89.0 | 90.3 | 88.2 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 88.3 | 220.96 | 7 |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 88.0 | 88.8 | 88.8 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.3 | 220.89 | 8 |
| CSKA Moskva | 90.0 | 88.5 | 88.4 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.6 | 220.61 | 9 |
| West Ham United | 89.0 | 89.3 | 88.6 | 88.0 | 87.0 | 88.4 | 220.60 | 10 |
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 88.0 | 88.5 | 88.8 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 88.1 | 220.57 | 11 |
| Liverpool | 88.0 | 89.0 | 88.4 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 87.9 | 220.53 | 12 |
| Augsburg | 89.0 | 88.0 | 88.2 | 90.0 | 86.0 | 88.2 | 220.46 | 13 |
| AS Saint-Etienne | 88.0 | 88.5 | 88.4 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.2 | 220.37 | 14 |
| Sampdoria | 87.0 | 87.8 | 87.8 | 91.0 | 84.0 | 87.5 | 220.11 | 15 |
| Hoffenheim | 87.0 | 88.0 | 88.2 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 87.4 | 219.45 | 16 |
| AS Roma | 89.0 | 87.8 | 88.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.7 | 219.32 | 17 |
| FC Basel | 87.0 | 87.5 | 88.2 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 87.5 | 219.17 | 18 |
| Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 88.0 | 87.0 | 88.2 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.4 | 218.24 | 19 |
| ACF Fiorentina | 88.0 | 87.8 | 87.5 | 87.0 | 85.0 | 87.1 | 217.51 | 20 |
Season 25 Division 2 Stats and Facts
Will WBA live up to the hype?
WBA have brought in a number of star players
they sit 3 points higher than last season a massive gain that should see them promoted.
Leverkusen in 2nd should so long as their keeper holds up gain the 2nd auto spot, with Genoa also with a weak keeper looking to move into 3rd. Stoke though may be better placed almost as strong as their rivals but with a better keeper and much more depth, they look up for a good cup run.
There are a good number of top and tail teams such as Internacional, Benfica, Liege, River Plate maybe even Zagreb who will look to avoid the centre of the park and hold off the stronger attacking teams while sneaking in a goal or two. Of those Benfica look to have most options but do lack depth. You would need 225+ to survive D1so other than WBA any other promoted side is likely to be relegated the following season, which I suppose is kind of how things really are.
At time of writing Man Utd and Schalke have totalled their teams in a rebuild, they will get relegated with sides so poor but presumably will do something about it as the season progresses. This may only leave 2 other relegation spots. 221 ish last season left teams vulnerable, since no team has a rubbish attack the weakness at the back for Southampton, Hamburg and especially Galatasaray has to be an issue.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Ave | ETOT | Pre | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 91.0 | 90.0 | 90.8 | 91.0 | 87.0 | 90.0 | 225.15 | 1 |
| Leverkusen | 89.0 | 90.5 | 91.0 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 89.5 | 224.82 | 2 |
| Genoa CFC | 88.0 | 89.8 | 91.2 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 89.2 | 224.26 | 3 |
| Stoke City | 90.0 | 90.0 | 90.4 | 90.0 | 88.0 | 89.7 | 224.18 | 4 |
| SC Internacional | 91.0 | 89.0 | 90.2 | 91.0 | 86.0 | 89.4 | 223.75 | 5 |
| Real Madrid | 89.0 | 88.8 | 89.8 | 92.0 | 86.0 | 89.1 | 223.64 | 6 |
| SL Benfica | 93.0 | 88.8 | 90.2 | 90.0 | 85.0 | 89.4 | 223.02 | 7 |
| Cruzeiro | 88.0 | 89.3 | 89.2 | 91.0 | 85.0 | 88.5 | 222.67 | 8 |
| Standard Liège | 93.0 | 88.5 | 89.6 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 89.6 | 222.58 | 9 |
| Málaga CF | 89.0 | 89.3 | 89.2 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 88.9 | 222.38 | 10 |
| River Plate | 90.0 | 89.0 | 88.6 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 88.9 | 221.82 | 11 |
| Swansea City | 88.0 | 88.5 | 89.2 | 90.0 | 87.0 | 88.5 | 221.66 | 12 |
| Udinese Calcio | 89.0 | 88.8 | 89.6 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.7 | 221.65 | 13 |
| Atlético Madrid | 89.0 | 89.5 | 89.2 | 89.0 | 83.0 | 87.9 | 221.45 | 14 |
| Galatasaray SK | 87.0 | 89.0 | 89.2 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 88.0 | 221.17 | 15 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 90.0 | 88.5 | 89.0 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.7 | 221.09 | 16 |
| Hamburg | 88.0 | 88.8 | 88.8 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 88.1 | 220.77 | 17 |
| Southampton | 88.0 | 88.0 | 88.8 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 87.8 | 220.01 | 18 |
| Manchester United | 83.0 | 83.0 | 85.4 | 89.0 | 82.0 | 84.5 | 212.37 | 19 |
| Schalke | 84.0 | 84.3 | 85.8 | 86.0 | 84.0 | 84.8 | 212.10 | 20 |
Youth Cup: Draw and Winners for New Player Picks
UPDATED:
Teams in the hat for the free new player pick Youth Cup prize draw to be made later.
