For fans of Football Manager looking to embark on a challenging and rewarding long-term save, the Italian lower leagues offer a treasure trove of opportunities. With a rich footballing heritage, passionate fanbases, and a pyramid system that allows for dramatic rises, Italy’s lesser-known clubs provide the perfect canvas to build a dynasty.
With a rich history and a deep-rooted tradition, Italy has long been a powerhouse in world football, boasting some of the most famous clubs and players to ever grace the sport.
From the tactical brilliance of Italian coaches, the intense rivalries, or the historic moments of triumphs on the international scene, to brilliant football legends such as Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli or Gianfranco Zola who have come through one of the many Italian lower league clubs with a rich history, Italian football has embraced our hearts!
Whether you’re aiming to resurrect a fallen giant or elevate a minnow to Serie A glory, here are five compelling long-term saves in the Italian lower leagues to consider for your next Football Manager save!
This continues our series of long-term saves to do while waiting on further news about the next game in the Football Manager-series. For further recommendations please check out our suggestion on 5 long-term saves to do in the Spanish lower leagues that enables you to build a dynasty with one of the many historic clubs in Spain.
7 Recommended Long-Term Saves in Italy
1. Pro Vercelli (Serie C)
Once a powerhouse of Italian football, Pro Vercelli 1892 boasts an illustrious history with seven Serie A titles—albeit the last came in 1922. Today, the club languishes in Serie C, the third tier, following financial turmoil and bankruptcy in 2010. Based in the Piedmont region, Pro Vercelli is part of the historic “Quadrilatero Piemontese” alongside Alessandria, Casale, and Novara—clubs that dominated early Italian football but have since faded.
With seven Scudetto’s in their trophy cabinet, they are amongst the most successful football clubs in Italy. However, it’s now 103 years since they last became Italian Champions and have spent most of their recent history playing on the third level of the Italian football system.
However, despite a short stint in the Serie B between 2014 and 2018, we must head back 90 years ago since they last played football in the Italian Serie A.
This season, the club find themselves in the relegation zone – three valuable points behind safety, with the fourth youngest squad in the division.
It will be an uphill battle to restore Pro Vercelli to its former glory by returning it to Serie A and challenging the modern giants like Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, and try to reclaim the spot among Italy’s elite.
With average facilities and a modest budget, you’ll need to lean on smart recruitment and youth development as the financial constraints and fierce competition with LR Vicenza, Padova and newly relegated FeralpiSalò makes managing Pro Vercelli on Football Manager a true test of patience and strategic thinking to achieve your long-term goals.
2. Catania (Serie D)
Catania, based in Sicily, is a club with a fiery past and a passionate fanbase. Founded in 1908, Catania FC has played in the topflight from the 1960s through the 1980s, before enjoying another successful stint in Serie A between 2006 and 2014.
This period was marked by significant achievements, including an impressive 5th-place finish in Serie A during the 2009-10 season and a memorable series of matches against the top teams in Italy.
However, Catania’s time in Serie A was short-lived and between 2014 and 2016 they experienced two consecutive relegations after 8 consecutive seasons in Serie A.
Financial issues, mismanagement, and a series of poor seasons saw the club relegated to Serie B and eventually Serie C, Italy’s third tier. By 2018, the club was officially declared bankrupt and relegated further down the Italian football pyramid and have since plummeted to Serie D, Italy’s fourth tier.
Despite these setbacks, Catania FC has remained an important name in Italian football, particularly within the region of Sicily.
Known for their intense rivalry with Palermo, Catania’s Stadio Angelo Massimino once hosted top-flight football, making their current status a stark contrast to their potential.
From Serie A glory to financial collapse, the club has undergone a turbulent journey in the Italian football landscape. The promise of a better future in the ownership of the Pelligra group, which has later on bought Perth Glory, is a testament of the new ambitions within this cultural club.
However, despite its recent challenges, Catania FC remains a beacon of resilience, and for any Football Manager player looking for a long-term project, this club offers an intriguing mix of potential, passion, and history.
