Chelsea youngsters and loan moves away; a story as old as time. A forgotten man in many regards, Gaël Kakuta epitomised Chelsea’s extensive loan policy, and for someone who promised so much, his career nosedived before it had really even begun.   Before their recent transfer ban and the appointment of Frank Lampard as manager,…

你好！你好吗？ (Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ hǎo ma?) This is Mandarin Chinese, the most widely spoken language in the world. I hope you are OK. The last time we officially went to North America, but our destiny was the non-contiguous states conforming the American Union and why they were neglected in US professional football.   This week…

Last Sunday, Tigres de Monterrey defeated Palmeiras (1-0) in one of the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals. They made history by becoming the first club from CONCACAF to reach the final match of this tournament. This was a massive frustration for the ‘Verdaõ’, but most of all was a big disappointment for CONMEBOL. Brazilian football…

Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup under the ill-fated tenure of Gian Piero Ventura is something many Italian football fans won’t forget. Yet it was not the first time they felt the bitter pain of missing out on the world’s premier tournament. That came on a wintry day in January 1958.  …

From Paris to Marseille, the biggest cities in France have perennially been the producers of some of the nation’s greatest footballers. Though the cities themselves get the plaudits, it is mostly the socially and economically forgotten suburbs of these cities where the talent can be found.    The suburbs have harnessed the greatest footballing talents…

Whether you have been out of work, lost a family member, or have been forced to put your life on hold due to an unprecedented pandemic, 2020 has been a year to forget for everyone. Amongst all the loneliness, and heartache that has been endured across the past 365 days, the only reassurance for many…

Waqaa! Cangacit? / Aloha! Pehea ‘oe? The first greeting is in Yup’ik, the language most widely spoken in Alaska, while you have just guessed the second one – Hawaiian, the language para excellence from the archipelago of the American Union. I hope you are ready to the next step in our trip around the world.…

Kia ora! Me pēhea koe? / Sew ngapa! Ngi migh? The first half corresponds to a language so hitched on the New Zealand culture – Māori; the latter is la language called Kala Lagaw Ya, spoken by fewer than one thousand people on the Torres Strait islands, between Queensland and Papua-New Guinea. I am so…

Growing up as a football fan in Yorkshire, few things caught my eye outside of the spectacular stratosphere of English football. When I wasn’t watching or dreaming of Hull City’s extraordinary ascent through the Football League, the handful of the week’s hours that remained were set aside for swapping Shoot Out cards at school or…

On February 26, 2017, thousands of passionate football fans in the Lebanese capital of Beirut strode towards the Tyre Stadium. In a country marred by political and religious tensions, football is a huge reprieve to the stressful lives of these football fanatics. However, this game they’re attending is no less of a clash of differing…