FM24 : Calcio (Italian Football Thread)

[Trainspotting90]

I have started an only youth save unenployed, after two monts Gozzano calls me, first season ive got third, win the playoff (no promotion, only monetary prize), the second season is a triumph and we got promoted in serie c, but serie c itv very hard with only youngsters, i pray for me

[BadAss88]

They started the season awful and are bottom last in Serie B, already knocked out the first round of Coppa Italia.
I'm curious if I can get them going and move up the ladder.

[BadAss88]

Anybody active in Italy?

I'm in doubt for a new save, where I wanna make a Trequartista-tactic work. Not sure where to start.. Torino, Udinese, Internazionale or Fiorentina.

Edited February 21 by BadAss88

[Staf9]

4 hours ago, BadAss88 said:

Anybody active in Italy?

I'm in doubt for a new save, where I wanna make a Trequartista-tactic work. Not sure where to start.. Torino, Udinese, Internazionale or Fiorentina.

have a look at who has Parfundi of Baldanzi and start there. 

[sedge11]

On 21/02/2024 at 12:23, BadAss88 said:

Anybody active in Italy?

I'm in doubt for a new save, where I wanna make a Trequartista-tactic work. Not sure where to start.. Torino, Udinese, Internazionale or Fiorentina.

I am. Started a save with Lyon did 4 seasons with them, then got the Juve job. Currently in my 4th season with Juve now.

[KristianT]

On 15/12/2023 at 17:43, Cas46 said:

I've played 10 years with Inter and after the first season the finances get a lot easier. First season I think all I got was Jan Paul van Hecke on a free.

Did you get a new stadium at some point?

[Cas46]

38 minutes ago, KristianT said:

Did you get a new stadium at some point?

Funnily enough the board have just announced they are searching for a site for a 100,000 seater stadium. The bad news is I am in 2047 so it takes a while.

[NineCloudNine]

On 15/11/2023 at 17:30, TheJanitor said:

Didn't know Faticanti left Roma! Used to develop real well in past versions, really nice signings.

Late to reply to this … he asked to leave because he didn’t believe there was a path to regular first team football. He was probably right under Mourinho but De Rossi would have loved him. First thing I did in a Roma save was undo Faticanti leaving and plant him permanently at the base of the midfield.

[aaaawren]

2 titles in 2 seasons at Roma, first we scraped through by a single point after getting 1 win and 4 draws in the last 5, second we walked thanks in large part to Álvaro and Carnesecchi both going crazy, over performing xG by 8 and keeping out 15 xGA respectively.

[One hell of a keeper]

Hi chaps loving the thread, whats the best italian league structure to use? 

[Raymubdo21]

On 08/03/2024 at 15:36, aaaawren said:

2 titles in 2 seasons at Roma, first we scraped through by a single point after getting 1 win and 4 draws in the last 5, second we walked thanks in large part to Álvaro and Carnesecchi both going crazy, over performing xG by 8 and keeping out 15 xGA respectively.

Nicely done, what tactic did you use?

[aaaawren]

23 minutes ago, Raymubdo21 said:

Nicely done, what tactic did you use?

Season 1 I used a 442 narrow diamond, season 2 I switched to a 3421.

SK-S

CWB-A - CD-D  x2 - IFB

DM-D

DLP-D - AP-S with stay wider and cross more often individual instructions

AM-A

AF-A - TF-A

-----

SK-S

WCB-D - L-S - WCB-D

WM-S - CM-D - DLP-D - W-S

SS-A - AM-S

TF-A

Edited March 15 by aaaawren

[Shep1920]

Hi folks so I've been looking into a italian save as I loved doing it on fm23 but I've looked the lower leagues like serie d etc but I come across the famous siena even lower I feel they deserve a rebuild what do you folks recommend? 

[oze07]

im looking to do an italian save,loved italian football since 1990 and the seria a of the 90's. always had a soft spot for roma. id love to recreate the tatctics from the 2001 winning season, or the line up with giannini in from the 80's, but im rubbish at tactics! also a team with good youth? i do like atalanta and fiorentina aswell.

Edited April 6 by oze07

[Ronaldo Beckham]

25 minutes ago, oze07 said:

im looking to do an italian save,loved italian football since 1990 and the seria a of the 90's. always had a soft spot for roma. id love to recreate the tatctics from the 2001 winning season, or the line up with giannini in from the 80's, but im rubbish at tactics! also a team with good youth? i do like atalanta and fiorentina aswell.

Roma is a good choice. 

Maybe you could become the Roma manager as the legend that is Francesco Totti and try produce the next Totti at Roma with you building a style of play similar to the one Roma played when Totti was their main man.

 

[oze07]

2 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Roma is a good choice. 

Maybe you could become the Roma manager as the legend that is Francesco Totti and try produce the next Totti at Roma with you building a style of play similar to the one Roma played when Totti was their main man.

 

That is a good idea. how do you make totti the manager? i assume its more than just putting in the name as the manager?

Edited April 6 by oze07

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 hour ago, oze07 said:

That is a good idea. how do you make totti the manager? i assume its more than just putting in the name as the manager?

When you create your manager just replicate Totti on there.

You can get his date of birth etc off his wiki page and also find a decent close up photo of his face when you do the face recognization thing when you create your avatar.

 

[AceCream]

Bologna FC 1909 - 2023/2024 Season

Background

I started the save wanting to create a European journey-man save, where I loaded the 7 best leagues in Europe: Holland, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and England. I read the book Zonal Marking by Michael Cox, which details how tactics evolved in Europe from 1992-2020 in these countries. So, I wanted to create a manager who would try to win silverware in each of them while using a specific tactical style. But where to start? After listening to The Athletic FC Podcast about Thiago Motta at Bologna, I was inspired to create a similar defensive-possession-based style in FM24, especially after the final 24.3 update with up to date transfers and player attributes. I decided to disable the first transfer window, so no transfer business was done. 

