The Hollywood Pass
Franck Ribéry looked peeved. The clock showed 75 minutes at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Stadium in the Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund. Ribéry had opened his team’s scoring, lashing home, on first touch, a cross from the right by Philip Lahm in the 4th minute. He had also made an assist. Now the fourth official was […]
Coaching is about, ‘How do I get people to play at their peak level?’ It is a spiritual quest. And if it’s not that, you don’t have a challenge, you don’t have a mission. Forming a brotherhood and trying to move it forward – that’s what coaching is. Phil Jackson, 11-time NBA title winning coach […]
When British driver Nigel Mansell clinched the 1992 Formula 1 World Championship at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Brazilian racing great Ayrton Senna joined him on the podium. While Senna had won the race, Mansell had managed to win the championship despite finishing second in Hungary. As Mansell was preparing to celebrate his maiden (and only) […]
Francis Coquelin dropped to the ground clutching his face. Referee Szymon Marciniak of Poland blew his whistle, stopped play and awarded a free-kick to Villarreal. Liverpool players, who were still trying to control a corner kick delivered by Trent Alexander-Arnold, walked away from the Villarreal box to let the Spanish side’s goalkeeper take the free-kick. […]
Valentino Mazzola, captain of the legendary ‘Grande Torino’ team of the 1950s, famously rolled up his sleeves during matches when things were not going according to plan. This was a signal to teammates and opponents alike that it was time for the ‘quarto d’ora granata’ ( the maroon quarter-hour). What followed was 15 minutes in […]
To see Antonio Conte speak after a match and to see him on the touchline during one can mystify even the most avid follower of football. Conte on the touchline can be a volcanic presence, seething one moment and euphoric the other. Away from the scene of action, he is tranquil and untroubled, speaking with […]
Thank you for visiting TheHollywoodPass.com. This is a site dedicated to feature and long-form writing on Football. The Hollywood Pass will focus on football primarily from the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga, the Italian Serie A and the UEFA Champions League. From time to time, we will also write on football from the […]