With the news that FC26 is the May PS Plus monthly game it’s time for me to say goodbye to the squad from 24. Thank you in advance for indulging me for a moment on some of the lads from the squad that is now the #2 most played game on my PS account.
KW United
Bundesliga
Every player on the squad was an academy grad, with two exceptions: on the rise to top level promotion, I was allowed to add free agents OVER the age of 33 as veteran presence to help develop and fill gaps. Once qualified for champions league, one transfer per window as long as the player was under 21 and did not play for a Bundesliga side.
To keep the lineup fresh, had a “no third contract” rule. Players only received one contract extension after the initial first team promotion deal expired with the exception of the captain (more below). Had to say goodbye to some incredible talent thanks to this one but made it fun to see old faces pop up in champions league and rivalry matches.
Notable Players:
Marvin van Dijk - CB - NED - Brick wall defender from Year 1 scouting trip to the Netherlands, captain from his second season all the way up. Size, strength, and stamina, franchise leader in games played by a mile.
João Moreira - RW - POR - Surgical winger that was our first big “loan accelerator” success. Came back from an early loan with 88 finishing and never looked back. Developed into everything you’d want from a wing player.
Gabriel Fischer - LW - AUT - Prototype “exciting young wing” star that was undeniable within a month of joining the first team. A “play a youth player in 50% of games” goal player but quickly started regularly outperforming the players in front of him. Lightning in a bottle, always found myself attempting shots and plays from wild spots with him, occasionally leading to absurd goals.
Raphael Robert - CM - FRA - Came into the squad late in the run, “oh THATS what it’s like to have one of the best midfielders in the world” realization from day one. Green in every category, the only player I ever had get a 10.0 rating without registering a goal or assist. Type of player I rebuilt the style of the team around.
Walter Fuchs - ST - AUT - Other half of the Austrian attack duo with Fischer, scored goals by the bucketful. I think the nature of the game means strikers will always be the easiest to develop and rack up stats with so you’ve probably had a Fuchs in your life.
Herve Schmitt - CDM - FRA - A HTPTBS defender that was too small to play back line, suffered a catastrophic knee injury in a pre-season tournament that destroyed his development. Should’ve easily been a high-80s / low-90 player but the setback likely cost two years. Moved to bench when Robert arrived.
Noah Phillips - CM - CAN - By the end, Phillips had five different positions in his toolbelt, moving from RB to RW to LW to CAM to CM, playing any role we needed when the call came. A high-90s passer even if none of the other tools quite developed, after being asked to do everything and anything finally fell out of favour at the end of this run with the ascension of a few new faces.
Javi Vargas - CF - ARG - Think this is a Messi regen. Actually too good, would’ve not signed him if I’d done it all again. Had to move to the formation you see above to fit him and all the other talent together. Ironically a Messi regen that is 6 feet tall.
Tim Peters / Mario Pinto - NED/POR - Lumped together because they were scouted, promoted and added to the lineup together at every step. Peters found life in the squad moving from the wing to CAM, while Pinto was sold at the end of last year because I felt he deserved a bigger role than I could offer. Fun to have an 89 on the bench but he was too good to hold down.
The record and titles over the course of the career, to me, are mostly irrelevant. Won the league a few times, finished a Treble season just in time for the game to finish in the rotation. Seeing these generated players develop and building a team that’s fun to play with is what I really enjoy. Will miss 24 for the ability to micro-adjust the positions and formations but am looking forward to building once again in 26!