F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892

[Gareth_Glasgow]

Don't think so sucks...

Btw this is the second thread I check when I come on p&b after the Arbroath close season thread, it really is a thing of beauty.

Good choice of username, I doubt the mods will notice it.

[Ludo*1]

Couple of random questions for you Smurph, just wondered why you use Euro's as your currency and kg as your weighting scale? Just your preference or what?

[Smurph]

I use Euro's for authenticity No other reason to make it feel more Italian. I forgot that it's in € sometimes though but it makes me feel richer I guess simply because the number is larger.

I have no idea why it's in kg. I don't think I've ever looked at the weight of a player.

[Smurph]

September 2023

I'm starting to forget what year we're in.

I'm quite pleased with that but quite disappointed at the same time. There were a lot of fixtures this month and we had to play four games in ten days but we came out of it all right. The emphatic win against Empoli was great for the first game of the season but we followed that up with two disappointing draws. Parma not so much but Napoli have fallen significantly the past few seasons and I feel we should be beating them - in fact, I feel we should be beating everyone in the league, but we're definitely going to have a slip-up or two.

Wins against Udinese and Sampdoria restored a bit of normality but after a tough run of consecutive games we crumbled against Cagliari where we were in the lead twice. It was a great day for Maringá though, as he has now surpassed Benoit Le Moal as Pro Vercelli's top goalscorer in the league, with 61 goals.

Livorno and Bari occupy the top two spots! I don't expect them to be there for long, though. As you know, I pay no real attention to the league until a few months in.

We want to do well in the league, of course, but I'm putting most of my attention to the Champions League this year. If we have a Champions League match sandwiched between two tough games in the league, my focus will be on the CL game for certain. This doesn't apply to the group games quite as much, bar maybe Manchester United, but if we progress to the knock-out rounds I need everyone to be at their best.

We started off with a trip to Old Trafford, though. No biggie... Last time we played there was in the last 16 a few years ago. We won 3-0 that day.

Not the same emphatic scoreline as before, but a strong win nonetheless. It was looking like going the same way with two early goals but they came back into it a little. Again it was a fairly even game against a side who are still rated a lot better than us. We fear no-one.

I don't see Twente or Sparta giving us any problems to be honest. I think we're going to finish first actually, after that win against United. We'll see how it goes though.

[ScottMc77]

Just read all 14 pages over the course of the day - absolutely thrilling stuff.

Good luck for your run at the Champs League.

Thanks

[Smurph]

Cheers mate!

October 2023

Quite a lot to fill you in on this month. League, Champions League and something else.

Only three games in the league. The draw against Roma was disappointing. We went ahead in the 83rd minute but they scored straight from kick off. No time to change the tactics to not concede. A very good win against Milan followed aided by a superb brace from captain Toplek. Two screamers, which is what we've came to expect from the captain. Gomez scored from a Toplek corner too. A simple win against Bari followed with Le Moal getting his first league goal of the campaign.

The form of our strikers is worrying in the league. Le Moal did get one, but Cunha and Maringá seem to be struggling. Hopefully it's not for long though and they can form an excellent partnership together.

Still unbeaten but four games is a lot to have drawn at this stage. No team has started to run away with it though and it's really quite close. I'm hoping we can continue with the form though. An unbeaten season would be incredible but we'll just take it as it comes as always. Don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves!

Another two wins. Screamer from Ritter against Twente. Came in the second half, after Maringá was sent off in the first. A win's a win. Against Sparta we went 1-0 down but a very good second half performance gave us a strong win. 3/3 wins so far.

Top which is good. I reckon it's going to be down to me and United for top spot. Hoping we can win our next three games and go 6/6 into the knockout round. That would give us a lot of confidence.

A very good month though. Mazzon, our 'keeper, is out for six weeks (has been since after the Roma game) so Buonagura comes back but he's been decent so far.

So, the "something else" was this.

I've wanted to get back into international football so when I was approached for this I jumped at the opportunity. I accepted.

I took charge when they had one game left of the qualification process for Euro 2024. We could still qualify.

Those were the fixtures before I took charge. We needed a home win against Iceland to finish second in the group. If we lost and Greece won theirs, we'd maybe get in a play-off position. Maybe...

But we won emphatically in my first game in charge with a 4-2-3-1 formation which is what I'm going to use for my Belgium exploits. That saw us qualify for Euro 2024.

