There are many iconic World Cup images; Bobby Moore and Pele embracing after the England and Brazil game in Mexico, 1970, Diego Maradonaâs âHand of Godâ goal in 1986 and Marco Tardelliâs passionate celebration after his goal for Italy against West Germany in 1982. For many the image of headband-wearing, bearded, Brazilian midfielder, SĂłcrates, in […]
Author : Dave Long
Enough is Enough: Lille OSC fans vent their frustration
The images from the pitch invasion and threatening chants at the end of the Lille OSC and Montpellier HSC game last weekend have shocked many but not come as a great surprise to most. In an increasingly pressurised sport, where results and instant success are demanded by everyone, it is common to see fans become […]
Quantity over Quality? Juventus heading for more trophies, but at what price?
Last Wednesday’s win away to Tottenham Hotspur saw Juventus progress to another Champions League Quarter Final, their third in four seasons. Their form in Serie A since November has been imperious and they’re matching Napoli stride for stride in the Scudetto race. They have also made their fourth Coppa Italia Final in a row where […]
Vive la Revoluce! ZdenÄk Zeman, Foggia and the Serie A tactical rebellion
âIf you score 90 goals then it shouldnât really worry you how many are conceded.â ZdenÄk Zeman Italy’s Serie A in the early 1990’s was dominated by defences, a time of Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Giuseppe Bergomi and Jurgen Kohler. 1991/92 and 1992/93 champions, Milan, scored 74 and 65 goals during the 34 game campaign, […]
50+1 Reasons Why: Fan ownership under the spotlight in the Bundesliga
In early February 2018 Hannover 96 shareholder, Martin Kind, withdrew his application to the Deutsche FuĂball Liga (DFL) to take majority control of the club. This wouldnât usually cause much of a stir outside Germany, however he was trying to make Hannover only the fifth Bundesliga team to be majority owned by a single entity […]
Chasing Rainbows: Memories of Euro 96, Part Two
Holland provided the last test of the group stage. Often flattering to deceive, the Dutch were a team at war with each other. Childish in-fighting marred their campaign and at times it appeared they just didn’t want to be there. England just needed a point to qualify and was their first evening game of the […]
The Boys of Summer: Memories of Euro 96, Part One
June 1996, a month which will always bring a smile to the face of English people old enough to remember the European Championships in England. Not just because the hosts reached the semi final (a semi final for England back then was almost a minimum requirement), it was just a magnificent time to be a […]
How Deep is Your Squad?: Injuries Push Juventus to the Limit
Although it isnât quite the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan it seems a game doesnât go by without Juve reporting a new injury. It certainly has demonstrated the importance of a quality squad as Juve continue to seek the treble. The latest injury added to the list was Andrea Barzagli who was injured in […]
Fame Over Familiarity: The Welsh FA Gamble On Giggs…
Great players do not always make great managers, Iâm sure youâll remember Alan Shearer at Newcastle United in 2009 and how he oversaw the clubâs relegation after he managed one win in eight games. While managing Wales is a modest job in world football terms the immediate task for new boss, Ryan Giggs, is to […]
The New Ministry of Defence: Juventus stand firm after nervous start
On 14th July last year the football world stood open mouthed as Leonardo Bonucci stood in front of a huge Champions League trophy with various AC Milan suits close by, for him he had completed a move to Milan after an apparent deterioration of relations between him and management in Turin. For Juventus it meant […]
Born of Frustration – Allegri’s Adjustment Revolution….
Firstly, I apologise for the delay since my last article, it isnât down to simple laziness I can assure you of that. If weâre pointing the bony finger of blame it should be in the direction of Juventus and Max Allegri as I have deliberately held off writing this article to see how we fared […]
We Need to Talk About Paulo: The Dybala Dilemma
Saturday 23rd September 2017, Paulo Dybala runs on to a pass from Miralem Pjanic and smashes the ball home from the edge of the area, the first goal of four for Juventus in the Derby Della Mole. Cue familiar celebration, but this wasn’t just about beating our cross-city rivals, it was a culmination of excitement […]
Just a Little bit of History Repeating…
Iâm no Shirley Bassey fan, I had to Google the title to see who sang that song, but she was right, weâve been here before havenât we? In fact, Iâd go as far to say itâs a seasonal occurrence. Juventusâ early season form can often be compared to that of a hibernating tortoise who has […]
Virtual Insanity: VAR creates more problems than it solves
In the summer the Italian FA (FIGC) made the move, along with the German Bundesliga, to use video assistant referee (VAR) to help eradicate the inconsistencies from the game. My initial thought was it would sterilise the game and deprive it of those contentious talking points. For a moment imagine what would’ve happened had this […]