“I think it would be the best for Barcelona if Eto’o does leave. His sale is my decision. I think it’s time to change.” Though Pep Guardiola had held his position as…
Tag: la liga
A little over a year ago, Enis Bardhi was a name on nobody’s lips. The group stage of the Under-21 European Championship had just drawn to a close and, as expected, Macedonia…
Nuances and small details that paint a bigger picture can be lost amidst the intensity and emotion of derby day. For every full-blooded challenge, contested refereeing call and off-field incident, the result…
Few managerial stints have been as engrossing as José Mourinho three years at Real Madrid, a period that displayed all the complexities of his psyche
Illustration by Sachin Sing. View more on Instagram and Behance. A fleet of Lamborghinis and Porches line up on a tarmac alongside a grounded private jet. Cut from a scene out of…
In preparation for the 2012/13 Premier League season, Swansea City’s kit manufacturers Adidas opted to make a slight deviation from the club’s most traditional colour combination, choosing to partner their invariant white…
The namesake of the beach where its first stadium was built, Levante UD is a Spanish football club from the Mediterranean city of Valencia, with over 103 years of history. Although the club…
Much has been written about the Dutch foundations upon which the modern Barcelona has been built. The presence of the great Johan Cruyff remains palpable around the Camp Nou and La Masia.…
“You’re too young to be playing that much football and moving from home – focus on your studies.” Ricardo Aimar wasn’t in any mood to allow his son’s life to be caught…
In any field of culture or entertainment, whether it be sport or the arts, greatness is often defined by longevity. It’s thought to be hard to reach the pinnacle of any discipline,…
“Dad, your record’s gone.” Roy Makaay couldn’t believe it. For four years, his opportunistic strike against Real Madrid had been the quickest goal in Champions League history. Now, a text from his…
This feature is a part of Football In Common, a series which explores the stories belonging not to those who play out their lives between the white lines but those who watch…
Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have set a precedent, whereby clubs bankrolled by wealthy individuals and corporations can enjoy instant success and eventually maintain their meteoric rise. The trio of heavyweights…
As featured on Guardian Sport Spanish football at the turn of the millennium is nostalgically looked upon in some quarters as the real heydey of the domestic scene in the country. It was…
This feature is the second in a three-part series looking at why English football struggles to produce and develop creative midfielders, how it can learn from Spanish football’s success over the…
The English media, fans of the Three Lions, and Premier League aficionados were aghast when Pep Guardiola arrived in England in 2016 to take over at Manchester City, almost instantaneously declaring then…
HAVE YOU HEARD the story of Sir Michael Caine and the Brazilian footballer? Understandably, it sounds ludicrous. Can you really picture Neymar hanging out with Alfred or Dani Alves dancing with Harry…
Oriol Tort was on the sidelines again. He was always there. Every weekend, without fail, without stopping to rest. He was not seen, just another old man amongst the spectators, but he…