Monthly Archives: December 2023

Athletic Bilbao’s Basque-only ‘philosophy’ – and why some are calling for change

Athletic players celebrate their win over Atletico Madrid on December 16
“For much of their 125-year history, Athletic Bilbao have been recognised for their unique player policy. Known as a philosophy by those connected to the club, it dictates that Athletic only use players who have been born or brought up in what is defined as the Basque Country, a region of northern Spain and across the border in France of three million inhabitants that shares linguistic, historical and cultural ties. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Burnley 0 Liverpool 2: Can Nunez fill Salah void? And why was Jota return so crucial?

“Liverpool are back at the top of the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s side made the most of playing before Arsenal and Aston Villa in this round of fixtures, beating hosts Burnley 2-0 in a curious game which showcased their best and worst characteristics. Liverpool were far superior for long spells at Turf Moor but only led through Darwin Nunez’s sixth-minute goal for the vast majority of the evening, courtesy of a combination of poor finishing and some controversial refereeing decisions. Diogo Jota, back after injury, finally made certain of the points and ensured a two-point cushion over Arsenal, who play West Ham on Thursday. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: A Liverpool matchday in The Albert – the pub next door to the Kop

Barcelona review of the year: La Liga triumph – but problems are mounting

“This has been a strange year for Barcelona. They started by winning the Supercopa de Espana in January with a scintillating display against rivals Real Madrid. One month later, the Negreira case emerged — and we are certainly far from the end of that. Xavi’s side were crowned La Liga champions in May, but defeat by Madrid in the Copa del Rey and Manchester Unitedin the Europa League saw them fall short on other fronts. …”
The Athletic

First World War Christmas truce: How much football was actually played?

“It’s one of the best-known stories about the First World War: the Christmas truce of 1914, when soldiers from both sides spontaneously laid down their guns and, for a few hours at least, acted as if they weren’t trying to wipe each other out in a cruelly pointless war. Part of the story was the football match that broke out in No Man’s land. The image of the two sides uniting, in a manner of speaking, over the common language of sport became incredibly evocative, a slice of normality amidst the horror. …”
The Athletic

Coventry City 2–2 Bristol City (1977)

“On 19 May 1977, the English association football clubs Coventry City and Bristol City contested a match in the Football League First Division at Highfield Road, Coventry. It was the final game of the 1976–77 Football League season for both clubs, and both faced potential relegation to the Second Division. A third club, Sunderland, were also in danger of relegation and were playing their final game at the same time, against Everton at Goodison Park. As a result of many Bristol City supporters being delayed in traffic as they travelled to the game, the kick-off in the Coventry–Bristol City game was delayed by five minutes, to avoid crowd congestion. … Sunderland made a complaint about the incident, and the Football League conducted an investigation, but both Coventry and Bristol City were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. …”
YouTube: COVENTRY CITY 2 BRISTOL CITY 2 MAY 1977

Through the Looking Glass of Big Data: SSC Napoli 2015/16 and the Vindication of Maurizio Sarri: Part One

“Before Luciano Spalletti’s new-look Napoli led by Kvicha ‘Kvaradona’ Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen conquered the Serie A in 2022/23 for the first time since a certain Argentinian had led them to the Scudetto over 30 years prior, it was the unassuming rise of Maurizio Sarri seven years prior that had seemingly marked the start of a new era in the history of the club. Sarri’s appointment to the top job in July 2015 at Napoli had come as a surprise to many in the Neapolitan media as he beat out the more-vaunted likes of Cesare Prandelli and Luciano Spalletti himself to replace Rafa Benitez, freshly departed for Real Madrid. ‘We won’t have a winning Napoli with him,’ the typically outspoken Diego Armando Maradona told the press at the start of the season. …”
Breaking the Lines
Breaking the Lines – Part II: A First Campione D’Invierno (Or, Tuscan Men Love to Curse)
Breaking the Lines – Through the Looking Glass of Big Data: SSC Napoli 2015/16 and the Vindication of Maurizio Sarri: Part Three

The top 5 surprises of the 2023/24 season so far, featuring Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen and Serhou Guirassy

