Tag: france

Why Paul Pogba is the 21st century prototype footballer

Illustration by Luigi Coari Platini, Brady, Baggio, Del Piero, Tevez; all footballers blessed with authenticity and unique personality. Legendary, iconic names, bound together by one common denominator – they were all bestowed with…

La Gailette: Racing Club de Lens’ prolific academy

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…

The story of France’s failure at World Cup 2002

The 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea was a tournament of shocks and surprises, with a touch of genuine quirkiness thrown in for good measure. Never before had European audiences…

Eric Cantona: a life of loneliness and love

Illustration by Dave Flanagan IT IS THE SUMMER OF 1978 in the baking heat of a Marseille suburb, and AS Caillolais are 1-0 down to title rivals Vivaux-Marronniers. Only a win will…

Red Star Paris: the other Parisian club

Talk about football in Paris and the conversation is likely to be dominated by Paris Saint-Germain after Les Rouge-et-Bleu completed a domestic treble last season. Laurent Blanc’s side are dominating French football at…

Deschamps, Desailly and dominance at Nantes

French football is experiencing something of a renaissance at the moment. Indeed, the presence of nouveau riche Ligue 1 sides Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco in the latter stages of the Champions League, coupled…

A World of Ultras: Marseille

This feature is part of A World of Ultras WELCOME TO MARSEILLE, the second largest city in France and capital of the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region. The Mediterranean coastal location is one…

The story of the 1930 World Cup

WHEN FIFA WAS FORMED IN 1904 its membership was comprised of only seven teams, all from Europe. Over the next two decades more and more national sides joined FIFA, and the 1924 Olympic…