Initially trained in the youth ranks of the iconic Salgueiros and rounding off the rest of his youth career by winning the Premier League International Cup for F.C. Porto ‘B’, João Cardoso changed course towards the Under-23 team at Estoril Praia where he's usually a regular starter in the Liga Revelação.
Join us on this adventure and find out how João's first experiences 'in the manager's shoes' went, the team he never skips in every new edition, among many other bits of trivia!
Interview
POP: 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?
João Cardoso: It started when I began wanting to understand more about everything to do with tactics — around 12 or 13 years old — and it quickly became one of my favourite games. At the start of my career as a 'virtual manager' I confess I went through some tricky moments (laughs), but with the experience I picked up from the various saves saves I played, things started improving and results started coming. So it was a bit of a rocky start! (laughs)
POP: Do you usually bring your 'player' along to every club you go to? Or do you let him develop on his own and just follow his career? Do you end up forming any bond with him through that interaction?
João Cardoso: When I first appeared in the game it was a real ritual: I always brought him along! (laughs) After that initial excitement wore off, I ended up stopping. Nowadays I just tend to follow his path.
POP: Do you like how you're portrayed in FM? Would you change anything for better/worse?
João Cardoso: It's clear that every year everything keeps improving across all of FM, and in my view the standout is the player profiles: the database is more and more dynamic and up to date in how we're reflected in the game. As for me, yes, I'd improve a few things, like passing, the unpredictability and penalties. So I'll leave that tip there for you to judge whether I really deserve the attention! (laughs)
POP: Have you ever used the editor and made yourself a wonderkid so you could quickly reach the national team and become a world-class star?
João Cardoso: No, that's one thing I've never been willing to do. I like to see how things play out naturally, without ever having a direct hand in the final outcome.
João Cardoso no FM 2019
POP: Is there a team (or teams) you always have to manage in every new edition of FM? And as for players, is there anyone you always try to sign?
João Cardoso: There's one team I always start playing whenever I buy FM (since it's my favourite team), and that's Arsenal: year after year I try to be the Arsène Wenger virtual version, but with much better results! (laughs). As for players, I don't have any specific preferences. Depending on the club I choose to manage, I sign whichever players seem right, without any 'favourites'.
POP: What's your greatest achievement, and which club did you achieve it with?
João Cardoso: I've had a few I'm proud of…! But if I have to pick one, I have no real doubts: it was winning the Champions League with my Arsenal!
POP: Do you usually play with colleagues from your profession? Can you drop any names?
João Cardoso: Even though Football Manager sometimes comes up as a topic between us, the situation has never really come up / I don't usually play online. So any less-than-great experiences they might have had stay strictly between my teammates. (laughs)
POP: What new feature would you most like to see added in future editions?
João Cardoso: Easy! It would have been VAR. But Sports Interactive made a point of granting my wish, and it ended up becoming available in FM 2019.
João Cardoso wearing the Estoril shirt
Quick questions
First edition you played?
FM 2010
Favourite edition?
FM 2018
Favourite league to play in?
Premier League
Favourite team to play as?
Arsenal
Most influential player?
Mesut Özil no Arsenal
Biggest cheat?
Creating a fake manager at another club and buying players from my own team to get more money.
Best club you've seen your player transfer to (without any influence from you)?
João Cardoso is very loyal to the club he plays for, so I can only see him renewing his contract. (laughs)
After an excellent youth career, may this be the season he establishes himself at senior level! And the way he's grabbed his place in Estoril's starting eleven in the Liga Revelação is proof of that dedication. Wishing him an excellent 2018/2019 season!
Debut of João Cardoso scoring for Estoril
