What the captain does in a football manager

The captain is the player who wears the armband and acts as the team's reference on the pitch. In manager games he usually gives the side a bonus.

In football the captain talks to the referee, organises his teammates and fronts up in difficult moments. He tends to be a player with experience and personality, not necessarily the most gifted. Manager games turn that leadership into an effect on the team, and choosing him well is one of those small decisions that add up.

In ELDT you name a captain and a vice-captain in the line-up. While the captain is on the pitch the team gets a small bonus to progress when attacking, and the bonus grows with his leadership (16 or more, and more still at 19 or more). If the captain is not on the pitch, the armband goes to the vice-captain.

Good captains are players with high leadership. Those with the Leader speciality are natural candidates.

See it in the game: the manager's guide.

Related terms

• Morale
• Form
• Specialities
• Starting eleven and substitutes

More on Tactics

• Formation
• 4-4-2
• 4-3-3
• 5-3-2
• Mentality
• Counter-attack

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See also: online football manager · guides on the blog