Prato, in the north of Italy, with a significant Chinese community, experienced a Chinese “invasion” in the textile sector following a crisis. A Football Manager 2024 experiment envisions the creation of a team composed solely of Chinese players.
In this fantasy scenario, Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance and actual owner of TikTok decides to invest in Prato and transform it as a new chinese club, they can only buy Chinese players, and they obtain a new rule change for registration of nonEU players with Prato only, now the club can registrate Chinese players only. Hao Haidong, legendary chinese football player, becomes the new manager of this ambitious project. The club also obtains an important affiliation with Nantong Zhiyun in the Chinese Super League.

The file raises the potential rating of young Chinese players to 115. There is an affiliation with Nantong to recruit 16-year-olds that Prato otherwise couldn’t access, as the club is based in Italy and can only register Chinese players. To transfer players from the Chinese team to Prato, you just need to make an offer, and the Chinese club will always accept, even for 0 euros.

Key Insights
🌍 Impact of the Chinese community: The Chinese presence in Prato has transformed not only the local economy but also the city’s cultural identity, creating a unique and dynamic environment.
📉 Exploiting the crisis: The 1990s crisis allowed the Chinese to acquire local businesses, demonstrating a strategic and resilient approach to business.
🏙️ Chinatown in Prato: The transformation of Macrolotto Zero into Chinatown highlights how immigrant communities can reinvent urban spaces, bringing new economic and cultural vitality.
⚽ Challenges of the football experiment: Building a team exclusively with Chinese players presents unique challenges, such as difficulty attracting talent and high player market value.
💰 Targeted investments: The club’s affiliation with a Chinese team and focus on youth development are key strategies for building a competitive and sustainable team.
🎯 Challenges in the market: Despite its potential, Prato faces harsh realities in the transfer market, with most players declining offers.
🏆 Success and challenges: Reaching Serie A is a major milestone, but the club faces further hurdles in stabilizing itself and competing at the European level.

History of the Chinese Community in Prato
Prato has the largest Chinese community in Italy, which took shape after World War II. This was made possible by changes in local urban planning that created industrial districts, allowing an influx of Chinese migrants into the textile sector. In the 1990s, the Chinese acquired many local businesses in crisis, contributing to the creation of a Chinatown in Prato.

Football Experiment: Only Chinese Players
The protagonist of the video decides to replicate a football experiment where Associazione Calcio Prato must only recruit Chinese players. The club is initially moved from Serie D to Serie C to allow for a competitive roster, following registration rules that limit the team to using only Chinese players.

Recruitment Difficulties and Player Market
The market for Chinese players is challenging, with Prato spending little and mainly signing free agents or inexperienced young players. Registration issues and the limited availability of quality players restrict the club’s ability to compete effectively.

Team Development and League Results
After seasons of challenges and a difficult start, Prato manages to reach Serie B and, finally, Serie A after years of attempts. Despite significant spending on Chinese players, the club faces complexities tied to the quality of recruits and their adaptation to Italian football.

Impact on the Chinese National Team
As Prato grows, a significant percentage of the Chinese national team comes from the club, showing a deep connection between the club and the national representative. However, despite the presence of Chinese players, the national team continues to struggle in international tournaments.

 



I'll attach a video here, made by LucullusGames, an Italian FM streamer, in the video the database is explained and also through the game, the results were simulated for 15 years to see the evolution that Prato could have over the years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou3RGEM6YEA&t=5s



Additions:

  • New ownership
  • Unlimited/Sugar Daddy ownership.
  • New logo, the club has been moved to Serie C, group B (IRL it's in D)
  • New chinese rule for registration that permits to Prato only the registration of chinese players.
  • Improved sponsorships
  • Affiliation with Nantong Zhiyun

    Installation Instructions

    1) Extract the contents of downloaded .rar file with a tool such as WinRar or 7Zip (Unarchiver for Mac)
    2) Move the .fmf file to your "saves" folder, by default located at:
    /Documents/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2024/saves
    (Create the folder if it doesn't already exist)
    3) You can move the Prato logos and kits to your "graphics" folder, by default located at:
    /Documents/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2024/graphics
    Then go to Preferences > Interface in-game and clear cache; return to the same screen and reload skin.


    Kits, logos, stadiums and database were created and tested by LucullusGames
    If you have any problem, difficulty or want to report a bug, just send me a message here or leave a comment!

    I remind that for those who want, that the skin used in the video is available here:
    https://sortitoutsi.net/content/63979/fm24-vince-skin-low-res 


    I really hope you have as much fun as I do taking AC Prato to the top of Europe.

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