Football Manager 2014 New Features

Sports Interactive and SEGA Europe officially announced Football Manager 2014 on August 14th, the most feature-packed and technically advanced release in the series' history. Benefiting from more than 1,000 improvements and enhancements over its most recent predecessor, FM 2014 is the most compelling and realistic simulation of football management ever released.

In addition to enhanced game-play, FM 2014 also delivers a range of technical innovations, with the game available on Linux for the first time and the introduction of ‘cloud save’ technology, which means that managers can now pursue a single career from any computer, anywhere in the world.

The FM experience is also more customisable than ever before, as the integration of Steam Workshop tools make it easy for managers to create and share customised FM content and experiences such as photo/logo packs, new and custom competitions and even tailor-made in-game challenges using the new Challenge Editor which has been incorporated into the free-to-download Pre-game Editor.

Our unchanging goal in the development of the Football Manager series is to deliver the most authentic and immersive simulation of real-world football management wherever you may be in the world.
Players can now take charge of their team anywhere they can access a home computer, and with huge improvements to existing features plus the addition of loads of new stuff, can have the best Football Manager experience to date while doing so.

Released: 14 August 2013
Updated: 24 October 2013

Significant FM 2014 highlights:

• An improved 3D Match Engine
• A tactical overhaul
• More realistic transfers and contracts
• More sophisticated board interaction
• More complex interaction between staff, players and rival managers
• A revamped news system
• An enhanced user interface
• Evolution for Classic mode
• Additional community features
• Extensive tech improvements
• Official Real Time Editor will be available as a paid download - 19 August

And now a list of confirmed features which are revealed in a "one a week day" fashion by Miles, plus a few more which are part of feature roulette on Twitter.

Minor FM 2014 features:

Thursday 24 October

• Managers taken to appropriate Leaderboard at the end of a season to see how they're doing
• Expand ex-player's pre-match comments criticising a current player
• Support display of International caps for more than one nation
• Transfer to and between South Korean clubs no longer include loyalty bonuses and agent fees
• Italian Serie A final round matches played at different times
• Italian Serie C Cup matches rearranged if team plays Monday the same week
• Ability to set squad morale ahead of versus mode matches

Wednesday 23 October

• First level "Assign Scout" menu option streamlined
• More realistic aerial ability stats for goalkeepers

Tuesday 22 October

• MLS "Developmental" and "Academy Apprentice" contracts merged into "Reserve" contract
• Improved press conference questions regarding violent conduct
• Clubs reputation rating update
• "Salary Cap Impact" and "Guaranteed Contract" columns added to default MLS Registration panel

Monday 21 October

• Sort scout reports by name of scout, name of assignment and status
• Assign scout pop up revamp in FMC
• Club owner added as staff role
• Press conference question asking about stadium development after promotion

Thursday 17 October

• Press conference and interaction tones condensed
• Multiple user attention boxes in Tutorials when needing to highlight more than one widget
• Danish club taxes update
• Squad status conversations with players
• Weekend newspapers no longer attend midweek press conferences
• YDP contracts implemented in MLS
• Scout report on Player Profiles now displays Current and Potential Abilities

Wednesday 16 October

• MLS Allocation Process for returning US National Team players
• Expand ex-player's pre-match comments looking forward to seeing a player play
• Manager informed if the club is banned from European competition

Tuesday 15 October

• First Knockout Round cup stage added to subscriptions
• More details added to finance screen in FMC
• Deadline day question from media asking about weakness in certain positions
  
• "If Team is in Current Division" added to projections tab in Player Wage Totals
• Expand ex-player's pre-match comments criticizing the manager for a poor run of form
• Versus mode UI cleanup

Monday 14 October

• Club honors screen updated in FMC
  
• Non playable teams more active in the transfer market, particularly when likely to be promoted
• Press conference question if youth facility improvements request is granted / rejected by chairman
• AI to make use of affiliate clubs in loaning out players
• Extra stats for Cup and Continental appearances in the player overview stats panel
• Further detailed breakdown to see where club revenue is coming from

Friday 11 October

• Ability to choose non-playable club as your favorite club

Thursday 10 October

• Automatic scouting assignments in FMC
• Privately congratulate player on winning a personal award
  
• Trade up or down in MLS draft, as it's happening
• Financial Fair Play - or what SI think FFP will turn out to be
• World and search menus merged on career mode
• Pop up explaining why a player is unable to be loaned to an affiliate club
• Improved match reporting on aggregate-related victories

