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Football Manager 2024: How to Recreate José Bordalás' Getafe
Second place in La Liga with 94 points, the league's best attack, and a Copa del Rey trophy lifted—this isn’t a fan’s dream, but the tangible outcome of a tactical experiment on FM24 that perfectly emulates José Bordalás’ physical, direct, and ultra-compact Getafe.
In this guide, we’ll break down the tactical structure, team and player instructions, and the core principles that shape the Azulones’ style of play.
Philosophy: Order, Impact, Effectiveness
Getafe doesn’t seek to dominate possession. There's no tiki-taka, no focus on technical superiority. Bordalás’ entire system revolves around:
A pragmatic 4-4-2 that shifts subtly depending on the phase of play, but stays true to its core values: compact lines, selective pressing, central density, and quick, targeted attacks.
Mentality: Balanced
A choice that ensures the right balance between attacking aggression and defensive solidity—crucial for such a direct but disciplined system.
Team Instructions
In Possession
Goalkeeper – Defend (David Soria)
Wingers – Support (Carles Pérez, Juan Bernat)
Final Thoughts
Recreating Bordalás' Getafe in FM24 isn’t for those who love elegant possession football. It’s for the tacticians who revel in gritty battles, in structure over flair, and in controlling the match without the ball, striking with ruthless efficiency and disrupting the opponent’s rhythm.
A philosophy that, on Football Manager, translates into tangible results—as this simulation clearly demonstrates.
For more details, in-game highlights analysis, savegame creation instructions, tactic creation instructions please watch this video and if you want subscribe to my channelm, thanks
If you want to read other tactics analysis and contents you can do it in my patreon here and if you want to support me I will be very glad
Second place in La Liga with 94 points, the league's best attack, and a Copa del Rey trophy lifted—this isn’t a fan’s dream, but the tangible outcome of a tactical experiment on FM24 that perfectly emulates José Bordalás’ physical, direct, and ultra-compact Getafe.
In this guide, we’ll break down the tactical structure, team and player instructions, and the core principles that shape the Azulones’ style of play.
Philosophy: Order, Impact, Effectiveness
Getafe doesn’t seek to dominate possession. There's no tiki-taka, no focus on technical superiority. Bordalás’ entire system revolves around:
- Verticality
- Physical battles
- Tactical compactness
- Direct attacks
- Game management
A pragmatic 4-4-2 that shifts subtly depending on the phase of play, but stays true to its core values: compact lines, selective pressing, central density, and quick, targeted attacks.
Mentality: Balanced
A choice that ensures the right balance between attacking aggression and defensive solidity—crucial for such a direct but disciplined system.
Team Instructions
In Possession
- Width: Fairly narrow
→ Players stay close to each other, maintaining compactness both in attack and defense. This makes counter-pressing easier and passing harder to intercept. - Tempo: Higher
- Passing: Much more direct
→ Mimicking long balls and immediate vertical progression. - Time-wasting: Sometimes
- Look for set pieces
- Crosses: Mixed & Hit early crosses
Full-backs and wingers deliver early crosses from deep to find flick-ons or second balls. - Be more disciplined: Limits creative freedom to maintain shape and structure.
- Counter-attack
- No Gegenpress: Getafe doesn’t press high immediately after losing the ball. Instead, they regroup into a medium block.
- Goalkeeper instructions:
- Slow down play
- Take long kicks
- Distribute to target man
- Defensive Line: Higher
- Line of Engagement: Mid-block
Keeps the lines close together and minimizes exploitable gaps between midfield and defense. - Pressing Intensity: More often (but not extreme)
- Tackling: Get stuck in
- Prevent short GK distribution
- Force Opposition Outside + Invite Crosses
Getafe wants opponents to play wide where it is harder for the opponent to pass or dribble and is not afraid of conceding crosses due to their superiority in aerial duels.
Goalkeeper – Defend (David Soria)
- No additional instructions. Focuses on long kicks and managing the game tempo.
- Optional: Take fewer risks, Close down less for extra safety.
- Cross more often
- Cross from deep
- Mark tighter
- Close down more
Wingers – Support (Carles Pérez, Juan Bernat)
- Get further forward
- Mark tighter
- Man-mark opposition full-back
They contribute both offensively and defensively to maintain the team's shape.
- Right (Arambarri): Ball-winning midfielder – Support
- Get further forward
- Move into channels
Dynamic, vertical movement.
- Left (Milla): Ball-winning midfielder – Defend
Holds position to cover for Arambarri's forward runs.
- Right (Mayoral / Uche): Target Forward – Support
- Man-mark opposition DM
- Tackle harder
- Mark tighter
- Left (Juanmi / Álvaro Rodríguez): Advanced Forward – Attack
→ Primary finisher and depth runner.
- La Liga: 2nd place – 94 points
Best attack with 98 goals, second-best defense with 32 goals conceded - Copa del Rey: Winners
Final Thoughts
Recreating Bordalás' Getafe in FM24 isn’t for those who love elegant possession football. It’s for the tacticians who revel in gritty battles, in structure over flair, and in controlling the match without the ball, striking with ruthless efficiency and disrupting the opponent’s rhythm.
A philosophy that, on Football Manager, translates into tangible results—as this simulation clearly demonstrates.
For more details, in-game highlights analysis, savegame creation instructions, tactic creation instructions please watch this video and if you want subscribe to my channelm, thanks
If you want to read other tactics analysis and contents you can do it in my patreon here and if you want to support me I will be very glad