In all our saves, we always sign young prospects! In the case of goalkeepers, we've got the ideal solution to help them develop: Hugo Tecelão.
After ending his playing career, he continued in football by taking on the challenge of becoming a Goalkeeping Coach in the youth ranks of Sporting Clube de Portugal, currently dedicated to the Under-19 squad.
Discover with us some of the memorable feats Hugo Tecelão will never forget, the teammates he used to regularly 'thrash' in his free time, among many other bits of trivia!
Interview
FMPortugal.net: How did you first come across CM/FM, and how did you end up as another one 'hooked' on the game?
Hugo Tecelão: I've always been passionate about strategy games, so it was only natural that good old Championship Manager 97/98 came into my everyday life. Being a huge football fan, it wasn't hard to become yet another one 'hooked' on the game, especially since, to this day, I don't know a single football fan who's played CM/FM and not gotten 'hooked'! (laughs)
FMPortugal.net: What was your first big achievement as a CM/FM player? Was it with 'your' Sporting?
Hugo Tecelão: I could never forget that moment! (laughs) It was on Championship Manager 97/98 and the team I managed was Bologna 1909. I managed to win Serie A in the second season, and it's so deeply etched in my memory that I still remember my 'main man' up front: Igor Kolivanov.
FMPortugal.net: What kind of virtual manager are you: do you start every new save at a 'big club' or 'giant' and try to dominate the national and international scene, or do you prefer a lower-division team and fight year after year for success on a global level?
Hugo Tecelão: I've always liked challenges that keep me motivated and leave me 'eager' to get back to the save save I'd left the day before, so without much doubt, starting with lower-division teams is what suits 'my style'.
FMPortugal.net: Before you officially appeared in the database, did you already have a habit of getting around that 'problem' and creating your own player in the game? Did you exaggerate yourself, or were you fair with yourself? (laughs) Or did you always prefer to wait patiently until we created you?
Hugo Tecelão: I remember that in the first editions of the game I played (97/98 and onwards), it never even crossed my mind that I could 'appear' in the game! (laughs) I always only played with the official database, so I clearly decided to wait until you created me. (laughs). That said, I had some school friends who used and 'abused' the editor, regularly creating new 'players' to reach stardom in an instant! (laughs).
FMPortugal.net: What was your reaction when you realised you'd officially been added to the game? From then on, when you start a new savesave, do you always bring your 'character' along to the club you go to?
Hugo Tecelão: If my memory serves me right, I think I officially appeared in the database when the legendary Championship Manager 01/02came out, I was still an Under-19 in Sporting Clube de Portugal. It was a really funny feeling being able to see myself in a game I played so much! In the first saves saves I always brought myself along wherever I went, but over time I realised it got a lot harder to win…! (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?
Hugo Tecelão: It's a curious thing, because, without taking anything away from the fantastic work that's been done in recent years on the game's database — and despite all my addiction to CM/FM — I've never actually felt curious enough to check how a possible signing would be portrayed in the game. That said, I do recognise the game is an extremely interesting tool, not just for player attributes, but also for understanding a bit more about all the dynamics involved in running a football club.
FMPortugal.net: Have you ever played CM/FM with fellow professionals and/or players you've worked with? Can you reveal some of the names? Which of them did you 'thrash' the most? (laughs)
Hugo Tecelão: I remember playing at Portosantense in the 2010/2011 season, and almost every day — after dinner — we'd meet up at the clubhouse and play against each other. They were really good times that I still fondly remember today. Some of the ones who came off 'worst' were Ismael Vieira, or Wilson Paulo, and Hélder Tavares (Cape Verdean international and player for Tondela): and believe me, they really had a rough time of it! (laughs) Hélder was one of the ones who suffered the most! Every game was a proper hiding… (laughs). But none of them would admit to my dominance: they said I had 'tricks'. (laughs) A big hug to all of them!
Quick Questions:
First edition you played?
CM 97/98
Favourite edition?
FM 2010
Favourite league to play in?
Italian
Man-marking or zonal marking?
Zonal
Favourite player you've ever had in any edition?
The classic Tsigalko!
Biggest achievement?
Three-time European champion with Torino!
Thank you very much for your time and openness in giving us this fantastic interview from the start. We promise we'll fill you in later on what your former teammates say about the other results they had against you too! (laughs) Our best wishes for an excellent 2018/2019 season.
