“The big kick-off to a new season is always exhilarating, fuelled by the energy of fans flocking back to their spiritual home after more than three months of absence. The regularity and depth of this contact between fans, stadium and team means that the club game will always be football’s central experience. But maybe a tilt is taking place in the direction of national teams. It could just be that this is World Cup season. Or perhaps because I’m briefly back in England at a moment when there is a mini buzz of expectation around Fabio Capello and his men.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)