A brand new era begins. Season 8 is nearly here, and for the first time ever, you can train players with a coach.

📅 Key Dates:

• Pre-Season Begins: Thursday 29th May
• First Games & Training Opens: Tuesday 3rd June
• Unregistration Windows: 29th-10th June & 14th-15th June
• Legendary Auctions: 29th May-1st June

🏋️️ Coaching: Train Smarter, Not Harder

Coaching is the first new gameplay feature we’ve introduced in a while and it opens up new layers of strategy, progression, and squad building for all clubs.

It offers a sustainable way to boost your squad's development, helping players grow faster, improve in multiple positions and grow more consistently without relying solely on match time.

⚡ How It Works:

• Head to the new Store tab and purchase 5 or 20 Coaching Sessions.
• These give you access to a new third training slot (the Coaching Slot).

Training a player in this slot provides:

• +1 rating in your chosen position
• +1 rating in two strongest remaining secondary positions
• +90 unlocked minutes
• −25% condition (same as standard training)
• -1 unlocked potential (same as standard training)
• Sessions last the same time as normal training sessions and can be used anytime during training periods.

It’s a flexible, efficient way to:

• Build players who can cover multiple positions and strengthen squad depth
• Speed up development when match minutes are limited

💡 Coaching sessions are purchased with ETH, and 50% of all spend goes straight into rewards.

🎁 Everyone Gets 2 Free Sessions

To help you get started, every club has been granted 2 free Coaching Sessions at the start of Season 8.

Use them to:

• Test & provide feedback on the new coaching slot
• Try out player development across multiple positions
• Experience accelerated growth

🛒 A Look at the Store

The new Store tab can be found in the left-hand sidebar of your club dashboard. From here you can buy coaching sessions in batches of 5 or 20.

🏃 Inside the Coaching Slot

Once sessions are purchased, your Coaching Slot will be available whenever training is available.

You can:

• Add a player just like in standard training
• Select the training position (with previews of secondary gains)
• See a detailed breakdown of session outcomes (ratings, condition, unlocked minutes)

👨‍🏫 Coaching FAQ

Where do I buy coaching sessions?

In the Store tab (you’ll see it in the left-hand sidebar in-game).

Do they expire?

No, any unused coaching sessions carry over across seasons.

Can I give them to other clubs?

No. Sessions are tied to the club that purchased them.

Can I earn coaching sessions as a reward?

Yes! Look out for giveaways and competitions across the season.

Can I use coaching alongside regular training?

Yes. Coaching is a third slot, meaning different players can be trained in all three slots simultaneously.

Do I choose the secondary positions?

No. They’re selected automatically based on the highest rated positions that have not been selected as the primary training position.

What are unlocked minutes?

+90 unlocked minutes per session which counts toward player's unlocking potential, like match minutes.

Coaching has been added to allow more dynamic player development across positions and add a more strategic element to player development. It will also give Club Owners another decision to make in the boardroom - Buy new talent or focus on improving existing players? The cost will be announced day before pre-season start, same as the academy mint prices.

🌍 Chile Enters the Game

Welcome to the pitch, Chile!

We loved seeing the incredible creativity in your pitches for what nation should join Footium next, from pure poetry to AI slop. We’re thrilled to say Chile has officially entered the game for Season 8.

🎉 Congratulations to Kristalkscrypto for the winning pitch and to everyone who got involved.

You’ll now find Chilean academy players appearing across the game, and Legendary Chilean players will also feature in auctions. You might just find the next Alexis Sánchez or Gary Medel.

👑 Legendary Player Auctions Return

Legendary Player auctions are back for Season 8, with only 9 total players available across 3 batches. These are Footium’s elite. With 95–99 potential, they offer unmatched long-term upside and can be game-changers in any division. Whether you’re chasing promotion, dominating your league or building a club legacy, Legends give you the tools to compete at the highest level.

• 🔵 Batch 1: Friday 30th May - 4pm BST
• ⚪ Batch 2: Saturday 31st May - 7pm BST
• 🔴 Batch 3: Sunday 1st June - 5pm BST

Each batch will feature:

• Players in a range of different positions
• A limited-time window to bid on truly elite players (95–99 potential)

Just like last season, 50% of proceeds post fees go into rewards across all divisions.

🎓 Academy Refresh

7 fresh academy prospects await each club. As always:

• You’ll need ETH on Arbitrum to sign them
• 90% of signing fees go straight into your division’s reward pool
• Players join your squad instantly, even outside transfer windows

We will announce mint costs for S8 one day before pre-season starts.

🎤 Commentary Enhancements

We’ve made further improvements to matchday commentary to improve readability, reduce bugs, and make match reports feel more immersive.

Keep your eyes peeled for a special competition this season related to commentary… 👀

🔐 Sign In with Ethereum

We’ve implemented Sign In with Ethereum to improve security of log-ins with Footium. You’ll need to approve the sign-in message each day (similar to OpenSea) in order to play the game.

This is an important first step allowing us to improve security and user experience in future.

🚧 Match Integrity Reminder

We want to re-state our stance on match integrity.

Throwing matches to benefit other clubs you own or are associated with is strictly prohibited.

If we confirm match fixing, we reserve the right to punish the involved clubs and wallets.

Suspicious patterns will be investigated. This is not about honest mistakes, it’s about protecting fair competition for all.

Outro

We’re really excited to see how and what Coaching unlocks for player development, tactical variety and long-term progression for our players!

Behind the scenes, we’re continuing to work on major improvements to onboarding to scale Footium to the masses - let’s get it!