Author Archives: 1960s: Days of Rage

About 1960s: Days of Rage

Bill Davis - 1960s: Days of Rage

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has faced persistent racist abuse. What’s being done?

“Spanish football has a racism problem. It’s clear to see. There is the persistent abuse suffered by Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. There is the ignorant attitude of fans who believe calling a black player a monkey is no different to any other abuse they might direct at the opposition. Then there is the slow, incomplete or often insufficient reaction from those with a responsibility to help stamp it out. It’s clear to Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who said as much on Tuesday, speaking two days after Sunday afternoon saw yet more racist abuse directed at the club’s Brazilian forward. …”
The Athletic (Video)
NY Times: Vinícius Júnior Says Racism Is ‘Normal’ in Spanish Soccer (Video)

Victorious

““In the aftermath of SSC Napoli’s league victory, Nigerians descended on the official Serie A Twitter account to protest what they considered to be an unfair (and ‘racist’) attempt to acknowledge someone other than Victor Osimhen as the hero of the club’s successful campaign. And, while other players no doubt played a part in a team’s success, few would argue against Osimhen, born in Lagos, being the standout star of Napoli this season. His composure in front of goal and his dynamic presence leading the line has earned him accolades and has unified a country desperately in need of a rallying point after a contentious election cycle. …”
Africa Is a Country
W – Victor Osimhen

Serendipity of De Zerbi and Brighton underlines football’s great complexities – Jonathan Wilson

“Imagine that Thomas Tuchel had not been sacked by Chelsea at the beginning of September and that Graham Potter had not been lured from Brighton to replace him. Potter, presumably, would still be in charge at the Amex. Would Brighton’s situation now be better or worse? Would they be heading into Sunday’s game against Southampton sixth in the Premier League table and likely to qualify for the Europa League? …”
Guardian

How Russia is creeping back into football Tifo Football

“Since Russia invaded Ukraine, firstly in 2014, but in far greater and deadlier numbers on February 24th 2022 the country has been isolated politically, economically and culturally. And Russia has been suspended from UEFA and FIFA. But they want to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. How could they do that? Would they have to move federations? Well, it has been done before. James Montague explains. Philippe Fenner illustrates.”
YouTube

Aston Villa have become a team to be feared – and are one game from Europe

“When Aston Villa’s push for Europe started to gain serious momentum six weeks ago, the only question was which competition could they qualify for. Somehow, finishing in a top-four spot and playing Champions League football in September was still on. The difficulty was that however slender the six points between themselves in sixth and Newcastle United in fourth place felt, what was to come — a brutal set of remaining fixtures as well as rivals catching up on their games owed — was always likely to leave Villa lagging behind. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Tales from the Anfield Road: Magical memories from Liverpool’s ‘other’ end

“It may lack the storied glamour of the Kop or the soaring splendour of the new Main Stand, but Liverpool’s Anfield Road end has a history and atmosphere all of its own. The bulldozers will move in after Saturday’s final home game of the season, replacing the current structure with a new stand that will lift Anfield’s capacity to 61,000 at a cost of £80million ($101million) in time for the start of next season. To mark the end of the stand in its current form, we asked those who have watched from or played in front of the ‘Annie Road End’ for their standout memories. …”
The Athletic (Video)

‘There’s a cognitive dissonance for me as a fan’: readers on Manchester City

“… ‘I’m a lifelong supporter of Man City and have had a season ticket since 2011. Obviously, City’s many successes over recent years have brought me great joy. But there’s a cognitive dissonance for me as a supporter. There are ethical issues with contributing financially to a project that is in part serving as the PR wing of an objectionable regime. It really hit me when the Uefa charges first came out against the club and I saw a lot of Man City fans blindly defending the club and its owners. …’ – Michael, 27, programmer in Manchester …”
Guardian

