Your weekly source of information and entertainment, Sports Journal #48 brought to you by our journalists, is here! 📖⚽

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1/ FOOTBALL QUIZ

2/ FOOTBALLTEAM Q&A – SUMMARY AND OPINION THROUGH THE EYES OF KIERO DS

3/ SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - REACH FOR SPECIAL REWARDS!

4/ IT'S WORTH TO HELP!

5/ NEW TEAMS ON CLASSIC SERVER: LKS KOSZĘCIN

6/ THE PERFORMANCE GUARDIAN

7/ REFEREEING CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MANAGER #19

FOOTBALL QUIZ

👑 The winners of the last edition are: (Royal)

100 Keys 🔑 Premium - Roccia

10,000 ⚡ Energy - Adix0 & Tsunami

Hello! I'm here with another part of the football quiz series. Of course, there are prizes in the form of 100 Keys 🔑 Premium for the first person to answer correctly and 10,000 ⚡ Energy for two random people with the correct answer.

I will select the winners on Thursday at 8 p.m. Let's start!

1/ Name and surname of the player:

Born in June 1969, he has shown an iron character and unusual determination since childhood. As a goalkeeper, he felt like the ruler of his own world. He began his career in a local club in southern Germany, but it was his move to Bayern Munich that made him a legend.

He defended for over a decade in the colors of the Bavarian giant. He was a symbol of the team - not only through his interventions, but also through his attitude: he shouted, mobilized, sometimes even hypnotized his teammates. The Champions League final, which he defended almost single-handedly, went down in history - especially his series of saved penalties, after which, instead of dancing with joy, he fell to his knees from exhaustion.

The national team is a different story - dramatic, emotional, full of ups and pain. At the World Cup in Asia, he was an absolute mainstay. Some believe that only his interventions allowed Germany to reach the final. And although he made one of his few mistakes there – which cost the team gold – no one had any doubts about who the real hero of the tournament was. For this, he received the prestigious award for the best player of the entire tournament – ​​something unheard of for a goalkeeper.

After his career, he took up media work, and later also management at the club that was closest to him. His famous "controlled fury" became a philosophy, and for young goalkeepers – a model that set the limits not only of physical but also mental endurance.

Author: Wylewinho

FOOTBALLTEAM Q&A – SUMMARY AND OPINION THROUGH THE EYES OF KIERO DS

Hello everyone!

I decided to prepare a short but specific summary of the latest FootballTeam Q&A. I gathered all the information in one place so that you don't have to dig through screenshots and comments. I'll say it right away - in my opinion, most of the changes are a definite step in the right direction.

What's already working?

🔹 Automation of packs and skins:

Finally! You can automatically open energy and card packs. It may seem like a small thing, but it's very nice - especially for players who like to have everything in tip-top shape.

🔹 ​​Upgrading TOP Historical items to +50:

A mega thing. You can now develop these items further, and at the same time gain additional skills. Red and green items have also gained higher tiers - it's finally worth investing in all your equipment.

🔹 Training and EXP bonuses:

The introduction of 180, 240 and 420 minute sessions (for Season Pass owners) is something that was missing. In addition, a clear summary of daily training costs and increased EXP for beginners - good job!

🔹 Manufactory and Collections rebalance:

Fragment costs are better balanced, plus Charged Drink (which will do a great job) and higher profits from selling items. Collections have been upgraded - guaranteed Hero Stars from disposable ones is a very nice move.

🔹 Clubs, invitations and rankings:

Finally, you can invite players to a club without unnecessary tricks. Additionally, we have weekly and club rankings with prizes - something that definitely motivates active team play.

🔹 Shop and packages:

We are returning to the old OVR package system (and good!). Packages for Credits have also become more profitable - more Energy, more packages, more Hero Stars for the same price.

🔜 What awaits us?

🔹Health regenerating drink:

A very important change - especially for those who play regularly. There will be a drink with a padlock (for the most active after 30 days) and a version for Season Pass holders.

