Tonge's Travel - A Journey Around the World

Welcome to my latest attempt at this most ridiculous challenge! For all of you who have been around in this community for a number of years, you'll remember that I used to hop from country to country and win as many trophies as possible all whilst documenting it here. Well, I had a break from that, and now I'm back to try it all again. I've recently had a bit more time for FM, and felt it right that I document the latest attempt where it all started for me: [SORTITOUTSI]. So stick with me, whilst I attempt to get back into the swing of things, and I look forward to interacting with as many of you as possible.

The Challenge:

Simply, to win every league title, and cup competition on FM22.

The Rules:

1 - My Manager must start with Zero Coaching Badges & Sunday League Playing Experience 

2 - No use of the In-Game Editor.

3 - Promotions via Playoffs, or Automatic Promotion Spots count as a League Win. 

My Manager:

Let's get on with then, shall we?

Career Tracker

Club's Managed:

Nation	Club Badge	Club	Dates	Days	Reason Left
		FC Slonim 2017 - Belarus	29.01.2021 - 30.10.2022	640	Resigned
		Vikingur Olafsvik - Iceland	09.11.2022 - 25.09.2027	1782	Resigned
		FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk - Belarus	14.11.2027 - 08.03.2029	481	Resigned
		FC Orenburg - Russia	31.03.2029 - Present	N/A	N/A

Trophy Cabinet:

Nation	Club Badge	Competition	Club	Year
		Piersaja Liha	FC Slonim 2017	2021
		Mjolkurbikarinn	Vikingur Olafsvik	2023
		Meistarakeppni Kalen	Vikingur Olafsvik	2024
		Inkasso-Deidl Karla (2nd - Automatic Promotion)	Vikingur Olafsvik	2024
		Deildabikar	Vikingur Olafsvik	2026
		Pepsi-Deildin	Vikingur Olafsvik	2027
		Kubak Bielarusi	Shakhtyor Soligorsk	2028
		Vysejsaja Liha	Shakhtyor Soligorsk	2028
		Supierkubak Bielarus	Shakhtyor Soligorsk	2029

Country Completion:

Nation	Name	Completion
	Belarus	[4 / 4] *COMPLETED*
	Iceland	[5 / 5] *COMPLETED*
	Russia	[0 / 4]

The First Job

Welcome to Beautiful Belarus. The obvious place to start any footballing career eh? There weren't many clubs pestering me to become their first team manager, but this lowly Belarusian team were one of the exceptions! I'd like to introduce you to FC Slonim 2017. I assure you that the logo does say the same thing nervously laughs. 

The Club

I think the most important piece of information to note about Slonim is that they have no real competition history of note, and that their trophy cabinet is a lot like mine. EMPTY. We're a perfect match, and hopefully we can quickly start filling them up with much needed silverware. It's going to be a tough ask for sure, but you never know in Belarusian football. 

The club plays in the Belarusian First League (which isn't the top league), and are predicted to finish just below mid table in 8th position. Obviously I'll be aiming higher than that and will hopefully be around the upper end of the table come the end of our first season here. We're affectionately known as Slony so I may adopt that nickname too for future posts. 

The Squad

This is the squad that I've inherited, and on first glances, it doesn't actually look too bad. We seem to have a strong core at the club and obviously we're made up from mostly Belarusian talents, but also have the odd Russian thrown in for good measure. 

The best player at the club is Ilya Baglay, the 22 year old striker who we may well be placing all our hopes on this season to put us in prime positions in matches. He's only 22 as well so should improve season on season.

We need to invest in our goalkeeping region as our best one isn't even nearly in the top half of the best players at the club. An area that definitely will be reinforced as soon as possible. 

Is there anyone there, that you think will be a standout player for us this season?

[Next Post: Mid Season Update 2021]

^what he said!👋

My money is on Evgeniy Bal for standout player #underdog

Thanks @HockeyBhoy, it's nice to be back on this most ridiculous journey! Enjoying being back writing already! Glad to have you aboard.

Appreciate that @Skinner_ ! Always up for an underdog to come and stand out, although he's been bang average. He has notched 2 goals and 2 assists so far.

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Mid Season Update - 2021

(April, May, June & July 2021)

The season quickly came upon me here in Belarus, and knowing I still had to strengthen key areas of the squad I put that to the top of my agenda. I knew I needed a new GK, a CM and a ST in order to really have a squad I would be happy with. I managed to get all 3 within the first two weeks of being in charge. I'll introduce you to them below:

Roman Babev. GK. Free

Roman was the number one choice at GK from my scouting team. When I saw he was available on a free as well, it was a no brainer. He possesses good reflexes, agility and is really impressive in one on one situations. I'm looking forward to him being a leader at the back. He's our instant #1.

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Ivan Berezun. CM. Free

I had a number of really good options already in the middle, but as I like playing with a 3 in there I needed more numbers to bolster our options. Ivan was recommended once again by the scouts and he just stood out to me. Great physical attributes mixed with a high work rate is all I needed to see. In he comes and goes straight in as a box to box midfielder.

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Ilya Sen. ST. Free
I only had the one top draw striker at the club, so Ilya  Sen joins his new strike partner Ilya Baglay. The Ilya show up top! He brings a bit of pace, and a lot of determination and hopefully an abundance of goals. 

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Fixtures:

Well, well, well, what an introduction into life in Belarusian Football! Quite simply we've been pretty fantastic. Considering we are meant to be a lower mid table team, we've put in some brilliant performances over the first 4 months of the season. An unbeaten month to kick things off with Ilya Baglay netting in his first 4 starts for the club. I don't think I could ask for a better start to the season. 

Unfortunately my second month in charge will be one to forget. We wouldn't have won a game if we'd had played a team made up of blind donkeys. This month was made up of 3 draws and 3 losses including one hell of a 4-4 draw against Lokomotiv Gomel where we conceded 3 goals in the last 4 minutes of the game. A sucker punch I tell you. A last minute loss to league leaders (at the time) Shakhter Petrikov really rounded out the month with a sour taste. 

The end of our poor form was just around the corner, and our unbeaten run is still ongoing and currently stands at 12 games in both league and cup. We've had some fantastic wins in there included a run of 3 games against the top 3 in the league, Lokomotiv Gomel, Shakhter Petrikov & Arsenal Dzerzhinsk. We managed 7 points from these 3 games which is a great haul. 

In the Belarusian Cup we've progressed into the 3rd round after wins against lower league Bumprom and higher ranked Vitebsk. I didn't expect the win against them but they've been struggling so far in the Higher League and we took advantage of that. We've progressed into the 3rd round where we face our old rivals Shakhter Petrikov. It's really all to play for and a spot in the Quarter-Final is up for grabs.

So after 20 league games, we find ourselves in 3rd position and the second automatic promotion spot (I'm not sure why Shakhter Petrikov can't go up). We have 37 points so far after amassing 10 WINS, 7 DRAWS, & 3 LOSSES. A pretty healthy total for us ‘Mid tablers’ eh? Arsenal Dzershinsk lead the way at the top of the league on 41 points, with Shakhter Petrikov 2 points behind them in 2nd. It's close at the top with both Krumkachy & Lokomotiv Gomel only 1 point behind us. 

