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Allegations, Autocrats and the ACL: FC Istiklol & Tajikistan’s Footballing Powerhouse
On Friday, April 30, 2021, FC Istiklol became the first-ever Tajik club to reach the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League. This capped off a dream debut in the competition for the Dushanbe-based side on a night of confusing and conflicting emotions; Istiklol were beaten on the night by Uzbekistan’s AGMK in a frustrating…
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Asante Kotoko and Veo Technologies: Bringing Analytics to the Ghanaian Game
In the last couple of years, Ghanaian football has endured a challenging rebuilding process. Local football structures are being closely examined and changes are being made in order to ensure a more robust footballing ecosystem for the future. Although a majority of the restructure has occurred at the national federation level, there have been quite…
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For Every Samuel Eto’o, There Are Hundreds Who Are Left Abandoned: Player Trafficking in Football
There are millions of young boys and girls all over the world who dream of becoming professional footballers. They want to play the sport they love, and they want to earn the wages that being a footballer brings so they can provide for their families. Some people see those dreams as a money-making opportunity.…
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Génération Foot: Senegal’s Footballing Factory
“Personally, I didn’t think he’d make it with us because he was too shy. It was as if he didn’t want to play”, recalled scout, Abdou Diatta to The Straits Times, when Sadio Mané’s showed up at Génération Foot with battered boots and shorts unsuitable for football. But after just 15 minutes of watching the…
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FC Barcelona’s Presidential Elections: How the Blaugrana Reached the Current Crisis and Who the Candidates Are
FC Barcelona is one of the premier clubs in Spanish and European football. With 5 UEFA Champions League trophies; 26 La Liga trophies and 30 Copa del Rey triumphs in its history, it’s clear to see that the Catalan club have earned the right to be considered one of the biggest clubs in the world.…
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Wrexham A.F.C. in the 21st Century and the Path To Its Acquisition by Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney: Part 2
This article is Part 2 of a series about Wrexham Association Football Club; you can read the first part of this series here. The Approach Preliminary discussions regarding the sale of the club began in May 2020. By this time, the club had been owned and run by The Wrexham Supporters Trust for…
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Wrexham AFC in the 21st Century and the Path to Its Acquisition by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney: Part 1
This article is Part 1 of a series about Wrexham Association Football Club; you can read the second part of this series here. Wrexham Association Football Club was formed in October 1864. This makes the football club the oldest in Wales; and the third oldest professional club in the World (after Notts County and…
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How Brexit Will Change Business in the English Football League
Last Saturday, Emiliano Buendía scored a delightful goal to put Norwich City 1-0 up against Barnsley, the Argentine made a smart run to get on the end of a pin-point pass, and his deft touch helped guide the ball into the net. Teemu Pukki also starred in that hard-earned victory; the Finnish forward has been…
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Oscar: The Brazilian Superstar Who Swapped Chelsea for China
“He isn’t here to just stroll around; he wants to win and I think the fans see that he’s not here just for the money but to make a positive impact,” explains a member of the coaching staff at Shanghai SIPG. For many, when Oscar suddenly swapped the Premier League for the Chinese Super…
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Ligue 1 and the Landscape of Its Broadcasting Income in the Wake of COVID-19
With news of Téléfoot’s imminent shutdown owing to the dispute between parent company Mediapro and the Ligue du Football Professionnel (LFP), this article gives an overview into the intricacies of broadcasting rights in Ligue 1, how these rights ended up in the hands of Mediapro and what comes next following their default in broadcasting fee…