Wednesday 9 October

• Tactical preparation progress bars
  
• Club finance history screen updated in FMC
• Ability to specify a position to play a player in when sending to an affiliate club
• Interaction 'hooks'
• Updated salary caps for MLS and A-League
• Further player contract details available in Contracts sub-panel on player's profile screen
• Press conference question if training facility improvements request is granted/rejected by chairman

Tuesday 8 October

• Team names now included in autosaves
• Ability to give control of training to Assistant Manager in FMC
• Game speed information added to League selection screen in FMC
• A new 3D match camera called 'closecam' (update from 10 Oct)
• Update to Spanish and Serbian emergency loan signings rule
• Additions to recent form player conversations
  
• Updated rules for over age players in English and Scottish U21 leagues
• Can complain to international manager about a player's treatment whilst on national team duty

Monday 7 October

• The Liechtenstein Cup added to the game in the Swiss football calendar
• Non-contract contract offers now more intelligently implemented
• "Try Different Nation / Region" button added to Scout Assignment Update News
• Filter player search results by overall recommendation
  
• Honours panel added to Club / Nation information screen in FMC
• Add a new manager's city / town of birth
• Affiliate clubs screen revamp

Friday 4 October

• News items bias more towards form, rather than reputation

Thursday 3 October

• Expand ex-player's pre-match comments praising the manager for a good run of form
• English U21 league now in game
• Flashing Continue button in Network games
• Further detail added to the season summary report
• B team match reports
• More clubs recognized as having 'Worldwide' reputation
• Expand ex-player's pre-match comments for derby / rival matches
  

Wednesday 2 October

• Updated rules for over age players between 21 and 23 in Scottish U20 leagues
• Option to have overall transfer control for B and C teams
• Specific 'Last match' conversations for goalkeepers
• Link to Leaderboards on Start Screen
• Set wage amounts for Director of Football for transfer targets
• Improved set up of pre-season tours
  
• Train a player's weaker foot

Tuesday 1 October

• New press conference question if increased wage budget request is granted / rejected by Chairman
• Player Wage Projection added to 'Salary Projection' tab on Finance screen if team is relegated
• Can now talk to the press about players who are free agents - not just those at clubs
• Expanded information on contract expiry panel
• During a match, clicking Team Name takes you to Squad page
• Additional foreigner limit for Turkic nations
• Draft dates section added to MLS rule screen

Monday 30 September

• Testing the FM14 In-Game Editor: The final league table in a "cheat" season
  
• Can now choose staff responsibilities for either transfer negotiation or contract negotiation, rather than them being combined
• Player related data relocated from "Information" sub-panel to "Player" sub-panel
• Expand Transfer Offer Screen to include FPP information
• "Player Wage Totals" as header for set of conditions in Finance Projection
• Insert value pop up when adding a player to "Transfer Targets"
• Assign player role and duty when making a Quick Sub

Friday 27 September

• Interaction changes (video #7)
  
  • New narrative system changes the way managers and journalists converse
  • Questions you're asked have been rewritten and now include a wider variety of new topics
  • All managers will actively engage with the press to feed into the pre-match speculation
  • Manager Job interviews make their debut in the series
  • Board interaction enhancement: You’re given more conversation options to state your case; If your request is refused, you’ll get the option to publicly question the board by clicking the ‘Leak to press’ button
  • Board interaction enhancement: The board can call on you to attend board meetings when things are going badly for you, giving you the chance to possibly save your job.
  • Manager contracts have been tweaked to include some extra clauses and a padlock system
  • Player interaction has some new additions, such as the new player screen under the new ‘Development’ tab on player profile
  • End of season and pre-season team meetings
  • Addition of manager tendencies to the manager profile screen
  • Ability to discuss with the loaning manager why a player out on loan isn’t being played
  • The ‘Ask to pick’ button is now always visible on the tactics overview screen
• Playoff specific team meetings

Thursday 26 September

• Reserve teams can now have their own assistant manager and coaches - 10 new reserve team staff roles, in fact
• Managers can advertise for jobs even when at maximum staff limit
• Brazilian Paraná State Championship final goes to penalties if points are level after both legs
• Revamped handling of club debt
• New press conference questions based on style of play data
• Improved stadium sponsorship scaling
• Full ineligibility information when hovering over 'INE' icon
  

