Another football season is in full swing and a new edition of Football Manager is right around the corner following its beta release on Thursday.
The classic football management simulator is set for full release on November 19, but you can get early access to the beta version – which may contain bugs and issues developers Sports Interactive still need to fix – if you pre-purchase the game.
Therefore, it s time to start thinking about which club you might want to take the reins of. However, with playable leagues in over 50 countries, such a decision can often feel a little daunting.
Do you fancy yourself as a miracle worker who can take a tiny club to the Champions League final? Want to test yourself with a newly promoted side in a top league? Or how about managing an established club amid a rebuild?
Whichever s your preference, we ve identified six clubs we can t wait to leave our mark on
Every Football Manager story starts somewhere. How will yours end?
Find out now:
— Football Manager (@FootballManager)
Norwich City Premier League
Football Manager and developing young players go hand-in-hand, so Norwich City will surely be the first port of call for many. With Emi Buendia, Todd Cantwell, Max Aarons, Jamal Lewis and Ben Godfrey, the Canaries have one of the strongest sets of young players in the Premier League, having returned after three years in the Championship. They ve also attracted significant praise for their stylish brand of football under Daniel Farke over the past couple of years, something you might aim to emulate. Avoiding relegation will be the target, but their talent gives them a real platform to build on.
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC)
Stuttgart 2.Bundesliga
A former Bundesliga-winning outfit that have fallen on hard times, Stuttgart suffered relegation to the second tier for the second time in four seasons in 2018-19. Last time, they bounced back at the first attempt and they have the talent to do so again, given they managed to keep the likes of Santiago Ascacibar and Nicolas Gonzalez. The German club have a strong fanbase, massive stadium, history and a well-regarded academy. If you can steer them back on track, you could potentially awaken a sleeping giant.
Salford City League Two
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Backed by the wealthy Peter Lim and the Class of 92 crew and into the Football League for the first time in their history, Salford City represent an intriguing option in Football Manager 2020, particularly if you like the idea of taking a club from the lower leagues to the top but want a little helping hand at the start. There are few – if any – small clubs in England with comparable potential.
Good afternoon from a wet Peninsula Stadium
Wrap up, Salford fans!
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC)
Paris FC Ligue 2
That s right, France s capital has another club. Formed due to a split from Paris-Saint Germain in the early 1970s, Paris FC s history is rather less glamorous than their world-famous, Qatar-backed neighbours. They have yet to return to the top flight since their relegation in 1978-79, but last season s fourth-placed finish in Ligue 2 showed promise, even if they lost to Lens in the promotion play-offs. With €7million being poured into their facilities and the fact they re located in a city drowning in young talent, it might be a risky job to take but the rewards could be glorious. Their position at the foot of the table with eight points from 12 games in real life proves you might have your work cut out, however.
Sevilla LaLiga
Revered sporting director Monchi is back at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and, after two years of relative underachievement in his absence, Sevilla s squad has been truly ripped up. Thirteen new players – including highly rated Jules Kounde and Rony Lopes – have arrived and eight departed on permanent deals. Several others left on loan, yet it s still a squad bursting at the seams, meaning there s potential to build up a decent budget as well. European football should ensure you still attract decent additions, while the club s academy is well-regarded. But with so much upheaval, is Champions League football a bridge too far? Because that ll be your target.
More than deserved, .
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG)
FC Andorra Segunda B3
Although they should be competing in Spain s Tercera Division, FC Andorra – yes, from the country of the same name, as opposed to Spain – find themselves in Segunda B for the first time since the 1990s. Bought by Gerard Pique last December, the club paid a substantial fee to take the place of Reus in the third tier after they were relegated two divisions for failing to pay player wages. Getting out of Segunda B is a notoriously arduous task given there are only four promotion spots between 80 teams in four groups of 20, but defying such odds might be the challenge some desire.
— FC Andorra (@fcandorra)