Paris Saint-Germain Finances 2021/22

“Paris Saint-Germain are seemingly a club in crisis, even though they are currently on top of Ligue 1, as their results this season have been disappointing by their high standards, while rivals like Lens and Marseille are too close for comfort. Fans have recently called for the board to resign, criticising the club’s management for a lack of a sporting vision and poor recruitment, including many over-rated talents and mercenaries. They say that too many players are only in Paris for the money. …”
Swiss Ramble

2022/23 Bundesliga relegation battle: VfB Stuttgart, Schalke, Bochum and Augsburg in four-way fight for survival

“… Schalke had nine points on the board after 17 matches, but have claimed 22 from a possible 48 in the second half of the season. Although hammered 6-0 at Bayern Munich on Matchday 32, previous wins over the likes of Hertha, Stuttgart and Werder Bremen have given them every chance of securing a second successive season of Bundesliga football. A 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt during Matchday 33 means they could still need a point against RB Leipzig on the final day of the season to avoid automatic relegation. …”
Bundesliga (Video)

Fear, suspicion, awe: How Manchester City are viewed in Europe’s football citadels

“For Manchester City and their Abu Dhabi owners, the realisation of their grand footballing project is tantalisingly within reach. Domestic dominance has already been achieved, with City just one win away from securing a fifth Premier League title in six seasons, and now the club are closing in on a first-ever Champions League triumph after they progressed to next month’s final against Inter Milan with a semi-final victory over holders Real Madrid. …”
The Athletic (Video)
The Athletic: Gravity – the inescapable force behind Man City’s push for the treble (Video)
Manchester City were utterly superb, but we should worry
SI: Man City Shows the Real Money Is in Charge Now in the Champions League – Jonathan Wilson
BBC – Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid (5-1 agg): Pep Guardiola says win banishes ‘pain’ of last year
NY Times: Manchester City Dethrones Real Madrid in a Dominant Champions League Performance

Inter have gone from the brink to the jackpot — reaching final matters for so many reasons

Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal during the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Inter Milan and AC Milan at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, May 16, 2023.
“Rippling down the Curva Nord, the choreography unfurled by Inter Milan’s ultras before their Champions League semi-final second leg showed a knight in shining armour, his shield pock-marked with arrows, a depiction of Inter’s quest for the holiest of grails. If the knight were to have suddenly animated and taken off his helmet, it would not have come as a surprise to see the face of Simone Inzaghi revealed. He may as well have ridden in on a white charger when he joined Inter two years ago. They were champions of Italy at the time. But they did not look like a club who were going to dominate Serie A in the way Inter did between 2006 and 2010, when five domestic titles in a row culminated in an unprecedented treble. …”
The Athletic (Video)
Guardian: Inter’s Champions League progress built on depth and defensive resilience
Guardian: Lautaro Martínez finishes off Milan to put Inter in Champions League final

Luton’s Kenilworth Road is basic, boisterous and brilliant – Premier League fans should embrace it

“This is a defence of Kenilworth Road, not that it really needs it. Scarcely has the home of a football club needed additional defences less than the fortress-like stadium belonging to Luton Town. A trip there always promises a rowdy atmosphere, character in spades and a healthy dose of fear for the opposition. Following their 3-2 win on aggregate over Sunderland in the Championship play-off semi-finals this week, a tie where the Kenilworth Road faithful played their part dutifully in the second leg, Luton are one win away from the Premier League after a 31-year top-flight absence. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Fabinho: Liverpool’s new system is giving ‘the Lighthouse’ new foundations

“It was not too long ago that Fabinho’s Liverpool career looked like it was drifting towards an unhappy ending. The Brazilian has barely resembled a shadow of himself during parts of this season and, while being far from the only player struggling, his decline was significant and one of the roots of Liverpool’s collective problems. For years, Fabinho was able to patrol the centre of the pitch from touchline to touchline in front of his team’s defence. The lighthouse, the Dyson — pick your nickname and it explains his responsibilities in Liverpool’s 4-3-3 system. …”
The Athletic (Video)

