[Christomir]

16 September 2028

I notice Fernando Rojas's contract is going to become unprotected in 3 days, so I call him and his agent into my office before today's game and ask them what their demands are for a new deal. They say they want a wage of $36 500 per week and a signing bonus of $1.6 million. I offer that.

Today we travel to the city of Breda to play NAC. They look like a good team this year - they are currently in 4-th place, equal on points with us, having played a game more (we are 3rd) - 2 wins, 3 ties, but worse GD than us.

However, in the last few years they have struggled in the DPD and have always finished in the bottom part of the table. They even got relegated for a year, before they got promoted straight back. The big star of the team, Marcin Kolodziejczyk, is reportedly unhappy at how much he's getting and wants a new contract with a better salary - as a result his morale has dropped and his play has not been on his usual high level in the last couple of matches. Henrik Bjorkman is the key defender for them - he is a former player of mine, who I sent there for $6 million a year and a half ago.

I decide to give Pratesi another start in midfield - he looks in good spirits. That keeps record signing Villanueva on the bench for a second match in a row I also decide to rest Valdes again, since he still looks a bit tired from that trip home and the 90 minutes he played in the CC game a week later...


The team line-ups:

NAC (5-1-2-2) GK: Fred Schaap (c) (30) DMR: Jamal Mocktari (30, Moroccan int., 46 caps/6 goals) DML: Marcin Kolodziejczyk (32, Polish int., 42 caps/3 goals) DC: Maurice Hoogerweij (18) DC: Rogier van der Horst (22) DC: Henrik Bjorkman (30, Swedish, 34 caps/1 goal) MC: Nore Midson (24, Guaman) - from Guam?!?...LOL DMC: Hans Jacobs (31) SC: Wai Lam Wong (31, Hong Kong int., 12 caps/3 goals) SC: Hans Smits (28) MC: Michiel Oulida (34, former Ajax, former Holland int.)

NEC (4-2-4) GK: Bjorn Cornelissen (c) DR: Gianni Graziano DC: Ron Tuinstra DC: Hans Verbeek DL: Sisi Oliveira MC: Tresor McAdden AMR: Jack Berger MC: Giacomo Pratesi SC: Fernando Rojas SC: Arjan Vaessen AML: Arnold Leferink