The Origins of Sport in Isula Reale (RP open to all)

[Isula Reale]

Aroldo Cisternino's intentions seemed pure. As the richest person in Isula Reale, he felt an obligation to do more to better society. And of course, as the richest person in Isula Reale, he felt an obligation to profit from it somehow if at all possible, because rich people tend to not be particularly altruistic. Still, he knew the public loved watching foreign sport on television but had no real local sports heroes to look up to. So, he used his connections to set up a meeting with some leaders in the recreational sports community to discuss the possibility of funding a professional league.

Camille Boveri had visited the Babbage Islands during the Galactic Plate of community football (sometimes called Target) and fell in love with the sport. However, without any facilities or really any way to keep up with it, she saw this opportunity to finally get the resources to build the sport in Isula Reale. Her pitch to Mr. Cisternino was clear- Isula Reale was in a unique position to both become a global leader in a sport that is inclusive and not especially dangerous. While community football doesn't have considerable international popularity at the moment, there's also not a major league to attract what talent exists, and high quality foreign players would be role models for young locals. Yes, the best place to invest money to make Isula Reale relevant globally in sport would be in Community Football!

Of course, the will of the public isn't going to be on the side of Community Football, a sport that's not on TV in Isula Reale and that the vast majority of the public has never heard of. The obvious choice is association football, and that was the pitch of Salomé Pesaresi. Sure, every country in the world plays it, so it'll be hard to break into the high levels of the World Cup and the International Leagues, but think about how globally relevant a country like Vilita or Valladares or Valanora is! Well, we can be that too with a solid investment into association football. Why, such an investment would basically pay for itself!

[Isula Reale]

Hè Veria!

CISTERNINO TO FUND OPEN TRYOUT FOR NATION'S BEST ATHLETES

In wonderful news for our nation's top sportspeople, businessman Aroldo Cisternino has been in contact with leaders in the international business community to discuss sporting investments into Isula Reale. As part of this, he's announced an open tryout for all of our nation's best athletes to better determine in which sports he should invest into the creation of a professional league. Our sources report that the two leading contenders are the sport of Community (or Target) football, and Soccer, the world's most popular sport.

"We've been isolated from the world for so long- just last year I funded a global study and under 10% of citizens of various Rushmori countries even knew we exited. That's pathetic!" said Cisternino. "We've identified a lot of different ways to grow awareness of Isula Reale worldwide, and it seems as though sport is the best method. Beer brewing seems to be in a bubble now, there's simply too many different breweries offering the same product. We also have tried filmmaking repeatedly, but people across Rushmore and worldwide have found our films simulatenously boring and low-brow. But sport, sport has the potential to really put Isula Reale on the map!" he added.

We visited some locals at a park in Disturi about the Cisternino's announcement, and they were excited but skeptical. "Rich people have promised us a lot of things, but Isula Reale has been poor and struggling with little to be proud of for years. I'll believe it when I see it." said soccer player and fan Diomènico Iolloccio, who then skied a free kick. "I keep hearing about this sport Community Football, but it seems as though it's a really unpopular sport worldwide. Why would we invest our money into this if we're trying to gain international notoriety? This seems like another foolish scheme from the shadowy rich people who own our country." added fellow soccer player Giulio Diapaettio.

More information to come.

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
VI Looks To Invest Abroad

Viella Incorporated, Valanora's largest and most well known business, has made minor news in the world of sport today by extending an offer of investment towards the isolated Rushmore nation of Isula Reale. The VI board was made aware last month of the situation in Isula Reale, where there seems to be a growing effort to develop a sporting culture or at the very least a league of their own in sport. Rumor has it that the Rushmori nation is weighing the options of two forms of football to create domestic league in, with the world's most popular in association football being competition with a form called "Target" by the locals, with open tryouts for athletes being held in the nation for the development of one of these leagues.

Looking to promote local development and growth of football across the the world, VI has offered a sponsorship deal for a potential football league, should Isula Reala decide to pursue that route in the development of their professional scene. With no professional league yet established nor a large market for foreign viewership, the figures for the sponsorship are on the low side, with the reports suggesting that VI is offering roughly the equivalent of thirty thousand dollars per team for three years as the initial offer, so long as the choice is football and the league has between ten and twenty-two teams in its top division. VI has also put in a stipulation that they are allowed to increase or decrease that value at any time during the contract and would get first choice for sponsorship renewal after the end of the contract. Eyes now will shift back to Isula Reale and see if this offer is one that they like or would rather deal with others.

[Isula Reale]

Will FFIR Accept VI's Offer?

Football Isula Reale, which, while technically the governing body of football in the country, does remarkably little governing or organising. They do not run any leagues, they do not organise any national teams, they're barely involved in youth football. However, they've recently come under increasing scrutiny because of the joint government/business effort to increase sporting awareness of Isula Reale, led by businessman Aroldo Cisternino. The pressure has been increased as a result a recent offer from the largest company in Valanora, Viella Incorporated, to sponsor a football league, provided it meets certain conditions.

For the most part, the country's football fans seem wildly in favour of taking the deal and forming a league. "I love football and I'm tired of having to rely on satellite television to see foreign leagues that play at weird times. FIrst off, they should change their schedules to be on TV at more accessible times for us, and second of all, they should probably learn our language. Third off, these Elves that want to..." said local football fan Aendio Riolioan, before we cut him off so as to not broadcast any offensive views. That similar level of xenophobia and enthusiasm for a local professional football league was nearly universal from everyone we asked at a Costareale football park, an increasingly popular place for local bloviators to congregate in order for sports networks like us to interview them.

More to come.

[Isula Reale]

Ligera Najionale Announced!



Soccer fans across Isula Reale rejoice! Preliminary plans have been announced for the formation of Isula Reale's first ever professional sports league, a soccer league to be known as the Ligera Najionale. It will contain a planned 10 teams in a "franchise" style, with a current effort being put together by the national federation to find ownership groups. The league is expected to keep the teams to three or four cities to cut down on travel and stadium costs, as well as to create natural rivalries to improve interest.

To keep costs down, there is a plan to install a low salary cap, but the league will allow "Exceptional Players" to operate outside the salary cap. The football federation is currently trying to recruit foreign players to play in the league, although visa regulations will limit the number of foreign players on each club to four.

[Amazonesta]

La Revista De Deportes De Amazonesta
All sports, all the time, All-Amazon!