As Lionel Messi leaves PSG, an opportunity arises for Luis Campos

“Neither of PSG’s two most recent marquee signings has worked out as hoped. Both could even be classed as outright mistakes in hindsight. However, as one’s Parisian journey looks set to end in acrimony, the other may yet deserve a second chance. As PSG beat Ajaccio 5-0 on Saturday to move within one win of another underwhelming league title, hopes of revolution again returned to the Parc des Princes. …”
Guardian

How Barcelona won La Liga: Old-school rules, new hunger and a changing of the guard

“When Xavi was made Barcelona manager in November 2021, he found a squad that was lacking in confidence. Barca had not won the league title in two and half years, and there were few signs they would be truly ready to challenge for one again soon. Tough losses in the Champions League had left their mark on a group whose ambition was to compete among the European elite. There was still a sense of trauma around the comeback defeats suffered against Roma and Liverpool, in 2018 and 2019. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Leicester’s relegation battle is a harsh maths lesson for all mid-table clubs – Jonathan Wilson

“All life, Valeriy Lobanovskyi once said, is a number. Which might have made sense for the groundbreaking Dynamo Kyiv manager, with his high-school medal for mathematics, but for most people who follow sport is a little disconcerting. We want to believe in heroes and glory, in imagination and genius, in fate and curses. Even if we acknowledge it probably is quite important, the thought of football as a series of vast interlocking spreadsheets feels a little dry. …”
Guardian

The grim reality of being a Premier League fourth official: ‘It’s 90 minutes of hell’

“It has to be one of the worst jobs in football. The lucky few are fortunate enough to be called by their first name. The majority are just known as ‘fourth’. One or two, spelt out in reports submitted to the Football Association, are called c***s. Either way, the job description should come with a warning that you are pretty much guaranteed to spend an hour and a half being harangued for decisions which almost always have nothing to do with you. …”
The Athletic

Union Berlin’s Champions League dream nears, and Bayern stay on top thanks to Muller

“They can’t quite see nor taste it yet. But the unlikely sounds of big-time football could already be heard at Alte Forsterei on Saturday. Union Berlin supporters were heartily chanting ‘So ne Scheisse, so ne Scheisse, Champions League’ to the tune of Rod Stewart’s ‘Sailing’ during the 4-2 win over SC Freiburg. They like their witticisms a little rough in Kopenick, just like their football. …”
The Athletic

Arsenal losing the league does not have to be a collapse of character

“In the moment of full operatic collapse, the pain of a season of dashed and throttled glory reaching its narrative end point, the Emirates Stadium was treated to the sight of Roberto De Zerbi doing a knee slide. A slightly creaky one but with sufficient momentum to get a little purchase on the lime green early summer turf, fist pumping, head up sedately. Brighton had just gone 3-0 up in this game, playing a lovely, breezy, light kind of pass‑and-run football. …”
Guardian
The Athletic – Roberto De Zerbi’s anti-Arsenal blueprint for Brighton: Be direct, be disruptive

Trabzonspor’s Recovery Mission Begins

“After losing just three league games in last season’s title-winning campaign, Trabzonspor have endured a dismal and disappointing defence of their first Super Lig title in 38 years. In the ten months separating their league title win with the eventual departure of manager Abdullah Avci, Trabzonspor lost nine league games – more than Avci lost in both the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons. This run was made to look all the worse with Galatasaray racing ahead with a record winning streak in the Turkish Super Lig and leaving the likes of Trabzonspor in the dust. …”
Breaking the Lines

The Premier League Crucible Produces Something New: Ideas

“Manchester City had been in possession of the ball for a minute, no more, but to the denizens of the Santiago Bernabéu, it felt like an hour or more. Pep Guardiola’s team moved it backward and forward and then backward again. It switched it from side to side, sometimes via the scenic route, stopping off to admire the view from midfield, and sometimes taking the express. Real Madrid’s players did not seem especially concerned about this state of affairs. …”
NY Times

