Athletic Bilbao?

[Klippybo]

I have just newly started a game to see if I could topple the big two in Spain with Athletic Bilbao, who of course can only sign players from the Basque region in Spain. So I will be relying on my youth team for 90% of my players.

Anywho would anyone be interested in following if I made it into a story?

 

[Chris]

Many have tried on here I believe and it always makes for an interesting challenge. Good luck!

 

[Steve*]

I have done it on fm11. Its an interesting challenge and it will take a few years to break the big 2.

Good luck

 

[Klippybo]

Many have tried on here I believe and it always makes for an interesting challenge. Good luck!

Yeah I just found managing my beloved Toon Army was becoming easy - signing the same youngsters etc. Fancied a change. No point being Barca or Real if you want a challenge in Spain!

 

[Chris]

Yeah I just found managing my beloved Toon Army was becoming easy - signing the same youngsters etc. Fancied a change. No point being Barca or Real if you want a challenge in Spain!

Newcastle. :wub:

It's a very tough ask for the first few seasons and obviously your emphasis will have to be on the youth system. Get that upgraded as fast as you can and things will start to progress.

 

[Klippybo]

Newcastle. :wub:

It's a very tough ask for the first few seasons and obviously your emphasis will have to be on the youth system. Get that upgraded as fast as you can and things will start to progress.

Yeah, got some great young players especially Muniain and a 17 y/o with a stupid long name. 5 games in, in all comps and unbeaten scoring a fair few (7 in 2 league games) however my rw Susaeta has just broke his ankle. Noooooooooooooo

 

[Chris]

Yeah, got some great young players especially Muniain and a 17 y/o with a stupid long name. 5 games in, in all comps and unbeaten scoring a fair few (7 in 2 league games) however my rw Susaeta has just broke his ankle. Noooooooooooooo

Keep hold of Muniain at all costs, no doubt he'll be the person who keeps you up there for the foreseeable future. Seems like your doing well then! Keep up the good work.

 

[slbenficacoach]

I am managing them! 3 games left , I'm on cup final too, I'm three points behind real Madrid and barcelona has the same points as me I think they play extremely well! Susaeta and Llorente are incredible, Javi Martinez, Higuain and the CB's have been essential too

 

[Klippybo]

I am managing them! 3 games left , I'm on cup final too, I'm three points behind real Madrid and barcelona has the same points as me I think they play extremely well! Susaeta and Llorente are incredible, Javi Martinez, Higuain and the CB's have been essential too

What tactic are you using? I have played 4 league games won 4 and scored 17!! Incredible! Using a 4-2-3-1 formation. Signed Garrido and a cm from Betis called Benat who is amazing!

You seem to have done well though. How did you get on in Europa League?

 

[slbenficacoach]

I am using 4231 too! LOL XD
Europa league I am still there, I beat PSG 2-2 and then 3-2 and I'm on the quarters now

Btw, I have Benat too! Excellent, and in January I got Azpiliculeta! No more. I think when you get to november they might give you more money if you do well!

 

[Klippybo]

Azpilicueta is on my wish list and obviously Xabi Alonso when he becomes 94! lol. There is a 16 year old winger at Betis who looks decent so will try and get him.

 

[slbenficacoach]

And Mikel Arteta too I suppose ^^
Yeah, and B team and youth also have a few good ones!

 

[Mullen19]

Mikel arteta and Natxo Monreal are must buys

 

[Klippybo]

Yeah Monreal has been noted. Probably better than Javier Garrido! Raul Garcia is also on my wishlist. Not bothered about Arteta as he is a bit older and would have a big wage.

 

[Rashke]

Hi guys. I've played FM since FM2005 and I'm a real fanatic. In FM2012 I wanted a new challenge and decided to take Athletic for the first time because of the unique team policy considering basque players rule. Soon i realized that thay have a very respectable team with mostly young players. Llorente, Muniain, Javi Martinez and Ander Herera are stars which would be a great asset even for world class clubs.

Right now I am playing my second season and this is my current team:
GK-Gorka Iraizoz(s. Asier Riesgo)
DL-Natxo Monreal(s. Xabi Castillo) DCL-Amorebieta(s. Jon Aurtenexe) DCR-Mikel San Jose(s. Ekiza) DR-Azpilicueta(s. Zubarre)
DMC-Gurpegi(s. Astiz)
CML-Raul Garcia(s. Benat) CMR-Javi Martinez(s. Iraola)
AML-Iker Muniain(s. Oscar de Marcos) AMR-Ander Herrera(s. Suaseta)
ST-Llorente(s. Toquero and Kike Sola)

