Forget the flashy goals and superstar players. For a growing number of teens in Shanghai, Beijing, and across China, the real obsession with football happens off the pitch—in the manager’s office, on the transfer market, and in the tactical notebooks of a video game.

The game is Football Manager (FM), and it’s not about quick reflexes. Published by Sega, it’s a hyper-realistic simulation where you take control of every aspect of a football club, from scouting hidden talents to setting the training schedule and devising match-winning tactics. While friends battle it out in FIFA or eFootball, FM players are the strategic masterminds building dynasties from behind a laptop.

“When I learned about real-world tactics, I had this faint thought that I wanted to try being a manager myself,” said one Shanghai-based player. “Fate brought me to this perfect PC game that satisfied all my fantasies. Football Manager is groundbreaking.”

The game’s appeal lies in its breathtaking depth and authenticity. Its database includes hundreds of thousands of real players and staff, and its match engine simulates games based on real football logic. A high-pressing tactic that works for Liverpool in real life will play out similarly in FM. This turns players into true armchair tacticians.

They dive into concepts used by real clubs. Take English Premier League team Brighton & Hove Albion, famously called a “star-making factory” by Chinese fans. Their strategy of buying undervalued young players, developing them, and selling for a profit is a beloved blueprint for countless FM gamers.

“It's extremely realistic… the closest 99.9% of us can get to the real football world of coaching,” the Shanghai player added.

But FM is more than spreadsheets and tactics. It’s about connection and creation. Players bond over shared strategies in online forums, celebrating youth academy breakthroughs or agonizing over a star player’s transfer request. The reward isn’t just winning; it’s the slow, satisfying build.

“It’s like you’re at the helm of the game’s arc,” described another enthusiast. “You control outcomes... you're making the players better, not just playing as them.”

In a world focused on instant highlights, Football Manager offers a different, more cerebral thrill. For its dedicated young fans in China, it’s not about controlling the player on the field—it’s about having the power to dictate the entire future of the club, one smart decision at a time.