Tag: uefa

Taking the UEFA Super Cup to the barricades in Georgia

In the early morning hours of 11 August 2015 a group of young men from Abkhazia – a breakaway region in north-western Georgia – crossed the de facto border and drove roughly 250…

A national team born: the rise of Kosovo

One of the great criticisms aimed at football’s governing bodies, in particular UEFA, is the Association’s willingness to expand their number of member teams and lengthen competitions. As part of its growth…

Jeff Wood: the coach bringing Gibraltar in from the cold

Mention football to most people in Gibraltar and you’ll probably be greeted with more mumblings of their continued struggles on the international scene than anything else. Despite being one of the oldest football…

San Marino and the true meaning of football

ARRANGING A TRIP TO SAN MARINO IS QUITE THE CHALLENGE. There is no train station in Europe’s third smallest state, let alone an airport. Large pedestrian-only zones mean that parking spaces are sparse,…

João Havelange: the iron hand in an iron glove

THE BAGS AROUND HIS EYES droop like a weary basset hound. Liver spots creep steadily across his brow and cheeks. Although there are still some wispy strands of silver atop his head,…

Gibraltar: a question of admittance

IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF 1,821 PEOPLE, history was made. At Victoria Stadium, sitting beneath The Rock, behind the airport and next to Winston Churchill Avenue, you’d be excused to think this…