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Season Round-Up


It has been a hectic few days for me and much travelling meaning the odd game played here and there which before I knew it I had actually finished the season so apologies for a rushed and slightly less insightful final post for this season but here's how it all finished for season 2021 / 2022.

A good win in Serie A over Empoli set us up for the big tie against Bayern in the Champions League quarter final which we would enter with a 1-1 draw but away goal advantage. Having scored 4 in the Serie A game I went in confident of at least scoring once which would hopefully ensure we would at least see extra time in the fixture.
That however wasn't to be as the game saw the odd chance but none that could be put away for either side meaning that come 90 minutes we had managed to edge the tie on away goals, a great achievement having now knocked out the side whom had additionally knocked out the competition favourites Barcelona in their previous round tie. Our reward for the semi final stage, Juventus

Our three following league fixtures effectively now officially saw the title land in the laps of Juventus as we first dropped points to Cittadella meaning they had taken 4 points from us this season before absolutely obliterating Milan in the following game with 29 shots, 14 on target to Milan's 5 shots and 1 on target which was the only goal of the game!
The final of the three league games before our European tie against the now re-crowned Italian champions was against Fiorentina and we yet again prepared for Europe well with a 3-0 win in yet another dominant performance alike to the Milan game.


Crushed
Our game against Juventus in the first leg of the semi-final stage in Europe just proved how much better Juve are in comparison to us this season as they ran away 4-2 winners away from home almost ending the tie in one fatal swoop. The game was fairly even and we did actually have more shots than our opponents however were not clinical enough once again and furthermore found ourselves unable to match our opposition for shots on target which decided the tie in my opinion.


This now meant that we had faced Juventus 4 times this season with 1 game remaining and had lost 3 and won 1 early in the season at home to our rivals. A game against Udinese was our preparation before the much needed comeback in Europe and for once we didn't prepare well as our opponents ran out 3-2 victors ensuring a bad omen lured over the 2nd leg of the semi-final being the first game we would enter not only being behind in the tie but also approaching the game on the back of a defeat.
The omen would prove true also as the game and tie were lost after a 3 goal comeback in the game could not be followed up as Juventus once again took no prisoners going 4-3 ahead and then 5-3 as we attempted to mount a comeback once more only to be shot down.

3 final fixtures followed in Serie A as we at least wanted to end the season on a high and looked like doing so before another defeat against Roma in the final game of the season deflated what was actually a pretty good first year in Naples I feel. I forgot to get a screenshot of the league table having now progressed into the the first month of the new season, meaning of course another update is soon to follow this but the top 4 finished as:

1: Juve
2: Napoli
3: Torino
4: Roma (Victory over us on the final day actually saw Roma leapfrog Fiorentina into 4th!)
5: Fiorentina

Champions League - Final



Juventus really do take things up a notch when I'm in town don't they! I returned to Italy to accomplish unfinished business and yet Juve decide to complete a treble of Serie A, Italian Cup and Champions League to inflict a crushing blow to what would have been a good season for Napoli in my return. 3 Italian teams had made it to the final 4 of the Champions League, what kind of challenge have I walked myself back into There is much work ahead!

Exactly SBR, thats football I think a top 2 finish will be simple enough now but catching Juve will be a tough ask.



Dropping points in the games I shouldn't be really and if we don't sort it out that'll be our title hopes over!



Sevilla look down and out now, big ask but as long as I keep the pressure on there's no reason why we can't catch Juve indeed!

The Old Lady Takes No Prisoners




We started March with 3 league games in Serie A before we ventured back into Champions League football with our 2nd leg home tie against Sevilla. The first of our league games was Verona who we saw off in a dominant 4-2 performance which saw Verona score there only 2 shots on target during the game which was quite frustrating! The following game saw us travel to Lazio where the same outcome came once more and yet again we conceded twice and not from many more shots either frustratingly. A 3-2 win however meant the pressure was still on Juventus at the top of the table. Our final game pre Champions League was against Inter at home and we managed this time to secure a clean sheet in the tie with a 1-0 win meaning we went into Europe in good form.

Champions League - 1st Knockout Stage - 2nd Leg
Sevilla would once more prove to not be up to the challenge against my Napoli side as we dominated the game from start to finish with another 3-0 win which meant a 6-0 aggregate win and progression to the quarter final stage where we would be facing the victors of Barcelona v Bayern so either way a tough task coming up for Napoli


In a final Champions League round up for March we did actually play the first leg of the quarter final stage as well where we faced Bayern where a late clearance off the line ensured we managed a 1-1 draw in the game, a great result and away goal. Take note in the below shot of the 2 officials on the pitch at once, 'You're getting sacked in the morning!'



Serie A - Round-Up
Finally for the March round up was our final Serie A fixture, which did actually come before the Bayern but has been left till last just for dramatic affect as we faced Juventus in a must win game to keep our hopes of winning the Serie A alive this season and you may had already guessed from the post title that it didn't go too well either!




