The colossal impact of Mark Viduka

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…

Michael Essien: the most complete Ghanaian export of all

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,…

Alen Halilović: the Barcelona outcast at an early crossroads

THE EXPLOITS and activities of elite football clubs in the current era are often ruthless, both on and off the pitch. Every European superpower has a youth system filled with talented players, plucked…

Mr Unorthodox: Abel Xavier and the Mozambique hotseat

When the news broke in January 2016 that former Everton and Liverpool defender Abel Xavier had been announced as the new manager of the Mozambique national team, many football fans smiled at…

A national team born: the rise of Kosovo

One of the great criticisms aimed at football’s governing bodies, in particular UEFA, is the Association’s willingness to expand their number of member teams and lengthen competitions. As part of its growth…

The Dundalk trailblazers turning heads across Europe

Mention the name Dundalk to most football fans a year ago and very little would register it on their radar as a name within European football. A quick Google search evokes memories…

Telmo Zarra: the man before Messi

Football in its contemporary format is one dominated by the development of the superstar. With the sport becoming evermore a global game, it is reaching its tentacles into areas that had previously been…

From AC Milan to political maestro: the story of Kakha Kaladze

Social media has become something of a breeding ground for letting the average supporter know what former football greats (and not-so-greats) are currently up to. However, somewhere mixed in with the postmen,…