PRIOR TO THE 2002 WORLD CUP, Marcelo Bielsa found himself deciding who to play in the most advanced position of the field for Argentina. On one hand, an ageing Gabriel Batistuta had…
Tag: inter
CHASING THE BALL DOWN THE LEFT FLANK, Kanu steals it from Chelsea right-back Albert Ferrer and finds himself confronted by Ed de Goey, the keeper having rushed out of goal to close…
As featured on Guardian Sport HE SURELY COULDN’T FLUFF HIS LINES AGAIN, COULD HE? Diego Forlán’s Manchester United career was on the verge of frittering out as he stepped up in front…
A bustling café looks out onto a marina harbouring luxurious yachts and boats exclusive to the affluent. The enclosed water is calm and tourists visiting this shrine to the rich are serene,…
“I DON’T FEEL pressure … I don’t give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of July 9 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out…
This feature is part of The Masterminds THE PRESS CONFERENCE was an explosive three minutes, leaving a cluster of Germany’s top journalists stunned and bewildered. Bayern Munich coach Giovanni Trapattoni was addressing…
HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS in football management? If it’s just about emerging victorious, José Mourinho is up there with the best over the past decade. There’s no doubt that José Mourinho is…
IN FOOTBALL, the greatest legacies are reserved for those who pioneer their way into folklore. Manager and players alike are remembered in the grandest terms by evaluating their role in changing the course…
While Italy’s famed Catenaccio system may have been invented elsewhere, nobody used it to such devastating effect quite like the legendary Helenio Herrera
Illustration by Red Star Liverpool. Find more of his great work here Modern football has created a purgatory. A place where players that fail to live up to their initial hype are consigned…
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’…
“Only those who have the courage to take a penalty miss them. I failed that time. Period.” These are the words of a man who has been forced to defend his reputation on…
This feature is part of The Fleeting Fraternity A SINGLE SNAPSHOT of a player often reveals much more than the football they play. The way they carry themselves off the ball, how they…
IT’S 28 SEPTEMBER 1966 and a crowd of over 47,000 have filled Celtic Park to watch the Bhoys in the first leg of the First Round of the European Cup. Celtic are…
This feature is part of the Academy Way Inter Milan is an Italian institution. Although they may be faltering somewhat in the current Serie A landscape as Juventus and Napoli soar, they remain…
BEFORE THE PAGEANTRY and red carpet of the FIFA Ballon d’Or much of the pre-award discussion centred around the verity of Manuel Neuer or any German winning the award. Germany won their fourth…
This feature is part of A Tale of One City Italian football is missing something. Throughout the storied lifetime of Serie A, there have been many of the greatest players to grace the…