As Football Manager 2025 hits the shelves later this autumn, the thrill of starting a new managerial journey is palpable. Leaving behind us a hectic summer transfer window that has given us updated squads, fresh new challenges, and an array of clubs to choose from, the question on every one’s mind is: which team should I manage on Football Manager 25?
Whether you’re seeking the glory of managing a top-tier giant, the challenge of a lower-league underdog, or the excitement of reviving a fallen giant on Football Manager 2025, the new game offers endless possibilities to travel around the globe to hunt for trophies.
In this comprehensive guide to Football Manager 2025 teams to manage, we’ll explore some of the most intriguing and rewarding clubs to manage on Football Manager 25, helping you to find the perfect club to lead to glory in the latest edition of what could be the greatest edition of Football Manager to date.
To help you identify the perfect save ideas for Football Manager 2025 release, we have hand-picked a huge variety of clubs to manage on Football Manager 2025 – all with different types of difficulty level, challenges and scenarios.
To help you find the ideal club for your next adventure, we have broken up our comprehensive list of Football Manager 2025 teams to manage into several different types of challenges to give you a range of interesting FM25 save ideas.
From top clubs to manage on Football Manager 25 to fallen giants that needs a revival in order to restore the glory of historic clubs, we cater all fans of the Football Manager series with one of the greatest all-in-one Football Manager 2025 teams to manage guides we have ever written!
PS. Don’t forget to check out our other previous written guides on clubs to manage on Football Manager for further great save ideas that will be as valid for FM25 as for previous editions of the game.
Table of Contents
P.S. We will update our website with more team recommendations prior to FM25 release. Also, check out our associated content creators, who will publish their recommendations of who to manage on Football Manager 2025. Some, will be featured in this guide too!
Top Clubs to Manage on Football Manager 25
Marseille – Ligue 1
Stadium: Orange Vélodrome (67,394)
Transfer Budget:
Did you know Marseille is the only French club to have ever won the Champions League? Despite Paris Saint-Germain has done all it takes to lift the Champions League trophy, Marseille did the “impossible” when winning it in the 1992-93 season by beating Fabio Capello’s AC Milan 1-0.
In the first season, after Marseille legend Jean-Pierre Papin (Ballon D’Or winner 1991) moved to AC Milan, the Marseille squad included some of the greatest French legends ever in Didier Deschamps, Marcel Desailly and Fabien Barthez. They would all be key to the France’s success in the FIFA World Cup 1998 and UEFA Euro 2000 triumph.
Founded in 1899, Olympique de Marseille has become French Champions on 9 occasions – winning the Ligue 1 for the last time 14 years ago. Even though they finished as runner-up in both 2019-20 and 2021-22, OM somehow surprisingly finished on 8th place the following season after three managers come and went.
Now, it’s a club hungry for success. Appointing fascinating Roberto De Zerbi as the new manager for the next three years, itcould be the first step back to a top three finish.
With 28 titles in their trophy cabinet, Marseille is the second most successful club in France. Winning the Coupe de France on 10 occasions, 3 times Coupe de la Ligue champions and 2 times Trophée des Champions, Marseille are eager to get back to their winning ways.
Topping the chart for most appearances in the Ligue 1 with 73 seasons, the iconic club has become among the top 20 clubs with the highest revenue in the world according to Deloitte Football Money League resulting in a wealthy transfer budget to sign some of the best players erupting in world football on Football Manager 25.
The signing of Mason Greenwood for €26mill ahead of 24/25 season and Ismäel Koné for €12mill from Watford, in addition to the loan signing of Pierre-Emile Højberg could see the starting transfer budget on FM25 being rather restrictive.
However, by managing Marseille in FM25 you will have a great foundation for success. Their excellent training facilities means you can sign under-23 players that you can bring into the first team and focus your recruitment policy around signing wonderkids from the EU.