Omar Falcone leads large contingent of Amazonestans as the football organization reforms


Omar Falcone at the 61st Baptism of Fire

COSTAREALE, ISULA REALE- As many people know, the national governing body for Amazonesta folded in bankruptcy shortly before the start of World Cup 77 Qualifying, which forced the World Cup Committee to ban Amazonesta from that edition of qualifying, and with the problem not fixed before World Cup 78 qualifying, got banned from that tournament as well. However, thanks to government help, aid from outsiders, specifically investment from foreign allies, and a much politicized government intervention that actually brought down the previous General-Secretary, the association is back.

The Association had been fairly successful in finding places for foreign places to play. But some players, including superstar Omar Falcone, now needed a new place to play. Their leagues did not exist anymore, and biding their time in semi-professional leagues in a country without a footballing association would not be good for their development. With this, the newly formed Amazonian Football Association(known as the AFA), will be sending their players all the way to the small country of Isula Reale.

Amazonesta had a major splash on the world stage in football, going 7-0-0 at their first major tournament, all on neutral soil, and winning the 61st Baptism of Fire. After that, of course, there was much middling for this team, and then, since then, with the fall of the football association, there was no football at all. But Amazonesta is not only back- Amazonesta is going to be back with a bang. They have been confirmed to be eligible to participate in their first World Cup Qualifying campaign since the 76th edition, and Amazonesta wants their players playing first team football abroad.

Omar Falcone, of course, is the leader of this group. He scored 9 goals, including the tournament winner deep in extra time in the final, of the 61st Baptism of Fire. He was the first to announce that he would be taking his talents to the Isula Reale league, the Ligera Najionale. Then, of course, various Amazonestans followed him. In total, 9 players from the World Cup 76 cycle are making the trek to Isula Reale to play in their league. It will, of course, mark the beginning of the restoration of Amazonestan football, and we'll see if that also means a chance for this league to become the most popular league in Amazonesta.

List of Amazonestan national team players willing to play in Isula Reale
ST #9 Omar Falcone. Age 30.
GK #31 Raul Cruz. Age 26.
CB #4 Estevão Vasconcelos. Age 24.
CB #21 Leonardo Paz. Age 22.
RB/LB #16 Miguel Rosário. Age 28.
CM #13 Otávio Canto. Age 25.
CM #8 Videl Posada. Age 37.
CAM #10 Leonardo Rosalez. Age 34.
LW/RW #17 Fábio Justo Age 25.

[Isula Reale]

Ligera Najionale Franchise Bids Now Being Accepted



The Isula Reale Football Federation and the Ligera Najionale are now accepting bids from potential owners from within Isula Reale and abroad for franchises to compete in season 1 of the Ligera Najionale. The Federation has determined that the following six cities are acceptable locations for franchises, and would like to respectfully request that all bidders keep their bids to these locations.


Note: The blank dot in the map is the Costreale Suburban District, which was definitely intentional and not a retcon after I saw the mistake and didn't want to go back and add to the map.

Costareale, the largest "city" in the country, with a population of almost 150 thousand. Probably the only thing resembling an urban area, with a vaguely "hip" neighbourhood and also all of the nation's administrative buildings and offices.
Piùcosta, Isula Reale's "second city", with a small skyline and a few restaurants with a heavy edison bulb motif inside.
Disturi, home of the Bancariju Disturi, the nation's largest bank and largest private employer. Not much else.
Avaddi, the "Green" city, has access to beautiful nature and is also vaguely near The Mountain.
Novupontie, foolishly built a large airport despite a small population and little to do, but would be an easy access point for outsiders.
Isla Bassa, the largest and only city on the "lower island", also the Isula Realian capital of tourism thanks to its' pleasant beaches, woods and resorts.

The football federation would like for all bids to include a description of their intent for the club, a potential name, and how much they'd be willing to contribute for the building of a stadium, as none of these cities has a stadium that seats enough people for high level professional soccer.

The federation is very pleased by the potential for famous foreign players to be coming to the league, and hopes the bidding clubs are willing to pony up the cash to acquire such players.

[Isula Reale]

Cisternino Founds LNF



Satisfied with the Isula Reale Football Federation's efforts in forming the Ligera Najionale, businessman Aroldo Cisternino was so taken with his conversations with Camille Boveri and her experience during the Galactic Plate, that he's decided to create the, wait for it....Ligera Najionale di Football, which he hopes and believes will be the world's only professional Community (Target) football league. He's aware of the potential for confusion between the names of the two leagues, but as a wealthy businessman seems to not be particularly concerned.

"The people of Isula Reale are smart enough to be able to tell the difference between the two games" he said smugly at the conference to announce the league. "Community Football will be what puts Isula Reale on the map, and our people will be smart and sophisticated enough to tell the two games apart".

Of course, simply forming a league is not enough without a place to play, so Cisternino's largest commitment is Đ24,000,000 for a national stadium, capable of hosting both soccer and Community Football, to be built in Costareale. The stadium will seat a modest 20,000 people, which is perfectly fine for a nation of under 2 million. This week's local athletes we interviewed seemed to be most excited about this. "A 20,000 seat stadium? Thank god, I'm happy I'll finally have a new place to get drunk, and I'm thankful it was Cisternino's money and not any of these elves or horses I keep hearing about. Those.." said area soccer enthusiast Maurizio Trénaucx, before we cut him off so as to not offend anyone.

While clearly the population has some xenophobia to work out with regards to our national sports landscape, the news of the last few weeks has been almost entirely positive. Cisternino and his employees are currently on a global scouting mission for ex-basketball, rugby, and various other sport athletes who may be suited for the Target football game.

More to come.

[Pasarga]

Torgos Tribune ~ Youngsters Willing To Give Isula Reale A Try

With the news of another professional football league forming in the region, Pasargan players at the semi-pro and amateur levels have been registering with the PFA in order to go abroad and play in the newly formed Ligera Najionale in Isula Reale. While not as exciting as being bought by clubs in Eura, Nephara, or Ceni, the prospect at professional football for these players is a huge one. While the players, if picked up by one of the ten clubs that are being formed for the league, will likely have a huge amount of culture shock and new rules to learn, all of them seem excited by merely getting to be professionals. Attacking midfielders Vlasta Lončar echoed many of the other players sentiments that even what will likely be small wages, even compared to those players playing in the SuperLiga 3, is not enough of a deterrent for those who really want to have a chance at making it big. With around ten players making the trip across the region, eyes from their families as well as a handful of scouts will be cast their way to see if they are able to succeed and even thrive in the new environment.

