Thesefootballtimes
The redemption of Mauro Icardi
The redemption of Mauro Icardi
FOOTBALLERS OFTEN LET THEIR PERFORMANCES on the pitch do the talking for them; silence the critics, earn the big payday and dream move, and ultimately justify their status in the beautiful game. Many, however, fall victim to their own personal shortcomings and allow off-field happenings to define who they are as not only a professional but […]
One magical day when the Maradona brothers rolled into town
One magical day when the Maradona brothers rolled into town
FOR MANY FOOTBALL FANS who enjoyed seeing the Argentine star in his prime, Diego Maradona remains the best player to have ever graced a football pitch. He was a player who quite literally had the world at his feet, mesmerising crowds with his phenomenal natural talent, accompanied by a dazzling repertoire of skills and tricks; […]
How Spaniards José Callejón and Suso reinvented their careers in Italy
How Spaniards José Callejón and Suso reinvented their…
SURROUNDED BY 22 other Spanish trailblazers, Iker Casillas[1] ecstatically took his rightful place at the centre of the podium as the all-conquering hero, discovering an uncharted world and raiding it of its riches. As each of his compatriots nervously made their way through the queue, the anticipation of what was still to come engulfed the […]
Emilio Butragueño: the vulture
Emilio Butragueño: the vulture
EMILIO BUTRAGUEÑO ALWAYS LOOKED LIKE HE SMELLED NICE. Although nicknamed the ‘Vulture’, he was the pretty footballer who played pretty football back in the hearty days of muddy pitches and agricultural tackles. His unassuming blue eyes, his light curly locks and his perfect Colgate smile meant he looked more like Steve McQueen than a striker […]
The army of assistants and coaches elevating the top managers to glory
The army of assistants and coaches elevating the top managers…
PREENING, POINTING, POSTURING AND PARADING; the managerial theatre played out in top-flight football’s technical areas is more often than not fascinating. Dugouts used to be quite literal – a sunken structure almost out of sight and affording uncomfortable inhabitants views of muddy knees. Thanks in no small part to football’s relentless, hypnotised and monetised push […]
Roberto Mancini: the rare genius who led Sampdoria and Lazio to unprecedented heights
Roberto Mancini: the rare genius who led Sampdoria and Lazio…
I HAVE THIS MEMORY from my childhood that’s still vivid in my mind. It’s some time in the 1990s and I’m sitting on the sofa watching Channel 4’s Football Italia. I had tuned in to see highlights of Alessandro Del Piero but was sidetracked by a wild Italian, barking instructions – it may have been […]
From Peru to Denmark: the race for South American talent
From Peru to Denmark: the race for South American talent
IN 2001, a 13-year-old Lionel Messi and his family relocated from Rosario to Barcelona. Reports of his trial are poetic, as just two minutes on a football pitch were enough for the club’s technical director to realise that Messi was some messianic footballing entity, immediately drawing comparisons with Diego Maradona. In fairness, his value to […]
The glory of Careca at Napoli
The glory of Careca at Napoli
ANTÔNIO DE OLIVEIRA FILHO was born in the city of Araquara in the Brazilian state of São Paulo on 5 October 1960. His nickname, Careca – which roughly translates as ‘bald’ – came to him during his childhood due to his likeness of the famous Brazilian clown Carequinha who, very much like the young boy, […]
Where does Edinson Cavani rank amongst his generation’s best strikers?
Where does Edinson Cavani rank amongst his generation’s…
WHEN NEYMAR OFFICIALLY SIGNED FOR PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN on 3 August, the dominant narrative surrounding his decision to leave was that he did not want to be in Lionel Messi’s shadow. The Brazilian superstar has immediately settled in the French capital. Along with teenage sensation Kylian Mbappé and Edinson Cavani, the three forwards have cemented themselves […]
Can a Milan backed by shady Chinese money ever become a football capital again?
Can a Milan backed by shady Chinese money ever become a…
THE NEW SOCIETY OF AC MILAN doesn’t sound too far from something the iconoclastic Italian politician and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi would have dreamed up, but it is in fact the symbolic new beginning for the club. It’s another shot at life beyond the stagnant final period of Berlusconi’s regime. The circumstances surrounding the Rossoneri’s […]