Player Stats:

Most Appearances:

Taysir Adamchik (CB) - 24
Artem Shubko (CB) - 23

Alexey Chernodarov (CM) & Roman Babaev (GK) - 22
 

Most Goals:

Ilya Baglay (ST) - 20
Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 4
Ilya Sen (ST) - 3

Most Assists:

Vadim Spasyuk (LB) & Ilya Baglay (ST) - 5

Artem Shubko (CB), & Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 4

Taysir Adamchik (CB) & Ilya Sen (ST) - 3 

Highest Average Rating

Ilya Baglay (ST) - 7.78

Daniil Kopach (AML) - 7.20

Ivan Berezun (CM) - 7.16

Next Post: End of Season 2021 Update

End of Season Update - 2021

(August, September, October & November)

If you guys managed to read the last update, you'll know things started really well here in Belarus. I never thought I'd be in Belarus to start with but here we are. I'm absolutely loving it to be honest, and long may the good times roll. Anyway we were in with a shot of fighting for the title but it would require things to continue to fall right for us….but first, a bit of information surrounding my manager.

As you can see, the Sloney board allowed me to get my foot on the coaching qualification ladder of which I'm now on. I've already achieved my National C Licence, and I've started the course which will give me the National B Licence. Hopefully this will help the career further on down the line. All good things to happen.

Fixtures:

Our run of good form at the end of the previous update continued only two more games as we managed to beat Naftan & Baranovichi who we should be beating if our title challenge is a serious one. Our good form ended at the hands of Volna Pinsk and I wasn't happy with the result. We should've won and the players let themselves down. But hey, we turn to the next game and get our heads right.

We progressed nicely in the Belarusian Cup after a solid 1-0 win against Shakhter Petrikov and headed into the Quarter-Finals where we would face the best side in Belarus Dinamo Minsk which will take place after the season is finshed for some reason. We'll need luck on our side if we are to progress but anything can happen in the cup. 

After we had secured our place in the next round of the cup, we played excellently to round out the season winning 7 of our last 10 games which gave us a chance to win the title! Our last two games were against the two worst teams in the league in Lida & Dnepr Mogilev. Going into the final league game of the season we were already top of the league thanks to some poor form by Arsenal Dzerzhinsk. A win was needed and a win was delivered thanks to an 8th minute Ilya Baglay penalty. AND WITH THAT…..

Player Stats

Most Appearances:

Taysir Adamchik (CB) - 36
Artem Shubko (CB) - 35

Ilay Baglay (ST) - 33
 

Most Goals:

Ilya Baglay (ST) - 33
Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 9
Evgeniy Bal (ST) - 5

Most Assists:

Ilya Baglay (ST) - 8

Vadim Spasyuk (LB) - 7

Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 6

Highest Average Rating

Ilya Baglay (ST) - 7.63

Ivan Berezun (CM) - 7.18

Artem Shubko (CB) - 7.16

So there we have it, a dream start to this challenge and one I didn't expect at all. A good run of form to round out the first 4 months meant that we were performing well above our expectations. I've already signed Ilya Baglay to a new mega contract with the club as he was threatening to leave in the Summer. We will definitely need some more reinforcements in the break in order to stay in the High League. 

We're still in the Belarusian Cup too so we'll see what happens there. 

Once again, thanks for reading and I look forward to updating with you the next part soon. 

Next Update: Mid Season Update 2022.

Made it look easy, great start! 👏

All to easy in the First League @Skinner_. I've a feeling that my time in the Higher League will not be as enjoyable to start with!

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Pre-Season 2022 Update:

It's been a long pre-season and one where players have been coming and go as if it's happy hour at the local Belarusian Bar! Seriously I've brought in 8 new additions to help bolster the squads talent. Looking at the pre-season odds, the bookies had us at 900-1 to win the league which puts us firmly at the bottom. The quality isn't there but hopefully we can put up a brave fight against relegation this year. It's clearly a consolidation season and I'll be looking for jobs at more established clubs in the Belarusian Higher League at the same time. If one comes up, I'll be out of Slonim!

Transfers:

Pavel Scherbachenya - GK - Free

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Vladislav Veremeychik - RB - Free

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Alexey Gudov - CM - Free

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Dmitriy Malaschitskiy - CM - Free

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Evgeniy Prokopchik - CB - Free

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Vladislav Savchik - DM - Free

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Maxim Rybakov - W - Free

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Vitaliy Novik - LB - Free

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Friendlies:

I purposely set up friendlies against lower ranked teams in order to try and get some much needed confidence going into the season. I'm hoping that my plan works out but most probably it won't. We only conceded 2 goals and that was in the first match up! We look good going forward, as well scoring 15 in the 5 matches. A decent pre-season and much needed minutes in the legs of the new boys! The tactic is becoming more familiar as well within the whole squad.

Belarusian Cup ¼ Final:

As you'll remember, the Belarusian Cup for some reason is split between seasons. I have absolutely no idea why but it meant we had a weirdly long amount of time in-between rounds and games. Dinamo Minsk are probably one of the top two teams in Belarusian football so we knew we were up against it. An away leg to start it off, and a 2-0 defeat which was actually a close game. A red-card to RB Roman Kozel left us in the lurch and they scored a second against our 10 men.

In the home leg we put in another top performance and only lost 1-0 to the power of Minsk. I'm happy with how we played in both legs but we still bow out of the cup in my first attempt in it. I'll be aiming to reach the semi-final this season.

Thanks for taking the time to read this latest update. I'll be needing your good luck and fortune to help us try and stay in the league this season! Up the SLONEY's!!!

Next Update: Mid-Season 2022

Mid-Season Update 2022:

I knew this season wouldn't be as easy as last season, but I never knew I would't be enjoying my time here this quickly! Things have not gone well, and whatever I try doesn't seem to be working. I'll keep on going with Slonim until something else comes up or I miraculously somehow escape the drop. You'll soon see this doesn't look likely. Even my in form man Ilya Baglay hasn't hit the heights he did last season. It seems like the gap between the First League and the Highest League is a big one. 

Fixtures:

Look at that set of results. In fact, you may not want to look at them. They are terrible. T.E.R.R.I.B.L.E. We've only managed to win 2 games this whole campaign so far and with 3 months left of the season, we aren't exactly on form to pick up any more. I can't even say that the games have been close fought, as we've been outmatched in pretty much every single one of them.

It's a tricky task assembling a squad when you come up, especially not knowing the league. It's an excuse, and a weak one at that but I'm determined to not let this damage my career. The defeat at home against Minsk who are struggling just as bad as we are, hurt me. It hurt a lot as that was the game I had targeted but ultimately it was to no avail.

I don't really know what else to say, other than things can only get better I guess. We're also out fo the cup as we lost to fellow promotees Arsenal Dzerzhinsk in what was a terrible performance. I've been racking those up this year. The board aren't disappointed with me yet, but I don't think it'll be long until they are.

Urgh, rock bottom of the league and 4 points clear of Minsk. It's not pretty to look at. We're a massive 9 points off the safety spot of 14th, so barring a stupendous comeback and run of form through the last 3 months, it looks like a relegation is going on my relatively young CV. Anyway….

