Articles
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Scouting Report: Eberechi Eze
At 21 years old, Eberechi Eze is standing out as one of the most exciting talents in the Championship, but three years ago, his football career looked destined to crash and burn. After being released by Millwall in 2016 and failing to impress in trials with Arsenal, Reading and Fulham, Eze took a part-time job…
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How Three Africans Became the First Fighters in German Football’s War on Racism
“We are ashamed of everyone who screams at us.” This quote was painted across the walls of Eintracht Frankfurt’s stadium in 2014, in homage to their former Ghanaian striker Anthony Yeboah. It was extracted from an “open letter to racism” published 20 years prior by several African footballers who were playing in the…
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Panathinaikos 2003/04: The Toppling of Olympiakos’s Empire
Empires have been a constant through human history, but there eventually comes a time when the empire falls. Whilst the Byzantine Empire, which now encompasses present-day Greece, fell at the hands of the Ottoman Empire in 1453, Greece’s footballing empire Olympiakos was toppled by their bitter rivals Panathinaikos in 2004. Since the Greek football…
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How to Approach Racism? Don’t Ask Football
Racism is a scary concept – it’s uncomfortable to talk about and requires incredible sensitivity – but we do need to talk about it. We expect racism to be the product of racists, people who openly discriminate against and vilify individuals of a different race. We expect them to be nationalists, we expect them…
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Why Timo Werner Is One of the Best Forwards in Europe
Timo Werner joined RB Leipzig in the summer of 2016 from VfB Stuttgart, leaving his boyhood club for €10 million, the biggest transfer fee in Leipzig history at the time. He fit the profile of Red Bull’s squad perfectly, boasting great athletic qualities paired with a dynamic skill set. All in all, it was a match…
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Tactical Analysis: Cologne vs. RB Leipzig
To wrap up Matchday 29 in the Bundesliga, Champions League hopefuls RB Leipzig visited Cologne at an empty RheinEnergieStadion. The hosts were looking to pick up their first win in the league since the restart, whilst Leipzig were aiming to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to 10 games. The pressure was firmly on…
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Borussia Mönchengladbach: A Course in How to Maximize Expected Goals
Borussia Mönchengladbach have enjoyed a thoroughly productive season in the Bundesliga, surpassing all expectations that supporters had when Marco Rose took over as manager last summer. After defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 in December, Die Fohlen topped the Bundesliga, albeit temporarily. Since then, performances have generally been consistent, and Gladbach have been strong challengers for the…
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How André Villas-Boas Put Marseille on the Right Path
When Marseille appointed André Villas-Boas as their head coach in the summer of 2019, there weren’t any high expectations surrounding him. In recent years, the French club have flattered to deceive, and this was believed to be another big-name appointment with inadequate results. Once touted as the most exciting young manager in Europe after winning…
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Achraf Dari: Morocco’s Very Own Virgil Van Dijk
Achraf Dari was born on May 6, 1999 in Casablanca, Morocco. Casablanca, located on the west coast of the country, is known for its wonderful scenery and marvelous architecture. However, at the heart of the city, there is a historic, fierce and intense rivalry between two of Africa’s most successful clubs Wydad Athletic Club (Wydad)…
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Analyzing How Neymar Would Fit in Quique Setién’s Barcelona
Nearly three years after joining Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee, Neymar remains an enigma for Barcelona. The Brazilian has leveed several lawsuits against the Catalan club due to unpaid wages, and yet Barça can’t seem to get their minds off him. Whether Barcelona could actually afford to sign him is one question —…