The Squad and Tactics

Thiago Motta plays a very fluid-defensive-possession-based approach. So naturally, I decided to use the Fluid Counter-Attack tactical style with defensively-minded roles and enough support duties so that the Team Fluidity label was always at least Fluid or Flexible but preferably Very Fluid. I switched between two shapes mostly, the 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1. In both formations, I wanted to create the popular 3-2 build-up shape when in possession. I started off by using Calafiori and Lucumí as Liberos on support that would move into the DM position while in possession. However, when playing the 4-3-3, I found the DM and the right-sided midfielder (BWM) were always running into each other. So I opted for a 4-2-3-1 with a DM double pivot and the right-sided full-back inverting with a wingback on the left side. This also got the most out of Lewis Ferguson, who I played as a Shadow Striker in the AMC position. 

I kept with this formation and roles until tactical familiarity was 100% and ensured the players were also training in the role and position selected. This greatly increased the speed at which tactical familiarity grew, and I think it was a key reason for our success. Every player knew exactly where to be and how to behave. Regardless of the opposition, I did absolutely no tinkering and stuck with the system for about half a season. Then I decided to use the Control Possession preset when playing at home against teams where the odds were in my favor. I used exactly the same roles and formation and kept things really simple.

Control Possession and Fluid Counter-Attack synergize really well together with both of them utilizing shorter passing, mid-blocks and counter-pressing. Away against weak opponents I often see us controlling games have high possession stats, even though we use the Fluid Counter-Attack preset. 

I focused heavily on rotation and created a 22-man squad (2 players for each position and role), ensuring everybody's playing time happiness was always at least happy and ensuring that the player's match sharpness was always green. This guaranteed that any time any substitutions or changes were made, players were both ready tactically and physically.

It also kept injuries to a minimum, and we usually had better physical conditions late in games compared to our opposition. The stand-out players of the season were, starting from the back:

Calafiori: A true modern-day all-around ball-playing defender. His attribute distribution and height make him a really complete footballer able to play nearly anywhere on the deep left and middle side of the pitch. His trait Runs with ball often was also a joy to watch. 

Kristiansen: An excellent attacking wing-back on loan from Leicester. He was the only player in the back four with the license to go as far up the pitch as he wanted, resulting in 15 league assists! Unfortunately, we couldn't afford his €15M optional fee at the end of the season, and he returned back to England. He will be sorely missed in season 2. 

Frueler: Ex-Atalanta tireless midfielder Remo Frueler was the team's engine, forming a sensational double pivot in the defensive midfield position. His excellent work rate, teamwork, and stamina, combined with his traits of dictating the tempo and bringing the ball out of defense, made him an excellent ball-winning / playmaking midfielder hybrid with the Ball-Winning Midfielder role on support. 

Lewis Ferguson: He is also a tireless midfielder with a good eye for goal. Ferguson is probably my favorite player out of the bunch. Scoring 10 goals in the league and assisting 5 from the AMC position, his combination of Dives into Tackles and Place Shots makes him a truly unique player able to play anywhere in the midfield. I have contemplated using him as a false 9 and training him to come deep to get the ball, but we will see how that goes. 

Orsolini: Mr. Bologna himself, Orsolini, has been at the club for 7 years. In my opinion Orsolini is a sensational player who deserves more plaudits than the likes of Chiesa and Leao both in this game and in real life. He possesses great speed, stamina, flair, and technical abilities and is a perfect goal-scoring winger. He also shoots from a distance and with power, resulting in many bangers.

Karlsson: On the opposite side, we have basically the same player but on the left. He also likes to shoot from a distance and, with power, has high flair and technical attributes. Karlsson scored 12 league goals and assisted 6. 

Zirkzee: The description for the Complete Forward role is: A complete forward possesses all the technical attributes of a Deep-lying Forward, the goals scoring ability of a Poacher and the strength and power of a Target Forward. Equally adept at playing in others, fashioning chances and getting on the end of team moves, such a player transcends tactical instruction and should simply be allowed to do their own thing. Zirkzee is precisely that player:

Results

I have never been as lucky in a football manager save before. A combination of playing defensive football that suits our strengths, and other teams in the league having bad seasons, we actually won the league in our first year. On the final day, we needed to beat Napoli at home, which we managed in a 4-3 thriller after going behind twice. 

We beat Milan home and away, Inter at home, Lazio home and away, and Roma at home. We were of course underdogs in all of these games, and being so adept to play our cautious fluid counter attacking system helped us a lot. 

Data

When I say we were lucky, I am not exaggerating. We outperformed our XPts by 26 points. We outscored our xG by 25 goals, and our numbers were massive outliers. Has anybody experienced anything similar?

We were however excellent defensively:

What next?

As I said at the beginning of this post, the intention of this save is to try to win silverware in the 7 "Big" nations in Europe. Having overachieved massively in my first season, I do not know what to do next. Our finances are tiny for a Scudetto winning Champions League club, the balance being €30M and only being given a measly €2M for transfers for the 24/25 season.

We are playing many more games next season and have already lost a few key players who were here on loan. I do not expect that we will be able to retain the league, with Juventus hiring Zidane and Milan getting Emery. I guess I will finish my contract, which lasts until 2026, try to get a Coppa Italia or a European trophy before moving on to Holland or Portugal. I am however excited to play in this beautiful kit next season with the Scudetto badge 

 

 

Edited April 19 by AceCream

[Safe Hands]

Any fallen giants with good potential in Seriea C.

 

Looking to start a new save tonight in one of the top 5 leagues (not England)  bringing a team back to top, ideally with decent youth set up and potential to grow and challenge in the top league eventually.