Player Stats:

Most Appearances:

Pavel Scherbachenya (GK) - 22

Artem Shubko (CB) - 20

Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 19

Most Goals:

Ilya Sen (ST) - 6

Ilya Baglay (ST) & Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 3

Evgeniy Bal (LW) - 2

Most Assists:

Evgeniy Bal (LW) - 3

Vladislav Savchik (CM), Ilya Baglay (ST) & Roman Kozel (RB) - 2

(Too many to list) - 1

Highest Average Rating

Pavel Scherbachenya (GK) - 6.82

Vladislav Savchik (CM) - 6.81

Dmitry Malaschitskiy (CM) - 6.80

Next Update: End of Season 2022 (or the next step…)

I appreciate that faith @HockeyBhoy. You're right, it's very tough at the top of Belarusian football! Whod've thought it eh?
 

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End of Season Update 2022:

(August, September & October)

Ah life at Slonim in the Highest League is like a slow death. I can't get out but I'd like to. Wins are rarer than most things here, and that really dampens morale. It's taken my love out of the club but I must fight on. We were sat rock bottom of the league last time I updated you, so I guess it's time to bring you up to date with how the last 3 months went.

Fixtures:

The red surge continued through the last 3 months, with the one solitary green dot and win coming away at title challengers BATE. I bet that one hurt them lots! Quite embarrassing for them really! We actually managed to go on a little 2 match unbeaten run, probably our best run of the season ironically. Unfortunately the good times, were heavily beaten out by the bad times, as we lost 8 times in 3 months. What's more annoying is the fact we struggled to score goals, which was the case in 5 of our matches! Not good enough. 

League Table:

As you'd have guessed by now, our form meant that we finished rock bottom of the league, and relegated to the First League once again. Right back where we started! We were clearly the worst team in the league this season, as we finished a massive 16 points back from Minsk who finished in the relegation playoff. Slutsk only just survived due to a better goal difference. In fact 4 teams could've found themselves in that position, but goal difference was their saviour. Anyway, we're down, and we move on…

Player Stats:

Goals:

Ilya Sen (ST) - 7

Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 6

Ilya Baglay (ST) - 5

Assists:

Evgeniy Bal (LW) - 4

Ilya Sen (ST) - 3

Ilya Baglay (ST) & Vladislav Dybin (RW) - 2

Average Rating:

Ilya Sen (ST) - 6.80

Pavel Scherbachenya (GK) - 6.72

Vladislav Savchik (CM) - 6.65

And with that, I'm out as Slonim manager. I took the decision quickly as I need to move on in my career and get on with winning trophies. It wasn't going to happen anytime soon with Slonim. Nice of the board to acknowledge my High Quality Management though. I did win the clubs first trophy ever so I guess I'll be in their history books forever now. Quite a legacy eh?

Next Update: The Next Club?

Club #2 - Land of Fire & Ice

Welcome to Iceland! The next destination on my journey around the world! It's a country I've always wanted to visit in real life, but I've never got round to it. Now I've got the chance to manage there virtually at the easily pronounced Vikingur Olafsvik (it's actually alright for Icelandic football). They were the only team I applied for, and quickly came back with an interview offer, in which I must've put my case forward well enough in order for them to offer me a contract. I'm excited to be here, for a fresh start and a chance at really pushing for the title early doors.

The team finished in 5th last season only 3 places outside of the promotion spots so are in a good position to challenge this season. Only 8 points behind those in second place! It should be a fun place to manage, and I'm looking forward to it!

Club Information:

I guess you'd like to know a little bit more a out the club I'm now employed by. Well, they go by the name Vikingur Olafsvik and play in the Inkasso-Deild Karla which is the second highest division here in Iceland. They were founded in 1928 so have a lot of history behind them. In fact they'll be coming up on their 100 year anniversary very soon. If I'll be in charge then, who knows. 

They play their home games at the picturesque Olafsvikurvollur which is a little stadium based in Olafsvik itself. Overlooking the river behind, I'm sure we'll make this place a fortress and a place where teams dread to come to. In addition to this stadium, we possess adequate training and youth facilities. 

Finance wise, we're in a bit of a predicament, being in £125,000 in debt when I take over. I'm not sure how we remedy this but I'll stick to my wage budget as best as I can, but usually this isn't enough to turn a profit, so I'll unfairly get judged on this I'm sure. 

Team Overview:

If there is one thing that I hate, it's a big first team squad. I don't like having too many players but I do here. I don't have a youth team or a reserve team to bin them off into, so I'll have to make do. I also notice that we seem to have a lot of defenders at our disposal! We don't seem to have many midfield players so I'll be looking at bringing in a couple of good players here to bolster that position. I will also need a quality backup upfront since we don't have one. 

Bjarki Leosson - DC, DL, DR
Bjarki is the best player at the club, and at 24 years old, he is about to enter his prime footballing years. I'm yet to figure out where to play him, but he'll more than certainly feature at the back and be a stalwart for us. His positioning and heading ability will be key for us.

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Vitor Thomas - CM

Vitor matched Bjarki's talent, and is clearly the best player in mdifield. He has high attributes in all key areas which will make hm a natural attacking central midfielder. He's only 23 so will improve as well. He may well be the player that our hopes hinge on the most this season.

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Next Update: Mid-Season 2023

Mid-Season Update 2023: (Vikingur Olafsvik)

The fire in my belly is back, and I'm back to enjoying management once again. Iceland has stunning scenery and amazing backdrops in which to play football in front of! You just can't beat it! The only thing I could do without, is the rotten shark they seem to be forcing down my throat after every win! Apparently it's now a tradition, and I'm not one to break a winning tradition! I do wish that it was a cold pint or a hot class of mulled wine instead though.

Firstly, I have a quick update about my manager. I asked my new employers before the season had started if I could be sent on my next coaching course, which would have given me my National A Licence. They were determined to ruin my party though, and said no despite all my pleading. I'll ask again at the next opportunity and here's hoping they say yes next time.

Transfers:

Kristofer Andre Cardoso (AMC) - Free - Valur Reykjavik

Kristofer comes in on a free in what was a pre-arranged transfer. It just so happened I was in the market for a new attacking playmaker and he fits the bill! During his time at the club he's also made his first appearance for Canada too! He's a natural passer, and has insane natural fitness! Hopefully he can chip in with a goal or two, but I'll be judging hm on assists on the most part.

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Asgeir Kristjansson (AMR) - Free 

Asgeir comes in again on a free! I'm excited to see what he can bring to the team. He can play both flanks and also up top so brings a lot of versatility! He's quick, and has a hell of a first touch! I'm working him on his crossing ability and if he can get that up, then he'll be an amazing winger.

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Deildabikar

So the first action I got to see was in the Deildabikar which is a cup that takes place before the season for some reason. I had no time for friendlies, so I had no expectations going into it. We were drawn in a hard Group, alongside 3 Pepsi-Deilden league sides, and 2 from our own league. I just wanted some good performances. 

We picked up only one singular point, and that was thanks to a 94th minute equaliser from Vitor Thomas. In fact that was one of 2 goals we scored in the competition. We lost the rest of the games, and the ones from the league above really dominated the games. Not a good sign if we were to gain promotion into that league. I think I'll quickly put this one behind us and move onto league action.

Inkasso-Deild Karla (League)

Wow, wow, wow. In direct contract to the pre-season cup form, we haven't actually lost a game in the league this season. With 11 games played, we've picked up 5 wins, and drawn 6. I'll take that all day! We've only conceded 4 goals in total in the league, and scored a fair few along the way. I love it when we don't concede me as defensively solid football is what I want to be judged on. I could now do with turning those draws into wins and we'll be in a good position to challenge for the title in my first season here. 

