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FM18 All-European (Less England) Small Club to Big Club Challenge Introduction Welcome to a new chapter in the history of the ‘Euro Nation’ Challenge, born out of the recent history of the highly successful Gundo’s Challenge and the Big Euro Nation Challenge that spawned out of it. Originally set up as an alternative to the hugely successful Dafuges Challenge for FM06, Gundos Challenge offered an alternative for people who wanted to play in another European country. The Big Euro Nation Challenge followed for FM08 and, like Gundo’s Challenge, has had some fantastic stories over the years. These threads have always been hugely popular and successful thanks to those who played, and who still take part, in the challenges. Some of the stories are legendary, and hopefully more of these will be born in this, and future, versions of the game. The premise of the challenge is the same, and simple, to start with a previously unplayable club and taking them all the way to a National Title and then on to winning the European Champions League. With a variety of leagues, styles of play, different rules, and many different locations for your clubs there can be a lot of variety throughout the thread, providing a great atmosphere and stories for our users to become immersed in. General Challenge Info Possible Countries Austria Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Finland France - June 20th Germany Greece Holland * Hungary Iceland Ireland * Israel Italy - July 30th N. Ireland - 25th June Norway - January 13th Poland Portugal Romania Russia Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain - July 10th Sweden - December 15th Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Wales * Holiday for two seasons not one. League Reset Dates Austria - 13th June Belarus Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Holland * Hungary Iceland Ireland * Israel Italy N. Ireland Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Wales The Rules A) Game Set-up 1) Load One Nation Only (All Available Divisions within your nation) 2) Your choice of Database Size (Large Recommended) 3) NO Edited Databases of any kind 4) Customising Database You can add players to the database up to a limit of 100,000 in total in order to add more depth to your save and also add more difficulty down the line. Suggested Adds Players from Top Clubs/Top Divisions (Europe or All Continents) - This increases the challenge at Continental Level Players Based in your Nation - This can add up to 50% more players to your game Players Based in your Region (Central Europe/East Europe/UK & Ireland) - This can add extra players likely to join your club There will be a file correcting the club/competition names, I will advise use of this. NO other additional customising is allowed. 5) Attribute Masking should be Enabled 6) Disable Ingame Editor (Please do this) 7) Optional Ticks Add Key Staff (This will give you a Scout, Physio & Ass Man by generating them if your club is without) Add Players in Playable Nations (This will ensure all clubs have a minimum number of players, generating them if needed) The extra levels of detail that you can change while in the game are up to you, as they shouldn't make a difference. B) Steps in the Game 1) Add an unemployed manager; you will not use this man to manage your club. I like "Unemployed Man or Holiday Man" 2) Go on holiday until the reset date of your chosen nation (Should take about an hour) TIP - Changing Detail Level to None will make it go faster. (Remember to change it back afterwards) TIP - Saving on the day before this date may give you a better choice of teams by reloading the game then going on holiday for one day, I would strongly recommend trying this. 3) Add a new manager - Use yourself, or a created character to help build a story line a) Personal Details - Your Choice b) Tracksuit vs. Trainer - Your Choice c) Past Experience lowest Possible (Generally Sunday League) d) Coaching Licenses lowest Possible (None) e) Other options are up to you TIP - If you add the language of your country of choice it will make it easier at the beginning TIP - Training now includes you at some level depending on your abilities. 4) Choose to take over any club which has been promoted to the bottom playable league of your nation. TIP - Easiest way in FM17 to see this is on the "Season Review" screen, showing the "Promoted Clubs" TIP - You can confirm your club by checking the Domestic History's page for not being at this level since start of game 5) Retire your unemployed manager. 6) Manage your club to National Title & European Champions League Victory 7) Completing the Challenge. C) Signing of Players 1) You must be able to scout them TIP - You don't actually have to scout them, just be able to TIP - You can check your scouting range on the Scouting page 2) Alternatively (If you can't scout them), you must bring them on a trial first 3) You are able to sign anyone sent to you via Agent Offer TIP - Make sure you screenshot the Agent offer 4) In later versions you can get your DoF to find players, he will bring in players not in Scouting Range, these are also allowed. TIP - Grab a screenshot of your DoF signing them D) Posting 1) Player naming is allowed. (This is a warning for those of you who do not wish to see this) 2) Discussion of tactics is allowed. (This is another warning for those of you who do not wish to see this) Expected Updates We have minimum expectations when it comes to a first up post and also in the end of season updates. The Bold pages are necessary for everyone; the others are some suggestions that will get others interested in your posts and following your club. All other screenshots are welcome and encouraged, but we please ask that the majority are posted as links, because lots of pictures can make the page very slow to load. First Post: Domestic Leagues History (Club) Profile (Manager) Overview (Club) Squad (Club) End of Season Updates: Transfers (Club) - This is so we can see the ins & outs League Table (Competition) Squad (Club) Information (Manager) Profile (Manager) Information (Club) Profile (Players) Progress of your club should be documented using this thread; we want to hear the story of your club all the way through. Please keep us updated, even if you are doing badly. If you title your end of season report in bold this makes it easier to identify. Everyone will be supportive, and really get into your game if you give more detail. E) Other 1. If you are Sacked 1. You can Restart from the beginning or; 2. Continue your game and pick a new club (Under Same Rules) at the end of the next season or; 3. Add another Euro League/Remove Current League, holiday a whole season and continue 1. You can still only have one nation running at a time 2. Once the league becomes active you MUST holiday a full season 3. The club must be one of those unplayable from the beginning 2. No Restrictions on Parent or Feeder Clubs 3. International Management allowed from FM14 forwards (But you cannot start as an International Manager) The use of any external utilities and editors (Such as Genie Scout or FMM) are prohibited. As of FM14 there are also unlockables, these are also prohibited, please don't use them. It would be appreciated if you also ticked the box at the start which prevents the use of the ingame editor. How to Post a Screenshot 1) While in FM, press the 'Prt Sc' button (usually next to F12 on your keyboard). 2) Open an image editing program such as Paint and paste the image 3) Save the file as a JPEG or PNG 4) Upload the image to an image hosting website such as Photobucket or Imageshack 5) Post the direct URL to the image here. Alternatively using ALT + F9 in game saves a screenshot to your user data folder. (You can also edit this in the shortcuts options) The Euro Nation Motivational I would like to thank all of you who choose to participate in this thread this year, and to wish everyone taking on this challenge the best of luck on a long and hard journey to managerial success! I have personally had a number of hugely enjoyable saves over the years, first in Gundos challenge and then latterly in the Big Euro Nation Challenge. The atmosphere and support these threads have historically offered is key in making the thread, and your saves more enjoyable as I can testify to. I and some of the other regulars of these threads are here to help for the new challengers and hope everybody that participates contributes considerably to the thread. There is nothing better than getting immersed not only in your own game but providing the encouragement to other people's attempts too. Remember we are all fighting the same battle - to defeat the AI (and uncover fabulous newgens!) - Therefore it goes without saying that any form of cheating will be severely chastised. Don't do it! I know that it is painful to lose a European Final or to lose the title on the final day (I have been there myself on more than one occasion) but eventual success down the line is all the sweeter for those defeats. Good luck to all the participants – Here’s to a successful (and enjoyable) version!!

