Like a Phoenix Rising From the Ashes

Right, so I decided to pick up FM again and in need of a new challenge I ended up adding a couple of new leagues, including the Cypriotic leagues. Cyprus - a country more famous for its pleasant Mediterranean climate, wild partying (Ayia Napa) and generous tax rules, than it's football but a challenge nevertheless.

On a personal note I first discovered the team back in 2008 during their successful Champions League qualifying campaign where they knocked out Greek powerhouse Olympiacos and eventually qualified for the first time ever. Managed by former Newcastle man Temuri Ketsbaia they actually managed to pick up another win against a Greek giant, Panathinaikos in the group stages and even held José Mourinho's Inter to a three all draw at "home". A match played at the GSP stadium in Nicosia, far from being their original home. As Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, that also only a temporary home, didn't meet the UEFA requirements for the Champions League group stages.

In fact, Anorthosis Famagusta has played their home games away from home ever since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the city of Famagusta, today only a ghost town, fell under Turkish occupation. The club eventually relocated to Larnaca a few miles south of Famagusta and build their new home ground back in 1986. The Famagusta derby between Anorthosis and Nea Salamina is like no other in world football, not in terms of rivalry or passion, but because it’s probably the only one which is not played in the clubs’ own city. With Famagusta occupied by Turkey since 1974, meetings between the two clubs always have an air of melancholy and hardly remind the pre-1974 passionate encounters.

The club has since qualifying for the 2008-2009 Champions League season hit harder times, both economically and on the field, failing to lift a trophy ever since. The refugee status continues however and as the fans say:

“The Spirit of Anorthosis will never die, never be ruined. Our much loved Anorthosis like the Phoenix will live on forever”

Former famous players of the club include Cypriot legend Ioannis Okkas, Euro 2004 winner Trainaos Dellas, Georgi Kinkladze, Sávio and Delron Buckley.

Interesting challenge Good luck!

Good luck mate.

The updates from season one won't be as great in detail as I would have liked due to the fact that I only realised I wanted to do a career here on Susie by the end of that very season. I'll try my best to get by nevertheless.



So here is what I have to my disposal ahead of the first season in charge:



Football on Cyprus is well known for it's high amount of foreigners and players who are over the hill in their careers, and Anorthosis is no exception although it's not as bad as at other sides. However, there are some talented home grown players in this squad such as the wing back pair of Laifis and Theodorou, centre back Oikonomou and Sielis at defensive midfield. Paulo Jorge, Dan Alexa, Gonzalo Garcia and Roberto Colautti will probably be the players I'll have to depend on hoping to achieve a successful season, whereas the likes of Grigalashvili, Ben-Shushan and Toni Calvo most likely will leave the club.



Played a few friendlies as well; not too many as the Europa League qualifiers are right around the corner. More of that in the next update.

Who have you got in Europa League Qualifiers?

2013/2014



So after going through the squad real thorough I decided who could stay and who could leave, what I needed to bring in and all that other stuff, you know.

Two promising young Frenchmen, Régis Etari and David Faupala, formerly of SM Caen and RC Lens were the first to arrive as long term investments. I then picked up Federico Freire, pleasingly holder of a Spanish passport as well as his Argentinian one - as the league rules only allow 5 non EU players to be registered for the squad, on free transfer. A coup really. It took me some time to scout for the next big thing in defence, but my newly appointed scout, Sylvain Wiltord, found Iliya Milanov for me in Bulgaria and we got him for only £200K. A deal which I imagine would have been paid 'under the table' by the two clubs had this been in real life.



While being busy on the transfer market we also had the Europa League qualifiers to deal with at the same time. Trying to implement a completely new tactic as a fresh manager and with players going in and out of the team, we definitely had a tough task ahead of us. The second round saw us draw Valletta of Malta as they a bit surprisingly had beat IFK Mariehamn in the first. Having started a bit rusty in the first leg, we came out as winners in the clash of the two Mediterranean islands with 5-3 on aggregate. The draw for the next round couldn't have been a bigger contrast in that respect: to the north of Norway and Tromsø. In an evenly matched contest we managed to get away with a good 1-1 result for the return leg. At home we buried the match after just 30 mins: 3-1 up and through to the next round. Newcomer Anthony Lozano contributing with a goal.

The match also marked the goodbye of Israeli midfielder Moshe Ohayon who left us for Maccabi Tel-Aviv - who we, a few days later, got drawn against in the all decisive playoff round. Inspired by the new centre midfield duo of Freire and Fabio Rochemback we managed to beat them 4-1 on aggregate much thanks to a magnificent 3-0 win away in Israel. Europa League here we come!

Good win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv