Luis Garcia - The New Manager On The Block
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I'm just as surprised! Should be very useful for me this season, even if he does lose the initial battle to Wilshere for the midfield spot.
The end of season awards was a chance for us to relax. Granted, it was the 1st of July, and we were in the middle of our pre-season, but I had given the lads tonight and tomorrow off. Keep the morale up and all that.
The meal was quality, a mix of Italian dishes, and some Spanish, in honour of a successful manager. A bit much, I thought, given I hadn't actually won silverware for them, but the gesture was touching.
Then came the seasonal awards. First up was the Player of the Season. This award was voted for by the fans. The results were as follows:
View attachment 247008
It was no real surprise. Borja had been the mainstay of our team throughout my tenure, and had been on form before that as well. Albertazzi in second was testament to a solid season since joining from Genoa last year. He'll have to work at it to keep his position, but he's more than capable.
Next up, team of the season.
View attachment 247006
Again, no massive surprises, as the team sticks largely with my first XI. Schwegler nips in ahead of Roberto, but that's about it.
Finally, the fixtures. I'd promised the lads I bring them up before the final speeches.
View attachment 247003
View attachment 247002
I'll be honest, I've seen much worse. Our games around the Europa League matches aren't too strenuous, I was worried that we'd have the big teams around then. The end to our season is a little rough, and we can't afford to be desperate for points at the end again. With the new additions though, I'm sure we'll be fine.
Finally, my speech. I stood and went to the main stage to light applause.
"Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for attending tonight. I can appreciate the unconventional nature of our awards dinner this season, so I'm glad to see so many of you here.
I'll start by assessing the season we've just had. Lets be fair, when I joined, we were in trouble. It is testament to the players at this club that we managed to turn it around and hit Europe. Its no less than this great club deserves, and we'll be looking to carry on next season.
Now, there are some of you here tonight that are leaving the club. Alexandre, Pirmin, Neto and all the others, you have my heartfelt thanks. Each and every player that is departing played a part last season, and will go down as part of the clubs history as the ones that got us back to Europe.
We also welcome some of the new lads here tonight, who will don the purple of the Viola this year. There is a lot for you to live up to at this club, much the same as there is for me, but I wouldn't have signed you here if I wasn't confident that you would be up for the task. The support base here is extensive, and the fans are one of the best in the world, so you'll fit in well.
I'll round up by stating that we'll be looking for bigger and better things this season. We returned to Europe this year. This time, we aim to keep ourselves there. Who knows, the Champions League isn't far away. We have the quality, now we need to prove it.
Thanks guys, it has been a pleasure here for my first season, and I'm looking forward to being here for a while to come."
I left the stage to rapturous applause, and three pints which had been bought for me. Some of us were going to have serious hangovers come the morning.
The meal was quality, a mix of Italian dishes, and some Spanish, in honour of a successful manager. A bit much, I thought, given I hadn't actually won silverware for them, but the gesture was touching.
Then came the seasonal awards. First up was the Player of the Season. This award was voted for by the fans. The results were as follows:
View attachment 247008
It was no real surprise. Borja had been the mainstay of our team throughout my tenure, and had been on form before that as well. Albertazzi in second was testament to a solid season since joining from Genoa last year. He'll have to work at it to keep his position, but he's more than capable.
Next up, team of the season.
View attachment 247006
Again, no massive surprises, as the team sticks largely with my first XI. Schwegler nips in ahead of Roberto, but that's about it.
Finally, the fixtures. I'd promised the lads I bring them up before the final speeches.
View attachment 247003
View attachment 247002
I'll be honest, I've seen much worse. Our games around the Europa League matches aren't too strenuous, I was worried that we'd have the big teams around then. The end to our season is a little rough, and we can't afford to be desperate for points at the end again. With the new additions though, I'm sure we'll be fine.
Finally, my speech. I stood and went to the main stage to light applause.
"Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for attending tonight. I can appreciate the unconventional nature of our awards dinner this season, so I'm glad to see so many of you here.
I'll start by assessing the season we've just had. Lets be fair, when I joined, we were in trouble. It is testament to the players at this club that we managed to turn it around and hit Europe. Its no less than this great club deserves, and we'll be looking to carry on next season.
Now, there are some of you here tonight that are leaving the club. Alexandre, Pirmin, Neto and all the others, you have my heartfelt thanks. Each and every player that is departing played a part last season, and will go down as part of the clubs history as the ones that got us back to Europe.
We also welcome some of the new lads here tonight, who will don the purple of the Viola this year. There is a lot for you to live up to at this club, much the same as there is for me, but I wouldn't have signed you here if I wasn't confident that you would be up for the task. The support base here is extensive, and the fans are one of the best in the world, so you'll fit in well.