So a little background to the reasoning for this career. For those of you that watched the FM Documentary created a few years ago, I was the guy that took his wife on our Honeymoon to Bulgaria all because I had been testing the Bulgarian League. While out there I managed to sneak in a match watching Nesebar, which was the team I played with and very close to where we were staying. History The club was established in 1946 under the name Chernomorets Nesebar. After 1949 team is divided to Dynamo and Cherveno Zname. In 1957 the company for physical culture and sport Chernomorets is refounded with the team. From 1979 to 2001 the team is called Slanchev Bryag. Еxception are the years from 1993 to 1996 when the team is called PFC Nesebar. From 2001 team is called Nesebar, as from 2012 team is OFC (Municipal football club). Nesebar won promotion to the A Group during the 2003–04 season—the only time the club has played in the top level of Bulgarian football—with a third-place finish. In their first season in the top flight they were relegated after only five wins. In 2009–10 season, Nesebar finished second in the B Group and qualified for the promotion play-off, but were defeated by Akademik Sofia 2–1. Two years later, they slipped into third division. The Club It is an OK place to start. Although the ground is decent sized, I doubt I will see anywhere near half the capacity for a long while. The Manager I am starting off as a low level know nothing with lots to prove. My plan is to try and take Nesebar to the Top League and into Europe for the first time ever. If I can bring through some quality youth players that make it big in the national side and beyond, that will be a further boost.