As one to develop a Ballon D’Or winner, the challenge could be to turn a Marseille save into a youth to gold series where you limit yourself to only signing under-23 players and focus your attention to the Marseille talents; Darryl Bakola, Enzo Sternal and Yanis Sellami, or what you can get from the future youth intakes in order to develop the next Jean-Pierre Papin on Football Manager 2025.
Borussia Mönchengladbach – Bundesliga
Stadium: BORUSSIA-PARK (54,057)
Transfer Budget:
«When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water»
Nothing describes the situation at Borussia Mönchengladbach better than this part within the lyrics of ‘Bridge over trouble water’. Released in 1970 by Simon and Garfunkel, this melancholic tune became a hit st a time where Gladbach embarked on their most glorious era.
Take me back to the 70s and the good old-times, you might say!
Between 1969 and 1979, Gladbach won five Bundesliga titles, one out of 3 DFB-Pokals, as well as dominating not only on home-soil but also in European competitions.
They won the UEFA Cup both in 1974-75 and 1978-79, finsihed runner-ups in the same competition both in 1972-73 and 1979-80, as well as losing in the finals of the European Cup 1976-77 to Liverpool. Now, we must not forget that this was in the heights of Johan Cruyff and Ajax’s Total Football, and Gladbach at the time competed against the greatest ever player, Gerd Müller who scored 398 goals in 453 apps between 1964 and 1979.
Read more | Gladbach’s heroes of ‘79
Now, Die Fohlen has not won the Bundesliga for 16 years! Last season, the club finished one point above relegation despite conceding 7 more goals than 1.FC Köln who had to rake the hard way down to 2. Bundesliga for 24/25 season.
Celebrating their 125th anniversary in 2025, Borussia Mönchengladbach could be a great challenge for the FM25 beta. Great foundations to rebuild the squad into your liking as the club includes a number of great players which you can sell for a sizeable amount. Or, you can set yourself up for the goal to replicate the history and try to win more than 5 German Champions in 10 years. Hopefully, you can avoid the signing of foreign players but use the club’s Academy to develop the next Jupp Heynckes, Lothar Matthäus, Berti Vogts, Marco Reus or Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Regardless of your transfer policy, it would be a mistake to look beyond the club’s recognized youth Academy.
Like Hennes Weisweiler and Udo Lattek’s golden team, you could set yourself the ambitions to play fast, aggressive football that would touch Jürgen Klopp’s football heart as you chase for trophies in the next five years, according to the club’s ambitious 5-year plan.
Managing Borussia Mönchengladbach on Football Manager 25 could be a fun youth to gold save to try before heading for a lower league save.
Sevilla – La Liga
Stadium: Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán (42,714)
Transfer Budget:
With 7 UEFA Cup or Europa League trophies, Sevilla are the most successful clubs in that European competition. Winning the competition three times in a row between 2013 and 2016, it’s a time for transition and rebuild for the Andalucian side.
This year, they aren’t even qualified to participate in one of the European tournaments as they finished on a disappointed 14th place. It’s a downward trend for Sevilla, who not only finished on the 11th place in La Liga 22/23 but also see their squad’s average age increasing. With most of their player’s age being between 25 and 30 to key players – squads avg. Age is curently at 25.9 – Los Nervionenses are in for another difficult season under Garcia Pimienta’s guidance.
Labelled as the World’s Best club in 2006 and 2007 by IFFHS, Sevilla is far away from earning a similar recognition these days, and their golden era might be over…
Founded in 1890 by Scottish-born Edward Farquharson Johnston, it’s one of the oldest football clubs in Spain, and the most successful clubs from Andalucia.
For FM25, Sevilla represent a wonderful five-year save where you aim to rebuild the club into a title contender. Can you win the club’s first La Liga title since 1945-46 at the same time their mark their 80th anniversary for their one and only Spanish Championship?!
Time is definitely not ticking on your side as you will have two seasons to complete ‘the impossible’!
