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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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La Liga

XAVI’S ON THE CLOCK AT BARCELONA – AND MAY NOT BEAT IT

“Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it’s OK to lose,” Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen once said.  “I don’t. You have to be merciless.” Carlo Ancelotti, one would think, would be inclined to agree. “We just think about winning matches, not thrashing teams,” the Real Madrid manager said in the […]

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La Liga

THE ART OF MAN-MANAGEMENT: PART 2 (LA LIGA)

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 […]

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UEFA Champions League

AT THE TOP, TWO’S A CROWD

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) […]

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UEFA Champions League

WINNING IS A HABIT: JUST ASK BENZEMA

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 […]