The Premier League xG table: Evaluating the attacking performance of every club

“In case anyone needed reminding, scoring goals helps you win games of football. For those who like to dig a little deeper, it is interesting to see how often a team scores goals relative to the opportunities they create. Yes, your team might rocket a 40-yard strike into the top corner from time to time, but how sustainable is that method of attack across a season? That’s right, we’re talking about expected goals (xG). …”
The Athletic

Milan haven’t learned from derby defeats – Inter were far superior with and without the ball

“… Inter may well have learned, but Milan did not. Their first half looked almost identical to the 3-0 Supercoppa loss to Inter in Riyadh in January. They were 2-0 down after 21 minutes that night to goals from Edin Dzeko and Federico Dimarco, as their 4-2-3-1 struggled to cope with Inter’s advancing wing-backs and combative front two. …”
The Athletic (Video)
SI: Inter Dominates Milan Champions League Derby But Fails to Finish the Job – Jonathan Wilson

Mohamed Salah has a secret skill for Liverpool which makes him truly special

“If there was a list detailing everything Mohamed Salah brings to Liverpool, it would be a very long one. His goals and remarkable consistency would of course be at the top and, with that, all the records that come his way. The assists he provides would be on there, too, along with his speed and ingenuity. …”
The Athletic

Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester City: Vinicius and De Bruyne strike but Haaland was kept quiet

“A stunning strike from Kevin De Bruyne earned Manchester City a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final first leg, after Vinicius Junior had scored from nearly the exact same spot on the Bernabeu pitch before the break. City dominated possession in the first half but it was Real who went in ahead after Vinicius linked well with Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modric. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Stones, Camavinga and why Man City and Real Madrid pushed defenders into midfield – Michael Cox
Guardian – Real Madrid v Manchester City: beauty and parity living on the razor’s edge
The Athletic: Vinicius Jr, De Bruyne and the visceral thrill of kicking a football really hard
The Athletic: The important things for Man City in the Bernabeu were the things that did not happen
BBC: Real Madrid 1 – Manchester City 1
YouTube: Real Madrid vs Manchester City 1-1 | 2023 Champions League | Match Highlights

The New A.C. Milan Picks Up Where the Old One Left Off

“Stefano Pioli could feel it, even if he could not quite define it. In the nicest possible way, Pioli has made several journeys around the block as a soccer manager. At 57, he has been coaching in the volatile, capricious world of the Italian game for two decades. His current job, at A.C. Milan, is the 13th of his career. There is very little, these days, that counts as new to him. The couple of weeks leading up to and surrounding Milan’s Champions League quarterfinal against Napoli last month, though, were different. …”
NY Times

Köln let down the tyres on Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen Lamborghini

“It was always going to end at some point. They just didn’t want it to be here. Leverkusen’s phenomenal unbeaten run was stopped at 14 games, at the start of the week that will contain their Europa League semi-final first-leg date with destiny against Roma. …”
Guardian

Liverpool fans and the national anthem: A history of hostility

“The message from the Kop could not have been clearer. ‘You can stick your coronation up your arse,’ came the cry from the most vocal section of Liverpool’s crowd during Wednesday’s home win over Fulham, an echo of the sentiment that had reverberated around Hampden Park in Glasgow a few days earlier courtesy of Celtic fans. It was the latest iteration of Anfield’s long-standing antipathy for the British establishment, and which manifests itself most obviously when Liverpool supporters routinely boo the playing of the country’s national anthem, God Save the King. …”
The Athletic (Video)
The Athletic: Liverpool fans and Jurgen Klopp: Is the love affair as strong as ever? (Video)
The Athletic: Why Liverpool want Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director
The Athletic: What would make managers improve behaviour towards officials? We asked some
The Athletic: Virgil van Dijk hails Alisson after Liverpool clean sheet century: ‘I’m very glad he’s my goalkeeper’

Do football managers matter?