Germany. 1860 Munich 

France. Saint Etienne or Nimes

Spain, Málaga, Deportivo, Hercules 

Italy someone from Seria C ( don't want to start in B even though some great clubs there)

 

[LucasBR]

On 16/04/2024 at 06:36, AceCream said:

Bologna FC 1909 2023/2024 Season

Background

I started the save wanting to create a European journey-man save, where I loaded the 7 best leagues in Europe: Holland, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and England. I read the book Zonal Marking by Michael Cox, which details how tactics evolved in Europe from 1992-2020 in these countries. So, I wanted to create a manager who would try to win silverware in each of them while using a specific tactical style. But where to start? After listening to The Athletic FC Podcast about Thiago Motta at Bologna, I was inspired to create a similar defensive-possession-based style in FM24, especially after the final 24.3 update with up to date transfers and player attributes. I decided to disable the first transfer window, so no transfer business was done. 

The Squad and Tactics

Thiago Motta plays a very fluid-defensive-possession-based approach. So naturally, I decided to use the Fluid Counter-Attack tactical style with defensively-minded roles and enough support duties so that the Team Fluidity label was always at least Fluid or Flexible but preferably Very Fluid. I switched between two shapes mostly, the 4-3-3 and the 4-2-3-1. In both formations, I wanted to create the popular 3-2 build-up shape when in possession. I started off by using Calafiori and Lucumí as Liberos on support that would move into the DM position while in possession. However, when playing the 4-3-3, I found the DM and the right-sided midfielder (BWM) were always running into each other. So I opted for a 4-2-3-1 with a DM double pivot and the right-sided full-back inverting with a wingback on the left side. This also got the most out of Lewis Ferguson, who I played as a Shadow Striker in the AMC position. 

I kept with this formation and roles until tactical familiarity was 100% and ensured the players were also training in the role and position selected. This greatly increased the speed at which tactical familiarity grew, and I think it was a key reason for our success. Every player knew exactly where to be and how to behave. Regardless of the opposition, I did absolutely no tinkering and stuck with the system for about half a season. Then I decided to use the Control Possession preset when playing at home against teams where the odds were in my favor. I used exactly the same roles and formation and kept things really simple.

Control Possession and Fluid Counter-Attack synergize really well together with both of them utilizing shorter passing, mid-blocks and counter-pressing. Away against weak opponents I often see us controlling games have high possession stats, even though we use the Fluid Counter-Attack preset. 

I focused heavily on rotation and created a 22-man squad (2 players for each position and role), ensuring everybody's playing time happiness was always at least happy and ensuring that the player's match sharpness was always green. This guaranteed that any time any substitutions or changes were made, players were both ready tactically and physically.

It also kept injuries to a minimum, and we usually had better physical conditions late in games compared to our opposition. The stand-out players of the season were, starting from the back:

Calafiori: A true modern-day all-around ball-playing defender. His attribute distribution and height make him a really complete footballer able to play nearly anywhere on the deep left and middle side of the pitch. His trait Runs with ball often was also a joy to watch. 

Kristiansen: An excellent attacking wing-back on loan from Leicester. He was the only player in the back four with the license to go as far up the pitch as he wanted, resulting in 15 league assists! Unfortunately, we couldn't afford his €15M optional fee at the end of the season, and he returned back to England. He will be sorely missed in season 2. 

Frueler: Ex-Atalanta tireless midfielder Remo Frueler was the team's engine, forming a sensational double pivot in the defensive midfield position. His excellent work rate, teamwork, and stamina, combined with his traits of dictating the tempo and bringing the ball out of defense, made him an excellent ball-winning / playmaking midfielder hybrid with the Ball-Winning Midfielder role on support. 

Lewis Ferguson: He is also a tireless midfielder with a good eye for goal. Ferguson is probably my favorite player out of the bunch. Scoring 10 goals in the league and assisting 5 from the AMC position, his combination of Dives into Tackles and Place Shots makes him a truly unique player able to play anywhere in the midfield. I have contemplated using him as a false 9 and training him to come deep to get the ball, but we will see how that goes. 

Orsolini: Mr. Bologna himself, Orsolini, has been at the club for 7 years. In my opinion Orsolini is a sensational player who deserves more plaudits than the likes of Chiesa and Leao both in this game and in real life. He possesses great speed, stamina, flair, and technical abilities and is a perfect goal-scoring winger. He also shoots from a distance and with power, resulting in many bangers.

Karlsson: On the opposite side, we have basically the same player but on the left. He also likes to shoot from a distance and, with power, has high flair and technical attributes. Karlsson scored 12 league goals and assisted 6. 

Zirkzee: The description for the Complete Forward role is: A complete forward possesses all the technical attributes of a Deep-lying Forward, the goals scoring ability of a Poacher and the strength and power of a Target Forward. Equally adept at playing in others, fashioning chances and getting on the end of team moves, such a player transcends tactical instruction and should simply be allowed to do their own thing. Zirkzee is precisely that player:

Results

I have never been as lucky in a football manager save before. A combination of playing defensive football that suits our strengths, and other teams in the league having bad seasons, we actually won the league in our first year. On the final day, we needed to beat Napoli at home, which we managed in a 4-3 thriller after going behind twice. 

We beat Milan home and away, Inter at home, Lazio home and away, and Roma at home. We were of course underdogs in all of these games, and being so adept to play our cautious fluid counter attacking system helped us a lot. 

Data

When I say we were lucky, I am not exaggerating. We outperformed our XPts by 26 points. We outscored our xG by 25 goals, and our numbers were massive outliers. Has anybody experienced anything similar?

We were however excellent defensively:

What next?

As I said at the beginning of this post, the intention of this save is to try to win silverware in the 7 "Big" nations in Europe. Having overachieved massively in my first season, I do not know what to do next. Our finances are tiny for a Scudetto winning Champions League club, the balance being €30M and only being given a measly €2M for transfers for the 24/25 season.