1. season:
I sold david lopez to sevilla for 2.5mil euros and rejected the offer for suaseta from valencia 7mil I bought Azpilicueta for 13mil, benat for 4.5mil and alvaro vadillo 16 year old from betis for 11mil. All transfers made with monthly instalments(48 months).
First season was unsuccesful since i didnt win any trophies. I was doing great in the championship and after 16 games or so i was 2nd, 3 points behind barca and 5 points ahead of real. However, i couldnt keep the race because real and barca just cant lose points, they play incredible. After 25 games i was 3rd, 8 points behind barca and 6 points behind real and realized that i cant get anywhere higher nor can i get lower since i was 15 points ahead of atletico who was 4th. So i gave up, i was satisfied with a champions league place and started to play games in only comentary. At the end i was 4th but i got into champions league since i beat roma 2-1 away and 1-0 at home. In spanish cup i made it to semi finals and lost to rayo vallecano 1-0 at home and 0-2 away. I cant get over that and the fact that my players were disapointing in the second leg. Barca beat rayo 5-0 in the final. In Europa league i lost to shalke 1-1 at home and 0-1 away in the first knockout phase. Llorente was fantastic in this season, scored over 40 goals in all competitions, 2nd striker in the league, 1 goal behind messi :-(

2. season:
I sold or let go some players that were old or bad such as gabilondo, iturrespe etc. I bought Natxo Monreal for 7.25mil, Asier Riesgo for 3.5mil, Raul Garcia for 500.000(he was transfer listed) and Kike Sola for 7.5mil all through 48 month instalments. my score in the league is 5-5-0, im 8 points behind real who allowed 1 goal in 10 games!! I just dont see how to keep the race with real and barca :-( Im doing well in champions league after 4 games: Bayern 12, Athletic 6, Marseille 3 and Zenit 3 points.

Im happy with the fact that my club is in great financial position and is getting richer and richer. I play CL, player wages are very reasonable and my stadium is full in almost all games. I tried to ask the board to expand the stadium but i didnt see that option.

Anyway, im looking to stregthen my team but i doubt there are good players. Arteta would be great but i doubt he would like to come, Xabi alonso is not realistic... So if u guys know any basque players please post them.
Alvaro Vadillo is developing well, he's a real wonderkid but i dont like the fact that his natural fitness is only 6. Also, Im conserned that muniain is not progressing as i expected as well as youngsters romalho and the one with long name. I hope to see real sociedad relageted in order to bring some players from them Maybe if my reputation rise through competition wins, they would like to come. Hope to hear your advices guys. Cheers!

 

[Lol_101]

looks like a real good challenge. i'll maybe give it a go sometime later. XD.

 

[Athe~]

@ Rashke - so far in my games ASSE doesn't do too well and gets relegated in the first few seasons, and Ruffier gets transfer listed for chips. May be worth checking out as he's very good and Iraizoz is on the old side.

 

[sammyt]

i don't know whether he would be of any use to you or whether he would consider you're club but maybe xabi alonso's brother mikel alonso.

 

[Klippybo]

Just about to start the second season. Finished 3rd in the league with 80pts and scored 94 goals (was 20 points behind the big two). Won the cup and the Europa League and in the summer signed Monreal, Azpilicueta and Raul Garcia.

Team is -
GK Iraizoz
DR Azpilicueta/Iraola
DL Monreal/Garrido
DC Amorebieta & San Jose (San Jose scored 16 goals and was 2nd top scorer first season)
DC back up - Aurtenetxe and Ekiza
CM Javi Martinez and Benat (Benat 24 assists in 31 games) (Iturraspe, Raul Garcia and Ruiz de Galarreta)
AMR Susaeta
AML Muniain (GOD - 15 goals, 24 assists, spanish player of the year, young player of the year and supporters)
AMC Ander Herrera
AM back up - De Marcos (great player 15 goals), David Lopez, Inigo Martinez
CF Llorente (48 goals in 51 games) (Toquero)

Whether its built in to make Bilbao competitive or not I am not sure but I got some amazing youth players - one 15 year old scored on his debut away to Barca!

 

[Rashke]

Things are looking brighter in my game now. Here are the standings:
1. barca, 19 games, 47 pts
2. villarreal, 18 games, 42 pts
3. real, 18 games, 40 pts
4. athletic, 18 games, 40 pts (im unbeaten, score 11-7-0, but im frustrated because i lost points to small teams)

Im happy that barca and real arent playing as good as thay did last season and i play both of them at home in the second half of the season. I think thats an advantage.

In CL i play napoli in the 1. knockout phase. In spanish cup im in semi finals, dont know against who yet.

Athe- thanks for advice, i know about ruffier, but since hes the only french basque worth signing, i would rather stick to pure spanish basques (H) And i think he isnt better than Iraizoz. Im planning ti keep him in front of goal until hes 35 or even more.

KLIPPYBO how come your players are so efficient? Im talking about goals and assists. What instructions you gave them? My striker is target man with support duty. AMs are advanced playmakers with attack duty in order to run into space and be closer to opposition goal. CM are central mids with attack duty so they could go forward and into box a lot. One of them is my playmaker. To all AMs and CMs i gave absolute creative freedom and roaming.

1. season i played herrera in CM and he was my playmaker but he was disappointing, the lowest ratings, like 4 goals and 7 assists or so, very poor. So now i trained him for AMR and play him there, hes much better. The most improved player in my team by his attributes.

I made a public interest in arteta and he responded that hes not interested but would consider a huge offer. Ill try to sign him in future, now arsenal threat him as indispensible.

Alvaro Vadillo made remarkable improvements, hes 18 now, i see him as my main force with muniain on the flanks in future.

Cheers!