ALPACAS ARE INTRIGUING ANIMALS. Their thick, tough fur has been used for millennia to produce high-quality clothes, rugs and textiles, and while they trace their roots back to the wild Andes of…
Tag: academy
FC BARCELONA’S LA MASIA ACADEMY has been amongst the most efficient of youth systems over the past 25 years. Following Johan Cruyff’s reconstruction that dates back to 1988 (his original idea was…
WITH A STREAM OF TROPHIES and memories to last a lifetime, the modern Chelsea fan doesn’t have much to complain about. However, question any supporter around Stamford Bridge for a possible area…
To talk about street football is to talk about the beautiful game at its core. It has connotations of getting back to basics, of the sort football fans, and stars, used to…
THE CONCEPT OF AGGREGATION by marginal gains was first championed by British cycling performance director Sir David Brailsford. In an interview with the BBC during the aftermath of the London 2012 Olympics,…
Will West Ham ever return to the days where local lads played beautiful football among their peers, with many born close to the stadium itself? It’s highly unlikely, but that won’t stop…
THE PRINCIPLE OF OCCAM’S RAZOR states that “entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily” and is popularly interpreted as suggesting that among competing hypotheses the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected.…
When Sheikh Mansour sanctioned the purchase of Manchester City back in September 2008, many neutral supporters believed that the Arabian Deputy Prime Minister would leave the club soon after. That, however, was…
CALI IS OFTEN BILLED AS THE SALSA CITY OF THE WORLD and portrayed as a city beating to the rhythm of the dance clubs and music bars of La Sexta. Perhaps, though, it…
This feature is part of The Academy Way IN THE AFTERMATH OF ARSENAL’S first Emirates Cup win since 2010, following a 1-0 win against VfL Wolfsburg, the spotlight was firmly focused on one…
As featured on Guardian Sport IN THE 14TH MINUTE of Barcelona’s game against Levante on November 25, 2012, Martin Montoya replaced Dani Alves completing a significant moment in the history of the club.…
This feature is part The Academy Way IN A WORLD FULL OF UNITEDS AND CITYS, there is only one Hotspur. Tottenham Hotspur is a club with a long and illustrious history; the first…
This feature is part of The academy Way In the build-up to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil there was a feverish excitement bubbling around Marc Wilmots’ Belgium squad, with many making a…
This feature is part of The Academy Way Invading the pristine St Mary’s pitch in their thousands, Southampton fans swarmed with a feverish energy towards the visiting Burnley faithful. Smoke grenades, plastic bottles…
On the northern edge of Buenos Aires, on the banks of the Rio de la Plata, resides a giant of Argentine club football: Club Atlético River Plate. The history of the sporting club…
This feature is part of The Academy Way THERE ARE FEW ACADEMIES IN WORLD FOOTBALL that can boast a history brimming with illustrious names quite like Sporting CP’s. The Academia Sporting, located…
This feature is part of The Academy Way WHAT DEFINES A GOLDEN GENERATION? It ought to be the glorious manifestation of the very peak of youth development; not just a gem or…
This feature is part of the Academy Way MANCHESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB HAVE MANY REASONS TO BE BOASTFUL. They are the reigning Premier League champions, have assembled a first-team squad brimming with star…