Lazio – Serie A enilive
Stadium: Olimpico (70,634)
Transfer Budget:
Despite finishing among the top 10 clubs in the Italian Serie A, Lazio will ‘always’ be recognized as the best of the rest. It’s now reaching 25 years since they won the Scudetto for the last time. With only two Scudettos in their trophy cabinet (1973-74 and 1999/2000) and seven Coppa Italia trophies, they are only ranked as the 10th most successful club in Italy.
They even won the last UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup competition ever to be held (1998-99), before it was abolished and integrated into the UEFA Europa League, as we now knows it.
In FM25, Lazio could be a great FM25 save idea, as you can continue your hunt for glory after the official release. The challenge would be to rebuild the squad and split up the big three in Italy by hopefully winning the club’s third Scudetto in a five-year project revolving signing only Italian Under-23 players and go wonderkids hunting across the world to find the next Alessandro Nesta, Sinisa Mihajlovic, Juan Sebastian Verón, Hernan Crespo or Pavel Nedved.
In fact, they have been the household for a number of iconic players.
Now, it’s your quest to build a team of the next legends plying their trade in Italy before getting worldwide recognition.
Brighton & Hove Albion – Premier League
Stadium: AMEX Stadium (31,800)
Transfer Budget: €0
From battling in the relegation zone in the first four years after promoting from the Championship in 2016/17 season, Brighton & Hove Albion has established themselves as a Premier League mid-table club. Finishing on a 6th place two seasons ago under the guidance of Roberto de Zerbi, the club is showing financial muscles to qualify for a European competition spot for 2025-26 season.
This summer, Brighton has spent a record-high €170.2mill on a summer spending spree that has seen the club signing 7 players under the age of 24 with Georginio Rutter and Yakuba Minteh becoming marquee signings.
Social medias have made a mockery of Chelsea’s squad size. However, Brighton is not far behind. For the 2024-25 season, Brighton’s squad size total 40 players and is only beaten by Chelsea to have the youngest squad in the Premier League 2024/25 with their average age of just 23.7.
After Roberto de Zerbi and Brighton parted ways, 31-year-old Fabian Hürzeler has taken over the managerial role – becoming the youngest ever permanent manager in the Premier League history.
Attracting our attention with their innovative tactics, The Seagulls might be a great challenge for anyone having the desire to manage a young squad with lots of potential. You can mould the squad into your preferred tactical style, or use the club to scout for wonderkids across the world and limit yourself to signing only under-23 players whilst trying to become English Champions for the first time in the club’s history.
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The Fallen Giants Set for a Revival on FM25
Hertha Berlin – 2. Bundesliga
Hertha Berlin is one of the most iconic football clubs in Germany. Playing their matches on the legendary Olympiastadion, the now 132-year-old German football club relegated to the 2. Bundesliga after a miserable 2022/23 season where they finished rock bottom together with Schalke 04. Last season, they finished 9th in the 2. Bundesliga – five points more than Schalke 04.
As one of the founding members of the German Football Association, the club has never become Bundesliga Champions, at least in the modern era. In fact, it’s now 93 years since they won their second German Championship. At the beginning of the great depression, 1930 and 1931 respectively, Hertha Berlin had their first of two golden eras. The second coming in the late 1970s by finishing as runners-up in the 1974-75 Bundesliga and coming to the DFB-Pokal finals 1976-77 and 1978-79.
So far, the club has never won the DFB-Pokal despite of their long history but finished as runners-up on three occasions – the last time in 1992/93!
Hertha’s best performance in the last decade is a 6th place in the Bundesliga 2016/17 which saw them qualify for the Europa League 2017/18 but never made it out of the group stage.
Over the last few years, the club has gone through a period of instability in their performance and coaching staff. By often conceding more goals than they have scored, and 10 manager transfers since 2019, paints the picture of a club in mess and in dire need of a revival!
However, over the last 20 years, Hertha Berlin has gained a lot of recognition for their wonderful work in youth development. On several occasions, bigger clubs in Germany, such as Bayern Munich has looked to Hertha’s Football Academy for poaching their greatest under-16 talents. Noel Aseko Nkili is just one example of Bayern looking to Berlin for poaching promising young players for the future.
