Scour the internet (OS Other Sports Dynasty Forum, Twitch, etc…) for FIFA 15 career modes and you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that the majority of FIFA players don’t often leave the friendly confines of England when it comes to FIFA 15 Manager Mode. It’s totally understandable as the Barclays Premier League is the most popular league in the world and well represented in FIFA 15 with accurate stadium renditions, tons of player face scans, and live Matchday presentation. Going off the beaten path can be just as fun and quite the challenge. In this article we’ll take a look at a few of the other leagues represented in FIFA 15 which can offer hours upon hours of virtual footy enjoyment.
 

European Competition Eligibility:
1st & 2nd Place – Champions League group stage
3rd-9th Place/Dutch Cup Winner – Various levels of the Europa League/Qualifying

Top Clubs: AFC Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Feyernood, FC Twente
Top Players: Memphis Depay (PSV), Luke de Jong (PSV), Davy Klaassen (Ajax)

Background: Despite the league’s recent inception (founded in 1956) Dutch football has endured a rich tradition producing many top notch players (Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, and Arjen Robben to name a few) and several European title winning clubs, most notably AFC Ajax. With an 18 team league and only one domestic cup, FIFA players can rapidly progress through seasons taking advantage of Career Mode’s 15-year length. With the top two spots qualifying for the Champions League the competition and pressure to finish in those spots can be fierce. Throw in some rivalries such as Ajax-PSV & Ajax-Feyernood and the action can become quite tense.

Challenge – Typically Dutch clubs do not have the funds to attract established top quality European talent, so they invest heavily in their youth academies and do so quite well. Recently, young foreign stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Suarez have honed their skills in the Eredivisie before moving on to Europe’s elite clubs. Instead of splashing the cash for players, why not try your hand at spending it on a top flight youth scout and develop a local academy capable of eventually fielding home-grown talent before selling them off for profit. PSV Eindhoven is a great club to start with as their average age for the starting eleven is ~22 years old.

European Competition Eligibility:
1st& 2nd Place – Champions League 3rd qualifying round
3rd-4th Place/Cup Winner - Various levels of the Europa League/Qualifying

Top Clubs: RS Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Standard Liege
Top Players: Michy Batshuayi (Standard Liege), Kalidou Kouliaby (Genk), Youri Tielemans (RS Anderlecht)

Background: The Belgian League dates back to 1895 but it is only recently that it has come to be recognized as a Top 10 League in Europe exemplified by sending teams to Europe’s elite club competitions. The Belgian national team has also burst onto the scene with the recent influx of players such as Christian Benteke (Aston Villa), Kevin de Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), and Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) with Lukaku and Kompany starting off at RS Anderlecht while Benteke and Kevin De Bruyne came up through Genk.

Challenge – With only 16 clubs in the top flight, a loss of form can be too much to overcome if you slide down the table. With loads of young talent like Aleksandar Mitrovic (19\), the aforementioned Tielemans (17), and Chencel Mbemba (19), as well as former DC United player Andy Najar as your cornerstones, see how far you can take RS Anderlect in Europe while holding off offers from larger clubs looking to poach your talent.

European Eligibility:
1st & 2nd place –Champions League group stage
3rd place – Champions League qualifying round
4th & 5th Place – Europa League

Top Clubs: SL Benfica, FC Porto, Sporting CP
Top Players: William Carvalho (Sporting CP), Jackson Martinez (FC Porto), Nicolas Gaitan (SL Benfica)

Background: Often overlooked when it comes to FIFA 15, the Portuguese National 1st Division is currently the 5th ranked league in the UEFA region with clubs like SL Benfica and FC Porto who are ranked higher than Paris Saint-German, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City over the past 4.5 years. Despite this many FIFA loyalists simply dismiss clubs from the Iberian Peninsula in favor of their eastern neighbors from Spain. The league has been a two-horse race over the past five years with FC Porto grabbing three straight titles from 2011-13 while SL Benfica won in 2010 and 2014. Top clubs like Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP have often adopted a policy of mixing promising youth with experienced veterans. Breakout players often star in the Primeira before bigger clubs snatch them up. My beloved Chelsea have Benfica on speed dial as we snatched up the likes of Ramires, David Luiz, and Nemanja Matic over the past few years.

Challenge – With Benfica and Porto dominating the league for the past five years, take command of Sporting CP and see if you can assert yourself as the premier side in Portugal. With a decent size budget (~10 million euros) and some fantastic kits, Porto has a unique blend of experienced players (Nani, Rui Patricio, etc..) breakout stars (Willian Carvalho & Jao Maurio), and promising youngsters (Carlos Mane, Ryan Gauld, and Daniel Podence). If that isn’t enough, a pipeline to Brazil and a youth academy that has produced two Ballon d’Or winners in Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo should be enough to entice you to give the Primeira Liga a flyer.

With over 35 licensed leagues, FIFA 15 offers plenty of fun for players looking to take a break from the Barclays Premier League. There are some great clubs across Europe featuring historic grounds, fierce rivalries, and great kits. Sign up as a manager of one of these sides and head over to the FIFA 15 Manager Mode thread to tell us all about it!