Football is rife with big clubs that have fallen on needless hard times. Who are some of the fallen giants of football who you could return to the podium in Football Manager 2023?
As we all know, football is a sport where teams rise and fall. In many leagues, former giants have been replaced by other teams. This means that there are many clubs who you could take over and restore to their former glory. Whether through financial mistakes or competitive changes, who are some fallen giants who could use your expert assistance?
The biggest club in Belgian football has been, for the best part of a decade, an also-ran. Though success arrives sporadically, the Brussels giants are well behind the likes of Club Brugge at home. The 1970s and 80s days of UEFA Cup success are a dot on the horizon. Can you help to take the biggest club in the league and restore them to a team that can do something continentally?
It will not be easy. You have immense challenges at home, and you have significant financial disparities with the most competitive clubs in Europe. This is not one for the faint of heart, either, as you will have next to no time to really build anything. Fans demand success more or less immediately despite the recent barren spell. Enjoy having to balance one of the most demanding fanbases in Europe with a budget that tells a different reality.
A regular on fallen giant lists, Greek football could really use Pana back at the top. They are the only Greek club to reach a European final, losing to Ajax in the 1970s European Cup. A genuinely massive club, terrible decisions for years has seen the Greek giants fall way below their typical expectation.
And your challenge is not easy. Not by a long shot. You are working with an uneven, poorly balanced squad that, even at its 'peak', lacks true star quality. Your budget is a waste of time, too; you will need to be very smart with how you use your money because there is next to none of it!
Pana are one of the true giants of European football, but they have been an also-ran for far too long. Restoring them to their former glory is not easy, but it would be among the most enjoyable FM23 saves you try.
Steaua have fallen so hard that they literally aren't even the same club anymore. One of the biggest clubs in Europe, a genuine European Cup winner, is more or less a phoenix club by this point. Ridiculous arguments with the military have seen the club essentially split in half. Meanwhile, the likes of Cluj and Astra are the real forces of local football here.
Have fun restoring this, as you will be taking on a challenge that is extremely tough. Your only saving grace is a decent youth system, but you are going to be facing off against teams that are simply better than you. There is much to think about and precious little funds to solve your problems. You will also be dealing with one of the most controversial owners in football, so you need to be prepared for a huge challenge here.
Though they still qualify for Europe from time to time, this is not the Lyon team of the early 2000s. The days of OL being one of the dominant names in France and a regular name in European competition are gone. The club is under different ownership and have far less ambition than they did a decade ago. Who knows, though? With enough management, you could easily turn them around back into a competing force.
You will need to see off a rampant Paris Saint-Germain as well as outdoing competitive rivals Marseille, Monaco, Lens, Rennes, and Lille. It is not easy, but you have a wonderful academy system and access to a great scouting network.
If you think that you could legitimately build something here, you should try it out. It is a hard save, but Lyon are a giant club that could be restored to their glory.
Seen as the third power in Spain, it is now more likely to see Los Che fighting it out in mid-table with the likes of Getafe and Celta Vigo than fighting for a European spot. Despite being the third most well-supported club in the country, Valencia are a poor team that have very limited quality. Many of their best players, such as Carlos Soler, left this summer.
What is left is a squad that looks like it needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. A few decent young players could be sold on for profit in the near future, but you are basically flying a plane while it is being built. Add in ridiculously unrealistic expectations from ownership and fans, and you will need to do well from minute one to buy yourself even a moment of time. This is a huge undertaking, but the rewards would be worthwhile.
A different kind of rebuild in that Shakhtar have some excellent players – not least the electric Mykhaylo Mudryk – but they are literally unable to play games at home due to the war. As one of the most impressive clubs of the 2000s, Donetsk are a club that has essentially been homeless for around a decade.
It will take a huge amount of work to build a team, as the transient nature of the club means that sales and exits are common. This is a revolving door of a team that will take incredible management to keep together. In time, though, it could become one of the most emotionally satisfying saves that you can find. Work alongside Director of Football and club legend Darijo Srna, and see if you can get Donetsk back to European finals and dominating the Ukrainian league as they did for so many years.
