*AI-translated from original PM in Swedish*
Season 68 kicks off in a week, and we're finally in the big leagues! We've made it to the top division of the Super League. Eight teams will be going head-to-head for the championship. It's looking like a really close race, with a tough fight for both the title and to stay out of the relegation zone. The managers come from six different countries: two from Portugal, two from Sweden, and one each from Malta, Romania, Serbia, and Spain. With the league looking so evenly matched, our managers are going to play a huge role.
Here is a summary of the eight teams competing for the title, listed in alphabetical order:
Dacia Unirea Bralia
Dacia Unirea Bralia are entering their fourth season in the top division. Manager Eilahc took the reins at the start of last season. They've been a consistent mid-table team, finishing fifth twice and fourth once. Their biggest achievement is a cup win from season 50. The squad is well-balanced with a decent average age. Their star striker, Push Feelgood, has scored 80 career goals. However, he failed to find the net in the league last season, something he'll need to improve on if they want to challenge for the top spots.
FC Narrow Strait
For 22 seasons, I've been fighting with my team, and now we're finally making our debut in the top division. We earned promotion after winning our division with a comfortable margin and conceding only six goals. The team, consisting of nine academy players, has a very mixed age profile compared to the other teams. The key to success lies in maintaining a strong defence and finding the scoring touch for our striking duo, Palmstierna and Baumer.
Las Legiones Malditas
Manager Rabobank95 took over the team in season 52 and has led the team to great success, taking them from division 5 to the Super League in just five seasons. They gained promotion through the playoffs after defeating the second-placed team in our league, Emmets Construction, 1-0. The squad has a near-perfect age distribution with no clear standout stars. The team is offensively strong, scoring 26 goals last season, with 9 of those coming from the striking pair Riler and Arnelind.
Red Star
Red Star finished second in the Super League in season 64, the club's best placement to date. The following season, the team was relegated and the manager was replaced by the current one, PunisherBg. He immediately led the team back to the top division and secured a respectable third-place finish last season. The team's biggest stars have passed 35 years of age, and two of them have already announced their upcoming retirement after the season. The team now has a couple of seasons to compete for the league title before the already started generational shift needs to be fully implemented. One of the favourites for the title in the upcoming season.
Senne
Former manager H0lst led the team to two cup titles and one league title during seasons 62-63. He was replaced by another highly decorated manager, Linkin.Park, who also led the team to a league title in season 66. The team is undergoing a generational change but still put in a solid performance last season with a fourth-place finish in the table. A great responsibility rests on the veterans in the team if they are to repeat that feat. A worrying sign is that the team is the poorest of all teams in the league.
Sokrates T17
The frustration must be bubbling up for manager Chahhema and his players after three consecutive second-place finishes in the league. Chahhema took over the club in season 43, and now, 25 seasons later, it might finally be time for the club's first title. The team scored the most goals of any team in the top division last season but lost both matches against the champions, Xeque Mate. Despite the three failed attempts, the squad is still very competitive and broad. A lot points towards another tough battle for the title with Xeque Mate.
The Punishers
A very interesting newcomer who can definitely be in the mix for top placements. The team that won their division last season has the strongest and highest-valued squad in the league. Manager Luis_amorim took over the team in season 41 and led it to the league title in season 53. Now he has developed a new generation that is ready to challenge for new titles. The team's most important player is goalkeeper Frits Versteeg, who kept a clean sheet 8 times last season.
Xeque Mate
Last but certainly not least, we have the reigning champions. The team has been in the league since season 6, and manager Melfist has been at the helm the entire time. Last season, they made their debut in the Super League and won the league title on the first attempt. They also have a cup title from season 65. The team's defense was particularly impressive last season with only three goals conceded. Goalkeeper Stokkeland is the league's most skilled in his position. Xeque Mate will be challenged hard by the rest of us, but they have every opportunity to defend the title.
/F Ollon
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