By Enzo Del Llano | This article was first published on Football Chronicle in December, 2019. It was the end of the 1994-5 season, and in Barcelona, there were heated discussions about the team’s direction. Johan Cruyff was still the manager, but it seemed as though the glory days of the
Tag: World Football
Could 20/21 be the most difficult Premier League ever?
With Liverpool's stunning runaway victory of the Premier League title last season, some pundits and fans wondered if England had become more like France or Germany. Were we now seeing a separation between the league's best teams and those around them? The gap between 2nd placed Manchester City, and 6th placed
[EADF Shorts] – Christmas Truce
Neymar and the power of choice – Deconstructing the PSG star’s psyche (and career) in an interview with Money Heist’s Denver
In an October 2019 interview with Money Heist actor Jaime Lorente, who played Denver, Neymar Jr. ended their conversation with the following words: “Choosing is difficult, but in life you have to choose, otherwise you’ll never be happy.” Moments before, he ruminated on his career and how he had evolved as
A Frank look at Chelsea – A baptism of fire with blue skies ahead
Ronaldo – The story of a starry-eyed boy from Madeira
In 2004, a devastating Tsunami destroyed millions of homes and killed innumerable people all-over South-East Asia. World Television footage of the tsunami focused on the image of a seven-year-old survivor named Martunis wearing 'Rui Costa' 'Number 10' Portuguese football jersey. He had been stranded for 19 days after watching his
An overview of Karim Benzema’s most impactful season with Madrid
Real Madrid have done it. After two years of settling for second best in La Liga, Los Blancos have finally restored their position as Champions of Spain, following a scintillating title race with their perennial rivals Barcelona. After the loss of talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best player in the
Wolves: The Major Lesson Learned from 19/20
How Gattuso’s Horn Sharpened Napoli’s Resolve
Full-blooded Italians are, much like their monuments, a relic of a bygone era. Still, they wouldn't be so if they didn't try to clamour unhealthily for their glory days, only to bookend themselves like a Shakespearean political drama. Like many of Italy's hardmen of the early 2000s Gennaro Gattuso's foray
Arrivederci Daniel De Rossi – An ode to the Prince of Rome
By Andrea Agostinelli | This article was first published on Football Chronicle on January 23, 2020 It’s the summer of 2012 in Rome, Italy. Late one night, Roberto Mancini and Daniele De Rossi have discussed something that will send shockwaves in the footballing world. The Italian coach has convinced the midfielder
Never say die – The inspiring tale of Danny Ings
PSG’s Academy puzzle
Recently, Bayern Munich secured a double transfer of Leroy Sane of Manchester City and Tanguy Kouassi of Paris Saint-Germain. While most of the headlines will rightly belong to the high profile transfer of Leroy Sane, Bayern's coup of the 17-year-old Frenchman from PSG has also raised some eyebrows at PSG's
Roger Schmidt to PSV: The Next Chapter in the Ascension of Dutch Football
The making of Ronaldo – Leaving School, Impressing in Portugal and the 1994 World Cup
‘Finished’ they said, Clueless.
Manchester United & Chelsea could challenge for the title next season
Arthur at Barça: A Moment’s Beginning Ends in a Moment
Sitting in the backseat of a car with an interviewer after signing for FC Barcelona, a starry-eyed Arthur Melo carries a beaming smile. Amid a long list of pre-prepared questions, came one that endeared the new boy to almost every cule around the world. The interviewer asks Arthur his biggest wish. He
FC Noida – Transforming football in Noida
Arsenal’s centre-back pairings over the years
Burnley -The Polished Perfect System
Football has moved into an age where we romanticise possession-based football, dominating even the most determined of teams and forcing them to change with the times. When looking at the WhoScored metrics for Pass Accuracy, Possession, and Dribbles p90, Burnley are firmly rooted to the bottom of the table every season. Even though
Life after Leo
[Interview] Thomas Gronnemark – The ‘Not-So-Normal’ One
Can West Ham stay up?
Two sides to every coin – Football and the case of perspective
Embracing the ‘new normal’ will take time
The lockdown, due to the pandemic, has brought about the true sentiment behind the well-known axiom, 'you don't know what you have until it's gone'. While people are subconsciously aware of life and its sudden and frail nature, the virus has seemingly brought these feelings of trepidation to reality. People from
In Focus – Evaluating Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s permanent signings
FPL Scout Report 26 – Which teams to target?
