Trusted at PSV and Manchester United in the biggest games by the most experienced managers, Park Ji-sung is one of South Korea’s greatest footballers
Month: August 2017
Illustration by Federico Manasse When Robbie Keane first began turning heads with the Republic of Ireland, scoring two goals against Malta in a 5-0 European Championship qualifying match, he also spun the…
Many in Bosnia believe that there will never be another Safet Sušić, while even more in Paris believe that he won’t be topped as the club’s greatest import
Illustration by Federico Manasse When Gareth Bale struck the ball from 30 yards towards England goalkeeper Joe Hart, there was a pause of tentative expectation from the watching Wales fans. It felt…
Illustration by Federico Manasse “Get out of the way, I’m going to whack it!” With the pent-up intensity of a solid six foot two inch frame sporting a snarling bulldog behind those words,…
Illustration by Federico Manasse The Maradona of the Carpathians, Gheorghe Hagi is a complex character. There is a dividing line between the hero of the masses he undoubtedly was in Romania, and…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Tall and rangy, socks rolled down, and with a hypnotic control of the ball that seemed at odds with his physicality, Jan Ceulemans was a footballing conundrum that…
Illustration by Federico Manasse The multifarious sphere of footballing history encompasses many greats. Some prove greatness via a trophy cabinet, some gain notoriety for a single goal or piece of skill, some…
Illustration by Federico Manasse When Alexis Sanchez gave Chile an early lead against Germany in a 2017 Confederations Cup group stage encounter, he brought an end to a 10-year record. It was…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Very few players have united a whole country quite like Hugo Sánchez, but then there have been few players like the Real Madrid legend. When Mexico’s hottest property…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Hailing from a country not popularly renowned for its football culture, Venezuelan Juan Arango has represented his nation well on the international stage in a career where he…
Illustration by Federico Manasse The goals, the power, the engine; all done with that unmistakable beaming smile on his face for club and country. Few players are eulogised about fondly across supporter partisanships,…
Illustration by Federico Manasse How do you measure greatness? Statistics, trophies and personal accolades are often touted as the benchmarks, but for Lev Yashin, the best indication is through the reputation he…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Born in the working-class inner city of East Belfast, it was seemingly inevitable George Best would swiftly fall in love with the beautiful game. Childhood images show the…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Before the summer of 2002, Asia was largely forgotten by the footballing world. A general awareness existed among top-level clubs that the continent offered large swathes of untapped…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Italian football is first and foremost defined by defence and tactics. No player in the history of calcio more closely defines these ideals than Franco Baresi of AC…
Illustration by Federico Manasse Xavi Hernández departed the pitch for the final time as a Barcelona player, filled with emotion. It was bittersweet for the then-35-year-old, who departed for Qatar in 2015…
He may not be revered as much as he deserves outside of Turkey, but Hakan Şükür’s goalscoring record stacks up against most of the 20th century’s greats