After navigating a tricky early period, Sir Alex Ferguson often appeared to have everything under measured control at Manchester United, with squad rebuilding seemingly a fluid and effortless transition, allowing the club…
Month: April 2018
We begin in the French town of Le Havre. The town’s French character does not meet the eye obviously, with the city eschewing both Paris’ famous Haussmannian architecture and the sunshine endemic…
These are heady times for the Egyptian national team. They have qualified for their first World Cup appearance in nearly 30 years and their talisman, Mohamed Salah, has been setting the world…
The date is 5 June 1985 and, in Copenhagen, Denmark have just beaten the Soviet Union 4-2 in World Cup qualifying group 6. It’s quite possibly the very plateau above cloud level…
It’s a warm afternoon in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. Emerging from the metro station, an enveloping heat surrounds me as I take in the scattering of tables selling an eclectic…
Quiz time. How many players can you name that have played in consecutive World Cup finals? Ten? Come on now. Twenty? Now you’re trying. Any more? In fairness, to play in successive…
One of the most annoying by-products of the blanket coverage that football has enjoyed over the last decade is that it’s impossible to express appreciation for a relatively up-and-coming team without being accused…
Boasting a depleted squad against the might of Anderlecht, Tottenham – and young goalkeeper Tony Parks – would memorably lift the 1984 UEFA Cup
The expected flood of nostalgia that’s ramped up over the past couple of weeks following Liverpool’s march into the Champions League semi-finals is a product almost as much of their opponents at…
Many European countries have enjoyed success in World Cup football. The tournament has been won by England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, while the Czechoslovakia, Holland and Hungary have played in a…
Like him or not, Pep Guardiola is one of the most successful managers in the modern era. Over the years, he’s acquired several assistants and footballing experts who have helped him achieve…
As part of the preparations for the 1986 World Cup, FIFA had arranged for the reception of each group, involving players and staff from all four participating teams. The reception of Group…
In an era where the influence of the Eredivisie is waning and being widely written off, one young Mexican is continuing a tradition of Latin American inspiration in the Netherlands. Hirving Lozano, affectionately…
Horst-Gregorio Canellas was furious. His lips were trembling and his forehead was beginning to sweat. His brain was full of words needing to be spoken – words that could propel German football…
At this summer’s World Cup, Argentina will hope to end an international drought that stretches all the way back to 1993. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been 25 years since they’ve…
“You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I can promise you will never regret it,” was the fateful proclamation of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov at…
Yaya Touré calls him Papushka, which means Daddy in Russian. Dimitry Seluk, Toure’s eccentric, extravagant and colourful Russian agent, seems to be proud of that fact and calls Yaya his ‘kid’. The two…
The date is 25 August 2000. As Real Madrid and Galatasaray prepared to square off for the UEFA Super Cup crown in Monaco, the eyes of the footballing world are rested squarely…