To achieve long-term success in each of our saves, besides the training and scouting network sides, there's an extremely important area you can't afford to neglect: the medical department. There was only one way to open this very specific side of football: with a huge Football Manager fan: Pedro Moreira, Physiotherapist for the senior team at Boavista Futebol Clube.
Pedro tells us what it was like taking charge of a team for the first time (the fans were merciless in the early games!), how he reacted when he was added to FM's official database, which players he went to 'snoop on' in FM before they officially arrived at Boavista, among many other topics.
Pedro Moreira (left) with Vítor Bruno, former Boavista F.C. player
FMPortugal.net: When did this 'addiction' of yours to FM start? Did you quickly become a 'tactical genius', or did you go through some tricky moments with the board and fans early on?
Pedro Moreira: I like to think I 'get by okay'. When I started, all I thought about was the usual 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 and just let the team get used to whatever formation was set. It was only later that we start to understand this is just a tactical shape, and there's a lot more than that to achieving success. So yes, I struggled quite a bit in the early stages! (laughs)
FMPortugal.net: When you start a new savesave, do you bring your 'character' along to whichever club you go to? Do you sack every other physio and keep just yourself? (laughs)
Pedro Moreira: When I start with Boavista I don't touch the medical department! (laughs) Unless it's to give myself a pay rise (laughs). But whenever I manage to take Mourinho's job, my favourite physio is right there.
FMPortugal.net: Before you officially appeared in the database, did you already have a habit of getting around that 'problem' and creating your own character in the game? What was your reaction when we contacted you to become part of the official database?
Pedro Moreira: I'd never created myself. In my regular circle of friends, there are people who have appeared and still appear in FM. I always made a point of signing them if the size of the club made sense. When 'my moment' came, and POP asked me if I could be added to the database, I thought it was all just a joke, since every dressing room is full of that kind of banter! (laughs) When it 'hit me' that it was actually real, I was obviously delighted the day had finally come.
FMPortugal.net: Has any player from the clubs you've worked at as a physio ever mentioned attributes to you that they felt weren't well portrayed in FM?
Pedro Moreira: When I started playing, a good friend of mine was playing for Penafiel and both his position and his preferred foot were wrong. And the teasing he got for it (laughs)! That said, I clearly feel that over the last 2-3 years the database has improved massively, and the errors I used to notice in the past are no longer common at all.
FMPortugal.net: How long does it take you to play a season? Do you get bored easily when things start going badly at your new club, or do you find some extra motivation to turn things around and go from 'unloved' to 'idolised' by the fans?
Pedro Moreira: It always depends on how much time I have. I've done whole seasons in just a few days, but nowadays that's impossible. There are times when we dedicate more to the game and others (like right now) when I can't, because during the football season we have other priorities… Besides, a medical department always has a lot of work. It's not just players under treatment, but also under assessment and injury prevention.
I only get bored once I've already achieved my goals at that club. I like challenges, and it's something we should bring into real life too… trying to challenge ourselves every day.
FMPortugal.net: How do you find your transfer targets: do you build a scouting network and analyse the reports that come in, or do you prefer to search yourself, hoping to find deals that could be worth millions a few months later?
Pedro Moreira: I make a point of searching for targets myself. Sometimes I go straight for players I know 'from the past' who I think can offer more….. But most of the time it doesn't work out! (laughs)
FMPortugal.net: Have you won everything there was to win with a team? What's your biggest achievement and with which club?
Pedro Moreira: Of course!… As long as you don't ask for a screenshot! (laughs) I really like playing with smaller clubs. When I managed to start a save save with U.S.C Paredes it was a joy for me! I grew a lot at that club. Besides that one, I regularly played with Penafiel trying to get promoted and reach Europe.
And when I wanted to win a Champions League I'd take over F.C. Porto or S.L. Benfica, whose starting budgets didn't make life quite so hard! (laughs)
FMPortugal.net: Have you ever used CM/FM to find out about a player's attributes when he was being linked with a move to your team?
Pedro Moreira: I've done that several times, mainly with players coming from foreign leagues. I remember checking out Marek Čech and Rivaldinho around the time each of them signed for Boavista.
FMPortugal.net: Do you have a funny story to tell us 'because of' FM?
Pedro Moreira: I don't have one really worth telling. That said, going off on a tangent, in the 1000-year simulation that POP did, Boavista has vanished… but the 'Boavistão' is still going to make a lot of noise! (laughs)
Quick Questions:
First edition you played?
P.M: CM 01/02! I'm from the era of the legends Tsigalko and Tó Madeira!
Favourite edition?
P.M: FM 2019 (laughs)! I've already bought it through your partnership. I can't wait!
Favourite league to play in?
P.M: Portuguese.
Favourite team to play as?
P.M: A lot of people won't understand the life I've chosen…
My Boavista!
An unforgettable defeat?
P.M: Defeats shouldn't be forgotten: they should be overcome! They're always a learning experience.
Biggest achievement?
P.M: Reaching the Europa League with Penafiel.
Thank you very much for your time and openness in giving us this fantastic interview from the start. Hopefully you'll finally manage to dethrone Mourinho so you can take your 'character' to Manchester! (laughs) Our best wishes for an excellent 2018/2019 season!
