Articles
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Kalidou Koulibaly: Playing in a League That Turns a Blind Eye to Racism
Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the world’s elite centre-backs. The 27-year old is a brick wall in Napoli’s backline and has attracted attention from some of the world’s biggest clubs aiming to acquire his signature. He’s a world-class defender, but above all, he’s a human, a human who deserves respect like everyone else. Such common…
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Championship: Team of the Mid-Season
As we pass the halfway point in this enthralling Championship campaign, it’s time to take a look at the standout players in the division thus far. Due to the increasing levels of quality in the league this season, it was incredibly hard to narrow down the vast list of quality players to just 11, but…
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The Necessary Building Blocks for Solskjaer’s Transitional Period
Everything pertaining to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment as Manchester United’s interim manager catches the eye. The fact that, out of all of Sir Alex Ferguson’s pupils, Ole was the chosen one. The fact that Ole that Manchester United scored five goals for the first time since Ferguson’s last match in charge, and the fact that…
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Stefano Sorrentino: Chievo’s Unheralded Old-Timer
In Italy, there has always been a large talent pool of goalkeepers. Italian football has rarely experienced a shortage of entertaining shot-stoppers, as most of the Azzurri’s World Cup triumphs have included inspirational goalkeeping performances. The likes of Gianpiero Combi, Dino Zoff, Walter Zenga, Gianluca Pagliuca, Francesco Toldo and Gianluigi Buffon are only a small…
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Analyzing Marcel Keizer’s Sporting
Over the course of this century, Portugal’s three giants have dwindled to two, as Benfica and Porto have combined to form a duopoly. Sporting, on the other hand, have failed to win a league title since 2002. They’ve come close many times, but they’ve never managed to hoist the elusive trophy since Mário Jardel fired them…
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Why Emery and Özil Need to Work It Out
When Mesut Özil was dropped for an away match against Bournemouth, Unai Emery was quoted as saying the match was “too demanding” for the mercurial playmaker. Even back then, many fans figured Özil was just being rested for the all-important home match against bitter rivals Tottenham. However, the German was dropped for that match as…
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Giuseppe Iachini: The Emergency Defensive Coach Who Isn’t A Defensive Coach
Hard work and effectiveness have often defined Giuseppe “Beppe” Iachini throughout his career as a player, and those descriptions seem befitting of the teams that he has coached so far. Coming from the youth ranks at Ascoli from the Marche region in central Italy, the defensive midfielder made his senior debut in the 1981/82 Serie…
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Paul Pogba and Mesut Özil: Victims of a Weak Link Sport
Paul Pogba and Mesut Özil are often held accountable for the struggles of their teams, and it showcases the difficulties we have evaluating individuals in team sports. I’ve been thinking about the situation of Paul Pogba quite a bit recently. He’s been bearing the brunt of criticism in recent weeks for Manchester United’s mediocre results…
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Axel Witsel: Zenith
Liège, Lisbon, St. Petersburg, Tianjin, Dortmund. A peculiar journey that invoked scrutiny and raised eyebrows, yet one that quietly shaped the emergence of one of Europe’s finest midfielders today. Now 29 years of age, Liège-born Axel Witsel calls Dortmund, a city that breathes, speaks, and pulsates with the beautiful game, home. The Belgian, amid interest…
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The Life and Trials of Luka Jović
The top scorer in the Bundesliga. The 2nd-leading scorer in the Europa League. The youngest ever player to score five goals in a single Bundesliga game. 20-year-old Luka Jović is an integral part of a Eintracht Frankfurt team who haven’t taken their foot off the gas pedal since last season’s unforgettable campaign. Despite losing four…
