Football Manager 2019 officially launched today, and we can all kiss our social lives goodbye. This year's version of the title looks to be the most immersive ever, with a new training overhaul and tactical innovations introduced. The game is always a must have for football fans, but who are the best teams to manage in Football Manager 2019?
Deciding what team you take reins of is always a difficult decision, with various types of challenges to choose from. Some players like to take on a club with a massive budget and make a number superstar signings. While that is certainly entertaining for a while, there is nothing quite like taking on the challenge of moulding a smaller club in your image and bringing them to the top.
Narrative is important, and that had a massive part to play in choosing the teams on this list. Take a look.
Best Teams To Manage In Football Manager 2019
Parma
Max Budget: £4.66m
Key Players: Alberto Grassi, Roberto Inglese, Gervinho.
Parma returned to Serie A this season after a meteoric rise through the divisions. The club were relegated to the fourth tier of Italian football after succumbing to financial ruin, but they bounced back with three promotions in a row and are now finally back in the big time.
The financial problems still exist at the club, meaning you will have to be prudent as you seek to bring them back to the summit of Serie A. Their team during the 19990's was a football hipster's dream, with a number of star names such as Gianluigi Buffon, Juan Sebastian Veron and Gianfranco Zola.
You will not be blessed with such star power this time around, with a squad consisting of ageing players and loanees. You will definitely have the chance to mould the side in your own image, and returning them to their former glories will be a fantastic journey.
Sunderland
Max Budget: £4m
Key Players: Max Power, Duncan Watmore, Jerome Sinclair.
Sunderland have experienced a dramatic fall from grace in recent times, with back-to-back relegations leaving them stranded in the third tier of English football. With one of the largest support bases in the country, they are a club that needs to be in the Premier League. Can you lead them there?
The days of big money signings like Darren Bent are long gone, and unearthing a few wonderkids will be key to your progress. Jerome Sinclair is a player up front that has plenty of untapped potential, but there is not much else to work with in the squad. Definitely a major challenge.
Athletic Bilbao
Max Budget: £28.63m
Key Players: Iñaki Williams, Iker Muniain, Iñigo Martínez.
Athletic Bilbao are an anomaly in the world of modern football, only selecting players from their native Basque region. They have an incredible youth academy that allows them to continually produce quality players, and they are the only club apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid to have never been relegated from La Liga.
Their best players are continually poached by top European clubs, with Bilbao often charging exuberant prices due to the lack of available replacements. Any money received is put straight into the youth academy to produce the next generation of talent.
It may be frustrating seeing your players leave while having a very small pool from which to recruit replacements, but there will be something very satisfying in winning major honours with a team comprised entirely of local players.
Wolves
Max Budget: £39.14m
Key Players: Ruben Neves, Rui Patricio, Jota.
Wolves are the rising power in English football, and they may be best placed to break the dominance of the top six in the coming seasons. Their owners have funded a remarkable overhaul of the club, and their recruitment policy has been fantastic in the last couple of seasons.
Once in charge, you can decide on whether to continue with their Portuguese focused transfer policy. Ruben Neves is sure to develop into a world class midfielder, and other interesting young talents include Adama Traoré and Jota. You will definitely have the funds to make an impact in the transfer market, but can you really establish yourself amongst the Premier League elite?
Hamburger SV
Max Budget: £0
Key Players: Jann-Fiete Arp, Lewis Holtby, Tatsuya Ito.
No transfer budget? Don't be put off, Hamburg are the sleeping giant of German football, a proud club who need to be taken back to the top. Last season marked the first time they were ever relegated from the top division, the only club in Germany that could boast that fact.
They have a 57,000 capacity stadium, and won the European Cup in 1983. The board will want a swift return to the Bundesliga, and that will only be the start of their demands. A seventh league title is the ultimate goal. Your cause will be aided by Jann-Fiete Arp, one of the top wonderkids in this year's game. Can he carry this club back to the big time?
Borussia Dortmund
Max Budget: £28.82m
Key Players: Christian Pulisic, Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus.
Dortmund are always one of the most entertaining teams to manage on Football Manager, and this year is no exception. They are blessed with some wonderful attacking talent, and have some of the top wonderkids in the game in Christian Pulisic and Jadon Sancho.
Breaking the dominance of Bayern Munich is the first aim, and this seems more possible now than it has for a number of years. The ultimate goal however is a second Champions League success, their first since 1997. Jürgen Klopp came close in 2013, but can you be the one to finally get them over the line?
