“History is written by the victors” and “no one remembers who came in second” are old adages that don’t always ring true. The best example of that is the Netherlands team that finished runner-up at the 1974 World Cup. This star-studded Dutch side played scintillating football and left an indelible mark on the game. Building Greatness The foundation for the national team’s success was laid by Feyenoord and Ajax. During this time, Rinus Michels developed his renowned Total Football style, which was later refined by his Ajax successor, Ștefan Kovács, who gave his players more freedom to express t ..read more

Alan Shearer was never a one-club man like Paolo Maldini, nor could he boast the same silverware as some of his compatriots and peers. What he did have, however, was an unshakable loyalty to his hometown club, Newcastle United, and over the course of his ridiculously prolific career, he achieved godlike status on Tyneside. All Roads Lead to Newcastle Despite growing up virtually on Newcastle United’s doorstep, his local side only recognized Shearer’s talent after he had already been snapped up by Southampton, a club from the other side of the country. After coming through the Saints’ famed aca ..read more

As football becomes ever more cutthroat and profit driven, brand exposure has developed into a prominent aspect of the business. Clubs can take different approaches: some sign players from specific markets or partner with existing teams in certain parts of the globe to increase their profile. Then there’s the case of Jorge Vergara, who in 2005 launched an entirely new franchise, Chivas USA, in an attempt to turn Guadalajara giants Chivas from a regional powerhouse into a global phenom. The Vision Wanting to capitalize on the existing Mexican community in Southern California and the United Stat ..read more

Few players divided opinions quite like Roberto Baggio. Beloved by some, hated by others; unquestionably talented, yet rarely utilized to his full potential. Baggio was one of the best players to ever set foot on a pitch, but his entire legacy has unfairly been tarnished by one particular blemish. The Divine Ponytail Baggio’s rise to stardom was nothing short of meteoric. After playing an instrumental role in Vicenza’s promotion to Serie B as a teenager, he was snapped up by Fiorentina. The ink on his deal had barely dried when he suffered an ACL tear that would haunt him for the rest of his c ..read more

When Rangers entered administration and plummeted out of the Scottish top flight all the way down to the fourth division, it had hit rock bottom. Now, eight and a half years later, not only are the Gers firmly back among the domestic elite, but Steven Gerrard has Scotland’s most decorated team on the verge of knocking hated foe Celtic off its perch. Insolvency Rangers hit a financial roadblock in 2012. The club was unable to pay back its debts and entered administration, resulting in the sale of its assets; the original company officially liquidated later that year. Thus, one of the world’s mo ..read more

This is a collaboration with La Copa Imposible. The original version was written in Spanish by Daniel Arcucci and Ezequiel Fernández Moores--- This is a surreal Superclásico. Nothing could stop it from taking place. Just twenty days ago, Plaza de Mayo was the scene of riots, repression, and death. “Pickets and pans, the struggle is the same one.”1 Looting. State of siege. President De la Rúa fled office by helicopter. Argentina has witnessed a superminister (Domingo Cavallo), the IMF, the Megacanje and the Blindaje,2 which would “save our future,” they said. “They piss on us and the ..read more

There are good players who will always be fondly remembered by supporters, and there are great ones who transcended rivalries and changed the game forever. Franz Beckenbauer is part of the latter group. Nicknamed Der Kaiser (the Emperor) for his exploits, the German is one of the most decorated footballers of the last century, and his success continued even after he hung up his boots. Coronation Even though he grew up supporting 1860 Munich, it was with its city rival, Bayern, where Beckenbauer rose to prominence. When Beckenbauer made his debut as an 18-year-old in 1964, it quickly became app ..read more

Silly season is upon us. The Premier League transfer window is open, and clubs can wheel and deal as much as they like for the entirety of January. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has left the financial side of the game shrouded in uncertainty, there is sure to be some movement before the window slams shut on February 1, as teams at both ends of the table will look to bolster their squads. Finding the Next Gem The winter transfer period always offers some unique challenges. Since it is the middle of the season in most parts of the world, teams are often reluctant to let go of their superstar ..read more

“Of the three ingredients that soccer offers, the most essential to its success is neither the ball nor the players but the flag. . . .” Soccer captures “the clan (football club), the temple (the stadium), the war (the enemy is the other club or another city or another country), and eternity (a shirt and a flag whose—supposedly glorious—tradition is inherited by successive generations). In soccer, you never walk alone.” Dr. Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, professor at the London School of Economics, wrote these lines in his book Beautiful Game Theory: How Soccer Can Help Economics. Six years later ..read more

For a lot of people, the holidays are a rare opportunity to spend some quality time with friends and family, but there is one team—and one man in particular—who has made quite a habit of ruining the festive spirit, at least as far as Premier League defenders are concerned. Whenever English football’s greatest spectacle, Boxing Day, comes around, Tottenham Hotspur and star striker Harry Kane seem to hit another gear and turn into an almost unstoppable force. By the Numbers At this point, it is an annual tradition for Harry Kane to hit the back of the net on the day after Christmas. In the five ..read more