Their current squad features a mix of young graduates from their own Academy and more experienced players like Roberto Inglese, who came from Parma before this season – providing the ultimate foundation to build a new golden era forI Rossazzurri.
Whether you’re a seasoned Football Manager veteran or a newcomer to the game, managing Catania presents an exciting challenge that blends rich history, dedicated fans, and the drive for revival. The dream of a Sicilian resurgence, complete with European nights, will keep you hooked for seasons.
3. Novara (Serie C)
or Football Manager enthusiasts looking for a long-term save which centers around youth development, Novara Calcio offers a fantastic opportunity.
Nestled in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, Novara has a rich footballing history and a promising future, especially when it comes to developing young talent. While Catania bolsters one of the best training facilities in the lower leagues of Italy, Novara got the best youth training facilities within Serie C.
Founded in 1908, Novara Calcio has a deep-rooted history in Italian football. The club spent much of the 20th century bouncing between Serie B and Serie A, with its most recent spell in the topflight coming in the 1950s. In the modern era, the club has spent most of its time in Serie B and Serie C, with occasional promotions and relegations.
Currently playing in Serie C, Novara presents a unique challenge that combines the thrill of developing promising stars with the satisfaction of climbing back up the Italian football pyramid.
Now it’s 73 years since they managed their best-ever finish in the Serie A when they finished 8th, thanks to the contribution of Silvio Piola who scored 0.46 goals per game. He has later been honoured with getting their stadium named after himself.
We need to head back to 2017/18 when the club last played in the Italian Serie B and are three-times Serie B champions – the final one achieved in 1947/48. Something that paints the picture of how huge of a challenge it would be for Novara to win the Serie A in the modern era.
With a solid infrastructure, and a long history of producing talented players, Novara is a prime candidate for a youth development-focused Football Manager save in the Italian lower leagues. The aim and challenge of managing Novara on Football Manager: produce the next Italian legend like Francesco Totti, Gianluca Buffon or Paolo Maldini.
4. Triestina (Serie C)
Triestina, from the northeastern city of Trieste, is steeped in footballing lore as the birthplace of the catenaccio tactical system under Nereo Rocco. The club reached its peak in the 1940s, finishing as Serie A runners-up in 1948, but has since struggled, currently residing in Serie C for the fourth year in row.
After being declared bankruptcy in 2012, an US based investment firm led by Ben Rosenzweig funded and took control of the club – seeking to establish an ambitious football culture at the club founded on strategic thinking and a more analytics-driven approach to scouting players which injects hope of restoring the glory of Triestina.
Aided by their wonderful Stadio Nereo Rocco, who has received its name from one of the club’s greatest icons, and has a capacity of nearly 30,000 spectators, the foundation is there to build the club from the ashes.
Managing Triestina on Football Manager enables you to follow in the footsteps of legendary manager Bela Guttman. The quest is to end their 67-year spell without Serie A football and work with a rather international squad of 13 foreigners to win the club’s first-ever trophy!
After 14 years of struggles in the third and fourth division, achieving promotion to Serie B is the first step on the road before ticking off the achievement of playing the first ever Nord-Est Derby (vs Udinese) in many years!
On the road to reviving the glory of Triestina as a force to be reckoned with in the Italian topflight honoring its tactical legacy should be on your agenda.
Why not continuing the legacy of Bela Guttman by conforming to a highly attacking tactical philosophy, like the 4-2-4 formation, and play fascinating attacking football that spectators love to watch, and the players enjoys?!
5. Victor San Marino (Serie D)
A unique entry, Victor San Marino hails from the tiny republic of San Marino, yet competes in the Italian league system. Newly promoted to Serie D from Eccellenza in 2023, this club carries the legacy of San Marino’s footballing ambitions. With a population of just over 33,000, the nation has never had a team reach the higher echelons of Italian football—until now, perhaps.
Founded in 1960, Victor San Marino plays their football at Stadio di Acquaviva, a stadium that has a maximum capacity of 500 seats. That’s one of the smallest in the Italian lower leagues.