🔹Canteen 15x faster:

For me, this is a game changer - food that took ages will now have a real use. Finally, the canteen will no longer be just a place to click once a day.

🔹Club task - swap drinks for energy:

Great team initiative - the more drinks club members provide, the bigger the bonuses (cheaper specializations and training). Very cool club integration.

🔹Augmentation 2.0:

The most important point for me: inheriting augmentation when upgrading. Finally, it will be worth investing in crystals even at lower levels! And the ability to unlock blocked Success Crystals - another plus.

🔹Health threshold in the match: from 50% to 25%:

Now more players will be able to play despite lower health. Tactical flexibility is increasing - and that's what it's all about.

🔹Match Tactics:

6 free tactical changes during the match are a great thing - especially since the decrease in chemistry will only happen after the match. The scheming with deliberate weakening of the squad is over.

🔹Club Buildings - Phase II:

A real revolution is coming: SPA, Academies, Distillery, Fan Shop and much more. Clubs will have a real meaning not only in matches, but also in the economy and progression.

🔹Club Crafting:

We will be able to craft items in the club, and best of all - the club earns money even if the item is created by a player from outside of it. A great idea - finally, club structures make financial sense. 

🔹Future Plans:

The list is really long, but it is worth mentioning, among others:

• New cards (as many as 84), 1v1 PVP card mode, questline, affiliation

• Stance (3x boost during the match - first use for free)

• Automatic work for SP owners

• Sound quotes and dialogues - over 1000 statements

• Blog, wikipedia for gamers, crafting platinum cards from legendary

• Booster system, quiz system, improving landing pages and much, much more!
  

My opinion:

I will not beat around the bush - I think that most of these changes are a real step forward. You can see that the creators listen to the community, respond to feedback and have a specific vision for the development of the game. The augmentation system, canteen, club crafting, team tasks - these are things that not only improve the quality of life in the game, but also deepen its strategic layer.

I am very happy about the growing importance of clubs. FootballTeam is slowly changing from a solo game to a title where real results are achieved together - and that's what it's all about.

If it continues to look like this - I'm confident about the future of this game.

Thank you for reading my article! If you like this type of content or have ideas for more topics I should write about, leave your suggestions in the comments. Best regards!

Author: Kiero DS

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - REACH FOR SPECIAL REWARDS!

What are special collections and where can you find them?

In the Characters tab, go to the Collections > Special tab.

This is one of the newer modules and it is possible that some of you have not yet become familiar with it. Just like in standard collections, we exchange items in exchange for rewards.

Unlike standard collections, here we exchange "Special" items such as Drinks, Fragments, Special Items and entire Red / Gold / Platinum and Historical sets.

I know that it may seem unattainable at first, but remember that Football Team is not a sprint, but a marathon! Over time, you will use this module more often and that is why it is worth familiarizing yourself with it as soon as possible to know what you can get here.

Is it worth exchanging special collections?

This question is very individual, because it depends on which collection, at what stage of the game or depending on the resources you have.

If you are a beginner, it is worth exchanging the first special collection to complete the Starting Quest. Personally, I recommend exchanging collections with Fragments (choose the cheapest ones), because it is relatively cheap.

Okay, but if you are not a beginner, is it worth it?

Yes! But not right away and not all of them, pay attention to the rewards and the costs of the collections, and of course whether the games are approaching or are currently underway.

During the games, it is worth exchanging collections with 1000% drinks and, if these are games for training, the one with the training bonus:

As you can see, the rewards in this module are really good!

Here you can get, among others:

• Energy

• Hero Star

• 1000% Drinks

• Card Packs

• Triumph Balls

• Golden Balls

• Training Bonuses
  

To sum up: Visit this module quite regularly, plan what and when you can exchange (do it wisely so as not to waste resources), and you will see that your character will develop much better than your competitors!

Author: Mr Messive

IT'S WORTH TO HELP!

A Big Heart on the Field: Fantasy Team Match with YouTubers That Changes Life!