“Managers can’t perform magic, although some people seem to think they can. They’re not David Copperfield or Harry Potter. They can’t work miracles or sprinkle some magical dust to make players know how to play football. Spending hours on analysis isn’t very useful. It doesn’t put you in better conditions to win the game. The tactics, the schemes, they’re all bull***t. Of course tactics matter, but players win the game. For 45 minutes at a time, players make their own decisions. Football is a continuous sport in which the coach has barely any influence, less than in any other sport. …”
The Athletic

Napoli’s title-winning tactics analysed and explained

“The Scudetto is heading to Naples. A lot has happened since Napoli’s last league win in 1989-90. A Diego Maradona-inspired team won that title with 51 points — Serie A had only 18 teams and a win was worth just two points at the time. They were then relegated in 1997-98, came back up at the second attempt before going down again immediately in 2000-01. They even spent two seasons in the third tier before getting back into Serie A for the 2007-08 campaign. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Real Madrid vs Manchester City: Champions League semi-final tactical breakdown

“A place in the final is within touching distance. Manchester City and Real Madrid face off in a Champions League semi-final for the second season running, and you would do very well to predict an outright favourite. In many ways, we are fortunate that we get to witness these two heavyweight teams battle for 180 minutes across two legs as opposed to a single 90-minute final — with a strong case to be made that a final-four tie has produced greater entertainment historically. …”
The Athletic (Video)

The $5billion deal that German fans don’t want

“German football is seeking new investment. In terms of international broadcasting revenue they sit behind Serie A, LaLiga and the Premier League. So Deutsche Fussball Liga have created a proposal to bring in more revenue. What is the proposal? How will it work? And why is there such opposition in Germany? Seb Stafford-Bloor explains, Craig Silcock illustrates.”
YouTube
The Analyst – Bundesliga Title Predictions 2022-23: The Final Stages
The Athletic: How Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano became pitch-perfect with operatic training

Arsenal’s spread of goals is the sign of a great team

“For all the similarities between this season’s two Premier League title contenders, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, there’s one obvious difference. It’s a philosophical debate as much as a purely tactical one: does adding one record-breaking individual to your attack actually improve the side overall, or does his brilliance come at the expense of others? …”
The Athletic (Video)

A question of soul: Osasuna’s remarkable story fires belief in Real Madrid upset

“Osasuna president Luis Sabalza wells up as he speaks about the journey he and his team have been on to reach this year’s Copa del Rey final, in which they will face Real Madrid in Seville’s Estadio Cartuja on Saturday evening. … The 75-year-old then pauses to recall a less happy date in his club’s history, June 7, 2015, when an Osasuna side heavily burdened by debt and disgrace were seconds away from relegation to Spain’s third tier, which would likely have sunk the club completely. …”
The Athletic (Video)
Guardian: Real Sociedad are living their best days – with David Silva at the heart

In a Superclub’s Shadow, Paris F.C. Tries to Raise Its Game

“The contrast could not be more stark. On a frigid Saturday evening earlier this year inside the Stade Charléty, a World War II-era stadium tucked alongside a highway, the stands are barely a quarter full. Only about 3,000 fans have turned up to watch Paris F.C., a crowd so small that when the home team goes to salute its support after its victory, the players need only to go to one corner of the stadium. The other sections are not even open, given the paltry demand for tickets. …”
NY Times
Guardian: Lionel Messi, Neymar and protests at PSG’s serially underachieving superstars

Liverpool 4-3 Tottenham: A thriller that underlines why neither team are top four

“Liverpool won a fourth successive Premier League match thanks to an incredible 94th-minute winner from Diogo Jota against Spurs at Anfield. Goals from Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz and a Mohamed Salah penalty put Jurgen Klopp’s team in a commanding position in the first 15 minutes, as Spurs found themselves all but beaten in the first third of a match for the second Sunday running. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic – Liverpool and Tottenham are at the crossroads: What can they learn from each other?