Players Trying Out In Isula Reale
GK Kristian Huber, age 21
RB Krisztofer Donka, age 24
CB Doreen Schwarz, age 23 (F)
CB Pero Martinović, age 20
LB Kristin Burger, age 21 (F)
RW Ognjenka Vidović, age 24 (F)
MC Tomaj Szôllôs, age 24
AMC Vlasta Lončar, age 19 (F)
AML FirenzeSalay, age 20 (F)
ST Zdeslav Filipović, age 20
ST Katja Neudorf, age 22 (F)

[Apox]

FC Endeavour bids for further expansion into new markets[u][/u]

by Clement Ashley

With news of a brand new, franchise style football league to be set up in the country of Isula Reale, FC Endeavour have taken the somewhat surprising decision to bid for a sister club within the nation - based in the largest city of Costareale. It has been proposed as a joint proposal between the football club and Dwilsebank, the largest bank in Apox. The proposed name for the team is Costareale Endeavour and the director of football at Endeavour, Helenie Wyatt had this to say regarding the new proposal:

"FC Endeavour represents more than just football in a district of Dwile. We are all about empowering and growing people and communities through the power of football. With our expanding youth program - the Centre for Excellence - and now this new ambitious aim to expand the Endeavour brand into new territories through an association with Dwilsebank, we are confident that this move will be in the best interests of both Apoxians and Realians alike."

[Kita-Hinode]

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL
Isula Reale, the Football Gate

In the past, the politic side of the Hinodejin Empire would base itself on the Gates policy. A Gate, self-explanatorily enough, is usually a region or a city that presents the Hinodejin people to the rest of the universe and the other way around. Many territories have formerly retained the title of Gates, most notably being the province of Mido-Hinode who would otherwise not have as much hold such high status with the Empire had it not been a key province in far west matters.

Recently, the Hinodejin now strive to reclaim its' past as the Unified Sunrise Islands, something that hasn't been quite accepted by some sides of foreign society. In order to do so, however, the lands also known as Kita-Hinode prepare for a similar approach that helped their empire in their own dimension and they now eye Isula Reale, a country trying to kickstart a football league as a Gate, albeit without the need for properly dominating it.

This was officially started when Di Bradini Cup champion and former Mido-Hinode University alumni Sayaka Niikara signed up to participate in the league of her own volition. Niikara, considered a key piece of the Northern Sunrisian team that won the tournament, having recently graduated from the glorious Honeyame based institution was actually looking for, according to her words, "a proper job" but ended up joining the league instead. "I'm aware it's a far cry from the KiHi-League and that's... fine. I grew tired of the Empire and I'm probably not the only one." she declared at a local Mido-Hinode TV channel.

However, this might've sparked interest of the Hinodejin Empire in different ways. Upon news that the league is inviting foreign investors, a group, spearheaded by the Chaolan Zaibatsu is eyeing out the possibility of owning a team. The group's preference would be Isla Bassa as the company's boss, Lee Chaolan, said it was "EXCELLENT" out loud during a press conference. The group is currently waiting to get the approval from Queen Taki, however.

Sayaka Niikara, a member of the Niikara family who has been together with the sport for at least seven generations, including Hinodejin Empire and Midlothian Heart and her own generation as well. The lady, a twenty year old center forward performed fantastically during the recent Di Bradini Cup win and had been linked with moves to Mashu Hellowenia and Pascal Mashu, two of the most dominant Hinodejin football teams. The move is certainly ambitious, but in general, people believe someone would have to break that record of being the first Hinodejin player offseas and she is sure a good one to do so.

[Chromatika]

Black Raven Technologies to Expand to Isula Reale

Black Raven Technologies, the technological guru of Chromatika, has expressed interest to spread its wings abroad - not to Atlantian Oceania, but to Rushmore, in the remote, distant nation of Isula Reale. The Alnio-based firm, led by the enigmatic, eccentric Jara Lindsayer, announced that "Isula Reale grants us the opportunity to spread our interests abroad. We are coming to be a power in Atlantian Oceania in a sports level, and now at an economic level as well, but with giants like Vilita, Quebec, and Valanora, there will only be limited opportunities. In Isula Reale, we can both further Chromatik footballing interests while also spread our economic interests as well. There aren't many other opportunities like this out there, and we are lucky to have it."

BRT is likely to divert more than 10% of their income to the project, saying that it would work with the local government in developing football infrastructure and try to get Chromatik talent for whatever team it sponsors. Chromatik players who head to Reale will be likely to head to whatever team BRT sponsors as well. Isla Bassa seems to be the site that the company is interested in the most, as the company is used to operating out of island cities like Eyrods, Myana, and Urrheddiao.

More updates will come as details divulge in this breaking news.

[Damukuni]

4th August 2027
Endoshi, South Damukuni
United States of Damukuni

"Mail!" Hakusho Kawaguchi called from his 138th-floor office at the iconic DKI Telecom building. The 52-year-old telecommunications executive had never applied for a sports franchise in his life. He had just inherited the company from his uncle and best friend, Itao Kawaguchi, who had died of a sudden heart attack at age 78, leaving behind his telecommunications empire to his favourite nephew, himself having no children of his own. DKI Telecom was an interesting corporation: it was one of the last few companies to be handed over at a hereditary level since the nation split from South Otselic. Most, including the other two major telecom companies, Damutel and Supercel, had modified their by-laws to erase such a clause.

"Coming!" It was his wife, Mariana, a Guayabalense immigrant from a wealthy family. They had met and fallen in love during Damukuni's first Campionato Esportiva, hosted in San José Guayabal and Star United States, while touring the nation. After their wedding and expensive Atlantian Oceanian honeymoon, they worked as a team at the family telecom business. Upon Uncle Itao's death, however, Mariana worked as her husband's equal: Scorn Mariana and you wouldn't hear the end of it from the Big Boss.

Mariana studied the red and blue border around the envelope. "International?" she asked, confused. "What is it?"

Hakusho grinned. "Just wasting money."

"Wasting money?! Honey, I hope you realise our money supply isn't exactly limitless --"

"I know, sugar plum. This ain't our money. It's company money."

Uh-oh, Mariana thought to herself.

3 August 2027

DKI Telecom plc
Erizato  5-1-1-138
Shomaya-ku  052
Endoshi, SD  5722*
United States of Damukuni

Ligera Najionale
Attn: Director of Franchising
Costareale
Isula Reale

Dear Sir or Madam:

REF: Franchise Proposal for Association Football Team in Isula Reale

DKI Telecom, plc, a public limited company in the United States of Damukuni, hereby applies for a franchise in
the new Ligera Najionale dea Isula Reale. Please see the enclosed prospective flyer.

