Overview
Football management as lifestyle. Sports Interactive began developing Championship Manager with Eidos, creating an obsession-inducing simulation. When the partnership dissolved, they kept the engine and database, launching Football Manager under Sega. The game consumes hundreds of hours per save, tracking real-world players with data scouted globally. For many, it's not a game—it's a second job.
Fast facts
- Founded: 1994.
- Founder: Miles Jacobson (later).
- Original series: Championship Manager.
- Current series: Football Manager (2004+).
Championship Manager era
| Title | Year | Publisher |
|---|
| CM 93/94 | 1994 | Domark |
| CM 97/98 | 1997 | Eidos |
| CM 01/02 | 2001 | Eidos |
| Split | 2003 | — |
| Title | Year | Publisher |
|---|
| FM 2005 | 2004 | Sega |
| Annual releases | 2005+ | Sega |
| FM Touch | Mobile | Sega |
Database depth
| Element | Scope |
|---|
| Players | 800,000+ |
| Scouts | Global network |
| Attributes | Detailed profiles |
| Real clubs | Licensed data |
Player obsession
| Phenomenon | Expression |
|---|
| Time investment | Hundreds of hours |
| Wonderkid hunting | Database mining |
| Tactics obsession | Forum theory |
| Career attachment | Emotional investment |
Real-world impact
| Use | Context |
|---|
| Club scouting | Professional reference |
| Player discovery | Database accuracy |
| Career influence | Agents cite data |
See also