The best teams to manage in Football Manager 2023 This is a subjective topic because in the game of football there are hundreds, if not thousands, of clubs to choose from. Add to this user databases and this number increases even more. However, defining "the best" is important from the start because on paper the best teams in FM23 are PSG, Real Madrid and Manchester City. They have the best players, the biggest budgets and the most influence in the transfer market.
While it can be fun to play as these global superstars in a management game for a while, our list of the best teams to manage in FM23 focuses on the most interesting clubs that have their own story and stories to tell. After all, would you rather snatch victory on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke with Erling Haaland or a free agent you signed out of nowhere to help you rise to the top of world football? If you're looking for a challenge, we've rounded up some of the best commands to manage in FM23 for those who want something out of the ordinary.
Here are the best commands to manage in Football Manager 2023:
Dorking Wanderers
- Transfer budget: £15,000
- Payroll budget: £12,950 per month (£750 per month for expenses)
For the journey from the bottom to the top of English football, most in FM23 will use Wrexham. For a more challenging challenge (without the Hollywood big money) but with some press buzz, try Dorking Wanderers.
A Bunch of Amateurs' on YouTube and TikTok gained popularity for its raw, behind-the-scenes look at life at Vanarama South, and celebrated Dorking's success in the play-off final which saw them gain promotion to their current league, Vanarama National. Impressive considering they were founded in 1999.
To succeed at this level you need to look for talent at big clubs and free transfers. However, you have English striker James McShane and he should score a lot of goals. Dorking is a long-term escape as you rise through the levels of English football, but you'll get the satisfaction of finally reaching the promised land of the Premier League.
RB Salzburg
- Transfer budget: £6,034,912
- Payroll budget: £384,827 per month (£15,173 per month for expenses)
Two words: talent factory. Energy drink Red Bull bought out SV Austria Salzburg in 2005, making it the latest installment of its global football franchise, and subsequently alienated its entire fan base. The 16-time Austrian Bundesliga champions can be turned into a force of domestic dominance and then set their sights on European glory - if you can retain players who have bigger aspirations.
Erling Haaland made his Champions League debut for RB Salzburg, while other players who have come through their system include Sadio Mane, Dayot Upamecano and Karim Adeyemi.
Upcoming stars you'll want to keep an eye on are Umar Sole, Noah Okafor and Roko Simic. Unfortunately, Benjamin Sheshko has already moved to sister club RB Leipzig at the end of your first season, but the cash injection will help you buy Salzburg's next round geeks.
Hamburg SV
- Transfer budget: £2,586,390
- Payroll budget: £217,640 per month (£16,781 per month for expenses)
If you're looking for a sleeping giant, Hamburg SV is the sleeper. One of only three German clubs to win the Champions League, HSV hasn't had much success since 1987.
Relegated to the 2nd Bundesliga in 2018, Hamburg are struggling to return to the top flight and it's your job to make it happen. After promotion, it will not be easy to restore them as one of the forces of German football, as there is not enough money. However, you have a huge crowd of fans and a stadium that can accommodate them, so good results will bring in a lot of revenue at the box office.
Young center back Mario Vuskovic and experienced striker Robert Glatzel are the team's top talents, but you'll definitely need to look for reinforcements. Winning a promotion may not be as easy as you think!
Coventry City
- Transfer budget: £0
- Payroll budget: £142,943 per month (£0 per month for expenses)
There are many interesting clubs in the Championship fighting to get to the promised land, but Coventry City's job is to bring glory back to a struggling club.
Promoted to the top flight in 1967, the Sky Blues were one of the founding clubs of the Premier League until relegation and administration saw them relegated to League 2. It has not been easy for Coventry fans, who have moved to Northampton and Birmingham.
Now back at home, you have some of the league's best talent in Gustavo Hamer, Callum O'Hare and Victor Gioqueres to keep or put up £25m to spend on the entire team. Otherwise, there is nothing to spend. The board of directors wants you to develop players using the club's youth system, so look into it for your future squad.
Barcelona
- Transfer budget: £0
- Payroll budget: £3,809,203 (£15,483 per month for expenses)
The appearance of a global giant on this list may be shocking, but if you need to lead one of the big clubs, look no further than Barcelona. One of the best teams to manage in Football Manager 2023, Barcelona are in financial turmoil (with almost £1 billion in losses) and need someone to steady the ship before moving on.
You have a core of young players, but you have a deadwood who doesn't want to leave, an out-of-control wage bill and several seasons without a trophy. The easiest way to stop this ship? Win trophies. The target should be the Champions League, which they last won in 2015, but start with La Liga and drop the two Madrid clubs that have won the last three titles.
Legendary striker Robert Lewandoski now leads the team and deserves more silverware before retiring. Wonder boys Pedri, Gavi, Ansu Fati and Alejandro Balde are just some of the talents at your disposal under 21. A return to glory at the Camp Nou makes this a medium-term rather than long-term salvation.
Liverpool FC (Uruguay)
- Transfer budget: £7,388
- Payroll budget: £11,628 per month (£900 per month for expenses)
Getting a job at Liverpool would be too easy in FM23. Working at Liverpool FC? It's a challenge.
Uruguay's capital, Montevideo, is home to Liverpool Football Club, one of *thirteen* teams from the city in the Primera División. Many Uruguayan clubs took anglicized names, and this club is named after Liverpool, where the coal shipped by ship to Uruguay originated from. Last season they achieved their first silverware, winning the Torneo Intermedio League Cup and the subsequent Super Cup. This is a great place to start.
Liverpool have a young team (average age 23) with potential; midfielder Fabricio Diaz and striker Thiago Vecino are our best players. If you like the South American style, then heading a club on this continent will immediately lead you to a source of talented guys.
NK Osijek
- Transfer budget: £1,724,260
- Payroll budget: £93,293 per month (£3,017 per month for expenses)
NK Osijek, which competes in Croatia's first division, has existed since the league's inception, but its best result was second place. Dinamo Zagreb have won 16 of the last 17 league titles, and it's your job to end that streak. You will also have a chance to qualify for the Europa League qualifying round at the start of this save.
With an average team age of 26, your team is just entering its prime. Hungarian footballer Laszlo Kleinheisler is your best talent and will lead the midfield attack in goals and assists.
If you're a fan of cool football kits and buy them from Football Manager clubs, the Osijek badge also features a marten (a weasel-like mammal) - giving you even more reason to grab the club.
Panathinaikos
- Transfer budget: £431
- Payroll budget: £256,898 (£5,786 per month for expenses)
Greece may not be the first country you look at when looking for a team to manage, but Panathinaikos are a giant that has fallen on hard times and it will be an interesting challenge.
The club has not won a league since 2010 and, after finishing fourth last season, qualified for the Europa League, which could prove useful in terms of prize money. They are intimately familiar with European competitions, being the only Greek team to ever reach the Champions League final in 1971. Unfortunately, they took second place.
At the moment there are no real young gems in Panathinaikos, the team is aging and unbalanced. We're not singling out any players either, but new signings Bernard and Andraz Sporar should be used in their prime years. One or two smart signings on such a small budget (FM23 free agents are your friend here) could take this peak team further up the standings and knock rivals Olympiacos off their perch.
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