Easy as that. A few friendlies lined up before the big tournament in the summer. I won't post too much about it. It's not important but I do like having a wee bit og Belgian chocolate on the side.

[Smurph]

They offered me the job. Same with Senegal IIRC.

November 2023

Some month for us to be honest. 16 goals scored and just the three conceded. It seems now that we're comfortably beating the smaller teams and getting very good results against the bigger teams. I've wanted 6-0 demolitions for years and now we're finally getting them.

I won't talk about the results because it was fairly simple but we did very, very well this month. I think (I'm not sure whether this counts non-league games) we're unbeaten in 24 games. A sensational record and I hope we can keep it up.

Top of the league now, so I hope we can stay there. Unbeaten, top goalscorers and joint-least conceded. Nice one.

We completely bossed Sparta Prague. Tore them apart. Wasn't so easy against Manchester United but we came away with an excellent win in a game that we dominated. Cunha scored from a mistake from their goalkeeper in the 60th minute but they equalised from a corner soon after. Le Moal then scored after coming off the bench, and went on to set up Toplek for the 3rd in the very last minute.

Qualified for the next round and unbeaten in the group stage so far, with an away tie with Twente left. Looking forward to seeing who we get in the next round. I hope the draw is easy on us, but to be honest, I don't really fear anyone at the moment.

Two friendlies with Belgium were also played this month. Fairly easy. Lukaku is a beast and I'm quite tempted to sign him from Palermo, but we don't really need another striker. I want to get a Belgian player or two in my Pro Vercelli squad but they're either not very good or exceptionally good and don't want to come. We'll see what happens though. I spent a good half an hour removing all the rubbish from the national pool so we're left with a decent looking squad now.

[Smurph]

December 2024

Complete and utter domination. Livorno were up near the top of the league and we destroyed them. Atalanta were a little below them and we destroyed them too. Against Torino we were 5-0 up at half time so I told the team to calm down a little. I didn't want to kill Torino. I think they were on the verge of suicide at half time. 6-0 it finished - six different goalscorers.

Top of the league still and still unbeaten. All the other teams are running scared. Lazio is up next which will probably be the toughest game of the season. A win would be incredible.

We should have won by a lot more than four goals. Twente were embarrassingly bad.

Six wins. No draws. No losses. We destroyed this group. That was an absolute breeze.

The Pro Vercelli train continues and the next stop is Valencia. No problem.

[Jambo Stu]

This has the potential to be the season!

[Smurph]

January 2024

The transfer market was back upon us. What happened?

Fucking hell. €49.5M. His minimum fee release clause was €42.5M. Nothing we could do. I offered him a new contract but he wasn't up for it. A ridiculous amount of money, though, for one of our best players.

We also lost Trotta and Raiola. Both were back-up players, but I wanted to keep them both. The chairman Rizzi accepted €9.25M and €7.25M to Parma and Juventus respectively. Disappointing but not a lot I could do.

I signed this lad as a sort of replacement for Leite. He plays primarily as a DM but he'll do for back-up and will probably take first place when M'Vila leaves in the summer.

I didn't buy anyone else. I have €86.5M in the transfer fund. I want to spend it, but a) I can't find anyone who's good enough to fit straight in who wants to come and b) I really like my squad. I don't want to have to take anyone out. This could be a problem, completely my own fault, but we'll have to see how it goes I suppose...

Still unbeaten. A very disappointing draw against Empoli, but superb wins against Lazio, Napoli and Parma made up for that and a win against Inter too. A very good month in the league.

Top by ten points. I'd like to say I've won the league by now. Still 16 games to go but I am very confident of securing my second Serie A title. Still need to do well though.

I am, however, incredibly disappointed in the Coppa Italia. A reserve side dominated and destroyed Piacenza but we just couldn't break down a sturdy Lazio who scored from a corner. We hit the woodwork three times but it just wasn't our day. However, it does mean that we have less games to play towards the end of the season when hopefully we'll be concentrating on the Champions League latter stages. Every cloud and that.

[Smurph]

February 2024

The league's really too easy.

Complete and utter domination. We didn't look like losing a single one of those games at any point whatsoever.

There isn't an awful lot I can say.

The Champions League was our main focus though. Our first leg against Valencia was played this month.

Oh, Andrea Poli

The very last kick of the ball. A throw in came in, they defended it poorly, headers about the place, falls to the blessed right foot of Poli and he awkwardly pokes it into the back of the net.

