Pere Clar

Pere Clar

<imgur w="200">PdNVE5S.png</imgur> Clar with Internationale in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth	(1965-04-30) 30 April 1965
Place of birth	Monza, Midrasia
Position(s)	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Midrasia (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1980–1983	Laterna Cardinaux	28	(8)
1983–1989	Monza	62	(4)
1989–1991	Pale	12	(0)
Total		102	(12)
Managerial career
1995–1997	Laterna Cardinaux (assistant)
1997–1999	Laterna Cardinaux
1999–2000	Benedormo (assistant)
2000–2001	Olympique de Lotrique (assistant)
2002-2006	Benedormo
2006–2015	Internationale
2015–2018	Port Rikhdin KS
2018–	Midrasia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pere Clar (born 30 April 1965) is a Midrasian professional football coach who is currently the manager of the Midrasia national football team, after taking over from Klaes Van Emerick in early 2018. Clar has won numerous trophies in his time as a manager, including several Liga 1 titles, the Mydran Cup, Super Cup, Thesha Ceizen cup and Uan Cirilen Cup.

Clar began his professional football career signing for then Liga 3 side Laterna Cardinaux at the age of 15. Clar quickly established himself as an up and coming talent in the team. After three years at the club, during which Clar helped the team to promotion to Liga 2, he was signed by Liga 1 side Monza. Though much of his early years were spent on the bench, from 1985 onwards, Clar established himself as a first-team player, netting 4 goals in 53 appearances. However, Clar's time at the club was cut short by an ankle injury sustained in a match against close rivals Firenze in 1988, for which he sat out the remainder of the season. Though he recovered somewhat the following year, Clar found his place in the team taken, leading him to transfer to Aquidish side FC Pale. At Pale, Clar made 12 appearances, but his injury took its toll, forcing Clar to sit out the remainder of the season. After an examination by team medics, Clar's injury was ruled untreatable, forcing his early retirement at only age 26.

Finding himself unable to play professionally, Clar turned to management to stay within football, travelling around Asura in order to learn about management and footballing tactics. After numerous informal stints as an adviser at clubs in Midrasia, Aquidneck, Carcossica and Navack, Clar's first official position was at his first club Laterna Cardinaux as an assistant manager in 1995. Clar remained as assistant manager at Laterna, under the tutelage of Gabriele Rassi until Rassi's sacking in 1997. Clar took over as manager of Laterna, who at the time were struggling with a relegation battle in Liga 4, the lowest in the Midrasian professional ladder. In the remainder of the 1997 season, Clar managed to save the team from relegation, ultimately finishing 16th. In the 1998-99 season, Clar's Laterna were a considerable force, finishing 1st on goal difference and making their way into Liga 3. This remarkable turnaround was brought about through Clar's rigorous training regime for his players and his unapologetically perfectionist stances of players performances. Whilst in Liga 3 the team stuggled, leading Clar to soon be sacked and transition back to the role of assistant manager.

At Benedormo, Clar came under the influence of manager Ricard Alonsý Uogned, known for his utilisation of total football, netting the team several Liga 1 titles. Following his stint as assistant at Benedormo, Clar joined Olympique de Lotrique as an assistant manager to Preece Bebb. During Clar's time as assistant manager, the team struggled considerably, relative to their previous dominance. Whilst Clar suggested that the team adopt more aggressive, pressing tactics, Bebb continued to employ more defensive tactics. After Clar publically denounced Bebb's tactics in the press as the cause of Olympique's woes, Clar was sacked as assistant manager later that same year.