FPL Scout Report 24 – Players to consider for double-gameweek 30
With just two days remaining for the GW30+ deadline following Project Restart, we start off with a Double Gameweek with rearranged fixtures for Manchester City, Arsenal, Sheffield United and Aston Villa. The fixtures in GW 30 for these teams are as follows – Manchester City – Arsenal (H) Burnley (H) Arsenal – Manchester
A closer look at Monchi’s disappoitning stint at AS Roma
The famed sporting director of Sevilla - Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, commonly known as Monchi, was one of the most in-demand figures in football a few years back. He had overseen transfers, youth promotion and managerial choices in Seville for 17 years, after being appointed as the Director of Football in
From Kirkby to Anfield – What’s going on at Liverpool’s academy?
Liverpool FC. European Champions. World Champions. Premier League champions-elect. Over the last few seasons, the Reds have gone from strength to strength in all departments and are now challenging for trophies consistently. The first-team squad has settled very well, as is seen by the absence of any major signings over
Potential bargain of the summer – Malang Sarr
1 point since October and death threats – The devastating 19/20 season at Toulouse
Ligue 1 has often been an under-covered league in football writing and journalism, however here at EADF, one club’s performance this year has shocked us both on and off the pitch. Despite finishing bottom, Toulouse would have been thankful when the LFP (The Ligue de Football Professionnel) decided to put
Ginga – The essence of Brazilian football through the years
Evaluating Liverpool’s options post the Werner saga
The race for Champions League Qualification spots in La Liga
La Liga is well poised to resume action behind closed doors from the eleventh of June; with matches scheduled almost every day, the thirst of the fans for Spanish football will be quenched soon. Straying away from the usual template of the big three teams automatically qualifying for Champions League
Barcelona’s problems are going to get worse
The unfullfilled potential of Rodrigo Possebon
By James Young | This article was first published on Football Chronicle on February 20, 2020 Manchester United’s Brazil-based scout, John Calvert-Toulmin is best known for bringing Fábio and Rafael da Silva to Old Trafford. The twins made a combined total of 131 appearances for United and have both gone on
The under-appreciated versatility of full-backs
Solving the Pogba and Fernandes puzzle – A welcome headache for Solskjær
There is much to look forward to when the Premier League returns. On the 19th of June, Tottenham Hotspur will be facing Manchester United in one of the highly-anticipated ties. Champions League places will determine much of what the future holds for both sides, two managers who seem perenially confined
FIFA’s stance on racism and politics
Arturo Vidal – Powerhouse of the Catalan midfield
FC Barcelona have been known for having a plethora of quality midfielders over the years. Having produced elite players like Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets etc, quality and strength in the centre has never been an issue for the azulgranas. But since the departure of Xavi and Iniesta in
Where does Philippe Coutinho go from here?
[EADF Shorts] Catenaccio – Rappan, Herrera and the birth of a revolutionary philosophy
Only on rare occasions do managers get more famous than their players. Pep Guardiola is recognised globally for his use of positional play or Juego de Posición at Barcelona but the recognition his players received was consistent with the attention he garnered. On the other hand, the famous 'Catenaccio' defensive style of
Dani Olmo – Following the footsteps of great Spanish playmakers
In the modern-day football world, teenagers and youth players seeking to deviate from their academies to foreign leagues for first-team chances seem to be the path trodden, as opposed to breaking into the home-grown club's first team. Although Jadon Sancho is the first name that comes to mind seeing that
Sarri’s last chance; The return of Serie A
Remembering Croatia’s World Cup run in 2018
Bastian Schweinsteiger – A career drenched in glory
By Karan Tejwani | This article was first published on Football Chronicle on November 7, 2019. 19 May 2012. Munich, Germany. Bayern Munich, playing at their prestigious home, the Allianz Arena, were aiming to beat Chelsea and win the Champions League for the first time since 2001. After a one-sided affair that
No Tonic for Marseille’s ‘Chronic Instability’
For a season that has seen Marseille return to form, seal a return to European competition, the club on the south of France have predictably turned wine into water, again. The club itself admitted to it, lamenting in an official statement "For the last 20 years, Marseille is a club that has suffered
The Rundown for ‘Der Klassiker’
The biggest game in German football needs little introduction. Record winners Bayern are looking to for their 8th straight 'Meisterschale'- but the Bavarians have had their backs against the wall for a large part of the season. Bayern made a sluggish start to the season with three draws and two losses
Nobby Stiles vs Eusébio – One of football’s underrated tale
27th July 1966: Eusebio of Portugal (left) and Nobby Stiles of England in a duel for the ball during their World Cup semi-final match at Wembley, which England won 2-1. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images) Living in the Messi-Ronaldo era, we have gifted our eyes to a decade of stunning performances.