I'll round up by stating that we'll be looking for bigger and better things this season. We returned to Europe this year. This time, we aim to keep ourselves there. Who knows, the Champions League isn't far away. We have the quality, now we need to prove it.
Thanks guys, it has been a pleasure here for my first season, and I'm looking forward to being here for a while to come."
I left the stage to rapturous applause, and three pints which had been bought for me. Some of us were going to have serious hangovers come the morning.
It was around lunch when I woke up with incredibly sore head. Thank God I'd cancelled training for the day. First job was to check my emails. It was worth the pain to get to my computer, as there was an important email waiting for me. Cristian Biraghi had confirmed his part of the deal, we were given the green light at 3.6m. With Marcell Jansen seemingly on his way out, that would be a vital signing for us. I also had a message stating Illicic was to depart for Stoke for 2.7m. He'd put in some hard yards, he deserved a chance at the Premiership.
View attachment 246870
I also had an interesting text to deal with. Brice Embolo, the young Basel CAM/ST was to leave on the expiry of his contract. Did I want to put in an offer? I thought to myself. I had Cornelius up top, and Dosso/Dendi as my reserve pairing, but Embolo would provide a different option entirely. 'Sod it, may as well', I replied. No harm in trying.
Embolo confirmed. We decided to take a punt and pay the extra 1.9m to get him 6 months earlier. However, his departure is largely funded by Roncaglia moving to Nantes for 1.1m. More importantly, his 50k wages were shifted, so we save some money. I am still looking for a right back now to act as reserve to Sime, but that will largely depend on Asprilla's development.
My squad is finally starting to take shape. Now we need to smash the friendlies apart, and get ourselves into form. We really need to hit the ground running this season.
My squad is finally starting to take shape. Now we need to smash the friendlies apart, and get ourselves into form. We really need to hit the ground running this season.
I'm finding this incredibly handy. Have no idea what to expect from the Lazio squad Manuel has assembled so am loving that I can keep an eye on how you go to give me an idea
Cheating the right way!
I found very quickly I couldn't be attacking in this league, which set me back a bit. For a long time, 4-2-3-1 has been my go to plan, but this 4-5-1 seems to work. Also trying to have a few Italians in the squad just to keep things homegrown.
A pacy striker seems to work though, and Cornelius/Dosso/Dendi/Embolo all have significant pace so hopefully that may help.
Still need to work on tactics for the bigger teams, but that's going to take a while
I left the chairman's office with a grin on my face. I'd caught Della Valle in a good mood, and he'd agreed to stump up the funding for upgraded training and youth facilities. My argument of me being here for the long haul seemed to resonate well with my Lord and master, and it had all gone pretty smoothly as well.
He'd also had some other news for me though. Around a month ago, I put in a request for a new feeder club, preferably within Europe. At the heart of my footballing philosophy is the need for youth and homegrown players; players that are prepared to fight and die, metaphorically, for the shirt.
Anyway, Della Valle gave me three options. Chemnitz, Cremonese and Auxerre. It was a no brainer really. Auxerre have an outstanding pedigree for bringing through outstanding youth players, and I really wanted to capitalise. Besides, I knew the French system well after my term there, so I knew how to exploit it. I asked for it to be done ASAP, and left for training. It was a good start to the day.
View attachment 246434
He'd also had some other news for me though. Around a month ago, I put in a request for a new feeder club, preferably within Europe. At the heart of my footballing philosophy is the need for youth and homegrown players; players that are prepared to fight and die, metaphorically, for the shirt.
Anyway, Della Valle gave me three options. Chemnitz, Cremonese and Auxerre. It was a no brainer really. Auxerre have an outstanding pedigree for bringing through outstanding youth players, and I really wanted to capitalise. Besides, I knew the French system well after my term there, so I knew how to exploit it. I asked for it to be done ASAP, and left for training. It was a good start to the day.
View attachment 246434
With less than a month left before the season started, I was confident. We had Europe to look forward to, we had a solid squad to work with. I went to grab breakfast, and picked up the newspaper. I nearly choked on my cornflakes when I saw the back page headline:
La Viola in crisis!
- Reports suggest Garcia has lost the support of the players
- Key players looking at leaving
- Manager apparently touting himself to foreign clubs abroad
- Della Valle and Garcia set for showdown talks tonight
Fiorentina were apparently on the verge of a meltdown tonight with the season fast approaching. Whilst the outward face of the club is one of serenity and calm, the inward one is one of turmoil. Sources within the club suggest that key players including Valero, the captain, have submitted transfer requests, citing irreconcilable differences with the manager.
