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The door to the bar swung back and forward freely, as people continued to walk in and out. There was one man who remained though, in his seat in the corner of the bar, slowly emptying his whisky glasses one by one. The other customers in the bar know who he is, or rather, who he was. They don't go over, nobody goes over to him. It's such a shame to see a once great individual in this situation, but it happens. Why is he here in this situation? Well really, there are several reasons. I guess you're going to want to know why he sits in the bar, drinking himself to death? Well he owes people a lot of money. Dangerous people, who haven't got a problem with taking various other things as payment (like limbs for example). He hopes that they don't find him, but he is preparing himself for that fact. When they find him, he just needs to hope that they are prepared to negotiate. He looks down to the bottom of his glass, sweat dripping nervously down his brow. He isn't too confident of being let off with his debt, and there is no way he can afford that kind of money
He was deep in thought, and failed to notice the bar emptying as two huge men entered. They spotted their target straightaway, and headed right over to the bar where their man sat. They grabbed him by the arms, and sat him at a table where a smaller, suited man sat. He sat opposite his adversary and smiled a sick, evil smile, before saying his piece
"Now, we both know why I'm here don't we?"
"Ye...yes we do. I just..."
"Shut up. I'm talking. First things first. Do you have the money?"
The other man just sat and shook his head, knowing he shouldn't speak
"No I thought not. Well in that case, you know the consequences. Wolfgang, Bernd, do your stuff"
"Wait, wait. There must be some other way. Please, anything, I'll do anything"
"Anything? Hmm. OK. Meet me tomorrow at RheinFold Park, 12'o clock sharp. Got that?"
"Yes, yes I'll be there"
"Good. See you tomorrow. Don't be late"
---
The next day...
The man waits nervously at the agreed destination, looking for the three men he had met the previous day. Further instructions had come in the post, informing him to wear a suit and make sure he brought all of his career records with him. Oh that's right, you don't know yet do you? Well this man used to be a footballer. He played for CSKA Sofia, in Bulgaria, before moving to Schalke 04, where he played until three years ago. He got sacked from the club, his drinking problems getting out of hand, and he just lost the plot. For the first time in nearly three years, he has a suit on, he has had a shave, and he appears to be going somewhere good...
"Ah Lucian, good of you to join me. Please, hop in"
He thought nothing of it, and he didn't say a word until he saw the RheinEnergieStadion in the distance.
"What are we doing here? This is where F.C Koln play isn't it?"
"It is Lucian, you're right. You remember saying to me you would do anything for me?"
"Yes, I do"
"Well, I have recently purchased the club. And I need a manager. So this is your new home"
"Don't be ridiculous. I can't, I'm not trained, I havent got the necessary badges..."
"It's all been taken care of, don't worry. The contract signing will take place now, but I will introduce you to the press on Monday morning."
"What about a house though, I need somewhere to live.."
"Lucian, ye have little faith. It is all taken care of. Now, shall we commence?"
