It goes without saying that Felipe Caicedo has ultimately impressed (and taken many by surprise) since joining Lazio. Under Simone Inzaghi’s guidance, the 31-year-old striker has thrived (after a tough first season), becoming somewhat of a ‘reliable super-substitute’ off the bench for the Biancocelesti.   For this, Laziali should always be thankful. However, as the…

For a group of football fans concerned with the ethical implications of our sport, the failed Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle United has come as a small victory. For others, most notably diehard Newcastle fans, the news of withdrawal has crushed their hopes for a revitalized team injected with the cash reserves of Saudi Arabia’s Public…

Valencia Club de Fútbol is one of those clubs that instantly pulls a smile out of people who saw their peak years. A truly historic club, many still fondly remember the Héctor Cúper-led team that shocked Europe by reaching two straight Champions League finals in its most complicated format ever; a run that saw memorable…

How do you define success in football? Not every team is going to win it all at the start of a new era; nor is every team willing to wait years despite positive signs, so where is the line drawn?   Jürgen Klopp, the most loved man on one side of Liverpool, took four years…

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.…