All teams that forfeited games have been excluded.
Let me know asap if you think you should be in but aren't.
Winners highlighted below.
Leicester City
Juventus
Espanyol
Chelsea
1. Sampdoria
Hertha Jugend
2. Leverkusen
Barcelona
3. Manchester United
Cruzeiro
CSKA
Everton
Aston Villa
Feyenoord U21
MAn City
Bayern Munich
Stoke City
Dynamo Kyiv young stars
Sevilla
CR Flamengo
Santos FC
Milan
Atletico Madrid
Udinese
Besiktas
St Ettiene
Valencia
São Paulo
Montpellier F.C.
Dortmund
Tottenham
Hamburger SV II
Olympiacos
Dinamo Zagreb
Villarreal
Season 25 Division 1 Stats and Facts
Strength or Depth you decide.
Usual preamble: I take the average rating in the 4 main positions, plus the rating of the 18th highest player. I ignore multiple keepers and can add some human input if the 18th rated player is far lower or there are odd combos of teams with 5 FC in the top 11…for example. Etot is then calculated from a tried and trusted formula. In case of a tie average is used.
If they can keep it going all season Dortmund have the first eleven to beat Hellas, but Hellas have huge amounts of depth. Both teams are hugely higher rated than the rest. Chelsea in 3rd place in the stats also lack any kind of depth, maybe now with the 5 subs this is even more of a problem, but on their day, they could challenge the top 2, as potentially could Porto, maybe if they adopt a defensive approach against those 2 sides. Barcelona would fancy a top 5 finish this season with one of the strongest attacking lines in the league. Over performers Leicester probably just need a high rated keeper to achieve even more than last season
.
Of the promoted sides Villa should thrive in their new surroundings. Milan look set to struggle, as do Spurs. Hertha may well top and tail their way out of trouble. Cologne presumably will find at least an 87 rated keeper otherwise they are as good as relegated.
D1 is slightly weaker 0.1 down from last season.
| Gk | Def | Mid | Att | Top18 | Ave | ETOT | Pre | |
| Dortmund | 92.0 | 92.5 | 94.0 | 96.0 | 88.0 | 92.5 | 233.20 | 1 |
| Hellas Verona | 94.0 | 92.8 | 93.0 | 95.0 | 90.0 | 93.0 | 232.43 | 2 |
| Chelsea | 95.0 | 93.3 | 93.0 | 93.0 | 82.0 | 91.3 | 230.69 | 3 |
| FC Porto | 94.0 | 92.0 | 93.4 | 93.0 | 87.0 | 91.9 | 230.49 | 4 |
| Barcelona | 92.0 | 91.5 | 92.0 | 95.0 | 88.0 | 91.7 | 230.15 | 5 |
| Leicester City | 89.0 | 92.3 | 92.6 | 94.0 | 85.0 | 90.6 | 229.86 | 6 |
| Juventus | 95.0 | 92.7 | 92.2 | 92.0 | 89.0 | 92.2 | 229.83 | 7 |
| Levante UD | 91.0 | 91.8 | 92.0 | 92.0 | 85.0 | 90.4 | 227.92 | 8 |
| Internazionale | 92.0 | 89.8 | 91.6 | 94.0 | 87.0 | 90.9 | 227.66 | 9 |
| Aston Villa | 88.0 | 90.8 | 91.8 | 93.0 | 86.0 | 89.9 | 227.37 | 10 |
| Bayern | 90.0 | 89.0 | 90.6 | 96.0 | 86.0 | 90.3 | 227.20 | 11 |
| Manchester City | 94.0 | 90.3 | 91.0 | 92.0 | 87.0 | 90.9 | 226.52 | 12 |
| Sporting CP | 91.0 | 91.3 | 90.6 | 92.0 | 86.0 | 90.2 | 226.52 | 13 |
| Arsenal | 91.0 | 90.5 | 90.2 | 92.0 | 86.0 | 89.9 | 225.60 | 14 |
| São Paulo FC | 89.0 | 90.0 | 91.0 | 92.0 | 86.0 | 89.6 | 225.60 | 15 |
| RCD Espanyol | 90.0 | 90.8 | 90.6 | 91.0 | 86.0 | 89.7 | 225.35 | 16 |
| H. Berlin | 92.0 | 89.8 | 90.0 | 92.0 | 88.0 | 90.4 | 225.20 | 17 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 88.0 | 90.0 | 89.8 | 91.0 | 83.0 | 88.4 | 223.51 | 18 |
| Cologne | 84.0 | 88.8 | 90.2 | 91.0 | 84.0 | 87.6 | 222.51 | 19 |
| AC Milan | 89.0 | 89.3 | 89.3 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.7 | 221.77 | 20 |
World Club Cup S25
New season around the corner, new World Club Cup is calling!