We are playing many more games next season and have already lost a few key players who were here on loan. I do not expect that we will be able to retain the league, with Juventus hiring Zidane and Milan getting Emery. I guess I will finish my contract, which lasts until 2026, try to get a Coppa Italia or a European trophy before moving on to Holland or Portugal. I am however excited to play in this beautiful kit next season with the Scudetto badge 

 

 

Great post, Bologna is a nice club! 
Orsolini is an absolute beast, in my previous Roma save he was absolutely incredible.

Which skin are you using?

[AceCream]

3 hours ago, LucasBR said:

Great post, Bologna is a nice club! 
Orsolini is an absolute beast, in my previous Roma save he was absolutely incredible.

Which skin are you using?

Unfortunately, Orsolini wanted to go to Saudi in the summer . 

The skin is FM.Zweierkette v24.0.55 by Norseman LP 

[Bradz FM]

7 hours ago, Safe Hands said:

Any fallen giants with good potential in Seriea C.

 

Looking to start a new save tonight in one of the top 5 leagues (not England)  bringing a team back to top, ideally with decent youth set up and potential to grow and challenge in the top league eventually.

Germany. 1860 Munich 

France. Saint Etienne or Nimes

Spain, Málaga, Deportivo, Hercules 

Italy someone from Seria C ( don't want to start in B even though some great clubs there)

 

Pro Vercelli are the original fallen giants.

 

Cesena have fantastic youth setup but weren't as successful

Edited April 19 by Bradz FM

[AmericanMilanista]

On 19/04/2024 at 10:39, AceCream said:

Unfortunately, Orsolini wanted to go to Saudi in the summer . 

Marco Di Vaio's recruitment strategy seems to center on squad depth and potential.  Obviously in real life, Motta pulling a Xabi Alonso and sticking around one more year would be key to that plan.  But if you're looking to copy popular summer '24 links, they are rumored to be interested in Scotts Connor Barron and Josh Campbell (looks like a Lewis Ferguson clone) and Venezia's Tanner Tessman.

Edited April 21 by AmericanMilanista

[JawZy]

Recently started a Bari save. I dont mind sitting in serie b for few seasons, even though a club of this size should really be in Serie A

[Cizzu]

 

I'm pleased to inform you that the team at Fusion DB has released their usual update which unlocks the Italian Serie D.

Serie D is the fourth tier of the Italian football league system. It is the highest amateur division and sits below Serie C, the lowest professional division. Serie D is made up of multiple regional groups and is often the entry point for many clubs aiming to rise through the Italian football ranks. The division includes a mix of historic clubs such as Livorno, Reggina (now Reggio Calabria), Piacenza, Sambenedettese, etc., all with large fan bases, and emerging teams aspiring to reach professional status, like Alcione Milano, Union Clodiense, Pianese, and the 'foreign' club Victor San Marino, among others. Promotion from Serie D leads to Serie C, while relegation sends teams down to the even more regionalized fifth tier, known as 'Eccellenza'. Serie D is not just the beating heart of semi-professional Italian football, but also a crucible of undiscovered talents. This mod offers you the opportunity to unearth and nurture young prospects, plan your market strategy, and face the unique management challenges that only lower leagues can offer.

So if you're looking for new challenges with new teams, you might want to try out this pack. It also includes an essential update that fixes issues and errors in the professional leagues (Serie A, Serie B, and especially Serie C).


LINK:
 

 

[AceCream]

Originally I started the Bologna save as a starting point for a Journeyman save, where I would try to win a league title in each of the 7 most reputable leagues in Europe using Thiago Motta's specific playstyle. So his stay in Italy will be short, as you will see in this update.

Bologna FC 1909 - 2024/2025 Season

(The lovely Bologna kits for the 24/25 season)

Having won the league very surprisingly in my first season at Bologna, I felt like Leicester after their shock win in the 15/16 season of the Premier League. Our squad was definitely not good enough to challenge for the title again and compete in the Champions League. The original transfer budget was a measly €20M, and only 25% of the transfer revenue was made available. I lost my biggest stars in Orsolini and Zirkzee, who left for a combined €108M to Saudi Arabia and Real Madrid, respectively. 

 

(Bologna 24/25 transfers)

The most notable signing was Pierre-Emile Hojberg from Tottenham, whose leadership and experience in the midfield were greatly appreciated. 

(Pierre-Emile Hojberg)

To replace Orsolini, I brought in another Scandinavian player who fits nicely in Bologna's Nordic recruitment model. Gustav Isaksen is an explosive winger who competed for a starting spot with Dan N'Doye on the right. 

(Gustav Isaksen)

I knew I was never really going to replace the amazing Zirkzee in the complete forward role up top. Hugo Ekitike's optional future fee of €6.75M after a season-long loan seems like astute business, however. 

(Hugo Ekitike)

Finally, we brought in Ilario Monterisi from Frosinone to replace the Saudi-bound Posch. Monterisi definitely has a future at the club and can play either as a ball-playing defender or a full-back. 

(Ilario Monterisi)

We started the campaign off miserably, losing 7 in our opening 12 fixtures and winning only once. We then steadied the ship and won 11 of our next 13 matches. We did okay in the Champions League, managing 20th place in the league phase and securing our spot in the first knock-out round against Monaco. Unfortunately, Monaco proved to be too strong an opponent, so Bologna's first season in the Champions League ended there. In the league, we finished in 5th place with 68 points and Europa League qualification, which is more or less where we should be quality-wise. 

(Serie A 24/25 league table)

The season almost ended on a high with a Coppa Italia win against Milan, but we lost in extra time after a match that could have gone either way. 

(2025 Coppa Italia final match stats)

Like I said at the beginning of this post, Bologna was only seen as a starting point in the save, and I wanted to move from league to league, winning trophies all over Europe. So when Manchester City came calling after a disappointing final season under Pep Guardiola, I couldn't resist. It felt like the correct conclusion to my time at Bologna. Therefore, Thiago Motta's journey in Italy comes to an end for now at least. 

BUT, I really love managing in Italy and am planning a specific Italy-only project type save, which I will talk about in a later post. So stay tuned! 

