Predicting the UK's post-Brexit future in Football Manager 2017

How do you solve a problem like Brexit? It's a question the UK government has been wrangling with ever since the nation voted to leave the European Union (EU) on June 23, and now it's one the devs behind soccer management sim, Football Manager, have been forced to tackle. 

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Miles Jacobson, studio director of Football Manager creator Sports Interactive, has spoken at length about trying to predict the unpredictable. 

With authenticity in mind, Jacobson said the team felt it was necessary to at least try and figure out how Brexit might impact the state of the British game. Of course, with no deal currently on the table, it's impossible to know how or even when the sport will feel the effects of Brexit.

One thing, though, is for sure. Players managing British clubs are going to be in for a tougher test once Football Manager's fictional United Kingdom does leave the EU.

“We've decided to [...] include every possible outcome in the game, using artificial intelligence and percentage chances to make every game different," explains Jacobson.

"[For example] There's the option that sees us adopt a system like Italy's, where there is a limit on the number of non-EU players in each squad. The limit of non-UK players that British clubs are allowed could range from anything as high as 17 to as low as four."

In such an event, the game would become more difficult for players as less-talented footballers started to climb up the football pyramid out of necessity, resulting in a drop-off in quality, flagging TV revenues, budget cuts, and soaring transfer fees.

"From a British point of view it could be a positive. From a national team point of view it could be a positive. But from an overall perspective, it’s not a good thing for football in this country," adds Jacobson.

For a more detailed explanation of how the UK's real-world political decisions will impact this year's crop of budding football managers, check out The Telegraph's full interview.