THE collapse of communism and the plethora of velvet revolutions across Europe undoubtedly diluted the strength of the old Eastern Bloc and its acolytes. We feared the technique, strength and organisation of the state-run footballing machines, but once the Red Army retreated and the busts tumbled from their plinths, Warsaw Pact football was all but […]
FOR A while, we were led to believe this World Cup would be the one of shocks and surprises. We had Brazil spluttering to a draw, Argentina getting hammered and Germany beaten by Mexico. Messi would exit, leaving his last World Cup unfulfilled, Ronaldo would be crowned the greatest of all time and perhaps “little” […]
WHEN Mexico beat Germany 1-0 in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup, it was greeted with mild hysteria, not just by the Mexican fans, but also by pundits and onlookers. As far as they were concerned, Mexico had pulled off a major shock, unseated the world champions and created a little piece of […]
IT HAS not been a totally disappointing World Cup, but it hasn’t quite ignited into the festival of football we are always promised and rarely get. The fancied teams have yet to find their form, although it is feasible they are merely pacing themselves after long domestic programmes. The surprise of the first week was […]
WHAT will we take from this year’s World Cup? Too often, the great FIFA bunfight fails to deliver something really lasting, certainly in more recent times. Arguably the most striking thing about 2014 was Brazil’s dramatic capitulation to Germany – that 7-1 defeat is still really hard to believe. In the long and distant past, […]
WHEN England crashed out of the 1974 World Cup in the qualifying tournament, considered a major shock at the time, Poland, their conquerors, were seen as also-rans, a relative minnow that had audaciously knocked-out the 1966 champions. Yet if the British media had been as informed as they thought they were, it would have realised […]
THE FINAL of CONIFA’s World Football Cup may have been something of a damp squib (literally), settled in the unsatisfactory manner of the penalty shoot-out, but the occasion underlined the very warm feeling the tournament created among the many people who watched the games in and around London. There were glitches, notably the clumsy exit […]
THE problem is, we have so many distractions, both football and non-football, and that’s why the FIFA World Cup no longer captivates us like it once did. Globalisation has made us over-familiar with the stars of international football, has elevated club football to a level that pushes the World Cup into the shadows. No longer […]
RUSSIA may be one of the lowest-ever ranked hosts of a World Cup, but a successful competition will enhance its brand value as a tourist and business destination. A new report by Swiss bank UBS, Investing and Football, notes that Russia’s low level of public debt, the second lowest among the 32 nations competing in […]
