My Football Manager 16 Story #6: Dirty money
Pena Sports FC finished the season in the top half of the league table. Fans were delighted, my players proud and I felt satisfacted. Even the chairman was happy, though I knew that he couldn’t care less about the club’s future. I achieved my aim – succeeded with a team condemned to a certain relegation to the fourth league.
In June players went off for vacation and I faced some difficult decisions. I was torn and didn’t know how exactly to behave in next weeks. With every month passing, I felt better in Pena Sports FC – a small club with some potential. Still I knew that my strange employer, who was associated with the mafia, could easily end all my dreams with just a few words. In normal environment at the beginning of transfer window, I would start planning transfers and think about new tactics for upcoming season. In my current situation, it was somewhat meaningless. Even so I decided to at least add some quality to my team. On the 1st of July I welcomed few players that signed contracts early in January. Once again I made use of Bosman ruling.
Two of my most important signings were quick Brazilian forward Luizinho, snapped from reserve team of Granada and experienced midfielder from Teruel, Cristian Arcega. With a good passer and such scorer chances of Pena Sports FC to achieve something more in the league rose quickly. I was trying to stay focused on my work and don’t let the situation get too complicated.
My new forward Luizinho has everything we lacked in these past months – his pretty quick, has finishing at 13, plays well without a ball and cooperates really well with teammates.
Plan failed, when suddenly Chateauroux’s chairman, my good old friend, finally found me in Pena Sports FC. He must have been shocked to learn about my position in some Spanish lower league team. As there were many problems with trying to get contact to me, he tried the official way and submitted an official offer to buy my contract from Pena Sports FC. Clever move, but after the previous talk with chairman about Albacete’s offer, I didn’t believe it could succeed. I went to meet my boss without any faith.
Experienced midfielder Arcega – I hope he will provide much needed assists and will fit well in the place of Benat Aleman who left us in June…
Something has changed in the approach of the chairman and I noticed it after few minutes in his office. He was focused on football, shared his plans with me for another season and let me know of his plan to achieve promotion to the Segunda Division as soon as possible. Suddenly the club started to mean something to him. It became important without any reason. Why? I had no idea. I could only be annoyed that this sudden change occurred right when offer from Chateauroux popped up. You stay with us Brucevsky – CEO informed me – you have signed the contract and you have done a good job in the past months. You must fulfill the terms of the contract or you will pay with your life – he said it smiling. And besides, you like working in here. You like the job and you’ve already started building something important to you – he added. So there was my escape plan…
Before leaving the club building I visited the accountant to find out about the budget for transfers and salaries for the next season. In fact, I wanted to get something out of her about the finances of the club. It went pretty easy, though I didn’t learn any specific details. Again, I had a good amount of cash to use, so I could work pretty comfortably. But where did the money came from as half a year ago the balance was minus 2.5 million euros? – I asked myself, clearly looking puzzled. It must have been very clear to an accountant, who smiled sarcastically and nodded at me. I walked over to the desk and looked at the monitor screen, which she discreetly pointed at. New sponsorship contract. 350 000 euro revenue. In the third league of Spain?! – I shouted, making accountant angry. Soon I was out of her office.
Nice cash injection, though it’s nothing in our current situation. But how much sponsors will pay when we do better? Maybe this is what the chairman started to think about…
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