Aritz Aduriz – The lion retires without the swansong he deserved
Joga Bonito – The Brazilian foundations of ‘The Beautiful game’
The cost of winning – Athletes as role models
With the world of professional sports teetering on the edge due to the coronavirus crisis, Netflix's 10-part documentary series-The Last Dance, chronicling sporting icon Michael Jordan's emergence in the NBA until his final days in the empire that he built with the Chicago Bulls, has been a welcome consolation during
Wes Brown – More Than A Mere Passenger
Eden Hazard – The journey so far
Tracing the roots of Women’s football in England and India
The making of Leroy Sané – The German speedster coming of age
Why is there a lack of British Asians in the professional set-up?
Christopher Nkunku – Encouraging signs for RB Leipzig’s rising star
In the Bundesliga, Jadon Sancho, Erling Håland, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner are the most talked about youngsters. However, another French youngster is quietly making a name for himself - Christopher Nkunku, a French midfielder of Congolese descent, who plays for RB Leipzig. He has registered 12 assists in the
The rise and rise of Sheffield United’s cult icon John Lundstram
Man United’s shambolic 2018-19 season from the transfer window till Mourinho’s exit
Change for Newcastle United – The Beautiful Game off; The ugly criminals on
April 29, 2020: Thanks to Saudi Arabia’s poor track record of preserving human rights, multiple influential parties including Amnesty International-UK, PSG’s Qatari owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the fiancée of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, have appealed to the Premier League to stop Mohammed bin Salman taking over Newcastle United Football Club. It seems
Not for the faint hearted – Growing up as a Liverpool fan in the 2010s
Odsonne Edouard – A prodigious talent at just 22
Not Nineteen Forever – A magical end to an era
May 13, 2012, The Stadium of Light - A rare and limited window of time when the English weather is pristine and beautiful. The sunshine and warmth are perfect for many of the nation's favourite sporting pastimes, including cricket and football. It is a special time in the football calendar. Emotions
‘The English Game’: How Football Became a Game For All
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” – How Adama Traoré finally made it
Lautaro Martínez – The Argentine Predator Wanted by Europe’s Elite
"Lautaro Martínez is already a champion. He scores in all sorts of ways and helps out his teammates" - Gabriel Batistuta. One of Europe's hottest striking prospects, 'El Toro' (The Bull) has been devastating for Inter Milan this season, living up to his nickname by rampaging and ripping apart defenses, forming
Dominic Calvert-Lewin – Laying the foundations for a special future
Riding a timeless wave- Looking back at Daniel Sturridge’s extraordinary 13/14 season’
Bruno Fernandes’ discernible impact on United hinges on more than just direct goal contributions
Should referees give post match interviews?
Mateo Kovačić – Taking Chelsea FC forward in every way possible
In spite of their Europa League success, Chelsea’s 18/19 campaign under Maurizio Sarri was widely acknowledged to be below average amongst their fan base. After a good start to life under the then newly appointed Italian, Chelsea soon found themselves struggling to get results as teams had figured out how
Finding the right balance – Tactical Analysis of Arsenal under Mikel Arteta
The psychological challenges of recovering from long term injuries
Sport is a canvas for mankind’s imagination. A most beautiful painting where we see mental thought and creativity combine with wonderful, mind-bending feats of physical prowess. Different sports provide different things for fans to enjoy. Yet football stirs up intense passions, often far more powerful and emotive than any other
Potential tactical tweaks Klopp can implement to beat Atlético Madrid
[Interview] Amy Laurence – Riding the wave of Women’s football
She might not have the same global presence of female athletes such as Alex Morgan or Lieke Martens- but 20- year-old Amy Laurence is an equally important torch-bearer for the advancement of the women’s game. Amy Laurence, with her co-host Lauren, launched ‘The Redmen TV Women’s Podcast' back in 2018. Her
