After two seasons of dominating Czechia with Slavia Praha, Trebor Mahtal yet again resigned from his role and went in search of a new opportunity in May 2049. Now aged 65, and with FM25 around the corner, Mahtal was well aware that time was running out on his Football Manager career but he still had plenty more to achieve.
Having won titles in Greece, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland and Czechia, the biggest leagues on his list to manage in were Austria, Croatia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Romania, Slovania and Turkey. However, he also had half an eye on the 2050 World Cup in the unlikely chance an opportunity became available. A few jobs popped up in the first couple of weeks of unemployment, including vacancies in Bulgaria, Israel and Romania. But the most intriguing offer came in first, which meant Mahtal heading for Romania.
Who Are FCV Farul Constanta?
Farul Constanta is a professional club based in the city of Constanta, in the southeast corner of Romania. Farul translates as ‘the Lighthouse,’ a nod to Constanta’s location on the Black Sea coast. The club was founded in 1920 as SPM Constanta before merging with Viitorul Constanta in 2021. Prior to the merger, it had never finished higher than 4th in Romania’s First League but won its maiden title in 2023.
The club plays at the 23,492-capacity Farul Constanta Stadium, which was built three years ago in 2046 and has an expansion capacity of 38,695. That’s supported by excellent infrastructure of 20 youth recruitment, 17 junior coaching and youth facilities and 15 training facilities. It also has £6m in the bank, a transfer budget of £3.6m and a weekly wage budget of £345k. Mahtal added to that with his usual trick of selling 24 players for £19.75m, including being forced to sell his first-choice goalkeeper for £2.9m and right back for a club record £7m to Kyiv, but didn’t sign any replacements.
Farul has a reputation for producing young players through its youth academy originally established by Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi, who coached the club at the start of this save and remains a club legend. That tradition remains with homegrown midfielder Mohamed Kourouma the best player at the club alongsidewingers Sorin Stanca and Emmanuel Bahi, 6ft 5in midfielder Assane Guéye, left back Ajdin Besic, holding midfielder Kenta Yamazaki and homegrown striker Alin Rusu. There were plenty more promising talents in centre backs Samuel Sedlak, Victor Mihai and Cristian Baciu, midfielder Andrei Nituica and striker Dennis Tielemans. And Mahtal initially opted for a standard 4-3-3 approach.
Getting Started In Romania
Farul have won seven titles during this save, most recently in the 2048 campaign. They were favourites to defend the title last season but finished in a disappointing 5th, and remain 6/5 favourites this season ahead of FC Rapid (11/2), FCSB (7/1), holders Univeritartea Craiova (8/1) and U Cluj (9/1).
The Romanian season started ludicrously early with the Supercupa Romaniei against Craiova on 3 July, and Farul lost 2-0. The league also started very early, nine days later, and the squad was nowhere near match fit, but Rusu nicked a 1-0 win over Steaua. They backed that up with second-half goals by Bahi and young striker Octavian Popa earning a 2-0 win at Arges before a dull 0-0 at home to FCSB. The solid away form continued with Stanca and Guéye earning a 2-0 victory at Voluntari, but a fully rotated team lost 3-2 at home to Dinamo Bucuresti.
Farul got back on track as late Rusu and Sedlak goals edged a 3-1 win over Craiova and Popa nicked a 1-0 at CFR Cluj. That teed up a big game against leaders FC Rapid and Farul delivered with Popa and Rusu goals earning a comfortable 2-0 victory. Form was a little iffy as they navigated domestic and European matters, but a 2-1 win at home to U Cluj took them above their opponents into 2nd, four points off leaders Rapid halfway through the season. But they maintained that form while others faltered and a 2-0 win over Sepsi sent them top of the league for the first time in mid-December.
Back In The Europa League
The early season start also saw Farul enter the Europa League first qualifying round on 8 July, which they eased through 3-2 on aggregate. Mahtal then had a swift reunion with Czech rival Sigma Olomouc, who were dismissed 3-0 at home with goals by Guéye, Rusu and Kourouma before drawing 1-1 away. A third qualifying round tie took them to Israel and Popa staked his claim with the only goal at Maccabi Haifa then scored twice in a 4-2 home win. The last round of qualifiers saw them take on Ludogorets and Popa nicked a 1-0 win away before Guéye’s early goal was enough for a 1-1 at home.
