The toughest Football Manager 2026 challenges - clubs starting with massive
points deductions, chaos off the pitch, and survival tips for season
one.
You know that moment in Football Manager when you think you’ve picked a “fun rebuild”, hit Continue, and FM immediately slaps you in the face with a points deduction?
Not a cute little -3 either. I’m talking proper “mission impossible” stuff, where the table looks like it’s been mugged, your inbox is basically a court summons, and your board acts like you personally caused the crisis. That is the vibe of this list.
These are nine FM26 saves where you start the season already bleeding points, dealing with financial mess, awkward rules, or straight-up restrictions that force you to manage like a real-life survival expert.
And yes - if you’re the type who reloads after a bad away draw on a rainy Tuesday, you’re going to hate this. If you want a save that feels earned, you’re going to love it.
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What makes these FM26 saves so brutal?
A points deduction is not just a number. It changes everything.
Your dressing room morale tanks faster because every draw feels like a loss. Your board expectations don’t always adjust properly, so you’re under pressure immediately. Your transfer strategy gets warped because you can’t “build slowly” - you need results now, with whatever budget scraps you can find.
In short: you’re managing from behind before you’ve even picked your captain.
Your first 30 days survival plan (do this or get cooked)
If you start one of these saves like a normal save, you’re asking for pain. Do this instead.
- Day 1: Slash wage waste. If someone is a “rotation option” on serious money, they’re a problem.
- Week 1: Book friendlies you can actually win. Confidence is currency in a deduction save.
- Week 2: Set your tactic to be boring but reliable. You can be “pretty” in season two.
- Week 3: Trial farm. Bring in 30-50 free agents on trial and filter hard.
- Week 4: Get your set pieces sorted. Cheap goals are not optional here.
FM Blog tip: If you want a deeper, step-by-step approach to building saves that actually last, check out our Mastering FM26 eBook. It’s built for players who want to win long-term, not just survive a panic season.
Use it like a playbook, especially for crisis clubs.
1) Yeni Malatyaspor (Turkey) -42 points
This is the “are you actually serious?” save. You begin with -42 and a hard transfer restriction: the club is not allowed to sign non-Turkish players. That means no cheeky foreign loanees, no bargain South Americans, no “wonderkid rescue mission”. It’s you, the local market, and pure suffering.
How you survive season one
Forget style. You need a points grind. Build a tactic that travels well and doesn’t implode after conceding first. Prioritise defensive structure, set pieces, and a simple chance-creation plan (crosses, early balls, or direct counters).
Recruitment-wise, your best friend is the Turkish free agent pool, loans from bigger Turkish clubs, and anyone with pace plus stamina who can handle a scrap. If you try to play fancy football here, you’re not brave - you’re reckless.
2) Sheffield Wednesday (England) -18 points
Big club. Big stadium. Big expectations. And then FM26 hits you with -18 points and administration. Lovely.
This is a deduction save where the pitch pressure is brutal because you’re expected to “act like Wednesday” while you’re basically running the club on fumes. Supporters want entertaining, attacking football too, which is genuinely funny when you’re just trying to stop the bleeding.
How you survive season one
You survive by being ruthless. Trim the squad, ditch high wages, and prioritise hungry loanees who can run. You’re not building a dynasty in month one - you’re building a team that can survive ugly games.
Also: use Hillsborough properly. Make it a place teams hate visiting. High intensity at home, pragmatic away. If you try to play “pure possession philosophy” while bottom with -18, you’re basically roleplaying your own sacking.
3) Triestina (Italy) -20 points
Triestina is the definition of “good club trapped in bad circumstances”. You start with -20 points and an extra restriction that matters: no non-EU signings from abroad. That instantly narrows your recruitment and punishes lazy scouting.
On the plus side, you’ve got a proper ground (Nereo Rocco), decent training facilities, and supporter culture nudging you toward Italian and Slovenian players. The DNA is there - you just have to drag it out of the mud.
How you survive season one
Think street-smart squad building. Italy is full of players who are tactically intelligent but undervalued. Use loans, short contracts, and smart free transfers. Target players who can win duels and stay switched on, because every dropped point hurts twice with that -20 hanging over you.
Tactically, go compact and efficient. In a deduction save, the best team is often the one that panics last.
4) Adana D.S. (Turkey) -18 points
Adana D.S. starts with -18 points and insecure finances, even though the facilities are respectable. That combination is nasty because it tricks you into thinking you can “build normally”, right up until you realise you need a miracle run just to reach neutral.