With a clear youth training philosophy, the club has won the U19 Bundesliga in 2018, the U19 DFP-Pokal in 2015 as well as winning a number of other youth tournaments in Germany.
German Internationals such as Jerome Boateng, Maximilian Mittelstädt, Lazar Samardzic, Robert Andrich and Luca Netz are just some of the players coming through the Hertha Berlin Football Academy. Their incredible records of producing players capable of performing in the top-flight makes Hertha Berlin into a wonderful youth development challenge.
With excellent training facilities, good Academy coaching and great youth facilities, the foundation is there to turn the faith of a German iconic club in decline. Could you rebuild Hertha Berlin into one of the best clubs in Germany and replicate the feat of Bayern Munich’s eleven consecutive Champions?
Blackburn Rovers – SkyBet Championship
2025 will be a year to look back at some iconic football moments for all Blackburn fans. Not only will the club celebrate their 150th anniversary but this season also marks 30 years since the won the Premier League for the last time. With club legends like Tim Sherwood, Chris Sutton, Colin Hendry and Tim Flowers, becoming English Champions of 1994-95 stands today as their greatest achievements to date. At least in the club’s modern history.
Founded in 1875, Blackburn Rovers, who are based in the historical county of Lancashire, had their most successful era before WWII. Between their foundation to the great depression started, Blackburn happen to win the FA Cup on five occasions in the 1900th century before winning their last FA Cup trophy in 1927-28. They also won the First Division in 1911-12 and 1913-14 until they had to wait 81 years.
It can’t go another 80 years before their next triumph.
Your challenge for Football Manager 2025 is to go for a glory hunter save with Blackburn.
But it won’t be an easy challenge. Last year, Blackburn finished only three points above relegation with the third most conceded goals in Championship 23/24. The sale of Adam Wharton (€22mill) and Sam Gallagher (€1,8mill) has given the club some much needed income to improve the squad for 24/25 season. The signing of Makhtar Gueye, Andi Weimann and Yuki Ohashi will provide great depth to the squad which also includes Sammie Szmodics, Tyrhus Dolan, Sondre Tronstad, Joe Rankin-Costello and Arnór Sigurðsson, who has to perform consistently in one of the most difficult leagues if Blackburn should have any hope to finish in the top half of the Championship 24/25 table.
Follow in the footsteps of Kenny Daglish to hunt for the club’s second Premier League trophy, or try to become a club legend by surpassing Robert Middleton as the longest-serving manager, who were in charge for 22 years and 3 months, as you manage Blackburn Rovers on Football Manager 2025!
Bursaspor – TFF Third League
After years of struggling with debts and going through a period not allowed to sign players, Bursaspor was relegated down to the fourth level in the Turkish football league. Managing Bursaspor on FM25 would require a league extension pack. However, if you manage to get hold up one, they could be a wonderful choice for a save where you revive a fallen giant, perhaps along with completing a FM25 building a nation save.
Bursaspor Kulübü Derneği, from Bursa in Türkiye, is one of few clubs outside Instanbul to ever win the Süper Lig. This happened in 2009-10 which saw them qualify for the UEFA Champions League the following season. In the same group as Manchester United, who would reach the finals, they lost all but one match which saw them going out in the group stage with 1 point.
Founded in 1963, the club participated in the UEFA Europa League as late as in 2014-15.
Now, the reality is completely different.
With €43million in debt, no money to sign players, pay the staff or upgrade, or maintain, the club’s training facilities it’s a question of how long the club will be able to keep their hesds above water before filing for bankruptcy.
The downfall of Bursaspor might look as an enticing save for everyone who loves a lower league challenge. Turning the club up side down whilst establishing a foundation at the club which makes them sustainable for the future could be one of the greatest reviving a fallen giant challenges on Football Manager 2025.
