rstolls

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This will be a screenshot-style story, and will be back-dated for a fair while, so excuse the lack of early information. The story starts somewhere in the somewhat corrupt Italy.


Little L'Aquila or rossobluas they are affectionately known by the fans are a rather unremarkable and awful team languishing in the Serie C2/B, with incredibly poor finances and facilities, the only way really is up.


Season 1:
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- The team followed all expectations in the first season and promotion was a simple enough feat. Ideally would have liked a second season in this division to build the squad to my preference.

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- Star performers include signings Gulraiz and Jony Lopez, in a team with otherwise very few familiar faces

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- Very little to comment on with the transfers. The majority of the team was sent packing, and replacements brought in.

Seasonal Summary:

Come the end of the season, it was reasonably clear that work would be cut out managing this squad. The finances were woeful, possibly thanks to buying out the contracts of the majority of players and meant that for the next few years the club would be operating on a shoestring budget in the attempts to climb the leagues.

Season 2:

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- A successful first season, avoiding the drop and only a few points off the play-off places, otherwise incredibly unremarkable

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- Not particularly anyone stood out this season, obviously Crisci's goals helped us to finish where we did and avoid the drop

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- Incredibly we lost our star players from last season in Gulraiz, Lopez and Colussi. The wage demands of such key players meant we had no choice but to let them go and continually operate in a viable way.

Seasonal Summary:


All went incredibly well, our financial issues deepened and effectively any offer for a player was at this point acceptable. Sadly this trend would continue for many years.

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Note: Apologies for the lack of information, going to bring this up to around the 10th season before it gets properly in depth.

Next Update coming up soon.
 
Update 2:
Season 3:
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- The table says it all, another season of consolation. It still feels like we are punching way above our weight in even the Serie C1/B, even at this lowly level our wage budget is the lowest in the league.

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- Hopefully a few more recognizable names to the English contingent here, with Amos, Koroma, Emillson, Hajrovic and Devlin in the squad. Really awful and below average performances, short of the impressive Biondi scoring 8 from defense. Goals really are and continue to be a HUGE issue.

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- The two best signings easily the youngsters from Fiorentina. Far far to good for this level, yet again losing a number of players who were important to the squad last year. It comes down to offering short-term deals so any surplus players can be cut lose quicker, given our woeful finances.

Season Summary:
It's safe to say that it was another good season in respect to minimizing outgoings, and trying to build a team capable of pushing onwards and into Serie B. The thought of even surviving with 5 points in the next division sounds impossible at the minute.

Season 4:
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- We fully deserved our top 5 spot, and I don't even know how we snuck through the play-offs. I can try find some screenshots later on when the games running. All in all a great season, although the fear has set in of even trying to fight through the next division.

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- It's obvious to say, that the strong defensive partnership was the catalyst for our promotion. The Icardi/Abot/Miglori combination upfront was a vast improvement from the previous season. Losing Biondi started to look like a real possibility next season, he's far to good for us.

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- Bringing Sepe in from Napoli in goal was huge, as well as Icardi joining for Sampdoria. It's the most impossible challenge building a squad without any money, still, at the end of the 4th season. Next season would prove to be even more possible in the Serie B.

Seasonal Summary:
Can't really complain about anything here, Promotion is great. Although, looking at the wage budgets in the Serie B, we are operating on less than 1 Million a year... The top clubs are spending over the 12 Million mark. I could only predict a long, hard and incredibly disappointing season to come up.

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Next Update:
Adaptation to the Serie B and the arrival of the man from Lesotho who becomes L'Aquila's record appearance holder!

Coming up shortly....

 
Update 3: We're Going To Die.
Season 5: Serie B

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- Finishing nearly 10 points off the relegation play-offs was an absolutely incredibly achievement. At the start of the season I presumed we were toast. We had no right to even finish 17th, but luckily we managed it. If we can stay in this division for a few more years, then I like our chances of trying to push on.

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- Well, it happened, we lost the star defender in Biondi, but more on that later, luckily we held onto Procida. Signing Moreno on loan was the real catalyst for our survival along with Angri. However, whilst it looks unremarkable, for a team spending under 1 Million a year on wages, to finish mid-table in the second division is impressive. All the frugality is slowly increasing the bank balance too!

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- Huge kick in the teeth to lose Biondi on a free transfer. But it ended up being an easy decision, he wanted out and his wages were too much to pay. Arriving on a free transfer 3 months after we lost Biondi was Paballo Lekhanya, a young defender who was recently released by West Ham.

Season Summary:
Pretty obviously pleased with this. We took the league by storm and for the first time since the opening season, we actually could afford to pay a fee for something. Never have I been happier to finish mid-table.

Season 6: Serie B
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- Mixed emotions on this. I do not have a clue how we punched this far above our weight all season and finished so high. On the other hand, given the impressive season we had, 5 points away is heart-breaking. I'm really not sure how to take the next step on such limited funds.

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- Perhaps the best team we've had to date. Martin and Lekhanya become incredibly important to the side who become fairly consistent over the course of the season.

