Football Manager 2024: Ten teams to manage with first save, including Brighton, Real Madrid and Juventus
FM24 is released on Monday November 6 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch; early access beta will be available to PC users who pre-purchased the game around two weeks before the official release date
Tuesday 17 October 2023 16:23, UK
Whether you want to work your way up the leagues, scoop up trophies or oversee a rebuild, Sky Sports has detailed 10 of the most exciting teams to manage in Football Manager 2024...
BRIGHTON
Where better to start your FM24 save than on the sunny south coast? Brighton have been one of the Premier League's standout sides over recent years, culminating in qualification for Europe for the first time in their history.
Taking charge at the Amex will allow managers to guide the Seagulls on that maiden Europa League campaign, with skill required to balance continental and domestic demands.
To help that cause, Brighton are blessed with exciting talents such as Kaoru Mitoma, Ansu Fati and Evan Ferguson. Can you continue that outstanding work in the transfer market and go one better than Roberto De Zerbi by reaching the Champions League?
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SUNDERLAND
With a dynamic young squad, top-flight pedigree and a huge fanbase, Sunderland provide one of the most fascinating projects outside of the Premier League.
Tony Mowbray has overseen impressive progress since the Black Cats' return to the Championship in 2022 and now boasts starlets such as Jack Clarke, Jobe Bellingham and Abdoullah Ba among his squad.
But after falling in the play-offs last season, there's only one thought in the minds of Sunderland fans. Can you mould a team out of this talent and lead them back to the big time?
WREXHAM
Wrexham provide an interesting FM24 challenge - the possibility of guiding a team from the bottom of the EFL to the Premier League but also managing the expectations and scrutiny that come with a club owned by Hollywood stars.
The Welsh side possess a large squad - perfect for tackling that gruelling League Two campaign - packed with veterans such as Ben Tozer, James McClean and Steven Fletcher.
Throw in the goalscoring prowess of Paul Mullin and Wrexham managers can set their sights on climbing the long ladder towards the Premier League.
RANGERS
There's a few rebuilding projects on this list and Rangers are the first of them. After ending the 2022/23 season empty-handed - including being comfortably beaten to the Scottish Premiership title by bitter rivals Celtic - Rangers required a reset.
Michael Beale overhauled his squad in the summer, bringing in nine players and letting another 13 go. But fast forward a few months and Beale is already out of a job, with Celtic well on their way to a third successive title.
Inheriting that new-look squad, challenging in Europe and overthrowing Celtic provides an exciting challenge. Alternatively, why not use the new 'your world' option - which essentially resets squads and budgets to the beginning of the window - when starting your save to wind back time and oversee your own rebuild at Ibrox?
REAL MADRID
What's so original about taking over one of Europe's most relentless winning machines, you ask? Well, Real Madrid didn't actually win either the Champions League or LaLiga last season, the competitions they prize more than any.
In fact, Real were humbled at the end of last season, seeing Barcelona cruise to the Spanish title and being thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City on their way to crashing out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage.
If the challenge of reining in Barca and bringing a record 15th European title to Madrid isn't enough, perhaps the prospect of ushering in a new dawn at the Bernabeu - led by the likes of Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler - will change your mind.
UNION BERLIN
Much like Brighton in the Premier League, Union Berlin have taken the Bundesliga by storm in recent seasons, culminating in qualification for the Champions League for the very first time in 2023/24.
Union - roared on by their raucous fanbase - responded to that success by adding European know-how in the form of Robin Gosens, Kevin Volland and, remarkably, legendary defender Leonardo Bonucci.
Combining those veterans with a selection of grizzled Bundesliga pros and a smattering of talented youngsters - such as David Datro Fofana and Brenden Aaronson - means Union have a fascinating squad to not only take on the Champions League but also continue to challenge the German elites.
JUVENTUS
Like Real Madrid, Juventus are one of Europe's most glamourous names. But unlike Real, Juve's brand has taken a battering in recent years - making them prime targets for an FM24 rebuilding project.
After a stunning run of nine successive Serie A titles, Juve haven't finished higher than fourth in the last three seasons, while a points deduction handed down over their financial dealings led to a seventh-placed finish last time out.
With no European football this season, the target at Juve is clear: return to winning ways in Serie A and get back into the Champions League.
With Federico Chiesa back from injury and the likes of Dusan Vlahovic, Fabio Miretti and Samuel Iling Junior representing a promising new generation, the Italian giants have talent to work with.
LYON
Once perennial Ligue 1 champions, Lyon have endured a dramatic fall from grace, claiming a top-four place just once in the last four seasons.
Things have gone from bad to worse this season, with Lyon currently second-bottom and without a win from their first eight Ligue 1 games, having already sacked the hapless Laurent Blanc.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Lyon have an intriguing squad to work with, as veterans such as Corentin Tolisso, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Tagliafico are joined by young stars including Rayan Cherki, Ernest Nuamah and Maxence Caqueret.
Forming a team from the talent at Lyon is an enticing prospect - as is the potential for eventually knocking Paris Saint-Germain off their perch.
AJAX
Fans of FM24 rebuilding projects, look no further than Ajax. The Dutch giants are in a pickle and need your help.
A run of four successive titles was brought to a shuddering halt last season, with Ajax now having to make do with a place in the Europa League.
The decline has continued this season, with Ajax currently finding themselves in the frankly embarrassing position of 16th, while a 4-0 thrashing by rivals Feyenoord featured fan protests and precipitated the sacking of Sven Mislintat, the director of football.
The immediate task is to take the fight to Feyenoord, PSV and AZ and re-establish Ajax as the preeminent force in the Netherlands, winning back the fans' support as you do so.
Fortunately, Ajax still have a squad bursting with homegrown talent and international names with which to do it.
VISSEL KOBE
The wildcard on this list, Vissel Kobe represent an intriguing challenge for those looking to expand their Football Manager horizons.
With FM24 featuring all three divisions of the Japanese J. League for the first time, Vissel Kobe are the perfect vehicle with which to make the most of this new addition to the franchise.
After finishing just four points above the relegation play-off place last season, Vissel Kobe have stormed to the top of J1 League in 2023.
Those results show Vissel Kobe have a talented squad to work with - one that includes Premier League icon and World Cup winner Juan Mata.
When and where does FM24 come out?
FM24 will be released from 4pm on Monday November 6, as will Football Manager 2024 Console on PlayStation 5 and Xbox, and Football Manager 2024 Touch on Nintendo Switch.
When will early access be available?
Early access to FM24 will be available to those who purchase the game from participating retailers around two weeks before the official release date.
However, early access to FM23 came two-and-a-half weeks before the game was officially released. Miles Jacobson, Sports Interactive's studio director, said early access will "literally roll out when we believe it to be ready".
Early access is only available to those playing the PC version via Steam and Epic.