Victories against KF, Grotta, Volsungur, Vestri & Prottur Reykjavik earned us 3 points apiece with the victory against Grotta being my favourite. The 1-0 doesn't show how much we dominated that game. This 3 match run where we've drawn all the games is concerning but also if that's all I've got worry about, then I'm not really in trouble am I.

So most teams have played 12 games, whilst we've only played 11. We sit 4th on 21 points, 5 points behind leaders Ungmennafelagio Fjolnir who have 26. If we win our game in hand we will jump up to 2nd and into that automatic promotion spot! I can't believe how good we've been to be honest. The 0 in that loss column is what I want to see come the end of the season!

Mjolkurbikarinn

I tell you what, I could do without these competition names. I have no idea what this one means or whether it's an important cup or not. I'm playing as if it's important though and putting a strong team out each time. We've done brilliantly so far, knocking out a team from the league above in the Quarter-Final! IBV Vestmannaeyja dominated the game on the whole, but we dragged it to penalties, stayed calm and sent them packing! Before that we had knocked out two teams from the league below in Arborg & Fram Reykjavik before sending Iprottafelagio Por out of the competition in the Fourth Round. It's a great run to be on, and now we're only 1 game from the Final! Could dreams be made?

Next Post: End of Season 2023 Update!

Disappointing end with Slonim, that form and subsequent relegation looked straight out from one of my saves! 🙃

Intrigued to see how you do in Iceland!

I like to draw influence from my favourite content creators haha @Skinner_! Never like to be relegated but it made me move to Iceland and I'm loving it again! 

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End of Season Update 2023 - Vikingur Olafsvik

Iceland is one cool place to manage a football team! I'm really enjoying my time here and recently got to my 100th game milestone! You'll be pleased to know I have a winning record in my first 100 games. 

40 WINS. 38 LOSSES. 22 DRAWS. 
121 GOALS SCORED. 135 GOALS CONCEDED (-14 Goal Difference)

Inkasso-Deild Karla (League)

In the last update, we were on a roll having not lost one game in the league campaign to date. We had far too many draws but were up there in terms fo league position sitting in 4th place. Could we improve on that going into the final section of the league? 

Well it didn't take long for us to lose our first game in the league. It came at the hands of Grotta who stole a 1-0 victory from us and took all 3 points! This section of form doesn't look too good and far to many defeats started to roll in! Maybe confidence was down, but we also found it hard to score goals. Not a good combination! Our form in the middle section probably cost us a chance at winning the title, although we came storming back with a 4 match win streak before the final matchday! We needed a miracle in order to sneak into the 2nd automatic promotion spot but it wasn't to be. A disappointing loss to Magni sealed our position in the league for another season! 

A 4th placed finish for us this season, which means we improved one place from last time out. We only finished 4 points off the promotion spots so I'll take that! You'll also notice we have a EC2 next to our name, which will be explained later on in this post…

Grotta were named champions and I'll be glad to see the back of them considering they inflicted our first defeat upon us this season! I look forward to renewing rivalries with Leiknir Reykjavik next season as we had some good battles this time. Can we improve upon 38 points next year and look for the league title? I hope so.

Mjolkurbikarinn (Cup)

We had progressed into the Semi-Final of the cup and were up against Knattspyrnudeild KR from the league above. It was going to be a difficult match for sure, but I gave my boys confidence in the fact that we had nothing to lose. They put in a performance of sheer quality and desire and ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a beautiful lob by Ivan Reynir Antonsson. Into the final we went.

The final was against the holders Breioablik UBK who are one of the bigger names in Icelandic football! I didn't think we stood a chance but my boys were excellent once again. This time it went to penalties giving the supporters their monies worth! Could we do it? Of course! A fine save by Marvin Darri Stevensson gave Bjarki Leosson the chance to score the winning penalty and secure us the trophy! Up he stepped and slammed it home into the top corner to spark scenes of jubilation! My first trophy in Iceland!!! We're also in Europe now too, which is pretty cool!

Player Stats

Goals:

Ivan Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 11

Sumarildi Kristmundsson (AML) - 5

Mirza Hasecic (AMR) & Bjarni Por Hafstein (CM) - 3

Assists:

Bjarni Por Hafstein (CM) - 5

Asgeir Kristjansson (AMR) & Kristofer Andre Cardoso (AMC) - 3

Stefan Teitur Smarason (CM) & Ari Mar Andresson (DM) - 2

Average Rating:

Petur Steinar Johannsson (CB) - 7.31

Marvin Darri Stevensson (GK) - 7.12

Vitor Thomas (CM) - 7.05

Next Update: Pre-Season Update 2024 

Pre-Season Update 2024 - Vikingur Olafsvik

I've not had as much time to play the game due to all the pre-Christmas excitement and festivities so progress has been slower than normal. There has been progress so that's the main thing. Further steps towards the overall end goal have been taken and things are going well. Football here in Iceland is strange. I seem to be able to challenge with the top tier teams sometimes, then get totally outclassed in others. Strange, strange place but it does give me hope that one day I'll be challenging for the Pepsi-Deideln title with Vikingur Olafsvik.

Transfers In:

I'm not going to write about each and every one as there are simply too many, but my transfers were made quickly and all during the off-season. So much so that I had a massive press conference to introduce all of them when we returned for pre-season training. My squad size is absolutely massive due to the fact we don't have a youth team, so my youth team is included in my first team squad. I HATE THAT. The board keep rejecting my appeals to create one, but I'll keep trying.

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Deidalbikar (League Cup)

So last year wasn't a very successful outing in this competition. Once again it takes place right before the season does so pre-season training hasn't been happening enough. I have a lot of unfit players trying to get minutes in their legs whilst also beating some top teams. Another hard group was in my way and with only one spot to qualify for the semi-final from things weren't looking good for us. 

Once again, we didn't manage to find a victory in our 5 games. All in all it's been a very disappointing outing in this competition as I still look for my first victory in it. You could say that this competition is now my arch nemesis and when I win it, it will be a fine, fine day and one to celebrate. 1 losses against teams in my league, 1 draw against a team in my league, and 1 draw against a team in the higher league. I'll take the draw against Stjarnan but the other results really do grind my gears. Anyway, a 5th placed finish was for us and miles away from where we need to be to challenge in this competition.

Meistarkeppni (Charity Shield)

Due to our success in the easily pronounced Mjolkurbikarinn we were placed in the Icelandic Super Cup which is called the Meistarkeppni. Another fantastic name for me to mispronounce. We were up against Pepsi-Deideln side Knattspyrnufelag Akureyrar. I have no idea how good they are but I knew it would be a tight match if our played to their potential. And they did….

WOW. What a victory that is. Daoi Snaer Ingason gave us the lead just before the break which made my half-time talk a lot easier. We made it 2-0 when Robert Andri Omarsson rounded the keeper and slotted home. We were put under pressure for the remaining 15 minutes and when they scored in the 87th minute I though we were going to fold and crumble. We didn't!! We held one and lifted the trophy high! Another one down in Iceland!