That progression gave Mahtal his first taste of the Europa League proper in quite some time. They began against one of his old foes with a trip to Swedish side Hammarby, which they dominated by 17 shots to nine but drew 1-1. A much better performance saw them batter Lille with 25 shots and 2.86 xG and win 5-2 led by a Stanca brace. They also applied themselves magnificently to only lose 1-0 to an 85th-minute winner at Real Betis, having again had more shots. And they took that performance into consecutive 2-0 home wins over OB and Ferencváros before Popa’s penalty nicked a 2-1 win at Stromsgodset. That left Farul 6th with two games remaining, starting with Popa’s brace downing Mahtal’s brief former side Trabzonspor 2-0 at home. They lost 4-3 at Osjek but snuck through in 8th place on 16 points.
The last 16 saw Farul take on Danish side OB. Popa nicked an undeserved 1-1 away before Mahtal celebrated his 1,400th match in management with a 5-1 home thrashing thanks to Bahi’s assist hat trick and Rusu’s late brace. They got easily the toughest quarter final draw against Newcastle but defended superbly to earn a 0-0 away courtesy of 21-year-old Gabriel Istudor making seven saves. However, he let his team down conceding Newcastle’s first two shots in what turned out to be a cracking game. Stance and Bahi levelled the game up before Stanca put them ahead after 88 minutes, only to concede in the 92nd minute. Stanca got a second yellow early in extra time and Newcastle immediately scored from a corner to nick it 4-3.
Stumbling Into A Romanian Title Race
Farul started the 2050s with a disappointing 1-0 loss at Craiova and a slightly better 1-1 at FC Rapid. Mahtal eventually started spending some of the £23m transfer kitty he’d generated, bringing in 18-year-old attacker Hamid Mezgour for £6.5m from Raja Casablanca and centre back Kent Golmen for £2.1m from Stromsgodset.
The sticky form continued with a poor 1-1 at Slobozia, which forced Mahtal to change to an asymmetric 4-4-2. That worked nicely as Farul defeated the bad U Craiova (there’s two U Craiova sides!) 3-0 with Stanca’s brace and Mezgour’s first for the club then earned a 2-2 at U Cluj to take a 3-point lead over them into the 10-game Champions Playoff.
Teams only take 50% of their points tally into the Champions Playoff. And Faurl threw their advantage away with a 1-0 defeat at UTA Arad then a 0-0 at home to U Cluj and a 1-1 at FC Rapid. Guéye nicked an edgy 1-0 over Petrolul before two Popa penalties edged a 3-1 win at home to holders Craiova, which teed up an exciting final five games with Farul 1 point clear of U Cluj and 5 clear of FC Rapid.
Game 1 – U Cluj (2nd, away): Farul had a rare week off going into a huge title decider. And that showed as Popa’s brace and late Stanca and Mezgour strikes secured a superb 4-1 win to move four points clear.
Game 2 – UTA Arad (6th, home): On paper, this was the easiest game remaining. And Farul made sure of that as Popa converted an early penalty and the improving Mezgour scored twice after the break to earn a 3-0 victory. Cluj beat FC Rapid 1-0 to keep Farul seven points clear of both with three to play.
Game 3 – FC Rapid (3rd, home): Victory on home soil would wrap up the Romanian title and the started well as Mezgur headed home after 24 minutes. Both sides traded disallowed goals – Rapid’s obviously being their only attack – before Guéye had a free kick pushed round the post. Popa had another goal disallowed straight after the break but Stanca’s header from a wonderful Bahi cross soon after did count. But Rapid went and immediately scored from their first shot and only one on target. But Farul secured a 2-1 victory that wrapped up the Romanian title!
Farul went on to win the title by 10 points, finishing with 26 wins, 9 draws and 5 defeats, scoring 68 and conceding just 28. Popa was the league’s top scorer with 20 in 38, which more than doubled his career tally, while Bahi and Stanca’s 10 assists were only bettered by a Cluj player’s 14. But Mezgour impressed with a 7.37 average rating in 14 games.
Celebrating A 10th Different National Title
Mahtal’s Romanian success took him to 18 domestic titles in a 10th different country. It was far from his most dominant season but he’d very much enjoyed molding the team over the season. This season’s star man was Popa, who quickly established himself as the lead striker and went on to bag a new club record 32 goals in 55 games. Pushing him close was Stanca, who racked up 18 goals and 19 assists, along with Bahi with nine goals and a club-high 19 assists.
While he’d enjoyed managing in Romania, given the aforementioned time constraints and having just turned 66, it was time to head elsewhere. So a few days after winning the league, Mahtal yet again handed in his notice. He departs Farul after 327 days and 64 games, of which he won 39, drew 14 and lost 11, scoring 112 and conceding 57.
Where would Mahtal go next as he went in search of a 17th club on this EuroTrip adventure? Join us on Monday to find out!
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