However, the more rewarding it would feel, if you succeed!
FM25 Fallen Giants to Revive to Glory
Looking for save ideas for Football Manager 2025? Restoring the glory of a fallen giant on FM25 could be a very rewarding challenge. Here we give you lots of clubs to revive across the world.
Deportivo de La Coruña – LaLiga Hypermotion
Stadium: Riazor (32,490)
Founded in December 1906, Os brancoazuis competed regularly in the Spanish top-flight in from the early 80s to their relegation to Segunda Division in 2018. A further relegation to the third tier two seasons later saw the historic club definitely fall from grace.
After four years in the third level of the Spanish football pyramid, Deportivo de La Coruña has started their rise back to glory. Since their relegation from LaLiga 2 in 2020, Deportivo has been one of the top clubs in the Primera Federación by never finishing below 4th place.
Between 1980s and 2011, Deportivo La Coruña was a household name in the Spanish top division. Their golden era came under the guidance of Javier Irureta who not only managed to make the club into a top 6 club, but also win the LaLiga in 1999/2000 – five points ahead of Louis van Gaal’s Barcelona and Hector Cuper’s Valencia.
Becoming Spanish Champions was nothing short of a fairy tale!
Not only had they just promoted from second division two years earlier but they clinched the title with a record-low 69 points. I’m not even sure anyone has become champions with so few points gathered.
The title was just the start.
Irureta managed to build a golden squad. With Roy Makaay and Diego Tristan on top, Deportivo managed to win the Copa del Rey 2001/02 beating the Galacticos from Madrid 2-1 on the day of their 100th anniversary.
In the same period they reached both the quarter finals of Champions League 2000-01 and 2001-02. In CL 2003-04 Super Depor would beat both Juventus and AC Milan to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League – making it the pinnacle of Irureta’s managerial career. Unluckily, they lost by a penalty goal to Jose Mourinho’s Porto over two very evenly competed fixtures.
The achievements of finishing first, second, second, third and third from 2000 to 2005 had its costs. Not only had the club spent money they didn’t really have by introducing us to Brazilian icons such as Bebeto, Mauro Silva, Djalminha and Flavio Conceicao but also aforeable mentioned Roy Makaay or Moroccan Noureddine Naybet but the club relied on smart recruitments to build a competitive golden team that could be regarded as one of the best clubs in Europe at the time.
Playing in their iconic shirts of Blue and White stripes, Os brancoazuis is one of the classic fallen giants any passionate fans of Football Manager must manage in their lifetime. Not only will replicating the feats of Don Balon award winner Javier Irureta be a nearly impossible challenge but creating the new Super Depor seems nearly impossible considering the huge difference between today’s superpowers financial strengths compared to Deportivo’s current resources.
RELATED | Super Depor is on their way back by The Guardian
Girondins de Bordeaux – Championnat National 2
When we should write a guide on the best clubs to manage on Football Manager 2025, Girondins de Bordeaux would be on everyone’s lips. After being demoted to the fourth level of the French league system due to financial mismanagement and a failured takeover, Les Girondins will be the ultimate revive a fallen giant save on FM25.
At the brink of bankruptcy, Bordeaux has been forced to give up their professional status, terminate the contracts of all players snd staff, except youth, and close their training ground.
Now they will have to start from scratch with everything quite up in air.
To manage Bordeaux on Football Manager 2025 it requires a French league extension pack. When you get it, the quest begins to revive the club from the ashes with the ambitious long-term plan to promote back to Ligue 1 over the next few years.
Like many others, the pandemic became devastating to the club’s faith, with loss in income and relegation from Ligue 1 at the end of 21/22 season.
Bordeaux has become French Champions six times, won Coupe de France four times, won the Coupe de la Ligue on three occasions, as well as three Trophee des Champions titles. They even made it to the finals of the UEFA Cup 1996 and had their first and second golden era in the 80s and in the beginning of the 2000s.
They last won Ligue 1 in 2008-09 under the management of Laurent Blanc.
