Articles
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Five Bologna Youngsters to Keep an Eye on
As evidenced by their current 10th-place standing, Bologna are traditionally a mid-table Serie A club. In their history they have won the Scudetto six times, although recently they have endured stints in Serie B, only being promoted back to Serie A in 2015 after a series of ownership changes and financial turmoil. In the…
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Hanging on by a Thread: How COVID-19 Threatens the Existence of EFL Clubs
It has been a month and a half since a football was last kicked in the EFL. Whilst the Championship, League One and League Two seasons would usually be reaching a dramatic climax, managers, players and fans alike are instead sat at home, twiddling their thumbs. The government-imposed COVID-19 lockdown has resulted in professional…
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Czechoslovakia’s 1962 World Cup: Part 1: Overcoming the Naysayers
Since its inception in 1930, the FIFA World Cup has been rich with a plethora of Cinderella runs, underdog heroics, and undeterred dominance. From the glory of Italy in the 1930s under Vittorio Pozzo, Uruguay’s triumph at the Maracana in 1950, the brilliance of Brazil in 1970, the tour de force of Diego Maradona…
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Analyzing Thomas Tuchel’s Paris Saint-Germain
Before the COVID-19 outbreak caused Europe’s major leagues to halt their seasons, Paris Saint-Germain led Ligue 1 with a commanding 12-point lead over André Villas-Boas’s Marseille. On April 30th, they would be crowned champions of Ligue 1 for the seventh time in eight seasons. The Parisians being top of the French first tier has become…
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Le Carre Magique: The Story of France’s Golden Midfield Quartet
Magic Squares are square grids within which every row, column and diagonal adds up to the same number. Used by Arabic astrologers to predict horoscopes as far back as the 9th century, the perfect mysticism of this formula has been noted throughout history. Reason and logic may denigrate the astrological routes of this theory,…
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Didier Drogba’s cry for Ivory Coast to lay down its guns
“We want to have fun, so stop firing your guns” – one team’s plea to a nation. African Footballer of the Year on two occasions. Champions League victor and four-time Premier League champion. Didier Drogba’s career has been filled with unforgettable trophies and goals, but his proudest moment came in a tiny changing room in…
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How Feyenoord kickstarted the Dutch dominance in Europe
Feyenoord’s somewhat unexpected triumph in the 1970 edition of the European Cup was a watershed moment for Dutch football in general, and the country’s club football in particular. For the next few years the Dutch dominance continued with an impressive total of five European trophies in as many seasons, and peaked with the Netherlands’ national…
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The Reinvigoration of Les Aiglons
Located on the Mediterranean Sea, next to the Italian border, Nice has always been regarded as one of the hottest tourist destinations in France. But we’re not here to talk about beaches on the French Riviera or tree-lined boulevards. Instead, we’re here to talk about the footballing potential of the most powerful club in…
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Ashley Cole: When Football Got Its Priorities Wrong
It was David Beckham’s birthday last week, and it’s been 13 years since he made the momentous decision to move from Real Madrid to MLS side LA Galaxy. Since then, football in the United States has grown enormously, with teams becoming wealthier, viewing figures increasing and more high-profile players joining. One of those…
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Piracy and Sportswashing: How the Arab Cold War Spilled into Newcastle
The Saudi Public Investment Fund’s prospective takeover of Newcastle United has come under intense scrutiny, with the club, its fans, and Saudi Arabia being accused of taking part in “sportswashing.” Sportswashing is an increasingly popular term that describes a government’s use of sports to improve its reputation and distract people from an otherwise oppressive…