A game in hand but the league is effectively over for this season in my eyes, Juventus are flying and haven't dropped a point for months now. With the victory over ourselves they are at worst 8 points in front with 21 available and if it was any other league and any other club I'd still have some hope. Time to rotate the squad and focus on Europe!

Close but no Cigar


A good month in February was just what Napoli needed as we had games in hand to make up in Serie A. Good wins over the likes of previous club Roma and high flying Cagliari were well earned on top of good goal scoring wins over the likes of Sampdoria and struggling Modena at the foot of the table. We also had our first leg game against Sevilla in the Champions League 1st Knockout stage which provided a great 3-0 away win putting one foot into the quarter final stage.

We came close to the perfect month with our final league game of February as we had an away trip to Perugia who we had beaten 1-0 last month with a rotational eleven in the cup. This time out though when it mattered most we fell short on what was an opportunity to close the gap on Juventus to only 3 points but were unable to find the net in a frustrating result.
February Fixtures


A much improved league standing now after we have completed our games in hand puts us firmly into second place in the league standings but still quite some way behind Juventus having just missed our chance to get right back in the title race.

Falling Behind


January wasn't great but still not an awful month for Napoli. Points dropped against Chievo was a bad way to start the month but it could have been worse as we left it late to take a point from the game. The quick firing Italian Cup games followed with a dominant performance from a side comprised of rotational and youth players, yes even more youthful than the first team against Perugia. The following round we faced rivals Juventus and although we had taken the lead in the match we struggled throughout and found ourselves 3-1 down and chasing a tie which we failed to get back into until late with the game finishing 3-2 to our opponents as Juventus see the second of the important clashes this season go their way.

A good win followed over the high flying Torino to go above them with 3 games in hand also before dropped points once more against Atlanta in a disappointing 0-0. We finished the month with a good win over Catania but with 4 points dropped this month and straight wins for Juventus in the league we find ourselves with 3 games in hand but at best a 6 point deficit to the old lady.

January Fixtures


January Table

A Winterwonderland


December Fixtures


Our December fixtures weren't bad but a devastating defeat against Fiorentina to open the month meant it was unlikely we would be sitting top of Serie A come Christmas and that was exactly the case as Juventus leaped into the top spot having had a few games in hand prior to the months fixtures. Thankfully we did end the month's fixtures well with a good win over a Udinese side that had picked up points against the top sides this season already and a big win over Palermo.

December League Table


As can be seen we also dealt with Viktoria Plzen meaning we had secured qualification for the later stages of the Champions League but had we secured my record of topping the group stages?



Barcelona saw off Feyenoord comfortably in the other final fixture of the group stage meaning all 3 sides would be tied with 12 points. The good news is that we would top the group, the bad news however was that sadly Feyenoord would be eliminated to the Europa League having seen their goal difference significantly turned around and therefore finishing in 3rd spot in the group.


What ensured a good end to the first half of the campaign would of course be a good draw in the Last 16 of the Champions League stage. Thankfully Santa thought we should be rewarded for a good year as we drew Sevilla.

Perhaps a little bit of good news for Feyenoord was that Barcelona were drawn against Bayern in the tie of the round and there was also a draw for two of my previous clubs Roma & Man City which will make for an interesting game. Sadly for the first time however Shakhtar were no where to be seen, the reason being they actually failed to qualify for the competition after finishing 3rd last year in Ukraine! How the mighty have fallen!

Thanks gents, appreciate your comments as always! Was a good month and indeed both an unexpected and impressive win over Barca.

New Heights for Napoli


November was another progressive month for the club as we ascended to new heights in the league despite dropping a few points. In Europe we had our return fixture against Barcelona at home and having pulled off an impressive win over the competitions favourites away from home I had high hopes of taking the step towards qualification. This time around we however were not so impressive and Barca capitalised on our below average performance, picking up the win and putting our qualification once again in jeopardy.

The second of our European fixtures this month was a must win fixture against the groups surprising runaway leaders Feyenoord. Having lost at home to the Dutch side to need to go away needing a win at a ground where they defeated Barcelona with ease was not going to be an easy task.

November Fixtures


So with the brilliant performance and result over Feyenoord we now only required a win over Viktoria Plzen in the group to progress whilst Barcelona would host Feyenoord needing a win and slight turn in goal difference to progress in a group which the Dutch side had done so well in the early stages. It could be a harsh end to the campaign for them but it does also mean we have an opportunity to top the group and maintain my record in Europe of topping the group stage on every occasion.

New Found Form For Napoli


October was a fantastic month for Napoli after a less than impressive start drawing 4 of the first 6 fixtures! Come October though was a whole different story for us as we went from strength to strength and picked up a perfect month of wins including an away victory over Barcelona to put us back in contention for the latter stages of the competition when I had started to doubt our chances this season. Not only was it a good month of wins but 5 successive clean sheets for the month as well as the defence with an average age of 20.25 at times proved they were up to the task I had asked of them.
October Fixtures


Better still was the fact we had closed the gap in the league to Roma down to only 2 points as Roma were set to face Juventus in the coming month which could present an opportunity for us to take the leap into top spot.