Last Saturday, more than just a football match took place at the Tychy city stadium. It was a true festival of goodness, emotions and sports competition, where internet stars and fantasy football enthusiasts joined forces to help those who need it most.

The charity match between Fantasy Team and a team of popular YouTubers attracted crowds, and it's real winner turned out to be the "Rzutka" foundation, which supports the treatment and rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy.

The Ekipa Fantasy Charity Match is a continuation of the help provided, conducted for years in the form of a Charity Stream, which collected a total of over PLN 2 million to help children. Now this help is transferred to the field - to honor the memory of one of the Ekipa Fantasy  members - Dawid "Dev" Błach. It will be a Memorial of his name, and at the same time a new stage of the campaign, in which tens of thousands of people take part every year.

Who played with whom?

Fantasy Team, consisting of enthusiasts of the managerial game, including several of our representatives of FootballTeam players: Junajted, Alvin, Adam, Krzywy. On a daily basis, they fight virtual battles for points, this time facing a real challenge. Their opponents were a select representation of internet creators, including the popular Qesek, Arturo, Zwykły Kibic, as well as those known from gaming channels such as Izak, Jacob, Kaluch.

There were also surprises on the pitch - invited guests appeared in the colors of both teams, including sports journalists and former players. This mixture of talents and personalities guaranteed a show at the highest level.

Source: https://meczcharytatywny.pl/

Emotions, goals and positive energy!!:

From the first whistle it was clear that the players cared not only about the result, but above all about having fun and a common goal. The match was full of spectacular actions, surprising plot twists and of course - goals! Viewers had the opportunity to admire both the technical performances of the YouTubers, as well as the teamwork and determination of the Fantasy Team.

Although the result was a secondary matter, the competition on the pitch was fierce and full of sporting emotions. Most importantly, everything took place in an atmosphere of fair play and mutual respect.

There was no shortage of humorous situations that amused the audience, and the players were eager to interact with the fans, giving autographs and posing for photos. All this made the atmosphere at the stadium incredibly positive and family-like.

Rzutka: Heroes off the pitch:

The real heart of this event was the "Rzutka" foundation. It was for this foundation that funds were raised during the match. "Rzutka" has been involved in helping children with cerebral palsy for years, providing them with access to the necessary therapy, rehabilitation equipment and psychological support. We know that every smile of a child, every small progress in their development, is a huge success and motivation to continue.

How can you help? "Rzutka" is waiting for your support!

The match ended in success, but the needs of the "Rzutka" players are enormous and unfortunately constant. Every day, children with cerebral palsy and their families face challenges that are unimaginable for many of us. The costs of treatment, rehabilitation, and specialist equipment are astronomical, and without them, these children have no chance for a decent life and development.

That is why I strongly encourage you to join the group of people who are changing the world for the better! 

Even the smallest payment is of great importance. 

Think about it:

• 20 PLN is the cost of one hour of specialist therapy, which allows a child to take another step towards independence.

• 50 PLN is a small contribution to the purchase of rehabilitation equipment, which is essential in the daily fight to improve fitness.

• 100 PLN is support for families who are often financially and emotionally exhausted by the fight for the health of their children.
  

Helping is simple and gives great satisfaction. You can make a payment to the account of the "Rzutka" foundation (details can be found on the foundation's official website) or support them regularly through online collections and charity events. Each of your "Rzutka", i.e. each donation, is a hope for a better tomorrow for the foundation's beneficiaries.

Let's remember that good returns. Today we help others, tomorrow we may be the ones who need support. Don't be indifferent. Join us and become part of the great chain of good!

Author: DaVoS

NEW TEAMS ON CLASSIC SERVER: LKS KOSZĘCIN

In today's note, we will talk about the new team LKS KOSZĘCIN. The leader of this incredible team is polikok, supported by two amazing assistants: Pablitox777 and Kubas22. Three active players are managing the club perfectly and will continue improving it more and more everyday. 