If you wish to receive this flyer in a language other than English, please send a request in the target language,
with either an English or Japanese translation, to:

DKI Telecom plc
Attn: Translations and Languages
Erizato  5-1-1-138
Shomaya-ku  052
Endoshi, SD  5722
United States of Damukuni

We will be happy to provide you with the funds for the following:
A Stadium, to be constructed in the city of Novupontie. The stadium should be constructed as close to
the airport as possible, to facilitate easy air travel not only for international domestic participation,
but also for national team matches to be held. For sponsorship reasons, DKI Telecom Field should be the
name. You may name it whatever you wish when clean branding is needed. The stadium should seat at least
27,500 patrons.
A domestic Football Franchise, to be called the DKI Telecom Jets (or, if the league requires clean branding
for all teams, the Novupontie Jets).
Additionally, DKI Telecom plc will pay in full any applicable franchising fees, as well as zoning and other government-
sanctioned fees for the construction of this stadium, as well as for all applicable staff needed. DKI Telecom plc will
also comply with local and national laws regarding the compensation of players for the team, through the establishment of
an intellectual property holder or other lawful means, to exert the legal control of DKI Telecom plc over the franchise,
to the maximum extent under league rules and applicable regional and national laws and regulations.
We would like to schedule a video conference with the league's applicable personnel to negotiate a fair price for the
installation of the franchise. Please contact Emily Rosenblack, General Secretary of Non-Telecom Operations and
Initiatives, at +685 915 638 2635, ext. 500, or e-mail her at erosenblack@dkitelecom.com.du to schedule the video
conference or to verbally deny the application. We would like 14 days' (postmarked) written notice if the application
is denied.

Once again, you will find an enclosed flyer with the prospective football franchise. We look forward to hearing from
you.

Sincerely,

Hakusho Kawaguchi
Chief Executive Officer
DKI Telecom plc

HSK/tmh

Enclosures (1)
DKI Telecom Jets Flyer (English)

The DKI Telecom Jets
Professional Sports Club

Home Venue: DKI Telecom Field, Seating: At least 27,500
Location: Novupontie, Isula Reale
League: Ligera Najionale
Coverage: TVI Sportu (Isula Reale)

---

*In the provinces of South Damukuni (SD), as well as Iruko, Shinagawa-cho, Shiro-za, and Tenjiro, most cities are plotted using the traditional Japanese city planning system. "Erizato 5-1-1-138, Shomaya-ku 052, Endoshi, SD 5722" means: In the Erizato district of Shomaya Ward (ward code 052) in the city of Endoshi (postal code 5722) in South Damukuni (SD), look for District 5 (5-chome). Block 1 (the 2nd number) only has one building (the 3rd number). Then the mail piece is directed to the 138th floor (DKI Telecom's offices). The ward code can be written hyphenated at the end of the postal code (as 5722-052) instead of after the ward name (similar to the IRL USA ZIP+4 designation).

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Raynor City United Expands Into Isula Reale?

Raynor City United, Valanora's richest and most successful club, at the behest of their corporate sponsors in Viella Incorporated is preparing to launch a feeder club into the newly formed Ligera Najionale in Isula Reale. With coffers that are virtually bottomless due to their sponsorship, board investment, as well as prize money for the various competitions that the Rockers compete in, United proposal of a club in Avaddi with complete construction cost for a 20,000 all seater stadium, with expansion capabilities up to 32,000, to befully covered by the joint venture of United and Viella. Avaddi is seen as the natural selection for the elvenkind, with two proposals already taking up the first desired location of Isla Bassa, with elves affinity for harmonizing with nature and Avaddi's natural wonders. United is thought to see the club as a feeder club for its human players to get first team football in, if sent out on loan, as well as expose United's brand even further across the world, while adding to the mission statement of promoting footballing excellent not just at home but abroad. If the proposal would be passed, the club would be known as ISC Avaddi (Interational Sporting Club Avaddi, or Inter for short), with the nickname of The Eagles, and likely to play in a navy home kit.

[Isula Reale]

FRF Accepts Ligera Bids

The Realian Football Federation has today announced it has accepted the formal franchise bids from Filthy Rich for SC Piùcosta, the DKI Telecom bid for the DKI Telecom Jets to play out of Novupontie, and the bid from Viella Incorporated for ISC Avaddi in Avaddi. They are also open to the possibility of Chromatik tech firm Black Raven purchasing a club in Isla Bassa, where a group spearheaded by the Chaolan Zaibatsu out of the Hinodejin Empire are also eyeing a club.

The league has also received a bid from the ownership group behind FC Endeavour out of Apox with regards to a club in Costareale, and is awaiting more information from them. Meanwhile, there are local investors as well, as businessman Claydio Morajno has placed a bid with the league for a club located in Disturi. We are still awaiting more information about this bid.

A wide collection of players have also approached the league or been approached by the league, including likely Exceptional Players like Brenician winger Isadora Cullen, Amazonestan Omar Falcone and Sayaka Niikara of Kita-Hinode.

[Banija]

Istria, Moravica, Banija

The decision was unanimous. The international expansion for the Regional Transit Corporation had started off with a bang, with a score of new contracts internationally, but now, business was slowing down. It was hard to get new recruits and new cities to work with the Reigonal Transit Corporation- not because they disliked the RTC, of course, but regardless, international expansion was slowing. They needed innovation. They needed a new idea. In, stepped Domagoj Zelenika.

The man was a force in the company. It was because of him that international expansion had happened in the first place. He was the favorite to succeed Sharbini, but with international expansion slowing, his chances of becoming the CEO were becoming slimmer and slimmer. And then, he got the idea reading the sports page.

His wife was Amazonestan, so he occassionally read their news. But he saw- 9 players going to play in this new league in Isula Reale? That needed franchises? So an investment would be guaranteed to be in the top flight league? He was absolutely behind this. The cash coffers weren't extremely huge, but he found a viable city. He'd go to a place that had another large, powerful corporation at the center of the city. Get some stadium financing.

He got the bid approved by the board, and sent the letter abroad...

To: Leagues Offices of Ligera Najionale dea Isula Reale

Proposal to establish Association Football Franchise in the Ligera Najionale dea Isula Reale

The Regional Transit Corporation is Banija's largest employer. It is a rarity to see an entirely private company that makes their money from providing public transportation, but we have found a way to do well. If plane companies can do it, if taxis can do it, why can we not do it in public transit?

Regardless, we are not here to extol the virtues of our business, and though we are very interested in establishing operations in Isula Reale, that is not the purpose of this letter. The RTC is officially putting in a bid to start a franchise in the City of Disturi.

