Sega announces new Football Manager

Football Manager 2007, the realistic management simulation from Sports Interactive, will be released in time for Christmas this year in Europe. More than 100 new features will be added for the title, which will be available for the PC, Mac, Intel Mac, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation Portable (as Football Manager Handheld). No release date has yet been announced for the North American version, known in that region as Worldwide Soccer Manager.

Among the major new additions is feeder clubs, which allow large and small clubs to form a partnership. Small teams will gain the benefit of loaned players, who they would not normally be able to attract, while the larger teams will be able to give their youngsters some essential match experience, among other things.

Both the scouting and youth team systems have been completely revamped in order to make the game experience more realistic. Full youth squads will now be available for those teams that have a youth setup, while scouts will improve their knowledge over time and deliver more information about the players and teams they are watching.

Other improvements include additions made to media interaction and half- and full-time team talks, as well as the addition of a prematch chat. Enhanced tool tips and interface customization have also been tweaked.

Football Manager Handheld will see further playable leagues added, as well as network support for multiplayer games. For more information on the various new features, head to the Football Manager Web site.