Robinho Lazaró was proving that transfers weren't everything in the beautiful game. He'd relied on Envigado FC's prodigious youth development to continually churn out new starlets that had won 10 league stage titles.
Trebor Mahtal led West Ham United to their first-ever league title in just his second season in charge led by future superstar Ronaldinho and a team that had been wholly rebuilt from the one he inherited.
Envigado FC had well and truly established themselves as the best team in Colombia by sealing four consecutive league stage titles. But competing with the very best in South America looked a step too far for Robinho Lazaró's side.
Envigado FC celebrated a second Liga BetPlay Apertura and Finalización double in the 2033 season as an exciting generation of players really hit their stride. The challenge now was for Robinho Lazaró to try and keep hold of his top talents.
The start of 1999 saw an exciting new name join West Ham United, as Mahtal beat the likes of Milan and Juventus to the signature of Ronaldinho for £2.3m from Gremio.
Robinho Lazaró had assembled the best squad he'd worked with in his 12 years as Envigado FC anager. Going into the second half of the 2033 campaign, the club had won six of the last eight Liga BetPlay Dimayor titles, reached the least eight league stage finals and was seeking a fifth successive Finalización victory.
Robinho Lazaró ticked off one of the overarching aims of his Wonderkid Factory challenge as Envigado became the most reputable team in Colombia. They're also the 25th most reputable team in all of South America.
Having just completed a Football Manager Experiment using a custom database in the European Super League, we were keen to take on another fantasy challenge in FM23. So the release of The Mad Scientist's annual retro database was very timely.
Robinho Lazaró oversaw a mass of sales and somehow dragged one of his youngest group of homegrown players so far to a sixth successive Liga BetPlay Dimayor league stage final. But the sales weren't done there as another young starlet departed between the Apertura and Finalización stages.
Envigado FC wrapped up a third-successive Finalización title at the end of the 2031 campaign. But the summer ahead of the 2032 season was set to be one of significant changes and record-breaking sales.
Football Manager Addict 