This new team has only played for three seasons, starting their first one in Season 7. In Season 8, they finished in 3rd place, just one spot away from being promoted to the First Division, something they’re determined to achieve and will likely accomplish in Season 9. 

This team is aiming to finish first in the league and secure promotion to the First Division next season. They managed to climb the top every season, bringing new players that upgraded their team a lot. Right now, they’re just in the top 25, a very good number for only their third season as a club. They are definitely doing things right and will surely keep growing over time. 

Current Season: 

At the moment, they are the best team in the Second Division of France and are leading the league, currently with a six-point advantage over the second team. It’s very likely that this team will get promoted and win the league, and in Season 10, we will see them competing in the French First League.

 How do you think they’ll finish next season? Will they improve? Surely yes! They’ve just won the cup semifinals and reached the cup final, where they’ll face Union Polska. We’ll see if they can claim victory and win the national cup as a second-division team. It would definitely be a historic achievement!

Tactics:

LKS KOSZĘCIN currently tends to play with a 4-3-1-2 formation with a hyper-offensive tactic, which is quite impressive but effective in their matches. In this formation, you can see a good balance across all areas of the pitch. At first glance, the midfield might seem a bit lacking with only three players, but the fact that those three are very strong midfielders, combined with the support of the attacking midfielder, makes the midfield very solid. 

On top of that, they have four solid defenders and a strong attack, boosted by the attacking midfielder and the tactic they use, which is hyper-offensive. In conclusion, they use a very good formation for their team, they have a very balanced team in all areas, and that is why they are getting so many good results in Season 9.  

Star Players:

Like in every team, there are star players, and in LKS KOSZĘCIN, there are several who drive the team forward and stand out from the rest. Some of these standout players are Pablitox777, Kubas22, Jacob Cherry, Cristian Ariel, and Kiniu. 

As I mentioned before, this team uses a balanced formation and has strong players in every position on the field, making them a very competitive and well-rounded team in every aspect. Out of all the players, the one who stands out the most is Pablitox777, a player who keeps growing over time and has impressive stats that will surely catch the eye of other teams.

Pablitox777:

Pablitox777 is an attacking midfielder who has only been playing for two seasons, which is impressive given his high rating in such a short amount of time. Without a doubt, he's an outstanding player who will continue to grow, and the top teams on the server will surely want to sign him.

In addition to his high rating and bright future in the game, he also has excellent stats. He's an attacking midfielder with strong offensive skills, efficiency, set pieces, stamina, and even playmaking. He's a very complete player in every aspect, which translates into outstanding in-game performances.

So far this season, he has scored a total of 58 goals and provided 10 assists in the league alone. If we count all competitions, he has an incredible 124 goals and 27 assists in just 33 matches, truly impressive numbers.

Without a doubt, this team is one of the biggest surprises of Season 9, if not the biggest. Honestly, I’m excited to see how far they can go and what Season 10 will bring for them in their new league. Best of luck, and thank you for reading this article!

Author: Gonsa

THE PERFORMANCE GUARDIAN

Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil - July 4, 2025, 09:35 AM (Brasília time)

By Fábio Muri

Hello, gaming community!

On the dusty pitches of real life and in the glittering pixels of our nostalgic "Football Team Gamel" days — who doesn't remember scrounging for coins to buy players? —, the figure of the assistant coach has always stood out. Far from the blinding spotlights on our star players and the passionate shouts of coaches on the sidelines, there lies a monumental importance: that of a true foundation, sometimes hidden, that supports any team's tactical and strategic wave. And when we say "any," we include everything from the local team playing in flip-flops to a star-studded Manchester United in real life.

Beyond the Cone Carrier

In real football, the kind with mud on your knee and a crackly radio narrating a questionable play, the assistant coach was — and still is! — much more than just the person who carries cones and fills water bottles. They were a "jack-of-all-trades," an amateur psychologist, a translator of the "professor's" ideas for the players, and, crucially, the tactical brain operating behind the scenes. Football history is full of dynamic duos that prove this premise, partnerships that worked as well as rice and beans or Pelé with the number 10 jersey.