Edited May 15 by AceCream

[AceCream]

Building a Nation – Calcio Edition

Premise:

I know traditionally Building a Nation type of saves are for smaller nations like Estonia, Malta or San Marino. So, choosing a footballing giant like Italy for this challenge may seem too easy or redundant since the league is currently the 4^th most reputable league in the world. However, the point of this save is not only to make Serie A the most reputable league in the world according to FM24's star rating reputation system, but also to make it the best league in the world in terms of quality of players and performances in Europe. I want to revive the Serie A of the late 80s to the late 90s where mid-table clubs like Fiorentina had arguably the best striker in the world in Batistuta. Bologna had a Balon d’Or winner in Baggio and Udinese had Euro-96 winner Bierhoff.

(Balon d'Or winners from 1988 -1998)

The Balon d’Or in 1988, 1989 and 1990 astoundingly had players from Italian teams in the top 3 of the voting each year (mostly because of Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan) and in the 10 years from 1988 to 1998 a player from Serie A won the trophy an unbelievable 8 times. Compared to modern times, Kaká was the last to win the prestigious award in 2007 while playing at Milan, and only one player was voted in the top 3 from 2008-2024. Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 and 2019 finishing in 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively playing for Juventus.

Not only were the players exceptional but the teams were also dominating European competitions during that period. From 1988 to 1998 Italy had a team in the final of the Champions League 9 times out of a possible 10. In 1992 Sampdoria even reached the final, narrowly losing to Cruyff’s Barcelona Dream Team. Italian dominance wasn’t only in the Champions League but also the Europa League. Similarly from 1989-1999 a team from Serie A won the competition 8 times with only once an Italian team NOT reaching the final in 95-96.

(Uefa Cup winners from 1988 -1998)

I don’t doubt that everybody here already knew just how extraordinary Serie A was during this time, but I felt like refreshing everybody’s memory.

The goal of this save is to recreate this dominance in FM24. The main objectives are the following: 

• Make the Serie A the most reputable league in the world according to FM24. 
• Make Serie A have the highest coefficients in Europe. 
• Have three players playing in Italy be in the top 3 of the voting for the Balon d’Or on multiple occasions.  
• Have at least 10 out of the 20 most reputable players in world playing in Serie A in one single period. 
• Have Italians teams win the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League in the same year.

 

Method:

To some it may make most sense to just manage the biggest club (Juve/Inter/Milan) and just try to win the Champions League every year to increase the leagues European coefficients and single handedly carry the leagues reputation. Which could work because the league is already one of the biggest in the world.  However, according to other more traditional Building a Nation saves, the best way to grow a league is to manage a rather small club and have them join the bigger clubs and in turn increasing the number of big clubs in the league. Historically in Italy, the biggest clubs can be categorized as so:

• The Big 3: Juventus, Milan and Inter. Currently you could argue that Napoli should also be in this category but I have them in the category below. These 3 clubs all hail from the northern regions of Italy in Piedmont and Lombardy. Being from one of the richest areas in Europe (northern Italy), their financial power has solidified them as by far the most superior teams in Italy and in Europe. The big 3 have a combined total of 69 (nice) Scudetti between them and 15 Champions Leagues. I will need these clubs to perform at their best and become the biggest clubs in the world on par with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man City, Liverpool, Bayern and PSG, both on the field and financially, if I aim to make the Serie A the best league in the world. I do not however intend on managing them, at least not in the beginning. I intend on using my own team as a funnel of talent from my club to these Big 3 clubs, even if it means sacrificing my own success. 

• The Seven Sisters: Besides The Big 3 in this category we have Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and historically Parma, but now Napoli or Atalanta. In the mid-to-late 90s these teams were seen as the best of the rest in Serie A and were all owned by Billionaires ready to spend millions to sign the best players in the world, especially during the turn of the millennia. Even though these teams spent a fortune they only managed 2 Scudetti during the Serie A golden era. Lazio in 2000 and Roma in 2001. Parma won the Europa League in 1995 and 1999 but unfortunately went bankrupt twice. Famously in 2004 in the biggest bankruptcy ever in Europe and then again in 2015. These clubs need to reach the latter stages of the Europa and Conference league regularly and buy players to sell to the big 3 for profit to increase the league’s reputation. Similar to how Atalanta are operated currently and how Parma was managed during the 90s.

• Historic teams: Finally, we have clubs with a great history, even winning more league titles than the 4 of the Seven Sisters combined but have fallen off in modern times. These are Genoa, Torino and Bologna who have won a combined 23 league titles. Bologna and Torino are mid-table clubs while Genoa is a relegation candidate.

I will start off by managing Parma. They are currently predicted to finish 1^st in Serie B and getting them promoted and finishing regularly in the top 6 in Serie A will be my plan. Like in the 90s, I aim to make them a talent factory. The hardest part of this challenge will be getting the AI to manage the other big clubs well. So I intend on creating a loan army, even selling my best players to the Big 3 letting very high potential players use my club as a stepping stone. In the 90s Parma had players like: Buffon, Cannavaro, Thuram, Crespo, Verón, Zola, Inzaghi and Asprilla who then all went on to play for one of the Big 3.

This will be a long-term save, and the first 5 years are almost irrelevant. I do not foresee Serie A being anywhere close to what it was in the 90s until at least the year 2030 when I have implemented a big loan and transfer network between Parma and the big clubs. Also, the games busted reputation system which favours real life players like Mbappe and Haaland until they reach their 40s will be a hindrance to begin with. Unless if miraculously one of them joins a team in the Serie A!

If Second Yellow Card can make the Malta first division into one of the biggest leagues in the world, I must be able to do the same in Italy. Giusto? 

My next update will be about my first season at Parma, as well as a snapshot of the current most reputable leagues and players. I appreciate all recommendations and advice.  Alla prossima! 

