For as long as football has existed, clubs have formed around professions, careers, and ideals. Churches, armies, factories, and schools have all provided the core of the original waves of club football, providing most of the talent along the way. Yet another profession interlocked with the beautiful game from its early days is that of…

For anyone who followed Italian football in the 1990s, Parma evokes feelings of nostalgia due to its ability to defy the odds and compete against the elite in Italy despite being a provincial club. Bankrolled by dairy company Parmalat, the Emiliani were able to acquire world-class players like Gianfranco Zola, Fabio Cannavaro, Hernán Crespo, and…

When Aziz Yıldırım announced he would run for re-election as the club chairman, a cloud of despair and exasperation engulfed the worldwide Fenerbahçe fanbase. Yıldırım had been running the club for over 20 years, and despite a period of success during the mid-2000s, he had who had been running the club for 20 years decided that he would run…

Villarreal had plenty to be proud of last season, as the club’s hierarchy recognised an early problem and resolved it quickly. Manager Fran Escribá had to cope with a multitude of injuries early on, and poor results piled up. Things hit rock-bottom with a 4-0 loss against Getafe in September, and Escribá was sacked. Reserves…

When a club rises from the second tier and enters La Liga, consolidating their place in the first division can be a difficult challenge. Like many leagues throughout Europe, it is not surprising or uncommon to see newly-promoted sides struggle to survive in the Spanish top flight. Huesca and Rayo Vallecano are at the bottom…

Widely considered one of the nicest men in an often heartless profession, Gurban Gurbanov, a man who once enchanted fans as an elegant maestro with Neftchi Baku, Dynamo Stavropol and Fakel Voronezh, among others, now faces a colossal task of rebuilding the Azerbaijan national team. Having managed the top dog in Azerbaijan’s domestic league–Qarabağ–since 2008,…

Dominica proved to be a good sparring partner in Canada’s second Nations League match. Our guest writer, Rocco Fasano, was there for Breaking The Lines. Canada hosted its first ever Nations League match in Toronto’s BMO Field. Dominica, a tiny island nation, with vivid memories from their last visit to Toronto when they suffered a…