Time to Rebuild
Looking for long-term FM projects? Our rebuild challenges dive into fallen giants, historic clubs, and underachieving teams in need of tactical transformation and squad overhaul. These guides offer a deep blueprint for climbing back to the top.
What are rebuild challenges?
In Football Manager terms, a rebuild is more than just buying players. It’s about reshaping the entire club from top to bottom:
- Outdated squad: Aging players, bloated wages, or tactical misfits.
- Poor financial control: Debt-ridden balance sheets or strict wage caps.
- Lost identity: A club that no longer resembles its historic style.
- Underperforming youth academy: Lacking future stars or development systems.
Your job as manager? Rebuild their identity. Revive their dominance. Restore their legacy.
Explore Our Rebuild Challenges
Each rebuild guide below offers a deep dive into a specific club’s crisis and a clear path to long-term success.
| Club | Division | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Manchester United | Premier League | Fallen from title-winning pedigree — rebuild from the chaos. |
| 🔵 Chelsea | Premier League | Fix a bloated squad and unclear tactical identity. |
| 🟣 Barcelona | La Liga | Rebuild legacy with youth and financial control. |
| ⚫ Juventus | Serie A | Return to Italian dominance amid chaos and debt. |
| 🔷 Schalke | 2. Bundesliga | One of FM’s most iconic rebuilds — rise from the second tier. |
| ⚪ Ajax | Eredivisie | Restart total football with modern youth reinvention. |
Why rebuild challenges work so well
Rebuilds offer depth, storytelling, and footballing creativity that short-term saves simply can’t match. Here’s why:
- Emotional buy-in: You feel connected to the journey — rising from failure to success.
- Legacy creation: Shape the club in your image — from tactics to transfers to academy philosophy.
- Long save lifespan: Rebuilds encourage multi-season saves (4–10 years) instead of one-and-done projects.
- FM storytelling: Every milestone (promotion, first trophy, UCL qualification) feels earned.
What makes a great club for rebuild challenges?
Not all teams make great rebuilds. Here’s what we look for when creating guides:
- 🧱 Past success, present failure
A trophy-filled history, but current mediocrity or worse. - 💰 Broken finances
Clubs in debt or forced to sell players frequently. - 📉 Squad imbalance
Too many aging stars or gaps in key positions. - 🧒 Academy overhaul potential
Opportunity to invest in youth and rebuild internally. - 😤 Fan pressure & board tension
Extra challenge? Absolutely.
Our Rebuild Guide Structure
Each guide includes:
- ✅ Club context: Board expectations, finances, media pressure
- 🔍 Squad audit: Who to keep, sell, and replace
- 📊 Tactical setup: Systems that suit their players
- 🎯 Recruitment targets: Players to sign for long-term success
- 📈 Milestone tracking: Short, medium, and long-term goals
Where to Go Next
If you’re new to rebuilds, we recommend starting with:
And if you’re after a more lightweight challenge, check out our First Season Club Guides
Final Tip
New rebuilds are added every week. Bookmark this page or follow us on social media to stay up to date with the most compelling FM24 challenges.