Football Manager 2018: 10 Challenging Teams You Will Need To Use

4. Parma

FM 2018 Clubs
© VENEZIA FILIPPO/epa/Corbis

Two years after bankruptcy forced their demotion to the fourth tier of Italian football, one of Italy’s most famous clubs are back in Serie B. Parma’s journey back to the top continued with their second consecutive promotion earlier this month, and while this does make restoring them to their former glory a tad easier than last year, you’ll still have your work cut-out.

Parma have never won Serie A, but they lifted the UEFA Cup in 1995 and 1999, and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1993. They once boasted the likes Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Hernan Crespo, and Gianfranco Zola among their ranks, but those days are long gone, with captain Alessandro Lucarelli (a survivor of their last Serie A season) their only recognisable player in 2017.

Getting out of Serie B won’t be easy, as the gulf in quality between Italy’s second and third tiers is regarded as pretty steep. Despite this, the club still have all their old infrastructure in place, making them prime for a resurrection job, and well equipped to handle the rigours of another surge up the league pyramid.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.