Football Manager 2020 shipped on 18 November 2019 with a database frozen on the 2019/20 season, and that database is the main reason anyone still loads it: Erling Haaland starts at Red Bull Salzburg, and every squad predates the pandemic. FM20's own additions were the Development Centre, Club Vision and the Playing Time Pathway, all of which behave differently from the systems that replaced them in later editions. Sports Interactive can only sell each edition while its club and player licences hold, so FM20 has been pulled from sale and cannot be bought new; the Stadia version died with Stadia in January 2023.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club Vision board objectives | S | Long saves at one club, where the five-year structure gives the save a spine. | The FM20 system that gives your board an actual identity: a five-year plan with season-by-season financial, infrastructure and competition targets, plus culture objectives around transfer policy and playing style. |
| Development Centre hub | A | Youth-focused saves and anyone running more than four loanees. | One screen covering youth players, their development advice, ones to watch, and loanees with their ratings and minutes. |
| Playing Time Pathway brackets | A | Signing young players cheaply, at the cost of a commitment you must honour. | Contract negotiation covering both the playing time bracket a player expects now and where he expects to sit in future. |
| Technical Director | B | Managers who want to focus on tactics rather than the staff market. | A staff role new in FM20 covering hiring and firing of first-team staff and involvement in coaching development. |
| Loan Manager | B | Big clubs running large loan armies. | The other FM20 staff addition, handling loan administration for players sent out. |
S-Tier: Club Vision board objectives
The FM20 system that gives your board an actual identity: a five-year plan with season-by-season financial, infrastructure and competition targets, plus culture objectives around transfer policy and playing style. Ignoring these costs you the job even when results are fine.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Long saves at one club, where the five-year structure gives the save a spine. |
| Key Mechanic | Club Vision and the five-year plan |
| Recommended Role | Segundo Volante |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Club Vision board objectives: Pairs naturally with Segundo Volante thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Development Centre hub
One screen covering youth players, their development advice, ones to watch, and loanees with their ratings and minutes. Before FM20 this information was spread across half a dozen screens, and the consolidation is the edition's most quietly useful change.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Youth-focused saves and anyone running more than four loanees. |
| Key Mechanic | The Development Centre |
| Recommended Role | Mezzala |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Development Centre hub: Pairs naturally with Mezzala thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Playing Time Pathway brackets
Contract negotiation covering both the playing time bracket a player expects now and where he expects to sit in future. It is a promise mechanic, so agreeing to make an 18-year-old a Regular Starter in two seasons creates a deadline you will be held to.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Signing young players cheaply, at the cost of a commitment you must honour. |
| Key Mechanic | Playing Time Pathway |
| Recommended Role | Inverted Wing-Back |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Playing Time Pathway brackets: Pairs naturally with Inverted Wing-Back thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Technical Director
A staff role new in FM20 covering hiring and firing of first-team staff and involvement in coaching development. Delegating this removes one of the more tedious recurring jobs from a long save.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Managers who want to focus on tactics rather than the staff market. |
| Key Mechanic | Technical Director and Loan Manager roles |
| Recommended Role | Ball-Playing Defender |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Technical Director: Pairs naturally with Ball-Playing Defender thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Loan Manager
The other FM20 staff addition, handling loan administration for players sent out. Paired with the Development Centre's loan tracking, it turns a twenty-loanee academy from a chore into something you can actually monitor.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Big clubs running large loan armies. |
| Key Mechanic | Tactical styles and player roles |
| Recommended Role | Pressing Forward |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Loan Manager: Pairs naturally with Pressing Forward thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear English Premier League
- Development Centre hub → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Playing Time Pathway brackets → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Club Vision board objectives → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Open Club Vision before your first transfer window and read all three layers. The five-year plan sets season-by-season targets and the culture objectives constrain how you are allowed to sign players, so a transfer that looks smart can breach an objective you never opened.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Football Manager 2020 Guides
- Football Manager 2020 Football Manager 2020 Overview
- Football Manager 2020 Best Builds
- Football Manager 2020 Tier List
- Football Manager 2020 Walkthrough
- Football Manager 2020 Beginner's Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Tips & Tricks
- Football Manager 2020 Combat Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Boss Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Maps & Locations
- Football Manager 2020 Crafting Guide
- Football Manager 2020 Classes & Characters
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