Data and charts courtesy Lee Chunhang. David de Gea did not want to take that…
Classics
Case for the Planet: Football Needs to Think
By any football club’s standards, 2020 was a catastrophic year. Pandemic-driven shortfalls caused by the…
The Jersey or the Jacket? – The Road to Becoming a Manager at a Big Club
Dennis Bergkamp is my favourite footballer (or organism) of all time. From watching the calm,…
The 4-3-3: A Revolution, Triangles and Arrogance
On the 16th of July, 1950, a great crowd surged into a seatless, concrete grandstand…
Why All Eyes Should be on Serie A
Illicit Activities, Champagne Football, and a Three-Way Title Race – let us convince you that…
My Life in Red and White: Wenger and the Artist’s Curse
The word “passion” has become a bit of a joke. It’s the kind of superficial…
Football fiction: Old Leather
I’m holding these old boots in my hands. Nike Tiempos. Leather. White with lime green…
The Dance of Ambition: USA at World Cup 1990
The Trinidad and Tobago football team of the late 1980s, nicknamed the Strike Squad, was…
Take a Look Around: Football Needs to Get Over Eurocentrism
In football, Europe has cultivated an international export in a way that no other continent…
Finding Gazza – Jack Grealish and English Football’s Great Chase
First came Joe Cole. Then there was Wayne Rooney. Then Jack Wilshire. Soon after, Ravel…
The Cosmic Kite – Farewell, Diego Maradona
This is a weird one. In a lot of ways, fans from my generation are…
How American Culture Gave Rise to the Premier League’s Perverse Structure
This year has been defined, naturally, by the coronavirus pandemic sweeping our globe. The same…
How Belarusian Football Rose up Against Europe’s ‘Last Dictator’
As the sun set over Soligorsk in early August, it looked as if Shaktar Soligorsk…
Luis Suarez: More Than Fútbol’s Big Bad Wolf
Ballet, Bites, Brazil The year was 2014 and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil had…
Maradona and Messi Walk Into a Pub: The Anatomy of a Great Debate
There is no place for the Dialectical Method in football. The rabidly tribal football fanatic…
Sarri and Juventus Swiped Right for Each Other. Why Did They Fall Apart?
I’m a cultural goods aficionado, including that of classical cinema. Imagine a world where Alfred…
Charlie Davies – Between the Goalposts of Life
“He never told me until I stumbled upon it!” Charlie Davies came home from school…
Frank Lampard: The Player vs the Manager
There’s no denying that Frank Lampard has received mixed reviews regarding his first year in…
Standing Up ‘Cause They Crossed My Line: Parasite & Dietmar Hopp
“Protesting and I lost my sign/ standing up ‘cause they crossed my line” speaks Open…
Booze and the Boardroom – Watching Messi Leave
It must be 5:00 PM somewhere in the world. That’s what I tell myself as…