If you’ve played Football Manager, than you know that a lot of thinking can go into choosing a new save. We make a mental note for every save idea we come across. We see them everywhere, in the football matches we watch, in the stories we hear and the history we learn. It can be overwhelming at times – wanting to be able to weave all the stories we can envision. We ultimately know we have to choose just a few ideas to chase.
This year I wanted to spend more time choosing a save than I did for FM20. I desired a save that had meaning and history within football, but also was a club that I connected to personally. This can often be hard when you live in Canada and the clubs are all over the world but in this case I was lucky enough to have travelled with my wife in 2016 to Italy and discovered a city that we still talk about every week.
Welcome to the first post of the Bologna save for Football Manager 21. I am very excited to get back into blogging and I hope you enjoy your time here!
Why Bologna?
The first reason I thought about Bologna was due to the travel I mentioned before, my wife Hanna and I were lucky enough to stay in the centre of Bologna for a few days. For Canadians we found the change in routines and the general vibe of the city to be incredibly warm and welcoming. From the shops, to the sights, to the people flowing through the narrow streets, we absolutely fell in love. We hope to go back one day. So I dug into some research and I tried to discover more about the club and see if it really was the save I wanted to start with.
The Rossoblù
There is a few things that attracted me to the club itself and while I had considered taking over a club with more recent success, I also was looking for a challenge. Bologna FC have not won the Italian top flight since 1965-66, and they have never been in any of the top continental competitions, at least in the format as we know them today. Even the Italian Cup, they have not won since 1973-74 despite being in the top flight for much of the past four decades. How fun will it be to become the powerhouse of Italy, if we can manage it?
Aside from the obvious goal of getting results, the club is facing a challenge today with its own ground which is one of the oldest in Serie A and top flight football throughout Europe. The ground is still stunning however despite its age, with its iconic tower and unique exterior. It was built in 1927 and with the lack of recent renovations or improvements there is a desire from the club to renovate the facility as soon as possible. There is a proposal on the table to start that stadium improvement already in motion, lets see if we can make that happen in the save as well!
The last reason is kind of a fun one for me, and perhaps a laugh for a few of you as well. As I was researching the club I found out it was currently chaired by a Canadian businessman who also owns the Montreal Impact! Joey Suputo is well known throughout the Quebec and Canadian football world. I know, kind of cliche for a Canadian to find a Canadian connect for one of my saves…
Really looking forward to getting starting when the full release drops next week! You can expect more updates on the save here on the blog, but if thats not enough there is a few other ways to keep up with the save.
Thanks for reading – feel free to let me know what you think down below in the comments, or by reaching out on Twitter. All the best and stay safe.
