HISTORY OF THE PREMIERSHIP
1: Emergence
2: The Wilderness
3: The Rock
4: Sabrefell Strikes Back
5: Starling
6: Unlikely Heroes
7: Revelations
UICA ERA
IFCF ERA
CYCLE 74
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CYCLE 75
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CYCLE 76
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CYCLE 77
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CYCLE 78
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ZENITH ERA
CYCLE 79
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CYCLE 80
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CYCLE 81
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CYCLE 82
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CYCLE 83
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CYCLE 84
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Season Writeup
CYCLE 85
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Season Writeup
CYCLE 86
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Season Writeup
RP PERMISSIONS
Thanks to Kelssek for kickstarting the idea of having some...
Nephara is a footballing power by any definition; the national team have won two World Cups, the league was ranked #1 in the world for roughly twenty almost unbroken cycles. Almost every player put on the Transfer Window - unless they are specifically noted as being a young academy reject - will have played at that level. The bulk of free agents are players who are no longer of the calibre to lock down consistent minutes in the Zenith, but would be able to play in a top 32 league and star in a league below that. They are largely being released to seek more minutes abroad, not to continue to warm the bench, especially if they are an ambitious player in their mid-20s entering the prime of their career. Not every player of quality will be capped.
By and large, I do not want to micromanage my players abroad, and I will not set up a sheet for foreign players in Nephara. I run the league fast and loose, and will manage players in the best interest of the club they play for. If you have special plans for a given player, I will respect that, but I am not going to take a proactive hand in that process. I do not keep detailed player stats. You are welcome to RP a player as having done well or poorly in Nephara, though obviously their fortunes are somewhat dependent on the club they play at.
As a rule, applying both to Nepharim abroad and foreigners in Nephara:
- Players 35 and older will retire when no longer needed by their clubs
- Anyone signed from the Free Agents tab can generally be released to the Free Agents tab, as will aging non-internationals
- Anyone can be put on the TL at any time for any reason, by either nation
- Players will generally be either sold, released or phased out as they age past their prime
- If you wish to sell a Nephar and don't want to deal with them anymore, I will generally give them an opportunity to be bought by another foreign nation; if not picked up, I will try to find room for them towards the end of the room, but cannot guarantee space will be found or an asking price agreed upon
- Sometimes the move will not work out; players will not be portrayed as incompetent, but they may be portrayed as out of their depth if the scorinator betrays the club
- If a player is being signed as a depth option, this will be noted in the bid, but they may still slip out of favour as they age past their prime
- A player outside the Strongest XI is still probably playing most games in the season
- Backup goalkeepers are significantly lower-status than backup outfielders, for obvious reasons
- Injuries, suspensions, rotations for rest and tactical changes are assumed to be part of every season. It is extremely unlikely that a player will play every game, let alone every minute
- Contract lengths and wages are assumed to be whatever makes sense. I lean on Audio's wage calculator extensively
- Goalkeepers are not pitchers. Most goals are not their fault; their value is not evaluated based on clean sheets or goals conceded
- Read the biographies
Regarding the OOC aspect, the same holds true for Brenecians / my minor puppets (ASU / CYI / EVM / LEX).
In-character
Disclaimer: this describes a general culture and is intended as an RP aid, not as a set of proscriptions. Every nation has outliers, and players that aren't internationals and don't have characterisation detailed in their biography are going to be pretty light on detail. It is very unlikely that I will be annoyed by the way you write a Nephar.
That out of the way: most Nepharan footballers are ambitious, highly-driven, results-oriented and mercenary. They know their worth and reputation, and will expect to be treated accordingly, outside of the biggest clubs. While having no desire to act like divas, respect has to be earned; this is a particular issue outside of traditional footballing powers, with most Nepharim being, bluntly, arrogant. What you can guarantee is that they will live up to their own high standards, or at least, think they will. Professionalism matters to them, but they are outspoken on and off the pitch.
By and large, Nepharan women are large; Nepharan men are huge. Almost every Nephar has multiple tattoos and piercings. The standard 'marcher' ethnicity is pale white, with brown or auburn hair and generally blue, green or hazel eyes. That said, the nation has become significantly more diverse over the past decades, as it's become a more and more desirable place to migrate to, and in the face of multiple waves of asylum seekers.
When things are going well, Nepharim might:
- lift the team by inspiring them, either by example or through rhetoric
- be first to every ball, run through a brick wall for the team
- cleverly manipulate the game with cynical professional fouls
- open up the game with an innovative bit of individual brilliance
- engage in mind games and trash talk with the opposition
When things are going badly, Nepharim might:
- fall out violently with the manager, or the rest of the squad
- have lapses of discipline off the pitch
- have an affair with a squadmate
- be outspoken about issues, air dirty laundry to the press
- lose faith in the team and try to do too much alone
Common Nepharan archetypes of player:
- the assertive, commanding goalkeeper, quick off her line and on her feet, berating defenders loudly after every goal conceded
- the commanding defender, tall, powerful and loud, the size of a barge and with about the same turning circle
- the streetwise and efficient holding player, neither strong nor fast, but with unmatched game management and great passing range
- the energetic, tireless flank player, eager to get forward with pace, chalk on the boots, but unafraid to dive into covering challenges
- the clever 'asphalt footballer', an old-school dribbler and trickster who can look after herself with sharp elbows
- the brutish spearhead, able to link up play but at his best facing goal, dominating in the air and with a single-minded eye for scoring