“I still think about Middlesbrough and the times I had there all the time,” said Juninho Paulista. Ask any Boro fan and they’ll tell you the same
Tag: atletico
THE CURRENT ERA WILL GO DOWN alongside some of the greatest in Atlético Madrid’s storied history. A La Liga title has been won, as have two Europa Leagues – and they have…
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE FINEST LA LIGA STRIKERS over the past 20 years, you would include the Real Madrid trio of Raúl, Ronaldo and Morientes. Then Kluivert, Eto’o and Suárez from…
Illustration by Federico Manasse. View more of his great work here “YOU EITHER DIE A HERO or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Harvey Dent’s renowned one-liner from…
Portuguese, devilishly handsome, full of himself and self-centred. A product of the Sporting Clube de Portugal academy, fond of a step-over or two and a footballer who made his name in the…
IT WAS 15 FEBRUARY 2004 and Arsenal were trailing 1-0 at Highbury to Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Adrian Mutu had put the visitor’s ahead in the first…
To put it lightly, Diego Godín and Destiny’s Child don’t have much in common. Yet the footballer and the pop group can both sing for the rest of their days about being…
AS TEMPERS FLARED during a particularly feisty Madrid derby at the Bernabéu in December 2012, Atlético Madrid assistant manager Germán Burgos directed a threat towards José Mourinho that would unnerve even the most confrontational of…
PICTURE THE SCENE. A multi-millionaire property developer is sat in a jacuzzi, where he is surrounded by half a dozen bikini-clad women young enough to be his granddaughters as he hosts his…
Although it became the go-to excuse for various failures over the years, Atlético Madrid are not cursed, nor have they ever been. In a way, Los Rojiblancos are actually one of the…
As featured on Guardian Sport HE SURELY COULDN’T FLUFF HIS LINES AGAIN, COULD HE? Diego Forlán’s Manchester United career was on the verge of frittering out as he stepped up in front…
SOMETIMES IN FOOTBALL, it’s difficult not to feel sorry for goalkeepers. Yes, in the modern game they may be protected species, but they’re still faced with the answerable putdown of having a…
For the second time in three years, the two biggest teams in Madrid faced each other in the Champions League final. Real Madrid had endured a somewhat disappointing season, unable to fight…
And so, another one-nation final and yet another all-Madrid Champions League final awaits us. Beyond the obvious delight of the Spanish capital’s fan base and their decampment to Milan for 28 May,…
MONEY BUYS QUALITY. Quality in football is, to a large extent, determined by the individual actions of a player that are measurable. Goals scored, passes completed, assists given, interceptions made; the list…
DATELINE: 20 MARCH 1984. Fernando Torres, the youngest of three siblings, was born in the municipality of Fuenlabrada, some 22 kilometres from the Spanish capital. Joining his local side, Parque 84, at…
Occasionally, a player comes along whose talent is paradoxically matched by their worldwide under-appreciation. A player who mesmerises opposition fans and leaves them wondering what would be possible if he played for their…
On 30 April 1988, one of the most remarkable El Clásico encounters to ever take place unfolded at the Camp Nou between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The game came just two days after…