5 Spanish Clubs to Manage in FM27

Five Spanish clubs to manage in FM27: revive Deportivo, survive with Racing and Málaga, or rebuild Girona and Mallorca for promotion.

From Deportivo's return to La Liga to promotion rebuilds at Girona and Mallorca, these five Spanish clubs offer very different challenges for your first FM27 save.

Deportivo back among Spain's elite. Racing Santander returning after 14 years. Málaga trying to make their comeback last. Further down, Girona and Mallorca face the job of winning their way back.

Spain offers some compelling starting points for a Football Manager 27 career, especially if you want a club with unfinished business and room to grow.

Sports Interactive has confirmed a November launch window for FM27, with the exact date and supported platforms still to follow. Our FM27 release date guide tracks the confirmed details.

These are pre-release save ideas based on the clubs' real 2026/27 circumstances. FM27's starting squads, budgets, player ratings and final playable competition list remain unconfirmed. The objectives and restrictions below are our own suggestions, not announced features or board expectations.

1. Deportivo La Coruña

Riazor and the surrounding city of A Coruña, December 2008. Photo: Pablo Herrero from LA CORUÑA, Spain / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

The challenge: Build towards a second great Deportivo team

Deportivo are back in Spain's top flight in 2026/27. Their 1999/2000 Spanish title gives this save a much bigger target than survival.

That gap between the present and the club's greatest success makes this my strongest long-term choice on the list.

Start by deciding which players could still help you three seasons into the save. Keep that group together where practical, then recruit for the weaknesses around them. A first summer full of replacements might improve individual positions while leaving you with another rebuild a year later.

Give the career three milestones: survive, qualify for Europe, then assemble a squad capable of challenging for the title. Each stage should change your recruitment priorities. Reliability matters first; later, you can afford to take more chances on players with a higher ceiling.

The academy can provide a connection between those stages. Identify a player you are prepared to trust and make room for him before the transfer market fills every available position.

Optional save rule: Give at least one club academy graduate 1,500 league minutes each season. Choose the player before the opening match, with a replacement allowed if a long-term injury makes the target impractical.

Establish Deportivo in La Liga, bring European football back and work towards another title-winning team.

2. Racing Santander

The exterior of Racing Santander's El Sardinero, August 2009. Photo: Carlos Cunha / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The challenge: Make the return to La Liga stick

Racing ended a 14-year absence from the top flight by securing promotion in May 2026. Their return followed years in the lower divisions and serious difficulties off the pitch.

This is the save for managers who enjoy extracting value from a small number of carefully chosen additions.

Build your first recruitment shortlist around specific problems. You might need a defender who can cope when the back line is exposed, a midfielder who remains useful under pressure or a forward who gives you an outlet when possession is scarce. Assess those needs against the actual FM27 squad before spending anything.

The tactical project is equally appealing. How much of your preferred attacking approach can you retain against stronger opponents? Prepare a more cautious variation that uses broadly the same players, so a difficult away fixture does not require an entirely different squad.

Resist judging the whole project by results against the strongest clubs. Your first season needs a repeatable way to compete with the teams around you.

Optional save rule: Make no more than three permanent first-team signings in the opening summer, including free agents. Loans remain available, but you must choose which weaknesses most urgently need a lasting solution.

Keep Racing up, strengthen gradually and turn a long-awaited return into a permanent place in La Liga.

3. Málaga CF

La Rosaleda lit for an evening match, March 2026. Photo: Alan Grant / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.

The challenge: Keep the academy central to the comeback

Málaga returned to the top flight after eight years away, beating Almería 2-1 in the decisive promotion play-off match. Their starting side included six academy products.

There is a much bigger target in the club's history too. Málaga reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2012/13.

The interesting tension is between those two stories. Can you pursue another European adventure while keeping a meaningful route from the academy into the first team?

Before making signings, map the younger players against the positions they could realistically fill. If a prospect is nearly ready, consider an experienced short-term option ahead of him, with a clear plan for handing over the position.

Judge academy involvement by minutes and responsibility. An unused place on the bench does little for the story of the save. Give your chosen youngsters defined jobs, including opportunities in matches where the result matters.

Optional save rule: Start at least three club academy graduates in league matches whenever three suitable players are fit and available. Record exceptions so a bad run does not quietly end the challenge.

Survive with the academy involved, establish the club in La Liga and see how far that same identity can take you in Europe.

4. Girona FC

A match at Girona's Montilivi during the 2010/11 season. Photo: Jmsolerb / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

The challenge: Rebuild a promotion team with a clear way of playing

Girona are in Spain's second tier in 2026/27. Portu has described returning to the top division as the dressing room's clear objective, with the squad combining experienced players and younger arrivals.

Use that situation to build a save around tactical continuity.

Choose a few principles you want the team to retain after promotion. Perhaps you want to build through midfield, create chances through wide combinations or press aggressively after losing possession. Then examine whether your squad can support those choices.

The transfer test is straightforward: would you still want this player if promotion arrived? Some experienced signings will help immediately, but filling every vacancy with a temporary solution leaves too much work for the next summer.

Keep a small core capable of setting standards while younger players learn their jobs. You can change individual roles or become more cautious against stronger opponents without abandoning the ideas that brought the team success.

Optional save rule: At least half of your permanent signings must be aged 23 or under until you complete your first season back in La Liga.

Win promotion, then survive with a recognisable version of the team you built.

5. RCD Mallorca

An elevated view of Son Moix with the sprinklers running, February 2026. Photo: Arieleisenhammer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The challenge: Build a promotion campaign around control

Mallorca also begin 2026/27 in the second division, giving you another route into a promotion challenge in Spain.

Give this save a different sporting brief: build the division's most dependable defensive team.

Start with the space between your midfield and defence. Can opponents receive there comfortably? Are your full-backs leaving both sides exposed? Do you have a reliable way to retain the ball after defending for a long spell?

Recruitment should answer those questions. Prioritise players who complement each other. A midfielder who holds position may help an attacking full-back more than another adventurous playmaker would.

Track goals conceded alongside your points total. A solid defensive structure still needs a way to create chances, especially against opponents happy to leave with a draw. Make sure your attacking plan can produce enough wins to sustain a promotion challenge.

Optional save rule: For the first two seasons, make permanent signings only from Spanish clubs or the free-agent market. Loans are unrestricted, and players can be of any nationality.

Win promotion with a team that is difficult to break down, then test whether that structure can withstand La Liga.

Which Spanish FM27 Save Should You Choose?

Deportivo would be my first pick for a long career. Survival gives you an achievable opening target, while the club's league title provides something much larger to chase.

Choose Málaga if developing club-trained players is what keeps you invested. Racing offer a focused survival project with a deliberately limited first transfer window.

Girona suit managers who want to develop a style that survives promotion. Mallorca provide a promotion challenge you can shape around defensive discipline.

If you are still comparing countries, explore our five English clubs to manage in FM27 and five German clubs to manage in FM27. Our FM27 preparation checklist will help you turn your favourites into a shortlist and a clear save rule.

Pick the job whose second and third seasons interest you as much as the first.

Which of these five Spanish clubs would you choose? Share your pick in the comments.