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The rise and redemption of Tiémoué Bakayoko at AC Milan
He was a rising star and an integral part of Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco, he conquered Ligue 1 and advanced to the Champions League semi finals. He made his international debut for France in March 2017 to face Luxembourg and Spain, after Paul Pogba was injured in training. He was one of the most sought after…
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Why are British Asians under-represented in football?
The underrepresentation of British Asians remains one of football’s most unfortunate stats. It is a national crisis that has been festering for decades. Yet even with the recent attention towards the overt bigotry that continues to mar our sport, we have neglected our duties to address it. Despite this desperate attempt to sweep all evidence…
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U17 Sudamericano Team of the Tournament
With the 2019 South American U-17 Championship wrapping up last week, Brian Bertie gives his team of the tournament. GK: Massimo Sandi – Peru Massimo Sandi in net was a no brainer. Lukas Gonzalez from Uruguay is an honourable mention, but Sandi was the reason Peru were able to stay alive for so long after a…
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Peter Ndlovu – The first African player in the Premier League
Since launching 27 years ago, the Premier League has been home to a number of world class players from all around the world. Several players from Africa, such as George Weah, Didier Drogba, and Yaya Touré, have graced the pinnacle of English football, yet the first African player to play in the newly formed top…
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Tommy Smith, Luis Suárez, and football’s moral dilemma
In a pivotal match for the title race, Liverpool defeated Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday. While Sadio Mané opened the scoring, Mohamed Salah sealed the victory with a screamer of a goal. The goal, in many ways, was poetic justice: just days before, Chelsea fans referred to Salah as a “bomber.” The club immediately…
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Andrew Watson – The lost legacy of the pioneer for black footballers
In the light of the recent racism storms involving Moise Kean and Raheem Sterling, the origin of black footballers inevitably seems like a familiar tale of breaking race barriers by facing racial slurs of unmentionable evil and overcoming professional prejudices. However, a complete absence of such experiences in recorded history makes the life and times…
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Analyzing João Félix’s performance against Eintracht Frankfurt
Predicting the success of a teenager is not easy. There are several factors to keep in mind, and it’s more than just evaluating talent and individual quality. From the opportunities given to the way a young footballer adapts to the professional level, there are so many dependent variables that determine a player’s success. For the past six…
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Jordan Pickford’s World Cup hangover
On July 3, 2018, at around 10 p.m, the whole of England went crazy; the Three Lions finally won a penalty shootout in a World Cup. Yes, Eric Dier scored the winning penalty, but it was a skinhead from Sunderland who was the real hero: Jordan Pickford. His penalty save and passionate celebrations propelled him…
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Tactical Analysis: Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund
Last weekend’s Der Klassiker was billed as a battle between an emerging force and an aging power, with Lucien Favre’s youthful BVB taking on Niko Kovač’s rejuvenated Bayern in a top-of-the-table clash that had serious ramifications for the Bundesliga championship. Coming into the match, the Black-and-Yellows held a two-point lead over the reigning champions, and…
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The line between funny and cringe on social media–and how clubs overstep their boundaries
The era of social media has seen the influence of football clubs take precedence over real-world incidents. But with more and more clubs wanting to expand and promote themselves in the online world, its influence has been mismanaged. Rather than using social media to align fans and players in one place, clubs have used it…
