-
![]()
Declan Rice: The European Champion on His Way to North London
Arsenal are firmly in the driving seat to secure a mouthwatering £105m deal for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice after Manchester City pulled out of the race for the Englishman. After months of groundwork and input behind the scenes to secure Rice, Mikel Arteta looks like he might just have got his man despite…
-
![]()
Brasileirão Week 11/12: Vasco Finally Victorious, Glorious Grêmio and Botafogo Believing
After a ten-day break, the Brasileirão has returned for a quick-fire pair of matchweeks packed with action, drama and quality. As seasonal storylines unravelled across the country, the champions faced the leaders in an epic top-table clash at Allianz Parque whilst some shock scorelines ensured that there was no shortage of entertainment in the most…
-
![]()
The Teams That Competed in Europe Whilst Playing in Lower Leagues
Teams outside the top flight usually get so little attention that many of their stories go unnoticed and uncelebrated. Many of these stories involve unlikely European adventures, the most well-known amongst them being Wigan’s 2013-14 Europa League campaign. After defeating Manchester City in the final of the 2013 FA Cup, Wigan were relegated three days…
-
![]()
Giorgi Mamardashvili: Valencia’s Georgian Goalkeeper
When he was a kid, he admired and kept a close eye on mythical Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon. As he grew older, it’s Manuel Neuer who became his role model. He marvels at the diligence and professionalism of Cristiano Ronaldo. Although he also admits that he’s not among the Portugese’s die-hard fans, his mentality…
-
![]()
Filipe Relvas: Portimonense’s Prodigious Talent in Defense
Club: Portimonense Nationality: Portugal Position(s): CB, LB, LWB Preferred Foot: Left Height: 6’4”/192cm Age: 23 Strengths: interceptions, defensive understanding, aerial duels, passing range, line-breaking passing, versatility, concentration Development Areas: ball-carrying frequency, weak-foot ability From Bruno Tabata (Sporting) to Beto (Udinese), from Samuel Portugal (Porto) to Fali Candé (Metz), Portimonense has made a number of…
-
![]()
Bradley Barcola: Lyon’s Latest Homegrown Gem
From Rayan Cherki to Castello Lukeba, from Malo Gusto to Maxence Caqueret, we’ve seen quite a few Lyon academy products establish themselves as key figures in the first team recently, and the latest talent to make the step up for Les Gones is 20-year-old winger Bradley Barcola. Born in Villeurbanne to Togolese parents, Barcola joined…
-
![]()
Rodri: The Unsung Hero of City’s Unassailable Dominance
Dani Carvajal’s impudent panenka clinched the UEFA Nations League. It was Spain’s first international title in 11 years and yet another landmark for Rodri. The midfielder completed a gruelling 120 minutes in his last encounter of a record-breaking season before he coolly dispatched his spot-kick to afford La Furia Roja the fateful victory. Alongside this,…
-
![]()
Declan Rice: The European Champion Caught in a Tug-of-war Between Arsenal and Manchester City
From being released by Chelsea’s academy to captaining West Ham on their journey to their first trophy in 50 years (a first off English soil barring the 1966 World Cup, of course), Declan Rice has become of the most coveted commodities on the market. At 24, the Englishman is at a pivotal crossroad as he…
-
![]()
Stade Rennais: A Club on the Rise
League: Ligue 1 Technical Director: Florian Maurice Head of Recruitment: Jérôme Bonnissel Manager: Bruno Génésio Rennes have possibly one of the best academies in world football of recent and are constantly producing top-level talents. They use their academy well as they’re constantly integrating academy graduates to the first team and young recruits too. Historically,…
-
![]()
Dominik Szoboszlai: Leipzig’s Hungarian Sensation
Club: RB Leipzig Nationality: Hungary Position(s): AM, LW, RW, CM Preferred Foot: Right Height: 6’1”/186cm Age: 22 Strengths: ball-striking, first touch, pace, set-pieces, technique Development Areas: defensive output, shot volume At 22 years of age, Dominik Szoboszlai is a monster waiting to be unleashed. He is one of, if not the best ball-strikers in world…
