"French Hero" Achievement & CFA issue

I plan to start my next game in France, with the target to unlock the "French Hero" achievement too.

The 3rd league (National) is playable, the 4th (CFA) ... not really. At least you can't pick a club at the beginning.

So my question is, will I get the achievement when I start in the National and get promoted into Ligue 1?

Or do I need to get relegated to CFA or hire somewhere down there AFTER I started the game?

I also wonder if there is french competition database that might fix this odd issue?

In FM10 in order to get the steam achievement I had to start in national, be relegated to the cfa and eventually be promoted into ligue 1. Not sure if it is still the same convoluted process still but it probably is. Of course if you are lucky you might be able to apply to a job with a cfa team after starting the game and so saving yourself a season where you have to be relegated on purpose and potentially being sacked.

You can't manage a team in CFA, can you?

Are you suggesting that if you're relegated from the National, you can still manage in CFA? :confused:

I would have thought it was just like any other unplayable league in that you're sacked when you go down.

If this is how it works, surely a good idea would be to holiday to the end of the season, then take over whoever is being relegated. Then you can manage them from the next season.

It did always work that way. You can't start a game in the CFA, but when you get relegated you can still manage your team.

How come the CFA is on the game but we can't start there?

That's pretty weird.

If a job becomes available in CFA while you're playing (i.e. a manager gets sacked) can you apply for a job then? :confused:

Are you saying that you just can't start as a manager of a club in CFA? I wonder why that is?

In fact, I've never really worked out why there is the restriction in CFA in the first place. :confused:

How come the CFA is on the game but we can't start there?

I'd like to know this too AB.

Actually been tempted to start a save in France in the bottom league and work my way up.

When you start you can load the CFA but it is greyed out if you want to pick a team.

I think the restriction at the start is because some of the divisions have 2/3 reserve teams from top clubs and that could be a bit confusing.

In the editor you just have to remove the CFA and add it again, save the file and you can start in the CFA right from the start. Or use one of the custom league files.

If a job becomes available in CFA while you're playing (i.e. a manager gets sacked) can you apply for a job then? :confused:

That is something that I tried today. I started unemployed and went into the holidays, with auto-application for any job opportunity. While several clubs in the first 3 leagues fired and hired (but not me), nothing happened in the CFA. So if the CFA is necessary for the achievement, it seems that you really have to get relegated - but not fired.

I think the restriction at the start is because some of the divisions have 2/3 reserve teams from top clubs and that could be a bit confusing.

In the editor you just have to remove the CFA and add it again, save the file and you can start in the CFA right from the start. Or use one of the custom league files.

I'm not sure if the reserve teams are the real reason for this. In Germany we also have secondary teams in League 3, we used to have even more before the introduction of "Liga 3". And yet you can and could start in that league with the FM.

In case that I use a custom league, will I have to start in its lowest league for the Hero achievement?

That is something that I tried today. I started unemployed and went into the holidays, with auto-application for any job opportunity. While several clubs in the first 3 leagues fired and hired (but not me), nothing happened in the CFA. So if the CFA is necessary for the achievement, it seems that you really have to get relegated - but not fired.

So it seems the only way to do this would be as I said above:

If this is how it works, surely a good idea would be to holiday to the end of the season, then take over whoever is being relegated. Then you can manage them from the next season.

I take it if you took them over on the very last day of the season, the relegation wouldn't come up on your managerial record?

Pretty bizarre really.

I wonder why CFA isn't manageable from the beginning? :confused:

Will check this internally tomorrow to make certain exactly how it works. But yeah, it may well be you have to take over a 'relegated' team in the lower league to do this. As said will check, cheers.

That would be good Neil. Cheers.

So what's the reason for the CFA being unplayable then Olly Kenney?