“When the Premier League started in 1992, it included just one footballer known to be Muslim, Tottenham’s Spanish midfielder Nayim. England’s top division now features 40 Muslim players and they are having a significant effect on the culture of the game.” BBC
“Brazil was obviously joyous at winning the Confederations Cup in such convincing style — but it would only be natural if there were some places where joy was somewhat confined. Those players outside the squad, for example, now face a much harder time getting back in.” ESPN – Tim Vickery (Video)
“With all eyes on Neymar teaming up with Lionel Messi, let’s not forget about the other wing position: right-wing. Pedro and Alexis need to have solid seasons, or else they could be on their way out at FC Barcelona.” Barca Blaugranes
“Turkey’s youth development system is a bit acarpous. Coaches first look for physical characteristics and have no tolerance for incapable players. They do not want to give these players time for improvement. Most coaches don’t know how to teach basic fundamentals. For example, if Thomas Müller was from Turkey, there is no way that he would make it anywhere near the national team. The other problem of youth development of Turkey is uneducated football coaches, who after retiring from football have an opportunity to get licence from Turkish FA with just a little bit of tuition, not enough to educate young players.” Outside of the Boot
“Borussia Dortmund suffered a massive loss when Mario Götze announced his deal with Bayern Munich. They were wounded and now it’s time to heal. It’s a delicate situation. He was the creator, the trickster, the man with the rabbit in the hat. The young German allowed Reus to cut in and play one-twos around corners and into channels; he’d drift out and create gaps for Lewandowski, or even Gündoğan to burst through. He was all four corner pieces to Klopp’s jigsaw. And now he’s gone.” Think Football
Scissors Kick 