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English Premier League

ARSENAL WIN SEASON’S FIRST TROPHY, BUT HAVE ONE GLARING WEAKNESS

Pep Guardiola neared Mikel Arteta, put one arm around his shoulder and gave the Arsenal manager an affectionate smack on the jaw. Guardiola smiled, while Arteta grinned. Then master and pupil pulled away. Arteta put his hands in his pocket, staring straight ahead and started leading his team from the tunnel and on to the […]

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Bundesliga English Premier League La Liga Miscellaneous Serie A

STEALS OF THE SUMMER? A TEAM OF 11 TRANSFERS WHO COULD PROVE TO BE BARGAINS OF NEXT SEASON

In May 1977, Bob Paisley was in his third season in charge of Liverpool. He had already led the Reds to 4 trophies, including a ‘double’ of the First Division title and the UEFA Cup in the 1975/76 season. The 1976/77 season would see Paisley help Liverpool to another special achievement, this time a double […]

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Bundesliga English Premier League International Football La Liga Ligue 1

4 MANAGERS EYE A COMEBACK: HOLLYWOOD CAN TEACH THEM HOW TO MOUNT ONE

In 1938, Katherine Hepburn was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. She had already won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1934, and was widely acclaimed as one of the finest actors of her generation. But at just 31 years of age, she had also been labelled ‘box office poison’. In print. On May 3, […]

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English Premier League UEFA Champions League

HOW DO YOU STOP CITY? PART 2

Manchester City did the ‘Double’ of winning the English Premier League and the FA Cup this season when they beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3, having already secured the league title in May. However, Brentford had done their own ‘Double’ over the champions in late May, when they defeated City […]

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English Premier League UEFA Champions League

HOW DO YOU STOP CITY? PART 1

By all accounts, April Fools’ Day in Manchester this year was a quiet affair. But not at the Etihad stadium, where Manchester City hosted Liverpool in a crucial English Premier League match.  Jurgen Klopp’s men were trying to rally their way to Champions League qualification following a desperately disappointing season during which they had been […]

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UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League

TALKING POINTS FROM THE UCL, UEL QUARTERFINALS

1) Italy On The Up By the end of June 10, the day the football season in Europe ends with the final of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League in Istanbul, Italy could very well have the reigning Champions League, Europa League and Conference League winners in its ranks.  The Champions League is certain to have […]

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Miscellaneous

RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK: TEAM OF THE SEASON OF PLAYERS 35 AND OVER

Date: April 19, 2008.  Time: Around 8.30 pm. Occasion: Rajastan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils, the Royals’ first match of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2008 campaign. At the dressing room marked ‘Away’ at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium (before it was renamed after Arun Jaitley) in Delhi, Ravindra Jadeja looked around him trying to take in […]

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La Liga

REAL SOCIEDAD, DESPITE RECENT WOBBLE, AIM FOR THE 10-RING

Sarah Lewis, now an associate professor of History of Art and Architecture and African and African-American Studies at Harvard University, once visited the all-women archery team of Columbia University, New York, to watch them train. The archers were preparing for an upcoming national-level competition. As each competitor drew and then unleashed arrow after arrow from […]

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English Premier League

CLEAN SHEETS IN HIS BAG, WEMBLEY IN HIS EYES: A NICK POPE STORY

Journalist: You never thought this day would come? Nick Pope: No. Journalist: Why? Pope: I’ve played in some cold, dark leagues. In League One and lower than that, and then also League Two, and Conference. The national team is a level .. you think it’s too far away almost.  Nick Pope was speaking in March […]

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International Football World Cup 2022

ARGENTINA’S MARCH TO THE FINAL IN 3 WORDS.

As Argentina prepare to take on France in the 2022 Qatar World Cup final, the Albiceleste captain Lionel Messi has the opportunity to claim the one prize that’s  missing from his mantelpiece, and emulate the man whose trail he has been touted to follow all his career: Diego Maradona.  Regardless of the result of Sunday’s […]