Discover the journey of reviving football's fallen giants in FM24. Reignite the legacy of historic clubs like Sunderland, Bolton, and Sampdoria.
FM24's Fallen Giants: Restoring Football's Lost Legacy
Restoring a fallen giant to their former glory is an incredibly satisfying way to play Football Manager. When a big club falls through the divisions, there’s always a natural reaction to try and restore that club. On FM24, there’s plenty of these sides to pick from, and this article is a few of my favourites.
Sunderland
This feels a little like cheating, because Sunderland are already on their way back up. Falling as far as League One, it’s been a few tough years for Sunderland since they were relegated from the Premier League. Chronically mismanaged for years, they finally seem to be back on the right track and heading back to the top flight of English football. Tell Jobe Bellingham you love him, and hope to god you can hang onto him while you fire your way back to the Premier League.
Bolton Wanderers
That’s more like it. Bolton haven’t played in the top flight in English football since 2012, but during their stay in the Premier League, they had plenty of cult heroes. Who can forget those iconic Reebok jerseys, under the guidance of Sam Allardyce, disrupting the Premier League with an unfashionable club boasting talent like Eider Gudjohnsen, Jussi Jaaskeleinen and of course: Jay Jay Okocha? Despite some of the most exciting players these shores have ever seen, Bolton have played more top flight seasons than any other club without winning a title. A club with that kind of record has no business being in the third tier - this is a top flight club who have fallen on tough times: perfect for a fallen giants save on FM24.
Preston North End
The last of our English sides for this list, Preston North End have the dubious honour of owning the longest title drought in English football. However, in their heyday, PNE were one of the greatest English sides of all time; winning an invincible title more than a century before Arsenal. Your mission is to return Preston to the promised land, and to return the top flight trophy to its first ever home.
READ ALSO: FM24 Sleeping Giants to Awaken
One of the most iconic Football Manager clubs, Die Löwen have one of the toughest asks in all of football: sharing a city with one of the biggest clubs in the world. With one Bundesliga title to their name, 1860 Munich have been on a long-term decline for decades now, and find themselves in 3. Liga. Turning things around in Munich is one of the toughest challenges in the game, and regaining the spotlight from Bayern Munich will seem almost impossible at times. However, imagine the satisfaction you’ll take from taking on one of the world’s biggest clubs in their own backyard, and stealing the footballing allegiances of their city from them.
A European Cup final, a Cup Winners Cup title and a European Super Cup appearance is just the tip of the iceberg of what this famous club achieved in the late 80s and early 90s. Despite facing some of the greatest Italian club sides of all time, Sampdoria managed to win a scudetto and a handful of copas to become one of the most decorated clubs in Italy outside of the seven sisters; no small feat for any of the “other” clubs in Italy. However, it has been a turbulent period since their early 90s success, and prolonged periods of stability have been hard to come by. Currently in the bottom half of Serie B in real life, returning this proud club to Serie A is priority number one for anyone looking to take on this challenge.
Real Valladolid are one of a number of big clubs who have slipped into Liga Segunda in recent years. They’ve consistently played in the top flight since the 80s, and while the last 10 years have seen some inconsistency, some overdue stability should see them become an established La Liga side again. Owned by Ronaldo Nazario, you’ll find success building around the talents of Enzo Boyomo, Monchu and Raul Moro. Special shoutout to one of the most stunning kits in the world: their Miami Vice inspired third kit.
1860 Munich
One of the most iconic Football Manager clubs, Die Löwen have one of the toughest asks in all of football: sharing a city with one of the biggest clubs in the world. With one Bundesliga title to their name, 1860 Munich have been on a long-term decline for decades now, and find themselves in 3. Liga. Turning things around in Munich is one of the toughest challenges in the game, and regaining the spotlight from Bayern Munich will seem almost impossible at times. However, imagine the satisfaction you’ll take from taking on one of the world’s biggest clubs in their own backyard, and stealing the footballing allegiances of their city from them.
Sampdoria
Real Valladolid
READ ALSO: Top 5 Fallen Giants to Manage on FM24
There’s very little in this game more enjoyable returning a fallen club to its former glories. Whether a side falls away gradually over time, or in short succession because of chronic mismanagement, your brilliance can be the difference between a club with a future or a doomed failure. I hope this article has inspired you, and you enjoy restoring some of these once-great clubs to the stature they deserve.
Conclusion
There’s very little in this game more enjoyable returning a fallen club to its former glories. Whether a side falls away gradually over time, or in short succession because of chronic mismanagement, your brilliance can be the difference between a club with a future or a doomed failure. I hope this article has inspired you, and you enjoy restoring some of these once-great clubs to the stature they deserve.