‘You can’t help but get swept up’: joy as Napoli near first title for 33 years

“Naples has exploded into delirious celebrations as its football team edged closer towards clinching its first Serie A title in 33 years – a victory that would resonate well beyond football for this often-derided southern Italian city. Napoli had hoped to claim Scudetto glory with six games still to play, but a 1-1 draw against Salernitana meant it has had to delay the official party by a few days. …”
Guardian (Video)

Boom time: Why attendances are spiking and football has never meant more

“On any given Saturday, there are hundreds of thousands of football supporters with somewhere to be. They fill trains, cars and buses on journeys intersecting the country, feeding the habit they have neither the wish nor ability to abandon. It is the national obsession that continues to strengthen its grip and this, undeniably, is its boom era. For all that the Premier League has achieved in its 30 years, this season is set to be the first time on record that the average top-flight game has attracted more than 40,000 in English football history. …”
The Athletic

The Rise and Fall of Valencia

“In 2014 Peter Lim became the majority shareholder at 6 time La Liga champions Valencia. His arrival was initially celebrated, but after years of financial turbulence, the fans are demanding his exit to preserve the club’s future. What happened to Valencia? Why did it turn so toxic so quickly? What happened to their best players? And what happened to their new stadium? Reuben Pinder explains. Illustrated by Marco Bevilacqua.”
YouTube

When Rangers beat Celtic with 10 men to end their curse in the Scottish Cup

Tom Forsyth of Rangers. (Apps 332, Goals 6). Pictured scoring against Celtic in the 1973 Scottish Cup final.
“Although it ended in a league and cup double, Walter Smith’s first full season as Rangers manager was far from a procession. After grabbing the title in a final-day shootout with Aberdeen in May 1991 – less than four weeks after the dramatic departure of Graeme Souness to Liverpool – Smith had to rebuild quickly. With five players in and five out, it was the busiest summer of the club’s nine successive titles in that era. Because of Uefa’s imposed maximum of four foreign players, Smith had very little choice. …”
Guardian (Video)

Why Brentford are the best set-piece takers in football

“Brentford have scored over 30 set-piece goals since the start of the 2021/22 season, only Liverpool and Manchester City have scored more set-piece goals in that time. And those two teams have taken a lot more set-pieces. Ability from the dead ball is fundamental to their success. So how have they become so good at set pieces? Jon Mackenzie explains. Henry Cooke illustrates.”
YouTube

Liverpool’s midfield transfer targets: Analysing Mount, Mac Allister, Gravenberch and more

“Liverpool may have withdrawn from the race to sign Jude Bellingham but there will still be plenty of change to their central midfield this summer. The club are in the hunt for at least two, and possibly three, midfielders in the upcoming window, and a lot of exploratory work and discussions have been carried out by their senior recruitment staff in recent weeks to determine, out of the players they have tracked extensively, who will be available and at what price. …”
The Athletic

Football, Mental Health, and Belonging

“I like to think that everything in life is a metaphor. Things can be broken down into comparisons, and when it comes to the game of football, we can spend entire lives trying to find our positions on the pitch. There’s the big, powerful centre forward. So tall and imposing that you can sense their presence in a room. Off the pitch, they could be singers, actors, social media influencers, or something else. In short, they’re people that thrive in the spotlight and want more of it. …”
Football Paradise

Andriy Shevchenko: ‘I want to share with the world what Ukrainian people are feeling’

“‘It was an incredible, emotional moment for me to spend time with her,’ Andriy Shevchenko says as he describes meeting a little Ukrainian girl called Maryna last month. The most famous former footballer from Ukraine, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2004 and the Champions League with Milan before he also coached his country at Euro 2020, pauses as he reflects on a simple encounter where he kicked a football back and forth in hospital with the six-year-old. …”
Guardian

