A hero of the Wales fans. Chris Coleman had to do things the hard way before finally receiving the credit he deserves as a smart, pragmatic manager
Month: August 2017
FRENCH CULTURE has always carried an enormous weight of respect. The very foundations of the country seem to be built on romance, cuisine, fashion and stunning architecture, and the sprawling City of…
REWIND TO THE TENDER YEARS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM, cast your gaze across the green grasses of the Premier League’s stadia, and there, dancing across them, you would inevitably find a pair…
Both overrated and underrated, Claude Makélélé’s public perception changes with each passing year. Perhaps it’s the idea that we’ve already seen his upgrade in the form of the high-speed blur that is…
People like underdog stories. Football fans love them. It is part of that indescribable mixture of meanings and feelings that make football what it is. This is why two years ago the…
THEY HAVE DONE IT TWICE, but can they do it a third time? That was the question before the 2016/17 Primera División season. Club Atlético Temperley from the southern Buenos Aires suburb…
Illustration by Federico Manasse These days the Austrian national team is more likely to be on the receiving end of a shock result – like the 2-1 loss to Iceland at Euro…
Illustration by Federico Manasse On the wrong side of retirement, in the pained days of forced leisure, memories can often be the most prized possession for the ex-footballer, as well as for…
Illustration by Federico Manasse The word ‘brilliant’ is overused in talking about football’s greats. But if ever there were a player that encapsulated shades of Johan Cruyff’s technique, the journeyman status of…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Football is seldom, if ever, free from political realities. Had it not been for the collapse of Communism in 1989, Pavel Nedvěd’s career would have likely followed the…
Illustration by Federico Manasse There are certain footballers that transcend the beautiful game; mere mortals who watch football see them as ethereal beings. These are the players who elevate the game to…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Kenny Dalglish is a man of contrasting qualities. He’s a deceptive five foot eight inches, yet immense in stature. He is often adorned with a seemingly prickly demeanour,…
Hristo Stoichkov was as good as any attacking player in the 90s, blending skill and vision with grit that helped Bulgaria shine at USA 94
Few strikers will ever match the records that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer broke at Manchester United, often coming off the bench to devastating effect
Illustration by Federico Manasse The abiding memory of Mark Viduka in the Premier League is that of a brooding bulldog forward, lazily monikered with the ‘good touch for a big man’ tag. The…
Illustration by Federico Manasse The 1982 World Cup may just have boasted more great teams, players and matches than any other since. Champions Italy, the brilliant France of Platini, Giresse and Tigana,…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Steve McManaman: England’s greatest ever footballer? Not the obvious choice, I freely concede, but hear me out before you reach for the pitchforks and flaming torches. I believe…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Few footballers are remembered for one moment of genius quite like Teófilo Cubillas is for his impudent, outside-of-the-boot free-kick against Scotland at the 1978 World Cup. It is…