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Joel Matip Retires: The Silent Architect of the Klopp Era
“In a world of big transfer fees, to sign a player like Joel Matip on a free transfer is incredible,” said Jurgen Klopp in 2019. “It was maybe one of the best pieces of business we did in the last few years.” As it turned out, just like he was with a lot of things…
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Juan Roman Riquelme: The Last of His Kind
If you were to ask an Argentinian who their greatest ever footballer was, you would expect to hear 2 names – Lionel Messi and Diego Armando Maradona. However, fixed between these two footballing Gods, there is a 3rd, under-appreciated name that would be uttered – Juan Roman Riquelme. Juan Roman Riquelme is an incredibly…
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John Obi Mikel: The Magician Who Became A Warrior
It was 2003. I was just a boy, wide-eyed and full of wonder, watching Nigeria’s U-17 team in the FIFA World Cup. The Golden Eaglets didn’t make it past the group stage that year, undone by the cruel toss of a coin. But in that tournament, amid the disappointment, one player left a mark on…
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Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima and the Riddle of a God Amongst Men
I would never have written this piece; after all, it concerns a god, and with gods, there is nothing truly needing to be told. Their wonders precede them, their acts follow, leaving awe and sometimes a mess in their wake. However, when the gods are slighted by mere mortals, the heavens do not remain silent,…
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Saúl Coco: The Heir to Alessandro Buongiorno’s Throne in Torino’s Defense
After an excellent season at Las Palmas, Saúl Coco has earned a move to Torino for €7.5 million. His first season in a first division was incredible at Las Palmas but can he keep this up in Italy and replace the several departures that position has faced such as Alessandro Buongiorno moving to Napoli. In…
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Manuel Neuer: The Goalkeeper of all Eras
In the continuous cycle that is football, where tactics are a back-and-forth that returns to the point of origin; it legitimizes the present as the appropriate thing and rescues the past as a cause of what will come in the future, the goalkeeper escapes that thin line that fuses both chronologies to make room for…
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Azeem Amir: The Man With No Limits
What do you think when you hear about Rochdale? For some, they think of a small little town outside of Manchester. Others from the southern parts of England may not have even heard of it all. But for Azeem Amir, a third-generation British-Pakistani blind footballer, Rochdale is the representation of his life. It represents where…
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Andrea Cambiaso: The Present and Future of Juventus’ Defense
Club: Juventus Nationality: Italy Position: LB, RB, LM, RM Preferred Foot: Both Height: 5’9”/182cm Age: 24 Strengths: ambipedal, crossing, passing, dribbling, turn radius, athleticism, press resistance, 1v1 defending Areas for Development: defensive positioning At 24 years of age, Andrea Cambiaso has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for Juventus, becoming a key figure under Massimiliano Allegri…
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The Renaissance of Josip Ilicic
‘I’ll drive them there myself’ is a term of disrespect regularly used whenever the transfer window comes around by football fans in England in regards to the rumoured departure of a player who is disliked. A player who has had such little impact on a fanbase that people are willing to give up their time…
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Marco Reus: A Dortmund Boy, A Dortmund Man, A Dortmund Legend
From Jurgen Klopp to Thomas Tuchel, from Lucien Favre to Edin Terzic – Marco Reus has been a mainstay at Dortmund for almost twelve years. 2024 will mark his final season at the club, with both player and club opting to move on at the end of his current contract. Despite his career in North-Rhine-Westphalia…
