Your first season in Master Liga: a guide to a strong start

You have just created your club and landed in a league with 13 other teams. The season has 26 rounds, one per day, and matches are played at the scheduled time even if you are offline. In other words: the decisions you make before each round are the ones that count.

This guide covers what makes the biggest difference in the first few weeks. For the full rules, see the How to play page.

1. Get to know the squad you inherited

In Master Liga you don't start from scratch: you take over the lowest-ranked club in the highest division with an open spot in the country you chose, along with its squad. Before signing anyone, look at what you already have:

• Overall: the average of the skills that matter for the position. Goalkeepers don't count finishing, and outfield players don't count reflexes.
• Age: young players improve much faster after each match. From 28 to 32 years old, depending on the position, physical decline begins.
• Contract and wages: wages are charged once per season, at the season turnover. An expensive squad weighs on your cash at the end of the month.

2. Pick the right lineup (and save it)

Select 11 starters with exactly 1 goalkeeper. The formation comes from the chosen positions: 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 forwards make a 4-3-3, for example.

If you don't change anything, the last saved lineup plays. Suspended players are automatically replaced by the best substitute in the same area, but it's better not to rely on that: check players on a booking (one yellow card away from a suspension) before important rounds.

Tip: you can play an outfield player in a different area, but they never perform better than in their natural position. Use it to fill a gap, not as a strategy.

3. Fatigue: rotate your squad

Fatigue carries over from one match to the next. Players who finish a match exhausted recover less and start the next one in worse shape, and it keeps adding up. Players on the bench recover more.

In practice:

1. Have at least one reliable substitute per area.
2. Rest low-energy starters in easier matches.
3. Schedule substitutions before the match (up to 5, from minute 1 to 90) if you can't follow it live.

There are no injuries, so fatigue is the main reason to rotate the squad.

4. Use the transfer market calmly

In the Market you'll find free agents, who can be signed at any time, and players listed by other clubs, who only accept offers while the transfer window is open.

• The player picks the offer with the highest wage, then the one with the longest contract.
• A raise of 10% or more over the current wage is always accepted; smaller raises have a proportional chance.
• The squad must have between 16 and 35 players, with at least 2 goalkeepers.

Releasing a player costs 50% of their wage times the seasons left on their contract. Think twice before signing someone just to cover one round.

5. Set the right ticket price

Gate receipts from home matches are one of your main sources of income. Each stadium sector has a fair price that the fans never reveal exactly: the panel only shows an estimated range.

Start within the range and watch the reaction at home matches:

• Very low attendance means the price is too high or the sector isn't popular with your fan base.
• Complaints and falling mood mean you've gone past the limit.
• A full stadium and happy fans push the team on in home matches.

Only think about expanding the stadium once your home matches are already selling out.

6. Training and youth academy: the long-term investment

Choose a training focus per area (and, if you like, per player). Training is applied after every round your team plays, and young players with low skills improve the most.

The youth academy receives players aged 15 to 22 from time to time. They don't get paid and don't play matches, but they train normally. Promote the best ones with a professional contract when they're ready.

What to expect at the end of the season

At the turnover, prize money is paid according to final position and division, the bottom 3 of each division are relegated and the top 3 of the division below are promoted. Players age and develop, expired contracts end and wages are charged.

A good first season doesn't have to end with a trophy: avoiding relegation with healthy finances and a few young players improving already puts your club on the right track.

Don't have a club yet? Create yours for free and take charge from the next round.