I started playing Rabona right from season 2, 21 seasons so far! Pretty long time....21 years in rabona minutes! I think it's pretty good time reflect back on the journey Phoenix Incantatem has had!
I often tend to talk about these so called "codes" on the blockchain as if they were an entity of they own, they were my team! I don't see anything wrong with that. And as every team has a story, This is the story of Phoenix Incantatem.
Over the years I have had to tweak a lot with the team to find a winning combination...scouting....finding players in the market (yes, back in the days you could actually buy really good players on the market!). Cruising through league 2 and 1 wasn't that big a deal, but building a team that wins the LoC was tough work. From day 1 I knew i was not going to be able to compete with the big guys in terms of money. So building a self sustaining club was the goal!
Looking back now, I think we have managed to that.
This was the first team ever to be fielded by Phoenix Incantatem.
We lost 2-0 to West Ham. Yes, I lost my first ever Rabona match as a manager :) But this team did go on to win League 2 at first attempt...so the OG Phoenixes were not a failure by any means. The team stayed the same more or less as we ran through League 1 with the addition of one Zheng Shi, who was a very good passer of the ball...definitely excellent for lower leagues and played the position 10 for a very very long time. His low speed was a bit of an issue as we moved to the League of champions. But even though Zheng Shi was not an integral part of the first of Phoenixes to win the LoC, the story of the phoenixes remains incomplete without Zheng Shi getting a mention. We do not forget the countless matches he held our midfield together against giant opponents...the magnitudes of Monaco di Bavaria, Bluewin, and the once upon a time big time LoC team Arsenal49. The fans remember you! Zheng Shi is now at the helm of Disaster, as his former manager I couldn't have wanted a better club for him to be at!
A few seasons of underachieving in the LoC....
The Phoenix management knew changes had to be made after a first few season of not even competing against the likes of Monaco and Bluewin. A complete overhaul of squad took place. We didn't go out and buy stars! We went out and bought "stats." As a manager I had clear visions of how I wanted my team to play. And we got in players with stats that fit specific positions. So we didn't have players with stats in the high 80s like our competitors...but we had a squad that complemented and made up for lacking in each others' stats.
We didn't buy the Galacticos, We built them! This was the first Phoenix Incantatem to ever win the LoC. But some money had to be spent. The goalkeeping position was not strong enough, so we had to spend the biggest on a goalkeeper. We also bought in a strong Defenders in Nicolo Esposito and Michael Koch instead of spending the big bucks on a glamorous Striker! As Sir Alex Ferguson said, "A strong attack will win you matches, but a strong defence will win you titles." And the rest of the team we had to do good business to find ways to spend the least amount of money.
On paper still not a team anyone though could challenge for the title, but this team went on a crazy unbeaten run only to lose their first game of the season on the 22nd game to U-town 69. By then the title was all but decided!
Season 9 : Phoenix Incantatem!
Nicolo Esposito, Michael Koch, Ladislav Sevcik, Max Kuhn, Adrian Wojciechowski and Kai Hoffman formed a formidable defensive partnership for many seasons to come...often rotating positions between formations.
Tim Graf, who was by then the captain of the team made the No. 10 position his own with support from Adrian, Nahuel Ibarra and Chukwuka Adam on the wings. The front line led by Sergio Moreno and Leo Serra who began to become a formidable attacking duo, amassing goals after goals against the best of the best of teams!
But the title was nowhere near sight for the next 3 seasons. The same team went on to win the title again in Season 13.
But an unfortunate injury (read season end stat change) led to Adrian Wojciechowski...one of the fastest on the field with the highest TP stat to lose a huge chuck of his speed (-15 in one go, yikes!)
And we had to put him into a long rehab leading him to miss the next three seasons. But no replacements were found, difficult to find replacement for such an impactful player. We went on to win the season once more in the next 3 years before Adrian returned for season 17. By now we had started to bring in younger talents into the team...most notable of which were the Addition of Janis Schulz and Enssel Rojas (who are now the seniors defenders of the team.)