First of all big congratulations to both winners of last season, Porto in WCC and Juventus in WCS.
In new season we will have slightly different competition. History learned us that too many games can be too much for some managers to handle. That is why we will try with just one competition. It will still include all the teams of Top100 GW, just format will be changed.
All teams has been in random draw that gave us bracket with elimination games from first round on. Every round will be played with two games. As you can see on the schedule: WCC S25, some teams has free pass in Round 1. They had a luck in random draw, but this is necessary that system will work with 100 teams involved.
Below is schedule by the dates. As you can see we will start third Wednesday, 30th of April.
All rules of competition stays the same. This also includes how we will handle games that will finish tied after two games: Fictional Extra Time.
Only change in the rules will be in handling managers that they are not organizing their games. Based on last season's experience, we made a decision. Managers will need to be proactive if games are not played. Managers will need to contact me and show proof that they tried to organize their games. If not, both teams will be eliminated from the competition. Their opponent in the next round will get a free pass to the next level of competition.
Hope all is clear and we will have a lot of fun in new season. Enjoy in new format of WCC and hopefully we will see some big surprises this season.
See Manager of the Season Winners in Each Division
The results are in - congratulations to all the winners!
UPDATED: Some managers had problems voting so polls have been recreated. If you voted before, please vote again. Sorry for the inconvenience and confusion.
Vote for your manager of the season in each division, below.
Division 1
- Luis Andre - A hattrick of titles for Champions Hellas Verona.
- Doug - PVA winners and a second consecutive Youth Cup triumph for Leicester City.
- Andre - A World Club Cup and SMFA Champions Cup double for Porto.
- Glen - Most value added and defying all expectations for Espanyol (along with another Youth Cup Final).
Division 2
- David - Champions Aston Villa.
- Simon - From relegation favourites to automatic promotion for AC Milan.
- Pedro - Playoff final glory and a second successive promotion for Tottenham Hotspur.
- Regan - Promotion and a Top 100 Cup win for Hertha Berlin.
Division 3
- Atillio - Champions Standard Liege.
- RJ - Runners up and PVA winners Southampton.
- Neil - Playoff winners Udinese.
Division 4
- Christian - Champions Zenit Saint Petersburg.
- Noisy - PVA leaders, promoted Roma.
- Carlos - Playoff winners and Cup finalists Saint-Etienne.
Division 5
- Yamil - Champions and PVA leaders with Besiktas.
- ruts... Runners up at Feyenoord
- Ricky - Playoff winners with Olympiacos.
If you can't see the D5 poll (for some people it seems to be showing the D4 poll), here's the direct link.
99 transfers but the manager ain't one...
Well after a less than enthralling fight with certain relegation Walter and his team return for the next season to challenge again the hoarders ha ha . The team we think has never looked better. With some youthful talents and then the fine blend of experience mixed in to provide knowledge to the younger ones.
Ratings have recently took an battering with ratings in Saudi taking a dive but we were aware of the risk. Players like Carrasco dropped from 90 to 88 at the end of the season along with Mendy.
