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Quick start for new managers

Just taken over your first club? Then you're in the right place. This page explains in ten minutes how Kings of Football works, what you should do first and which moves make you better the fastest. All the details are in the linked chapters.

The game in one minute

• You're the manager, not a player. You pick the line-up, set tactics and training, and look after finances, stadium and transfers. The matches themselves are calculated by the match engine – afterwards you watch the match report with its ticker.
• Everything runs in real time. One real day is one season day, a season lasts 50 days. Training and wages are settled once a day.
• You play against real managers. Every world is its own universe with leagues, cups and international competitions. Clubs without a manager are run by the AI.
• No pay-to-win. With the slush fund you buy knowledge, convenience and looks – not playing strength.

The first ten minutes

After you sign up, assistant Dirk walks you through exactly these six tasks. They are the foundation for everything else:

Task	Why first	More
Check the line-up	Every player belongs in his ideal position – in the wrong line he brings only half his strength.	Line-up
Set the training	Without a plan the values decay a little every day.	Training
Sign sponsors	One of your most important income sources, and each sponsor brings its own bonus.	Sponsors
Set ticket prices	Brings in money at every home match. Too expensive and the stadium stays empty, too cheap and you give income away.	Stadium
Scout the youth	Home-grown talents are cheaper than the transfer market in the long run.	Youth & Scouting
Secure your account	With an e-mail address on file you won't lose your club even when you switch phones.	Worlds & accounts

Your day in three minutes

Kings of Football is easy to play on the side. On a normal day this routine is enough:

1. Read the match report. What worked, who was weak, who is injured or suspended?
2. Update the line-up. Replace absentees, rest tired players – freshness and morale count in the match too.
3. Check the training. At least three recovery sessions a day, otherwise the team runs on empty.
4. Take up sponsorship opportunities. Three to five a day are the best compromise – every further one pays only half of the previous one.
5. A quick look at the transfer market. Is a bid running, has a target just been listed?

No time? The assistant coach will take over line-up and tactics for you if you like, and the "90+5" magazine sums up every morning what has happened in your world.

The calendar

Top right in the control centre sits the calendar. It shows the 50 season days as chips, your matches with opponent crest, strength and competition – and reminds you of the dates that cost money or chances if you miss them:

• Day 1: start of the season, player strength development (PSD), youth PSD and the group draw of the national team tournaments.
• Days 1 to 5: season ticket sale in the stadium.
• Days 17 and 34: youth PSD; day 28: PSD of the professionals.
• Days 45 to 50: extend expiring contracts – the calendar tells you how many.
• Days 48 to 50: application as national coach; day 50: end of the season.

Matches not yet played are shown without a result, past ones with the score – unless you have spoiler protection switched on.

The season at a glance

Season day	What's on
1	PSD: your players are upgraded or downgraded for the second half of the previous season.
1–5	Season-ticket sale. Demand is highest on the first day.
1, 17, 34	Youth PSD: your youth players develop.
28	Mid-season PSD for days 1 to 27.
47	Reminder about expiring player contracts.
48–50	Application as national coach for the next season.
50	End of the season: promotion and relegation, expiring contracts are renewed automatically, the wealth tax falls due.

Ten moves that pay off right away

1. Ideal position before strength. A 90-rated striker at full-back plays like a 45. Pick the system to suit your best players, not the other way round. → Line-up
2. Plan for recovery. Always at least three recovery sessions in the training plan. Worn-out players lose matches. → Training
3. Switch individual training on properly. It only works when the team plan includes the "Individual" session. Otherwise nothing happens.
4. Let young players play. For the PSD every appearance in a competitive match counts, even a short one as a substitute. Talents between 18 and 23 grow the fastest. → PSD
5. Set up season tickets on the first season day. The money for all league home matches lands in your account immediately. → Stadium
6. Pick sponsors that fit. If you're expanding the stadium, take the construction sponsor; if you scout a lot, the scouting sponsor. The main-sponsor slot brings the biggest bonus. → Sponsors
7. Bid your true maximum on the transfer market. You only pay the price of the second-highest bid plus a small increment, not your maximum bid. → Transfer market
8. Haggle twice on contracts. The first two negotiation steps carry no risk. → Your team
9. Use the tactics matrix. Have the team see out a narrow lead in the closing stages on its own and open up when behind. → Tactics
10. Put your money to work. At the end of the season the wealth tax costs around 12% of your wealth. Invest in squad, youth or stadium instead of hoarding. → Finances

Typical beginner's mistakes

• Constant flat-out play. Full effort brings more strength but costs twice as much freshness. Over several matchdays that comes back to bite you.
• Special training without a chosen ability. The session is then wasted. → Special abilities
• Letting buildings decay. If a facility drops to 0%, the level is demolished. Renovating is always cheaper than rebuilding.
• Buying expensive finished stars. A 29-year-old hardly gets any better and soon loses value. Young talents are usually the better deal.
• Bidding blind. Two players of equal strength can have completely different talents. Before expensive transfers a scouting is worth it.
• Slipping into the red. Debt costs you fans and atmosphere. Save first, then invest – for big expansions there are loans.

The slush fund

The slush fund is a special budget alongside the club account and is shared across all your worlds. You can fill it without spending money:

• Login bonus: 600 to 1,000 a day, depending on how many days in a row you drop by.
• Refer friends: 10,000 immediately and another 40,000 if your friend stays for 50 days. → Friends
• Minigames: the top ten of each season win prizes. → Minigames

It's most valuable for knowledge: player scouting before an expensive transfer, opponent scouting before an important match and the PSD details to see what training and playing time really achieved.

More than everyday league life

• Cup and international competitions bring prize money and prestige. → Prize money
• National teams: your players get called up, and you can apply as national coach yourself. → National team
• Mancinis: ten manager profiles with their own strengths and weaknesses – pick the one that suits your style. → Mancinis
• Changing clubs: with the manager points you've collected you apply to bigger clubs. → Applications
• Awards: badges, the Ballon d'KoF and the Hall of Fame record what you've achieved. → Awards
• Your own look: you design crest and kits yourself. → Crest & Kit

Where to read on

If you only read four chapters, make it these – in this order:

1. Strength system – what the numbers mean and why the same player performs stronger one day and weaker the next.
2. Line-up and Tactics – how eleven players turn into goals.
3. Training – how you steer form and development.
4. PSD – how talents turn into stars.

And if anything is still unclear: you'll get help in your league's chat and in the support inbox.