The best teams to start a save with on Football Manager 2023

After the winter update, it's time to start a new Football Manager 2023 save.

Whether you're looking for a fight with a scrappy underdog, a trophy-laden reign of terror or a dance with the financial devil, there's something for everyone to stick their teeth into.

Here are 30 teams to consider starting a save with in FM23.

1. Malaga

A long-time favourite of FM players, Malaga continue to need your help.

Quarter-finalists in the 2012/13 Champions League, financial turmoil has hit Malaga in recent years and they are continuing to tumble downhill. They only narrowly avoided the drop to the third tier of Spanish football last season and aren't doing much better this time around.

Money is a major problem here, so this challenge isn't for the faint-hearted.

2. Casa Pia

Promoted to the Portuguese top flight for the first time in their history, the story of Casa Pia is a beautiful one.

Closely linked to a local children's charity, Casa Pia have regularly used their community work to find first-team players and have pumped money from their success back into helping those in need.

Keeping them in the top flight is not going to be easy, however, but the fight is undoubtedly worth the effort.

3. Como

Serie B side Como are aiming big. Facing bankruptcy just a few years ago, they are back in the second tier and aren't looking to stop there.

Dennis Wise has been brought in as president and Cesc Fabregas has been signed as a player/part-owner, with former Wolves striker Patrick Cutrone also linking up.

Your job here is to keep the good times rolling. Aim high and do what it takes to get back to the top.

4. Athletic Club

If you have ever played FM, you'll know all about the fun that is an Athletic Club save.

Their unique transfer policy, which restricts them to only signing players from the Basque region, really does limit what you can do with your team - especially as most of the best candidates already play for you.

Youth recruitment and smart transfers are key to this one.

5. Juventus

Juventus aren't a fallen giant just yet, but they're heading in that direction.

The one-time dominant force in Italy, the Bianconeri are now struggling to keep up at the top of the table, with an ageing squad and financial issues holding them back.

To make matters worse, their recent financial allegations have seen them docked 15 points to start the game. Surely you can't still lead them to the title?

6. Wrexham

Bringing Hollywood to the National League, Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are trying to make something special happen.

Dreams of taking the Welsh elders to the Premier League are very much alive there, but that's four promotions away.

Bringing a team from the bottom to the top is always a fun challenge to take on, so Wrexham might be the ones for you.

7. Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest went crazy across the summer to brace themselves for a return to the Premier League.

23 new players came through the door at Forest, and what that means is you've got a squad full of players who don't know each other, are all on long-term contracts and won't be open to a departure for the best part of a year.

You'll have to make do with what you've got and flex your management skills to get Forest back to the top of the mountain.

8. Almeria

If you like building your squad around wonderkids, Almeria may be the save for you.

Back in La Liga, Almeria splashed out on Brazilian starlets Kayky and Lazaro this summer, adding the duo to a young core which is bursting with potential.

The club's vision is clear. They want you to sign high-potential youngsters and nurture them into superstars. Sounds like a lot of fun.

9. Envigado

Sticking with the wonderkids concept, Colombian side Envigado are all about their academy.

With 20 youth recruitment and 20 youth importance, the job at Envigado is to find future superstar after future superstar, following in the footsteps of James Rodriguez, Fredy Guarin and Juan Fernando Quintero.

Known as the Cantera de Heroes (Quarry of Heroes), Envigado has one of the richest histories in South America when it comes to wonderkids.

10. Altinordu

Historically, Altinordu have limited themselves to playing with players between the ages of 18 and 25.

While it's not a strict rule, it's a fun one to try and enforce yourself as you try to climb out of the Turkish second tier and butt heads with giants like Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

To add to the fun, the club's preference has usually been to stick to players with Turkish nationality, so get your scouts scattered all over the country.

11. Kaiserslautern

One of the most successful teams in the history of the Bundesliga, Kaiserslautern are back in the German second tier after four seasons stuck in the third division.

Things are finally going well for the four-time Bundesliga champions but they still have a long way to go to get themselves back to where they belong.

Your quest here is to steady the ship and survive in the second tier, before launching an all-out assault on Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at the top of the mountain.

12. Marseille

The challenge for Marseille is simple: stop Paris Saint-Germain.

No team in Ligue 1 is set up for the battle quite like Marseille, who did their best to keep up with the Parisians last year and they're trying again this year, but the gulf in quality is clear.

Le Classique rivalry is one of the biggest on offer in France and should only fuel your desire to stop PSG once and for all.

13. Saint-Etienne

Another side looking to slow PSG down are Saint-Etienne, whose record 10 Ligue 1 titles was matched by the club from the capital last season.

The issue for Saint-Etienne, however, is they cannot stop PSG from winning number 11 as they were relegated to the second tier last season and will be playing catch-up unless somebody like Marseille can stop the Parisians in 2022/23.

Get back to the top tier as soon as possible and get yourself back on top before PSG start to run away with the record.

14. Niigata Unicorn

Based in Singapore, Niigata Unicorn like to complicate things by setting a rule limiting you to only signing players from Japan.

Japanese investment has seen Niigata enjoy plenty of success in Singapore but replicating that in FM23 won't be easy, with many players reluctant to make the move to a club of your standing.

It's one of the more unique transfer restrictions you'll face and definitely one worth trying.

15. Barcelona

By this point, you should know the deal with Barcelona.

A fall from grace and major financial woes forced the Blaugrana to wave goodbye to Lionel Messi and usher in a new era which is off to a pretty decent start.

Figure out your money, offload the fringe players and return Barcelona to the pinnacle of European football. Easy.

