In this FM 2015 challenge you take a former top flight club back to the top tier. Although all teams that have played in the top division counts most consider teams that have played a couple of seasons in the top tier as the real challenge. In many cases you have more pressure to succeed because of the clubs prestige. The lower down they are the better the more fun your challenge will be. Some clubs may exist only as a new club when the old one got bankrupt. Below are the teams that I would consider the best choices for this challenge. I have listed clubs that have spent at least 10 seasons in either the top tier in Serie A or La Liga and for English club 5 seasons in the Premier League.
England
- Birmingham City (Sky Bet Championship)
- Blackburn Rovers (Sky Bet Championship)
- Bolton Wanderers (Sky Bet Championship)
- Charlton Athletic (Sky Bet Championship)
- Coventry (Sky Bet League 1)
- Derby Country (Sky Bet Championship)
- Fulham (Sky Bet Championship)
- Ipswich Town (Sky Bet Championship)
- Leeds United (Sky Bet Championship)
- Middlesbrough (Sky Bet Championship)
- Norwich (Sky Bet Championship)
- Nottingham Forest (Sky Bet Championship)
- Portsmouth (Sky Bet League 2)
- Sheffield Wednesday (Sky Bet Championship)
- Wigan Athletic (Sky Bet Championship)
- Wimbledon — AFC Wimbledon (Sky Bet League 2) or Milton Key Dons (Sky Bet League 1)
- Wolverhampton Wanderers (Sky Bet Championship)
Italy
- Alessandria (Serie C/A)
- Ascoli (Serie C/B)
- Avellino (Serie B)
- Bari (Serie B)
- Bologna (Serie B)
- Brescia (Serie B)
- Catania (Serie B)
- Como (Serie C/A)
- Foggia (Serie C/C) and has -1 point to start with.
- Lecce (Serie C/C)
- Livorno (Serie B)
- Modena (Serie B)
- Novara (Serie C/A)
- Perugia (Serie B)
- Pro Patria (Serie C/A)
- SPAL (Serie C/B)
- Venezia (Serie C/A)
- Vicenza (Serie B)
Spain
- Alavés (Liga Adelante)
- Cádiz CF (Segunda Division B)
- Hércules (Segunda Division B)
- Las Palmas (Liga Adelante)
- Mallorca (Liga Adelante)
- Murcia (Segunda Division B)
- Osasuna (Liga Adelante)
- Racing de Santander (Liga Adelante)
- Real Betis (Liga Adelante)
- Real Oviedo (Segunda Division B)
- Sabadell (Liga Adelante)
- Sporting de Gijón (Liga Adelante)
- Tenerife (Liga Adelante)
- Valladolid (Liga Adelante)
- Zaragoza (Liga Adelante)
Rules and Goals
- Take control of a former top tier team.
- Win promotion to the top tier.
- Win national and international fame.
Hints
This is a typical Lower League Management type game. You have to find those lower league gems and push for promotion. In England you can use the money you get from TV-rights to assemble a decent team to survive your first season up. Spain and Italy don’t have the same gap so you can usually survive a first season in the top tier. A counter tactic and fast players can help you establish yourself. Then gradually switch over to a more control type game with passing play. Most of the listed teams have a decent team already so you just have to strengthen the squad in key areas.
