FAKENINE

What’s
new in Fakenine

Everything we keep adding to the game, newest first.

  1. Divisions in groups: the top, closer

    From the Third Division down, each division is played in groups, twice as many as the one above (Third, 2; Fourth, 4…), with clubs from any province. The top two of each group go up and the same number come down from above. So even with hundreds of managers, reaching the First Division takes a few seasons, not a decade.

  2. Antonio shows you around the club

    The first time you log in, Antonio, your right-hand man, shows you around the whole club: he takes you through every section and explains what matters on each screen, with everything else dimmed so you don’t miss a thing. Every screen also has its own help, and with the «?» button at the top you choose between that screen’s help and the full tour again.

  3. Every formation works

    The engine is no longer built around the 4-3-3: with 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1, 3-5-2, 5-3-2 or 3-4-3 you can compete on equal terms. Midfielders cover whatever role their formation lacks (with no attacking midfielder, one of them gets into the box; with no holding midfielder, another one stays back to screen the middle), wingers track back, the block closes towards the ball and attackers get into the box wherever they start from. Before, choosing a 4-4-2 against a 4-3-3 meant losing six matches out of ten. And penalties are scored as in real life, three out of four.

  4. Tactics you can see on the pitch

    A thorough overhaul of the match engine. Defending and sitting deep is now a real low block: the team also stays back when it has the ball, closes down the box, blocks more shots and holds its ground instead of diving in, so its matches have fewer goals; and dropping back to counter gives the underdog a real chance. Attacking and a high line leave space behind: you win a bit more, but you concede more. No setup is a trap or a trick that always wins: down the wings, through the middle or balls into the box, each one changes how the game is played. And a player’s tactics attribute matters more: those who read the game well recover sooner when beaten and get back into position earlier. Home advantage is slightly smaller.

  5. Captains and big matches

    Leadership matters more: the captain (the starter with the most leadership) drives his team on in the final minutes of a tight game, and with him in the dressing room defeats hurt less and wins lift morale more. How a player handles pressure shows in derbies, knockout ties and penalty shootouts. And aggressive players, besides committing more fouls, win a few more duels.

  6. More realistic keepers and long shots

    How many shots a keeper stops now depends only on his own skills: reflexes, composure and positioning (before, his shooting or pace also counted). And long shots depend on distance: inside the box finishing rules, and from further out long shots count more and more, so players who are good at it are keener to try from range.

  7. Sort the market by columns

    In the market, tap a column header (rating, age, pace, value, what he asks for…) to sort, and again to reverse it. On mobile, use «Sort by». Rating and attributes are sorted by what your scout sees, not by the real values.

  8. Zone-based positions on the tactics board

    In Tactics, each position plays whatever the zone where you drop it calls for: a striker moved out wide plays as a winger, a full-back pushed up as a winger too, and a centre-back in front of the defence as a holding midfielder. Positions move much more freely, the label changes as you drag, and each player performs according to how well he fits the new position. Substitutions too: a sub who comes on out of position performs worse, just like a starter.

  9. Fakenine leaves beta

    The beta is over: Fakenine is now the official version. Managers who were already here keep their club and squad exactly as they are, and wear the founder badge, which the first 20 managers in each country will also get. The first official season kicks off with the league on Sundays and the cups on Wednesdays.

  10. More fans at the ground and stadiums worth expanding

    Many more fans now come to matches (an average club already fills about two thirds of its stadium) and expanding is cheaper: €1,800 per seat, €1,000 per standing place, and lower upkeep. A full stand pays for itself in about 10 seasons in a newborn league and about 6 once the league moves up a level. And in Finances, the season budget: what you will earn and spend over a whole season, with the gate at the prices you have set. In Works you can see how full your stadium gets and in how many seasons each expansion pays for itself.

  11. Your league’s press

    After every matchday, each league’s press writes up what happened on its own: thrashings, upsets, comebacks, hat-tricks, a new leader, who climbs into promotion or drops into relegation, and streaks. Every league and every club has its own news page, the club page shows the latest about it and, if the press talks about your team, Antonio tells you in the office. Fakenine news has its own news section.

  12. A clearer menu, especially on mobile

    At the bottom, the five sections are always visible (Office, Team, Match, Market and Club), with nothing hidden. Each section opens its own page listing all its screens with a short explanation and the key facts: your next opponent, your position, your cash… Inside each screen, «‹ Team» takes you back to its section, and your account is in your photo at the top. The league and cups are now under Match and the forums under Club.

  13. More realistic matches

    Defenders now follow the forwards who run into their zone, the better team keeps the ball more and patiently looks for the gap, and computer-controlled teams plan each match around their opponent: they sit deep and counter against a stronger side and go for it against a weaker one. In the viewers, players accelerate gradually after receiving and the ball no longer jumps from one spot to another.

  14. Achievements for everyone

    20 achievements with bronze, silver or gold medals: first win, thrashings, streaks, promotions, titles, your first academy graduate, a big stadium… They show on the club page and Antonio tells you when you unlock one.

  15. The Super Cup, in the winter break

    The Super Cup (Federation Cup winner against the Ball Cup winner) is now played on the league-free Sunday of the winter break.

  16. National and international cups

    League on Sundays and cups on Wednesdays: Ball Cup and Federation Cup in every country, Star Cup and Gold Cup between countries with a league phase, and the Big Cup of winners, with extra time and penalties.

  17. International transfer market

    Sign players in any country, with foreign players needing time to settle, and youngsters who also come from abroad.

  18. Friendlies and calendar

    A season calendar by weeks and friendlies against any club in the world on your free dates. Antonio arranges them if you ask.

  19. The beta opens

    Fakenine opens its doors at www.fakenine.com: anyone can take a club in the lowest division for free, give it a name, colours and a stadium, and start competing.

  1. Fakenine begins

    The idea for Fakenine was born in 2023: a free online football manager with the soul of the classics. In August 2025 it starts taking shape: the engine that simulates every match second by second, the viewer, the economy, the market and the academy, all the way to the beta.