It's not cheating, It's called manipulation. There is nothing stopping any other player from doing the same thing to try and manipulate the cup format, but there is no guarantee that this will work. A few seasons ago I sold players and bought crappy 3* players that had qualities that were 3* 90 quality. and lowered by average quality down from 105 to 98 and it didn't work.
THIS.
the OP might want to make sure the method he is trying actually works, or it's going to be one big waste of time & tokens :')
I don't claim to be a Top Eleven expert but, if anyone would like advice, please don't hesitate to contact me through 'private messaging', I try to reply as soon as possible.