Wednesday 25 September

• Player Report immediately available for player that Director of Football has made a bid for
• Tooltips on Finance screen explaining various financial terms
• Turkish league fair play awards
  
• Swedish "artist tax" implemented
• Make a positive or negative comment to the press about a player if you've sold them or left the club
• Contract length calculation now calculated in weeks
• Press conference question if increased transfer funds request is granted / rejected by chairman

Tuesday 24 September

• New pop up when adding a player to "Development List"
• "Out in the cold" news item mentions the last international game a player featured in
• Admire and declare interest specifically for players you have on loan
• New training overview panel
  
• Improved MLS transfer AI
• Updated Greek FA penalties
• Prompt to set Staff Responsibilities in initial meeting with chairman

Monday 23 September

• Player status panel shows all unavailability statuses
  
• International managers can respond to player refusing international call up
• Host server rules available when joining an online game
• New press conference questions based on goal analysis data
• Honours panel added to Club / Nation information screen in FMC
• Shorter contracts for players owned by third parties where appropriate to better model South American transfers
• Watch list / shortlist tab on MLS draft screen
• U21 information appears on Player Information screen

Friday 20 September

• Naughty newgens going onto social media to complain about various club issues

Thursday 19 September

• Press conference question asking about ambitions for next season after promotion
  
• On Player Coach report - Clicking on position in player's Position Panel updates the Position Rating Panel
• Breakdown "Total Cost of Transfer" to "Total Cost of Transfer Per Year" to help with FFP when buying players
• 1368x768 windowed mode now supported in-game
• Players have Head of Youth Development and Director of Football as desired careers when retired
• Merchandise sales boost for high reputation clubs touring abroad
• Request that Reserves or Under 18 manager plays a player in certain position

Wednesday 18 September

• Ability to select/deselect all subscriptions on a per category basis
• Training facilities grading revamp
• Improvements to change of Squad Status advice
• Talk to players who are out on loan
  
• New player and staff retirements
• All games in versus mode take place at a neutral stadium

Tuesday 17 September

• Added detail to highest average distance analysis
• Newgens are now created in non-MLS clubs in the Academy division
• Rule update on free agents signing outside of MLS transfer window
• Press conference question about a player breaking a record
  
• 3 year projected transfer budget on the finance screen
• Player Wage Projection if Team is promoted
• Warning message when manager bids for a player who will be ineligible

Monday 16 September

• Fans react more to manager fielding youngsters
• German clubs are now 51% supporter owned, with the chairman voted for by those supporters - any takeover is for 49% of the club
• Players able to opt out of the MLS re-entry draft
• Promise to offer a player a new contract at the end of the season
• Belgian cup updates
• Wages Expenditure Account Split
• Press conference question on whether the board's expectations are acceptable and realistic

Friday 13 September

• Agents and investors can now make offers to co-own %'s of players in leagues that allow 3rd party ownership

Thursday 12 September

• Affiliate clubs now send you a list of players that you can loan from them
• Kill job speculation
  
• Expand Contract Offer screen to include FFP information
• Assistant manager automatically handles post match press conference if you're serving a touchline ban
• AI teams quick shortlist replacement players when selling a key player
• Press conference question if new contract request is rejected by chairman

Wednesday 11 September

• Select game start date in FMC
• Higher attendances post-league title win despite playing lower reputation teams
• Added Financial Fair Play tab on the finances screen
• Turkish young player contracts more realistic, with no youth contracts
• Training overview includes how many weeks training has taken place in certain areas
  
• Updated Australian maximum transfer fees
• Danish work permit revamp

Tuesday 10 September

• Expand Transfer Embargo News Item
• Transfer clauses to state the amount of total appearances overall to meet the clause
• Guaranteed contract buyout in MLS
• More realistic season expectations
• View Job Advert button on club screen
  
• When conducting 'Trial days' teams play in First Teams formation

Monday 9 September

• Choose own realistic Feeder Club
• Update to Norwegian domestic home grown rule
• Transfer to and start date information when hovering over 'TRN' icon
  
• Option for clubs to auto-extend contracts by up to 3 years in contract negotiations
• Improved player recommendations for potential signings
• Kit sponsorship revamp
• Players open to signing for rivals, unless they dislike the club bidding

Friday 6 September

• Presidential elections for clubs who have an election based system to elect a "chairman"

