As a sports fan, I have an obvious affinity for sports games. But for me, the appeal has shifted away from the on-field play, and into the franchise and statistical modes of the games. I even bought EA’s abysmally tedious NFL Head Coach.

Which is why SEGA’s upcoming Football Manager 2011 for PC and Mac, and Football Manager Handheld 2011 for PSP intrigues me, even though I have only the mildest interest in soccer/football. Most people would be repulsed by an abundance of numbers, statistics, and lists seen above. Not me though. I have a weird love for those kind of games.

Football Manager 2011 aims to continue the franchise’s tradition of giving you complete control of a professional soccer franchise. You’ll encounter a variety of agents as you talk contracts in real-time negotiations, develop specific training routines and focal areas for upcoming matches including 14 different individual skill areas, and deal with players, staff, the board, and the fans.

“At Sports Interactive, we always strive to give the end-user the best experience possible,” said Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive.

Other new additions included improvements to the 3D Match Engine, including new animations, more player emotions, new player models, new stadiums, pitch textures, improved lighting, floodlit night matches, more goal celebrations, and plenty more new features that have yet to be announced.

The handheld version will be available on the PSP as well, with improvements in the tactics screen, a completely new skin, an updated database, and improved match graphics.

All versions of Football Manager 2011 will be available this fall.