“When Liverpool sealed the Premier League title in April with a 5-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, Alisson followed another goalkeeping great into one particular record book. The 32-year-old became the first goalkeeper since Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel in 1999 to win the English top flight wearing gloves manufactured by Reusch. When Liverpool won the Premier League in 2020, Alisson wore Nike gloves, but in October 2023, he signed a deal with Reusch, which meant a return to a brand he used as a young goalkeeper in Novo Hamburgo, just north of Porto Alegre in Brazil. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
West Ham United goalkeeper Mervyn Day makes a save with his bare hands against Tottenham Hotspur in 1973
Uncovering the secrets of football’s goalkeeper gloves
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“Brace yourselves, the World Cup countdown officially starts…now. … Having 16 more teams means even more of the globe’s best players can showcase their talents on the biggest stage, but who do we expect to be the protagonists next summer? Some names might be obvious, others might not have even earned their first international cap or play for countries whose qualification hangs in the balance. It’s a tricky assignment, but it is fun to try. So, almost one year out, this is The Athletic’s shortlist of those predicted — or expected — to light up World Cup 2026. …”
“Forget the scoreline in the top corner of the screen. The image of the distraught Inter Milan supporter who flashed up on television screens around the world, as his team prepared to take a meaningless corner in the 76th minute, told the story of the Champions League final. Crestfallen and broken, his bottom lip was quivering and tears were streaming down his face. A fourth Paris Saint-Germain goal had not long been scored at the other end of the stadium and it was all too much for a man who looked like his world had come to an end. … It’s hard to explain to people who have no interest in the game why so many of us are so immersed and emotionally invested in this sport that it leads to the kind of behaviour — uncontrollable tears (of joy as well as despair), hugging total strangers, or even turning the air blue after something totally innocuous — that would be almost unthinkable in a public space anywhere else. …”
Scissors Kick 