Category : Football Manager - Posted on 27/02/2010 - Author(s) : Unkle P & Batigol75
This third instalment in our series is dedicated to the legendary duo Evandro Roncatto and Adrian Mihalcea. These two strikers with extraordinary statistics, featured in Championship Manager 2003/04, and 1998/99 respectively. So, did the guys from Sigames get their predictions right? Batigol75 and Unkle P give us their insights.
Nom : Evandro Roncatto
Game version : Championship Manager 2003/2004
Nationality : Brazil
Position : Forward Left - Center
Age : Born 24/05/1986
Club: Guarani (Brazil)
In the game
Evandro Roncatto started out at Brazilian club, Guarani. An unprotected contract and his young age made him a target for a number of European clubs. Indeed, his price tag was always less than £450,000 (and was almost always closer to £320,000), making him a very affordable option. And he provided excellent value for the money, putting in a great performance in his first season, and remaining a first-team regular for almost 15 seasons in a team with serious Champions League credentials.
In real life
Roncatto's real career has been far less impressive. Indeed, the CV of this CM 2003/04 legend is littered with mediocre clubs.
After emerging from the ranks at Guarani, Roncatto took the international stage by storm while playing for the Brazil U-17s. In May 2003, he was part of the side that won the U-17 equivalent of the Copa America, and then repeated the feat in August at the World U-17 Championships. He was even named second best player of that tournament, behind a certain Cesc Fabregas. At that point, the prodigy from Campinas seemed to have the world at his feet.
Evandro Roncatto spent two seasons playing for Guarani before completing a transfer to Santo André. Needless to say, he didn’t make much of an impression there, playing just twice, and he left six months later to join Nautico. He only spent months there, before yet another move this time to Paysandu in the city of Belém.
Whether due to an inability to settle, or an inability to convince the coaches, he only remained with Paysandu from August to December 2006. The new year brought yet another move, this time to Ipatinga. By January 2007, Roncatto was still only 20 and already with his fifth club, having completed an impressive four transfers in a matter of 13 months.
Yet to prove himself, by July 2007, Roncatto had tired of Brazil and decided to try his luck across the Atlantic, moving to Lisbon. Not for him the likes of Benfica and Sporting. Instead he signed for the city's third club, Belenenses.
Two seasons, 53 matches and four goals later, Roncatto moved to another Portuguese Superliga club, Pacos de Ferreira. He has played seven times since the start of the season, and is still waiting on his first goal. At 23, he now looks to be on track for a career at middle ranking clubs in the top divisions of Europe - it is a far cry from the glittering career that was predicted for him after his excellent showing in 2003.
Nom : Adrian Dumitriu Mihalcea
Game version : Championship Manager 1998/1999 till 2001/2002
Nationality : Roumania
Position : Striker
Age : Born 24/05/1976
Club: Dinamo Bucarest (Roumania)
In the game
This lightning fast forward player appeared in the first edition of Championship Manager III, went on to feature prominently in all four versions (between 1998/99 and 2001/02). Mihalcea was part of a golden generation of Romanians that also included Petre, Contra, Florea and Mutu, who for a few million could be snapped up by top flight clubs around Europe. With first-rate technique and physique, he was quick to establish himself as a regular, and proved his worth from the very start.
In real life
Adrian started his professional career in 1995 at the age of 20 at Dunarea Calarasi, in the modest surrounds of the Romanian second division. He was quickly spotted by one of the country’s leading clubs, Dinamo Bucarest, and signed for them the following year. Almost instantly, he established himself as one of the team’s most valuable assets. After scoring eight and 11 goals in his first two seasons, his performance improved dramatically during the 1998/99 campaign, racking up a total of 18 goals. The Romania coach, Ilie Dumitrescu saw him as a star in the making, and called him up to the national team. Paired up with Adrian Mutu at Dinamo the following season, he notched only 13 goals, but played a decisive part in helping them win a league and cup double. 2000/01 was a bit of a disappointment, as he managed only seven goals. However, he started the 2001/02 campaign with a bang, scoring 11 goals in 14 matches. In 2001, he was voted the fifth best player in Romania. At that point, he was noticed by Italian club Genoa who paid £1.36 million to take him to Serie B.
After taking a bit of time to adjust, he earned a place in Genoa's starting line-up, and even finished the season as their best striker, with nine goals from 18 matches. Unfortunately, the club were relegated that season (although it got saved during the summer for administrative reasons), and he left for another Serie B outfit Hellas Verona. There, he struggled to make any kind of impact, and decided to return to Romania to try and kickstart his career again.
However, at 28, his best years were now behind him, and he couldn’t re-establish himself at Dinamo. Instead, he headed off for an unsuccessful stint in South Korea in 2005, before returning home to sign for FC Vaslui. Once again, he was disappointing, scoring only once during the 2005/06 season. He then went abroad again, this time opting for the sunnier climes of Cyprus. While playing for Aris Limassol, Adrian rediscovered his scoring touch, managing 16 and 12 goals during the two following seasons. After Aris were relegated, he signed for AES Limassol, where he scored just five goals. Having turned 33, he then returned to Aris Limassol, after they had regained their place in the top flight.
Today, Adrian Mihalcea is quietly winding down his career in a low-level championship. In his 16 appearances for the national team (15 of which came prior to his move to Italy), he never scored a single goal. He left Romania for Italy at the top of his game, but the move proved to be a disaster. An indifferent spell playing for struggling sides in Serie B was followed by another mediocre stint back home, a bizarre jaunt to South Korea, and now an unremarkable twilight in Cyprus.
Despite the impressive beginnings, he has failed to leave his mark on the game. Mihalcea was a decent player with plenty of potential, who was deemed good enough to play for his country, but who paid dearly for his ill-timed departure abroad. While producing nothing spectacular, he has nonetheless managed a respectable career, which has included some 100 goals, a Romanian championship title, and two domestic cup wins.
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