From Division 2 to Division 5 in One Season – What Changed?

Halfway through Season 8, I was in Division 2 and genuinely believed I could reach Division 1. I wasn't abusing broken mechanics, exploits, or any of the usual meta tricks. I was simply trying to play football the way it's meant to be played, as much as that's possible in this game.

Then, almost overnight, everything changed. I started losing almost every match as if I'd suddenly forgotten how to play. I dropped to Division 3. I thought maybe I was just burned out, so I took a break. It didn't help. I came back to Division Rivals, and the losing streak continued.

Season 9 started, so I was automatically relegated to Division 4 because of the seasonal reset. I played a few more matches... and more losses followed. Now I'm in Division 5. So, in a relatively short period of time, I went from Division 2 all the way down to Division 5.

Before anyone asks, my internet connection is not the issue. My ping is stable, I don't experience lag, disconnects, or packet loss, so I don't believe this has anything to do with my connection.

People will probably say it's a skill issue, but it's hard for me to believe that I suddenly became a much worse player overnight. Instead, it feels like almost every opponent I'm facing now is playing at an Elite Division level, despite me being in the middle divisions.

I'm not saying that's definitely how the system works, but from my perspective it feels like the matchmaking is putting me against much stronger players, perhaps players trying to climb back to the Elite Division after the season reset. Sometimes it genuinely feels like they're playing with an extra boost, while my own team suddenly forgets the basics of football.

Has anyone else experienced something similar since Season 9 started, or is it just me?