Hangin’ with the Kozakken Boys: The back alley of Dutch football
Our in-house Dutch football writer visited semi-pro club Kozakken Boys. While the spectacle was small, an important lesson was learned regarding the future of Dutch football. “Sorry, ik spreek geen Nederlands goed.”…
Harkes at The Wall, Part 3: Football, life and everything in between
We often use Shankly’s life and football quote for explaining the importance of football in our lives, but sometimes, life and football explain each other. I did not enter parenthood gracefully. There…
Harkes at The Wall, Part 2 – A trip to watch Seattle Sounders
Our in-house writer continues on his journey of football, this time as a father going to a Seattle Sounders game with his mates, some of them dads themselves. You can read part…
Marko Arnautovic: West Ham United’s figurehead and talisman
It isn’t often that you can pinpoint one moment in which one person’s life or the way they are perceived is changed beyond recognition. But that is undoubtedly the case for Marko…
The subversive and taboo movement of preferring players to their laundry
There was a time, not so long ago, that footballers belonged to teams. Today, the same teams chase the stars, just so that their kit gets brighter. On the afternoon of September…
Una Nueva Ilusion – Spain and Tiki Taka Goes Bang-A-Rang with Lucho
Whenever Spain lose a major international fixture, it is only natural for many to dedicate obituaries to the team’s possessional style of play, or what a number of folks have come to…
Harkes at The Wall, Part I: A football fan’s journey through fandom
Very often, our initial experiences in sport define our relationship with it. Our in-house writer takes us through his first time at a football stadium. My father is the best of men.…
Leon Bailey: King of The Club, Enigma of Jamaica
“The ball is my life, so I have to live it.” – Leon Bailey Currently at the ever-so-familiar crossroads of choosing his national identity, Leon Bailey is a prodigy that everyone wants…
Chelsea’s lucky jackpot: The resurgence of Ross Barkley
Under Maurizio Sarri, Ross Barkley seems to found his mojo, and the secret to that lies in shedding the tag of the next big thing. I completely understand why Antonio Conte spent…
Crying is ok: Tackling one of football’s oldest stigmas
Football is steeped in misplaced masculinity, and it is important to talk about myths and stigmas. Crying is one such act that is easily condescended at, overlooking the emotional, mental and physical…
What happened to Lauri Dalla Valle, the fallen heir of Fernando Torres?
Football is full of stories of players who made it against the odds, the young stars transforming potential into the real thing. But, there are even more players who never live up…
David Luiz: Captain, Geezer, Myshkin
Maurizio Sarri is revolutionising Chelsea football, but every such endeavour needs a leader. His best option may also be an unexpected one. David Luiz may not strike everyone as immediate captaincy candidate,…
Boston Gooners: A football fan club in a soccer nation
Our writer went to a pub in Boston on a Sunday, expecting the television to be screening the Arsenal vs Man United game. He opened the door to find 200 Arsenal fans…
Europa League: A lucrative, low-hanging fruit for Chelsea and Sarri
Even if it’s a second tier competition, the UEFA Europa League presents Chelsea with a golden ticket to the Champions’ League, and Sarri to return major European silverware in his first season…
A decade of Thomas Müller: Modern football’s greatest antithesis
What makes a good footballer? Is it his ability to dribble, ruthlessness in front of goal, eye for tactical detail, athleticism, a combination of all? Thomas Muller isn’t the answer to any…
Remembering Fergus Suter, the first footballer to get paid to play
Remember when David Beckham had to explain to the Yanomami tribe that he made a living by kicking a ball around? We take a look at the first person who employed himself…
Dirk Kuyt, Robin Van Persie, and the story of Feyenoord
A complex club like Feyenoord Rotterdam can only be truly understood by looking at two of its modern legends, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie. When Nazi Germany bombed Rotterdam in a…
Chelsea’s new hire: Re-affirming football’s transformation
Chelsea’s earnest pursuit towards hiring a new technical director showed once again how the control of the game has shifted from the field to boardrooms. They aren’t the only ones building a…
Ronaldo, Messi, Pele: The GOAT debate is unending, and shouldn’t matter
You could like Cristiano Ronaldo or Leo Messi, or live by the art of Cruyff or the royalty of Pele. Football’s journey over time makes it impossible to compare eras. The “greatest…
Wolverhampton vs Manchester City: An exhibition of courage and spunk
Most would’ve expected City to bulldoze past Wolverhampton, but Nuno Santo’s men showed a strength of character that many bigger teams could learn from. We’ll drive our ships to new lands To…
Sven Ulreich: A life behind Neuer’s giant shadow
Life’s never easy as a reserve goalkeeper, much less if you lurk behind Manuel Neuer. Sven Ulreich has made an example out of his grit and work ethic. As the camera slowly…
Je t’aime, Liverpool: How to Talk About Love and Your Football Club
This feature talks about how Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool aided a small victory over depression by answering an age-old question: why do people and football fans keep falling in love? August 10 –…
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee: Arsenal’s tale of two strikers
Arsenal have top-class strikers in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Can Unai Emery unlock their hidden potential for the club’s success? It isn’t every day that you get to watch footballers live,…
El Dorado – Origin Story of Colombian Football: Part 2
From 1949-1953, Colombia may have had the strongest football league in the world. But was the so-called ‘El Dorado’ league such a glorious time for Colombian football? All that glitters is not…