The FIFA World Cup is not what Jules Rimet envisioned it as anymore: a picture…
Culture
Edin Dzeko: From Yugoslav minefields to Champions’ League semis – Part 1
As a kid, Edin Dzeko used to play football in the fields of Sarajevo, unsure…
Medellin Adventures – The shadow of Pablo Escobar over Colombian football
Atlético Nacional, once financially backed by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, is the biggest club in…
Total Football Evolution – From Michael Jackson to The Weeknd
Is the relationship between football and the people of the Netherlands, love or lust? Total…
Oscar Heisserer: The Footballer Who Defied the Nazis
One of the most versatile players of his generation, Frenchman Oscar Heisserer was coveted by…
Identity Crisis of Modern Fullbacks – Football’s Most Underappreciated Role
There is a new theory of football being a weak-link sport. Which is to say,…
Arigato, Arsène Wenger – The Portrait of a Sensei
Arsene Wenger is known for many things – his Japanese philosophy, his then-revolutionary training methods,…
The political power of Diego Maradona through five World Cups – Part 2
Diego Maradona landed from a helicopter for his unveiling at Napoli. Playing the messiah came…
A Love Letter to the Scissor Kick
If the answer is ”the scissor kick”, the question of course is, ”What do Chilean strawberries,…
The political power of Diego Maradona through five World Cups – Part 1
Diego Maradona is probably the biggest enigma football has known in its history. He was…
A Barcelona Fan’s Exploration of Francisco Franco’s Fascist Real Madrid
This is a Barcelona fan’s exploration into the fascist history of Real Madrid and the…
Mahatma Gandhi’s Experiments with Football – Resistance vs Racism in South Africa
During his stint as a barrister in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi discovered the power of…
Kindness of Strangers – A Liverpool Fan’s Postcards from South Africa
Globetrotting Liverpool fan, Pete Martin, was apprehensive of a racially-tense Cape Town, South Africa. What…
When Barca bowed to Athletic Bilbao – Giant-killing legacy of Fred Pentland
Join us as we go on a mythological exploration of the history of the Basque…
Captain, Leader, Nazi Collaborator – Alexandre Villaplane, Football’s First French Villain
He was once the heartthrob of France. Women fawned over him, men sought his friendship.…
The New York Red Bulls – How Consumerism is shortchanging Fandom
The New York Red Bulls had the best midfield in their league, then ‘team-building’ was…
Homage to Catalonia – How Guardiola’s Yellow Ribbon Reveals FA’s Hypocrisy
Pep Guardiola’s yellow ribbon homage to Catalonia reveals worrying aspects of hypocrisy and ignorance of…
“It’s Only A Game” – Why Football Matters
Have you ever been told matter-of-factly, on a miserable Monday morning, that it’s “only a…
The Lords of the Ball – J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legacy and FC Barcelona
The unlikeliest confluence of FC Barcelona with JRR Tolkien’s works of high fantasy. Join us,…
The Football Battalion – Staring Down the Barrel of World War 1 – Part 2
Part 2 of Samiran Mishra’s brilliant account of footballers who sacrificed their lives for the…