Edited May 16 by AceCream

[Ronaldo Beckham]

3 hours ago, AceCream said:

Building a Nation – Calcio Edition

Premise:

I know traditionally Building a Nation type of saves are for smaller nations like Estonia, Malta or San Marino. So, choosing a footballing giant like Italy for this challenge may seem too easy or redundant since the league is currently the 4^th most reputable league in the world. However, the point of this save is not only to make Serie A the most reputable league in the world, but also to make it the best league in the world in terms of quality of players and performances in Europe. I want to revive the Serie A of the late 80s to the late 90s where mid-table clubs like Fiorentina had arguably the best striker in the world in Batistuta. Bologna had a Balon d’Or winner in Baggio and Udinese had Euro-96 winner Bierhoff.

(Balon d'Or winners from 1988 -1998)

The Balon d’Or in 1988, 1989 and 1990 astoundingly had players from Italian teams in the top 3 of the voting each year (mostly because of Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan) and in the 10 years from 1988 to 1998 a player from Serie A won the trophy an unbelievable 8 times. Compared to modern times, Kaká was the last to win the prestigious award in 2007 while playing at Milan, and only one player was voted in the top 3 from 2008-2024. Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 and 2019 finishing in 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively playing for Juventus.

Not only were the players exceptional but the teams were also dominating European competitions during that period. From 1988 to 1998 Italy had a team in the final of the Champions League 9 times out of a possible 10. In 1992 Sampdoria even reached the final, narrowly losing to Cruyff’s Barcelona Dream Team. Italian dominance wasn’t only in the Champions League but also the Europa League. Similarly from 1989-1999 a team from Serie A won the competition 8 times with only once an Italian team NOT reaching the final in 95-96.

(Uefa Cup winners from 1988 -1998)

I don’t doubt that everybody here already knew just how extraordinary Serie A was during this time, but I felt like refreshing everybody’s memory.

The goal of this save is to recreate this dominance in FM24. The main objectives are the following: 

• Make the Serie A the most reputable league in the world according to FM24. 
• Make Serie A have the highest coefficients in Europe. 
• Have three players playing in Italy be in the top 3 of the voting for the Balon d’Or on multiple occasions.  
• Have at least 10 out of the 20 most reputable players in world playing in Serie A in one single period. 
• Have Italians teams win the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference league win in the same year.

 

Method:

To some it may make most sense to just manage the biggest club (Juve/Inter/Milan) and just try to win the Champions League every year to increase the leagues European coefficients and single handedly carry the leagues reputation. Which could work because the league is already one of the biggest in the world.  However, according to other more traditional Building a Nation saves, the best way to grow a league is to manage a rather small club and have them join the bigger clubs and in turn increasing the number of big clubs in the league. Historically in Italy, the biggest clubs can be categorized as so:

• The Big 3: Juventus, Milan and Inter. Currently you could argue that Napoli should also be in this category but I have them in the category below. These 3 clubs all hail from the northern regions of Italy in Piedmont and Lombardy. Being from one of the richest areas in Europe (northern Italy), their financial power has solidified them as by far the most superior teams in Italy and in Europe. The big 3 have a combined total of 69 (nice) Scudetti between them and 15 Champions Leagues. I will need these clubs to perform at their best and become the biggest clubs in the world on par with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man City, Liverpool, Bayern and PSG, both on the field and financially, if I aim to make the Serie A the best league in the world. I do not however intend on managing them, at least not in the beginning.

• The Seven Sisters: Besides The Big 3 in this category we have Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina and historically Parma, but now Napoli or Atalanta. In the mid-to-late 90s these teams were seen as the best of the rest in Serie A and were all owned by Billionaires ready to spend millions to sign the best players in the world, especially during the turn of the millennia. Even though these teams spent a fortune they only managed 2 Scudetti during the Serie A golden era. Lazio in 2000 and Roma in 2001. Parma won the Europa League in 1995 and 1999 but unfortunately went bankrupt twice. Famously in 2004 in the biggest bankruptcy ever in Europe and then again in 2015. These clubs need to reach the latter stages of the Europa and Conference league regularly and buy players to sell to the big 3 for profit to increase the league’s reputation. Teams operating like the current Atalanta and Parma during the 90s.

• Historic teams: Finally, we have clubs with a great history, even winning more league titles than the 4 of the Seven Sisters combined but have fallen off in modern times. These are Genoa, Torino and Bologna who have won a combined 23 league titles. Bologna and Torino are mid-table clubs while Genoa is a relegation candidate.

I will start off by managing Parma. They are currently predicted to finish 1^st in Serie B and getting them promoted and finishing regularly in the top 6 in Serie A will be my plan. Like in the 90s, I aim to make them a talent factory. The hardest part of this challenge will be getting the AI to manage the other big clubs well. So I intend on creating a loan army, even selling my best players to the Big 3 letting very high potential players use my club as a stepping stone. In the 90s Parma had players like: Buffon, Cannavaro, Thuram, Crespo, Verón, Zola, Inzaghi and Asprilla who then all went on to play for one of the Big 3.

This will be a long-term save, and the first 5 years are almost irrelevant. I do not foresee Serie A being anywhere close to what it was in the 90s until at least the year 2030 when I have implemented a big loan and transfer network between Parma and the big clubs. Also, the games busted reputation system which favours real life players like Mbappe and Haaland until they reach their 40s. But if someone like Second Yellow Card can make the Malta first division into one of the biggest leagues in the world, I must be able to do the same in Italy.

My next update will be about my first season at Parma, as well as a snapshot of the current most reputable leagues and players. I appreciate all recommendations and advice.  Alla prossima! 

I always love a Parma save and I like the idea of what Second Yellow Card is doing with Malta even though I couldn't do it the way he does it as it sounds like a lot of work doing the loan army thing.

Good luck with Parma. Are you bringing some of the old boys back as staff members. Buffon would probably be a good GK coach for you.