Arsenal just did not know how to press Manchester City’s 4-2-4

“It was not a shock that Manchester City defeated Arsenal last night, and not a surprise they did so relatively convincingly, considering both sides’ recent run of form. But the nature of City’s tactical approach was a surprise. Having spent recent weeks building up with a three-man defence and pushing a defender forward into midfield, City played a simple 4-2-4 on Wednesday. Arsenal seemed unsure of how to press this system, and City were adept at progressing the ball through central zones and up to Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland between the lines. …”
The Athletic: Michael Cox
The Athletic: This is Manchester City’s era – there are only two ways that changes any time soon (Video)
The Athletic: Manchester City 4-1 Arsenal: Magnificent De Bruyne and fiendish Haaland clip leaders’ wings
Guardian: Manchester City took Arsenal to a horrible place and didn’t let them leave
NY Times: Manchester City, Relentless and Ruthless, Strolls Past Arsenal
Guardian: Kevin De Bruyne sees off Arsenal to give Manchester City upper hand in title race

Barcelona, Real Madrid & Franco: How two rivals united in exploiting a painful divide

“It has not been a good last 10 days in Spain for anyone who would like football and politics not to be mixed in alarming ways. The sorry mess began with comments made by Barcelona president Joan Laporta while he was defending his club’s past payments to former referees chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Laporta said he was amazed that Real Madrid had complained, given that: ‘Madrid was historically favoured in refereeing decisions, it was the team of the regime, close to political, economic and sporting power for 70 years.’ Everyone listening knew that the ‘regime’ Laporta was referring to was the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain from 1939 until his death in 1975. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Napoli can begin their party while shroud still envelops Juventus

“It was not the goal that sealed Napoli’s third-ever Scudetto, but it sure felt like it, an emotion so overpowering that some players could not keep their feet. As Giacomo Raspadori’s volley skidded through Wojciech Szczesny’s legs and into the Juventus net, Piotr Zielinski simply collapsed on to his back, lying spreadeagled on the Allianz Stadium turf. …”
Guardian

How Arsenal’s tactics show Arteta’s coaching influences, from Cruyff to Guardiola

“With every recent Arsenal clash with Manchester City has come a predictable discourse — the relationship between Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola. It’s the obvious way to go given Arteta’s journey to becoming Arsenal manager via an assistant management role under his fellow Spaniard and the pair’s early days together at Barcelona. And while Guardiola clearly has a huge impact on Arteta, in the build up to these matches it is often overlooked that the Arsenal manager has also drawn inspiration from a number of other coaches. …”
The Athletic

Real Madrid’s shock defeat hurts divisive reserve keeper most of all

“Just a few minutes before 10pm local time, Andriy Lunin left the Real Madrid dressing room at Girona’s Montilivi stadium. With the exception of academy players Mario Martin, Mario de Luis and Sergio Arribas, only two of Ancelotti’s side had already made their way to the team bus before him: Nacho Fernandez and Antonio Rudiger. The Athletic was there and asked the goalkeeper about his feelings: How are you, Andriy? …”
The Athletic

When can Barcelona win La Liga?

“Barcelona are on the verge of winning La Liga for the first time since 2019. It has been a mixed season for Barca — they were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage and then crashed out of the Europa League against Manchester United — but winning the league for the first time under Xavi would be a huge achievement. With the Catalan side travelling to Rayo Vallecano tonight and defending champions Real Madrid having slipped up against Girona on Tuesday night, when could Barca wrap up the title? …”
The Athletic

Mbappe is on course to break 10 records this season – and he’s not finished yet

“Kylian Mbappe enjoys a unique status in the French game. In the 41st minute of Paris Saint-Germain’s trip to Angers on Friday, they won a corner. By that point, Mbappe had scored twice and Angers were staring at defeat, and probable confirmation of their relegation in the days to follow. Mbappe walked over to take the set piece, in between the Colombier and Jean Bouin stands, right in front of the home supporters. These were not Angers’ most vocal ultras, it must be said. But the 24-year-old raised his arms, as if to encourage the crowd to generate some noise. They did. And they cheered him. …”
The Athletic

Liverpool and how it became the football mural capital of the UK

“It is a glorious spring morning in north Liverpool and John Barnes is gazing up at the latest striking addition to Anfield’s growing collection of street art. Covering the entire end wall of a terraced house on Balfour Street, a five-minute stroll from the stadium he once graced as a player, it consists of two images of Barnes: a close-up of his face — brow furrowed, lips pursed — and another of him unleashing a left-footed shot. …”
The Athletic

