Real Madrid on Football Manager 2023: 10 tips for a new save
By Henry Burt, Tom Gott
Football Manager 2023 is finally here, and it's a good time to be taking charge of Real Madrid.
Los Blancos stormed to a La Liga and Champions League double last season under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti, with their blend of experienced stars and up-and-coming young talent helping to breathe new life into a side that had been far from its best in recent times.
It takes a lot of confidence to think you can do better than Ancelotti and lead Real to continued glory in FM23. If you think you're up to the challenge, start by reading our list of 10 things to do when taking on the Real Madrid job.
- Football Manager news, features and rankings
- The best teams to start a save with on Football Manager 2023
- The best free agents to sign on Football Manager 2023
1. Phase out the older players
Real Madrid probably wouldn't have won the Champions League last season without the likes of Luka Modric and Karim Benzema. The club's elder statesmen rolled back the years with some superb performances throughout the competition, setting the tone for the rest of the team and leading by example.
With that being said, time makes fools of us all eventually - and Modric and Benzema are no exception to this. At 36 and 34 respectively at the beginning of the game, these two will begin a rapid decline within a year or two and possibly even retire from the game.
There's nothing wrong with including these players in your first season; they remain undoubtedly world-class and there are few better options on the market. Even so, working on a succession plan for when they move on will be vital to your long-term success.
2. Find your long-term striker
You definitely don't need to be in a rush to move Benzema, but you must start thinking about the future of your attack, because the drop-off you're heading for when Benzema does slow down is enormous.
When the Ballon d'Or winner calls it a day, your only other striker is Mariano Diaz, who isn't exactly young himself. This is an absolute priority.
Real were looking at Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe last summer. Those two are off the market now but a splash that size wouldn't go amiss here.
3. Shift the deadwood
Real offer an excellent squad in FM23, with quality all over the pitch.
Unfortunately, one thing they also possess in abundance is overpaid players.
Take Eden Hazard for example. The 31-year-old earns £375,000 per week in Madrid, but is frequently injured and likely to be pretty far down your pecking order. He's still good enough to get some use out of if you prefer, but that money could definitely be spent better elsewhere.
4. Build around youth
As we mentioned earlier, Real have an abundance of highly skilled young players. The signings of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni have put the club in a good position to move on from the era of Modric and Toni Kroos, and you'd be well-advised to build around the solid base these two provide as a midfield pivot.
As for the future, you're going to want to ensure Madrid have a conveyor belt of emerging talent to rely on in the years to come.
Find some good scouts and a Head of Youth Development who knows what they're doing so you can keep the wonderkids rolling in as your squad grows older.
5. Revamp the medical staff
Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in world football, so why is their medical staff so bad in Football Manager? Whatever the reason, you'll need to do something about it.
Head of Sports Science Javier Mallo is only rated 11 for Sports Science, the one attribute you need him to be good at. This simply won't do; find medical staff members with ratings of at least 17 in the key attributes and you should find yourself dealing with injuries with greater success.
6. Hire a new Assistant Manager
Look, Davide Ancelotti is probably a lovely bloke. He probably knows a thing or two about football, too. But would he be Real Madrid's assistant manager if the head coach wasn't his literal dad? We couldn't possibly say - but no, he wouldn't.
Ancelotti Jr. has decent attributes as a coach in FM23, but he can definitely be improved upon. Find a coach with better attributes and who shares your footballing philosophy, and you should have an easier time imparting your ideas on the squad.
7. Address the full-back situation
Dani Carvajal and David Alaba are both excellent players with impressive CVs - and their attributes in FM23 aren't bad either.
With that being said, neither of Real's first choice full-backs are particularly young. What's more, they're both decidedly defensive players and less well-rounded than some more modern full-backs. They'll certainly do a job for a couple of years, but these are definitely two positions worth upgrading in.
8. Build your attack around Vinicius Junior
Last season saw Vinicius Junior finally begin living up to his hefty price tag, scoring 22 goals in all competitions and cementing his place on the left flank of Real's attacking line.
The Brazilian's attributes in FM23 reflect his growing importance to the club. With excellent ratings in finishing, dribbling and off-the-ball skills among others, there are few players in the world who can offer the kind of attacking threat Vinicius can.
At only 22 years of age, he's capable of starring for your side for years to come.
9. Overhaul the U19 staff
Madrid's under-19 squad is rather bloated in FM23, with a lot of players who are unlikely to ever be key players for the first team. Selling these players off will raise some funds in the short term, but for long-term results you might want to take a look at the staff.
This is far from the worst set of youth coaches at any club in the game, but a few of the under-19 staff are lacking severely in key attributes. Finding high-quality coaches who want to work at youth level isn't easy, but could pay dividends in the long run.
10. Don't lose sight of the here and now
This is Real Madrid we're talking about here. Our tips and tricks will set you up for sustained long-term success - but a club the size of this one will not settle for any less than the best.
By all means, sign your wonderkids and look to grow the club. Just remember that if you aren't competing for league titles and on the European stage, you won't last long enough to see that groundwork pay off.