Championship Manager 97/98 has been given a fan-made makeover, with an unofficial release free to play now featuring extensive data from the 2026/27 football season
Football supporters of a particular generation have voiced their excitement after learning that a classic version of Championship Manager is free to play online now – featuring players from the 2026/27 season. It comes a month before the release of the latest version of the game – Football Manager 27 – which is set for release on November 10.
The flagship management sim will release on PC and Mac via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Xbox PC app. Continuing the franchise’s multi-platform reach, FM27 Console launches simultaneously on PlayStation 5 and Xbox, while FM27 Mobile returns exclusively via Netflix.
The inaugural title in the ‘Champ’ franchise, meanwhile arrived on PC, Amiga and Atari ST in 1992 and swiftly established itself as the premier management simulation, with updated editions released almost every year since.
Countless hours lost to these games allegedly even led to marital breakdowns and job losses during the late 1990s as players became absorbed in steering their clubs to glory, with each new release growing increasingly detailed and realistic. The series arguably peaked during the latter half of that decade with Championship Manager 2 and Championship Manager 97/98.
Those particular versions remain the most cherished amongst many fans, harking back to times before adult responsibilities took hold. Subsequently, the Championship Manager brand transformed into Football Manager following the split between developer Sports Interactive and publisher Eidos Interactive.
Currently, however, numerous individuals in their forties are savouring the opportunity to recapture their title wins and trophies of years past, by overseeing modern-day players through the classic CM97/98 interface.
The new title, which is a fan’s unofficial creation operating on a non-profit basis, can be downloaded free of charge and runs on Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari browsers.
The creator of the game shared the story behind its remake online. “On a family trip, my older brother and I got hooked on the original Championship Manager 97/98 again, taking Brighton from Division Three to the Premier League as fast as we could,” he disclosed.
“He said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if it was the same game we love, but with modern teams, modern players and modern managers?’ So I went away, opened up the game’s files, and saw what I could do.”
The creator further added: “Every player, club and manager is real and current for 2026/27; none of the 1997 squads are left. It isn’t only the leagues the original shipped with: Saudi Arabia, the MLS and Brazil are in too. The game shows 2026 dates, and fees, finances and wages have been re-balanced to today’s money.
“There’s no Bjørn Heidenstrom to rescue you. You’ve got to scout and sign real players. Ratings were set from real data and tuned against well-known rankings using AI.”
Reacting to the release, one nostalgic gamer gushed: “All my childhood dreams in one moment. I always wanted to replay the old Championship Manager days, and now the dream has finally come true! Thank you, guys, for bringing back the joy of the child inside this 42-year-old man.”
Another fan enthused: “Sometimes, just sometimes, the internet is a wonderful place.”
A third admitted: “Here goes the rest of my October.”
A fourth player joked: “Is it Christmas already?”.
Meanwhile, a fifth user queried: “Everyone else gone down a Championship Manager wormhole with the release of this? Yep? Thanks, not just me then.”
The game can be found here.