Wrexham’s Hollywood promotion: How Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney helped end 15 years of hurt

“A grieving period would always be needed after Wrexham’s promotion hopes had been ended in the most gut-wrenching of manners last season. The problem for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney is it couldn’t be allowed to last too long. So, as the club’s co-owners offered heartfelt words of commiseration to their crestfallen players in the dressing room after Grimsby Town had edged a truly titanic play-offs semi-final on the final Saturday of May, the wheels designed to push Wrexham forward were just hours away from turning once again. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Trying to identify the masked rapper who claims to be a Premier League footballer

“There is a masked rapper who claims to be a Premier League footballer — and nobody knows who it is. By concealing his identity, Dide has created a wave of interest in his music. His first release, ‘Intro Freestyle;, has more than 130,000 views on YouTube while ‘Thrill’, a three-and-a-half-minute single, has over 740,000 views to go along with Dide’s 28,000 YouTube subscribers, 58,000 Instagram followers and 100,000-plus monthly listens on Spotify. …”
The Athletic (Video)

Premier League Title Race: Are Arsenal Crumbling Under the Pressure Again?

“Title races can take many forms; the runaway champions; a two-horse race; a surprise package. But it isn’t always the winners who make the main headlines, sometimes it’s the team that blew their chance that lives in the memory. Newcastle United’s infamous collapse in 1995-96 is probably the most memorable after they threw away a 12-point lead that they held in January after 23 matches, while Man Utd blew a 13-point lead over Arsenal in 1997-98 and an eight-point lead with just six games remaining in 2011-12 to give Manchester City their first Premier League crown (albeit their final-day comeback against QPR and Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp goal grabbed the headlines). …”
Thw Analyst (Video)

Salah is back – this is the Liverpool tactical change that made it happen

“How many times have you watched Mohamed Salah play for Liverpool this season and felt he was too isolated, too wide and getting crowded out by opponents? There has seemingly been a rotating list of frustrations as the Egypt forward, alongside his team-mates, has failed to hit the lofty standards of previous years. …”
The Athletic

The Fall and Rise of Brighton

“Today, Brighton and Hove Albion are a model of how a football club should be run. They punch above their weight. They unearth excellent players. And they play watchable football. But it hasn’t always been the case. Seb Stafford-Bloor charts their rise from nearly collapsing as a football club. Craig Silcock illustrates.”
YouTube

Abandon ship: does this symbol of slavery shame Manchester and its football clubs?

A contemporary depiction of the Peterloo Massacre of 16 August 1819.
“I got my first Manchester City football badge when I was a little boy. It was gorgeous – a golden ship in full sail on the top half of the crest, the red rose of Lancashire on the bottom half, all framed in sky blue. The ship made a huge impression. It reminded me of the Blue Peter badge and pirates. Pirates were exciting. They did as they wanted, plundered what they fancied and ruled the waves. Everybody wanted a parrot on their shoulder and a patch on their eye. …”
Guardian

Pep Guardiola, the architect of tiki-taka, has come to embrace physicality

“… It would have made for an interesting experience for Pep Guardiola, who at that time was on his sabbatical, having left Barcelona the previous summer and had already been confirmed as the next Bayern manager. His Barcelona side was notable for its lack of physicality — he happily played multiple short, slight players in the same side and backed technique to defeat physique. His future Bayern side, clearly, offered different qualities, which he would come to embrace. …”
The Athletic
The Athletic: Bayern Munich’s Champions League failure will accelerate recruitment drive up front

Goalkeepers to Score in the Premier League

“Only six goalkeepers have ever scored a Premier League goal. It rarely happens, but when it does, it’s usually in the most dramatic of circumstances. We look back at each of those goalkeepers to score in the Premier League. …”
The Analyst (Video)