Has a football computer game got more of a Brexit strategy than Britain's Conservative government ...? West Ham United's French interational Dmitri Payet, who was one of the most successful English Premier League imports during the 2015-2016 season, is pictured.
Sport meets politics —
Has a football computer game got more of a Brexit strategy than Britain's Conservative government ...? West Ham United's French interational Dmitri Payet, who was one of the most successful English Premier League imports during the 2015-2016 season, is pictured.
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The likes of Premier League winner N'Golo Kante and Ballon D'or nominee Dimitri Payet wouldn't have been afforded the chance to thrive in the Premier League under potential "hard" Brexit permutations, if the new edition of Football Manager is to be believed.
Goodbye Dimitri? —
The likes of Premier League winner N'Golo Kante and Ballon D'or nominee Dimitri Payet wouldn't have been afforded the chance to thrive in the Premier League under potential "hard" Brexit permutations, if the new edition of Football Manager is to be believed.
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With a database of over 600,000 players and staff around the world, the Football Manager franchise offers "unparalleled access" to the intricacies of the beautiful game.
Cult heroes —
With a database of over 600,000 players and staff around the world, the Football Manager franchise offers "unparalleled access" to the intricacies of the beautiful game.
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But the game is also helping shape the reality. "So many people who work in the football industry have grown up playing our game," Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson tells CNN. "I think if you talk to the people at Opta or Prozone they'll tell you that we inspired them." Mancheser City manager Pep Guardiola is pictured.
Data —
But the game is also helping shape the reality. "So many people who work in the football industry have grown up playing our game," Sports Interactive studio director Miles Jacobson tells CNN. "I think if you talk to the people at Opta or Prozone they'll tell you that we inspired them." Mancheser City manager Pep Guardiola is pictured.
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"It's no longer enough to call someone a midfielder; instead, they are described as deep-lying playmakers, box-to-box midfielders and registas. "That's something we certainly did help popularize," says Jacobson.
Lexicon —
"It's no longer enough to call someone a midfielder; instead, they are described as deep-lying playmakers, box-to-box midfielders and registas. "That's something we certainly did help popularize," says Jacobson.
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Jacobson is in contact with "over 1000" footballers who help test each new release. He ended up talking to Spurs striker Harry Kane for a different reason -- personally apologizing to the 23-year-old England international for failing to predict quite how good a player he would really be.
Citizen Kane —
Jacobson is in contact with "over 1000" footballers who help test each new release. He ended up talking to Spurs striker Harry Kane for a different reason -- personally apologizing to the 23-year-old England international for failing to predict quite how good a player he would really be.
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But Kane is in the minority. "Last time we sat down and worked it out we had something like a 99.5% strike rate," says Jacobson. "We don't get everything right, but we've got a much better strike rate than most managers."
The 0.5% —
But Kane is in the minority. "Last time we sat down and worked it out we had something like a 99.5% strike rate," says Jacobson. "We don't get everything right, but we've got a much better strike rate than most managers."
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For many that play FM, the statistical anomalies are an integral part of the game's allure. They may not have reached the heights predicted by the FM team, but the likes of Julius Aghahowa, Anatoli Todorov and Mark Kerr (pictured) are looked back on as cult heroes.
Mark Kerr —
For many that play FM, the statistical anomalies are an integral part of the game's allure. They may not have reached the heights predicted by the FM team, but the likes of Julius Aghahowa, Anatoli Todorov and Mark Kerr (pictured) are looked back on as cult heroes.
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"There's one that I look at as a mistake because it was, which was <a target="_blank" target="_blank">To Madeira</a> because he didn't exist," reflects Jacobson. "The rest? I used to think of them as data errors, but when you actually sit down and look at some of the cases, like Cherno Samba (pictured) and Tonton Zola Moukoko, they've actually got quite sad stories."
Cult heroes, sad stories —
"There's one that I look at as a mistake because it was, which was To Madeira because he didn't exist," reflects Jacobson. "The rest? I used to think of them as data errors, but when you actually sit down and look at some of the cases, like Cherno Samba (pictured) and Tonton Zola Moukoko, they've actually got quite sad stories."
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"Cherno has got a book coming out later in the year that explains why he didn't make it as a footballer," adds Jacobson. "I don't know whether Tonton's got a book out, but his mentor died -- he passed away when he was 19 -- and that caused him to not be able to accept mentally that he had the potential to be a footballer."
Unfulfilled potential —
"Cherno has got a book coming out later in the year that explains why he didn't make it as a footballer," adds Jacobson. "I don't know whether Tonton's got a book out, but his mentor died -- he passed away when he was 19 -- and that caused him to not be able to accept mentally that he had the potential to be a footballer."
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Who does Jacobson predict the next wonderkid of world football will be? "I think I'd recommend him to be signed in real life as well, but Youri Tielemans," says Jacobson, referring to the 19-year-old Anderlecht midfielder. "He's still got a lot of development to do, but give him a couple of years and I think he's going to be a phenomenal player."
The next big thing? —
Who does Jacobson predict the next wonderkid of world football will be? "I think I'd recommend him to be signed in real life as well, but Youri Tielemans," says Jacobson, referring to the 19-year-old Anderlecht midfielder. "He's still got a lot of development to do, but give him a couple of years and I think he's going to be a phenomenal player."
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Could Tielemans be another To Madeira or Tonton Zola Moukoko? "I hope not!" laughs Jacobson. "Someone did claim yesterday that we had a player at Liverpool in the Beta version of the game who doesn't exist, but we've found out since that he actually does exist, and the rumor that he was an internet rumor was actually a rumor! Hopefully never again..."<br />
Rumors —
Could Tielemans be another To Madeira or Tonton Zola Moukoko? "I hope not!" laughs Jacobson. "Someone did claim yesterday that we had a player at Liverpool in the Beta version of the game who doesn't exist, but we've found out since that he actually does exist, and the rumor that he was an internet rumor was actually a rumor! Hopefully never again..."
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