Welcome to my Third Attempt at this save, with a club I know nothing about in real life, yet have come to worship in this game over the better part of ten months. Attempt #1 Attempt #2 The initial FM18 variant unfortunately died because the very same bug which crippled the FM17 attempt hadn't been removed. So this time we're kicking the official league to the side and opting for Claassen's Bulgarian League File. WHY TRY AGAIN? I wouldn't say I'm a completionist by any means. For every FM file I enjoy there's about 30 I throw to the side but Slavia was so very enjoyable both this year and last year, and when I do enjoy a save I do everything I can to achieve success with it. There have been a fair few saves I've legitimately enjoyed this year but I want to win the Champions League with Slavia Sofia more than anything in FM right now and so here I am once again. Ambitons In previous files I had some very ambitious plans to bring back the Bulgarian Golden Generation and that's certainly something I want to do, but to start this save off I only have one goal. - Win the Champions League Anything else is a bonus Let's go.

Ataturk Olimpyat. It haunts his dreams. They were so close, yet so far. The goalposts denying them twice at the death. That sensation of euphoria only to be immediately drowned out by despair as the ball beat the keeper yet stopped, the goal shaking as it cannoned off the frame and out of play. They rushed back but there was no time. A whistle was blown. Defeat. He wandered through Europe since that day. Bulgaria so consumed in mourning didn’t realise the date the League was meant to start again had come… And so it passed unplayed. A competition still not set, a transfer window still open and a cup yet to be drawn. A month behind schedule. Two… Three…. Bulgaria refuses to recover and so he wanders… Not only across Europe, but also through time and space until he finds himself in a world so similar to his own and yet so very different. And still they call to him. This time he’s a year older. A year wiser. His players have lost a year under his wing, some of them have endured, emerging stronger, better. Others though have been unable to escape the ravages of time as their potential gives way to the void. He shall persevere though. For himself. For Bulgaria. But most importantly… For Slavia. Coming Soon...

One of the things that takes forever for me is starting a save on FM, going through league after league picking a team, I'll then start a save and within a matter of days I've had enough. Now I have narrowed my next save down to one of two teams, the first is NK Kustošija in the Croatian second division, now these interest me as there a Zagreb based team and I would like to build them up to hopeful overthrow Dinamo, and they also have the son of Zvonimir Soldo on there books so would be interesting to try and enhance his career. The other team is FC Maritsa Plovdiv in the Bulgarian second division again be interesting to build them up as they have clubs like PFC Botev Plovdiv and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv already in the top flight so be nice to get them challenging against them, its also the club Hristo Stoichkov started his youth career so would be good to get another player of that level come through the youth ranks. Just after some advice from anyone who has managed in either league before I start with a save.

SUCCESS IS HOW HIGH YOU BOUNCE WHEN YOU HIT ROCK BOTTOM LITEX LOVECH, BULGARIA 2015 - Litex Lovech is expelled from the Bulgarian league after their players walked off the pitch in protest over the referee's decisions in a match against Levski Sofia. It's been a long way back up, but the club is finally back to the 2nd tier of Bulgarian football. A long, slow journey back to the top starts here. With astonishing facilities compared to this level, I'm going to try and use only academy players, with a strong preference to Bulgarians. This might also be a setting for a full game save. We'll see.