Do you remember Telê Santana and his eternal right-hand man, Carlinhos Neves? Carlinhos represented the voice of reason, the individual who calmed tempers, and, as the mischievous tongues would say (affectionately, of course!), he even held Telê's mustache when things got tense. Together, they assembled memorable squads at São Paulo FC and the Brazilian National Team. With Telê at the helm and Carlinhos by his side, the "Tricolor do Morumbis" conquered, in a period of just two years (1992 and 1993), 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Club World Cups, 1 Brazilian Championship, and 1 Supercopa Libertadores, an achievement that solidified the club as one of the greatest in America and the world. The football that delighted the eyes even made us miss jerseys without sponsors. Opponent analysis was done "the hard way," with notebooks and keen observation, but the efficiency was the same, if not greater, than today's software.

Another emblematic case is the relationship between José Mourinho and Rui Faria. Faria was Mourinho's right-hand man at four different clubs (Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid), contributing to the conquest of 2 Champions Leagues, 8 national championships, and various cups. His loyalty and deep understanding of Mourinho's ideas allowed the "Special One's" philosophy to be precisely implemented on the field, resulting in impenetrable defenses and lethal counter-attacks.

More recently, we've observed the role of Pep Lijnders alongside Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool. Lijnders is frequently praised for his contribution to training, tactical analysis, and the implementation of Klopp's famous "gegenpressing." Since Lijnders joined Klopp in 2018, Liverpool has won the Premier League (2019-2020) and the Champions League (2018-2019), demonstrating the crucial influence of this partnership. It's proof that, even with advanced technology, the good old chemistry between coach and assistant remains fundamental.

The Assistant in "Football Team Game"

In the world of "Football Team Gamel," the importance of the assistant coach is replicated, albeit in a simulated way. The game aims to emulate the complexity of professional football, and the assistant's figure plays a crucial role in decision-making and the virtual team's performance. Unofficial statistics from player communities at the time indicated that teams using their assistants' recommendations had a 15% higher success rate in transfers and showed an improvement of up to 10% in overall tactical performance compared to those who ignored these suggestions.

In the game, the assistant can be tasked with:

• Performance Analysis: Providing detailed reports on player performance, identifying strengths and weaknesses, which helps the player/coach make decisions about lineup and development. In advanced simulations, a good assistant could, for example, predict a 5% decrease in a player's energy in the second half, alerting the coach to a substitution.

• Tactical Recommendations: Suggesting tactical adjustments during matches or in preparation for games, based on the opponent's formation and the characteristics of your own players. It's like having a virtual strategist who, when analyzing the opponent, could suggest that a 4-4-2 formation would result in 25% more chances of ball possession compared to a 3-5-2.

• Specific Training: Assisting in creating personalized training routines for each player, aiming to improve their skills and address deficiencies. An effective assistant could, for example, increase an attacker's speed by 2 points after 3 months of focused training, or improve a midfielder's finishing by 1.5 points in a similar period.

• Scouting and Transfers: Contributing to the search for new talents and the evaluation of potential signings, providing valuable information about players' potential. In many cases, the assistant was responsible for "discovering" young players with "overall" potential that could increase by 20 to 30 points over a few seasons, making them key pieces and increasing the virtual squad's value.

Ultimately, whether it's on a muddy field with a deflated ball or on digital pitches with state-of-the-art graphics — or not-so-state-of-the-art, for the nostalgics out there —, the assistant coach is the secret ingredient, the ace up your sleeve, that tactical helping hand every coach (real or virtual) needs. Without them, football would be less strategic, less fun, and, let's face it, much more prone to those "brilliant" decisions that only we think are good.

I extend my greetings to all the assistant coaches in the game, with special recognition to those who contribute to the success of the teams I play for, FC MISIACZKI and BRASIL (on the Legacy and Royal servers).

