“The 1994 jersey…” sighed Emmanuel Amunike whimsically as he fondly remembered the beautiful white and green patterned shirt which Nigeria sported at the World Cup in the United States. His reaction is typical of all football fans of a certain vintage, not to mention classic shirt collectors and Super Eagles fans. But for Amunike, that…
A Champions League winner and about as well-travelled a footballer as there is, Edgaras Jankauskas played for 16 clubs in a two-decade career. In that time, he became one of Lithuania’s greatest ever footballers and established a reputation for himself as a consummate professional. His finest hour came in 2004, when under the stewardship of…
Few professionals – if any – in world football can claim to have worked with Bobby Robson, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Carlos Queiróz, Mario Zagallo and Carlos Alberto. Roger Spry’s CV is one of the most impressive around. And his accomplishments are matched only by his passion. The spiritual side of football, the emotional side…
Loyalty is the surest path to legend. Steve Cherundolo played for Hannover 96 for 17 years and averaged over 30 games per season. He wore the armband for both his club and his country, making 87 appearances for the United States between 1999 and 2012. When he hung up his boots, the man affectionately dubbed…
Do you fancy Gareth Southgate’s job? “There’s not many Scotsmen managing England teams, so it would certainly be interesting,” said Owen Coyle Junior, a wry smile cast across his face. It would certainly be an atypical career move, but thus far the manager of the England National Amputee Team’s story has defied convention. For one…
As the more worldly of our two interviewees, Fernando Valente took it upon himself to dish out some advice, advice for football and indeed for life: “Yes, we want to win. Everybody wants to win. But the way we win can make the difference. For me, that’s the story of my life. I win, I…
“They are the best. Nobody can organise better; nobody can have the coaches that they have. The relationship, the combination, between sport and business. America has got good things, bad things – but in professional sport, nobody can do better than them.” For whatever reason, football in America is often the subject of derision from…
“In these days of uncertainty because of the pandemic situation, it’s good to have this kind of chat,” says Hernâni Borges. The hour-long conversation that followed was conducted via video call, both speakers backlit by the glow of their computer screens. In an era characterised by unfamiliarity, adapting to new realities is the order of…
When Trevor Francis became the first million-pound footballer in 1979, he was the subject of endless hyperbolic headlines. It was news, not just within the world of football, but in the mainstream media too. Nowadays, things are a little different; with billions upon billions pouring into the game from kaleidoscopic revenue streams, seven figure-sums are…
“We live in a world that is made by rules, and you need to follow them,” says Pedro Caixinha, a man who knows a thing or two about the discipline required to make it to the top. When a club appoints a coach, Pedro believes, “you are not buying a name, you are buying ideas.”…