The football blog for fans of all clubs
There have been many outstanding European football teams over the years. However, one team that sometimes gets overlooked is Bela Guttmannâs Benfica team of the early 1960s. An impressive record in the Portuguese top-flight The story of Benficaâs historic campaign in 1960/61 actually began the season before, as Guttmann guided the Eagles to the Portuguese […]
British football has been relatively successful in European competition, with several clubs winning the continent’s biggest trophies in recent decades. While England has been the most successful of the UK nations in European competitions, it was the Scottish giants, Celtic, who were the first British team ever to win the European Cup in 1967. Jock […]
When people talk about some of the greatest club teams ever in the European game, Arrigo Sacchiâs great AC Milan team of the late 1980s should always be in the conversation The Rossoneri team, in that short spell, had everything a great team should have and influenced football for years to come with their tactics. […]
There is a long-running debate amongst football fans of a certain age vintage about the greatest international team that never won the World Cup. The likes of Belgiumâs original âGolden Generationâ in 1986 will sometimes get a mention. Then, there will be the inevitable talk about Johan Cruyffâs Netherlands team of the 1970s, specifically the […]
In the 2003/04 season, Arsene Wengerâs Arsenal did the unthinkable and went a whole season unbeaten in the Premier League to claim the English top-flight title and write a small piece of history. It was a massive achievement for the club from north London and earned the Gunners the nickname âThe Invinciblesâ. While it was […]
There are many details about football clubs that fade into the obscurity of myth and history. Many football clubs have mottos that date back decades or even a century and a bit. One of the most famous mottos in the English game is at Everton, whose motto is the Latin phrase âNil Satis Nisi Optimumâ, […]
The Premier League is stacked with quality players, and managers in the top flight are paid to pick the best players from the start of games. However, sometimes managers need a plan B and turn to their substituteâs bench in their quest for a goal. Some players were adept at scoring, having stepped off the […]
This season, the UEFA Champions League saw its biggest overhaul in a long time as the competition format changed. The competition, along with the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League, used a âSwissâ style for this yearâs competition, with 36 teams participating instead of 32 in a new league format. How has the format […]
In recent decades, head coaches and managers like Carlo Ancelotti, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have written themselves in the annals of history. All those modern coaches have been highly successful. However, there are some head coaches from slightly longer ago in the history of football who have had a pivotal impact […]
One of the most significant aspects of playing football is the quality and size of the playing surface. Although there are certain perimeters when it comes to pitch sizes, they can be slightly different in dimensions. So, what size should a football pitch be? Well, the official recommendation from footballâs official governing body, FIFA, is […]
The big game at the top of the Premier League on Sunday went with the form guide, as in-form league leaders Liverpool recorded a 2-0 home victory over out-of-sorts champions Manchester City at Anfield. Liverpool were just too strong for the champions Anfield has proven a difficult hunting grounding for the reigning champions even when […]
The tiny landlocked nation of San Marino began playing football in 1986 as an international team but didnât gain entrance into UEFA and FIFA until 1988. Their international team made its debut in competitive action in qualifying for the 1992 European Championships. As is understandable for a new team, they struggled and lost all of […]
The underdog story of Leicester City winning the Premier League title in 2016 will no doubt be remembered for a long time to come. However, long before the Foxes landed their surprise title, a fellow Midlands club, Nottingham Forest, shocked not just the English top flight but also the whole of Europe with their rise […]
The recent controversial video of Premier League David Coote talking about Liverpoolâs Jurgen Klopp has opened up a can of worms when it comes to which clubâs top-flight referees have allegiances with. The 42-year-old has now been suspended from refereeing, with a full investigation underway over the almost surreal video. Who do Premier League referees […]
The argument about who the best football team ever was is a difficult one, as different people from different generations will always favour the teams they have watched. Itâs like the best-player argument: there will be no definitive answer because itâs a matter of opinion, and everybody has one when it comes to these discussions. […]
In recent years, Spainâs so-called âBig Twoâ have had a habit of taking turns winning La Liga and then enduring a poor campaign the following season. The 2024/25 season seems to be Barcelonaâs turn to win the Spanish title after Real Madrid dominated last season in the Spanish top flight. Barcelona are brilliant under Hansi […]
In the 1980s, it was widely acknowledged that Liverpool dominated the English game. However, it is often forgotten that in the middle of the decade, the Redsâ city rivals, Everton, were just as good or even arguably a better team. This is the story of how Everton enjoyed being top of the football tree for […]
Before the arrival of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich as owner in 2003, Chelsea Football Club were little more than a strong cup team. The Blues had won just one English top-flight title in their history back in the 1954/55 season. However, it was another arrival that transformed Chelsea into a genuine title challengerâthe arrival of […]
There are few football teams in the history of the beautiful game that can compete with Spanish giants Real Madrid when it comes to history and silverware, both at home and abroad. In fact, when it comes to European Cup/Champions League trophies, no other club can get near their tally of 15 titles in Europeâs […]
There is a significant amount of pressure that professional footballers go through on a weekly basis and it is easy for many to forget the toll that this has on the body, not just physically, but also mentally. It is important for a footballer to ensure that they get the balance right when it comes […]