And an hour later, the contract was signed, and Lucian Tipi became the manager of F.C Koln
The contract was signed, with Lucian signing the two year deal that had just two stipulations added to it. He must win promotion to the Bundesliga within those two years, and he must stop the drinking altogether. If either one of these rules is broken, the contract is cancelled and Lucian goes back to where he came from. He has been given a wonderful opportunity by a man he thought was out to kill him, and he is determined not to mess this opportunity up, just as he has messed everything else in his life up. F.C Koln are one of the biggest clubs to ever come out of German football, although lately they are earning a reputation as being a bit of a yo-yo club, having endured promotions and relegations regularly over the last few seasons
They are a great club, with three Bundesliga titles (1962,1964,1978), four German cups (1968,1977,1978,1983), and a 1986 UEFA Cup in their trophy cabinet, which meant 18 years in the wilderness, 18 years without a trophy. The club had recently suffered another relegation, which saw the board resign, the manager leave, and the fans wondered what was next. They were soon saved, as German businessman Wolfgang Overath bought the club. He is a lifelong fan of F.C Koln, and he wants the team to go back to the dizzy heights they once reached. He knows that Lucian Tipi was a great player, and believes he can be a great manager too
F.C Koln today announced the appointment of former Schalke 04 defender Lucian Tipi as their new manager. The Bulgarian has been in the footballing widlerness in the last couple of years, and rumours of drink problems have been flying around, but the new chairman at RheinEnergieStadion is confident Tipi can do the job. The three time German champions have been up and down between the top two divisions since 2000, and they need to stay put in the top flight to gain the financial stability that they crave. Their fans want to see them in the top flight, and without top flight football many of their top players will surely go. Can Tipi do the job? Only time will tell, but the fans are split down the middle on his appointment. One thing is for certain though. If he doesn't get the promotion, then the chairman will not be a happy man
Basic game details ; Game being played on FM05, German (Bundesliga and 1st Division), England (Premiership), Italy (Serie A) and Spain (Primera Division)
Last couple of games I played have been on FM08 so I decided on a change back to 05, in a league I haven'e been before. For those reading, welcome, and I hope you enjoy the tale
BobBev - chhers for that, always good to get support from a writer with talent
Liam - the other two stories are still in my plans, particularly the Watford one, but the updates will be rather more slow than usual
---
Lucian only had to take one look at the squad and he knew that they were capable of winning promotion. There were a couple of additions needed in certain positions, but other than that he was confident he would be managing a Bundesliga team come the next season. His first training session went notably well, as he spotted some real talent amongst the ranks, particularly the forward line, where Lukas Podolski and Attila Tokoli looked like forming a very good combination. The only worry he had was the left side of midfield, and that although Christian Springer was a talented player, he was much the wrong side of 30 and would need some cover through the season, something he made a priority to get sorted
He was soon alerted to a possible left sided solution by his assistant manager Holger Gehrke, who had been watching the under 23 side in close proximity over the previous 3 days
"Lucian, I think I've found us a left sided player to slot in"
"Really? Who?"
"Enis Alushi. He's still very raw, and got a lot to learn, but he can really be a force at this level"
"Alright, bring him into the squad for the first friendly, I'll have a look at him. I've got my eye on a target anyway Holger"
"Alright, well I'll tell Christoph to bring Alushi up boss. Who's this other target?"
"I don't want to say until it's all finalised, but it will only be a short term move"
--
The first pre-season game would be a good chance for the squad to gain some fitness, with results rendered meaningless in the games, and Lucian would be interested to see how they would adapt to his style of play. He had intended to start with Alushi on the bench, but a slight tweaking on Springer's ankle meant he started the match, which was a trip to non-league side Dusseldorf. It was a dull game, with the chances all falling to the visiting side, but time and time again Lucian saw his side fail to put them away. A 0-0 draw was inevitable when Tokoli fired his shot over from 5 yards, but the result didn't matter to the manager, it was how the players gelled together
Lucian completed his first signing 24 hours after the Dusseldorf game, as central defender Igor Biscan joined on a free transfer. He had been released by Liverpool after a poor spell there, but Lucian was pleased to snap him up. He was a big, powerful defender, who was good in the air and read the game well, plus he was a full Croatian international, so a player of his calibre would be a huge asset to the team. His presence was intimidating to some of the squad, as he stood well over six foot tall, and his commanding presence on the pitch was inevitable very soon into his first session with the team, as he thundered into challenges and sent at least four players to ground with hard (but fair) tackles
The team travelled down to Hungary to prepare for their four game tour without Lucian, who had stayed back an extra day to try to finalise some last minute details on a transfer. The chairman (who he still did not know by name yet) had opted to stay back in Koln to keep an eye of proceedings, and Lucian had arranged for an early flight the next day to join up with the team. He was soon on the phone to Holger to check on the progress of his squad
"Yes we landed safely boss, don't worry. Training starts in an hour, and we'll wait till you get here tomorrow to have a session"
"How's Igor fitting in with the lads?"
