LYON have dominated women’s football in Europe for the past decade and have been European champions for the past five years. But this season, they are facing a challenge from, among others, their national rivals Paris Saint-Germain. The two teams are neck-and-neck at the top of D1 Féminine and they will face each other in […]
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Barca and Juve exit: Why it’s hard to admit the guard is changing
THE MOST notable consequence of Barcelona’s defeat against Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus’ capitulation at the hands of Porto was the fact that, for the first time in several years, the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals won’t be graced by either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. These are rock gods in football boots, saintly figures from a […]
Germany’s Bundesliga braces itself after bull run comes to an end
GERMANY’s Bundesliga is the envy of the world in many ways: affordable ticket prices, high levels of stakeholder engagement, big crowds and successful teams. Furthermore, the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 contribute around € 1.4 billion in taxes and duties to the German economy and employ 53,000 people. But like all major leagues, the Bundesliga felt […]
West Ham suffer first covid crunch – worse to come?
WEST HAM UNITED’s 2019-20 financial accounts reveal the initial impact of the pandemic in 2020, but offer little comfort for the current season, which could be even more of a concern for the club. The Hammers’ turnover, at £ 140 million, was 27% down and the club’s net loss more than doubled to £ 65.3 […]
Nottingham Forest’s accounts – calm before a bigger storm
NOTTINGHAM Forest’s 2019-20 annual accounts were issued this week, revealing a net loss of £ 15.9 million – better than 2018-19 but displaying the symptoms of a club paying out more money than it earns. While the club is actively and demonstrably backed by owner Evangelos Marinakis, who underlined his support recently by converting £ […]
Stadiums: Learning to love the brutal building
APPARENTLY, the architectural style “brutalist” is making a comeback and people are reassessing a much-maligned school of design. Football fans, generally, are nostalgists, so the older the better as far as most are concerned. The favoured materials, for years and years, have invariably been corrugated metal and wood. Concrete, all function over form and strictly […]
The new Champions League – the start of a more self-serving period?
WHO IS Andrea Agnelli kidding? When he announces that the latest attempt to push European football towards the cliff edge is good medicine for the clubs, he really means it is beneficial for the elite and another step towards a European Super League. It’s undoubtedly designed to ensure the big guns remain the big guns […]
Singing for the Macclesfield revival
MACCLESFIELD TOWN’s demise really preceded the pandemic, the club was on the brink and was pushed into the abyss after years of hurdles and obstacles. But there’s good news for their long-suffering fans in the form of phoenix club Macclesfield FC, who are set to make their bow in the North West Counties League in […]
20 years of Levy at Tottenham: Transformation without gilding
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR are not just one of England’s top clubs, they have moved into the top dozen in Europe. What’s more, they have leapfrogged Arsenal, their North London rivals, built a terrific new stadium and have reached the Champions League final. The past decade has been eventful for the Spurs, but they still haven’t won […]