Football has changed. Most disagreements between managers and pundits are tedious affairs, rooted in complex and broadly impenetrable codes of respect and of…
There was an anecdote the American philosopher William James liked to tell about a regular user of laughing gas. When he was under the influence, he believed,…
Football loves nothing more than a redemption myth. While there are many who will tell you to never go back, there is more rejoicing in the kingdom of football…
Last summer, a host of clubs had begun to express an interest in Kai Havertz. He seemed the model of the modern German attacking midfielder: powerful, quick,…
On his first day in his new prison, Marcelo Bielsa walked into the yard and, following the time-honored precedent, approached the biggest fellow convict he…
Potential can be a curse. Show too much too early and it will define you, so you are measured not by what you have done but against the future that once seemed…
A fortnight ago, two key storylines emerged from Lisbon. There was the collapse of Barcelona and another premature Manchester City exit. From a narrative point…
The critical moment of Lionel Messi’s international career, perhaps, came a little after 1.30pm on a Saturday afternoon in Brasília. Argentina led Belgium 1-0…