 

[AceCream]

2 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

I always love a Parma save and I like the idea of what Second Yellow Card is doing with Malta even though I couldn't do it the way he does it as it sounds like a lot of work doing the loan army thing.

Good luck with Parma. Are you bringing some of the old boys back as staff members. Buffon would probably be a good GK coach for you.

 

Haha yeah, I will probably not create a loan army to the extent of Second Yellow Card. I aim to just sell/loan talented players to other clubs in the league since the AI is generally terrible at building squads themselves. We'll see how that goes, though. 

Buffon is currently not in the game for me  . I don't know if I need to load all the players from Italy to get him. Other Parma legends who could join later are Hernán Crespo (if he accepts an assistant manager role) and Fabio Cannavaro.  I might try to get one (or both) of the Thuram brothers, that would be kind of cool! I doubt we could offer them wages anytime soon though 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 hour ago, AceCream said:

Haha yeah, I will probably not create a loan army to the extent of Second Yellow Card. I aim to just sell/loan talented players to other clubs in the league since the AI is generally terrible at building squads themselves. We'll see how that goes, though. 

Buffon is currently not in the game for me  . I don't know if I need to load all the players from Italy to get him. Other Parma legends who could join later are Hernán Crespo (if he accepts an assistant manager role) and Fabio Cannavaro.  I might try to get one (or both) of the Thuram brothers, that would be kind of cool! I doubt we could offer them wages anytime soon though 

You could also try to sign Chiesa's son Federico from Fiorentina at some point. 

 

[AceCream]

Parma - Season 23/24 Preview

(Hernan Crespo)

Background:

This will be my first season of this Building a Nation type save where I aim to make Serie A the best league in the world. The manager who will lead Italy into its next era of dominance will be none other than Andrea Barzagli. Barzagli is widely considered one of the best and most consistent defenders of the 2010s. Most notably with Juventus, where he won 8 Scudetti. He also won the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg in 08/09 and was a part of the 2006 Italian World Cup-winning team. His only coaching experience is being a part of the coaching staff of Juventus and the Italian national team. 

(Parma hire Barzagli)

Squad and Tactics:

I always disable first-window transfer budgets when creating a save, and this will be no different. It helps me get to know my team better and forces me to use players I might not have given a chance otherwise. Parma is expected to finish in first place, and the squad is definitely equipped to do so. They are set up to play a 4-2-3-1 formation (which is the formation they use in real life), and my assistant manager recommended using the gegenpress playstyle (Wow a 4-2-3-1 Gegenpress, how original ). I aim to keep things simple tactically, switching between three 4-2-3-1 formations with three different preset playstyles: Gegenpress for attacking early in the match, Control Possession when I have the lead and am feeling comfortable, and Fluid Counter Attack for difficult away games and against better opponents or when holding onto a narrow lead. I have really good experience with the Fluid Counter Attack and Control Possession and find that they mesh really well together, as seen in my Bologna save.

Below is my favored starting XI:

(Andrea Barzagli's Parma strongest XI)

Our best player Adrián Bernabé, told me on my first day in charge that he is considering his options and intends to see out his contract and then leave on a free transfer next summer. I don't blame him, as he is probably a bit too good for Serie B, but let's see if he decides to stick around if we manage to win the league and gain automatic promotion to Serie A. If anybody has experience in managing Parma, don't hesitate to give me some tips 

League Reputation and Best Players:

I am going to monitor the reputation of Serie A each season and see how it hopefully grows in stature through the years. The key performance indicators to measure the league's success are: 

• Reputation ranking of the Serie A compared to other leagues. Currently in 4th with 4 stars out of a possible 5.
• Nation Club Coefficients in Europe. Italy are currently in 4th with 81.296 points.
• Number of Italian clubs in the 10 most reputable clubs list according to star ratings. Currently 2, Juventus and Inter are in 8th and 10th respectively. 
• Number of Italian clubs in the top 20 of the European club coefficients rankings. Currently 4. Napoli, Inter, Roma, and Juventus are in 19th, 11th, 10th, and 8th.

This is summed up in this table: 

(Serie A Reputation Table)

I also want to monitor the best players in the world and where they are playing. Currently, Serie A only has three of the 30 most reputable players in the world. Oshimen, Lautaro and Rafael Leao. I want to get this number up to at least 15 in the future. 

(Player Reputation Table)

(Balon d'Or voting in 2023)

(Top 30 most reputable players in the world in August 2023)

Given the fact that I will start this adventure in Serie B, I want to end this post with a hilarious image showcasing the top goal-scorers in Serie B in the 93/94 season . 

(Serie B 1993 - 1994 Top Goal-Scorers)

Alla prossima!

Edited May 15 by AceCream

[JawZy]

April this year I started a Bari save. But have forgot to do any updating here, so this is how it has gone so far.

S1

S2

S3

S4

S5 so far

I am finding Seire A a rea struggle to break into mid table

 

 

[AceCream]

12 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

You could also try to sign Chiesa's son Federico from Fiorentina at some point. 

 

@Ronaldo Beckham Yeah, I might be able to offer him wages to his liking after 10 years when he is reaching the twilight of his career. Also, he plays for Juventus now!

8 hours ago, JawZy said:

April this year I started a Bari save. But have forgot to do any updating here, so this is how it has gone so far.

S1

S2

S3

S4

S5 so far

I am finding Seire A a rea struggle to break into mid table

 

 

Super! Bari is such a great club, I really hope they get their act together in real life. We need more southern clubs in Serie A.

@JawZy what is your squad looking like?

Edited May 16 by AceCream

[JawZy]

Currently the first teamlooks like this

[AceCream]

2 hours ago, JawZy said:

Currently the first teamlooks like this

It looks like you have a good Italian core. I take it that Ivan Rozman is a regen. Who is your best player? 