The main job now is to win the league and gain promotion to the Pepsi-Deideln! We also have the Europa Conference League to look forward to which is a fantastic chance to earn some much needed cash! I'll be looking to get to the Group Stage but even that may be a pipe dream. 

Next Update: Mid-Season Update 2024.

Up the Víkingur!

Nice work getting the two trophies. Europe should be interesting!

Not been on in a while so catching up now. Your saves are always good for a cracking read. Keep it up mate.

@Skinner_ I didn't expect the two trophies this early on in my time at Vikingur to be honest. If I could somehow get to the Group Stage it would make a massive difference in club finances! 

@bigmattb28, awesome to see you comment on here! Kind words coming from you, really appreciate it! 

 

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Mid Season Update 2024: Vikingur Olafsvik

First of all, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and are gearing up to celebrate the New Year in style! Make sure you all stay safe and enjoy yourselves though! I'm still here in Iceland at Vikingur Olafsvik. Things have gone from strength to strength since the off-season and we've even had our first dabble in a European competition! I didn't expect that 3 seasons into this behemoth of a challenge.

The board also have been kind this year, and I've been enrolled onto my next coaching course. The National A Licence will be mine in a matter of 4 short months! An excellent thing to happen for my career! 

Inkasso Deild Kala (League)

The aim this year, is to either win the league or at the very least, earn promotion by finishing in the top 2. I won't accept anything else from my squad this season. My squad is too strong to not challenge at the top, so we'll see how that goes?

Our record so far this season looks pretty good! You'll remember at the half way stage last season we had too many draws. It's a different story this year as we haven't registered a single one! We've managed to win 7 games so far, with our best victory being against Iprottafelagio Por who are one of the better teams in the league! Our best performance was easily against Iprottafelagio Fylkir though as we dominated the game, and easily found our way to a 3-0 victory. 

On the other side of things though, we didn't start off the season in great fashion! Two 2-0 defeats in a row against Grindavik & Valur left me wondering if it was going to be our year. A quick change of tactics and a more attacking mentality meant that we went on a bit of a run, and have only lost 2 of our last 8 games. Excellent form! 

After 11 games, we sit 3rd in the league with a game in hand on most teams in the league! We have 21 points which I'm pleased with, but I would rather be in those top two positions! This game in hand is massive for us, and we NEED to win it to keep the pressure on. Valur Reykjavik are storming the league so far, but I'm hoping they will have a dip in form at some point. They can't keep this up surely? 3rd so far…1st is the aim! 

Mjolkurbikarinn (Cup)

The cup we managed to loft high into the skies last season is back, but it isn't the run we wanted! Unfortunately we won't be lifting the trophy this season as we crashed out in the 4th round after a defeat against Leiknir Reykjavik. We had beaten Ungmennafelag Selfoss & Iprotafelagio Por in the 1st and 2nd round respecatively. Ultimately we don't need to win this one again, but it does mean we won't be qualifying for Europe this season unless we somehow win the Europa Conference League! 

Europa Conference League

After our heroics in the cup last season, we were entered in the European Conference League for the first time in the clubs history! An excellent feat already, but we won't rest on our laurels. I fully expect us to win a few games and maybe even qualify for the Group Stages. 

We were drawn against Sabail from Azerbaijan in the First Qualifying Round and comfortably dispatched them after a 1-0 victory away from home, and a confident 3-0 demolition at home in front of a record crowd of 1,579. What's more impressive is that we've now wiped out the clubs debt of £55,000 as we were awarded £84,000 for winning in this round. We're guaranteed that same prize money for appearing in the next round where we will face off against Kairat from Kazakhstan. Who knows if they are good or not? We'll soon see! 

Player Stats:

Most Goals:

Ivan Reynir Antonnson (ST) - 5

Asgeir Kristjannson (AMR) - 3

Stefan Por Friopjofsson (CB), Kristoffer Andre Cardoso (AMC), Robert Andri Omarsson (CM), Vitor Thomas (CM), Daoi Snaer Ingason (CM), Mirza Hasecic (AMR) & Jokull Steinn Olafsson (AMC) - 2

Most Assists:

Kristoffer Andre Cardoso (AMC) & Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 4

Robert Andri Omarsson (CM) - 3

Stefan Por Friopjofsson (CB), Ulfar Ingi Prastarson (DRL), Sumarliol Kristmundsson (AML) & Jokull Stein Olafsson (AMC) - 2

Highest Average Rating:

Stefan Por Friopjofsson (CB) - 7.28

Ulfar Ingi Prastarson (DRL) - 7.22

Kristoffer Reyes (CB) - 7.18

Next Post: End of Season Update 2024. 

End of Season Update 2024 - Vikingur Olafsvik

I've been enjoying this save so much, especially where am I now over in Iceland! I've sped through the second half of the 2024 season, not that it took much doing as it was only 11 league games! So without more rambling on from me here is how the rest of the season went…

Inkasso-Deidl Karla (League)

Look at that form! That's title winning form surely? You'd think so anyway! We continued our good form and rolled it over into the second half of the season! 8 more wins out of the 11 on offer and also picked up our one and only draw of the season against Prottur Reyjkavik. Fitting that it was the most boring game of the season. We also lost two games, one coming right at the end of the season which was really bad timing unfortunately for us. 
Our best result of the season was when we got our revenge on title leaders Valur Reykjavik in a 2-1 victory in front of our own fans! An excellent all round performance which the scoreline doesn't give us justice. We rounded off the season with a comfortable 3-1 victory against IR, but will we be playing this lot again next season, or will we be facing a much tougher ask in the Pepsi-Deidl league aka the Icelandic Premier League. 

A second place finish for us which means we CLINCHED PROMOTION! We will be plying our trade in the top division next season! It'll be a tough task but I plan on taking the bull by the horns and not letting the Belarusian mishap strike again! We finished on 46 points, only 3 behind Valur Reykjavik who were crowned Champions. I'm proud of the lads and how they managed to close the gap to them but ultimately it wasn't enough. We finished 6 points ahead of 3rd spot so we had a clear gap between us of 6 points. 

WE ARE GOING UP, SAY WE ARE GOING UP!
As per my game rules, an automatic promotion finish counts as a league win, so it's another ticked off my list. 

To go with the news that we have been promoted, the board have also made us a professional outfit so my lads can be signed on full-time contracts and will be training full time now! An excellent outcome all round, and will hopefully make us stronger and into a contender in no time. Brilliant news!

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Europa Conference League

A lot of you reading this, love a good European competition journey, but ours wasn't to be. After defeating our previous opponent Sabail in the first round, we went on to face Kairat from Kazakhstan in the next round. Things got off to the perfect start as we managed to secure a 2-0 victory at home. We then travelled to Kazakhstan and ended up succumbing to a 4-3 (AET) loss. A fantastic match where we were pegged back to 2-2 (on aggregate) before going behind in extra time, then drawing level before conceding right at the death to see our European dreams shattered. I really think we had done enough to progress, but that's football isn't it. A proud journey for the minnows from Iceland.

In other club news, the European journey meant that we had secured enough prize money to boost our coffers! An absolutely insane £440,000 of it in total! That put our bank balance to £452,000 which should give us some manoeuvrability in the transfer market so we can pull together a squad capable of challenging in our new league. Exciting times ahead!

