In FIFA 17, the “Pro Clubs” mode is one of the most popular modes in the game. In this guide, we provide tips on how you can lead your club to fame and glory.
If you’re looking for Pro Clubs tips for FIFA 20, you can find them here:
The most intense online experience in FIFA 17 can be found in “Pro Clubs”, the only true mode for some FIFA fans. While in other online modes you have to rely heavily on AI players, heated “11vs.11” matches are possible in club mode. In reality, however, there are usually fewer human players on the field, as you don’t always have eleven people ready to play.
In “Pro Clubs”, you create your own “Virtual Pro”, which you can gradually improve and customize. With this player, you can team up with your friends and compete against other clubs. If you want to play successfully, you will require high tactical teamwork. Egoists, solo artists, and players who run around wildly will likely not be happy in this mode.
In FIFA 17, some revolutionary changes were made to the “Pro Clubs” mode. On the one hand, team play is now emphasized since there are no longer rewards for pros. Instead, there are now skill points. You can find all the info about this in the following guide.
Tips for Creating Your Virtual Pro
It all starts with creating your Pro. Here, you have numerous customization options. Assign a name, a jersey number, nationality, a date of birth, a distinctive appearance, and a personality. In particular, you have a wide range of choices regarding appearance, allowing your creativity to flow freely.
In addition to cosmetic adjustments, you can also set the position and physical attributes of your Pro. Keep in mind that you can change this information at any time. For example, you can set your Pro as a right winger with the goal scorer style and switch to libero in the next match. This allows you to flexibly react to how many friends are currently online and which positions need to be filled.
The physical characteristics significantly influence your Pro’s attributes. You can directly see how changes in height and weight affect the values. Basically, the taller the Pro, the slower he is. Weight primarily affects the Pro’s strength. The adjustments you make here largely depend on your position. Defenders should be slightly taller, while wing players can afford to be a bit shorter. Here are some recommended settings for an attacking player:
- Height: 173 cm
- Weight: 71 kg
However, you need to find out for yourself which settings best suit your play style.
Skill Points and Player Development
In FIFA 17, there are no longer achievements like in previous versions of the football simulation. With this, EA Sports aims to focus more on teamwork: Now you don’t have to meet individual performances to improve your Pro, like scoring 10 long-distance goals or dribbling past opponents with 15 special moves, but rather achieve the highest overall rating during matches through teamwork.
Because there are two ways you can now improve your Pro:
- Overall rating after matches: After each completed match, some of your Pro’s attributes improve. The better performance you show, the faster they rise. Once you reach high levels of overall rating, progress slows down significantly. In short: The more matches you play, the stronger your Pro becomes.
- Skill Points: You earn skill points by playing league or cup matches with your club. To unlock all attributes, you need 48 skill points. However, you can earn a maximum of 24. The exact system behind earning skill points is not transparent. But once you’ve played around 50-60 matches, you should have reached the maximum of 24.
You can distribute the skill points as you wish. Already activated attributes can be deactivated again, and the skill points redistributed.
The Right Formation Makes the Difference
Unfortunately, there is no “perfect” formation. Consider the following factors when making your choice:
- How many players are currently online?
- Which positions are being filled? Only offensive players or also defenders?
- Which positions suit the present players?
- Will it be played with Any?
If you are only a few players and have no Any, a five-man defense is currently recommended, as the AI sometimes opens up enormous spaces for the opponents. While a five-man defense cannot completely prevent this, it can reduce the risk.
If you have an Any, you can also play with a four-man or even a three-man defense. However, as mentioned, there is no “perfect” formation. If you prefer playing with wings, choose a “4-3-3” variant; if you prefer ball possession from midfield, a diamond (4-4-2) or a 5-2-1-2 is advisable. In my club, we currently play with the latter two formations, depending on whether there is an Any involved or not. You can find information on formations in FIFA 17 here.
Any or No Any – That is the Question
The “Any” position, often referred to as “Any” in German, allows you to control all non-human players ‒ the rest, in other words. Should a player take on this role?
Based on my experiences in “FIFA 17 Pro Clubs”, there is only one clear answer: Yes! If you have a great FIFA player in your ranks who is also willing to take on this position, let them play as Any. This simply allows for more options in build-up play, and you can also be more aggressive or intelligent defensively than the computer could ever be.
However, controlling the CPUs is often described as difficult, as slow, sluggish, and lethargic. Many players cannot handle their sluggishness at all, which can lead to frustration and flying controllers. In some cases, it may even be better to forgo having an Any. A chaotic Any game can also cause extreme disorder on the field.
Tips for the Captain
Even without Any, you can instruct your computer players on how to behave. Your captain, who is marked with a “C” in the lobby and can start the game, has several options to influence the match on the field.
You can use the arrow keys left or right to orient the game more offensively or defensively. With combinations using the arrow key “up” or “down”, you can select quick tactics that temporarily influence the behavior of the CPUs, like counterattacks, high pressure, or team pressing. Make frequent use of these key combinations!
Additionally, the captain has the option to pull the goalkeeper out. However, in FIFA 17, the goalkeeper takes significantly longer than in previous FIFA parts to leave his goal and rush toward the ball. So pull him out only with caution.
The Recipe for Success – Team Play and Fun
If you approach the game too seriously, perhaps even insult your teammates or put them under too much pressure, it won’t work. So just have fun, take it easy, and success will follow. Motivate each other instead of putting each other down!
Of course – and every club player will nod in agreement – the game often offers moments that can drive you to frustration. But insults or broken controllers won’t help much.
A good club atmosphere is also ensured by decent team play. If only egoists are on the field, it won’t be fun and will cause frustration. Pass the ball rather once more than running into the opponent and losing the ball. Try to find the better-positioned player near the penalty area instead of just shooting all the time. A brilliant, successful pass is sometimes more beautiful than a lucky long-range goal.
Play just as you expect from your teammates.
Note: There are, of course, no official tips and tricks that are universally valid and guarantee a win. These here are mostly based on personal experiences.
What tips do you have?