As we all know, football is a sport where teams rise and fall. In many leagues, former giants have been replaced by other teams. This means that there are many clubs who you could take over and restore to their former glory. Whether through financial mistakes or competitive changes, who are some fallen giants who could use your expert assistance?
1. Anderlecht
The biggest club in Belgian football has been, for the best part of a decade, an also-ran. Though success arrives sporadically, the Brussels giants are well behind the likes of Club Brugge at home. The 1970s and 80s days of UEFA Cup success are a dot on the horizon. Can you help to take the biggest club in the league and restore them to a team that can do something continentally?
It will not be easy. You have immense challenges at home, and you have significant financial disparities with the most competitive clubs in Europe. This is not one for the faint of heart, either, as you will have next to no time to really build anything. Fans demand success more or less immediately despite the recent barren spell. Enjoy having to balance one of the most demanding fanbases in Europe with a budget that tells a different reality.
2. Panathinaikos
A regular on fallen giant lists, Greek football could really use Pana back at the top. They are the only Greek club to reach a European final, losing to Ajax in the 1970s European Cup. A genuinely massive club, terrible decisions for years has seen the Greek giants fall way below their typical expectation.
And your challenge is not easy. Not by a long shot. You are working with an uneven, poorly balanced squad that, even at its 'peak', lacks true star quality. Your budget is a waste of time, too; you will need to be very smart with how you use your money because there is next to none of it!
Pana are one of the true giants of European football, but they have been an also-ran for far too long. Restoring them to their former glory is not easy, but it would be among the most enjoyable FM23 saves you try.
3. Steaua Bucharest
Steaua have fallen so hard that they literally aren't even the same club anymore. One of the biggest clubs in Europe, a genuine European Cup winner, is more or less a phoenix club by this point. Ridiculous arguments with the military have seen the club essentially split in half. Meanwhile, the likes of Cluj and Astra are the real forces of local football here.
Have fun restoring this, as you will be taking on a challenge that is extremely tough. Your only saving grace is a decent youth system, but you are going to be facing off against teams that are simply better than you. There is much to think about and precious little funds to solve your problems. You will also be dealing with one of the most controversial owners in football, so you need to be prepared for a huge challenge here.
4. Olympique Lyonnais
Though they still qualify for Europe from time to time, this is not the Lyon team of the early 2000s. The days of OL being one of the dominant names in France and a regular name in European competition are gone. The club is under different ownership and have far less ambition than they did a decade ago. Who knows, though? With enough management, you could easily turn them around back into a competing force.
You will need to see off a rampant Paris Saint-Germain as well as outdoing competitive rivals Marseille, Monaco, Lens, Rennes, and Lille. It is not easy, but you have a wonderful academy system and access to a great scouting network.
If you think that you could legitimately build something here, you should try it out. It is a hard save, but Lyon are a giant club that could be restored to their glory.
5. Valencia
Seen as the third power in Spain, it is now more likely to see Los Che fighting it out in mid-table with the likes of Getafe and Celta Vigo than fighting for a European spot. Despite being the third most well-supported club in the country, Valencia are a poor team that have very limited quality. Many of their best players, such as Carlos Soler, left this summer.
What is left is a squad that looks like it needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. A few decent young players could be sold on for profit in the near future, but you are basically flying a plane while it is being built. Add in ridiculously unrealistic expectations from ownership and fans, and you will need to do well from minute one to buy yourself even a moment of time. This is a huge undertaking, but the rewards would be worthwhile.
6. Shakhtar Donetsk
A different kind of rebuild in that Shakhtar have some excellent players – not least the electric Mykhaylo Mudryk – but they are literally unable to play games at home due to the war. As one of the most impressive clubs of the 2000s, Donetsk are a club that has essentially been homeless for around a decade.
It will take a huge amount of work to build a team, as the transient nature of the club means that sales and exits are common. This is a revolving door of a team that will take incredible management to keep together. In time, though, it could become one of the most emotionally satisfying saves that you can find. Work alongside Director of Football and club legend Darijo Srna, and see if you can get Donetsk back to European finals and dominating the Ukrainian league as they did for so many years.
