Help - interesting teams to manage in smaller European leagues.

[MShing]

Morning guys,

I am looking for some help with ideas to start a new save.

I usually just play the English league doing the dafuge challenge, I like the idea of building a small team up the leagues but this year I want to try something new. 

I have been trying to come up with an interesting scandinavian/eastern European journeyman save for 3 or 4 days but I just cannot decide on what team I want to start with as my knowledge of these leagues are limited.

I am looking for maybe a fallen giant or clubs with an interesting history or story, something to get me hooked into wanting to take them on. I don't want to take over one of the favourites for a league that would be too easy and boring. 

All suggestions welcome as this would give me teams to look out for along my journey. I am really struggling to make my choice. 

 

Thanks in advance 

[Deisler26]

RKC Waalwijk in the Netherlands

KFC Uerdingen 05 in Germany

USBCO in France

 

[Svartium]

FC Nordsjælland from Denmark have an incredible talented and young squad.

[Chef Raekwon]

Not sure if you think the Eredivisie counts, but AZ is incredible this year. They have a very young and talented squad and can challenge to break the PSV/Ajax dominance in the Eredivisie. There's also the added challenge of keeping your young talents and building rapport in Europe.

[SpikeHughes]

I’d advise Croatia, if you like building up a team this is the place to go. You need a wide range of players though. You won’t have the likes of Pogba and such moving to Croatia. Dinamo obviously the strongest side with cash, facilities but I have noticed half the team get bought first season so thats good. Hadjuk come second (I had a fantastic 12 year go on the last FM) good side very good youth set up. Then there the rest....there all decent with good youth prospects. It’s very hard to get to the champions league and europa cup is a big ask if your neither of the big two but one or two seasons and the youth start to blossom you can do it, but don’t get to attracted because they will leave they always do, but you just get more.

But like i said you need good players really cheap, free agents are good to start off, because cash is really short. 

[Whatawaster95]

Rangers

[MShing]

7 hours ago, Chef Raekwon said:

Not sure if you think the Eredivisie counts, but AZ is incredible this year. They have a very young and talented squad and can challenge to break the PSV/Ajax dominance in the Eredivisie. There's also the added challenge of keeping your young talents and building rapport in Europe.

Thanks. I had a brief go with az in the beta. They do have an exciting young squad. 

I was thinking more eastern Europe some obscure league really then work my rep up to a league like Holland in the future

[MShing]

6 hours ago, SpikeHughes said:

I’d advise Croatia, if you like building up a team this is the place to go. You need a wide range of players though. You won’t have the likes of Pogba and such moving to Croatia. Dinamo obviously the strongest side with cash, facilities but I have noticed half the team get bought first season so thats good. Hadjuk come second (I had a fantastic 12 year go on the last FM) good side very good youth set up. Then there the rest....there all decent with good youth prospects. It’s very hard to get to the champions league and europa cup is a big ask if your neither of the big two but one or two seasons and the youth start to blossom you can do it, but don’t get to attracted because they will leave they always do, but you just get more.

But like i said you need good players really cheap, free agents are good to start off, because cash is really short. 

Nice. Croatia is the sort of league I would be looking at. Do any of the lower teams have an interesting history/Good youth set up?

I would like to steer clear of the top teams really

[trueblue.85]

I'm about to start a save in Croatia with NK BSK Bijelo Brdo club on the border of Serbia

[Hoarau]

I'm having a blast with NK Maribor. 

[BadAss88]

Litex Lovech (Bulgaria, 2nd division) - won the national title in 2011 but need a total rebuild now.
MTK Budapest (Hungary, 2nd division) - 23x champion, last title in 2008, europa league in 2017, relegated in 2019.
Wisla Krakow (Poland, 1st division) - last this season, but famous old players like blaszcykowski and wasilewski, last title in 2011.
Rapid Bucharest (Romania, 2nd division) - last title in 2003.
 

 

[MShing]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. Some teams I will keep an eye out for on my journeyman save. 

I have chosen to start with IFK Goteberg. Haven't won the title in years. Finished low in the league last season. Some good youth to pick from. Should be fun to bring back the glory days and see if we can add to the 2 Europa cup wins of many moons ago. 

[EXCLUSIVEEE]

Levski Sofia and CSKA-Sofia in Bulgaria. The most successful and famous clubs in the country but they didnt win the league since 10 years.  Both have big history in European football, too. Fallen giants in the exact meaning. Although, they both have good squads for the league and are 2nd and 3rd best teams. If you want harder challenge, you can try Slavia Sofia which was the most famous club in Bulgaria before the commnust regime took control of the country in 1944. They have mid table and even lower table squad.

Rapid Bucuresti in Romania - They've were 3 times league winners and 14 times runner-up and won the cup. Now in 2nd divison.  They have good squad for the league and you will comeback very easy to the top flight of Romanian football where the real competition will begin.

Dinamo Bucuresti in Romania - 18x league winner as long as 18x cups. They didnt win the league since season 2006/2007 and Cupa Romania since 2011/2012, Their squad is weaker that alot of teams - CFR Cluj, Universitatea Craiova, FCSB, Viitorul so an interesting challenge. 