After leaving Olympique, Clar rejoined Benedormo, this time as manager. During his tenure, the team advances considerably, establishing themselves as a top flight team, winning the Liga 1 title in 2004 and 2005. Following his time at Benedormo, Clar joined Midrasian team Internationale de Bordieu in 2006. Clar remained as manager of Internationale until 2015, during which time he won Liga 1 3 times and the Mydran cup twice. Clar became a club icon for his achievements at Internationale, something the club proved unable to replicate following his departure. In 2015 Clar left the Midrasian Liga 1 to manage Carcosse team Port Rikhdin KS in the Thesha Ceizen. As manager of the Carcosse team, Clar dominated the league, winning the title and Uan Cirilen Cup during his tenure. Following his successes in Carcossica, in late 2017 Clar announced that he was ready to move on to a new challenge following the conclusion of the season. In early 2018 it was announced that Clar would take over as manager of the Midrasian national team, following the departure of Klaes van Emerick after the 2017 Copa.

Early life and education

Clar was born in the city of Monza, in the province of Riviera in southern Midrasia to Dari and Tecla Clar in 1965. From an early age, Clar was enthralled with football, regularly playing with schoolfriends casually, as well as in amateur children's footballing leagues. Clar attended St. Raphael's Alydian primary and secondary schools where he played for the school football team. With the team, Clar came 2nd in a number of regional tournaments, however, was never able to win any event. With his amateur league team, Clar proved a standout player, earning tryouts with his local team FC Monza.

Whilst Clar was not selected by the team during tryouts, he was also scouted by Liga 3 team Laterna Cardinaux. After trials, Clar was selected to join the team as a full-time member, making his first professional appearance at only age 15 whilst he was still at school. Following his graduation, Clar stated that he considered going on to sports college, however, selected to stay with Laterna as he felt first-hand experience with a professional team would be the best approach to establishing a career in the sport.

Club career

Laterna Cardinaux

For much of his first season at Laterna, Clar remained in the reserve team, where he regularly played as a central midfielder. Nevertheless, he still made a few appearances for the first team, usually standing in for injuries, as in his debut. During his second season at the club, which proved to be his only full season with the club, Clar made 18 appearances, mostly within the second half of the season where he became a regular starter. During this time, Clar bagged 5 goals for the club, aiding in their 2nd place finish to earn promotion to Liga 2. Clar's natural talent in attack and aggressive style of play earned the recognition of a number of Midrasian teams, most notably FC Monza and Athletique Blanchard.

During his final season with the club, Clar made off and on starts as manager Amone Andrea began to experiment with new formations, which on occasion left Clar without a position in the first XI. Despite this, Clar made 7 appearances within the first half of the season, netting 3 goals in the process. During the summer transfer window at the end of the season, Laterna received several offers for the transfer of Clar, with both Monza and Blanchard rumoured to be interested. Though the manager pleaded with Clar to stay, the lack of a permanent position within the starting squad led Clar to transfer to Monza for the sum of £32,000.

Monza

Clar's transfer to Monza saw a big step up in his professional career, now playing for the Liga 1 side full time. With Liga 1 being of a much higher standard than its lower divisions, Clar initially found difficulty in fitting into the team, making only 2 appearances within his first season, both of which came from the bench. As a result, most of Clar's early time at Monza was spent in the under-21 team where he was a regular starter. Clar continued in the under-21 team, where he scored a total of 12 goals over two years. After his appointment as captain at age 20, Clar was soon promoted to the first team for the remainder of the 1985-86 season. Throughout 1985 and 86, Clar made on and off starts for the first team, playing central midfield, though also swapped out for the right-wing on several occasions.

1987 would be Clar's best season at Monza however, wherein he became a permanent starter throughout the majority of the season. Throughout the season, Clar netted 3 goals and 11 assists, putting him second in the assists leaderboard for the season. His regular starts in 1987 and solid performances ensured that he retained his first team spot for the 1988-89 season, where he played 16 games and scored 1 goal. Mid-way through the season, however, during a match against rival team FC Firenze, Clar was fouled by Firenzan midfielder Eusebio Peppe. After the incident, Clar was stretchered off and immediately sent to the club doctor for examination. The examination showed that Clar's ligament had been torn in his ankle which would require an operation to fix. After a period of recovery, Clar was sent for the operation, though doctors remained concerned that the initial swelling had not yet subsided, despite the club's pressure to have Clar fit and ready to play again as soon as possible. Following the operation, Clar was forced to sit out the remainder of the 1988-89 season, and the start of the 1989-90 season.