"Great, they love him. He's a real joker off the pitch, despite being a beast on it"
"Good. Right, well I've got to go and meet a couple of people, so I'll see you tomorrow. I fly at 8"
"Alright boss, I'll meet you at the airport"
--
A couple of hours later, Lucian was back on the phone again, this time to football agent Michael Sonders. He was trying to tie up a deal for a player before he left for Hungary, meaning that he could relax on the trip and not worry, but the agent seemed to be in less of a hurry than he did
"Look Mr. Tipi, there is no rush. My client has many other offers to consider"
"I am not disputing that Mr. Sonders, but I would like to conclude the deal before morning. Just tell me your clients demands and I will see if I can match them"
"Well what were you intent on offering?"
"£850 per week, 1 year deal, with a release clause"
£850? Push it up to £1,000?"
"£900 is my last offer Mr. Sonders. Take it or leave it?"
"Very well then. Mr Tipi, you have yourself a player. When would you like to sign the contract officially?"
"Well the team is on a tour of Hungary at the moment, so if you want to meet up with us I will assure him some playing time too as a bonus"
"Perfect. I shall call you in the next 48 hours"
"Very well. Speak to you soon Mr Sonders"
And with that, Lucian completed his second signing for the team, as Ditch midfielder Peter van Vossen would join up with the squad in Hungary and get himself some playing time there, as well as getting to know the rest of the players
Lucian was a contented man going into the teams first match of the tour. The squad was looking better, they were getting fitter with each passing day, and van Vossen had agreed terms without hesitation. Buducnost were not a bad side, and had been in the UEFA Cup before, so Lucian wanted his side at their best. They weren't but neither were the hosts, as on loan midfielder Albert Streit opened to scoring with a free-kick in the 11th minute, before a Lukas Podolski penalty sealed a comfortable win in the second half. It was obvious to Lucian that Podolski was a real talent, and if they didn't become a big club in the next few years then Europe's more prestigious clubs would be sniffing about the youngster. He had broken into the team the season before, and despite his 14 goals, it wasn't enough to save them from relegation, but Lucian was detemined to keep the lad happy.
--
There were still pre-season games left to play, and with two in the space of three days, Lucian would soon see his squad's stamina being tested to the limit. The first of these was against Novi-Sad, a team that he had to admit that he knew nothing about. Come the end of what was a thrilling game of football though, he certainly did know about them, as he had watched the home side hold his team to a 3-3 draw. It all started badly, as it took the Hungarian side 24 seconds to go in front, when a deflected shot from Gajic beat Wessels. His side were soon back on level terms through a header by captain Konstantinidis after ten minutes, but that was by no means all there was. Twice more the home side took the lead, and twice more Lucian saw his team peg them back, and when Carsten Cullmann headed home at the back post after 76 minutes, that was the end of the scoring. Lucian was pleased his side had managed to find the net, but the defending had been very below par, which needed to be addressed if they were going to be successful
Radnicki were the third opponents of the tour, and this time, Lucian watched his team control the game with ease. Albert Streit continued his recent impressive form as he curled home the opener after a nice team move. The lead was doubled by Rolf Guie-Mien, as he rammed in the loose ball from van Vossen's shot, before the icing was put on the cake by a third goal from Attila Tokoli, who slotted home the through ball after beating the offside trap. It was a simple win, and it was the game that had seen the team really show their new manager that their fitness levels were as good as they needed to be, which pleased Lucian, as he knew that an unfit team could not succeed in anything that they endeavour to do
After such a good performance in the previous game, it was a shame for the tour to end on a sour note, but that is what happened, with the team suffering a 2-0 defeat against Rad. Lucian didn't know whether they were looking forward to returning home, or whether they were tired, but the performance was terrible. They looked sluggish, lethargic and devoid of ideas, and the defeat was fully deserved for the side. At least the pre-season had been a good exercise, as the fitness levels were as good as they needed to be, and the final game of the pre-season campaign would provide that final boost of fitness before the real action started.