16. Bordeaux

Another fallen giant here. Bordeaux were relegated to France's Ligue 2 last season and were lucky it only ended there as the country's financial officials nearly relegated them to the third tier because of major monetary problems.

An appeal saw Bordeaux placed back into the second tier and now the quest to return to the top flight is on.

A few top players left but Bordeaux are still comfortable favourites to secure promotion, but surviving in Ligue 1 with such significant financial issues will be a massive battle.

17. Red Bull Salzburg

There is no talent factory in Europe that can compete with Red Bull Salzburg's production line.

The Austrian giants have helped develop some of the best players on the planet, including the likes of Erling Haaland and Sadio Mane, and there are plenty more coming through the ranks.

There are two ways to play this one. You can focus on producing stars and selling them for profit, or trying to keep you big guns and turning Salzburg into genuine European heavyweights. The choice is yours.

18. Charlotte FC

Off the back of a hectic debut season in Major League Soccer, Charlotte FC will be feeling pretty good about themselves.

They missed the playoffs but the fact they were even close to being in the conversation is an accomplishment in itself, but all that means is that expectations for next season are high.

With one of the weaker squads in the division, you must lead a team still in its infancy to the post-season, all while enjoying the unique experience that is an MLS save.

19. Manchester United

The winter update was kind to Manchester United, who no longer resemble the sort of side needing a rebuild.

Progress has been made under Erik ten Hag and the Red Devils are a top side on FM23, but there's still something missing when it comes to a title charge.

Their trophy drought may have ended on the real pitch, but virtually, they're still crying out for somebody to fill their cabinet once again.

20. Chelsea

As manager of Chelsea, the challenge is simple: win.

Under the ownership of Todd Boehly, you've got an expensively assembled squad who are floating between rebuild and win-now mode, so you need to juggle two jobs at once. As Graham Potter has shown, that really isn't an easy job.

You must compete for glory immediately, without taking your eye of the long-term project. Chelsea have an ageing core that will soon need replacing, and you don't have the time to get anything wrong.

21. Braga

Only five teams have ever won the Portuguese league, and Braga aren't one of them.

Portuguese football has been dominated by the so-called Big Three - Sporting CP, Benfica and Porto. In fact, not since 2001 has any other team lifted the title, but Braga are perhaps best equipped to end the drought.

Even so, bridging the gap to the big three is a massive ask, let alone usurping them at the top of the mountain.

22. Newcastle United

If you want some good, old-fashioned FM fun, then Newcastle might be the save for you.

They're a team on the up, backed by the richest owners on the face of the planet and with a near-unlimited budget to spend to fire you to Premier League glory.

There's a fair bit of work to do but the world is your oyster with this save. Build your dream team.

23. FC Andorra

Now kicking about in the Spanish second tier is FC Andorra, who are owned by a certain Gerard Pique.

The appeal of bringing them to La Liga glory is obvious, and unfortunately, the former defender's retirement means the dream of coming up against Pique on the pitch is now over.

Pique's focus is now on this club, and yours should be too.

24. Velez Sarsfield

You've probably bought a wonderkid or two from Velez in the past, but now the Argentinian side are in need of your help.

Once one of the country's biggest teams, Velez finished fifth last season but have tumbled down the standings this year and have spent the majority of the campaign sitting 27th in the 28-team division.

Simply put, that's not good enough. You know what to do.

25. Inter Miami

David Beckham's Inter Miami find themselves lost in the purgatory of being too good for the regular season but not good enough to survive in the play-offs.

They're a top side who already boast one of the biggest profiles in MLS, but the reality is that all the parts are yet to fit together perfectly and the imminent retirement of star striker Gonzalo Higuain isn't going to help.

Calling it a rebuild would be a stretch, but Miami need some help if they are to keep progressing.

26. Aberdeen

To the neutral, Scottish football is a bit boring. Combined, Rangers and Celtic have won 85% of the league titles in history, with that duo winning everything since Aberdeen took the prize in 1984.

So, can you be the saviour that Scottish football needs?

Just bridging the gap to the top two sides is an accomplishment in itself, but dragging Aberdeen back to glory would be something special.

27. Southampton

Few squads look as primed for Football Manager fun than Southampton, who have been busy hunting wonderkids.

The likes of Romeo Lavia and Armel Bella-Kotchap have joined a core which already featured Tino Livramento and Mohammed Salisu, so the potential ability of this squad is bigger than ever.

A long-term challenge, keep adding to that core and build a young machine capable of competing for glory further down the line.

28. Seongnam FC

Seongnam used to be South Korea's most successful team before Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors started ruling the roost.

These days, they find themselves struggling towards the bottom of the standings, watching on as Jeonbuk lift title after title after title.

Seongnam aren't far out of a major transitional period which saw them relegated, rebranded and rebuilt, but there's still a whole lot of work to do.

29. FC Vaduz

You won't find many saves as unique as Vaduz, a club from Lichtenstein who play their football in the Swiss system.

Given they are based in a different country's league, Vaduz are actually unable to qualify for the Champions League domestically and can only get there by winning the Europa League, but you'll have to win the Europa Conference League to get there in the first place.

They’re already in the Conference League this season but you’ll need something special if you’re going to win it in your first year, so your focus needs to be on winning the Liechtenstein Cup, which is the only way for you to qualify back to the ECL.

30. Anderlecht

A long-time favourite among FM players, Anderlecht are one of those sides with all the tools needed to make a major splash in Europe.

The Belgian giants boast an outstanding youth recruitment network and some top youngsters already in the squad, but you'll have to work hard to lead them to the next level.

Keep the core together and add some more top talents, and you'll soon have something special on your hands.

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