In late January 2020, following the defeat against SC Braga, Sérgio Conceição made his position untenable. Despite having guided FC Porto to the league title in his first season in charge (2017-18) – with a record 88 points and 119 goals scored, the 45-year-old still wasn’t satisfied with the status quo.   Six months after…

On March 28, 2012, Irene Gonçalves announced her decision to retire from professional football. It was a decision that was precipitated by her retirement from international football a year prior, due to a lack of payment from officials of the Angolan Football Federation during the qualifying rounds of the Pan-American Games. But despite hanging up…

As a diehard football fan, I remember back at the beginning of May, in my football-deprived state, placing each and every Bundesliga match post-restart in my calendar, my days at mercy of the German officials overseeing scheduling times.   Quarantine and COVID-19 had taken a toll, and I had been unable to conjure any effective…

European football is back, and we couldn’t be more excited. Sure, it’s not the same as before. The fake fan noise in the stadiums is a bit irritating, especially when the celebration noises come a full three minutes after a goal has been scored, and the element of watching matches in a packed pub full…

Racism is a scary concept – it’s uncomfortable to talk about and requires incredible sensitivity – but we do need to talk about it.    We expect racism to be the product of racists, people who openly discriminate against and vilify individuals of a different race. We expect them to be nationalists, we expect them…

When France Football revealed their list of the most influential people in football this week, two names stood out amongst the rest, drawing attention in social media. One was journalist Jonathan Wilson (ranked 41st), whose unexpected entry was a minor talking point, mainly by journalists and his fellow colleagues, who celebrated it with light-hearted jokes.…

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…

 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…

My name is Charlie and I am primary school teacher and a grassroots football coach. I am a FA level 2 coach and have worked in a variety of clubs and set ups. As a teacher, I would like to think that I have natural keenness to want to help others progress. When my semi-pro/amateur…

As the nation gets used to life under lockdown, many are rightfully pining for the return of football. When the virus does pass, however, it is worth remembering that there are severe problems rife within the footballing pyramid, many of which can be connected to the pursuit to its very top.     Before the Coronavirus…