Bid is comprised of the following
1. The Regional Transit Corporation will build the Regional Transit Arena, which will be the home stadium of our franchise. We aim for a target capacity of 25,500.
2. We will establish a member franchise in the Ligera Najionale dea Isula Reale, to be called Disturi Golden Lions. The colors of this franchise shall be orange and blue.
3. The Regional Transit Corporation will be the sole owner of the franchise. The person representing the team, and acting as the decision-making team President, who will also represent the company at owners meetings, and act on behalf of the company when the team owner is required for any action is, Abdul Jawara.
4. The Regional Transit Corporation will establish an academy for the development of youth players in the region.
5. Due to our collective bargaining agreement, all employees are required to be members of the Transport Workers Union, as headquartered in Banija. While the athletes and members of the athletic staff will be exempt, all other employees of the team, like bus drivers, stadium workers, etc... Will be required to join the Transportation Workers Union, and establish an international local affiliate in Isula Reale.
6. In terms of stadium financing, we project that our stadium will cost $300 million NSDs. We are willing to pay $180 million in costs. We will ask to work with local governmental authorities to get the remainder of the required funding for our stadium.

Let us know if our application is accepted at your earliest convenience.

From,

Domagoj Zelenika
Executive Vice President of International Marketing
Member of the Board of Directors of the Regional Transit Corporation

[Isula Reale]

Two Further Bids Approved

The bid from FC Endeavour to create Costareale Endeavour and the bid from Domagoj Zelenika for a new stadium and a club to be called Disturi Golden Lions, out of Disturi, were both accepted by the Ligera Najionale today. Whilst the league is ecstatic at the amount of foreign money being brought into the league, they are concerned that few local ownership groups have stepped up- thusfar only Claydio Morajno's uncomfirmed Disturi bid has surfaced. Experts suggest that the high sums being offered up by the foreign investors are pricing out many of the locals, but it has also drummed up some interest in forming partnerships in order to get in at the ground floor.

More to come.

[Kita-Hinode]

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL
"Excellent" - Chaolan Zaibatsu's Isla Bassa bid

Almost instantly after Sayaka Niikara officially signed up to participate at the Ligera Najionale, Chaolan Zaibatsu started to scramble over the creation of a bid for a team in the upstart league and the results are finally delivered after a week of discussions and research. In an official announcement, the company proudly revealed their bid to the world, although not everything is set in stone.

In Hinodejin tradition, teams owned by companies are more of a civic duty instead of an actual means of making money and Lee Chaolan, the Zaibatsu's president, insisted that the team should be organized as a gift to the city of Isla Bassa and not some milionaire's toy. "First of all, this bid isn't something for my amusement, nor is it supposed to be a cash cow for our company. Rather, I'd like to note that we're simply extending our hand to a population that lacks a proper football club. If our competition thinks otherwise about their efforts, good for them, but no Hinodejin would see the exploration of this for financial benefit as a good thing."

The idea behind this bid is to form a football club that is divided between the company and the community, with the Zaibatsu being responsible for most of the economical side of things (and thus being awarded 51% of the team's control) while the community provides their support and possibly bring talented amateurs to the team (while also being able to buy up shares of the team up to at least 49%). This club's rules would make it relocation only allowed if a total of 80% of the team's board of owners accepts a move, if the possibility ever appears. The team also would rather have local players, with a modicrum of Hinodejin loanees if the team ever needs such an influx.

The possibility of sharing this market with another team was also discussed, as a club backed by the BRT, a Chromatik-based firm could be moving in as well. "Well, as a local from Kawasuki, the more the merrier." said Lee, "I believe the town can only win with two teams and we could, possibly, share our venues to guarantee an even easier time for the locals." He then laughed a bit before noting "We're going to be the best team though, keep that on mind."

The team's name has yet to be decided. Chaolan noted that the identity of a team is important and as such, they would prefer to enquire the citizens over what they want their team to be named. If nothing comes out of it, suggested names by the company would be the Isla Bassa Stardust, Excellent Bassa or La Isla Unicorns. A Target team is also being considered, although the Zaibatsu has yet to elaborate on that.

[Isula Reale]

Will Concerns About Foreign Ownership Be Assuaged?

Let's face it, years of isolation have left the public of Isula Reale weary of foreigners. A Rushmori Union survey suggested we were among the most xenophobic people in the continent, a survey that should have left a bad taste in the mouths of the public but instead was celebrated as a perverse badge of patriotism. Only recently have we started receiving tourists and visitors and while our picturesque greenery and pleasant beaches have a good reputation abroad, various foreign guidebooks have referred to the Realean public as "ignorant, vile and hateful" and "will absolutely stare at you if you're from out of town, and definitely will not attempt to speak your language. Tread carefully." Whoops!

For years, our only relationship to the outside world was football. Sure, we didn't have a competitive professional league, but we somehow watched enough foreign football that we have two 24-hour television channels dedicated to it. Two! We love the Champions Cup, the Globe Cup, various domestic leagues, international football, we can't get enough. Of course, we're a nation of ignorant, vlie, hateful people, so we never considered starting our own league until our rich friend Cisternino showed up. He's been calling up his rich foreign friends, and we now find ourselves in a predicament. You see, with the addition of the currently unnamed Isla Bassa team owned by Chaolan Zaibatsu (local newspaper polling seems to suggest they may wind up called La Isla Unicorns), we're now up to 8 planned foreign owned clubs in Ligera Najionale. That's four for each 24-hour sports network.

Private surveying suggests foreign ownership may be problematic for local fans- an Avaddi University poll suggests that a majority of the country would rather not support a football club owned by outside interests. However, when the time comes, will the fans actually fail to show? It seems unlikely, and the foreign investors agree- why invest millions upon millions of dollars into stadiums (even if the local governments are often helping to split the bill) that you expect will be half filled? Foreign football does excellent television ratings (when money filters into foreign coffers), why would local football with mostly local players struggle just because ownership are outsiders. Our public is smarter than that.

There is however some good news for the hard-liners, the league has announced two further bids by local investors. A Costareale bid from real estate mogul Andrija Jacobo and the Disturi bid from Claydio Morajno. The Disturi club are expected to be known as Disturi Bears SC, and they are hoping to work with the Regional Transit Corporation to share a stadium. The Costareale club is expected to be called Patrioti and will wear patriotic green, red and white colours. Will these clubs draw large fanbases from outside of their home cities out of a surge of patriotism (especially with the naked play to these fans by Jacobo's bid?) Only time will tell!

More to come.

[Banija]

Disturi, Isula Reale

Abdul Jawara had moved full-time to the City of Disturi. He had just taken the day off to file a tax return back home in Banija- it was complicated filling them out as a Banijan citizen working abroad, but he had managed to get it done. The 42 year old was a rising corporate star within Banija. He was on a national magazine's 30 under 30 list 14 years ago, as he worked his way up in Banija's largest company.