Clar recovered earlier than expected in 1989 and began to train with the first team once again. However, over the summer, the team had purchased a new midfielder in John Walker to replace Clar. Whilst he fought to reclaim his position in the team, his injury and the good performances of Walker led Clar to spend most of 1989 on the bench. With little opportunity for a place in the first team, and his contract set to run out in December, Clar handed in a transfer request, leading him to be released by the club in the winter transfer window. After much speculation as to his future, Clar announced he would be looking to find a place in other Asuran leagues to gain a wider range of playing experience.

Pale

After leaving Monza in 1989, Clar transferred to Aquidish side FC Pale on a free due to reaching the end of his contract. Clar only managed to start in two games within his first season at the club, due to the uncertainty which followed from his ankle injury. In the two games that he did start, Clar was substituted on and only managed to play a total of 7 minutes over the two games. Within his second season, however, Clar became a regular starter as a central midfielder after a competent display against FC Olba after being subbed on in the 64th minute. Clar then started in the next ten matches for the team where he was unable to score, though earned a total of 3 assists.

However, during a match against Bescignano Clar began to clutch his ankle in pain in the 32nd minute after falling on it in a collision earlier in the match. Clar was subbed off on a stretcher to await a checkup by the club's medical officials. Following an inspection by doctors, it was found that Clar's previous injury had failed to heal properly, leading to permanent ligament damage. Whilst an operation was recommended to prevent further injury, the club doctors suggested that Clar would never play professionally again due to the damage. Following his operation, the club still held out hope that Clar could return to the team, however, he proved unable to run for long periods of time without pain. Though it was suggested by some club officials that Clar take painkillers to allow him to continue to play, doctors ruled this out, leading Clar to be released by FC Pale at only age 26.

Coaching career

Following his retirement, Clar began to pursue alternative careers within professional football, spending a considerable period of time training as a coach. Between 1992 and 1995, Clar travelled across Asura as an intern within a number of professional teams, studying coaching methods and styles of play utilised in leagues outside of Midrasia. Much of his work remained unpaid, with Clar remarking that he was effectively living off his savings from his footballing years which were insubstantial compared with the level of pay common throughout the 1990s and beyond. The majority of Clar's time on his venture were spent in Midrasia, Aquidneck, Carcossica and Navack where Clar was employed at teams of wide-ranging ability, though was usually only able to gain placements at teams in lower leagues. Nevertheless, he was able to gain a position at top-tier teams such as FK Skögul in the Navish INFL Serie A, and FC Monza in the Midrasian Liga 1.

Following this informal stint, Clar began to seek active paid employment as an assistant manager. Whilst initially seeking a position at Monza who were struggling in Liga 2, Clar's lack of a permanent coaching position prevented him from being hired. After seeking employment at a number of other Liga 2 and 3 clubs, Clar was eventually able to gain a position as assistant manager for his first professional team Laterna Cardinaux who were currently in Liga 3 and under the management of Gabriele Rassi.

Laterna Cardinaux

Clar began his stint at Laterna mid-way through the 1994-1995 season, replacing the departing Julien Larousse. The team itself was performing well, though a spate of injuries had led the team to struggle following the winter break. Clar's first game as assistant manager was a 2-1 win over FC Llodi which saw Laterna move into the top 10 in Liga 3. Whilst the first team was low on numbers, Laterna's youth program had a considerable number of well-performing players to be moved to the first team. Whilst initially struggling to adjust to first-team football, several key names such as Rémy Dimont and Simó Vilaubi became regular starters for Laterna. During his first season, Clar came under the influence of Rassi, with commentators suggesting that the latter's personality became engrained in Clar who later became known for his emotional outbursts and off-the-pitch antics such as media manipulation and general temper. By the end of the 1994-1995 season, Laterna finished in 7th place, well clear of relegation and only 5 points off 4th place.

