Gameworld without top 5 league experiment

wearesporting · October 1, 2023

I'm on console and wondered what might happen if i don't load the top 5 leagues in Europe but 10 of those below. Would they be gradually taken over or hold strong? If it set up an interesting premise it might make for an interesting save world to manage in from the start. I'll post screenshots of the co-efficients and reputations of the top leagues at the end of each season.

The first breakthrough happened in the 26/27 season so I'll start from there

Portugal have inserted themselves but the reputations of the big 5 hold

wearesporting · October 1, 2023

After the 27/28 season

Quarter finalists of the Champions League

Champions: Manchester City

wearesporting · October 1, 2023

End of the 28/29 season

Chelsea beat PSG in the final

Portugal continues to be the one interloper with the big 5.

wearesporting · October 1, 2023

End of the 29/30 season

Dutch putting pressure on the French and German leagues.

Real Madrid beat FC Porto in the final

wearesporting · October 3, 2023

End of the 30/31 season

Portugal had a stinker while the Eredivisie continues to steadily improve. The German league really struggling. Shout out to Liechtenstein.....

PSG went on to defeat Manchester City in the final. Porto are real competitors each year.

wearesporting · October 12, 2023

Not really been firing the game up recently so going to speed up as this iteration of the game closes up soon, on gamepass at least anyway.

Skipping a year this is the situation going into the 33/34 season

Portugal and the Netherlands have truly joined France and Germany in the rankings. The coefficients are really bunching up generally. The English league remains well on top as regens start to take over.

This is reflected in the reputations where 2nd-7th are getting very close to each other now. There has been no surprises in the Champions League.

wearesporting · October 29, 2023

I went ahead and holidayed to the 30 season console limit and below was the final coefficient table top 15

Not being loaded didn't bother Spain and especially England who had a stranglehold on the continent. Germany Italy and France all gradually fell away and have been stuck in the pack for the last 10 years. Probably no surprise that the Portugal and Dutch league were best placed to take advantage of this. Belgium with their youth production probably not unexpected too however the rest remained firmly behind the traditional big 5 leagues. Greece made inroads thanks to AEK having a massive tycoon take them over. Liechtenstein have Vaduz and its tycoon takeover to thank for its position. Guaranteed European football each year and it took full advantage getting to the latter stages each year including one final but they lost it so failed to once see the Champions League. They finished top of the Swiss league on a couple of occasions and claimed the title of champions but its not officially recognised.

So not loading the big 5 has little effect on what became the big 2 though the others did fall away. Most of the active leagues also had one team dominate them unrealistically with many 10+ titles in a row and RB Salzburg in particular winning the Austrian title 30 times in a row in game, longer if you include real life. Rangers dominate in Scotland and Celtic are without a title in a good 20 years. I've a feeling an explanation here is that with the smaller leagues able to do better in Europe its a case of who gets the Champions League money recycling those funds and dominating their rivals as a result.

The Champions League final only once had a team from outside the big 5 play in it. They had sporadic appearances in the semi finals only though quite a few made it to the quarter final stage. English teams grew to dominate it with often all English finals, The lesser European cups had a bit more variety.