In a country where football is one of the most celebrated and passionate in the…
Beauty and the beast: the Piqué-Puyol diaries
This feature is part of Duology There exists a 15-second video clip, which does the…
How Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo went from promising teens to goal-hungry predators together
This feature is part of Duology Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United sides were often constructed…
Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta and the last stand of great Italian defending
This feature is part of Duology The Italians prize their art. It is something that…
Clairefontaine: the dream factory that changed French football forever
This feature is taken from the France issue of These Football Times magazine. Order your…
How Gianluca Zambrotta became one of the modern era’s finest full-backs
Marcello Lippi is an undisputed legend in football. Not only was he the mastermind behind…
How Bryan Robson became Captain Marvel at Manchester United
The number seven shirt has a long history at Manchester United. Despite the lack of…
A statistical history of the World Cup’s Golden Boot award
Winning the World Cup is a matter of pride for many, but the individual glory…
Nine trophies in 342 games: the colossal legacy of Vicente del Bosque
FEW MANAGERS IN the history of football boast as impressive a CV as Vicente del…
The 2006 World Cup: a tournament better than many remember
THE WORLD CUP IS MAGICAL. For any fan of the sport, whether your country is…
Czech Republic: the dark horses who set Euro 2004 alight
INTERNATIONAL TEAMS’ greatest eras come along so sporadically, and that is what makes them so…
Why Claudio Marchisio is still the prince of Turin
AFTER 73 MINUTES of an all-action display, the fans in the deafening Juventus Stadium stood…
Rui Faria: brutalist, loyalist and José Mourinho’s indispensable assistant
JOSÉ MOURINHO HASNT HAD THE BEST RELATIONSHIP with the fine city of Barcelona after his…
Zinedine Zidane: the Juventus diaries
Zinedine Zidane and excellence have rarely been too far apart. A midfielder of supreme quality, a…
Cafu: the born winner who became the most complete full-back of his time
Jamie Carragher’s light-hearted jibe at Gary Neville over his career as a full-back on an…
Park Ji-sung: the first nuclear-powered South Korean
Illustration by Federico Manasse For a man who was once described by Andrea Pirlo as…
Juan Arango: the wizard of Venezuela
Illustration by Federico Manasse Hailing from a country not popularly renowned for its football culture,…
Zlatan Ibrahimović: Sweden’s unstoppable man of gold
Illustration by Federico Manasse From the ghettos of Rosengård to the brightest lights in Amsterdam,…