League Table

Slow & Steady


So a decent start to the campaign with Napoli after our success in the European Supercup and defeat in the Italian Supercup at the second time of asking. We were draw specialists early on but have gained some successes in recent games and remain undefeated in Serie A, here is the league table after the August and September fixtures.


Champions League - Group Stage

A group which puts us up against Spanish champions Barcelona, Dutch champions Feyenoord and Czech champions Viktoria Plzen. A group which should see us progress although I have slight concerns for my record of having topped every group stage so far. Barcelona are the competitions favourite this season and should make tough opposition to beat.

Leaving our fixtures for the opening months of the season being revealed.


And finally a very interesting start to the Champions League campaign after the very disappointing defeat against Feyenoord at home as they went on to also defeat Barcelona 2-0 at home. Our next two games in the competition against Barcelona could now actually result in us staring elimination in the face, crucial times in Europe.

Napoli Transfers 2021/22


Obviously being this far into the career now the majority of players involved during transfer windows are regens and so instead of listing the names and such as I have done throughout I thought it's now time to give you some player profiles of my signings although transfers out I will leave as there's always plenty and nobody will really care for players that leave the clubs!

The foreign player rule killed me having scouted over 180 players to find the elite 11 players I wanted to sign who were all young prospects with incredible / wonderkid like potential, 7 of the 11 were classed as foreign meaning I've missed out for now on signing the majority.

GK - Joshua Snijders
Napoli still had keeper Rafael at the club running down his contract and was therefore released by the club. Second keeper Neto, in real life plays for Fiorentina was signed a few years back and had replaced Rafael as the #1. He however was declining rapidly and I decided a new keeper was required after last years success with young regen Hewitt at Monaco. A fee of £17.5m from PSV was required to sign him but a fee I felt was great value for a 4 star keeper at 22!


CM - Paulo Freitas
Although Napoli already had a fair few CM's at the club I wanted to sign some young talent to replace the likes of Hamsik who was still at the club at 33, captain and to be honest still a boss! This lad Freitas was available for an insane bargain still playing for Corinthians in Brazil and was therefore a player I just had to sign. £2.8m to sign this beast!


DM - Johan Tortensson
Being forced to miss out on one of my DM targets I replaced him with the young lad I had scouted from Malmo FF after their impressive consistent appearances in the Champions League. The best thing about this lad, bar being only 21 years of age was the fee we paid to acquire him, £2.5m. A potential 5 star player still going through the paces but already quality all the same. Call me Derek 'Del Boy' Trotter!


DM - Martin Velazquez
The second of my foreign signings for the season was another young talent arriving this time from Boca in Argentina. Another bargain at £4.2m and the rotational option to Tortensson in DM. Only 20 years old and another cheap addition to the wage budget which was rapidly falling, as was our average squad age as Bruno Fernandes playing for Udinese in real life departed at the age of 28 for £19m to Roma.


CB - Pavel Kolar
A youngster I originally signed for Man City arrived at the club having developed well at Man City but had seen little first team action. A £13m fee was needed to capture his signature and perhaps a slight risk in taking a young option for a starting CB with little first team experience but as with the idea behind my transfers this season, youth & potential he was a perfect signing. Leaving the club was Luca Antei of Sassualo in real life at the age of 28 to Watford for a £14.5m fee.


RB - Karel Valenta
Another signing from Man City who I initially brought to Manchester. This young wing back has ridiculous potential at 5 stars and already shows great ability. A Czech teammate for Kolar as well meant that for a £17m fee I was willing to bring him in without having any doubts. Leaving the club was experienced Negatomo of Inter in real life I believe and his crazy 100k wage for only a transfer fee of 100k which I was more than happy to get off of the books. He joined Modena.


AML - Regulo Battala
This young Columbian star signed for a £22m fee from Chelsea with a 4 star rating and 4 1/2 potential. Leaving the club was Ruben Garcia of Levante in real life to Real Madrid for £28m so we actually made a nice profit in the exchange although 6 years of experience the difference was also leaving the club in year another risky move.


AMR - Vivaldy N'Goma
The Belgian star signed for a £14.25m fee from Wolfsburg with plenty of potential at 4 stars. Having played a decent amount of games last season recording good stats I felt that he was worth the fee with his potential although slightly off the pace at present times. Another player leaving the club was real life Torino star Marco Benassi to Arsenal for £16m, a CM.


There were additional transfers arriving that weren't mentioned individually: Lammers (Regen) (LB), Christensen (Chelsea) (RB/CB), Jairo Riedewald (Ajax) (CB), Chris Rae (Regen) (LB/CB), Javairo Dilrosun (Ajax) (AMR) (Loan), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient) (AML).


A total fee received from transfers was £109m with a total spent totalling £119m leaving a fair amount spare for future transfers also although a good squad to attempt our bid for 'European Glory'.