Football Manager 2024: Geese, and the start of an Exclusively Lusophone Journey

Those that know me well (or even just generally) will know that I'm an avid Football Manager fan, having played the game in pretty much every iteration (functioning laptop permitting) since the mid 2010s. It's usually the first thing I fire up after a day at work, or during a quiet weekend. There are times the game has inevitably angered me, but overall it has been a constant.

In an indirect way, it led me to where I am now, having managed Sigma Olomouc on FM20 during the pandemic. I was self-isolating at home in Glasgow, and managing Sigma got me through it. We weren't even massively successful, and I actually left for Dundee United before the save petered out. But I started taking a slight interest in Czech football, which, a long way after Covid in 2022, allowed a job advert in Brno to catch my eye. I applied, got the job, and the rest is history.

Now as I prepare to make the move to Viseu in Portugal, I could probably say the same about this particular job. After all, the entirety of my FM24 experience has been based in Portugal (and Brazil for a little while). My life revolves around football, so the idea of ticking off the Portuguese league (maybe even leagues) excites me.

The selection process I have at the start for a team each season is essentially randomised and incredibly nerdy. For now at least, it will remain a secret, but my randomised model this season led me to start at Casa Pia in the Portuguese Liga for ten successful seasons. I then moved onto another save, further north in the Portuguese second tier, Penafiel. I only spent two terrible years there before moving to Ceara in Brazil for two incredibly successful seasons, which led to my current club, Vitoria Guimaraes.

In any case, I thought I would look in more detail at these clubs that I've taken to my heart (well, mostly) and check out their histories, how I did with them, and how they're doing in reality. Part 2 will be coming soon, with many more installments also likely to come before FM25 comes out.

Casa Pia: 

How we did on FM:

Over the last season, I've genuinely fallen head over heels in love with Os Gansos (the Geese), as someone who loves to see an underdog succeed. During the FM save, we did just that, finishing 8th in the first season and continuing to climb each season. Soon enough, we were a regular fixture in European football, even troubling the Champions League for a couple of consecutive seasons.

We came close to winning the Europa League, blowing a 3-1 lead against Fiorentina in the semis, but we did win a couple of Portuguese cups. Playing in Portugal is a reminder just how entrenched the power of the big three is, and just how long they can expect to dominate. 

Other success stories of this save include turning Jamie Cumming into a Portuguese citizen, and a club legend, getting the best out of an ageing Scott McTominay and Noni Madueke, failing to get anything from Cole Palmer, and falling out with current Tottenham youngster Jude Soonsup-Bell. I left the save at the end of the 2033-34 season, in which we'd began to falter somewhat. That said, I may return to the save one day.

In reality:

Given that 2022 saw Casa Pia earn their first promotion to the top division since the 1930s, I think anything beyond survival can be considered a massive success. Having let go of Filipe Martins in November following a few bad results, things have certainly picked up. The sacking was certainly done begrudgingly given the incredible success Martins bought the Lisbon side in his three years, but the results are now speaking for themselves.

Gonçalo Santos has been at the helm since February, and they seem to have staved off any major relegation fears. Despite a poor run of results in February (including an 8-0 loss to Sporting) which led to another managerial departure in Pedro Moreira, Santos has steadied the ship. You only have to watch the goals from their 4-0 win at Vizela to see they are capable of playing some gorgeous stuff too.

Rather frustratingly, I went to Portugal in order to watch them against Boavista, only to find the game would be on the Monday night before my flight home in Rio Major rather than Lisbon. That said, from September, seeing my beloved Geese will certainly be a priority. Thankfully that Boavista game was goalless anyway, so I didn't miss too much...

A brief history...

Casa Pia are named after a children's charity in Lisbon, with a stadium named in honour of the charity's founder, Pina Manique. They are unable play at that stadium in league games for licencing reasons, hence the above issue with the Boavista game.

Their rise from the 5th tier in 2007 has been quite impressive, and has perhaps gone under the radar as far as Portuguese football is concerned. They finished 10th last season and currently sit in 9th, so on their current trajectory, they'll be in Europe before the turn of the decade.

When looking at what some smaller clubs in Portugal have done over the last decade, Arouca for example, Europe should not be beyond Casa Pia at this stage. While they won't be reaching that stage this season, next season is certainly a possibility with the right signings and investment. Make no mistake, this is a club on the rise.

If you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned for future blogs on some of the other teams I've managed (or mis-managed) on FM24 this year, including Penafiel, Ceara, and Vitoria Guimaraes.