You also have squad management constraints (like limited slots for certain registrations), so you can’t just sign 12 players and hope it works. You have to be intentional.
How you survive season one
Set a simple target: get out of negative points as fast as possible. Your first 10 league matches matter more than your last 10, because morale is everything in these saves.
Build around athleticism and momentum. Rotate smart, avoid long injury spells, and don’t hoard “nice technical players” who can’t handle pressure. In this save, passengers get you sacked.
5) Vitesse (Netherlands) -12 points
Vitesse is a weird one - it’s a crisis save, but with actual tools. You start with -12 points, yet you’ve got superb training facilities and excellent youth facilities. Translation: you can rebuild properly, but only if you survive the storm first.
It also feels extra spicy because Vitesse has been tied to real-world licensing and points deduction drama in recent years, which makes the FM version hit harder when you see that -12 on day one.
How you survive season one
This is a “youth plus structure” save. Don’t waste time chasing expensive fixes. Promote smart, use youngsters with resale value, and play a system that gives them repeatable patterns (so they grow, instead of getting exposed).
If your squad is talented but fragile, avoid chaos tactics. High press is fine, but only if your defensive transitions are disciplined. You don’t get bonus points for vibes.
6) Edinburgh City (Scotland) -15 points
Welcome to the Scottish lower-league grinder, where you’re semi-pro, your stadium is tiny, and FM hits you with -15 points just to be funny. Edinburgh City also has board culture pushing you to sign players from the lower levels of the domestic game, which is basically FM telling you: “Good luck, scout harder.”
How you survive season one
This save is won in the margins. Trial farm aggressively. Prioritise physicals (pace, stamina, strength) because lower-league football is messy and unforgiving. Build set pieces that actually score. And don’t be ashamed to play direct if it gets you points.
Also, be realistic with training. Semi-pro squads do not magically become tiki-taka machines. Build a plan that matches the reality of part-time football.
External context: SPFL deductions for insolvency events are real, and Edinburgh City’s 15-point penalty has been formally addressed by the league. Here’s the SPFL statement.
7) Dumbarton (Scotland) -5 points
Dumbarton starts with a smaller deduction (-5 points), but don’t let that lull you. You’re semi-pro with below average training and poor youth facilities, which means you can’t just “develop your way out”. You need immediate recruitment value and a system that works now.
How you survive season one
Keep it simple and competitive. Get leaders in (even on short deals), find a reliable goalscorer, and make your team hard to play against. You’re not here to impress neutrals - you’re here to win ugly and climb out of the early hole.
External context: The SPFL has also publicly confirmed points deductions linked to insolvency events, including Dumbarton’s situation. SPFL statement here.
8) Inverness CT (Scotland) -5 points (plus an age rule)
Inverness CT starts with -5 points, and the club culture adds a twist: do not sign players over the age of 30. That’s a sneaky restriction because lower-league survival often relies on grizzled veterans who can drag you through tough spells.
How you survive season one
You build a young, athletic squad and lean into development. Loans become your lifeline, because you can borrow quality without long-term wage damage, and you can keep the squad within that age profile.
Play with energy. Press in bursts, keep your transitions sharp, and use your cup matches for confidence and cash. If you recruit smart, this save can turn from “damage control” to “promotion push” quicker than you’d expect.
9) Lechia Gdańsk (Poland) -5 points (and a recruitment identity)
Lechia is a proper “big club under pressure” save. You’ve got a massive stadium (Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk), decent facilities, and you start with -5 points. The twist is the club identity: you’re pushed toward U23 recruitment and signing Ukrainian players.
That sounds fine until you realise you’re predicted to struggle anyway, and starting -5 means your margin for error is tiny.
How you survive season one
Use the identity as a weapon, not a burden. Ukraine is a goldmine for value signings in FM if you scout properly, and U23 recruitment forces you into players who can improve and be sold. That is how you stabilise a club while still winning enough matches to stay up.
External context: Lechia has publicly referenced licensing outcomes that included a five-point deduction. Club statement here.
Final thought (and a challenge for you)
If you want a save that feels like you actually achieved something, pick one of these. But don’t kid yourself - this isn’t a “relaxing rebuild”. This is crisis management. The kind where one bad month can end your job, and one good month can make you feel like a genius.
Now be honest: which one are you actually brave enough to start - and are you doing it without reloading?
Read Also: If you want a long-term blueprint for building saves properly (even in chaos), check out the Mastering FM26 eBook.