He was a former athlete himself. He played soccer in his youth, and played college soccer at Northern Moravica. He never caught on professionally, but leveraged his time well there. He got a position as an engineer at the local RTC in Herzegovina City, where much of the bus production for the Regional Transit Corporation. They were a unique corporation in that all of their products were produced in-house- so they manufactured their systems as much as possible(though if they took over an existing system, they would obviously use that).

Abdul Jawara ended up getting an MBA 6 years later when he was 28, and was chosen to lead business operations in Isen City. Business boomed in Isen City. Profits exploded in that country, as they grew all the way to $1 billion NSDs per year. While it was quite an expensive city to operate in, they had successfully crushed all local competition, had very efficient systems and business was booming within the country. He ran that divison for 10 years, coming back when he was 38 to the marketing department.

4 years later, he was the head of a new, even more ambitious project- to establish an RTC controlled soccer team in Disturi, Isula Reale. The opportunity was there, and Abdul Jawara was ready to seize it. They had supplied $600 million in funding for a $1 billion NSD stadium, with the remainder of the funding coming from the local community. Which was fair, considering the monstrosity of the cost.

Of course, while reading the news, he caught a scan of the news that he knew would anger the people back in Istria. There was a bid for a second Disturi franchise. The Regional Transit Corporation, of course, would hope to be the only team operating in Disturi. The major concern was stadium sharing with a local businessman. While they could charge extremely high rent rates, he would rather not do that. He decided that the RTC should, as quietly as possible, try to oppose this second franchise. He then decided to pen a letter to the local Mayor.

Code: Select all

To: Mayor of Disturi
I write to you today, speaking about the second Disturi Franchise bid. When we entered into a partnership not too long ago, the RTC and the City of Disturi, we did it for the betterment of this wonderful city. A new, world class, state of the art stadium, that is the athletic centerpiece of this city. A joint large investment, both by the RTC and by the City of Disturi, to show our commitment to this city and this region, and this sport in this country. The development of a youth academy, so that there is a pipeline for local talented youth to get to the national league, and improve the national team of this country.

The RTC has planted a stake here, and wants to desperately help on the soccer scene. The RTC has invested in this city, and we hope to be able to provide burgeoning public transportation to this city, but to various cities across the country. Aside from that, a bid form Claydio Morajno threatens all of that. The league has seen these bids, but if the local government opposes his bid, then surely the league will reject it. I urge you to think about the future of soccer in this city, to consider the ability of the RTC to support your office and this city, and most importantly, think of the joint investment that we have both made, hundreds of millions of dollars, while Claydio Morajno is trying to make money off of our joint investment for a fraction of the price.

From,

Abdul Jawara
President of the Disturi Golden Lions

[Isula Reale]

An open letter to the city of Disturi from Claydio Morajno

Football. It's all anyone can talk about these days, and for good reason. We are under a year away from the debut of the Ligera Najionale, Isula Reale's first ever professional football league, and we've been receiving a hot cash injection from outside forces. Some of these outside forces have been able to negotiate with our local governments to get stadiums partially paid for by taxpayers. As a resident of this beautiful city and country, I've paid taxes for years. Quite a lot of them in fact, as I'm extremely wealthy. I don't feel as though it's the city's obligation to me to ensure that the city not pay for this stadium that will almost certainly be a hub of the city- after all, it will bring it new business and of course, it will pay off over time. I do, however, feel as though it is the city's obligation to me to cover part of the cost for a second stadium, a stadium for the people, by the people. Why, I'll call it Stadio Disturi!

I've already purchased a parcel of land on the outskirts of town, and whilst it's currently difficult to get to, the new Regional Transit plan will make this area much more accessible. I'm planning on building a smaller stadium than Regional Transit Arena- only 10,000 seats, which will be suitable for other community activities and also for a more intimate experience for the supporters of the Disturi Bears. I am asking the city of Disturi, which is certainly flush with parking ticket cash that has never been spent on our teachers, to help out a great and loyal citizen with an influx of $250,000 NS to help build Stadio Disturi. And hey, as a big ticket taxpayer, it's almost as if I'm funding it myself. Surely the public will agree that what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so I'm hopeful you'll work with me.

-Claydio

P.S.- Should you deny my offer, I would also happily accept playing in Regional Transit Arena and paying the rent, I know the people of Disturi will be on my side.

[Darmen]

DFA's JFIB plans bid for Franchise in Isula Reale

The Darmeni Football Association's Joint Foreign Investment Board, or JFIB for short, has announced plans to invest in a new football franchise overseas in the nation of Isula Reale. JFIB is reportedly looking at settling the club in the Suburban District of the capital city, Costareale, with a potential name being the Suburban Warriors, although the possibility of a naming contest being held appears to be rather probable. The club will most likely capitalize on the already approved bid from the Apoxian club, FC Endeavour, and its franchise, the Costareale Endeavour, to establish the most prominent local derby in Isula Realean football.

Further details of JFIB's plans for the club are listed below:

• The team will play in a yet to be named stadium which will seat approximately 15,000, to be located along the coastline of an inland lake, preferably in a neighborhood which is in need of some revitalization. The stadium, to be built from scratch on a budget not to exceed $150million USD, will serve as the centerpiece of a much larger project which will provide needed services and opportunities for economic growth to local inhabitants, as well as budget friendly housing. In total, the budget for such a project will be approximately $750million USD.
• The four roster positions of the club reserved for foreigners will be filled exclusively by Darmeni players, all of which will be no more than 23 years of age at the start of each season. The idea is to give young Darmeni players experience playing professional football overseas, something which Darmeni players have rarely ever taken advantage of in the entire history of Darmeni football.
• The remaining roster positions will of course be filled by local Isula Realean players. These players will in turn be afforded the opportunity to play football in Darmen, either on loan during the period of their contract with the team, or as part of a free transfer following the expiration of their contract. In cooperation with the Government of Darmen, such players will, in addition to their salaries, be provided with free housing and transportation, and have visa requirements waived.
• While the JFIB will foot the entirety of the bill for the stadium and neighborhood revitalization project, ownership of the club will be mixed, with JFIB owning a majority stake. While exact details remain to be decided, it is expected that between 30%-49% of the club will be placed under local ownership, with the JFIB likely to partner with those local business persons who take advantage of the opportunities created by the neighborhood revitalization project.
• Current Assistant Manager of leading domestic side MTK Kingsville, Justice Wolf, has been in talks with the JFIB about securing the managing position at the club. It is further likely that the front office will be primarily staffed with Darmeni employees, while a partnership with a local university will likely be sought to help train aspiring Isula Realean sports executives.