Panathinaikos - 20x Greek League winners, 1x Champions league runner-up as long as 2 semifinals. They have financial problems recently and are really struggling . Winning the league will be tough and interesting challenge because you have the likes of Olympiacos, AEK Athens,  PAOK and Aris. 

Hajduk Split in Croatia - As mentioned above - a  league with a lot of talented homegrown kids. 6x times Croan First League winner and 6x Croatian Cup wiiners. 9x Yugoslav First League winners and 9x Yugoslav cups. Biggest club in Croatia in terms of attedances but has really big problems on the football field. This summer Hajduk was eliminated in the 1st preliminary round of Europe League by Maltese side named Gzira United.  

DInamo Minsk - The most famous club in Belarus as long as Bate Borisov but they didnt win a trophy since 2004. 7x Belarus First League winners. They won the Soviet League in 1982. 

Edited November 23, 2019 by EXCLUSIVEEE

[MShing]

1 hour ago, EXCLUSIVEEE said:

Levski Sofia and CSKA-Sofia in Bulgaria. The most successful and famous clubs in the country but they didnt win the league since 10 years.  Both have big history in European football, too. Fallen giants in the exact meaning. Although, they both have good squads for the league and are 2nd and 3rd best teams. If you want harder challenge, you can try Slavia Sofia which was the most famous club in Bulgaria before the commnust regime took control of the country in 1944. They have mid table and even lower table squad.

Rapid Bucuresti in Romania - They've were 3 times league winners and 14 times runner-up and won the cup. Now in 2nd divison.  They have good squad for the league and you will comeback very easy to the top flight of Romanian football where the real competition will begin.

Dinamo Bucuresti in Romania - 18x league winner as long as 18x cups. They didnt win the league since season 2006/2007 and Cupa Romania since 2011/2012, Their squad is weaker that alot of teams - CFR Cluj, Universitatea Craiova, FCSB, Viitorul so an interesting challenge. 

Panathinaikos - 20x Greek League winners, 1x Champions league runner-up as long as 2 semifinals. They have financial problems recently and are really struggling . Winning the league will be tough and interesting challenge because you have the likes of Olympiacos, AEK Athens,  PAOK and Aris. 

Hajduk Split in Croatia - As mentioned above - a  league with a lot of talented homegrown kids. 6x times Croan First League winner and 6x Croatian Cup wiiners. 9x Yugoslav First League winners and 9x Yugoslav cups. Biggest club in Croatia in terms of attedances but has really big problems on the football field. This summer Hajduk was eliminated in the 1st preliminary round of Europe League by Maltese side named Gzira United.  

DInamo Minsk - The most famous club in Belarus as long as Bate Borisov but they didnt win a trophy since 2004. 7x Belarus First League winners. They won the Soviet League in 1982. 

Nice thank you for the information. This is exactly the type of info I was looking for. I will add some of these teams to my list and make sure I keep an eye out to takeover one once my time at Goteberg is up 😎👍🏻

[SpikeHughes]

On 21/11/2019 at 16:50, MShing said:

Nice. Croatia is the sort of league I would be looking at. Do any of the lower teams have an interesting history/Good youth set up?

I would like to steer clear of the top teams really

HNK Rijeka are a good side very good youth set up. Like a lot of Eastern European nations to start you’ll need to look within your league. Rijeka aren’t a top team but have a little bit of cash. One massive benefit is Croatia don’t have a work permit system, you have a foreign limit 7 I think, but they can come from anywhere. My advice apart from looking within your league is get Alex Varas a scout he knows all the lesser nations in South America. You’ll find bargains. If you have a high spec machine also load the MLS league as a playable league. You can get lots of free players who are good enough after two three months. If you do go for it I hope it all goes well.

[User0912]

On 25/11/2019 at 17:31, SpikeHughes said:

HNK Rijeka are a good side very good youth set up. Like a lot of Eastern European nations to start you’ll need to look within your league. Rijeka aren’t a top team but have a little bit of cash. One massive benefit is Croatia don’t have a work permit system, you have a foreign limit 7 I think, but they can come from anywhere. My advice apart from looking within your league is get Alex Varas a scout he knows all the lesser nations in South America. You’ll find bargains. If you have a high spec machine also load the MLS league as a playable league. You can get lots of free players who are good enough after two three months. If you do go for it I hope it all goes well.

Started a game with HNK, will see how it pans out.

[SpikeHughes]

21 hours ago, User0912 said:

Started a game with HNK, will see how it pans out.

Gets Alex Varas and it’ll all be fine. 

[ArchieNoose]

I've gone Tromso in Norway. Surely not many teams who play home games in the Arctic Circle! Plus, you can go snowboarding after training (apart from when it's dark for 3 months)

[User0912]

On 29/11/2019 at 19:19, SpikeHughes said:

Gets Alex Varas and it’ll all be fine. 

Yes you mentioned him earlier, its a shame but hes not on my game.

Edited December 2, 2019 by User0912

[MShing]

My Goteberg game is processing slowly but going well. Predicted to finish mid table in 1st season and we are second with about 6 games to go 1 point behind the league leaders who we play next.