Articles
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Irene Gonçalves: The Legend of Diva Demolidora
On March 28, 2012, Irene Gonçalves announced her decision to retire from professional football. It was a decision that was precipitated by her retirement from international football a year prior, due to a lack of payment from officials of the Angolan Football Federation during the qualifying rounds of the Pan-American Games. But despite hanging up…
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Marcel Sabitzer: The Austrian Engine in the Heart of Leipzig’s Midfield
On 10 March 2020, RB Leipzig, in their debut Champions League knockout game at the Red Bull Arena, took on Tottenham Hotspur with a 1-0 advantage. Within the first half of the game in Leipzig, the tie looked over – Marcel Sabitzer, the man with the armband, struck twice. The first came from a…
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Tactical Analysis: Arsenal vs. Manchester City
In the second battle between master and apprentice, it was the latter, Mikel Arteta, that came away victorious against his old boss Pep Guardiola in this year’s first FA Cup semi-final. Arsenal defied expectations and beat a heavily favored Manchester City 2-0 in Wembley, in part due to their head coach’s effective game plan,…
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Tactical Analysis: PSG’s Attacking System Under Thomas Tuchel
Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2018, Thomas Tuchel has managed to get his team to play excellent attacking football, after implementing some distinguishable game principles and recurring patterns without sacrificing the creativity of his players. This is an approach that has been effective so far, with the likes of Marco Verratti,…
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Tactical Analysis: Roberto De Zerbi’s Sassuolo
A superficial glance at Roberto De Zerbi’s career thus far would present a misleading image of one of the most exciting young managers in Europe. Since hanging up his boots in 2013, the Brescia native managed Serie D side Darfo Boario, before winning the Coppa Italia Lega Pro with his former club Foggia, only…
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Why Milan Decided to Stick With Stefano Pioli as Manager
AC Milan have decided to confirm Stefano Pioli as manager for next season, a choice that, quite frankly, no one expected. Ralf Rangnick was supposed to become the new manager, as heavily reported in Italy during the last months. However, the deal has fallen apart for unknown reasons, most likely the fact that there…
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Fiorentina’s False Hope Under Rocco Commisso
Whenever there are signs of progression and hope, they quickly manifest into despair and disappointment. Sadly for Fiorentina supporters, this is symptomatic of their club’s history and the 2010s were no different. The arrival of Italian-American businessman Rocco Commisso has brought renewed enthusiasm but the results over the 2019/20 campaign so far suggested that…
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How Liverpool Conquered the Premier League and Europe
“If it’s possible, can we be the hardest team to beat in the world?” That quote was from Jürgen Klopp’s first Liverpool press conference in October 2015, and it seems he has spoken the truth into reality. 30 years after Alan Hansen lifted the English Division One Title above his head, Jordan Henderson replicated…
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Feyenoord City: How a Stadium Project Created a Divide Between Fans and Their Club
A few things are a trademark of a football club’s identity. Its colours, its crest, its fans, and very often, its stadium. The last is one that sticks around for ages, something fans call their home and something they can associate with for a long time. Moving stadiums or modernizing them to accommodate the…
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Watford’s Last-Gasp Escape Attempt From Relegation
Perspective is important in all situations, and when you consider that Watford hadn’t won a Premier League match this season before a 2-0 win over Norwich City in November, the fact that survival is in their own hands is quite impressive. Although they are not completely out of it in terms of the odds on…