About the Joint Foreign Investment Board of the DFA
The Joint Foreign Investment Board, or JFIB for short, is a newly established department of the Darmeni Football Association which oversees the foreign investment strategies of the DFA to further Darmeni footballing interests, while at the same time serving the expansion and development of the sport of football outside of Darmen. All 121 member clubs of the DFA are equal partners in the JFIB and its endeavors, contributing $2million USD annually towards the JFIB budget. The current Chairman of the JFIB is Shemaiah Prieto, owner of Series A club, Sportklub Palerma.

---

56 year old Jerry Acton to come out of retirement to participate in Ligera Najionale di Football

Jerry Acton, now 56 years old and 35 years removed from his participation as the starting Fullback for the Darmeni National Community Football Team, has announced that he will exit retirement to compete in the newly founded Ligera Najionale di Football of Isula Reale. He has reportedly asked for a salary of $2million USD, although even he has admitted that he is unlikely to receive such compensation.

The sport of Community Football, largely forgotten since the conclusion of the Galactic Plate many years ago, is one which Acton hopes will make a comeback. Acton has made it clear that he plans on being the leading superstar of the league, and that his performance in the league will be good enough to even make news back home in Darmen. "I was one of the star players on the national team that finished eighth at the Galactic Plate, and I haven't lost much of my talent except perhaps my speed. I'm more than capable of providing a strong defense for whichever club I play for."

Doubts about Mr. Acton's sincerity however are numerous, rumors persist that the aging soldier (Acton served in the Army for seven years, reaching the rank of Lance Corporal), recently underwent hip replacement surgery. This publication was unable to obtain any proof that such a medical operation actually took place, although Acton has been reportedly seen walking with a limp in his current municipality of residence, Peterborough.

[Isula Reale]

Bidding Officially Closed for LIgera Franchises

The Isula Reale Football Federation have been overjoyed at the enthusiasm for bids in the newly formed LIgera Najionale, and have capped the league at twelve teams (up two from the originally planned ten). The following bids have been fully accepted and will participate in the first season of the Ligera Najionale:

Avaddi Union FC- the last bid to arrive, from a community trust in Avaddi. They are hoping to work with the Vanorian VI group to build a stadium in town, and are willing to rent.
Black Raven Technologies- the Chromatik technology firm has bid to create a club in Isla Bassa. They intend on using many of their foreign player spots on Chromatik talent.
Costareale Endeavour- a "sister club" to Apox powerhouse FC Endeavour, who have also promised a Centre for Excellence intended to develop young players in the area.
Disturi Bears FC- owned by Claydio Morajno, hedge fund manager at Bancariju Disturi, currently in a slight dispute about stadium funding with the Banijan Regional Transit Corporation. Are willing to build a suburban stadium.
Disturi Golden Lions- owned by the Banijan Regional Transit Corporation, has proposed a major revitalisation campaign for the city, centered around the stadium they intend to build.
DKI Telecom Jets- The only bid based out of Novupontie, intending to take advantage of the easy access to the airport. DKI Telecom is also hoping to use this franchise to springboard into becoming a telecom giant in Isula Reale.
Hospilla FC- Little is known about this bid publicly from Ridley Morris, a wealthy businessman from Anthor.
ISC Avaddi- Perhaps the "glamour" bid of the league, a formal partnership with super club Raynor City United, to be located in Avaddi.
Chaolan Zaibatsu's Isla Bassa Bid- Still without a name, but this Hinodejin bid for a club in Isla Bassa has received a lot of attention as well. Will likely be bringing over 20 year old striker Sayaka Niikara, who many expect will be the marquee "Exceptional Player" in season one.
Patrioti Costareale- Real estate mogul Andrija Jacobo is behind this bid in the city, which is expected to play in the National Stadium being built for Community Football by Aroldo Cisternino. They are expected to build a youth football centre as well, and allegedly intend on focusing on local talent.
SC Piùcosta- Already nicknamed the Thestrals, this bid from wealthy Equine businesshorse Filthy Rich comes in with tremendous intrigue, especially since the local public likely will have some reservations about non-human ownership.
Suburban Warriors- Although the name is not finalised, the Darmeni Football Joint Investment Board is behind this bid that will likely bring Darmeni stars abroad, a rare occurrence.

(OOC: If your bid has been accepted, please TG me at your convenience with your team's colours and any players you would specifically like on your team from your nation. Any additional foreign spots will be filled by me, and after this point I'll run it like any other domestic league. Feel free to TG me with any specific requests from your team and I will likely honour them.)

[Banija]

Disturi, Isula Reale

Abdul Jawara was not happy, and the Regional Transit Corporation board was extremely angry with him. He had told them that he would be bale to be the only game in town in Isula Reale, and he had failed. The business in Isula Reale, of course, was booming. It was clear they were making plenty of money providing public transportation to the region, while looking to provide and expand that public transportation option to other cities across the country. And, of course, with a $300 million stadium, named the Regional Transit Arena, it was a huge marketing opportunity if their team did well.

OF course, they did not want direct competition- but that is exactly what they got, with the local bid being accepted for the Disturi Bears. The RTC had suffered its first major defeat in the country, as the Disturi Bears bid was, indeed, accepted. And now, the RTC had a choice to make- would they rent out their arena to this rival bid? Or would they allow the rival bid to build their own stadium. He had his own team of people out here- a team of 5 people. 4 Banijans, and one local.

The debate in the room was fierce. Did they want to share their stadium? Them being the only team in the stadium would surely increase the stadium's value. It symbolized everything that they were working for in the country. But, of course, the threat of another stadium in the metro area was too great. This development would be terrible for the RTA- what if the city's major events went to that stadium instead of the RTA?
High school championship games, rallies, even concerts. The RTC had put in way too much money to see this fail now.

They ended up agreeing on a position, and going forward with it. They could force some sort of lease agreement where the Golden Lions would drive a hard bargain. Get favorable lease terms, don't release any equity, don't release operating control. Abdul Jawara started to write the letter.

To: Claydio Morajno, Owner of Disturi Bears FC

I am happy to write to you today. I am Abdul Jawara, the operating owner of the Disturi Golden Lions. In terms of the team, I represent the Board of Directors of the Regional Transit Corporation in Isula Reale. I am writing for us to resolve our stadium situation. There is no need for this to drag- this is the only stadium dispute in the country. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into this city because we see its potential.

Due to economic reality, it would make sense for us to share a stadium. It is not uncommon to see this sort of arrangement, even if it is genereally not the first option. Should the city be really saddled with putting up money for two professional soccer stadiums at the same time? We are prepared to offer you a lease deal for this stadium, under the following conditions.

