UK-based esports company Gfinity has been named the tournament operator for the Football Manager Coca-Cola COPA Challenge, presented by The Coca Cola Company.
Gfinity has entered into a commercial agreement with Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (Coca-Cola HBC) as part of the activity.
The Coca-Cola COPA Challenge is a new tournament which will see gaming influencers compete against one another in the popular Football Manager simulation game developed by British developer Sports Interactive and published by Sega.
The month-long tournament will run throughout October consisting of eight shows broadcast digitally. This includes four shows of players choosing their teams, and four full competition shows.
Gfinity will work alongside Coca-Cola HBC to ensure the management of the event across the Republic of Ireland, as well as in Italy, in partnership with Italian tournament organiser PG Esports.
The tournament has been designed to be interactive, with viewers able to directly influence the event by voting on weekly challenges for players, enabling players to choose their teammates.
Coca-Cola HBC is also partnering with Just Eat both in the Republic of Ireland and in Italy, to offer exclusive discounts on meals for viewers during the shows.
This is an unofficial tournament and neither Sega nor Sports Interactive have been involved in it.
“One of Gfinity’s strategic priorities is to deliver esports and gaming solutions for some of the world’s biggest brands and we are delighted to be working with Coca-Cola to operate what will be a very exciting tournament.”
John Clarke, Gfinity
In addition, Gfinity has also been appointed by internet service provider ASK4 as the tournament operator for the company’s sponsored FIFA 22 tournament for students in purpose-built student accommodation in Sheffield (the home of ASK4), Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. The tournament will run from the week commencing November 20th 2021.
John Clarke, Gfinity chief executive, said: “One of Gfinity’s strategic priorities is to deliver esports and gaming solutions for some of the world’s biggest brands and we are delighted to be working with Coca-Cola to operate what will be a very exciting tournament. Football Manager has been a household name for many years, and we look forward to hosting the Coca-Cola COPA Challenge.
“Our partnership with ASK4 is also another example of our commitment to building communities for gaming brands across the spectrum, in enabling them to capture the imagination of fans around the world.”
Jess Glover, ASK4 head of marketing added: “We are delighted to be working with Gfinity on ASK4’s upcoming FIFA tournament. We were aware of the many exciting projects and events Gfinity have worked on in the past and were keen to bring their expertise and tournament experience on board.
“We will be staging the tournament for our clients in Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham with the aim of expanding the tournament across the UK and Europe over the coming years. We are looking forward to a successful event and hope to be working with Gfinity on similar projects in the future.”
Related article: ‘This is the start of Football Manager as an esport’ – interview with i62 Football Manager tournament winner Dan Fry
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