The 1995-1996 season was a marked improvement for the team, which saw a number of changes from the team which began the previous season. Many of the previous youth players were moved into the first team, whilst a number of players returned from injury. The team reached the winter break in 3rd place in the league, their highest position in the league since 1983. Following the winter break, Clar also oversaw his first game in charge of the team after Gabriele Rassi received a one-match ban for an altercation with a referee. During this match, Laterna won 1-0 over Rondouh. Despite this, the team's form began to break off towards the end of the season, with the team subject to a number of draws, many of which came within the dying minutes of the match. Eventually, Laterna ended the season in 5th place, one place off of promotion to Liga 2. Nevertheless, the good form of the team throughout the early part of the season attracted the attention of a number of larger clubs who made offers for Laterna's younger talent. In the summer transfer window, the club sold 5 players though only brought in 1 new defender, Noé Ancel. Many of the players sold by the club were among the club's youngest players, whereas Ancel was approaching the end of his career and was brought in on a free due to the expiration of his previous contract. Despite calls for the club to spend the money acquired through the sale of players on new signings, owner Ausilio Balducci refused to do so. It would later be revealed that Balducci was using the newly acquired transfer money to pay off his debts to the Aquidish Cagnola Mafia.

As a result of a dismal transfer window, Laterna's form in the 1996-1997 season was down, leading to a number of early setbacks. By the winter break, the team were placed 18th in the league with only 7 points and zero wins away from home. During this time fans began to turn against the club's owner Ausilio Balducci, displaying banners at matches calling for him to leave the club. Despite this, manager Rassi did not publically condemn the owners, though rumours suggested behind the scenes that he was critical of Balducci's refusal to buy new players. As the season progressed, Rassi made fewer and fewer media appearances, leading Clar to step in for the majority of interviews within the season. By the end of the season, Laterna placed dead last in the league in 24th place, leading to their relegation to Liga 4. The team's final match of the season, a 3-0 loss to FC Oyonax led to a pitch invasion and riot in the stadium, with supporters calling for owner Balducci to leave, leading to a number of arrests. In the subsequent transfer window, the team did make 3 signings, though two of these were free transfers, with the third being an undisclosed fee. Several sales had also been made, leading a large number of players to depart the Laterna youth team, leading many to suspect that owner Balducci was pocketing the transfer money.

In the 1997-1998 season, Laterna continued to struggle, failing to score any points within their first 5 games. Tension within the team began to rise when manager Rassi publically criticised Balducci in a press conference, calling him a "lying coward, profiting off of the hard work of the team." This public spat between the team's manager and the owner was soon picked up by the national media, blowing up to a nationwide scandal. Eventually, following Laterna's loss to Château-Thierry in late November, manager Rassi was sacked, with Clar appointed as his temporary replacement. At the same time, an official investigation was announced into the conduct of owner Ausilio Balducci, following allegations of his associations with the Cagnola Mafia.

Managerial stint

Although Clar had landed his first full-time managerial position in late 1997, he was not expected to remain in the position for long, with owner Balducci cautious of Clar's ties to Rassi and also already in talks to appoint a full-time successor. It would later be revealed that Balducci had made a deal to make Enrico Cagnola, a prominent football fan in the Aquidish Mafia, and son of the family's godfather the team's new manager. Yet, despite being in a marginalised position, Clar worked hard to land a permanent position at the club, introducing a rigorous training regime and pushing his players to achieve their best. Though the results continued to be poor for the remainder of 1997, the team's form began to pick up as the season progressed. Due to Balducci's hefty legal fees from his trial, Balducci began to look for new streams of capital and sought to liquidate the assets of Laterna, whilst retaining overall control of the team. These attempts were met with bitter opposition from fans of the team who gathered together funds for a legal challenge. The fans were supported by Midrasian businessman Jerome Batuttso who made an offer to purchase the team from Balducci. A court ruling eventually ordered Balducci to sell his shares in the club to Batuttso. The outcome of the sale bolstered the resolve of the team considerably, leading their form to improve considerably. Nevertheless, the team remained in a close relegation battle, though were eventually able to finish in 16th place, remaining within Liga 4 for the 1997-98 season.

