With the official launch of FM20 now just a week away, I've been giving some further thought to my plans this year when I'll be heading Down the Danube on a journeyman save. You can watch my reveal video here, as well as catch the Prologue for the series here, but in short, I will be loading up all the nations that the River Danube currently runs through or borders and then will start the save in the form of my alter-ego, Frank M. Athlete, an unemployed football manager with no badges and Sunday League experience.
I'll be beginning with all leagues set as playable, but given Frank's experience, will expect the initial job offers to come from the lowest reputation leagues available. These are Hungary's Division II and Slovakia's Second Division, both 1½ stars, followed by Germany's Liga 3 and the second divisions of Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Ukraine, all of which have two star reputations.
In anticipation of not knowing who my first club will be, I've been digging in to some of the lower reputation clubs from these leagues that are more likely to give me some interview practice, and I've unearthed what I think could be some really interesting teams to manage.
So without further ado, here are my highlights and some of the ones I'll be keeping an eye out for on the jobs board...
Chornomorets Odesa
Ukrainian First League
Predicted finish: 2nd
Known locally as 'The Sailors', they were formed in 1936 and have enjoyed some success over the years, finishing in the Ukrainian Premier League's top 3 on five occasions, not to mention securing two Ukrainian Cup wins as well.
In the last 20 years they've spent just three seasons outside of the top flight but after last season's lacklustre performances, they were relegated back down to the Ukrainian First League. The training facilities are Great, while youth facilities are Good which could provide huge potential.
In terms of playing staff, there aren't many worth noting. Journeyman striker Olexandr Kovpak has three caps for Ukraine at the age of 36, while 20 year old attacking midfielder Mykola Musolitin shows some real promise for the future.
After a drop down from the big time, can Frank Athlete restore their status in Ukrainian football?
ETO FC Győr
Hungarian Division II
Predicted finish: 3rd
Győr are another club with a history of winning titles. Although currently operating in Hungary's Division II, they were previously relegated from the top flight by the Hungarian FA due to financial problems, and began the the 2017/18 season in Division III, which they won promotion from at the first time of asking.
They've won the Hungarian Division I title four times in their history, and as recently as 2012/13, not to mention reaching the semi-finals of what was the European Cup back in 1964. Both their training facilities and their youth facilities are set as Average, but their stadium can seat an impressive 14,000 fans with another 2,000 able to stand which should make for a good atmosphere on match days.
Their squad doesn't have many names worth shouting about, with 29 year old Marko Vukasovic probably the best of a bad bunch, but a fairly solid defensive midfielder at his level.
Will European football return to Győr under Frank's tenure?
FC Petrzalka
Slovak Second Division
Predicted finish: 4th
Another club with financial problems in their past, Petrzalka were relegated to the bottom of Slovakia's football pyramid in 2014 and have had to work their way back up. They achieved three back to back promotions to take them into the Second Division for the 2018/19 season where they finished a respectable 8th.
In the last 17 years, they've won the top flight on two occasions and finished second three times, but after their recent plummet to the bottom, they're a team having to rebuild and work back up. My only slight concern is the training facilities which are Below Average, while the youth facilities are only Adequate.
We have a few internationals on the books here, albeit just a handful of caps between them. Meanwhile, Ladislav Almasi looks a promising youngster at 20 years old.
Can Frank Athlete sustain their growth and restore them to the pinnacle of Slovakian football?
MTK Budapest
Hungarian Division II
Predicted finish: 1st
Arguably one of Hungary's most successful teams of all time, MTK have won the title on 23 occasions and the cup 12 times since their formation in 1888. In recent years they've become something of a yo-yo team after being relegated 3 times in the last 10 years, including last year.
Aside from their Average training and youth facilities, the only other significant detail of note is their current affiliation to England's number one title contenders, Liverpool.
In the squad at MTK we have one-club-legend Jozsef Kanta who's amassed over 350 appearances for the team across an 18 year career, while in terms of youth prospects we have Szabolcs Schön at just 19 who looks to be a rising star of the future.
Could glory be restored in Budapest?
ACS Campionii FC Argeş
Romanian Second League
Predicted finish: 5th
Once two time winners of the Romanian First League, FC Arges have fallen away behind their rivals. In 2009 the club were relegated from the top flight, and a few years later they were relegated again to the third tier.
After a few years exile, the club won promotion back to the Second League which is where they've stayed since 2017.
On the pitch, FC Arges can boast Adrian Mutu as one of their academy graduates while today's rising star is Grogire Turda, a decent central defender who has already bagged 32 appearances for the club.
The training and youth facilities leave a lot to be desired, as does the 15,000 seater stadium, but could this be the year that Frank takes them back to the big time?
Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia
Bulgarian Second League
Predicted finish: 4th
Lokomotiv Sofia have the prestigious honour of having won the Bulgarian First League on four separate occasions, as well as winning the Bulgarian Cup four times as well. Despite success in the not too distant past, Lokomotiv were relegated in 2015 and haven't returned to the top of Bulgaria's football pyramid since.
Lokomotiv's squad leaves a lot to be desired, with Brazilian fullback Choco probably the pick of a bad bunch at 29 years old.
Is it time to return Lokomotiv to the top of Bulgarian football?
MFK Dukla Banska Bystrica
Slovak Second Division
Predicted finish: 7th
Recently rebranded following a merger a couple of seasons ago, Banska Bystrica have won the Slovak Cup on two occasions and were runners up in the top flight in 2004.
Banska Bystrica's list of legends is sparse, but perhaps their promising left winger Robert Polievka can become the first legend in years to come having already won three caps for his country at the age of 23.
Their facilities are adequate but could their future be brighter with Frank Athlete at the helm?
And so there you have it, a few of the potential clubs I may be taking over in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for my next update once the full game drops on 19th November 2019.
Thanks for reading the blog, I hope you enjoyed this update. You can follow me on Twitter @fm_athlete and in my FM Slack channel #fm_athlete for more updates in the near future.