Football Manager 2020: The 10 best clubs to manage - Dortmund, Leipzig & more

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With Football Manager 2020’s release last week, most of you gamers will be trying to work out which club you're best to take over in your new save.

Some players prefer to take control of a well-established side who have all the means to succeed, wheres others prefer to take a smaller club from grassroots to glory.

Luckily for all us FM fans, Sports Interactive offered some advice, as they have listed the 10 clubs you should consider when starting your new game. Below, we have broken down each of their recommend clubs.

FM20 is now available on PC, Mac OS (via Steam), Xbox Game Pass, and Nintendo Switch.

Bolton Wanderers

League: English Football League One

Last season: 23rd in EFL Championship (relegated)

Honours: 4 FA Cups, 3 Second Division titles

Notable players: Liam Bridcutt, Will Buckley, Daryl Murphy

The ultimate long-term save challenge for FM20, considering Bolton started the season on -12 points after entering administration.

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COUNTDOWN: FM 2020 arrives on November 19

The Trotters' squad consisted of teenagers at the start of the League One season, only getting a more seasoned squad in place from September.

It will take every piece of managerial wisdom you possess to keep Bolton up in your first season, and you will be tasked with restoring the club to their previous heights of performing well in the top flight.

FC Nordsjaelland

League: Danish Superliga

Last season: 6th

Honours: 1 Danish Superliga, 2 Danish Cups

Notable players: Kian Hansen, Mikkel Rygaard, Mikkel Damsgaard

Holding the youngest European squad, Nordsjaelland have all the potential to become a successful team with young talent at their core.

The club places a large emphasis on using players from their own academies, so finding a way to utilise the abundance of young talent could be the what makes or breaks your season.

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If you’re looking for a challenge, bring home the Danish Superliga title to this club.

FC Union Berlin

League: German Bundesliga

Last season: 3rd in 2. Bundesliga (promoted)

Honours: 1 3. Liga title

Notable players: Neven Subotic, Florian Hubner, Felix Kroos

Union Berlin gained access to the Bundesliga for the first time last season, having won the play-offs and getting promoted.

Their team is a mixture of experienced players and youngsters, so their work is cut out for them this year.

Will the challenge be to much, or can you help Union Berlin find their feet in the top tier, implementing a successful style of play and winning points along the way.

Borussia Dortmund

League: German Bundesliga

Last season: 2nd

Honours: 8 Bundesliga titles, 4 DFB-Pokals

Notable players: Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho, Axel Witsel

Dortmund added some incredible talent to their roster over the summer, acquiring wonderkids Jadon Sancho and Dan-Axel Zagadou, as well as more experienced players like Julian Brandt and Nico Schulz.

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DIE BORUSSEN: BVB's Club Info page in FM20

Shape Dortmund into a championship-winning squad and go all out on the Bundesliga title, as they only just missed out on it in the 2018-19 season.

Leeds United

League: English Football League Championship

Last season: 3rd

Honours: 1 European Cup, 3 First Division titles, 1 FA Cup, 1 Football League Cup

Notable players: Pablo Hernandez, Kiko Casilla, Kalvin Phillips

In the 15 years since they dropped out of England’s top-flight, Leeds have suffered relegation to League One and faced numerous financial issues.

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However, the Whites are finally putting in consistent performances that are worth of winning a championship. Missing out on the Championship title by a whisker last year, Leeds are primed to succeed.

With the addition of young talent Eddie Nketiah, can you get Leeds United back into the championship?

Motherwell

League: Scottish Premiership

Last season: 8th

Honours: 1 Scottish First Divison title, 2 Scottish Cups, 1 Scottish League Cup

Notable players: Richard Tait, David Turnbull, Trevor Carson

Motherwell have been playing an exciting style of attacking football this season in Scotland, and it’s working for them as they currently sit behind Celtic and Rangers in third place.

Motherwell will be an interesting challenge for any manager this year, with their host of talented youngsters such as David Turnbull, Alan Campbell and James Scott, but it will take an awful lot to dethrone one of the teams above them.

Lyon

League: French Ligue 1

Last season: 3rd

Honours: 7 Ligue 1 titles, 5 Coupe de Frances, 1 Coupe de la Ligue

Notable players: Memphis Depay, Anthony Lopes, Houssem Aouar

Lyon are known as a club that consistently utilises their resources, as well as being known for producing numerous wonderkids over the years.

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They are one of France’s most consistent teams, but have started poorly this season, winning only two of their opening nine games. Will you be able to turn this run of bad form around with the likes of Houssem Aouar, Joachim Anderson and Moussa Dembele?

Western United FC

League: Australian A-League

Last season: n/a (Founded in 2019)

Honours: n/a

Notable players: Alessandro Diamanti, Besart Berisha, Panagiotis Kone

The Australian ‘Hyundai A-League’ has had a new franchise introduced to it this year, in the shape of Western United FC.

Based outside of Melbourne, an experimental squad has been assembled for their first campaign in the Australian first league. 

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Western United's Tactics page in FM20

Their team boasts a list of experienced veterans, so any manager taking on the job will have to build a club identity around this.

RB Leipzig

League: German Bundesliga

Last season: 3rd

Honours: 1 Bundesliga Runners-up, 1 DFB-Pokal Runners-up

Notable players: Timo Werner, Yussuf Poulsen, Marcel Halstenberg

RB Leipzig have acquired a host of impressive young players in recent years, such as Lukas Klostermann and Christopher Nkunku.

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They have finished in the top six for the past three seasons, but they are capable of taking this a step further this year with the right type of manager.

York City

League: English National League North

Last season: 23rd

Honours: 1 Fourth Division title, 2 FA Trophies

Notable players: Steve McNulty, Andy Bond, Jordan Burrow

The Minstermen have started their National League North well, considering how they have failed to finish in the top 10 for the past two seasons. 

York City currently sit at the top of the table, and have every potential to get promoted to the National League with a committed manager - having reached as high as the League Two playoffs back in 2014.

READ MORE: Absolutely Everything you need to know about Football Manager 2020