Football Manager 2021: Covid-19 will RUIN your season - Finances, Fans, Dates & more


Rival football fans don't agree on much, but one thing we can all agree on is that COVID-19 has played a huge part in the footballing world.

The virtual footballing world hasn't been affected quite as bad but in keeping with the real-world issues, Football Manager 21 is set to incorporate the virus into their title.

Here is everything you need to know.

COVID-19 in FM 2021

The team at Sports Interactive made the announcement earlier this week that they have opted to include COVID-19 within their new title, with the game attempting to strike "the best balance possible between realism and escapism."

Financial Impact

The Coronavirus has had a massive impact on the finances of football clubs over the world.

Those financial difficulties will be brought into FM 21.

Budget Slashed

In sticking with the real world financial issues, in FM 21 "your chosen clubs finances will inevitably be in a worse state than you would normally expect when you start a new save."

Now this sounds like bad news, and it is, but fear not, as the market has been adjusted accordingly.

Transfers

The transfer system has been rewritten in order to accommodate the financial issues that clubs will face.

Here are the key changes that have been made.

  • More 'loan to buy' offers.
  • A drop in the value of mid-range players
  • Clubs in real financial trouble will try to move players on a more regular basis
NEW OBJECTIVES
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NEW OBJECTIVES! A range of new transfer-based objectives are heading to the game

This won't be the case throughout your full save though, as once the money comes back into the game over time, the market will be readjusted to match.

Fans

Empty stadiums are strange. Whilst it's become the norm now, there is nothing like a bustling away end.

Well thankfully, they will still feature in FM 21 after they opted to allow fans into their virtual games.

Football Manager Fansss min
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FANS! There won't be any empty stadiums in FM 21!

This is great news for a couple of reasons

For starters, nobody likes football without fans. Taking Woking from the Conference to the Champions League just wouldn't feel the same in an empty stadium.

But also, this means that your clubs revenue won't take the hit that comes with playing in an empty stadium.

Dates Adjusted

We'll give it to Football Manager, they've made this new title super realistic!

In sticking with the disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, your season may have a different start date from what you have come to expect.

For instance, the EFL Championship will begin in September rather than the traditional August start date. You will still have 'five to six weeks' of pre season to get your squad in shape.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Football Manager page.