04 Jul, 2025
If you love a challenge on FM, here’s 10 struggling clubs that will put you to the test.
By William Reid
Football Manager players are absolutely brutal. While real-life clubs are at their lowest, players of this simulation are licking their lips. They see a team hit with a points deduction and their first thought isn’t the welfare of the club’s supporters… it’s “this will be a brilliant challenge on everyone’s favourite football simulation.” But behind that brutality, there’s actually noble intent. We see the awful reality these clubs are facing, and we feel a pull to restore them to the glory they deserve.
In real life it’s almost impossible to make an impact, but Football Manager gives us an outlet—a world where we can rewrite their story. In these tough times, we all need hope. And no game delivers more hope than one where you can take a club from the brink of ruin to a Champions League final. So, as you gear up for your first save on Football Manager 2026, you’re probably wondering which clubs are crying out for a hero. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
Seven-time French champions Lyon have been administratively relegated to Ligue 2 after a full-blown financial meltdown. The club racked up an eye-watering £151 million in debt, prompting French financial watchdogs (DNCG) to demote them and slap on a transfer ban in January 2025. An urgent appeal is ongoing, but right now Lyon are set to start FM26 outside the top flight, weighed down by debt, unstable ownership under John Textor, and severe squad registration issues… a staggering fall from grace for one of France’s biggest clubs.
After yet another chaotic off-season, Sheffield Wednesday are in deep crisis heading into 2025/26. In recent weeks, the EFL hit them with a third transfer embargo, this time for failing to pay transfer fees, on top of existing bans for missed wage and tax payments. At least six senior players have handed in notices to leave under FIFA’s unpaid wages regulations, and club legend Barry Bannan has already departed after his contract expired.
Manager Danny Røhl looks set to follow, with most of his coaching staff out of contract too, leaving a leadership vacuum as pre-season begins. Owner Dejphon Chansiri has stopped funding the club, triggering a pledge sale and mounting political pressure, with MPs warning the club is “being held hostage.”
Founded in 1911 and once home to legends like Roberto Baggio, Pep Guardiola, and Andrea Pirlo, Brescia now face an existential crisis. A turbulent 2024/25 season, marked by managerial chaos and a relegation battle, ended with an eight-point deduction for financial irregularities, sending them down to Serie C. Things got worse in June when owner Massimo Cellino failed to settle £2.6 million in debts by the FIGC’s deadline, costing Brescia their professional licence. On 3 July 2025, the FIGC officially excluded them from Italy’s professional leagues, dissolving a club with 114 years of history.
The 1991 Serie A champions have endured a disastrous few years. After relegation from Serie A in 2023, Sampdoria’s 2024/25 Serie B campaign was a nightmare—they finished 18th (which normally means automatic relegation) and only survived thanks to a rival’s points deduction. The club posted a £35 million loss and was moments from bankruptcy before a last-minute takeover. Even so, they burned through four managers in one season and struggled to pay wages. In FM26, saving Samp means dealing with huge debt, a paper-thin squad, and sky-high fan expectations in a tense Serie B relegation fight.
Once seen as a Football Manager goldmine thanks to their big budgets, Hertha Berlin’s real-life situation is grim. Relegated in 2023, they now face an uncertain future with major investor 777 Partners reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy. The club carries a £32 million debt due in November 2025 and already had to restructure loans just to get their licence after dropping to the 2. Bundesliga. With an exodus of high earners, looming repayments, and fan-led campaigns to buy back shares, Hertha in FM26 is a brutal save: a huge club in a big city with lofty ambitions but weighed down by financial chaos.
Founded in 1872, Dumbarton entered administration in November 2024, taking a crippling 15-point deduction that dragged them into a relegation scrap. By June 2025, the club was formally liquidated and reformed under a new company led by Canadian investor Mario Lapointe. This secured their SPFL League Two place, though they must still serve the points penalty. In FM26, Dumbarton offers a classic underdog story: rebuild trust, patch together a squad on a shoestring, and drag the Sons back up from the Scottish football basement.
The 2015 Scottish Cup winners hit rock bottom in October 2024, entering administration with a 15-point deduction. Highland businessman Alan Savage stepped in with a £1 million rescue bid, taking over as preferred bidder in April 2025 and securing a Company Voluntary Arrangement. Inverness survived the drop and are now exiting administration under new ownership with plans for a youth-driven rebuild. A perfect FM save for those who love turning financial wrecks into fairy tales.
After tumbling from League One to the National League in back-to-back relegations, the Shrimps hit crisis point in June 2025. A proposed sale to the Panjab Warriors stalled amid ownership disputes, leaving June wages unpaid and the board dismissed. Tyson Fury once expressed interest in saving the club, but as of now there’s no resolution. In FM26, Morecambe’s situation is a true test of patience and resourcefulness.
Long a fixture in the Eredivisie, Vitesse imploded after years of financial mismanagement. An 18-point deduction relegated them from the top flight, followed by a jaw-dropping 39-point hit in the 2024/25 Eerste Divisie that sent them to the bottom of Dutch football. In May 2025, the KNVB began licence revocation proceedings. A June 21 takeover by a Dutch investor group has offered hope, but KNVB approval is still pending. A new manager has been appointed, but in FM26 you’ll be fighting for survival with licensing restrictions, minimal cash, and a shattered squad.
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