Fernando Carlos Redondo Neri cuts an angry figure as he reads from a prepared script. At what should be an exciting time for the player, he delivers carefully chosen...
Read MoreGianluca Signorini: The tragedy of Genoa’s hero and Italy’s most underrated Libero
In the contemporary age of calcio, the libero is an obsolete position. This outdated defensive role, also known as the sweeper, was cleverly orchestrated by the following Italian legends:...
Read MoreGiovanni Griffith: The Swansong of a cursed man
Every now and then, we are reminded of the fragility of a footballer’s career. Of how a single moment on the pitch can inject an unwanted interlude into a...
Read MoreClaudio Ranieri: Laying the foundations for the modern Chelsea
It was fitting that Claudio Ranieri took his title-winning Leicester side to defending champions Chelsea on the final day of the 2015/16 season. As the match unfolded, both sets...
Read MoreWhen God smiled at Mancini: The craziest Serie A comeback of the 21st Century
They had become a garden with no water, an oak with no leaves, a dry and thirsty land where vessels were filled only with shame for failing to triumph...
Read MoreLuciano Spalletti: The past and present of Italy’s last great innovator
Different yet, somehow, so similar. Rome and Milan are, in terms of traditions, culture and lifestyle, worlds apart. Football, however, makes no exception. The rivalry between the teams from...
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Mario Balotelli: A portrait of adversity
The year is 1461 – Portuguese explorers have just sailed onto the shores of modern day Sierra Leone, just above the Gulf of Guinea. It’s the tipping point of...
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Exploiting an untapped gem: Could the city of Venice benefit from selling its football?
‘TGU guest writer, Patrick Graham, studied history in Venice for three months, becoming attached to their local team Venezia FC, recently promoted to Serie B. Whilst there, it struck...
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Hachim Mastour and Milan: The story of a fenomeno crowned too soon
There is no surer sign of financial difficulty than when a big club, one that is used to being at the top come season’s end, decides that it is...
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Ultra-turned-footballer: The paradoxical nature of Paolo Di Canio
Tell me your favourite incarnation of Paolo Di Canio and I’ll show you what kind of football fan you are. If it’s first-time-scissored-volley-vs-Wimbledon-Di-Canio, you are probably a purist. If...
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