Thursday 5 September

• Change Transfer Type for players on the Unwanted list and Transfer Targets list
• Use of Bonuses / Clauses should lower and raise the overall transfer budget
• Improved team report summary
  
• Net transfer income appreciated by board
• Ability to select / deselect all subscriptions on a per category basis
• Updated MLS disciplinary system
• MLS Trade screen update

Wednesday 4 September

• French clubs receive indemnity for international call ups
• Expand Monthly Board Confidence update to include financial fair play
• Multi-select players on transfer panels
  
• Multiple news stories now combined when players are injured, withdrawn or used as replacements
• Newgen staff now get non player traits (the staff equivalent of player preferred moves)
• Club badges on the Next Match panel of the Manager profile are now hyper-linked
• Levy on all transfer spending by football league clubs invested into youth development

Tuesday 3 September

• Press can suggest a specific player is not the team's best player and is overrated
• News item explaining league contract rules when joining MLS / A-League team
  
• Separate staff budget
• Where appropriate, supporter owned clubs won't sell to businessmen
• Press conference question on chairman's future when looking to sell the club
• Save custom database set-ups

Monday 2 September

• Recommended player button added in news items for new staff signings
• "Ungentlemanly Conduct" renamed "Unsporting Behaviour"
  
• Player position labels link to position section
• Revamp to conversation with concerned player over their asking price
• Agent fees and pro-rated loyalty bonuses come out of your transfer budget, while contract bonuses come out of your wage budget
• MLS reserve league update
• Support multiple contract end dates

Friday 30 August

• 8 new player roles: Half back, target flank man, limited FB, complete wing back, enganche, regista, false no.9, shadow striker
• News revamp (video #3)
  
  • Important dates are now in calendar form and not just text
  • When a team makes a bid for your player, you can negotiate immediately
  • When it shows your teams results, it also shows some stats such as how many shots on target and your possession percentage
  • Scout reports are now more detailed, showing the minutes the opposition usually score, where they assist on the pitch, and best formations
  • When offered a player by an agent, you can see all their stats and a bit of their history without having to click on the player
  • Match analysis reports have now been plugged into match results
  • When a manager is sacked, there are now next manager odds, which show who is most likely to take over; you can see the odds for the next manager to get sacked
  • You can accept and reject multiple offers straight from your inbox
  • You can now meet your squad once you meet your assistant manager
  • You will receive emails from your medical staff when a player you loaned out has picked up an injury, giving you the chance to recall them from loan
  • The season review now picks up key moments off the campaign for various teams and is much more detailed
  • When multiple players return from loan spells, it will all appear in one item
  • When a player retires, in your mail box you have the option to keep the player's history

Thursday 29 August

• Press conference question on new chairman after a takeover
• Your team is already picked for you when taking over a club in FMC
• Ability in training calendar to split days into Rest and Match Preparation
  
• Preview news item on next round of league fixtures
• Conditional loan repayments such as "repayble on Promotion to top division"
• Request fixture rearrange or postponement if multiple players are called up for international duty

Wednesday 28 August

• Streamlined Continental Qualification seeding news stories
• Full access to shortlists regardless of which team managed or if unemployed
• Press conference question on Chairman's ambitions for the club, if any requests are rejected
• MLS first round draft picks ask for either a Senior or SEL contracts
  
• One news story generated if multiple players withdraw from international squad
• More realistic fan reaction to losses against superior opposition

Tuesday 27 August

• Increased attendances for friendlies at new stadiums
• Relevant press conference questions when joining struggling side mid-season
• More information displayed on Manager and Staff screen in FMC
• Player suitability delivered in one report in Backroom Advice
  
• Streamlined first level "Add to Shortlist" menu option on Player Screen
• Press conference question if stadium improvements or new stadium request is granted / rejected by chairman
• Regional refs for regional competitions, such as Conference North
• Privately congratulate player on winning 1st cap or scoring 1st international goal
  

Monday 26 August

• MLS Transfer revamp
• Marker in financial projection graph to indicate where the club are in relation to the budget
• Split 1st and 2nd half shot analysis
• Refs now retire, and new ones appear
• PIK loans added
• Train players to develop as leaders

Thursday 22 August

• Improved explanation of how Director of Football works in FM and FMC
• Transfer budget takes all clauses and bonuses into account
• Leak interest in vacant position to press
• Make players available for youth squads, as well as reserves
  
• Hyperlinks to division names in season summary
• 'Where Are They Now' button available on transfer history screen

