Act I: The End of the Commisso Era
Just as I figured out how to handle Rocco, the man stepped down. Enter our new Chairman: Eisner.
Eisner is a different breed. He completely ignored my meticulously crafted defensive block diagrams and issued a singular mandate: redacted.
The conservative Purple Rain was shelved. The Squeaky Bum was locked in a vault. Welcome to the Purple Press.
[TACTICAL BLUEPRINTS CLASSIFIED BY ORDER OF THE ACF FIORENTINA BOARD. UNAUTHORIZED VIEWING BY SS LAZIO PERSONNEL WILL RESULT IN PROSECUTION]
Act II: The Pre-Season Curse (or, The £47.5m Knee)
Before we even reached the competitive fixtures, the match engine reminded me who is in charge. During a meaningless pre-season friendly against LC Sailors (which we won 12-1), Samu Omorodion—my £47.5m record signing—collapsed on the turf.
Cruciate knee ligaments. Out until February.
The injury curse immediately swept through the attacking line, claiming both Ben Doak and Simone Pafundi for a crucial month. Suddenly, that immense squad depth wasn’t a luxury; it was a desperate necessity.
Act III: The Trial by Fire (and The Venezia Trap)
Despite half my attacking depth sitting in the medical room, the Purple Press tore through our opening fixtures. We secured three massive wins against Juventus (away), AC Milan (home), and Aston Villa in the Champions League.
But Football Manager demands humility. Immediately after conquering Europe’s elite, I rotated the squad heavily against newly promoted Venezia. We drew 1-1. A completely infuriating, classic FM missed opportunity.
Act IV: The San Siro Statement
We demanded a reaction. We brushed off the Venezia draw, welcomed players back from the physio room, and rolled into Milan to face Inter—defending champions who had not lost at the San Siro in 20 games.
We absolutely dismantled them. A 3-0 destruction. The Purple Press ended their invincible streak and sent a shockwave through the entire peninsula.
Act V: The Front Office Ledger
To truly understand how well the club is functioning, you have to look at the boardroom.
The Financial Flex: We oversaw £134m in incoming transfers, perfectly balanced against £111m in outgoings.
The Eisner Review: The Chairman lists my job security as “Secure,” highly praising our European dominance and the Inter win (though he is inexplicably still annoyed I sold Robin Gosens).
The Italian Son Ascends: Pio Esposito has officially ascended to the rank of “Team Leader” at just 22 years old. He sits at the top of the pyramid. He isn’t just scoring the goals; he is running the dressing room.
We are currently sitting in 2nd place, just one single point behind Napoli, with a flawless Champions League record. For the first time since I arrived in Florence, I am allowing myself to look at the league table and think the unthinkable.
This could be the year.
