We all think nobody is more addicted than we are. Well, somebody is.
We had already told you about Portuguese player Paulo Santarém Andrade and his 164-season save at Bustelo. But the one who made it into the Guinness book was German Sepp Hedel, with the longest Football Manager save ever: 333 seasons, the equivalent of 1,940 hours of play.
It started in Africa
It all started in December 2017, when Sepp went to work in Africa and decided to start a save in his favorite game. Far from family and friends, FM became his everyday companion after work.
“While I was there, I played regularly. When I came back to my country, I had less time, because I was only home at weekends.”
For the record to count, he could not spend more than 5% of the time on holiday. He insists he never used it:
“Football Manager is always challenging us with new goals, so going on holiday was not part of the plan. You cannot win a Champions League by resting on your laurels.”
Three clubs in 333 seasons
In more than three virtual centuries, Sepp managed only three teams.
“My favorite part of the game is developing small clubs. That is why I started with FC United of Manchester, who won their first Premier League in 2037, after six consecutive second places. It was a special moment.”
“After 50 seasons in Manchester, and winning everything there was to win, I thought it was time to try something new. I joined Bengaluru FC, in India. It was a radical change: I no longer had millions in advertising and sponsorship and could only have four foreign players. I was forced to invest in youth to reach my goals.”
“I ended up going back to England, to Hereford, in 2277. But my time at FC United had left its mark: a dream team had stayed there that was almost impossible to beat. I only managed it in 2289.”
The numbers
- Games: 15,678
- Wins: 11,217
- Draws: 1,997
- Defeats: 2,464
- Goals scored: 42,672
- Goals conceded: 15,563
- Win percentage: 71%
- Cups: 729
- League titles: 258
- Promotions: 10
- Individual awards (manager of the month/year): 1,028
- Spent on signings: £9.41 billion, on 684 players
- Income from sales: £8.65 billion, from 491 players
FC United started in the National League North and only reached the top flight in 2023.
The moments that stay
Asked about his best moments, Sepp had no doubts:
“Maybe the first wins against big teams, like Manchester City and Manchester United, when I managed FC United. And of course, the first title and the first Champions League, won in 2037 against Atlético Madrid. Building the biggest stadium in India, the Hedel-Arena, with 86,250 seats, in 2257, also stuck with me. And the AFC Champions League semifinals in 2075, 2246 and 2255.”
About the Guinness record, he simply said it was an honor.
New record: Longest single game of @FootballManager ⚽
After 333 seasons, 1,940 hours of real-world play time and 42,672 goals scored, Germany’s Sepp Hedel is victorious 🎮 https://t.co/2GUcPeAY6Z #GWRgamers- GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) 2 October 2019
By the way, also read the article about the biggest Portuguese save. How many seasons does your longest save have?
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Fonte: Guinness World Records