We didn't deserve anything from that game. We were awful. Any chance we did create was squandered by our forwards. The had so much more chances - and ones on target - but we somehow managed to escape with a win.

The second leg will be played in Pro Vercelli on the 12/3/24. My Birthday, no less.

[Smurph]

March 2024

Injuries hit us hard this month. Ritter is out for a month, Leonard has been injured no less than three times - albeit for short periods of time. Gómez was out for a few games and M'Vila's been carrying a knock. We persisted and carried on regardless, but our squad was looking rather bare at times.

That didn't hinder our progress in total league domination though.

We brushed off Milan, Fiorentina and Vicenza with ease and they didn't pose us a problem in the slightest. It took a 84th minute Reinaldo header from a Toplek free-kick to break a resilient as always Bari side but we got the three points in the end. The game against Juventus, however, was an epic. We went 1-0 down when El Sharaawy scored a 25-yarder, before Pereyra and Cunha took us in the lead early on in the second half. It was going well until Marino took a shot from distance, it crashed off the cross bar, hit Mazzon on the back of the head and comically rolled over for a probably deserved equaliser. EX-PRO VERCELLI PLAYER DANIEL RAIOLA had a different idea, though...

Cheers mate. Good to see that Pro Vercelli are still close to your heart.

We're currently on the way to getting the highest ever points total, the most goals scored and the least goals conceded in a single league season. Italy is nothing to us now. Italy is our little bitch. Italy is our side portion.

The fans wanted the main meal.

But I wanted my Birthday Cake first.

A Cunha goal settled it and it finished 2-0 on aggregate. I don't really know how we managed to score so few goals, I guess their goalkeeper had an excellent game, but it was disappointing that we never scored more. That didn't matter though. We were through to the next round.

Hmm.

I would normally be cautious at playing the holders of any trophy; but we've played them once. We have a 100% record against them - albeit it took us extra time to settle it. It will obviously be an incredibly difficult two games, the first of which is in Landan Tahn, but if we can get a win or a draw away from home, it puts us in an excellent position a week later in Vercelli.

Challenge accepted.

Oh yeah, I also had another little bit on the side with Belgium.

Let's not dwell on this too much.

I chose Spain because we have Germany and Italy (and N. Ireland) in our Euro group, so I thought I would give myself a challenge. 2-0 isn't too bad, you might be thinking.

Shots (on target)

Spain 26 (19)

Belgium 1 (0)

At least we have a good goalkeeper...

[NotThePars]

Don't let your heart stop you from being ruthless against the Gunners, Smurph. FORZA VERCELLI!

[Smurph]

Don't worry. Pro Vercelli are my aim in this. My allegiances to other teams are moot. South Lanarkshire Jag complained at me for "lying down" to Fiorentina when we played them. That was only because they're actually quite good!

So, Arsenal were the next team. The team in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. This is the stage where we lost out to Barcelona three years ago. Could we progress further this time?

Arsenal were the better side but every one of their shots was from 20-yards out at least. They hit the target an embarrassing amount of times for how much they dominated. We started quite well and Toplek got us off to a flyer but then they scored late on. A penalty. Was it a penalty? No. It was a 100% dive. Wee Spanish p***k. They scored it and that was it - 1-1. Not too bad a score really, and if they edged closer to the goal they would have probably scored again, but that penalty hasn't done us any favours. The second leg was going to be tough but I was quite confident..

DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET CARLA ARSENAL? DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MESS WITH THE WARRIOR VERCELLI?!

Two penalties. Both were penalties, I suppose, but that's what you get for cheating. Excellent performance but it just shows how little we can actually take our chances. We could have easily had more than that. I'll take it, though, in a match we were by far the better team. That was us through to the semi-final.

Who did we face?

Yup. Barcelona.

The same team who put us out the round earlier last time. They were now what separated us from the final.

Fucking 'mon then.

[Widge]

YASS Scrubs reference.

[Mr. Brightside]

Green dotted for the Scrubs reference.

[TheScarf]

Lee Hendrie must be a fair age.....

[Smurph]

Scrubs references make everything better. You know what I'm sayuhn?!

As you're aware, we played Barcelona in the Nou Camp in the first leg of the semi-final. It wasn't going to be easy. It never would be. If we could get a draw or even lose by a small margin - with an away goal - I reckon we'd be fine. A win would obviously be excellent but I don't want to get my hopes up too much.

The teams lined up like this.