I don't know why I find this save so much fun but it's rapidly consuming any time I spend playing FM. You'll be joining me from the 2nd Season onwards. After a first season of massive highs where we finished 2nd against pre-season expectations of a disappointing 8th. Led by a fantastic cohort of Youth that's injected the club and it's supporters with hopes of ending a 21 year long drought. Into the 2nd Season we've kept up that momentum, launching a great Europa League campaign. Setting up a Playoff vs Croatian side Rijeka Next batch of updates will be more History behind the club, the squad, including transfers in and out that I and the board (Prepare for despair) have conducted and the Europa League Playoff as we target the Group Stage.

Hello. My name is noikeee. You may know me from a series of previous careers on this forum (last one being this). I am back, and I've gone East. Quick Q&A: - Hey, FM15? What's up with that? - I'm fed up to death with FM16. The regens p*ss me off. I can't deal with the tactics. The matches take a glacial age to go through even on the quickest setting. I enjoyed FM15 much more so why not go back? - Why Eastern Europe? What's the concept behind this thread this time? Is there a particular gimmick? - Well it's the typical "Behind the Curtain" type of save, of which there's been loads over the years in this forum, although I've never done one myself! Eastern Europe has always been a region that fascinated me in FM, I think it's the whole nostalgia of the pre-Berlin-Wall-fall times when the Eastern Europe sides sounded scary and were a match for anyone in European competitions. Don't get me wrong I am most definitely NOT nostalgic for those times in terms of politics, before anyone feels offended, this is purely football not politics. It's also always a bigger challenge to get these sides performing, compared to the leagues where there's money. I am going to follow a very particular gimmick which is to only sign players from Eastern Europe nationalities. - Why Bulgaria and CSKA Sofia? Well, for a start I've never managed in Bulgaria and always wanted to. CSKA Sofia seems a good fit for what I want - they're a nostalgic-sounding historical club, but I don't recall anyone on this forum specifically managing them, unlike others like Red Star, Steaua etc. I also wanted to start at a relatively high level unlike at the very bottom like usual, because it won't be many months before FM17 is out so I want a bit of an headstart, but going straight into the very biggest sides like Shakhtar, Dynamo Kiev, Zenit etc would be too easy. Also the Bulgarian league has decent rules for foreigners as it's part of the EU so all EU nationalities are free (which includes a few elligible nationalities, more on this on a moment); and I can pick another 3 non-EU players in the match squad (I was under impression I could have more than that, which would've been a plus...). - So what counts as Eastern European then? - Geography teachers, please look away now. I am going to consider every nation that was part of the Eastern Bloc, as in, former Soviet nation or USSR-aligned countries, and also all former Yugoslavian nations. Yes I do realise this includes a lot of countries that are more commonly included geographically as Central Europe such as Czech Republic or Hungary. And also excludes Greece or Turkey which are way out to the East by comparison. - But is this a one-club save or are you just starting out at CSKA Sofia? - Eh, no idea really. I don't think I've ever done a one-club save on this forum, they all end up being journeymans, and also I've gotten bored in the past in smaller leagues, specially after dominating them, so don't be shocked if I move at some point. But currently there are no plans to do so. - How realistic are you going to play the game? - Not very. I am going to use my 4-4-2 wide diamond tactics heavily influenced by Dafuge's, that gave me stupid success with Kayserispor and Lyon in my previous FM15 career. This tends to result in goals. Like, absurd, ridiculous loads of goals. A normal day at the office sees a 4-2 or a 5-3 scoreline. - What's the ultimate goal? - I want to bring the Champions League home to a Eastern European club with a team composed exclusively of Eastern European players. Nothing else will be considered challenge complete.