The Event "International Masters" (IM) is a tournament that allows managers to compete internationally. It begins with a group phase of 6 matches, and then a knockout phase with 6 rounds.
Qualification
Managers can compete in the International Masters Gold or in the International Masters Silver. With the start of each new season the qualification for the International Masters begins. It ends at the season's midpoint. All teams ranked in the top half of their league (ranks 1-6) participate in the International Masters Gold. The teams ranked 7th-12th take part in the International Masters Silver.
Important: to participate in the International Masters you must have reached career level 20 before the 11th match of the season is over!
The tournament
The tournament is played in classes of 128 teams each. Each class is made up of teams with about equal strength. This means that there are many winners in each strength level.
First there is a group phase with 4 teams each, in which each team plays 3 home and 3 away matches.
During the group phase the spectator turnout is the same for the International Gold and Silver. The spectator outcome goes up after the group phase and increases until the final, with the International Masters Gold being more popular than silver.
The final of the IM Gold will draw twice the spectators than during the group phase. The final of the IM Silver will draw 65% more.
The two top-ranked teams in each group advance to the knockout phase. Two matches are played in each round so that every team plays home and away.
The final is played in a neutral stadium, so there will be no home-field advantage. The income from the finals is as follows:
- visitor income for IM Gold: 1.795.000€ (897.500€ for each team)
- visitor income for IM Silver: 1.250.000€ (625.000€ for each team)
Bonuses
The four best teams in each class receive the following bonuses::
IM-Gold:
- Winner – 2.500.000 € + Trophy
- Runner-up – 1.000.000 €
- Semi-finalists – 500.000 €
IM-Silver:
- Winner – 1.000.000 € + Pokal
- Runner-up – 400.000 €
- Semi-finalists – 200.000 €