Wednesday 21 August

• New player-roles, including a shadow striker and a regista ("a deeper deep-lying playmaker")
• Define favorite formation when adding a new manager
  
• Improved scouting assignments generating more reports
• Team records News item available at welcome meeting
• Fixture list includes potential opponents in next round of cup competition
• Captains aren't always well behaved - so they can be reprimanded after poor behavior and reminded that they should be a role model
• Difficulty rating for Challenges depending on what team you manage

Tuesday 20 August

• Can assign Assistant Manager to take control of training
• Added MLS Waiver Draft in November
• Check contract details for players you've agreed future transfers for
• Captains can be asked to resolve conflicts between two team mates
• Viareggio Club World Football Tournament Coppa Carnevale now featured
• Schedule to play at a bigger stadium in some European cup competitions if home stadium is too small
• Ask a player to sack his agent
  

Monday 19 August

• TV money payment revamp
• 'Insert value' pop-up when adding a player to "Unwanted List"
• Position history graph when picking a team to manage
  
• Going on pre-season tours abroad boost shirt sales
• Captains can be asked to determine the mood/togetherness of the dressing room to help you know when you should have a team meeting
• Captain / Vice can be asked to help out a team mate having personal problems
• Director of Football suggests changing transfer values following unsuccessful attempts to sell

Friday 16 August

• You can now apply for work permits for your own players without having to offer them a new contract

Thursday 15 August

• Testimonials for star players after having been at the club for a certain period of time or when they announce their retirement

Release Date

Football Manager 2014 will be released for Windows PC, Mac and Linux on 31 October 2013. For more information on that, please refer to the FM14 Release Date (Official) article.

There will be a fully-playable Beta version of the game, available roughly two weeks prior to the official release date for those of you who will pre-order FM14 from our official store or from amazon. Careers started in this Beta version will continue in the full game.

More detail on FM 2014’s major new features

Improved Match Engine

The 3D Match Engine has seen extensive improvements, including enhanced AI, improved lighting and player animation, individual player character and kit models, more realistic player reaction to on-field incidents and a range of optimisations which combine to make this the best looking and fastest FM Match Engine yet.

Tactical overhaul

There has been a complete redesign of how tactics are created, selected and implemented with player roles and team strategies becoming even more prominent, definable roles for players for multiple positions, new player roles and instructions and improvements to rival managers' AI so that they’ll adapt their tactics more readily over time.

More realistic transfers and contracts

FM 2014 features a revamped transfer module where opposing clubs and managers adopt a more realistic approach when making or responding to transfer offers. In addition, a number of new ‘real world’ transfer clauses have been added, such as the facility to loan a player back to the club he’s just been bought from and the option to offer a combination of cash and loan players, as well as new contract clauses such as a sub bench appearance fee. On top of this, the old ‘turn-based’ system of transfer negotiations can now be done two ways, the tried and tested system and a new ‘live’ system, similar to that used in FM’s contract negotiations.

More sophisticated board interaction

Contract negotiations are more realistic in FM 2014, as managers and boards can now make demands and lay down their respective visions for the club in both initial job interviews and contract renewal discussions. Managers can also attempt to renegotiate transfer and wage budgets as a reward for staying loyal if they’ve been offered a job by another club, with the outcome helping aid their decision on whether to move or not.

Improved interaction with players, staff and media

There is now better interaction between players, managers, their rivals and the media; for example, members of the coaching staff now offer feedback on how reserve and youth team players are performing. Managers can also ask key players to have a word with unhappy squad members, while the introduction of an end-of-season meeting allows the manager to let the squad know how they have performed and set targets for the coming season.

News system

The news system has been overhauled so managers can now deal with many club matters directly from their inbox. In addition, news is now colour-coded, based on category, and contains more detail – for example, scout reports now appear as a single news item with a top-line report on all players scouted and the facility to shortlist or make an offer for each of these players.

Enhanced user interface

Major changes have been made to FM 2014’s user interface. Key areas have been redesigned – including the training overview page, the transfer centre and the news homepage – while
widespread changes have been made across the game’s user interface. The language employed throughout the game has also enjoyed a major overhaul and now corresponds more closely to the language of real world football.

Football Manager Classic evolved

Managers can now choose more than three playable nations in Classic mode for a more immersive experience. In addition, FM’s ‘fast play’ mode now includes Transfer Deadline Day, a Match Plan wizard and new unlockables.