Imagine the incredible excitement of taking Victor San Marino from Serie D to Serie A, and on your way build a squad capable of defying the odds by turning this save into a build a nation saves.
With the quest of establishing a Sammarinese foothold in Italian football and boost the San Marino national team with homegrown talents along the way, you’ll be aiming to compete for trophies with both managing one of the smallest teams in Serie D, plus managing San Marino, considered to be the worst National team in the world.
Starting in Serie D with a club from a microstate means limited resources, a small talent pool, and a monumental climb through seven tiers. The novelty of turning a San Marino side into a European contender makes this a marathon worth running!
6. Perugia (Serie C)
Nestled in the heart of Italy’s picturesque Umbria region, Perugia is more than just a city of rich history, art, and culture—it’s also home to one of Italian football’s most intriguing clubs: Perugia Calcio. With a footballing pedigree that includes a historic unbeaten run in Serie A and a reputation for nurturing talent, Perugia represents a fascinating project for any football manager looking for a long-term save.
Whether you’re aiming to restore the club to its former glory or shape a modern-day powerhouse, Perugia provides a compelling challenge with the potential for both short-term success and long-term legacy.
Their most famous achievement came in the 1978-79 season when the club managed to go unbeaten throughout the entire Serie A campaign—a rare feat in Italian football. While they finished the season second behind Juventus, Perugia’s run without defeat remains one of the most impressive in Serie A history, earning them a place in Italian football lore. However, since that peak, the club has faced periods of fluctuating fortunes, spending much of the 21st century bouncing between Serie A, Serie B, and Serie C, often struggling to maintain consistency.
Currently, Perugia Calcio plays in Serie C, Italy’s third tier, after relegation from Serie B two years ago. They find themselves in 12th position – making promotion to Serie B look like a distant dream!
Though the club has faced challenges in recent years, Perugia’s passionate fanbase, deep-rooted history, and potential for recovery make it an exciting club for a long-term Football Manager save, although it will be a challenging one.
7. Ravenna (Serie D)
Ravenna FC, based in the beautiful city of Ravenna in Emilia-Romagna which are on the UNESCO’s World Heritage site, is another Italian club that offers a great long-term save opportunity. Founded in 1913, Ravenna has a history that stretches back over a century, with notable stints in Serie B during the 1990s. To my knowledge they have never achieved promotion to Serie A and is yet to win a major trophy but their best-ever finish in the Serie B was in 1996/97 when they finished 8th.
Now it’s 17 years since they last featured in the second division and have spent the last four years in the Serie D including the 2024/25 season – finishing on the second place two out of the last three seasons.
Finding themselves two points below Forlí – their local rival, Ravenna retains a rich cultural identity and potential for growth. The club’s status and limited resources force you to focus on smart scouting and player development, allowing you to unearth some incredible talent that can lead Ravenna to the top.
Much like Perugia, Ravenna offers the opportunity to be the hero that restores a fallen club to its former glory. The city’s historical roots and footballing pedigree make for a perfect narrative to guide the team from the fourth tier to Serie A. The road will be difficult, but with the right managerial vision, Ravenna could become a powerhouse of Italian football once more.
Why Choose the Italian Lower Leagues?
Italy’s football pyramid is a rollercoaster of promotion and relegation, with Serie C’s playoff madness and Serie D’s regional battles adding layers of complexity. The lower leagues are packed with clubs boasting rich histories, from Pro Vercelli’s early dominance to Catania’s southern pride. Each save offers a mix of tactical freedom, youth development opportunities, and the chance to upset the established order of Serie A titans like Juventus, Milan, and Inter.
These seven clubs stand out for their unique stories and long-term potential altough we could have mentioned several other fallen giants within the Italian lower leagues, or historic clubs with an interesting history.
Whether you’re drawn to a fallen giant, a cultural hub, or an international outlier, the Italian lower leagues promise a Football Manager adventure filled with drama, triumphs, and the satisfaction of building something truly special. Pick your club, roll up your sleeves, and start your journey today!
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