Football Manager 2022: What happened to Manchester United?
Football manager 2022 has been released in the wild. Many fans are now getting to know the new squads and updated mechanics. One thing is certain: the new game has a change that could confuse some players. What happened to Manchester United and why are they now Manchester UFC.
Simple answer: money and licensing. Manchester United, one of the most recognizable brands in the world is very particular about how their name is used. They took Sports Interactive’s FM developer and SEGA’s publisher to court.
It is important to remember that the name was used in Football Manager and Championship Manager for almost two decades without any problems.
The club had a major contention with players being able to import their own Manchester United branding using badge packs or kit packages, without having to pay any money.
Instead of letting the dispute drag on in court, all parties reached a settlement and Sports Interactive agreed that Manchester United would be renamed Manchester UFC or Man UFC. Sports Interactive stated the following:
“These name changes were made solely to settle the dispute on an no admissions basis.
“SEGA and Sports Interactive insist that they don’t need a license to use the name ‘Manchester United’ but have made the change in goodwill so that both sides can move on.”
Don’t be surprised if Manchester United “officially” returns to Football Manager. Although Sports Interactive may occasionally work with Premier League teams such as Watford to provide full licensing, Manchester United is likely to be much more expensive to license. This is without even mentioning the possibility of bad blood between them that could sabotage any chance of a deal.
It’s possible to change your name again between you and me, so long as you play on a PC. Google could be your friend. I wasn’t here.