Meanwhile, Garcia himself is apparently touting himself to clubs across Europe in a bid to jump ship. Rumours have linked him with either a move back to Spain to Deportivo, or going to England, where apparently both Watford and Nottingham Forest are very keen to hire the Spaniard.
Deportivo distanced themselves from the rumours, with spokesman Manuel Pablo stating, "This is news to us as well, we can assure you no contact has been made by Luis." Watford were more forthcoming though, suggesting that "he wants to be here. We want him, he wants to leave Italy, it would be magnificent."
Antonio Della Valle, chairman of Fiorentina, is said to be furious with his manager, and has scheduled late night showdown talks with Garcia in a bid to get the mess resolved. Garcia has so far been unavailable for comment, despite repeated attempts to reach his mobile.
I grabbed my phone off the desk; no missed calls. One text from Della Valle though, "Story is bullsh*t, I'm looking at options."
I was confused as ****. What had warranted the story? I looked again at the article, and looked at the reporters name.
Reporting by Sergio Longhi
Longhi. That motherf*cker.
La Viola in crisis!
- Reports suggest Garcia has lost the support of the players
- Key players looking at leaving
- Manager apparently touting himself to foreign clubs abroad
- Della Valle and Garcia set for showdown talks tonight
Fiorentina were apparently on the verge of a meltdown tonight with the season fast approaching. Whilst the outward face of the club is one of serenity and calm, the inward one is one of turmoil. Sources within the club suggest that key players including Valero, the captain, have submitted transfer requests, citing irreconcilable differences with the manager.
Meanwhile, Garcia himself is apparently touting himself to clubs across Europe in a bid to jump ship. Rumours have linked him with either a move back to Spain to Deportivo, or going to England, where apparently both Watford and Nottingham Forest are very keen to hire the Spaniard.
Deportivo distanced themselves from the rumours, with spokesman Manuel Pablo stating, "This is news to us as well, we can assure you no contact has been made by Luis." Watford were more forthcoming though, suggesting that "he wants to be here. We want him, he wants to leave Italy, it would be magnificent."
Antonio Della Valle, chairman of Fiorentina, is said to be furious with his manager, and has scheduled late night showdown talks with Garcia in a bid to get the mess resolved. Garcia has so far been unavailable for comment, despite repeated attempts to reach his mobile.
I grabbed my phone off the desk; no missed calls. One text from Della Valle though, "Story is bullsh*t, I'm looking at options."
I was confused as ****. What had warranted the story? I looked again at the article, and looked at the reporters name.
Reporting by Sergio Longhi
Longhi. That motherf*cker.
It's probably fair to say that when I barged into the conference room at La Gazzeta, I probably wasn't thinking straight. I knew Della Valle was exploring options, but I was dealing with this my way. It was a deliberate attempt to undermine me and the team, right before we started the season.
I stormed in, smashing the doors apart. I later discovered I shoved the doors so hard, I'd actually broken the handle on impact. Needless to say, the board meeting I'd interrupted stopped abruptly. Security made a move towards me, but one of the board members waved them away.
"Which of you f*ckwits allowed this to go through?" I demanded to know, brandishing a copy of the offending article. Some of the members recoiled, some sat straight backed. A silver haired gentleman spoke.
"Ah. I wondered when you'd be in touch...". The gentleman in question was Vito Lorenzo. He was a senior journalist with the paper, and was considered their star reporter. "Listen, come with me to my office. We'll talk there in private."
I relented, and followed on, taking care to shut the doors normally this time. His office was very clean and clinical. There wasn't much in the way of personal possessions, just a few awards for his articles. A cuckoo clock chimed as I walked in. The chair I sat in sank as I sat further down, it was distinctly uncomfortable.
"Now, I can see from your entrance you aren't impressed by this article?" My death stare gave him the answer he was expecting. "Hmm. I understand you and Sergio have been at odds before?"
Who could forget the incident in the press room last year. That was going to stay with me for the rest of my career. "Yes. We had a... disagreement last year. He was banned from all Fiorentina property as a result."
"I see". Vito stroked his beard. "I suppose the obvious question is, is this actually true?"
I shook my head. "I'm not moving anywhere. As Pablo said for Depor, there had been no contact. And as for the Watford 'source', well... I've not got any intention of leaving Italy anytime soon. I'm committed to Fiorentina. As are the players. Borja has no intention of departing with us back in Europe, he deserves his chance, and I'm making sure he gets it."
"So what you are saying is that Sergio lied?" Again, I nodded. "Right... I am also aware your chairman has been in touch with regards to a potential libel suit. By the sounds of it, he has grounds for that. Let me look into these sources. If they turn out to be incorrect, then we'll act accordingly. Leave it with me Luis, I'll get this sorted."