Firminio still has enough left in his 89 rating to lead the return to div 2 we think along with talents like Diaby 91 and Almeda 89 we have talent that should be enough for a return up the divisions
.kocku 89 is our midfield marshall
Andre 88 again joins very recently to add amazing talent to the team.
diaby 91 kept his recent review thankfully to keep his place even after recent transfers fell through.
At the back we look to ndidi and lindelof for now to stay and prove their worth. De vrij nearly over the hill will return to support the team.
Aim is to keep what we have. Yes a lot will bet against this. With the team better than ever we will look to youth development in the coming season. with players with Jelert in the youth we look forward to these progressing under chansiri jnr youth team coach.
on the way back is the chant...
Bayern in S25
Before the new season begins we are proudly representing our first team, cup team and youth team:
First team this year is a mix of experience and young players with a lot of potential. Captain of the team will continue to be Harry Kane, co-captains will be Antonio Rüdiger and Granit Xhaka.
Season will be long and interesting as always. Mid season reviews will make it even more enjoyable for us. We expect many of our players to be rewarded for their good performances in real life. Players from the cup and youth team are especially anticipated to be recognized.
We can’t wait for new season to start!
Mia san mia
CSKA: Season 25
We enter our 3rd consecutive season in division 3, which is a fine accomplishment and a step up from where we found the team. But the manager, the fans, and the private equity group all envision a D1 team. After all, no one manages a club or a buys a club for them to flounder in mediocrity. Below is a recap of where the team stands heading into season 25 and the upcoming ratings updates.
Season 24 at the midway point we were in relegation territory. We added Iago Aspas, Ciro Immobile, and Stefan Savic to shore the team up and we rose to the playoff spots only to lose out on goal differential on the last day.
GK: We have starting GK Carnesecchi (90) who is having a great season domestically and in the Champions League. We sold Majecki to Hamburg as he didn't seem likely to overtake Carnesecchi - he was doing well for Monaco at the time of sale, which made it painful, but has slipped a bit since. Youth GK Mycael (80) is starting in Serie B and in the Brazilian youth teams. He is a PK specialist and modern GK who could draw a move to Europe.
RB: A two way battle between pending free agent Kyle Walker Peters (88) and Alexander Bah (88), stalwart in the Benfica side. Behind those two are youth players Alex Jimenez (76), now a rotational Milan player, and Wes Okoduwa, who I believe can develop into a lockdown defender but may need to add to his offensive repertoire.
CB: We have two aging starters in Harry Maguire (90) and Stefan Savic (88). Gone are the retired Varane and long-time captain Coates. Behind them are Chris Richards (87) and Martin Valjent (87), who are solid with some potential. Youth team players Jon Martin, Jan-Carlo Simic, Mamadou Sarr, and Tarek Buchmann hold down the fort. Simic and Sarr should be in for hefty rises given their starting spots at Anderlecht and Strasbourg. Buchmann continues to battle injury. We've also added German youth international Tyler Meiser.
LB: Caio Henrique was sold this week to Celtic for Tierney and 2 Brazilian youths. He had been performing well for Monaco and is a big loss. Taking his place is Kieran Tierney (88), spot player for Arsenal when healthy, and on his way to Celtic. Alvaro Carreras has been a standout for Benfica and should see a summer move and a rating increase. He is our long-term starter. We've also added Ben Hawighorst for the future at CB/LB.
DM: Jordan Henderson (89) will start the season alongside oft-injured Romeo Lavia (87). Pape Gueye (87) is consistently starting for Villareal and Celtic captain Callum McGregor (87) is a good depth piece as well. From a youth perspective, we have Sekou Kone at Man United, compatriot Hamidou Makalou finally made his move to France and was on the team sheet on Day 1. Staying in France, Pape Diong has the profile I like in Strasbourg and Saimon Bouabre should be getting more game time in my opinion. We've also added Brazil U17 captain Ze Lucas.
CM: We recently added Hakim Ziyech (88) with Brazilian Matheus Pereira (87) behind him. A lot of youth talent should raise the ceiling soon with Kendry, Mastantuono, and Lorran all making varying degrees of progress.
AM: We brought in Iago Aspas (89) to pair with Adingra (88). Laborde and Bertrand Traore are the main backups and have been getting plenty of game time. Odobert has recovered and is getting time for Spurs. We're transitioning the youth at this position knowing our CMs can play here as well. Irankunda and Cavan Sullivan remain, while we've added Isaque, Oscar Perea, and Mathis Lambourde.
