thanks for replying man! hmmm, number of saves perhaps? i doubt you'd be savescumming domestic games (i think you've genuinely built a team that would comfortably smash the san marino league), but it wouldn't take that much effort to just save before every european qualifier, and then reload until you win. plus while I'm still on fm22, I assume FMRTE is available?
i assumed you were probably using a combination of downloaded tactics (absolutely legal and legitimate, but i prefer it when people declare it in challenges like this cus it does make it significantly easier) with a bit of savescumming (absolutely cheating). those two and/or FMRTE, basically.
i definitely would have had my methods had you not deleted the save (CONVENIENT :D), but i might have not found anything. and hey, I'm not ruling out that it was all above board and legit lol, it just feels...unlikely. it's the consistency, like i said before. if you fluked a europa league/conference league group stage once every 3-4 seasons I'd be like wow dope, but doing it so consistently set off my spidey senses!