Rebuilding FC Barcelona on every FIFA since FIFA 14 Part 7: FIFA 20
By Jim James
As we approach the tailend of this series, I’m starting to remember these seasons like the back of my hand. This was the first season where it all started to go wonky for Barca, but of course I’m turning that around. Read parts 1-6 if you haven’t. I’m running out of clever things to say in these intros now, so let’s award the FIFA 20 accolades!
Top Scorer: Luis Suarez, 40 goals
Top 3 signings:
- Neymar Jr.
- Jan Oblak
- Joshua Kimmich
Season 1
We start with just over $350 million, a fortune compared to the $90 million we started with in FIFA 14. We try to sign Mbappe, and we do for $196 million, although Neymar’s signing was a couple hundred thousand dollars more expensive, so it isn’t our most expensive signing, but our most important.
We loan Dembele to Bayern for a year. We also loan out Ansu Fati and sell Sergi Roberto for $26 million. Oh yeah, and Juventus activate the release clause of Arthur ($122 million)
We put out a few more players out on loan with Firpo and Puig. We sell Ivan Rakitic for $41 million, Gerard Pique for $70 million, Semedo for $37 million, Alba for $65 million, Busquets for $89 million, Luis Suarez for $81 million, and Samu Umtiti for $78 million. However, that’s nothing compared to the signings we’ve made. Aouar for $40 million, Neymar (again) for $179 million, T-A-A for $91 million, Virgil for $147 million, Andy Robertson for $92 million, and Joshua Kimmich for $97 million. If you couldn’t keep up, here is our starting XI:
Neymar Mbappe Messi
Aouar de Jong
Kimmich
Robertson Alexander-Arnold
Lenglet van Dijk
Ter Stegen
We could be winning the UCL season 1 here.
January, we’re doing alright. Second in the league, into the UCL RO16, I’m happy with my team in January so we skip it.
The Round of 16 Matchup is Tottenham. Lenglet and Vidal are both suspended, so we have to play a young Ronald Araujo in defense. Only 67 overall.
On the cusp of half-time, Messi scores, 1-0.
66 minutes in, Frenkie De Jong scores, 2-0.
79 minutes in, Harry Kane has a penalty, but misses.
2-0 in London for us is the result, to the Camp Nou.
In Barcelona, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is injured, so Neto Starts. Lenglet and Vidal are both back, let’s win this!
In the 15th minute, Van Dijk gets a yellow.
In the 30th, Sissoko gets a yellow.
In the 56th, Spurs’ Mario Gaspar gets a yellow.
In the 68th, Aouar scores, 1-0, 3-0 on aggregate.
1-0 in Barcelona, QFs here we come!
We have Inter, so it’s essentially a bye to the semis, right?
1st leg in Italy, we’re at full strength. MNM in attack, Liverpool’s defense + Lenglet in defense, let’s do this!
20th minute, Christian Eriksen scores for them, uh-oh.
38th minute, Messi scores! 1-1!
52nd minute, Messi scores again! 1-2!
Full time, 1-2 us. We need a mess-up of godly proportions to not go through.
Still at full strength, here for the second leg. Onwards we go
29th minute, Mbappe scores, 1-0 us, 3-1 us on aggregate.
31st minute, Neymar scores, 2-0 us, 4-1 on aggregate.
52nd minute, Barella scores, 2-1 us, 4-2 on aggregate.
74th minute, Aouar scores, 3-1 us, 5-2 on aggregate.
Full time, we’re on the the semi-finals!
A tougher opponent, Man City is who we face. However, the first leg is in England and we have a full strength starting XI.
3rd minute, Neymar scores, 0-1 us.
29th minute, De Bruyne scores, 1-1.
45th minute, Sterling scores, 2-1 them.
60th minute Neymar converts from a penalty, 2-2.
It’s a 2-all result in Manchester, I’ll take that. 2 away goals is the selling point here.
We keep a full strength starting XI for the second leg.
10th minute, Neymar scores, 1-0 us, 3-2 on aggregate.
72nd minute, Mbappe scores, 2-0 us, 4-2 on aggregate.
74th minute, Aguero scores, 2-1 us, 4-3 on aggregate.
That’s it. We’re in the final!
Liverpool is the only team standing between us and the Champions League trophy in season 1. It’s Van Dijk, Trent, and Robertson vs their former team. We sold Luis Suarez and Sergi Roberto to Liverpool, too. It’s a full-strength team. COME ON LADS!
35th minute, Gini Wijnaldum scores, 1-0 them.
72nd minute, Neymar scores, 1-1.
76th minute, Firmino scores, 1-2.
WE LOST!
It’s our first Champions League elimination since FIFA 15, and we had a good run. We won the Champions League on our first try on FIFA 16, 17, 18, and 19. Now we’ve been eliminated and it feels like a dagger. The sad music continues as we got 103 points in the league, centurions and still finished 2nd to an undefeated season by Real Madrid. On the bright side, we got 112 goals, an average of just under 3 per game, so the goal numbers will be fun. Here we go. Season 2.
