Football Manager (FM) is a video game where the player takes charge of a football club and tries to lead it to glory. Misunderstood by some (comments like 'but you're not even playing, you're just watching it play' are common) and thrilling for others, the truth is FM manages to hook anyone who's truly passionate about the sport.
So this acclaimed football simulator was, at a certain point in my life, an unprecedented 'addiction', responsible for some carelessness at school, arguments with girlfriends, poor sleep, fewer nights out and less physical activity, which would eventually lead to inevitable inactivity. I dedicated thousands of hours of my life to taking clubs like Águia dos Arrifes, Capelense SC, CD Santa Clara, Operário da Lagoa, União Micaelense and Vale Formoso to the big stages of world football. Or even exploring leagues in countries like Angola, Saudi Arabia, Bermuda, Fiji, Iraq and San Marino.
The turning point came when I realised Football Manager wasn't just another computer game. I was looking at the most complete database in the football world, and because of that, a growing number of 'real' clubs were turning to that database to scout talent (including in the Premier League). This has only been possible thanks to the work of thousands of 'digital scouts', spread across nationalities, whose job is to observe in person the footballers playing in their respective countries, trying to bring their in-game attributes closer to reality. That's when, over the last three years, my urge to actually play faded, and the desire grew to do something for the manager community — I started taking part in studies (Lower League Management, training and tactics),Lower League Management, treinos e tácticas), updates (adding playable leagues to the game) and translating articles on various forums. Still, that was never enough, because I wanted a more active role in the community.
In December 2016, I joined the Official Portuguese Research team and fulfilled that wish. The Official Portuguese Research team is made up of around 50 'digital scouts' and led by Bruno Gens Luís and Carlos Bessa. It's a 'hobby' that demands a great deal of responsibility from us, while also feeding the dream of pursuing a career as a football manager or, who knows, a scout. Proof of that is our former coordinator — José Chieira, who, after years of work with the Official Portuguese Research team, has already had spells at clubs like Sporting CP and Panathinaikos, and currently works at Futebol Clube do Porto. Although it's work that lets us build connections in the football world, it's important to stress that our work on the Portuguese database has nothing to do with real clubs, nor is it paid by Sports Interactive (the company that makes the game).
At a time when there's a lot of talk about video game addiction, I can say I'm already cured of my Football Manager 'addiction'. Joining the Official Portuguese Research team is what let me experience the game in a healthier, more responsible way.
Text written by Tiago Sousa, a 26-year-old from São Miguel. Tiago Sousa is a member of the Official Portuguese Research team and is studying for a master's degree in International Tourism Management.
text originally published in MegaJovem