Player Stats:

Most Goals:

Elis Dofri Guorunar (ST) - 9

Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) -7

Stefan Por Friopjofsson (CB), Asgeir Kristjansson (AMR), Kristoffer Andre Cardoso (AMC), Mirza Hasecic (AML) & Jokull Steinn Olafsson (AMC) - 3

Most Assists:

Kristoffer Andre Cardoso (AMC) - 5

Ulfar Ingi Prastarson (DRL), Elis Dorfi Fuorunar (ST), Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 4

Robert Andri Omarsson (CM), Bjarki Leosson (DC), Bjarni Por Hafstein (CM), Jokull Steinn Olafsson (AMC) - 3

Highest Average Rating:

Stefan Por Friopjofsson (CB) - 7.29

Petur Steinar Johannsson (CB) - 7.24

Ulfar Ingi Prastarson (DRL) - 7.14

Next Update: Pre-Season 2025 Update

Am hoping to get back to posting on the site myself, this is another good write up mate, am enjoying it!

@bigmattb28 I look forward to seeing what adventure you head out on! I'll be following for sure! Thanks for reading man, really do appreciate it!

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Pre Season Update 2025 - Vikingur Olafsvik

Here we go again, another season is upon us and I've worked my way through the usual transfer rigmarole and the usual pre-season tournament shenanigans! It's never really an off-season here in Iceland, as things just get underway again before you know it! It does keep your head in the game though so I guess that's a good thing. 

I managed to complete my next coaching qualification which now brings me up to the Continental C Licence. I'll be asking the board shortly if I can try and complete my next one which once again will only help me in the future. All clubs love a good coaching badge apparently!

Transfers:

I've managed to bring in a few players, but probably not enough to mount a suitable relegation battle challenge! I've had a few issues in game, due to the fact that sometimes when I sign a new player, he duplicated three times and becomes an issue in the squad. I can't progress the game due to squad numbers and stuff like that. I decided to release these players so I can get on with the game. Not ideal, but my own way round it at the moment until I can understand it more. 

Timur Melekestev - ST - Dynamo Makhachkala (22k)

Timur is the instant starter up top. He's got so much quality and I'm hoping he can score lots of goals for us and take the pressure off the defence. Taking our chances is going to be crucial this year. He's quick, strong and has good finishing. He's also insanely good in the air so I'll be looking at getting him plenty of goals from corners and free-kicks.

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Vidar Mar Ragnarsson - LB/RB - Free

Vidar comes in as a backup fullback for both sides! He's got good attributes all around but hasn't played extensively! He'll be getting time on the pitch from the bench most probably but isn't starter quality just yet. Any injuries happen and he'll be in.

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Viktor Juliusson - Utility - Free

Viktor can literally play anywhere apart from up front. I'll be using him as a utility and hopefully he can impress me from all positions! It's always handy to have these kind of players in your squad. 

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Nikulas Val Gunnarsson - DM/CM - Free

Another midfielder comes into the club. I think I've signed these the most in my career so far. They are so crucial and often run out of steam throughout the season so you can never have enough of them! Nikulas has decent attributes across the board and I'm happy to have him on board. He'll rotate in and out throughout the season.

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Omar Ingi Bjarksson - CB - Free

I needed another CB as it's where we lacked quality. Omar was available on a free and I jumped at the chance to sign him up. He's strong in the air and has good positioning. I hope he can bring the ball out of defence and start attacks from the back too. He's going to be key for us this season.

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Deidlabikar - Group D

The pre-season trophy was upon us in a flash, and I didn't have many of the new players at the start of it as they hadn't arrived in time. Once again we were drawn into Group D, this time alongside 2 teams from the Pepsi Deild and 3 from the Inkasso-Deild Karla. Perks of being in the top division eh? We've previously been outclassed in this competition so I was hoping for a much better showing this season. I need to win it one day right?

We started out with our usual defeat against Stjarnan who are in our new league. This doesn't bode well for us this season! We got back on track with my first win in this competition against Prottur V. before 2 back to back draws against the other team in our league FH Hafnarfjorour and IBV Vestmannaeyja from the league below. We ended the tournament on a high with a 4-0 victory against Kordrengir. Overall a decent showing but was it enough to progress as group winners and into the semi-finals?

Sadly not, but we do finish in 2nd place so much improved from our previous showings of 6th and 5th. Progress in the right direction and next year will be our year! I can feel it! I look forward to beating Stjarnan in our yearly matchup in this tournament!

Next Update: Mid-Season Update 2025.

Mid-Season Update 2025 - Vikingur Olafsvik

As you can tell by the speed of my updates, I'm absolutely speeding through seasons here. It really does make a difference when there is only 22 games in a league season over in Iceland. I forgot to update you on the fact that I was voted as Manager of the Year last season as my team won an ‘unlikely’ promotion from the Inkasso-Deild Karla to the Pepsi Deildn. It's my first major individual honour and one to add to the C.V for future job applications. 

As I said before, this is our first season in the top division in Icelandic football, and I have no idea what to expect! The quality is bound to be higher and therefore it will be a difficult season. I usually adopt an attacking mentality in games, but as we haven't got the quality to match a lot of these teams, I've been training the lads on a more ‘cautious’ mentality which I hope will play into our favour. 

Pepsi Deildn (League)

As you can see from the fixture list, we've had a mixed bag of results as we finished up the first half of our first season in the top tier. I'm happy overall with how we've fared as we've taken points off some of the big boys. We've only managed to win 3 games but I'm still happy with that. Our wins came against Iprottabandalag Akraness, Stjarnan & FH Hafnarfjorour. We've had a fair amount of draws as we've notched up 4 of them out of the 11 games. When we've lost, we've mostly gone to pot and lost by a fair few. The only except was our last game against Valur Reykjavik where a 89th minute was the separator between the two teams. I'll happily take this for a first season here. 

We sit 9th in the league table on 13 points. I can't actually believe how close this league is. There are so many teams in and around the bottom of the league and the European spots. We only sit 4 points back from the last European qualification spot and we have a game in hand. Could we do the unthinkable and reach those places at the end of the season? I sure will be aiming for it! We are a massive 12 points off the title spot so I don't think that's a realistic aim at the point but you never know. Our first aim is to not go down!

Mjolkurbikarinn

Could we go and win this competition for a second time? It would mean an easy route into the European competition. We were knocked out in the 4th round last season, but managed to make it one round further this year, as we exited at the Quarter-Final stage this season. We racked up wins against IR & IBK Keflavik who are pretty decent teams in the league. Our downfall was against Valur Reyjkavik who I think we should've beaten. Another extra-time defeat and another 4-3 thriller! Maybe next year?

Player Stats

Most Goals:

Timur Melekestsev (ST) - 10

Kristoffer Reyes (CB) & Emil Atlason (ST) - 3

Omar Ingi Bjarkason (CB) - 2

Most Assists:

Bjarni Por Hafstein (DR/MR) - 3

Timur Melekestsev (ST) & Robert Andri Omarsson (CM) - 2

Omar Ingi Bjarkason (CB), Vioar Mar Ragnarsson (DRL), Nikulas Val Gunnarsson (CM) & Emil Atlason (ST) - 1

Highest Average Rating:

Omar Ingi Bjarkason (CB) - 7.60 - He's been called up to the Iceland Main Squad

Timur Melekestsev (ST) - 7.25

Marvin Darri Steinarsson (GK) - 7.14

I've also had interview requests from two teams in the same league: Vikingur Reykjavik & FH Hafnarfjordur. I turned them both down. The journey continues with Vikingur Olafsvik. No point switching for a similar squad.