CF: We brought in Ciro Immobile (90) and Jamie Vardy (88). Cognizant they are aging, we have a few options in the holster, Karim Konate, Jayden Danns are the nearest options (Laborde is a true CF as well). We've also signed 2 players we're excited about: N'Guessan and Mikkel Bro Hansen.
Marketing: The "Bro" campaign featuring Mikkel Bro Hansen has been a big hit with American youth. He was recently on the Joe Rogan podcast and Barstool Sports. While the manager questions these media outlets, he has been assured by the private equity group that the message of a (former) Russian club really resonates with this audience.
Likely starting lineup: Carnesecchi, Bah, Maguire, Savic, Tierney, Lavia, Henderson, Ziyech, Aspas, Adingra, Immobile.
Youth lineup: Mycael, Martin, Sarr, Simic, Jimenez, Lavia, Paez, Lorran, Mastantuano, Odobert, Konate
The most important season is coming!!
Hamburg's Season 24: Challenges and Future Prospects
Season 24 was another disappointing one. Like last season we started badly, just one win in our first eleven league games.
Bizot was our Szczesny replacement. He wasn't cutting the mustard, so we replaced him with the "very experienced" Franco Armani. The transfer was for cash from Besiktas. Shortly after we had our best run of the season, seven games unbeaten.
Not much else to say except we ended just about where predicted safely in mid-table.
Mid-table Mediocrity
We were safe enough to give Radoslaw Majecki a few games in goal. We also tried out SM's new fangled tactics options. This unfortunate combination led to a catastrophic and hugely embarrassing home defeat to Luuk de Jong and the Manchester United youth academy.
This in turn set off a nuclear chain reaction. David Walsh, new manager at PSG who was doing well and trying to keep them up resigned claiming match-fixing. Despite Dan's best efforts to claim the final relegation place, United stayed up relegating Beddows' not-so-Super Samp by one goal. PSG missed out by five points and five goals in the end, and Frank Hirst has yet another unwanted horse's head to dispose of.
Transfer Tango
On the transfer front, our main signings during the season were Noa Lang from West Brom with Alessio Romagnoli going to The Hawthorns. That allowed Memphis Depay to go to Liverpool with veteran Argentine Nicolas Otamendi coming in to replace Romagnoli.
We also brought in Brazil in winger Kevin and left-sided Dutch defender Jayden Oosterwolde from Southampton with Renan Lodi moving to St Mary's. Kevin helped the youth team to the Youth Shield semi-final where we lost out to eventual winners Flamengo.
We broke the club's transfer record dropping £77m on Talles Magno from external. We hope he can live up to the hype and the promise he once showed!
Next Season
Post-season, we traded Lang for Alex Iwobi and Idrissa Gueye. Lang's a talent, yet unfulfilled, but we needed more depth and Iwobi and Gueye are seasoned PL players doing well in real life.
We let our star player Piotr Zielinski move to relegated PSG under new boss Josh, bringing in the younger, talented duo of Sergio Gomez and Hamed Traore. Also some great versatility there.
In some ways, perhaps our biggest and most surprising move was to bring Maxence Lacroix back to Hamburg, allowing Tomas Araujo go to Bayern. Both are progressive young centre backs, but Lacroix is an upgrade for us now and that was the determining factor in planning for the new season.
Youth Team
On the youth front, we've got plenty to be hopeful about. We signed Luka Stojkovic, Jonathan Jesus, Igor Serrote and Pape Demba Diop all from external, and they will all get rises soon, along with Breno "the Brazilian Pedri" Bidon, Radek Vitek, Adama Bojang, Joane Gadou, who are all playing regularly for their real life clubs.
Comparison
S24/25 starting XIs:
Bizot 87 / Armani 88
Hamari Traore 89
Azpilicueta 89 / Lacroix 88
Romagnoli 90 / Otamendi 90
Lodi 89 / Azpilicueta 89
Casemiro 91 / Casemiro 90
Zielinski 91 / Bourigeaud 89
Forsberg 88 / Iwobi 89
Greenwood 88 / Greenwood 89
Immobile 90 / Ekitike 88
Depay 89 / Hamed Traore 88
We've lost some ratings, but should get some rises in the next couple of months. The first team has a younger age profile, and the youth team is only going to get better.