When it's time to leave your favourite club?

The situation is as follows:

I am currently managing Benfica. It's my favorite team IRL. I'm in 4th season, and the truth is that things have been going too well.

When I started the save, had thought to be ahead of Benfica about 6 or 7 years. The idea was to start having an absolute rule in all competitions in Portugal and gradually able to win European titles (Champions League).

But the truth is that on the first season I managed to win the championship in Portugal (which is normal) and reach the final of the Champions League.

Second season, absolute rule in Portugal, and victory in the Champions League.

Third season, I repeat the successes of the second season.

So I am faced with this situation: I managed to achieve a huge success with Benfica in just three years. I have a fantastic team, with players like Paulo Henrique, Mamodo Sakho, Badelj Milan, Pato, Coentrao, and 3 or 4 regens I am sure that in the near future will be great players.

Every year, the board offers 50M to buy players, which is more than enough.

Conclusion, I find myself thinking that the project came to an end. On the one hand would love to keep ahead of Benfica, but on the other hand, the motivation starts to falter.

In support, to stay:

- 3 or 4 players who will need to be replaced in about 1 or 2 years (Luisão Cardozo, Maxi Pereira)

- Try to stay as a Benfica Icon, but this will take many more years

- Have the team to continue to win all competitions

- It's my favorite team in real life

In support, for leaving:

- a new project, with all that it brings positive and negative

So what would you do? Stay or leave? And if you decide to leave... what kind of team would you choose? A big team like Real Madrid, or a smaller team (mid table team from Italy, Spain or England)?

Judging by what you've said I would leave Benfica and go for a mid-table to bottom half team in England e.g. Fulham, Stoke as it is a big change of football culture and you will have to adapt your tactics by quite a bit to win.

When I was with my favourite team in one of my saves (Chelsea), the main thing that kept me staying was trying to develop youth players through the youth team.

I'm with Inter in 2017 and they are finally giving me some decent money to spend (248M) on transfers. This reason alone keeps me going as you can almost buy a whole squad for that amount! That is if agent fee's dont get in the way... haha!

When I was with my favourite team in one of my saves (Chelsea), the main thing that kept me staying was trying to develop youth players through the youth team.

Yes, this is something that i would like to do. But on the other hand, Benfica board have establish as minimum expectation to reach the semi final in the champions league. It's like... win all... or you are doing a bad job.

The ideia from OugaBagga it's very appealing... join a smaller club... where a european classification would be a fantastic job.

I usually play the game where I have one manager at my favourite club (Man U) and then another manager in charge of England, with my England manager I tend to tour the world's club teams and help teams who are struggling whatever division they are in, I usually only stay for a season but it often helps add to my competition by improving other premier league teams

Yes, this is something that i would like to do. But on the other hand, Benfica board have establish as minimum expectation to reach the semi final in the champions league. It's like... win all... or you are doing a bad job.

The ideia from OugaBagga it's very appealing... join a smaller club... where a european classification would be a fantastic job.

That's what makes it a challenge - I've rebuilt my Newcastle side around 10 times in the last 50 seasons, each time selling off the stars and bringing through U-20s to replace them. Newcastle expect me to win the league every season, win each domestic cup and reach the final of the Champions league.

Nothing better than having a team full of players youve had since they were 16, and then replacing them with another team full of players youve had since they were 16.

I've never left a team on FM - I pick a team I know I want to play as and play as them for the rest of the game. If you find it's getting boring, set yourself 'challenges', like fielding a team of 11 Portuguese players or not picking a player over the age of 22 in your starting line-up. If not ones about matches, perhaps you could avoid spending over £10mil on one player, always try to get more from sales than you spend on players or by only signing players under the age of 21.

If you'd be interested in that, feel free to ask and I'll have a think of a few targets you can aim to meet.

What keeps me going is my attempt to fill my overall best 11 with players who have all played 1000+ games.

Currently have two in there (though only one is showing up due to a bug, I'm still counting it as 2).

I'm starting to think that staying it's the best ideia!

If I start a game as my favourite real life club I never leave them on FM, I would rather start a new game if I fancy managing someone else.