“There was plenty of interest over the summer in how much momentum Xabi Alonso‘s Bayer Leverkusen could take from their great end to the previous campaign. A 14-match unbeaten run in the spring had seen them into the UEFA Europa League semi-finals and carried them up to sixth in the Bundesliga. Few could have possibly foreseen that everything would click into place so seamlessly for Die Werkself to rise to the top of the table and stay there with the swagger of real league leaders – putting together another astonishing unbeaten run stretching to 25 matches in all competitions (and counting) this autumn. …”
Bundesliga (Video)

Tear gas, cages and midnight lock-ins: The reality of being an away fan in Europe

“Penned in cages. Tear-gassed by police. Forced to queue for hours by heavy-handed stewards. Locked in stadiums until midnight and enduring transport chaos. This has been the reality of life for travelling supporters in European competition this season, with seemingly every fanbase having a horror story at their treatment by host clubs or local security forces. When set against a general backdrop of disorder across the continent — from fatal stabbings in France to games being played behind closed doors in Greece or called off altogether in Turkey — it appears that life for away fans in Europe is grimmer than ever. So, what is the reality? In the last week, The Athletic attended three games in two countries — Napoli vs Braga and Atletico Madrid vs Lazio in the Champions League, and Real Betis vs Rangers in the Europa League. This is what we discovered. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd: 34 shots for Klopp’s team, Varane impresses, Onana passing key

“Liverpool were frustrated against Manchester United as they dropped two points at Anfield in a 0-0 draw. The home side dominated possession and had more chances but the visitors, arriving on the back of their midweek Champions League exit, showed resilience. Liverpool’s 34 shots are the most in a Premier League game by a team that failed to score since Manchester United’s 38 against Burnley in October 2016 and the fifth most in the competition’s history (since 2003-04 when Opta have the data). …”
The Athletic
Guardian – Erik ten Hag: from Ming the Merciless to circling the Old Trafford plughole – Jonathan Wilson
Guardian – United stoop to trench-digging for pragmatic draw at Liverpool

World Cup 2022 migrant worker diaries, one year on: Death, regret, joy and trying to return

“One year ago tomorrow, a bisht-wearing Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup trophy into the Qatari night. That moment would not have happened without migrant labour. Foreign workers, making up more than 90 per cent of Qatar’s population, built eight stadiums, miles of roadway and dozens of accommodation blocks. The deaths of thousands of these workers remain unexplained. During the tournament, FIFA and Qatari organisers have pushed back against discussion of migrant worker rights, insisting that it was time to focus on football. Over that month, with the help of human rights researchers Equidem, The Athletic published four instalments of diaries written by migrant workers. …”
The Athletic

The story of Saddam Hussein’s psychopath son Tifo Football

“Uday Hussein was a sexual sadist, drug addict and psychopath – but he was also the man in charge of Iraqi sport, especially Iraqi football, which he ran using torture, theft, extortion and murder. This is his story, his lengths to control Iraqi football, and how he was brought down. Written by James Montague. Illustrated by Philippe Fenner.”
YouTube

France struggles to find right balance as violence at matches escalates

Marseille’s supporters light flares at the Stade Vélodrome.
“When Fabio Grosso’s bloodied face was plastered across the front page of L’Équipe on 30 October – ‘Disgust and shame,’ the headline read – there was already a prevailing sense that the spate of violent incidents in French football was plumbing new depths. Lyon’s Italian coach was injured as the team bus was pelted on its arrival at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille for a high-stakes Olympico showdown. To make matters worse, Nazi salutes and racist chanting were seen and heard from a small minority of the Lyon fans who were already inside the stadium. The match was postponed and played without away fans more than a month later. …”
Guardian

Liam Henderson: the Scottish footballer who built his career in Italy

“… Liam Henderson has been living in sunny Italy for almost six years now but he still seems amazed by the endless summer. Last August, as the transfer window was about to close, he left Serie A side Empoli on loan for Palermo in the second tier, heading down to Sicily. It wasn’t a career setback though. Palermo is 80% owned by the City Group and they have assembled a highly competitive, ambitious squad with the goal of promotion. Henderson is a key piece of the puzzle. …”
Guardian