Managing Bordeaux on FM25 will force you to build a squad from scratch as you might be likely to start off your journey with a young and highly inexperienced squad – making relegation to the rrgional division below far more likely than a promotion.
Are you up for such a massive build a club challenge?
FM25 Clubs To Manage: Youth Development Challenges
Sunderland – SkyBet Championship
We kick off our list of FM25 youth development saves with one unordinary pick. Sunderland might not be first on your mind when it comes to English clubs with a great youth Academy but rather than managing Southampton, Tottenham or Manchester United, why not choose a club with a rather decent foundation but still needs some work to become successful.
Sunderland enters the 2024-2025 season with the youngest squad in SkyBet Championship with an average age of 22.8. In the current squad you will have the chance to develop wonderkid Chris Rigg (17) on Football Manager 2025 – one of the greatest talents in the Championship since Jude Bellingham broke through at Birmingham.
Over the years, Sunderland have been a stepping stone club for English internationals. Both Jordan Pickford and Jordan Henderson have come through the Sunderland youth Academy and has represented for the English National team.
At Sunderland, you will have superb training facilities to develop your players into wonderkids, excellent youth facilities, good Academy coaching and above average youth recruitment to help you get an excellent youth intake stacked with English generational talents. At the same time, the squad is among the top five most valueable teams in the English Championship, as Jobe Bellingham (18) and Jack Clarke (23) leads the line as the most valueable Sunderland players under the age of 23.
Are you ready for a youth to gold save with Sunderland on Football Manager 2025, and turn the club into one of the best clubs in England in terms of youth development?
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube – Brasileirão Série A
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, commonly known as Cruzeiro, is one of the most successful and storied football clubs in Brazil. Founded in 1921 in Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, Cruzeiro has built a rich history characterized by domestic and international success.
This year, it’s 10 years since Cruzeiro Esporte Clube won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A two times in a row.
Cruzeiro is renowned for its passionate fanbase and has enjoyed considerable success in Brazilian football throughout their history. Until now, they have won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title four times, with particularly dominant performances in the 1960s, 1970s, and 2010s. The club is also a two-time winner of the prestigious Copa Libertadores, having secured the title in 1976 and 1997.
Despite its illustrious history, Cruzeiro has faced significant challenges in recent years, including relegation to Série B for the first time in its history in 2019. The club has been working to rebuild and regain its position among the elite of Brazilian football, making Cruzeiro a compelling story of resilience and ambition.
Over the last five years, the iconic club has been struggling with financial mismanagement and huge debts totalling at €183mill (according to the FM24 database).
Saved by Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário who became a majority shareholder when the club was at the brink of going bankruptcy in 2021, Cruzeiro entered a new era. But the fairytale of Ronaldo owning his boyhood club wouldn’t last long.
In April 2024, Ronaldo sold his shares to a local businessmen, Pedro Lourenço, following criticism and protests over the lack of investments and the heightened expectations with the club legend as the primary owner.
With 7 different continental titles, 6 Copa do Brasil and being Brazilian champions four times, along with 38 state championships, Cruzeiro could be a wonderful rebuild save on Football Manager 2025!
At the same time, Cruzeiro has produced a long range of Brazilian internationals apart from Ronaldo. Through their academy, the club has given us Dida, Luisão, Maicon, Léo Bonatini and Vitor Roque. Even Estevão spent his childhood years at Cruzeiro before moving to Palmeiras and making a name for himself!
To rebuild Cruzeiro on Football Manager 2025, you could turn to the club’s Youth Academy to develop the next Brazilian stars. Compete against Palmeiras, São Paulo and Flamengo to become the nation’s best wonderkid factory and set yourself the ambition to prioritize your financial resources on improving the club’s youth facilities and around youth development to create the club’s next golden generation.
Stabæk Fotball – Norwegian OBOS-ligaen
Have you ever wanted to win trophies with only kids? Then, you might like the Club DNA of Stabæk Fotball. With values like Enjoyment amd Courage, the Norwegian first division club emphasize youth development as their founding principles for sporting success.