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- The Spanish revolution starts! Absolutely huge signings for the club. Due to our form all season the vultures started to swoop for players with Ricci leaving for a hefty price during pre-season. It was difficult to turn down the Co-Ownership offers, it brought much needed revenue in for the squad.

Seasonal Summary:
Well, that was an unexpected season, hopefully we can push on from here and improve on our previous league standing again. The more important news, due to our league improvements and now being on a better financial footing... we can't improve the wage budget as our stupid chairman decided instead to use all that money and borrow an additional 16 million to build us a new stadium. Amazingly despite all this success and financial rewards, we will actually have a smaller wage budget next season! Thanks for the stadium.

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Next Time Around:

New stadium, more finances and the most ultimate heart-break possible.
 
Update 4: Up To Speed
Season 7: Serie B
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Seasonal Summary:
So we made it to play-offs and got knocked out straight away by the eventual winners Verona. The all new front 3 happened to work so so well and co-owning the players out for large sums last season the resigning them on a cheaper deal seemed to be a good financial idea, sure we will lose some players, but it makes absolute sense to boost the bank balance.

Season 8: Serie B
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Seasonal Summary:
Again, heart break, this time reaching the play-off final and once again not going the full distance. Perhaps we may have had a push for automatics had we kept hold of some star players from last season, but the front 3 was destroyed due to being an over-achieving club with next to no money. Luckily we have a decent stadium that is constantly packed out and the end of our financial concerns is well in sight!

Season 9: Serie B
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Seasonal Summary:
Well, that all went terribly wrong. Backwards step but for the greater good. It is worth noting that I've not bothered to include any cup/youth results until here, as we've simply not bothered with it. To cut wage expenses we've operated without a youth or reserve team until this point. However now the club is on a sounder financial footing, that will change over the next few seasons and a number of players will be brought in.

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Review:
Shorter less detailed update here, as nothing exciting really happened. It's been a time of constant rebuilding to improve our financial footing and to make a serious push for the Serie A. 9 years have passed and we are on the brink of the play-offs and promotion, hopefully we can make that next step. Aside from one season in the last 9, we have just not had the quality of player up front to lead the club to glory.

The new stadium and our buy to sell philosophy has however put us in the right direction and hopefully the club can start to buy in players not just on free-transfers and re-purchasing the co-ownership stake at a cheaper price.

Next Update:
The 10th season comes up, and the squad really starts to pull together. A huge recruiting drive is thrown into the youth and reserve sides, which hugely increases the players we sign. Our facilities are awful, our youth recruitment in 10 seasons has not even pulled up one average squad player.

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Note:
Once the 10th and 11th seasons update are done, I'll be dedicating an update entirely to looking back at some previous players and then giving a review of the current teams, staff, records and facilities. By this point I should be up to date and can give more detailed information!

Hope you've enjoyed reading up to the 10th anniversary of the L'aquila story!
 
Update: Let The Glory Hunt Begin!
Season 10:
So here we are, the 10th year and we are still in the second division...
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- Tense, nail biting, horrible, nerves on edge. We got in by a point and then somehow battled through for promotion. We are in the big-time now! And it only took 10 years! This year was by far a lot easier, with less big teams in the division.

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-And here is the reason we earned promotion. A solid central defensive trio, goals coming from up front and an experienced head in Carruthers in midfield. The only disappointment was Fusca, and you'll see why in a moment.

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- Yes, we spent money on players, finally. And for 2.4 million he was an absolute joke. We also sold our first million pound player in Djuric, shame to see him go as he was always a solid right back. Signing Marchand and Ferreira was important, as until now we lacked any real squad depth, what with not having a youth system or reserves team.

Seasonal Summary:
Scenes of pure joy, finally we've got out of this division and into the big time. I plan to invest quite heavily into the youth and reserve teams, bring a more rounded approach to the club and with the financial rewards of promotion this is now possible. In the long term the facilities can be upgraded and we can bring through decent youth prospects, but for now this is not financially viable.

Season 11: SERIE A, we made it!
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- This was a great success, to only lose 17 games despite being pitifully poor in comparison and above all avoiding the drop. Sure it was only by 7 points, but its a good start. You'll see Napoli in 9th, are our current parent club and that link will stay for as long as is required.

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- Without any stand out performers this season, it was mainly a team effort to keep us in the driving seat of safety. A better return from Fusca this season, adapting to the more challenging league very well.
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- Whilst it looks like an awful lot of players to come in, this was purely on the recruitment drive to have a youth and reserve system. Youngsters from every corner of the EU joining up to give us a bit of depth and purpose. The lack of Italian players in the squad is a concern, but not one we can remedy at the current moment.

Seasonal Summary:
So we actually spent more than we made in transfers this season, which although only 1.4 million, was a nice feeling. We survived our first time in the big league, and next season should be just a big of an ask.

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Up Next:
The next season in the Serie A and our battle to stay in the top flight whilst the bigger clubs pick off our talents, as well as the continued recruitment drive into the youth system. I will also give a more in depth look at some of our players, squads, history and other aspects of the club!
 
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