Season 2
It’s another action-packed transfer window, as we start with $500 million. We put s lot of players out on loan, Including Pedri, Cucurella, Carles Perez, Junior Firpo, Ansu Fati, J.C. Todibo, and Carles Alena. We also sell Ronald Araujo, to Stoke for $1.6 million, Braithwaite for $11 million, Sergio Akieme for $1.2 million, and Hirioki Abe for $6.2 million, so no huge players being sold other than Braithwaite of course. We bring in Mattigs de Ligt for $116.5 million, Toni Kroos for $93.5 million, and we round off the bench with Tanguy Ndombele for $56.9 million, Dean Henderson for $40 million, and Jadon Sancho for $125 million. We’re winning it this season.
Halfway through the season and all is well. I’m happy with my team so we’re not making any signings, let’s go to the champions league!
OM first, and we don’t have Van Dijk or Lenglet for this game, and maybe the whole tie, so we’ll have to be careful. The game in France is underway.
29th Minute, Kylian Mbappe scores, 0-1 us
49th Minute, Joshua Kimmich scores, 0-2 us
2-0 going to Barcelona, Quarters here we come!
The home leg, and Van Dijk and Lenglet are both back, so we’ll 100% be winning here.
25th minute, Mbappe scores, 1-0 us, 3-0 on aggregate.
65th minute, Mbappe scores again, unleashing his inner Le Classique rage, 2-0 us, 4-0 on aggregate.
66th minute, Bennedetto scores, 2-1 us, 4-1 on aggregate
Onwards and upwards to the Quarterfinals!
Man U next. The home leg is first, which will be tricky. We need a big win here. Luckily we do have our full strength squad.
4th minute, Bruno scores. 0-1 them. This is bad.
42nd minute, Mbappe scores. 1-1. Better, but we need more goals.
47th minute, Neymar scores, 2-1 us. In the lead now.
66th minute Mbappe scores again, 3-1 us. Great stuff.
84th minute, Sancho scores, 4-1 us. The tie is sealed.
A heart attack for the first 42 minutes, but we have it done. Semis here we come.
The England leg, the only casualty is that de Ligt is injured, but we have Lenglet fit and ready to go, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
10th minute, Aouar scores, 0-1 us, 1-5 on aggregate. A stunning showing.
34th minute, Robertson scores, 0-2 us, 1-6 on aggregate.
48th minute, Bruno scores, 1-2 us, 2-6 on aggregate. Score exactly two more please lads.
64th minute, Aouar gets another, 1-3 us, 2-7 on aggregate. It’s gonna happen.
67th minute, De Jong scores, 1-4 us, 2-8 on aggregate. IT HAPPENED WOOHOOOO!
8-2, no joke, not kidding. You know I don’t play games in this series, it’s all simulated. Anyone who doesn’t believe it was simmed, I’m posting a video on my youtube; Bob Roberts and Jim James: Barca, Soccer, NBA, and more with game capture of it shortly after I release this part, so it might be up there when you’re reading this. I’m talking to you Jacob. Semi Finals here we come!
Man City in the Semis, they must be trembling after our destruction of their cross-town rivals. Somehow I still have the home leg first. De Ligt is still injured, Aouar is now injured, but we’re gonna play Toni Kroos there instead, a great compromise. Here we go
31st minute, Mbappe scores, 1-0 us.
38th minute, Toni Kroos scores, 2-0 us.
72nd minute, Kylian Mbappe scores, 3-0 us.
79th minute, Ilkay Gundogan scores, 3-1 us.
Would rather have not conceded that goal, but I still think 3-1 is enough to get us to the final.
The Etihad leg, we use the same Starting XI as the home leg, it should be enough. Up the Blaugrana!
29th minute, Donny van de Beek, who’s obviously ound the right Manchester team to sign for, scores. 1-0 them, 2-3 on aggregate.
72nd minute, De Jong scores, 1-1, 2-4 on aggregate.
88th minute, Neymar misses a penalty.
It’s enough. WE’RE THROUGH TO THE FINAL AGAIN!
It’s Juventus- oh I’m sorry, pIEmoNtE caLCiO. We beat them in FIFA 19 and looks like we’ll beat them in FIFA 20, too. Will the 6-4 record in CL finals this series become 7-4, or 6-5? De Ligt is back from injury, so he’ll start. Messi vs Ronaldo again. Here we go.
11th minute, Neymar converts a penalty, 1-0 us.
34th minute, Frenkie de Jong scores, 2-0 us.
68th minute, Toni Kroos scores, 3-0 us.
71st minute, Adrien Rabiot scores a consolation, 3-1 us.
WE’VE WON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!
We get 103 points in La Liga again, and this time it’s enough to win us the League. We win 2-1 vs Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey final, so you know what that means. IT’S TREBLE SEASON!!!!!!
Thank you for reading. I like that I’ve found a style of writing that makes for longer posts even for shorter career modes, I’ll use this for FIFAs 21 & 22, and of course I’ll post the evidence of the 8-2 win soon, if it isn’t up now. You should check the channel out. That’s Bob Roberts and Jim James: Barca, Soccer, NBA and more on Youtube.com. (Hey, it took until the 7th part for a shameless plug.) See you for FIFA 21.