Peter Schmeichel often produced not only brilliant reactions with his saves but brilliant reactions to goals…
How Mark Viduka hit his scoring peak with four memorable goals against Liverpool
This feature is part of Virtuoso Before becoming the poster club for cataclysmic financial mismanagement,…
What happened to Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Barcelona’s £20 million defender?
At the end of the sublime, cinematically perfect 2008/09 season, Barcelona stood apart from their…
Remembering Manchester United and Barcelona’s epic 3-3 draw in September 1998
On a clear autumn’s evening in Manchester, a young midfielder trembles on the Old Trafford…
What happened to Yoann Gourcuff, the next Zidane?
It was a goal that was impossible to ignore, the kind of high-level showboatery that’s…
Fulham: a journey to Europe
When Roy Hodgson took charge as manager of Fulham in December 2007, the outlook for the…
Gabriel Batistuta: the textbook finisher whose goals made us dream
Sometimes, watching football leaves an indelible mark on a young boy’s imagination. In 1999, I was…
Thierry Henry and the rise to become the modern striking blueprint
Growing up as a Manchester United fan in the era of the Arsenal Invincibles, I perhaps…
How Wesley Sneijder fuelled a football awakening like few others
WE ALL HAVE OUR FOOTBALL MEMORIES. As fans, we cherish them. We need them, whether…
Michel Platini vs Paulo Roberto Falcão: a calcio rivalry for the ages
THE POWER OF ONE FOOTBALLER can often have an immeasurable impact on a club. Although…
Pelé: the Brazil legend yet to be toppled
Illustration by Federico Manasse There may never be another footballer as supreme as Edson Arantes…
Marco Reus and the inescapable void of his career
ON 6 JUNE 2014, Marco Reus’s professional life plunged into darkness. Darkness often touches professional…
Sebastian Deisler and the pressures of elite sport
This feature is part of The Fleeting Fraternity Imagine being billed as the next superstar…
Can Vincenzo Montella make AC Milan great again?
This feature is part of The Masterminds: 10 Under 45 Vincenzo Montella is not entirely…
Can Leonardo Jardim follow in the footsteps of José Mourinho and achieve glory?
This feature is part of The Masterminds: 10 Under 45 On 25 February 2015, Monaco…
The making of Antonio Conte: a journey from Lecce to Chelsea
As featured on Guardian Sport SOME FOOTBALLERS HAVE the privilege of working under gifted tacticians…
Why Eddie Howe is on course to become one of Europe’s best managers
This feature is part of The Masterminds: 10 Under 45 When Eddie Howe announced his…
Tugay: the players’ player who became a Premier League legend
ON 24 MAY 2009, Ewood Park was awash with a colour not normally associated with…