I rose from my chair, and made to leave the room. Vito chipped in as I walked through the door.
"Luis?" .I turned. "Next time you come here, just knock first eh? Those doors are expensive."
I chuckled. I was still mightily p*ssed off that such a situation had occurred, but it seemed to have had a reasonable resolution. With two weeks left until the season started, I could now focus on that again.
---
Della Valle messaged me late on. "Keep an eye on the newspaper tomorrow. Also, don't pull a stunt like that again. We don't need that here." It was a fair reprimand, I could hardly complain. Still, my curiosity was piqued by his first comment. That was quick work, but what was the result?
I stormed in, smashing the doors apart. I later discovered I shoved the doors so hard, I'd actually broken the handle on impact. Needless to say, the board meeting I'd interrupted stopped abruptly. Security made a move towards me, but one of the board members waved them away.
"Which of you f*ckwits allowed this to go through?" I demanded to know, brandishing a copy of the offending article. Some of the members recoiled, some sat straight backed. A silver haired gentleman spoke.
"Ah. I wondered when you'd be in touch...". The gentleman in question was Vito Lorenzo. He was a senior journalist with the paper, and was considered their star reporter. "Listen, come with me to my office. We'll talk there in private."
I relented, and followed on, taking care to shut the doors normally this time. His office was very clean and clinical. There wasn't much in the way of personal possessions, just a few awards for his articles. A cuckoo clock chimed as I walked in. The chair I sat in sank as I sat further down, it was distinctly uncomfortable.
"Now, I can see from your entrance you aren't impressed by this article?" My death stare gave him the answer he was expecting. "Hmm. I understand you and Sergio have been at odds before?"
Who could forget the incident in the press room last year. That was going to stay with me for the rest of my career. "Yes. We had a... disagreement last year. He was banned from all Fiorentina property as a result."
"I see". Vito stroked his beard. "I suppose the obvious question is, is this actually true?"
I shook my head. "I'm not moving anywhere. As Pablo said for Depor, there had been no contact. And as for the Watford 'source', well... I've not got any intention of leaving Italy anytime soon. I'm committed to Fiorentina. As are the players. Borja has no intention of departing with us back in Europe, he deserves his chance, and I'm making sure he gets it."
"So what you are saying is that Sergio lied?" Again, I nodded. "Right... I am also aware your chairman has been in touch with regards to a potential libel suit. By the sounds of it, he has grounds for that. Let me look into these sources. If they turn out to be incorrect, then we'll act accordingly. Leave it with me Luis, I'll get this sorted."
I rose from my chair, and made to leave the room. Vito chipped in as I walked through the door.
"Luis?" .I turned. "Next time you come here, just knock first eh? Those doors are expensive."
I chuckled. I was still mightily p*ssed off that such a situation had occurred, but it seemed to have had a reasonable resolution. With two weeks left until the season started, I could now focus on that again.
---
Della Valle messaged me late on. "Keep an eye on the newspaper tomorrow. Also, don't pull a stunt like that again. We don't need that here." It was a fair reprimand, I could hardly complain. Still, my curiosity was piqued by his first comment. That was quick work, but what was the result?
Aye, cricket is my main sport, so the Ashes is my main thing during the day currently. Still, Luis is back with a bang!
La Gazetta Editorial
We would like to extend our official apologies to both Luis Garcia and Fiorentina for the news article printed two days ago. It has since come to light after conversations with Garcia and the club that the rumours that we printed were wildly inaccurate, and we should not have accused Garcia of wishing to jump ship.
Further to this, the reporter responsible for the article has since been removed from La Gazetta, following the revelation of a personal vendetta against Garcia. Whilst the reasons for the vendetta are unclear, we have no desire to be associated with such a problem.
Vito Lorenzo
-----
Screw you Longhi!
----
Text Received 11.15am
10pm, Artemio Franchi. Be there, or you will pay. You know who this is.
F*cking ****.
We would like to extend our official apologies to both Luis Garcia and Fiorentina for the news article printed two days ago. It has since come to light after conversations with Garcia and the club that the rumours that we printed were wildly inaccurate, and we should not have accused Garcia of wishing to jump ship.
Further to this, the reporter responsible for the article has since been removed from La Gazetta, following the revelation of a personal vendetta against Garcia. Whilst the reasons for the vendetta are unclear, we have no desire to be associated with such a problem.
Vito Lorenzo
-----
Screw you Longhi!
----
Text Received 11.15am
10pm, Artemio Franchi. Be there, or you will pay. You know who this is.
F*cking ****.
CantGetEnoughOfJelavic
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Really enjoying where you are taking this. Much better now, feels more like how your Lincoln story started! Really keep it up.