Probably best known as the club who gave us Antonio Nusa, Stabæk Fotball has developed talents from Oslo and nearby regions for decades. As a grassroot football club divided into the Professional OBOS-liga team and their renown Academy, the club based in Bærum are great at giving their best youth talents a pathway to first team football.
In FM25, you will be introduced to two up-and-coming Norwegian wonderkids. Sebastian Olderheim and Oskar Spiten-Nysæter are some of the clubs best performers in the first half of the season, and could easily become the next Norwegian wonderkids exports to one of European top leagues.
As you enter Nadderud for a youth development save at Stabæk, you will be faced with a young but ambitious squad. Their average age of 22.8, could make it difficult to promote back to the Eliteserien after a season in the first division. But, battling against Lyn, Skeid and Vålerenga to become the best club in Norway to produce players for the National team could be the long-term vision that makes a Stabæk save on FM25 into a wonderful challenge ahead of World Cup 2030.
Set it up as a Build a Nation save on Fotball Manager 25 and try to get the nation to qualify for their first World Cup participation since 1998!
Sparta Rotterdam – Eredivisie
In a nation with fierce competition from PSV, Feyenoord, Ajax and AZ Alkmaar, Sparta Rotterdam’s youth academy has established themselves among the best youth academies in the Netherlands.
Through their 4-star certified youth academy, the Sparta Jeugdopleiding, we have seen Dutch internationals like Danny Blind, Georginio Wijnaldum, Winston Bogarde, Memphis Depay and Ed de Goey, to name a few, coming through their renown academy.
With good training and youth facilities, Sparta Rotterdam provides a great foundation for a youth to gold save. Focusing on improving the clubs’ youth intake and generate the next golden generation which can battle against the big three in Netherlands for producing the best players to the National team, Sparta Rotterdam can be a great challenge for a youth development save.
Founded in 1888, De Kasteelheren hasn’t won the Eredivisie since 1959, which was their best achievement since their golden era in the 1910s where they won 5 Championships between 1908 and 1915. They have also won the KNVB Cup three times.
Their best performance in the last 20 years is a 6th place finish in the Eredivisie 22/23.
Managing Sparta Rotterdam on Football Manager 2025 could be a great challenge for everyone who wish to compete for European glory with a focus on youth development. It will be slightly harder challenge than just managing Ajax, Crvena Zvezda, Hadjuk Split or any of the clubs famed for their youth academy but still gives you an easier path into producing newgens that could become wonderkids into the future.
Phoenix Clubs To Manage on FM25
FC Clivense – Italian Serie D
Fc Clivense is the phoenix club of ChievoVerona who was refounded in May 2024 after a long process of issues with the ownership rights and the financial troubles at AC ChievoVerona. In the aftermath of getting expelled from Serie B due to their inability to pay outstanding taxes, former Chievo captain Sergio Pellissier finally managed to acquire the rights of the former club and its logo on an auction after three years of trying to do everything in his powers to save his beloved club.
FC Clivense will now be the legal heir to ChievoVerona. Chievo who played Serie A football only 5 years ago. In Serie A 2018/19, Chievo finished on 20th place and got relegated to Serie B for the first time in 11 years.
Working their way up from the regional division of Veneto in the 70s to playing regularly in the top-flight of Italian football is a remarkable story of a smaller clubs’ rise to fame.
Now it’s back to the drawing board to build Clivense into a future Serie A club. Can you complete three consecutive promotions in a row and become the greatest club from Veneto by surpassing Venezia?
P.S. To manage FC Clivense on Football Manager 2025 you will need to download a league extension pack that unlocks Serie D on FM25.
AFC Wimblefon – SkyBet League Two
When Wimbledon FC decided to relocate their ground to Milton Keynes in September 2003 it caused quite a stir among the fanbase, which resulted in the foundation of AFC Wimbledon as some fans were destined to keep Wimbledon at their historic ground, Plough Lane.
