Football Manager 2020 shipped on 18 November 2019 with a database frozen on the 2019/20 season, and that database is the main reason anyone still loads it: Erling Haaland starts at Red Bull Salzburg, and every squad predates the pandemic. FM20's own additions were the Development Centre, Club Vision and the Playing Time Pathway, all of which behave differently from the systems that replaced them in later editions. Sports Interactive can only sell each edition while its club and player licences hold, so FM20 has been pulled from sale and cannot be bought new; the Stadia version died with Stadia in January 2023.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | English Premier League | Club Vision and the five-year plan basics | Mezzala | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | German Bundesliga | The Development Centre mastery | Mezzala | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Italian Serie A | Playing Time Pathway + gear | Segundo Volante or Mezzala | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | English National League | Build optimization | Segundo Volante | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Gibraltar National League | Min-max | Segundo Volante or Pressing Forward | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (English Premier League)
Fully licensed in FM20 with the 2019/20 squads, which means Liverpool at their peak and a pre-pandemic transfer market with money still in it. The standard first save, and the one most FM20 community guides assume.
Level/Difficulty: Any experience level Key Rewards: Full licensing, deepest scouting coverage, the strongest transfer budgets in the game
What to Do in English Premier League
- Learn Club Vision and the five-year plan. Club Vision was new in FM20 and splits board expectations into three layers: club culture objectives covering transfer policy and playing style, a five-year plan broken down season by season with financial, infrastructure and competition targets, and ongoing objectives you are expected to respect throughout your tenure. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Mezzala as your starting role. See our builds guide for why.
- Open Club Vision before your first transfer window and read all three layers. The five-year plan sets season-by-season targets and the culture objectives constrain how you are allowed to sign players, so a transfer that looks smart can breach an objective you never opened.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Development Centre hub or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Club Vision and the five-year plan fundamentals
- Mezzala selected and functional
- English Premier League main content cleared
- Ready for German Bundesliga
Phase 2: Early Game (German Bundesliga)
The German national team returned to FM20 after being absent from previous editions. The league's youth development reputation pairs naturally with the new Development Centre, and squad rules around homegrown players shape recruitment.
Level/Difficulty: Second save, once you understand Club Vision Key Rewards: Licensed German national team, strong youth intakes, competitive but affordable squads
What to Do in German Bundesliga
- Work on The Development Centre. FM20 collapsed the scattered youth, reserve and loan screens into one hub. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Development Centre hub if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Sign Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg in the opening window. The FM20 launch database has him at Salzburg, before his January 2020 move, which makes this the last edition where he is available at a price a mid-table club can pay.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Italian Serie A.
- Consider whether Segundo Volante might suit your playstyle better than Mezzala.
Phase 2 Checklist
- The Development Centre integrated into gameplay
- Development Centre hub acquired
- German Bundesliga fully cleared
- Ready for Italian Serie A
Phase 3: Mid Game (Italian Serie A)
The 2019/20 Serie A database is the reason to come here: Sandro Tonali at Brescia and Dejan Kulusevski in his breakout season are both available at prices that never appeared again in a later edition.
Level/Difficulty: Any, best for players who enjoy the transfer market Key Rewards: Undervalued young Italian talent, tactical variety, tighter budgets than England
What to Do in Italian Serie A
- Master Playing Time Pathway. Contract talks in FM20 include the playing time bracket a player expects now, from Star Player down to Surplus to Requirements, plus an agreed future position on that ladder. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Club Vision board objectives. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Treat the Playing Time Pathway as a contract, not a suggestion. A promise that a player becomes a Regular Starter within two seasons creates unhappiness across the dressing room when you break it, not only in the individual.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Technical Director and Loan Manager roles for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Playing Time Pathway mastered
- Club Vision board objectives acquired or in progress
- Italian Serie A fully cleared
- Ready for English National League
Phase 4: Late Game (English National League)
The fifth tier and the traditional starting point for a promotion challenge save. FM20's Club Vision is at its most interesting here because the five-year plan and infrastructure targets actually constrain what you can do.
Level/Difficulty: Experienced managers; the tools are thinner at this level Key Rewards: Full promotion ladder to the Premier League, meaningful infrastructure objectives, free transfer market
What to Do in English National League
- Finalize your build. You should be running Segundo Volante or Mezzala with optimized gear.
- Club Vision board objectives should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Check the Development Centre every few weeks rather than at the end of a season. Its whole purpose is flagging players whose development has stalled and loanees who are not getting minutes, and both of those are only fixable while the season is running.
- Tactical styles and player roles optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Gibraltar National League.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Club Vision board objectives upgraded to max
- English National League fully cleared
- Ready for Gibraltar National League
Phase 5: Endgame (Gibraltar National League)
Gibraltar made its Football Manager debut in FM20, which makes it one of the few things in this edition that later versions did not simply improve on. A tiny league with European qualification attached is a specific kind of save.
Level/Difficulty: For players who have already done the standard saves Key Rewards: New to FM20, European qualification from a minimal league, extreme squad-building constraints
What to Do in Gibraltar National League
- Gibraltar National League tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Hire a Technical Director in your first month. Staff contracts expire constantly at large clubs and delegating the hiring and firing removes a recurring interruption without costing you tactical control.
- The endgame loop: run Gibraltar National League, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Pressing Forward for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Tactical styles and player roles mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Gibraltar National League fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Following an FM21 or FM24 guide and looking for a Data Hub that FM20 does not have.
- Agreeing to Playing Time Pathway promises during negotiation and then never checking whether you are meeting them.
- Running a Gegenpress tactic with a 20-man squad and wondering why the results collapse after February.
- Ignoring Club Vision culture objectives while hitting every results target, then being sacked anyway.
- Assuming you can still buy FM20 on Steam; the licences expired and the edition was pulled from sale.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Open Club Vision before your first transfer window and read all three layers. The five-year plan sets season-by-season targets and the culture objectives constrain how you are allowed to sign players, so a transfer that looks smart can breach an objective you never opened.
- Sign Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg in the opening window. The FM20 launch database has him at Salzburg, before his January 2020 move, which makes this the last edition where he is available at a price a mid-table club can pay.
- Treat the Playing Time Pathway as a contract, not a suggestion. A promise that a player becomes a Regular Starter within two seasons creates unhappiness across the dressing room when you break it, not only in the individual.
- Check the Development Centre every few weeks rather than at the end of a season. Its whole purpose is flagging players whose development has stalled and loanees who are not getting minutes, and both of those are only fixable while the season is running.
- Hire a Technical Director in your first month. Staff contracts expire constantly at large clubs and delegating the hiring and firing removes a recurring interruption without costing you tactical control.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Football Manager 2020 Guides
- Football Manager 2020 Football Manager 2020 Overview
- Football Manager 2020 Best Builds
- Football Manager 2020 Tier List
- Football Manager 2020 Beginner's Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Tips & Tricks
- Football Manager 2020 Weapons Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Combat Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Boss Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Maps & Locations
- Football Manager 2020 Crafting Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Classes & Characters
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