[JawZy]

My favourite players are Sersanti, Koutsoupias and Plizzari - and yes Rozman is a newgen, signed in the summer just gone for 1.4m

[JawZy]

I actually wont be suprised if i end up relegated one of these seasons

[AceCream]

Parma - 23/24 Mid-Season Review

(Alessandro Circati)

Serie B:

It's January 2024, and the Serie B campaign is halfway done. We find ourselves at the top of the league with 46 points, 15 wins, two draws, and three losses in 19 games. It has been relatively easily so far. We started the campaign off with a loss but then won 13 games on the bounce. 

(Serie B Table)

The squad has been phenomenal, with key players such as Bonny, Bernabé, and Hernani consistently stepping up and our tactics paying off. However, we've hit a rough patch recently, losing the last two matches. These defeats have been a wake-up call, showing us areas that need tightening. Despite the setbacks, we're still at the top of the league, and the team is determined to bounce back stronger. The focus now is on regaining our form and maintaining our lead in the title race.

(Parma breaks Serie B Consecutive Wins record)

The remarkable performances of key players like Yoann Bonny, Bernabé, Hernani, and Dennis Man have not gone unnoticed. Big clubs from across Europe are circling, eager to poach our top talent. Yoann Bonny has been a revelation up front, attracting interest from Premier League giants. Bernabé's creative genius in midfield has made him a target for La Liga's elite, while Hernani's consistent displays have put him on the radar of Serie A's top teams. Dennis Man's flair and versatility have caught the eyes of Bundesliga scouts.

(Bonny wanted by big clubs)

Coppa Italia:

Our journey in the Coppa Italia has been nothing short of impressive. We kicked off our campaign with a stunning 3-0 victory against Genoa, showcasing our defensive solidity and clinical finishing. We used the Fluid-Counter Attack tactical style in this competition, and the players executed the game plan perfectly, silencing a strong Serie A side with ease. Riding high on confidence, we then faced Frosinone and delivered another commanding performance, winning 4-1. This match highlighted our attacking prowess and tactical flexibility as we dismantled their defense with quick transitions and sharp passing.

(Parma ease past Forsinone)

These victories have propelled us to the third round of the Coppa Italia, where we've been drawn against the formidable AS Roma. Facing a club of Roma's stature is a daunting task, but it also presents an exciting opportunity to test our mettle against one of Italy's top teams. Tactically, we'll need to be astute, balancing our attacking ambitions with a solid defensive strategy to counter Roma's threats.

(Parma play Roma in the Coppa Italia 3rd round)

Serie A News:

I'll be keeping a close eye on the Serie A transfers and fixtures as we navigate the season. Inter Milan's dominance at the top of the league is no surprise, given their formidable squad and consistent performances. However, the real shock has been Bologna's impressive rise to second place. Their unexpected surge adds an intriguing twist to the league dynamics, and I hope that they replicate Thiago Motta's IRL accomplishments. 

(Serie A Table)

IN FM24, Juventus has a pretty volatile ownership, and there are rumors that a wealthy tycoon might take over Juventus, which could change things up a lot. If this happens, Juventus would get a big financial boost, allowing them to buy top players. It would be reminiscent of Serie A in the nineties when Italian clubs were some of the richest and most competitive in the world, attracting star players and dominating European competitions. A revitalized Juventus could bring back some of that old-school glamour and intensity to the league and help me reach my objectives with this save.

(Possible Tycoon Takeover)

I'm looking forward to finishing this season. It will be interesting to see if we might cause an upset against Roma. Ci vediamo presto!

Edited May 17 by AceCream

[AceCream]

22 minutes ago, JawZy said:

I actually wont be suprised if i end up relegated one of these seasons

There's no shame in that  How are you set up tactically? 

[JawZy]

ive had most success with this setup

[AceCream]

14 minutes ago, JawZy said:

ive had most success with this setup

I love an asymmetric formation, but it seems a bit aggressive for a relegation candidate. A high line, attacking mentality, and intense pressing need very good players. Have you considered a more conservative approach? 

[JawZy]

Considering the constant struggle, i probably should change it up abit - as this season was the most painful yet!

[El Payaso]

@JawZy well at least you are having a realistic career there. Many reasons to keep going. 👍

[El Payaso]

If you haven't seen I already, I'm having my own career with Torino. It's an interesting save as I have found a clear house rules for the save which really satisfy me. 

 

[AceCream]

10 hours ago, JawZy said:

Considering the constant struggle, i probably should change it up abit - as this season was the most painful yet!

Wow, that was a close one  I agree with @El Payaso well done in persisting with the Bari Save, it takes patience to commit to a more realistic rise to the top like with your Bari side.  Keep going!

16 minutes ago, El Payaso said:

If you haven't seen I already, I'm having my own career with Torino. It's an interesting save as I have found a clear house rules for the save which really satisfy me. 

I love it! I'm going to read that right now! Do you create all the graphics yourself? It looks amazing!

[El Payaso]

Just now, AceCream said:

I love it! I'm going to read that right now! Do you create all the graphics yourself? It looks amazing!

Thank you! Yeah, I create them myself. I nowadays use Canva's free version to do them. It's really easy when you get the templates and styles done. Of course FM's own skinning adds some limitations but I'm fairly happy with the overall look. 

[JawZy]

Not looking very italian after that transfer window

[AceCream]

3 hours ago, JawZy said:

Not looking very italian after that transfer window

You must be in, what, 2030 by now? Care to show off some regens?

Edited May 18 by AceCream

[BadAss88]

@AceCream Very inspiring posts! I'm thinking of starting with Parma as well, as Davide Ancelotti!

[El Payaso]

2 minutes ago, BadAss88 said:

@AceCream Very inspiring posts! I'm thinking of starting with Parma as well, as Davide Ancelotti!

I was also thinking about starting with them when I started my short career with Palermo. The better thing about Parma is that the team is probably closer to Serie A level which means that you'll be probably just fine with the starting team when you get to the top flight.