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Marko Pjaca’s Career Derailed by Second ACL Injury
For a small nation, Croatia has historically been an incredible breeding ground for footballers, and that tradition has been incredibly maintained since the country earned independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Despite containing a population of approximately 4 million, its football team remarkably reached the 2018 World Cup Final, only to be defeated 4-2 by France…
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From Overweight to Overachieving: Luis Muriel
“If he wants to talk with me, he should lose 5 pounds. I repeat, he does not speak with me until he has a physique of an athlete, he must work hard.” Those were the harsh words of Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin in an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport in July 2012…
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Ramos’ Folly and Tadić’s Triumph
After the final scene in Alfonso Cuáron’s 2000 film “Amores Perros,” the screen fades to black, and a dedication in white text appears: “A Luciano, porque también somos lo que hemos perdido.” This translates as “To Luciano, because we are also what we have lost.” In “Amores Perros,” each character is defined by what…
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Reece James: Chelsea’s Long-Term Answer to César Azpilicueta?
Wigan Athletic are having a poor season in the Championship, hovering just 3 points above the drop zone. The Greater Manchester outfit have struggled to pick up points and have been dragged into a relegation scrap, but despite these adverse conditions, Reece James, a 19-year-old Chelsea loanee, has flourished at the DW Stadium. James has…
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The Young Spine of Bayern Münich
Amid a disastrous start to the Rückrunde from Borussia Dortmund, as well as an impressive return to top form from Bayern Munich, Niko Kovač’s Bavarians are now tied at the top of the table with Lucien Favre’s BVB, only two goals behind on goal differential. It appears, after an underwhelming Hinrunde, that FC Hollywood are…
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John Obi Mikel: The Control Variable
In chemistry, there is something referred to as the control variable. Essentially, the control variable is what is kept the same throughout the experiment. It is not the primary concern in the experimental outcome and it is said that any change in a control variable in an experiment would invalidate the balance of dependent variables,…
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Ola Aina’s Breakthrough in Torino
Historically speaking, British players rarely left the United Kingdom to play football in a foreign country, and only a few of the ones that did like Welshman John Charles and Englishman Kevin Keegan actually succeeded in mainland Europe. Perhaps it was due to the comforts of home, the strength and prestige of the English First…
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The Top Six Transfer Windows of Summer 2018
Six months following the closure of the summer 2018 transfer window, it’s fair to say we can make some conclusions now. Several transfer windows saw their club spend record amounts on new arrivals, yet fall into the relegation zone and sack their manager. Others saw their team’s new signings flourish, leading to prospective fees that…
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Jamal Lewis and Max Aarons: Norwich’s Homegrown, Heavy-Hitting Fullbacks
Jamie Carragher once claimed that fullbacks are either “failed centre-backs or failed wingers” and to some extent he is correct. Often described as the least glamorous position in football, fullbacks tend to go unnoticed when their team is playing well. Think of Dani Carvajal in Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning XI or Lucas Hernandez in the…
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Gabriel Paulista: Marcelino’s Warrior
Marcelino García Toral, the manager of Valencia CF, has an intriguing habit. He trusts what he knows. Sometimes, it has helped him a great deal. At other times, it has been his undoing, to the point of infuriating the Valencia fanbase. With Gabriel Armando de Abreu, popularly known as Gabriel Paulista, Marcelino has hit both…
