Articles
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The Rise and Fall of FC Dnipro
At around 10 pm local time on the 27th May 2015, Ukraine’s fifth-largest city of Dnipropetrovsk rejoiced and stood in awe as Nikola Kalinić scored the goal to allow the minnows of European football, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk to take the lead in the biggest match of the club’s 97-year tenure; the UEFA Europa League Final. Though…
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Paul Onuachu’s Rise to Super Eagle Stardom
In 2012, Paul Onuachu’s life changed. Just like the biblical version, his was slightly different, with the 6ft 7in forward securing a transfer that took him from third division Nigerian club to the Danish Super League. Born in Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria. He arrived the world at a time Iwuanyanwu Nationale, now Heartland,…
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Scouting Report: Beckham Putra Nugraha
Whisper it softly, but Indonesian football may be in the midst of its own ‘golden generation’ at the moment. As if to underline this opinion, it even has a player called Beckham. The country has recently witnessed the emergence of a number of young, talented footballers. Player Analysis: Syahrian Abimanyu These include Bagus…
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Player Analysis: Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez joined Manchester City as their club-record signing in the summer of 2018, but that was only after four failed bids from the then-defending champions and a week of missed training with Leicester City, as he went AWOL. Expectations were, therefore, quite high, but that was not something the Algerian international was used…
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Tactical Analysis: Germany’s U-21 Euros Squad
Despite the continued struggles of football in a post-pandemic era, the U-21 European Championships is set to begin on March 24th, an international tournament that will be unlike any of its predecessors. Alone the scheduling raises eyebrows, with the group stages and quarterfinals separated by exactly two months as UEFA hopes to get the green…
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David Luiz: One of the Most Disrespected Names in World Football
There are many misconceptions amongst casual fans of football, perhaps none more so than the belief that David Luiz is a disaster of a defender. Of course, there are certain statistics that don’t help his case – the Brazilian has conceded more penalties and more red cards than any other Premier League player since making…
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Gary Cahill: Crystal Palace’s Newly Rejuvenated Defensive General
Few, if any, central defenders currently playing in the Premier League have achieved as much in the game as Gary Cahill. The 35-year-old has two Premier League titles, two FA Cups and one Champions League winners’ medal to this name. Even with his three PFA Team of the Year nominations though, there’s a case that…
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Why Terem Moffi Could Be Nigeria’s Next Superstar Striker
From Victor Osimhen to Odion Ighalo, from Kelechi Iheanacho to Yakubu, there is a long list of Nigerian center-forwards who have achieved a degree of success in European football over the years. At 21 years of age, Terem Moffi seems determined to be the latest inclusion in that group of elite hitmen. Born in…
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Player Analysis: Luis Alberto
Like a majority of players that have joined Lazio during the presidency of Claudio Lotito, Luis Alberto arrived at the Biancocelesti with little fanfare. Acquired from English giants Liverpool for €4 million in the summer of 2016, the Spaniard has developed into one of the Aquile’s best players and arguably one of the best midfielders…
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Can Thomas Tuchel Lead Chelsea to Glory?
In reality, this isn’t Thomas Tuchel’s club. He didn’t bring aboard any of those who are performing for him as manager of Chelsea. He wasn’t involved in any of the transfer decisions, didn’t recommend or recruit a single one of their high-priced signings. And yet, with each passing week, every mounting result, Chelsea is becoming…