On the onset of the 1998-99 season, owner Batuttso stated that he had full confidence that Clar was the best fit for the team and would be supported by additional funding. Whilst a number of fans cried out for new signings, much of the new money was spent on developing the team's training ground and staff. This new funding greatly bolstered the teams form over previous years, allowing them to go top of Liga 4 by a considerable margin at the winter break. Though the team continued to play competently, Laterna's form dipped after being beaten 4-0 by rivals Peugeot. This defeat was following by a number of increasingly dire performances which saw the team's lead in the league drop. Whilst Laterna were able to win a number of games and clinch the title, they won the title on goal difference versus second place Castèl Savoie.

Whilst the team won promotion to Liga 3 in 1999, they struggled considerably, leading owner Batuttso to question Clar's future at the team. After five losses on the bounce, it was announced that Clar was sacked as manager. Clar stated that whilst he had a number of successes at the team, he still had much to learn, leading him to transition back to the role of assistant manager.

Benedormo

Following his departure from Laterna Cardinaux, it was soon announced that Clar would be joining Ricard Alonsý Uogned's Benedormo in Liga 1 as assistant manager. The move was seen as a breakthrough for Clar who stated that he only got the role as Uogned had followed his time at Laterna seeing his potential. Though Clar only spent one season at the club, he became entranced by Uogned's footballing philosophy which emphasised independent player agency and high-intensity attacking football.

Clar's first match with the team saw Benedormo beat Ibbeny 3-1 and continue on a high-ride at the top of the table, challenging for the title. Clar was also forced to take over as manager of the team during a game against Mydroll after Uogned fell ill. Benedormo went on to win the match 1-0. By the second half of the season, only Benedormo and Olympique de Lotrique were in with a chance to win the league. At the time Olympique were coming off of their long dominance of Midrasian football and had begun to utilise a new more defensive approach under manager Preece Bebb. Nevertheless, Olympique was able to withstand Benedormo's attacking form to win both games against the team in the season, ultimately going on to win the title. Despite his desire to remain at Benedormo under Uogned, Clar was persuaded to leave after Uogned stated he had nothing left to teach Clar and that he could only learn by experiencing management first hand.

Olympique de Lotrique

Despite Uogned's calls for Clar to enter full-time management, he felt that one final year of tutelage would be the best course of action, but stated that he wished to observe a different form of football under that experienced at Benedormo. It was then announced that Clar would be signed as assistant manager for Olympique de Lotrique under Lhaeraidh-born manager Preece Bebb. With Clar's appointment, media speculation was suggesting that Olympique were lining up Clar to potentially succeed Bebb due to the declining form of the team.

Whilst Olympique had been dominant throughout the 1990s along with Benedormo, the team's form declined significantly during the 2000-2001 season, with the team losing their first match 1-0 to Internationale. Whilst the team were able to pick up a number of victories, the Olympiens suffered their worst start to a season in fifteen years. By the winter break, Olympique were only placed 8th. As the form of the team continued to flatline, media speculation was that owner Patrice Malouines would step in to remove Bebb from the managerial position. Following his departure, it was alleged by Clar that Malouines and the board of the team had insinuated to him that they would be sidelining Bebb, allowing Clar to step in as manager for the remainder of the season. As a result, Clar became more vocal of Bebb's performances, openly criticising him in interviews, leading the relationship between manager and assistant to deteriorate significantly. Following a 3-1 defeat to Vabre, Clar stated that 'Bebb simply doesn't understand what everyone is saying. It's as though he is deaf. Well I can tell you myself, it's time to go!' This outburst by Clar was openly criticised by both the manager and owners who suggested Clar was 'out of line'. Several days later it was announced that Clar had been sacked by the team, to the outrage of many Olympique supporters.

