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