Next Update - End of Season 2025 Update

End of Season Update 2025 - Vikingur Olafsvik

End of our first season in the Pepsi Deildin over in Iceland.

Here we are at the end of another brilliant season over on the gorgeous Island called Iceland. Fantastic football combined with fantastic scenery. The lads have also earned a break as well after this season, so as they take their rest, I'll update you on the latest happenings at Vikingur Olafsvik. 

First of all, my lovely board decided to not allow me to pursue my next coaching badge. I even pleaded with them and they still didn't budge. I still don't really understand their reasoning but I'll be sure to try again at the earliest opportunity. Maybe they just don't want to lose me eh?

Pepsi Deildin (League)

You'll remember that we had played the first 11 games of the season, and had drawn a fair amount of games, lost a few and won only 3. I was pleased with how it went, but I also knew we were in a battle to stay up, and even maybe push for the European places. Yes, that's how tight the league table was! How did the final 11 games go I hear you ask. Well…

7 WINS BABY!! That's so, so good! I did realise that we had played the majority of the better teams in the league in the first half of the season due to how they schedule their season, so I knew we had an ‘easier’ run in. We made the most of that as we only lost the 2 games! A narrow 3-2 loss to Iprottabandalag Akraness and a closer 1-0 defeat to title challengers Knattspyrnufelag Akureyeyrar. We'll move on from the defeats as there are so many green dots on that fixture list! What's more impressive for me is the fact we went on a run of 5 games, where we won and conceded 0 goals! Yes 0 goals in those games. I love defensively sound football!

So, we picked up 23 points out of 33 available! Did that secure us a place in the league for next year, and did it push us up the league in order to push for that European football spot? 
 

An absolute insane first season in the league! Look at that! 4th placed finish and in the European Conference League for the second time in my stint in charge! We could've even finished higher if we'd taken a few more chances, but I am not complaining at all! We were only 5 points off the title as well after being 12 points off the title at the half way stage! HUGE, HUGE first season. I'm so proud!

It's time to kick on now though! A few reinforcements and we may be even better next year! 

 

Player Stats:

Most Goals:

Timur Melekestsev (ST) - 17
Emil Atlason (ST) - 8

Omar Ingi Bjarkason (CB), Elis Dofri Gylfason (AML), Viktor Juliusson (AMR) & Kristofer Reyes (CB) - 3

Most Assists:

Robert Andri Omarsson (CM) - 8
Ivan Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 7

Bjarni Por Hafstein (DRL) - 6

Highest Average Rating:

Omar Ingi Bjarkason (CB) - 7.58

Timur Melevestsev (ST) - 7.42
Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 7.15

In more exciting news, the board popped up with this message telling me that they were looking into the opportunity of developing a new stadium! We're currently playing at someone else's as our old ground didn't meet the league requirements when we were promoted! Let's see what they come up with on this one eh? ‘The Tonge Arena'!

Next Update: Pre-Season 2026 Update

Survival was a walk in the park mate haha The board know you'll get even more tempting offers if you do your course, but in real life it's the manager / coach that pays for it I wish we could do that in game and not rely on the club to do it.

You can say that again @bigmattb28! I didn't expect that at all, but the league was so close at the halfway stage, it could've easily gone either way! Yeah that would be the better way of doing things! It shouldn't be the clubs decision 100%. 

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Pre-Season 2026 Update - Vikingur Olafsvik

As we're about to start off our second season in the top flight on Icelandic football, more commonly known as the Pepsi Deildin I've got a few things to update you on. Firstly I reached my 100th game in charge of Vikingur Olafsvik. Whod've thought I would've spent that long at a club on this challenge. I wouldn't change it for the world, and I always knew some countries would take longer than others to tick off. I'm here for the duration though as I feel like I've built a team to conquer the Icelandic leagues. 

I still haven't been able to complete my next badge, and I think that maybe something for my next club to allow me to do. I don't think the board here want me to go anywhere, and it's also why they offered me a new contract which I gladly signed. It doesn't mean much because as soon as I win the final two trophies, I'll be off.

Transfers:

Patrik Mohorovic - GK - Free - Orijent 1919 (Croatia)

I was in desperate need of a new number one between the sticks and wasn't able to get one in last season. This time around I pulled in Patrik who is absolutely quality! His attributes show this and he should be one of the better keepers in the league. No doubt he will be the number one for the season and beyond.

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Anton Logi Ludviksson - CB - Free

I've known for a while that my defence has lacked enough quality, and lacked depth beyond the first team. Anton comes in to help bolster the ranks. He can also slot into central midfield if needed. His physical attributes made it a no brainer and he should dominate his matchups with good strength, fitness and speed. 

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Adrian Baarregaard Valencia - ST - Free

Adrian comes in to be the back up striker. I didn't really have one behind the superstar Timur so I needed someone to fill that position. He doesn't sound Icelandic, but I'm assured he is. He's rapid so I could play him as part of a 2 if that's the tactic I want to employ. I usually only play the one so I'm afraid he's the back up for now. 

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Marko Batinic - CB - Free

I'm not sure why I brought him in to be honest, but he's here. Another defender to bolster the lines. I'm not sure how much game time he will get but he does have some quality to him. He'll be good injury cover for sure if it comes to it.

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Orri Porhallsson - CM - Free

Porhallsson comes in to be a midfield general. With high technique, passing and decision making I'm hoping he can be the one to pull the strings and get us going from back to front. An absolutely brilliant signing!

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Leo Ernir Reynisson - CB - Free

One more defender for good measure and he's pretty damn decent! I'm really happy with this pickup, even though he won't be an instant starter. He's got good attributes and should provide more than good enough back up to our two starters!

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Deildabikar

Will it be fourth time lucky in this competition? We've improved year on year, so I've got a feeling this time, it's win or bust! We were drawn against our lovely rivals Stjarnan once again and this time I had a good feeling about it.

That is a pretty damn fine look group stage set of fixtures! 4 wins and only the one draw including a fantastic 1-0 victory over Stjarnan. 3 clean sheets to boot and that meant we finished top of our group and had qualified for the semi-final for the first time since I took over. Brilliant!! Could we go all the way?

We were drawn against Knattspyrnufelag Akureyey in the semi-final and comfortably dispatched them with a 1-0 victory thanks to a Timur Velekestsev penalty early doors. The scoreline doesn't show how much we dominated this game. Headed straight for the final where we were due to play HK in what would be my 100th match in charge of the mighty Vikingur Olafsvik. This is destiny right? 

A tight cagey affair was to follow, with an 85th minute goal from Cardoso the goal that secured us the trophy and saw the fans, players and staff burst into chaos to celebrate!! What a moment! Another trophy down and only the league to go! 

My record in my first 100 games for Vikingur Olafsvik is as followed:

53 WINS. 21 DRAWS. 26 LOSSES.

Next Update: Mid-Season Update 2026

Mid-Season Update 2026 - Vikingur Olafsvik

I've whistled through another first half of a season, and even had another little paddle in the European Conference League just for the hell of it. I think I've really built something to be proud of here in Iceland with these relative minnows of Vikingur Olafsvik. They'll soon be the team you think of when you think of Icelandic football! That's something eh? 

