Articles
-
![]()
South America’s Young Prospects: The Best of ‘The Rest’
Year after year, South America produces some of the most talented young players in world football. When you look at all the best teams there’s always a South American player of some nation. With so much attention always being on the two biggest nations in South America (Argentina & Brazil), people often overlook how many great…
-
![]()
The Unforeseen Rise of Underrated Teams: 2023 Football Analysis
The thrilling world of football continues to hold us captive with its unexpected twists and turns. The year 2023 has already proven to be no exception. While heavyweights from every league around the globe continue to showcase their dominance, a new trend has emerged: the rise of underrated teams. But before we delve into…
-
![]()
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…
