The Hollywood Pass
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Mikel Arteta looked crushed. He was sat in front of the Arsenal goal mouth at Stamford Bridge, his legs stretched in front of him and his arms resting on either leg. The Arsenal captain glanced to his right to see Oscar, the Chelsea winger, trot away jubilantly towards a Chelsea huddle celebrating the goal he […]
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) […]
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 […]