Pepsi-Deildin

An absolute storming start to the season as we've won 6 of the first 11 games! That's more than 50% which is always a good thing! We did however, suffer 2 defeats at the hands of Stjarnan & Knattspyrnufelag Akureyer. Those are the two teams that challenge at the top each season so that's frustrating! We need to be winning those games if we do want to win the league eventually. Anyway that's small margins and I'm not worried about that at the moment. We are on a bit of a frustrating run of draws where we should've won the game. We just haven't been taking our chances all the time. 
6 WINS. 2 DRAWS. 2 LOSSES.

2nd in the league at the half way stage is more than I could've wished for! We are 4 points behind Knattspyrnufelag Akureyrar which is a bit of a worry but I've seen bigger gaps be closed before! We're looking in a good position though so we just need to kick on and keep going and good things will come!

Mjolkurbikarinn

Once again, for the second season running we've been knocked out of the competition in the Quarter-Final stage! That's frustrating but we did rack up a good win against Iprottafelagio Fylkir after scraping through in the 3rd round against Haukar thanks to a penalty shootout. We probably should've exited in that round considering we were poor all game! We were unceremoniously dumped from the cup after losing to Knattspyrnudeild KR. That's the end of that one for the year.

European Conference League

I love it when there is something different in the season, and something to keep it exciting! The European Conference League is just that, and it gives us some much needed cash if we do well. We were up against Sfintul Gheorge from Macedonia in the 1st Qualifying Round. The first leg sealed our passage into the next round as we won 2-0 before losing the second leg 1-0 away from home. A 2-1 aggregate victory is more than good enough for me. We head to Belarus in the next round on a return to a place I used to manage. What're the chances eh?

Player Stats:

Most Goals:

Timur Melekestsev (ST) - 13

Elis Dofri Gylfason (AML) - 8

Kristofer Andre Cardoso (AMC) - 4

Most Assists:

Kristofer Andre Cardoso (AMC) & Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 6

Elis Dofri Gylfason (AML) - 5

TImur Melekestsev (ST), Orri Porhallsson (CM) & Viktor Juliusson (AMR) - 3

Highest Average Rating:

Omar Ingi Bjarkason (CB) - 7.46

TImur Melekestsev (ST) - 7.43

Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 7.25

Next Update: End of Season Update 2026.

End of Season Update 2026 - Vikingur Olafsvik

Another season in the books over here in Iceland. Another year ticks by and having already won the Deildabikar this season I was looking to complete the double by winning the league title and then subsequently moving on from Iceland as I'd have completed it. At the half-way stage we were looking good to at least challenge for the top spot, but did we manage to do it? 
Oh and we also had the European Conference League to add into the mix, which is always fun…

Pepsi-Deildin

For a team looking to win their first league title, this fixture list is not good reading. Only 4 green dots on there and too many red ones. I'm so disappointed that it ended like this but that's football at the end of the day. All we can do is try to win, and if we don't, we move on and try again next time. Our run in at the death put and end to the challenge. 2 defeats against teams we should've won against but we put in some shocking performances. I'm not making excuses but I think the European football has tired the lads out, as they aren't used to the extra travelling and midweek games. Anyway, the league table looked like…

2nd place is nothing to scoff at. I'm ecstatic at securing what is a record high for Vikingur Olafsvik but I'm still reeling at what could've been. At the end of the day Knattspyrnufelag Akureyrar kicked on and dominated the league. We were a massive 11 points behind them come the end, and our win against Breioablik UBK secured us the 2nd place above them. We'll be back playing in the European Conference League once again next season. 

European Conference League

We had already secured passage into the second qualifying round of this competition after beating Sfintul Gheorge in the first round. Up next was a series against Shakhtyor Soligorsk from Belarus. We scraped through the 1st leg with a 1-0 victory thanks to Cardoso who slotted home in front of our faithful travelling fans. At home we stood firm, built a wall which they didn't penetrate! A 1-0 aggregate victory meant we were through. 

Up next was SJK from Finland and a much easier match up in my opinion. A 2-0 victory away from home put us in a commanding position, before securing a 2-1 victory at home. An excellent performance set us up with a tough match up against FC Utretch from Holland. A game we have no right winning. We lost the first leg 2-0 before following that up with a 3-1 defeat in the second leg. Disappointing but we have excelled ourselves in the competition. Could we possible get to the Group Stage next season?

Player Stats

Most Goals:

Timur Melekestsev (ST) - 18

Elis Dofri Gylfason (AML) - 9

Kristofer Andre Cardoso (AMC) - 6

Most Assists:

Kristofer Andre Cardoso (AMC) & Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 7

Timur Melekestsev (ST), Elis Dofri Gylfason (AML), Offi Porhallsson (CM) & Viktor Juliusson (MR) - 5

Robert Andri Omarrsson (CM) - 4

Highest Average Rating:

Omar Ingi Bjarkason (CB) - 7.32

Timur Melekestsev (ST) - 7.31

Ivar Reynir Antonsson (ST) - 7.23

Next Update: Pre-Season 2027 Update

Pre-Season Update 2027 - Vikingur Olafsvik

The off-season has disappeared and I'm thinking it's win or bust this season. We really have to win the title, otherwise I don't think it will happen for me here at Vikingur Olafsvik. We have a good enough squad to do so, it just needs a bit of luck to be on our side. So everyone get your fingers crossed and you never know. 

In other news, regarding the club, we have a bit more good news. The proposed Stadium has been confirmed and given the go ahead. It does come at a cost though, as we now have to pay back the loan the board took out in order to get the stadium going. Money is now disappearing at a rate of knots which means a run in the European Conference League will be key. Continued success demands money!

Transfers:

Gudjon Ernir Hrafnkelsson - RB - £14.5k

I've been in desperate need of a new right back ever since my previous one decided he was going to up sticks and just leave instead of signing a new contract with us. Gudjon was highly recommended by the scouting department, and should be an instant starter. I'm hoping he can bomb on down the right wing and get a few assists this season as well as defending his own goal.

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Arnar Humi Hallsson - CM/AMC - £24.5k

A little bit of a last minute signing before the season started. Arnar comes in from rivals Breoiablik and should provide a good option either starting or off the bench. With fantastic physical and mental attributes I have no doubt he will be an instant success with us. 

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Daniel Ingvar Ingvarsson - CM - Free

One of my usual additions in midfield in order to bolster the ranks. We definitely need more legs in there as they get absolutely knackered as the season goes on. Rotation is going to be key this season! His passing ability and first touch really stood out to me and with his natural pace and fitness I think he can go on to be a star in this team and the league!

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Deildabikar:

The pre-season tournament and also league cup came and went in a blink of an eye! We won this tournament last season and I'm disappointed we couldn't make a run at it again this year. Things started badly as we lost to Valur Reykjavik who ended up winning the group. A little unbeaten run in the middle part as we beat Iprottafelagio Por & Grindavik UMFG whilst drawing with Fram Reykjavik. We should've really beaten Fram and if we had maybe things would've been different. We ended badly with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Knattspyrnudeilid KR.

Next Update: Mid-Season Update 2027.