IT IS THE 1994 WORLD CUP QUARTER-FINAL and Sweden have 13 minutes to find an equaliser as they trail Romania 2-1. They turn to 22-year-old Feyenoord forward Henrik Larsson, a player who…
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This feature is part of The Masterminds FOOTBALL CAN BE APTLY be described as a simple game made complex. It is about the goals and entertainment and the social function it affords its…
MOST TEENAGERS COUNT DOWN THE DAYS until they turn 18, eagerly anticipating this milestone in their lives when they gain their independence and are able to do things that they couldn’t as a…
AS 2015 approached its conclusion one team had dominated the European football landscape. The five trophies claimed by Barcelona set a standard that many will struggle to match. Just as impressive as…
Anyone that has followed football for the last 12 years is more than familiar with the miracles Lionel Messi is capable of. The mind of every fan in the world has stored an…
This feature is part of The Masterminds More than anything else, a football manager thinks about winning. It’s the source of their happiness, their confidence and, ultimately, keeps them in employment. No manager…
While Italy’s famed Catenaccio system may have been invented elsewhere, nobody used it to such devastating effect quite like the legendary Helenio Herrera
This feature is part of A Tale of One City GAZING OUT ACROSS THE MIRAGE of sparkling lights littering the night sky, it was impossible not to fall madly in love. There…
As colleagues and peers from the world of football stood up and applauded as he left the stage at an event organised specifically for his goodbye, one of Barcelona’s greatest leaders closed one chapter…
The first thing that anybody fortunate enough to visit Barcelona’s Camp Nou will notice is the club’s proud slogan, Més que un club (More than a club). This mantra is a philosophy…
This feature is part of The Fleeting Fraternity What is tragedy? In modern-day usage, it is defined by an event of monumental human suffering, shrouded by pathos and disaster. In dramatic arts’…
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.…
Occasionally, a player comes along whose talent is paradoxically matched by their worldwide under-appreciation. A player who mesmerises opposition fans and leaves them wondering what would be possible if he played for their…
FOR THE GENERATION OF FOOTBALL FANATICS FROM WHENCE I CAME, the summer of 2015 will be a poignant one. Time, it appears, has flown. Now our idols, those we were besotted by –…
“We are a nation of 200 million Germans,” wrote Brazilian journalist Fernando Duarte, days before the 2014 World Cup final. ‘Brasil, decime que se siente, tener en casa a tu papá’ (Brazil, tell me…
Nowadays it’s becoming increasingly rare for English managers to find success outside of the British Isles. Steve McClaren led Twente to the Eredivisie title in 2010 but then struggled in Germany with…
IMAGINE IF LONDON’S FOOTBALL CLUBS collaborated in European competition. Would a combined side of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham players stand a chance against major European cities, or would the likes of Barcelona, Madrid…
On 30 April 1988, one of the most remarkable El Clásico encounters to ever take place unfolded at the Camp Nou between Barcelona and Real Madrid. The game came just two days after…