--
For that final warm-up, there would be a third new addition to the side, as Spanish midfielder Roberto Trashorras agreed terms on a move the Koln. Lucian had contacted the player, who had quickly finalised the details, saying he couldn't wait to get back into a team again. He had started his career at Real Madrid as a youngster, and had at one stage been touted as a future star, but due to circumstances beyond his control he had been a free agent for 12 months. Lucian knew he had the talent to succeed at this level, and had no problem snapping Trashorras up and giving him a chance again. He started on the bench for the visit of Willem II. The Dutch Premier Division side were a good, solid outfit, and Lucian knew he would be getting a good test out of them. What he hadn not expected though, was his team to play like they did, as they came away with a superb 3-1 victory. The goals came from Streit (although his was cancelled out by a Hadour equaliser), Tokoli and van Vossen, and it was the most pleasing performance. They had beaten a good side, with European credentials, and beaten them soundly. With the opening day of the season less than a week away, Lucian was heading into it with his side, and they were full of confidence
--
That opening game quickly arrived, and it saw Lucian and his Koln side travel to Saarbrucken, one of the relegation candidates with the Spiegel newspaper, so on paper it looked like an easy game, but Lucian was not naive enough to think that. His strongest possible side took to the field, and they had the full instructions from the manager. To go out, and get the season off on the right foot, with a win. They started well, knocking the ball about nicely, but the penetration wasn't there. That was the case until the 20th minute, when a cross from on-loan Albert Streit found Podolski, who took one touch and fired home a left-footed shot on the half volley. As so often happens in football though, a lapse of concentration cost them the lead, as Thiebaut latched onto a bad backpass and slotted underneath Stefan Wessels. Lucian had to wait until the second half to see his side regain the lead, Podolski showing his class and finding the corner from 25 yards out. The manager ws left tearing his hair out though, as three minutes later it was 2-2, as Bencik made the most of a free header. This angered the neast, and Lucian saw his side push on, and debut goals from van Vossen and Trashorras sent them on their way to a 4-2 victory
After the opening day win, Lucian wanted the side to push on and pick up another three points, and a home game against an average Trier side. The visitors seemed to have a different idea though, as they came to the RheinEnergieStadion intent on gaining themselves a point, as every attack that Lucian saw his side start, there were at least nine players behind the ball. Lucian tried everything, attacks down the wings, through the middle, long balls, short passes, but it looked like nothing would work for his side. He hadn't counted on a bit of magic from Christian Springer though, as the midfielder beat four men before being chopped down inside the area, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. The spot-kick was duly converted by Albert Streit, and a second successive win was confirmed for Lucian and his side.
---
"What do you reckon boss?"
"Well there's no doubt that we have the abaility to create chances, but we should have won by a lot more than one goal"
"To be fair though, they did have men behind the ball all the time"
"I know, but we should have the quality to oversee that. I'm not worried yet, but if we keep that up I will be"
"We'll be fine boss, I'm sure we will"
Lucian's worries were due to the fact he had seen his side win against Trier by just the one goal, despite creating several chances throughout the game, an he really wanted to make sure they pushed on in games, something that he knew would be critical if they were to win promotion this season.
An away game was next on the teasm agenda, and this time Lucian and his side travelled down to Unterhaching, another side that were expected to be in the mid-table cluster come the end of the season, and Lucian knew that these were the games that his side had to win in the league. They got off to the ideal start too, as Lukas Podolski broke through and slotted home after three minutes had passed. The home side did get back on level terms though, as their striker Schied headed home on 20 minutes, but in the last nine minutes of the half, Lucian watched his side turn on the style, as strikes from Trashorras, and Podolski's second of the game secured the points for Koln
Uber der Manager - A German Tale 
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