-
The Making Of An Iconic Football Kit – Inside The Game
A club’s football kit is often the most prized possession of a football fan who can wear the same outfit of their beloved team and their favourite player while willing their charges on from inside the ground or from afar. Wearing your team’s shirt is a conversation starter on the train, a reason for curious…
-
Exclusive Interview with Bernard Blaquart
On August 16, 1957, Bernard Blaquart was born in Roumazières-Loubert, a small town in southwestern France that sits two hours north of Bordeaux by car. Growing up in a family of eight siblings, Blaquart would join Girondins de Bordeaux’s academy as a teenager, where he would spend the next five years, save a sole loan…
-
Ghana, the Philippines and the Far East: Experiences of an Unknown English Coach Abroad
Swedish side Östersunds FK’s rise to stardom made headlines all across the planet. The 2010 season had seen the depleted club relegated to the fourth tier of Swedish football. The side, hailing from the subarctic city of the same name, sat in turmoil; crowds of a few hundred were the only ones present to see…
-
Risk, Reward and International Competition: An Interview with Juventus Academy Silicon Valley General Manager Anders Perez
Anders Perez is the General Manager of Juventus Academy Silicon Valley. The club has an incredible tale, formed by immigrants in the height of the Baby Boom and is now formally affiliated with one of the world’s true footballing superpowers. Robert Pratley spoke to Anders about this remarkable relationship and the future of youth…
-
Progression, Principles and Player Development: An Interview with FC Helsingør Co-Owner Jordan Gardner
Although Denmark might not be the first name that comes to mind when discussing international football, it’s worth remembering they are ex-European Championship winners and the Danish Superliga is increasingly yielding teams such as Midtjylland and FC Copenhagen that are starting to make a splash in UEFA Competitions on a more regular basis. However,…
-
The Art of the Throw-In – An Interview with ‘The Throw-in Coach’ Thomas Grønnemark
Although throwing the ball back into play should be one of the simplest components of football, it is an endless source of frustration for fans when possession is cheaply ceded. Although not everyone treats the throw-in with the level of attention it deserves, Thomas Grønnemark is on a mission to change this attitude. Described…
-
Gian Luca Mignogna: Lazio and the 1915 Scudetto
Società Sportiva Lazio Società Sportiva Lazio, simply referred to as S.S. Lazio, was founded on the 9th of January in 1900. Since then, the club has secured a total of 16 major trophies, including two league titles. The Italian club’s first Scudetto came following the 1973/74 season under manager Tommaso Maestrelli. The Biancocelesti…
-
Exclusive Interview with FC Dallas Academy VP Chris Hayden
Breaking The Lines’s Abhishek Mishra interviews Vice President of FC Dallas Youth Chris Hayden. Q: How does FC Dallas create a culture to prioritize player development vs game results in the younger age groups? A: We have more than 250 teams in Dallas (both boys and girls) beginning with players at 6 years…
-
Herdman: “We want it as badly as the United States”
We caught up with Canada men’s national team coach John Herdman at BMO Field, who spoke about his team’s progress ahead of the upcoming match against the United States. Attacking midfielder Ballou Tabla has been going through some ‘growing pains’ after his move to Barcelona B, and his recent loan to Montreal Impact. Herdman will…
-
Exclusive Interview: USWNT lawyer Jeffrey Kessler chats to BTL on the fight to close the gender pay gap
In the last few years, more and more cases around women within the sporting world facing discrimination have come to light. From the persistent negative media surrounding Serena Williams and Castor Semenya, to the US Women’s national hockey team having to battle away for equal pay as recent as 2017, the pattern emerging is a…