See you next week!

Author: Fábio Muri

REFEREEING CONTROVERSIES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MANAGER #19

Hello, Kiero DS here. Due to the numerous controversial situations involving football referees, I have decided to create a new series, where I will analyze these situations step by step. This series will appear relatively regularly, along with the controversies that arise.

Jesus Valenzuela's refereeing embarrassment. Such decisions should not happen:

I don't often write so harshly about refereeing, but what Jesus Valenzuela did in the Manchester City - Al Hilal match in the 1/8 finals of the Club World Cup was simply unacceptable. The Venezuelan referee, considered one of the best in the world, completely lost track of the basic aspects of running the match - both in terms of the rules and managing situations on the pitch. As a person associated with football and as a referee - I could not ignore it.

First controversy: a goal after a handball?

It all started in the 9th minute, when Manchester City took the lead after a move built by Ait-Nouri. The problem is that the cross that started Bernardo Silva's goal was preceded by obvious contact between the ball and the City player's hand.

Yes - there was a hand. But was it punishable?

According to the Laws of the Game (IFAB edition), not every contact between the ball and the hand or arm is an infringement. In Ait-Nouri's situation, everything indicates that there was no infringement, because:

The ball was played from a very short distance.

• The hand was close to the body and in a natural position.

• The player did not make any movement with the hand towards the ball.

• The ball hit the hand, not the other way around.
  
  

The VAR referee - Juan Soto - decided that there was no basis for intervention. From a refereeing point of view: correct. Except that the way Valenzuela managed the situation was terrible. No yellow cards for protests, no control over a group of players who prevented the restart of the game for over 3 minutes – this is a classic example of the referee's lack of "leadership".

But the Rules clearly state that persistent protests and delaying the restart of the game should result in an individual penalty – a yellow card.

Restarting the game from the center – contrary to the rules:

When the game was finally restarted, another mistake occurred. Erling Haaland was on the opponent's side at the time of the whistle – about three meters behind the halfway line. Rule 8 clearly states: all players of the team not conducting the restart must be in their own half. This means that the restart should have been repeated. But the referee ignored it.

Of course, this mistake had no impact on the result, but it is further evidence that Valenzuela was already completely mentally broken at that point.

Scandal in the last action of the match – no free kick and no card:

The biggest scandal, however, was the situation in stoppage time of the second half. At the moment when Manchester City were carrying out a quick counterattack, Jeremy Doku was clearly fouled by Kaio Cesar. A SPA (Stopping a Promising Attack) foul – a classic yellow card and a free kick.

What did Valenzuela do? He ended the match.

Not only did he not show the card, he did not even award a free kick. And yet the Laws of the Game in the chapter on playing time clearly state: if a foul occurs just before the end of added time, it should be allowed to be executed – in this case a free kick.

Guardiola's reaction – running onto the pitch – was natural and understandable. I am all the more surprised that the referee did not impose any consequences on him. Where is the consistency? Where is the authority?

Conclusion: the referee failed the test of pressure and the regulations:

I am not saying that Jesus Valenzuela is a bad referee. But in this match he failed on all counts – and not in matters of interpretation, but in obvious procedural matters:

• Lack of reaction to mass protests.

• Ignoring the players' positioning when the game was restarted.

• Failure to punish a foul at the end of the match.
  
  

Such mistakes - especially at this level - cannot remain without consequences. If FIFA takes the level of refereeing in its tournaments seriously, Valenzuela should not be assigned to any more matches in this competition. He made not one, but a series of mistakes, which together contributed to the embarrassment.

In football, the most important thing is credibility - both of the players and the referees. If the referee loses control of the match, ignores the rules and gives in to pressure - it is difficult to talk about sports justice. And this was clearly lacking in the Manchester City - Al Hilal match.

Thank you for reading my article! If you like this type of content or have ideas for further topics that I should write about, leave your suggestions in the comments. Best regards!

Author: Kiero DS