Way back in August 2019, fledgling English football manager Robí di Lathamé took the reigns of Sporting Lisbon. Now, 21 years later at the age of 56, I was preparing for my final match as a football manager.
The clock ticked over to 2040 as 55-year-old English title specialist Robí di Lathamé was showing no signs of letting up with his Juventus side sitting pretty seven points clear at the top of Serie A
After a ridiculously unfair sacking by Cagliari, my club managerial stock was in danger of being tarnished after being given the heave-ho by my last two clubs.
I'm the kind of Football Manager player that usually starts with a club and sticks with it in an attempt to build it into the world's greatest. But after six seasons in Portugal and five in Spain, I was reeling from being given the sack by Valencia and down the job centre.
After two successive titles, Valencia CF had suffered a shocking blip in form at the start of the 2029/30 La Liga campaign - even dropping to one place outside the relegation zone!
On the back of a second successive league and cup double, Valencia CF's efforts to rebuild were somewhat hampered by a lack of finances. That meant putting our trust in youth while the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid went on made spending sprees. Things were about to get a bit tricky...
Valencia CF had just secured back-to-back titles in emphatic style, undefeated and racking up 102 points. We backed that up by completing the double-double, also winning the Copa del Rey for the second successive season.
With 12 games remaining of Valencia CF's title defence, a tense title battle looked to be in store. Despite still being unbeaten we were just one point ahead of Barcelona, who just so happen to be our first opponents in this post.
Twelve games into a first title defence since 2004, Valencia CF were unbeaten and just one point off pacesetters Barcelona moving into November 2028.
Our exciting Valencia CF side were riding high on the wave of a first La Liga title in 24 years in the 2027/28 campaign. But we knew a wounded Barcelona and Real Madrid would come back fighting.
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