Tag: guardian sport

How Sassuolo transformed themselves into a top six club

As featured on Guardian Sport ON 15 SEPTEMBER 2016, the small town of Sassuolo in the north-west of Italy geared up for something special. With a population of 41,000, the Province of…

Italia 90 was not as good as you think

As featured on Guardian Sport Over a quarter of a century has passed since Nessun Dorma was acquired by the great unwashed football fans of England, obtained in a generally well-spirited but occasionally…

Is Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy in decline?

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.…

The relationship between age and the regista

As featured on Guardian Sport A FEW WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS A SUDDEN FRISSON OF ENTHUSIASM surrounding Michael Carrick. Having played for Manchester United for nearly a decade and having been capped by…

Why are there so few Irish players in the Premier League?

As featured on Guardian Sport Upon arrival in cities, the first port of call for generations of Irish migrants, with the possible exception of the nearest public house, would have been a place…

George Best’s forgettable spell with Cork Celtic in 1976

As featured on Guardian Sport THE NUMBER 10 INSIDE LEFT for Cork Celtic that day zipped around the field with ease, leaving the Bohemians defence consistently baffled. He feinted one way and then…

The incredible story of FK Qarabag

As featured on Guardian Sport FAR AWAY FROM the headline-dominating transfers of Luis Suárez to Barcelona and James Rodríguez to Real Madrid, the Azerbaijani capital of Baku has enjoyed its own back-page delight…

10,000 ways to build better footballers

As featured on Guardian Sport In the summer of 2001, I was fortunate enough to train in Holland for close to 16 weeks, playing with a local team from Enschede in friendlies and…