9. The Japan And The J-League
Shuji Kajiyama/AP/Press Association ImagesStaying with abandoned countries now, and it might escape your notice that the Japanese don't exist in FM's world either. While the Samurai Blue don't have as storied a footballing history as their German counterparts, the loss of the Asian powerhouse is still keenly felt to those who love their world football. After all, you don't rid the world of an Asian powerhouse and the team of footballing hipsters everywhere without somebody noticing. However, unlike the Germans, it appears the Japanese have been extricated from the game at both root and stem. While you can still play in the German Bundesliga, the J-League and all its constituent clubs appear to have vanished into the ether. Again, for the more cosmopolitan football fan, this smarts a bit the Japanese League is a huge success story, one of the strongest domestic competitions outside football's European and South American heartlands. It teems with young talent, high-profile players (Diego Forlan plies his trade over there now) and amazing supporters. To be denied the chance to acquaint ourselves with its virtual equivalent is a sad injustice, and one that must be remedied.