Articles
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Golden Oldies, Notable Nomads and Brazil’s Management Godfather: How Atlético Mineiro Ended 50 Years of Hurt
There were jubilant celebrations on the streets of Belo Horizonte last week, as Atlético Mineiro ended their 50-year wait for a league title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Bahia, clinching the title with two games to spare. While Mineiro seemed destined to win the league for many weeks, after half a century of near…
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The Magic of Allan Saint-Maximin
I first noticed the star power of Allan Saint-Maximin thanks to Hatem Ben Arfa. When I first started watching football seriously in 2013, I was obsessed with talented dribblers. I scoured YouTube for all the highlights I could find of the best dribblers in the world doing crazy things. I watched hours of Ronaldo…
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A Chance for a New Dawn – The Botafogo Story
Nilton Santos, Garincha, Jairzinho, Alemao, Didi and more. What do you think of when those names come up? Obviously Brazil, but which club did they play for? During various times throughout history, they have shone for arguably the best or at least the most decorated National Team in football history. But who did they shine…
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Armando Broja: Cobham’s New Kid on the Block
Much can be said about Cobham. For those that don’t know what Cobham is, it is a secret lab somewhere in West London that churns out elite-level footballers at what seems to be an abnormal rate. In all seriousness though, the plaudits cannot be directed in one singular direction. The coaching staff, infrastructure, club and…
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Emmanuel Dennis: The Menacing Hornet
For a lot of people, Emmanuel Bonaventure Dennis introduced himself to the football world by mimicking the renowned ‘Siuuu’ celebration at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium as if to taunt the home supporters, something many won’t dare to do, but which shows the kind of character he is. Two years later, while playing in the…
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An In-Depth Analysis Of The Similarities Between Football And Gaming
Over the years, the relationship between sports and gaming has evolved considerably. Video game franchises like FIFA propelled this relationship in the 1990s and, since then, sports have found their way into other gaming niches. Yet, it’s not just about building teams, managing transfers, or playing matches that attract football fans to football simulation video…
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Tactical Analysis: How Barcelona Can Shape Up to Beat Bayern Munich
Xavi’s return as a coach at Camp Nou was a dream come true for every Barcelona football fan. However, it should be clear by now that only Xavi’s presence in the dugout will not cure all of Barcelona’s problems. Under Xavi, Barcelona has done well so far. They were winning two matches in the…
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The Fix Is In – The 1915 Match-Fixing Scandal
The arrival of spring 1915 heralded new levels of bloodshed in continental Europe as the Great War escalated among the belligerent nations. But amidst the suffering of men in the battlefields of continental Europe, the football season was still being played in England in the first year of the war. Beginning in September 1914,…
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Ralf Rangnick’s Red Devils Revolution Beginning to Take Shape
The Ralf Rangnick revolution has begun at Old Trafford. Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace provided the German with the perfect start to life with the Red Devils. Having only had 45 minutes of on-the-pitch training time with the team, it was impressive to see just how structured United were. Deploying a 4-2-2-2 system…
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Hakim Ziyech: The Potential Master Key in Chelsea’s Attack
It only took Thomas Tuchel nine minutes to lose his patience with Hakim Ziyech. The Watford game was precariously balanced at 1-1 and the 28-year-old Moroccan had already failed with a cross-field diagonal to Marcos Alonso which was intercepted, received a yellow for fouling João Pedro on the counter, bafflingly passed the ball out of…