Clar later stated that his treatment under Bebb had fostered a sense of resentment and hatred for Olympique de Lotrique. Stating that it would be his life's goal 'to wipe away Patrice [Malouine]'s smug smile'.

Managerial career

Midrasian national team

Following Midrasia's third-place finish within the Copa d'Aeia 2017 speculation had begun to mount regarding the future of then manager Klaes van Emerick. Throughout the tournament, van Emerick had been under constant pressure, exacerbated by the media's coverage of the team. A 4-0 loss to Navack within their opening game saw questions asked of the manager and his team choices. Whilst Midrasia's form picked up throughout the tournament, media pressure on van Emerick continued to mount, with a number of tabloid publications putting the team's improved form down to the players rather than the manager. Though a public campaign to praise van Emerick for his work was launched, following the conclusion of the tournament, van Emerick announced his resignation. He stated that the constant badgering and pressure placed on him by the media was 'unacceptable', making him dour and depressed. Stressing the need for his successor to receive a fair treatment, van Emerick also called on the media to be more supportive of the Midrasia team in future.

A number of managers to replace van Emerick were soon shortlisted following the tournament, though Pere Clar and Álvaro Câmara were the two standout candidates. Following several months of negotiations, Clar was announced as the manager of the Midrasian national team, to take over from the start of 2018. His first game in charge of the team came at an international friendly against Renneque which the team won 2-0. However, the first major challenge of Clar's time at Midrasia came with the Copa d'Aeia 2018. Faced with a number of retirements, notably in the form of captain Henri Sabon, Clar was forced to make several major changes to the team ahead of the tournament. Jerome Albret was confirmed as a first team player in spite of his young age at 21, whilst Robert Hadrien was moved to defensive midfield as a replacement for Sabon. Hadrien was also granted the captaincy after a number of standout performances in friendly matches. Raimon Canelas, Miquees Crespi, Rubèn Regàs, Silvestre Satorras and Mathieu Neri were all new call-ups to the squad for the tournament having stood out for their domestic teams.

Midrasia was placed in Group C for the tournament, alongside Transcandar, Indragiri and Naharin.

Career statistics

Club

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Laterna Cardinaux	1980-81	Liga 3	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	1981-82		15	5	2	0	0	0	17	5
	1982-83	Liga 2	6	2	3	1	0	0	9	3
	Total		23	7	5	1	0	0	28	8
Monza
	1983-84	Liga 1	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	1984-85		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	1985-86		3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
	1986-87		10	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
	1987-88		22	3	4	0	0	0	26	3
	1988-89		12	1	0	0	0	0	12	1
	1989-90		7	0	2	0	0	0	9	0
	Total		56	4	6	0	0	0	62	4
Pale
	1989-90	Serie A	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	1990-91		7	0	2	0	1	0	10	0
	Total		9	0	2	0	1	0	12	0
Career total			88	11	13	1	0	0	102	12

Honours

Manager

Laterna Cardinaux

• Liga 3: 1998–99

Benedormo

• Liga 1: 2004–05, 2005–06
• Super Cup: 2005–06

Internationale

• Liga 1: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2012–13
• Mydran Cup: 2010–11, 2012–13
• Super Cup: 2008–09

Port Rikhdin KS

• Thesha Ceizen: 2016–17, 2017–18
• Uan Cirilen Cup: 2017–18

Individual

• Liga 3 Coach of the Year: 1998
• Demarer Best Up-and-Coming Manager: 1999
• Liga 1 Coach of the Year: 2004, 2005, 2008, 2012
• FFA Coach of the Year: 2008