Spain: 2023-24 La Liga – Location-map, with 3 charts

“… The map page shows a location-map for the 20 clubs in the 2023-24 La Liga, with recently-promoted and -relegated teams noted. (Promoted in 2023: Granada, Las Palmas, and Alavés; relegated in 2023: Valladolid, Espanyol, Elche.) The map also shows the 17 Autonomous Communities of Spain, and the 20 largest Spanish metropolitan areas. Those 20 largest Spanish metro-areas, with their 2018 population estimates, are listed at the top-centre of the map-page. …”
billsportsmaps
W – La Liga

Turkish referee punched: League suspended after Ankaragucu club president hits official

“Turkish football has been suspended by league bosses after the referee in a top-flight match was hospitalised after being punched to the ground by a club president at the end of the game. Faruk Koca, president of Super Lig side MKE Ankaragucu, raced onto the field and hit referee Halil Umut Meler after a draw against Caykur Rizespor. Meler was left hospitalised after being knocked to the floor by Koca, whose team had conceded a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw. …”
The Athletic
NY Times: A Referee Is Punched in the Face, and Turkish Soccer Feels the Blow

How often do Premier League champions score last-minute winners? Less than you might think

“Trent Alexander-Arnold smashing home a late winner against Fulham in front of the Kop. Declan Rice clambering above a defender to nod in against Luton Town. Or Rice, for that matter, striking late against Manchester United back in September. We see these goals and we think of Steve Bruce’s header against Sheffield Wednesday in 1993 or Federico Macheda’s curler against Aston Villa in 2009. We’re conditioned to think that late goals are a regular feature of title-winning champions. But is that really the case, or do we simply remember a few standout examples and exaggerate how frequently champions rely on late winners? Let’s look at the numbers… ”
The Athletic (Video)

Barcelona’s Champions League loss means more damage for Xavi – not just for the result

“Barcelona’s Champions League defeat by Antwerp did not stop them from progressing to the knockout round as group winners, but it can certainly affect Xavi’s position as manager. On Wednesday night in Belgium, Barca went 1-0 down after just 76 seconds to a goal scored by 18-year-old Arthur Vermeeren, the quickest strike the Spanish side have conceded in 12 years in the Champions League. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool: Determined table toppers, penalty delays and Alisson’s return

“Substitute Harvey Elliott was the hero as Liverpool came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park. The 20-year-old hadn’t scored since January’s FA Cup tie against Brighton but he put that right with a brilliant stoppage-time winner. Jean-Philippe Mateta had fired Palace ahead from the penalty spot on a day when Jurgen Klopp’s side were far from their best, but after Jordan Ayew’s red card the visitors stepped up a gear late on. Mohamed Salah equalised before Elliott delivered the killer blow to spark wild celebrations. …”
The Athletic
The Numbers Behind Mohamed Salah’s 200 Liverpool Goals
YouTube: Mo Salah’s 200th Goal & Late Elliott Winner! Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool

Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth: Ten Hag’s toothless side outfought and outpressed – The Briefing

“Manchester United suffered a humbling defeat at home to Bournemouth, losing for the sixth time at Old Trafford this season. Erik ten Hag’s side, who began with Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund on the bench, were toothless, struggled against the press and conceded sloppy goals as they lost 3-0. In winning, Bournemouth became the last of the current 20 Premier League teams to claim a win away at United in their history. …”
The Athletic
Guardian: Manchester United stunned 3-0 as Bournemouth break Old Trafford duck
YouTube: INCREDIBLE win at Old Trafford | Manchester United 0-3 AFC Bournemouth

What happened to Andres Iniesta after Barcelona?