Joint-Use Agreement between the Disturi Bears FC and the Regional Transit Corporation
1. The Disturi Bears FC shall pay an annual sum of $3 million NSDs to the Disturi Golden Lions for the duration of the lease.
2. This shall allow the Bears to use the Regional Transit Arena as their home stadium for all home games in all competitions, as well as friendlies.
3. The Disturi Golden Lions and the Regional Transit Corporation shall retain full ownership and equity of the RTA for the duration of the lease.
4. The Disturi Bears FC shall receive 100% of stadium revenue earned from Disturi Bears home games. All other stadium revenue earned shall go to the Disturi Golden Lions.

Please let us know your response with haste.

From,


Abdul Jawara
President of the Disturi Golden Lions

[Aggrey-Fynn Land]

When Mateo Brady was appointed as the head of the LTA (Lander Tourism Authority), he was committed to finding unique ways to spread Lander culture overseas. It was quite easy to do this in neighboring countries; they were arguably the premier economic power in their region, and the LTA was able to leverage the clout that came with it to open doors for themselves. However, interregional affairs were a whole different story. Although Aggrey-Fynn Land tried to get their name out in the multiverse, they only held so much influence in comparison to other countries. As a result, Mateo was willing to try almost anything to advance the name of Aggrey-Fynn Land. His country's forays into the world of multiversal sport had helped somewhat, and he had began to pay closer attention to see if any opportunities would open up in that area.

When he read about the situation in Isula Reale, he was ecstatic. When he read about the other foreign investors taking part in this venture, he realized all the opportunities this could open up. The LTA's name, attached to a soccer team on a beautiful, secluded island inhabited by soccer-loving people? What could be better? Plus, if the team did well, they could take part in UICA competitions, bringing more fame, and most importantly, more attention to Aggrey-Fynn Land and his LTA. With two bids already in place for Avaddi and Isla Bassa, his preferred locations for a franchise, Mateo decided that the best place for the club would be Piucosta; a charming place, but still attractive to tourists and had potential to grow. Since there was already a club in the city, Mateo was hoping to build the stadium south of the city, by the sea. He wasn't planning to do this in vain; he wanted to build a city of his own around the stadium, as a center of Lander culture and as free advertising for the LTA. All this seemed to be perfectly timed too; the parliament was due to vote on a new budget soon, and if he could convince its' members that this would be beneficial for Aggrey-Fynn Land's image abroad, he may be able to pull it off.

What had seemed to be a very good idea to him at first hit roadblocks very early. First off, since the LTA was a government agency, all the funding would have to come from the government. When the members of the opposition party caught wind of his plan, they blasted him for it, calling it a "frivolous pet project" and a "colossal waste of money". Even members of his own ruling party seemed to not be fully convinced of the merits of his venture. Although Mateo was slightly discouraged by the initial backlash against his idea, he realized that he needed other groups doing it with him to make it seem more legitimate. His first move was to call Fredo Hubert, the head of the LSA (Lander Soccer Association) and see if he wanted to take part in the venture. Fredo immediately accepted the deal; he said he saw it as an opportunity for the Honor League to discover new foreign talent, and develop less experienced domestic talent. Even though this helped Mateo's case now that he had a partner, the government still had to shoulder the cost of the venture, except now it was split between the ministry of Sport and the ministry of Tourism.

Even though bringing the LSA on board could have been considered a step forward for the project, it also hurt it. It gave it more visibility in the domestic media, which only seemed to emphasize the holes in Mateo's plan. The opposition seemed to take all the commotion as a chance to launch more attacks on Mateo, his project, and his ruling party. At first, the ruling party tried to sweep all the happenings under the rug. When it became clear that Mateo's idea wasn't going anywhere, they gave him an ultimatum: make something happen or scrap the idea altogether. As the days passed, no progress was made on the venture, and the voice of the naysayers seemed to grow louder with every passing day. It seemed like there was no other option than to kill the project; the only way to fund it would be a massive tax increase, and that would end badly for the ruling party. When Mateo was beginning to consider giving up, he received a call from Hubert Shearer, the CEO of DiamondWater. "I heard about your venture on the news", Hubert said. Mateo was surprised; he was not expecting a call from a man with so much prestige about his plans. "Yeah, and what are your thoughts?" There was silence on the other end of the line. Finally, Hubert spoke. "It's an interesting proposition. I see the potential in this, and it would be an easy way to get more exposure for all the parties involved." Mateo was hanging on his every word. "As a result, I would like to take a majority stake in the venture. Are you okay with that?"

Once Hubert Shearer hopped on board, it seemed to take a weight off not only Mateo's shoulders, but the whole project in general. The press that it received became progressively more positive, thanks in part to the fact that Mateo was now able to name a benefactor from which he would get part of the funding. His party seemed also accept the fact that the project was here to stay, and decided to support it publicly. The event that seemed to finalize the deal was when Lander Air hopped on. Adrian Chibuzo stated his interest in joining the venture in a press conference, and a few days of phone calls and negotiation later, Lander Air was on board.

Mateo couldn't believe it. What had seemed a few short weeks ago like another pet project doomed to fail had almost blossomed into a great success. The government had accepted the new budget, complete with enough money for the LTA and the LSA to honor their end of the bargain, and he had succeeded in bringing on private industry on with him. However, as he prepared to submit his letter, a story on the newspaper he was reading caught his eye. "BIDDING OFFICIALLY CLOSED FOR LIGERA FRANCHISES", the title screamed. Mateo's heart dropped. The LTA's reputation, as well as his own, rested on the fate of this venture. He decided to submit the application anyway. "I'll be damned if they don't accept it." he muttered. "They'll have my head!"

To whom it may concern:
I, Mateo Brady, hereby apply for a Ligera Najionale franchise. The name of the franchise is to be the South Bay Trailblazers. We want to build a 40,000 all-seater capacity stadium about 20 miles south of the city of Piucosta, and call it the DiamondWater Boardwalk Stadium. We will spend 200 million NSD on the construction of the stadium, as well as pay for whatever extra infrastructure would be needed to connect our stadium to Piucosta city. Our end goal is to build a city of our own around the stadium. To that end, we are planning on investing a total of 1 billion NSD into the area over two years (500 million NSD per year). The ownership of the franchise is broken down like this: 35% DiamondWater Co, 25% Lander Air, 10% Lander Tourism Authority, 10% Lander Soccer Association, 20% Other (Reserved for the community/local investors).

I hope for a speedy reply.

Regards,
Mateo Brady
Head of the LTA
Samueltown, Aggrey-Fynn Land