The Dempsey Era Begins

Date: September 1, 2025 Author: Hugo Dempsey

If you had offered me 9 points from the first 12 available back in July, when I was staring at a €0 transfer budget and a broken ankle on my star signing, I would have bitten your hand off.

August is in the books, and the "Dempsey Era" has officially launched. It hasn't been boring. We've seen "Angeball" in full flow, we've secured a signature that will have top European clubs envious, and we've paid the price for our intensity with a busy physio room.

Here is the debrief of a wild opening month.

Dunkerque or Bust

Date: August 16, 2025 Author: Hugo Dempsey

Pre-season is finally, thankfully, over. It’s been a six-week whirlwind of tactical diagrams, double sessions, and one massive, heartbreaking setback.

The Auvergne Shuffle: New Faces, Old Habits, and a Pre-Season Mixed Bag

Date: August 1, 2025 Author: Hugo Dempsey

Welcome back. They say the best things in life are free. When your chairman hands you a transfer budget that looks like a doughnut—a big, fat zero—you better hope that old saying is true.

Pre-season is effectively done. The Austrian mountains have been run up, the tactics board has been worn out with arrows pointing everywhere, and we’ve done some serious surgery on the squad with absolutely no financial anesthetic.

It’s been a busy few weeks of wheeling and dealing, trying to mould a squad inherited from the previous regime into something capable of playing high-intensity "Angeball."

Here is the debrief on our transfer activity and how it translated onto the pitch during our warm-up games.

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🔄 The Revolving Door: Making Space and Being Smart

We knew we had to cut wages before we could bring anyone in. The reality of our system is that it requires young legs and high stamina.

👋 The Departure: Famara Diédhiou We made the tough decision to move Famara Diédhiou on to Sint-Truiden for an undisclosed fee. Famara is a top professional and a recognized name, but at 32, his profile just didn't fit the relentless pressing game we are implementing. We need forwards who defend from the front for 90 minutes. His departure was crucial; it freed up the significant wage budget we desperately needed to operate. We wish him all the best in Belgium.

🤝 The Arrivals: Moneyball in Action That wage space allowed us to bring in two exciting, younger profiles who fit our blueprint perfectly. We had to be creative, but I’m delighted with who we got through the door.

• Terrance Joe (Free Transfer): A massive coup for us. Getting quality on a free transfer is rare in this market. Joe brings energy, dynamism, and versatility to the midfield engine room. He’s here to run, tackle, and keep things ticking over.

• Ange Josue Chibozo (Undisclosed): We managed to structure a deal here that worked for everyone. Chibozo is raw, he’s fast, and he’s incredibly direct. He brings that chaotic energy in the final third that defenders hate playing against. He is a project, but one with a high ceiling..

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⚽ The Pre-Season Verdict: Chaos and Control

We took the new tactic on the road to Austria, and the results were... let's call them "educational." We saw the very best and the very frustrating aspects of this new high-line, possession-heavy system.

The Austrian Tour 🇦🇹

• vs Dornbirner SV (A) | Won 3-1: A solid start. The highlight was undoubtedly veteran Henri Saivet rolling back the years with a brilliant brace, with Adrien Hunou adding the third. Saivet operating in deeper areas is looking like a very interesting option.

• vs SPG Wallern (A) | Drew 3-3: Absolute chaos. This game was end-to-end. It was great to see young Amine Saïd bagging two goals and Loïc Socka getting on the scoresheet, but conceding three against lower-league opposition is a worry. The high line got exposed.

• vs FC Pinzgau Saafelden (A) | Won 1-0: A scrappy affair settled by our right-back, Ivan M'Bahia, from a set-piece. A clean sheet was welcome after the Wallern madness.

• vs SC/ESV Parndorf (A) | Drew 0-0: The ultimate frustration. This was the "Angeball" experience in a nutshell: 70% possession, camped in their half, 10 shots on target, and we couldn't hit a barn door. We created plenty but lacked that killer instinct in the box.

Back Home 🇫🇷

• vs Ternana (H) | Drew 1-1: Our first test back at the Gabriel-Montpied against solid Serie B opposition. We looked good for large parts. Kader Bamba scored a great goal, and we were cruising, controlling the tempo. Then came the 94th minute. A lapse in concentration, one long ball over the top, and they equalized with the last kick of the game.

The Takeaway: We are creating chances, which is the hard part. But we are also susceptible to the counter-attack and lapses in concentration late in games. The players are tired—this system is demanding—but they need to stay switched on for 95 minutes.

We have one final, massive test this weekend against La Liga side Levante for our dress rehearsal. Then, the real work begins.

Allez Clermont!

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⚽ Late Breaking News.......

 

 

The Road Less Travelled - Welcome to Clermont-Ferrand

An Aussie in Auvergne: The Clermont Foot Odyssey  

Date: June 14, 2025 Author: Hugo Dempsey

Sometimes, dreams are born in the most unexpected places. For me, they started on a screen, staring at the digital badge of a modest French club named Clermont Foot. Long before the bright lights of professional management, Clermont was a virtual sanctuary, a club I adopted in countless Football Manager saves. I became familiar with names like Gastien, Ekobo, Laporte, Pereria Lage and Ogier.

Fast forward to today, and the absurdity of it all isn't lost on me. I'm Hugo Dempsey, 36 years old, and what began as a digital fascination has morphed into a very real reality in a very quick timeframe!

My journey in the real world has been a grind. For years, I cut my teeth in the fierce, physical world of National Premier Leagues (NPL) in Melbourne. It was a crash course in man-management, budget constraints, and the relentless pursuit of winning.

 

The Philosophy: Angeball I’ve arrived with a clear blueprint. Inspired by the path forged by Ange Postecoglou, I believe in football that suffocates the opponent. We will play a relentless 4-3-3, pressing high and attacking with a front five. It’s scary, it’s exhausting, and if we get it right, it’s unstoppable.

The Moneyball Reality: Whilst I love the film, I hate the term being used in football but here we are. We don't have the millions of PSG or Marseille. We have to be smarter. My strategy is simple: Moneyball. We are looking for the undervalued and the hungry. Our scouts are already hitting the ground across France, Belgium and Spain scouring the lower leagues for players with the elite athleticism needed for our system.

The Gastien Factor I am fortunate to walk into a dressing room that still contains Johan Gastien. He is the heartbeat of this club, the metronome. While he is entering the twilight of his career, his brain is sharper than ever. A key part of my first season will be maximizing his influence while we hunt for the "Next Gastien" to eventually take the mantle.

The Aussie has arrived in Auvergne. The training sessions are going to be brutal, the tactics are going to be wild, and I can't wait to get started.

Allez Clermont!

Day One - Auvergne Arrival

 

BREAKING: Clermont gamble on "The Aussie" Hugo Dempsey

Front Page: La Montagne – June 14, 2025

The headline in today's La Montagne is simple but striking: "LE PARI AUSTRALIEN" (The Australian Bet).

 

This morning, Clermont Foot 63 stunned the French football establishment by appointing Hugo Dempsey, a 36-year-old Australian manager with no European experience, as their new head coach.

Dempsey, whose resume consists entirely of overachieving with NPL clubs in Melbourne, arrives in Auvergne with a reputation for high-risk, high-reward football.

When asked what he knew about the Clermont region, Dempsey responded "They told me Clermont is a city of volcanoes," Dempsey joked in his opening press conference. "Good. Because we intend to play football that erupts."