Two completely different line ups then. Barcelona, who have a very attacking squad with little in the midfield, compared to Pro who settle for a more defensive approach and have a defensive midfielder and three central ones. Their attacking prowess worries me, actually.

5 minutes

Hauck gets the ball in the opposition box and tries to pick out Cunha. Cunha successfully turns...

...gets a shot off, but it hits Bah. It's too strong though and it still goes in! GOAL PRO VERCELLI and they take the lead! 1-0 to Pro! Cunha the goal scorer with a fierce shot. What an excellent start for Bianchi!

10 minutes

Contreras gets the ball for Barcelona and plays it forward. Ritter manages to intercept and plays it over to Maringá who's in plenty of space. He runs forward and plays an excellent goal to his Brazilian team-mate Cunha.

He's one on one with Bah! And slots it away perfectly! GOAL FOR PRO VERCELLI and that's Cunha's second goal in ten minutes! Excellent finish for the Brazil international who was contender for Serie A foreign player of the year. Pro Vercelli are 2-0 up here in Barcelona!

14 minutes

Kadlec plays a lovely ball to Espinosa on the left wing. He comes forward and powers into the box before unleashing a cross...

...and it hits off Pro's Anthony Ritter and it goes into the back of the net! GOAL BARCELONA Disaster for Ritter! Nothing the defensive midfielder could do as it hits off him and goes in at the far post. Mazzon's positioning in goal could be at fault but Barcelona get a goal back. 201 to Pro Vercelli.

40 minutes

Maringá collects the ball in the midfield again and it looks like Pro are looking to counter. He runs forward and plays another excellent ball to Cunha. He's one on one again with the goalkeeper!

GOAL PRO VERCELLI

ANOTHER goal for Cunha, and that secures his hat-trick in the first half. What an incredible performance from him and another fantastic ball from Maringá. That's 3-1 to Pro Vercelli as we enter half time. Amazing scenes here in the Nou Camp.

78 minutes

Ritter has a corner and whips it in. It looks like it's directed at Gómez.

And it is! And he heads it in! GOAL PRO VERCELLI and that's now 4-1 to Pro Vercelli. The Spanish international goes and celebrates in-front of the Bianchi faithful. This is incredible!

And the final whistle went.

Barcelona 1-4 Pro Vercelli.

Fucking hell. We were brilliant. Cunha was in relatively poor form coming into this but he got a hat-trick! This is probably one of the best ever results I've had in the game. We have one foot in the final. We just need to put a decent job in in the home leg.

[Smurph]

...and the second leg was played in Vercelli. Confidence was high, but they couldn't be over confident. They were playing Barcelona. It was never going to be easy.

I don't think I've ever been so demanding...

9 minutes

Cunha plays a risky ball back to the defence, and Ritter unleashes a ball up the field. It falls to Maringá who is in acres of space. He's essentially one on one!

He hits it right footed and slots it home. GOAL FOR PRO VERCELLI and that's 1-0 in this second leg. 5-1 on aggregate. The Pro Vercelli icon goes on and celebrates with the fans who adore him.

18 minutes

Barcelona have a free-kick on the right wing. Contreras hits it in, aiming for Luzuriga.

Who heads it into the net. GOAL BARCELONA. The equaliser in this game, 1-1, but they're going to need to score another three without reply if they have any hope of equalising the tie. They'll need a further goal to win it. Surely not?

64 minutes

Maringá is in acres of space in the centre of midfield. Can he spot the run of Cunha? Yes he can and plays an excellent ball in-front of him.

Cunha runs to the line almost and hits in a shot from a narrow angle. GOAL PRO VERCELLI and that's 2-1 on the day! 6-2 on aggregate! It looks like it will be the Italian side who progress to this Champions League final!

And there we have it. 6-2 on aggregate. This game was closer which was surprising but we managed to get another win and that's what matters. This is an incredible achievement for the club. We were expected to reach the last 16 and we have far exceeded those expectations. One game separates us and winning the cup. Who did we face in the final?

None other than 12-times winners Real Madrid. It doesn't come bigger than this.

They lost 3-1 against Chelsea in London but won 3-0 in Madrid taking them to the final in Estádio do Dragao. To say I'm nervous is an understatement - but we have league business to attend to first. Fortunately this is the very last game of the season so I can post a league update and rest for a while before we play.

[Marshmallo]

C'MOAN

I'm having a beer to celebrate if you win.