“When Andres Iniesta announced he was leaving Barcelona in 2018 many thought he would announce his retirement from the game. But no, now approaching his 40th birthday he is still playing professional football. But where? What happened to Iniesta after Barcelona? Written by Seb Stafford-Bloor. Illustrated by Alice Devine.”
YouTube

The biggest punishment in Premier League history

“Everton have been given the heaviest points deduction in Premier League history. It is a ruling which puts them at serious risk of relegation and it’s a judgement they also intend to appeal. How did they get here? What have they done wrong? Why are they going to appeal? Explained by Patrick Boyland and Matt Slater.”
YouTube

Euro 2024 draw analysis: Spain, Italy, Croatia in toughest group, England happy, France v Netherlands

“A virtual ‘group of death’ for Spain, Italy and Croatia, a kind draw for England and a juicy meeting between France and the Netherlands were some of the highlights of the Euro 2024 draw. Our expert panel of James Horncastle, Raphael Honigstein, Matt Slater, Dermot Corrigan and Mark Critchley assembled to offer their verdict on what lies ahead in Germany next summer — from the players who can make the tournament their own, which group they consider the toughest, and, crucially, who they are backing to win it. …”
The Athletic
W – UEFA Euro 2024

Newcastle 1 Manchester United 0 – Listless Rashford, flash Gordon and which United can challenge?

“Newcastle United epitomise what Manchester United wish they could be. They are tactically astute, travelling on an upward trajectory, organised off the pitch, and now — courtesy of Saturday’s 1-0 victory at St James’ Park — deservedly above their visitors in the Premier League table. Manager Erik ten Hag, who spent most of the 90 minutes on Tyneside standing alone in the technical area with his arms crossed, said he was trying to ‘energise’ and get a ‘reaction’ from his team. It didn’t work — and that is either down to the players not being capable of carrying out his instructions or choosing not to listen. The same could not be said for his hosts. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Newcastle 1 Manchester United 0 – Listless Rashford, flash Gordon and which United can challenge?
YouTube: Newcastle United 1 Manchester United 0 | Premier League Highlights

The politics of hosting AFCON

“A decade later, in January 2024, Ivorians will finally welcome the continent and the world to the next AFCON. Economic and sporting realities are making it harder for sporting tournaments to find hosts. In the past, hosting gigs were keenly sought after and contested by different countries. The appeal of welcoming thousands of visitors and positively impacting economic and tourist activities was usually viewed positively while winning bids was always a good tonic for political leaders. Yet, expansion means growing tournament costs and the need to maximize economic output, while mitigating CAF’s financial difficulties is making it harder to find hosts. This trend might impact AFCON, the continent’s premier football competition. …”
Africa Is a Country
Africa Is a Country: Who are you rooting for – Laurent Dubois

Liverpool 4-3 Fulham: Was this the moment Anfield started to believe in a title bid?

“Liverpool are renowned for their comebacks, but even by their standards, this was special. Two goals in the last 10 minutes, scored by Wataru Endo and Trent Alexander-Arnold, turned a damaging 3-2 defeat against Fulham into a 4-3 win that kept Jurgen Klopp’s side firmly in contention near the top of the Premier League table. …”
The Athletic

Thirty years of the backpass ban: The story of modern football’s best rule change

“… [Kyle] Campbell is a real estate lawyer in California these days. But back in 1991, he was playing in goal for the United States at the Under-17 World Championship in Italy, where he performed brilliantly and was named in FIFA’s team of the tournament. Campbell saved a penalty from Alessandro Del Piero in that opening game against the hosts, and Pele presented him with his man of the match award afterwards — a state-of-the-art twin-cassette JVC stereo. Yet the story that he dines out on is handling that first ever backpass. …”
The Athletic

Champions League grades: Arsenal earn high marks, Celtic woes drag on

“A+ Five Arsenal goals by half-time, and six different scorers by full-time, this was Mikel Arteta’s team at their attacking best, and they took heavy vengeance on the French team they previously lost to. Kai Havertz, after his goal at Brentford at the weekend, began the scoring on a night when Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka in full flight tore their opponents apart. Top of the Premier League and safely qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League in their first appearance for five seasons, things are shaping up very well for the Gunners. …”
Guardian

Manchester City keep conceding from counter-attacks – should Guardiola be worried?

“Pep Guardiola was presented with an observation following his side’s 3-2 home victory against RB Leipzig on Tuesday. The five goals his Manchester City side have conceded in the Champions League this season have all been essentially the same. Whether it has been against Leipzig, Young Boys or Red Star Belgrade, City have been undone by a ball in behind the defence leaving the opposition in a one-against-one with their goalkeeper. …”
The Athletic