HNK Rijeka were right in the mix for the Croatian title, just six points behind the almost unbeatable Dinamo Zagreb. Their efforts had once again been led by free-scoring striker Zijad Handzic, while the club's owners were reportedly worried by manager Vladimir Latunov walking away at the end of his contract in the summer.
Our focus on developing Bolton Wanderers' academy products has continued to go well through to the 2033/34 campaign. Ten of our first-team squad came through the ranks and at least four are first-choice starters, but with that comes the inevitability that some players won't quite make the first team.
A first season in Croatia ended without a trophy but offered glimpses of promise, including a potential superstar striker smashing goalscoring records. However, the HNK Rijeka board were unhappy with Vladimir Latunov not signing high-reputation players, which he immediately set about addressing in the summer of 2028.
A tough start to Bolton Wanderers' second season back in the Premier League was long forgotten thanks to a solid defence leading a turnaround in form. As a result, our better players were being linked with some huge moves in January 2033.
Life in Croatia had gotten off to a solid start but a worrying dip towards the last month or so of 2027 had Vladimir Latunov slightly concerned about the strength of his new HNK Rijeka side. With that in mind, he used a 50-day winter break to begin spending the £20 million or so transfer kitty available to him.
After 444 league appearances for Bolton Wanderers, it was time to bid farewell to true Trotters Talent hero Nigel Turner. The club captain and first player to step up from the successful Trotter Talents academy into the first team was, sadly, moving on at the end of his contract in 2032.
Having wrapped up the national title in Czech Republic, adding to those in Poland, Turkey and Hungary, it was time for Russian manager Vladimir Latunov to spread his wings once more. He'd resigned from Viktoria Plzen and eventually wrapped up a move to Croatia with HNK Rijeka.
Bolton Wanderers had made a confident start to life back in the Premier League for the first time in two decades. A series of solid but unspectacular had the Trotters sitting just outside the European places at the half-way mark.
Life in the Czech Republic had gotten off to a flying, goal-filled start for Vladimir Latunov in his first six months with Viktoria Plzen. But he now faced a two-month winter break to explore his new country and assess some of the exciting youngsters his scouts had been busy discovering.
After nine years in the Championship and 11 years in charge of Bolton Wanderers, we'd led the club back to the Premier League as Champions in 2031. Now we had a huge task on our hands to strengthen the squad for a relegation battle.
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