Creating a new club meant AFC Wimbledon having to start at the bottom, in the Combined Counties League. It would take them 9 years, and five promotions later, to reach the League Two – becoming the only club established in the 21th century to play in that division.
Between 2016 and 2022 they played in the English League One but got relegated to League Two for 22/23 season.
As one of the club’s honours is their record of winning 78 consecutive matches, between 2003 and 2004 – making them set the record for longest unbeaten run in any level of men’s football throughout the United Kingdom.
Last season, they finished 10th in the League Two but while MK Dons is among the favourites to promote to League One, AFC Wimbledon might hope for a mid-table position, if we should take into account the last two years achievements and the overall squad value (10th best according to Transfermarkt). But as we all know, anything is possible on Football Manager.
Managing Wimbledon on FM25 gives you the opportunity to build a club to your liking. Their training and youth facilities is below average and restoring the glory of Wimbledon into a Premier League club is long term project that could quickly take another 10 years.
Corvinul Hunedoara – Romanian Liga 2 Casa Pariurilor
When Corvinul Hunedoara won the Cupa Romãniei 2023/24 against Dorinel Munteanu’s Otelul Galati, it secured the Romanian second division club qualification for the first qualificying round of the Europa League 2024/25.
Founded in 1921, Corvinul Hunedoara had its most successful period in the 1970s and the 1980s when they regularly participated in the Divizia A and participated in the UEFA Cup 1982-83.
Famed and feared for their attacking football, the Hunedorenii led by Ion Ionescu scored goals on will and due to their records to score three goals a game, the phrase “norma hunedoareanã” (Hunedoara’s standard) was given to describe their fascinating and entertaining football.
Laid down with a broken back since the fall of communism in Romania, Corvinul Hunedoara went through 17 years of financial struggles. At one point, they only had youth squads and it wasn’t until as late as in 2022, when the club merged with FC Corvinul and took over their legal history, the club managed to create a new beginning.
Now, it’s 42 years since the club achieved their best performance to date by finishing on 3rd place in the Liga 1. With their only Cupa Romãniei honour, managing Corvinul could be a fascinating story of creating history in the Europa League whilst chasing for promotion to the Liga 1.
Here you’ll be able to manage one of many underdogs across the world and participate in one of the biggest European competitions. Perhaps you can even try to better their performance of reaching the second round of the UEFA Europa League qualification…?
Newly Promoted Clubs 2024-2025
KFC Komárno – Slovakian Niké Liga
For the first time in the clubs’ 124th year history, KFC Komárno finally achieved promotion to the top flight of Slovakian football. Regardless of how it will turn out, the 2024-25 season will be a season to look back upon for the minor Slovakian club with huge ambitions.
In 2012/13, Komárno played in the fourth division of the Slovak league system and have climbed the ladders to the Niké Liga in just 10 years. From being an amateur club to professional football, the club is currently building a new stadium with a capacity of 5000 spectators, which opens in September 2024.
In their plan to first division football, KFC Komárno has emphasized youth recruitment and the development of talents from the nearby local region.
Based along the Danube river on the borders between Hungary and Slovakia, the club is in close proximity to Györ, Bratislava and Budapest – meaning you can hunt for talents coming through those academies. In fact, quite unordinary, the club is based in the town of Komarom in Hungary but plays in the Slovakian football league system – being a proof of how past history and political decisions still affects the region and the people living on the border.
Managing KFC Komárno could be the start of a wonderful journeyman save in Eastern Europe on FM25. Perhaps you wish to use them in a build a nation save where you tries to win the World Cup 2026 with Slovakia, or imagine hunting for the clubs first ever major trophy and become Slovakian Champions as a underdog fairy tale. Regardless, you will be in for a huge challenge by entering the doors of KFC Komárno.
Who are you going to manage on Football Manager 2025? Let us know where you’ll be heading for your next FM25 save.
