Getting promoted feels like the goal, but promotion at the wrong time is one of the most damaging things you can do to a club. Higher leagues have stronger opponents, better sponsors, and greater financial demands. This guide explains how to assess readiness, how to approach promotion campaigns, and how to survive and thrive after moving up.
Each league has 12 teams. At the end of the season:
1st place: automatically promoted.
2nd place: plays in the promotion play-off (4 teams promoting, 2 defending).
7th–8th place: relegation play-off.
9th–12th place: automatically relegated.
In the play-off, 7th place has home advantage in both matches; 8th place plays both away. Four promotion-seeking teams compete, 2 advance (promoted or safe), 2 are relegated or stay.
Position / Outcome | Financial Benefit |
League Champion (Layer 1) | €11,500,000 championship bonus |
League Champion (lower layers) | €3,000,000–€11,500,000 (scales with layer) |
2nd place (Layer 1) | €9,500,000 bonus — compensates for no promotion |
Promoted team (Layer 2 to Layer 1) | €2,500,000 promotion bonus |
Promoted team (lower layers) | €700,000–€2,500,000 (scales with layer) |
Top scorer in your division | €200,000–€1,000,000 bonus |
Youth team champion | €300,000–€3,000,000 bonus |
These bonuses are paid after the play-offs complete, not immediately after the last league match. Factor them into your post-season financial planning but do not spend against them before they arrive.
Answer these questions honestly before committing to a promotion push:
Is your average squad strength consistently above the upper half of your current league? Promotion means facing opponents who were already competing at that level last season.
Do you have depth to absorb injuries and suspensions across a promotion run? A squad that needs every first-choice player fit to win has no promotion margin.
Are your players' energy and endurance high enough to sustain high-effort matches in the run-in without collapsing in the play-offs?
Can you sustain higher wages in the next league? Stronger opponents mean you need stronger players, or at least to keep your current squad healthy.
Is your stadium generating enough ticket income to fund the transition? Moving up usually brings better sponsors, but the first season in a new layer is always an adjustment.
Do you have cash reserves for emergency player purchases or injuries hitting key positions?
Is your main tactic trained above 80%? Going into a play-off with an undertrained tactic is a significant handicap.
Do you have a formation that wins at least 5 of 9 sectors against average opponents in the target league?
Play-offs are two-match mini-series. Treat each one with the same preparation rigour as a cup final:
Analyse all opponents in your play-off group before it starts. Check recent match reports, tactic preferences, and form.
Set individual formations for each play-off match; never rely on the Standard preset for these games.
Manage effort carefully. The play-off matches are close together; burning energy in match 1 at 150% effort risks underperformance in match 2.
Save your best half-time action cards for the play-offs if needed, and also use the halftime instructions to adjust your formation/ tactic depending on the halftime result.
Keep player morale high going in. Winning the last few league matches before the play-off builds both morale and team spirit.
The first season in a new league is the most vulnerable. Most promoted clubs spend it learning the new level and stabilising. A few principles:
Expect the first few matches to be difficult. Every opponent has been at this level longer than you.
Negotiate your first sponsor at the new level aggressively; being in a higher league means better offers. A PR Manager is invaluable here.
Prioritise survival (staying up) over ambition (competing for promotion again). Consolidation is not failure; it is intelligent long-term building.
Use the higher-quality match experience to accelerate player development; the XP and Technique gains from tougher opponents compound across your whole squad.
Some managers occasionally drop a league level intentionally to dominate, gain career points faster, and farm end-of-season bonuses in a weaker division. This can be a legitimate strategy for very specific financial or development goals, but it carries reputational risk in the community and is best avoided unless you have a clear multi-season plan.