By this season we also started changing a few tactics and formation as we were being left behind by the innovative formations of our competitors. After a return to the top of the LoC in season 17, we fell agonisingly short the next season....again failing to win two consecutive titles. For many different reasons, we took the season 18 defeat really hard. Really, really hard! A major overhaul of squad was on the cards for Phoenix Incantatem to become a real force and not fall short by minor margins.
But it was difficult to do it all at once because it goes against the financial model of the club. Also, good scouts just doesn't fall from the sky. TP stats seemed to be a big issue so we bought Alex Scholz, an 85 TP Midfielder and extraordinary passing skills. But the icing on the cake was the purchase of Edgar Lubbock, who was then the most expensive and highest paid player. Edgar came in and took over the position 10 from the captain Tim Graf, who was moved to the left wing where his speed clearly gives him the freedom to terrorize the fullbacks of the opposition.
The youngster Alex Scholz was brought in to essentially become a replacement for Tim Graf, because no matter the unimaginable services provided by the captain over the years....retirement is around the horizon. With carefully designed training programmes he was slowly, but surely developing feet large enough to fill Tim Graf's shoes!
Season 19 marked the return of Phoenix Incantatem back to the top. Having failed to win a consecutive title ever so far, The phoenixes bolstered their attack by bringing in Edward Ernest Bowen who started doing pretty well in position, with Tim Graf moving over to position 8! Season 20 would then go on to become the first time Phoenix Incantatem would win two consecutive titles!
Despite the new additions, it was one Sergio Moreno that kept taking the center stage.
*flashback to season 7/8 Mane, the manager of Monaco di Bavaria had one look at Sergio Moreno's stats and said, "This player will become a force!"
And a force is exactly what he became!
What a beast! At the age of 38, this might be the very last season (or maybe one more) we'll ever see Sergio Moreno take the field for Phoenix Incantatem. We wish he reaches the 500 goal landmark before that! Tim Graf was the most difficult to find replacement for, but Sergio Moreno will be missed dearly!
But amidst celebrations of their second consecutive win, end of season 20 marked the "Beginning of the End." This would be the last season Adrian, who was labelled the "Best Player" of the first ever Phoenix Incantatem team, would ever play!
Another major overhaul was on the card! The highlight was of course Stephen Muhammed, who was an academy graduate to fill in the position of Adrian! But two more academy graduates. Ali Steiner and Tercan Cekir took up their positions pretty strongly in the heart of the defence with Nicolo Esposito playing much lesser games...who would then go on to retire after the coming season.
The other notable academy graduate to make it into the playing 11 in season 21 was the Striker Raphael Eder who seemed to fit in perfectly to be like for like replacement for Leo Serra. But it was those two Men, Tim Graf and Sergio Moreno who were still irreplaceable! With a good mix of young and experienced players, Phoenix Incantatem went on to achieve the unthinkable - 3 consecutive LoC Titles against some of the best teams we have ever seen! Anyone who has played the LoC will tell you what an incredible feat that is, especially now with every single team good enough to compete for the top!
Season 22 was roughly the same team, with the notable grooming up of Christian Pagano, who is being thought of as the one to take Sergio Moreno's position. He has played sparingly, but managing to pick up 8 goals, so there's promise. Only Time will tell!
The Phoenixes went very very close once again, only to fall short by just Goal Difference to the Mighty Bluewin! This was also the first time the league of Champions was ever decided by goal difference! Well Played Bluewin 1860!
Season 23 has started with an eye over the horizon...looking down the barrel at the end of an Era!
Notice anything out of the norm in this lineup? Yes, for the first time in over 21 years(seasons), (barring a couple of matches which became irrelevant to the title race) Phoenix Incantatem takes the field without either of TIM GRAF and SERGIO MORENO. Let that sink in for a moment!
The armband has been passed on to Edgar Lubbock. Christian Pagano is almost ready to take center stage.
The beginning of the end has truly begun!
But it is okay. The OG Phoenixes has achieved the status of Legendaries on the Phoenix Hall of fame! The future is in good hands (legs). You can all rest now.