Author Archive

You may remember Mario Ferri from the World Cup, back when he was giving Marcello Lippi the old “I told you so” over his refusal to call up Antonio Cassano. Well, new coach Cesare Prandelli has called up the mad genius and with predictable results – he’s quite good at football, you know. So Mario,...
Read more »

France had a number of big problems in their camp during the World Cup, paramount among them the post-Anelka fallout which was soon followed by France falling out of the World Cup. It was reported to L’Equipe by a mysterious rat that Anelka had told coach Raymond Domenech to do unpleasant things, which one doesn’t...
Read more »

Euro 2012 qualifying is back upon us, with Yossi Benayoun protesting the move to Israel’s holy Sabbath with an aggressive hat-trick against Malta. This comes after qualifying was initially kicked off back in August as any major tournament should: with Estonia and the Faroe Islands. (The Faroes sadly fell.) Tomorrow, however, is the big opening...
Read more »

The year 2010 has certainly not been a favorite of Carlos Quieroz. Even if some had higher hopes, the World Cup run was met with the expected outcome for many – Spain and then done – but the rest has seemingly been one mess after another. There was the shoving match with a journalist...
Read more »

The German captaincy saga, threatening to derail a nation if simply through the wrath of Michael Ballack, will not be allowed its due end, though Jogi may be trying. Jogi has declared that Michael Ballack is very much Germany’s captain, which would normally put the kibosh on matters. However, he hasn’t been called up and...
Read more »

Everyone anticipated that the World Cup would be a distraction, but the size of the distraction was vastly underestimated, and as a result online poker sites have seen their profits plummet. Can we not all agree that online poker is the “distraction” and not the other way ’round? Poker’s nice and all, surely, but the...
Read more »

Though he could probably walk into any international midfield in the world save for Spain, it seems the nature of Zizou’s surprise showing at Clairefontaine was more training for his eventual political career – handshakes, photos, kissing babies, etc. – than training for a surprise return to the football pitch. But given how the summer...
Read more »

It’s been nice, football sans vuvuzelae, hasn’t it? For most of us, anyway, and this surely goes double if you’re the sound engineer for a broadcasting company which pumps out football. (Nightmares of ambient noise and so forth.) UEFA feels similarly and has done away with the devil seed for UEFA-sanctioned competition. A large battle...
Read more »

Though it may seem an occasion long since gone, yesterday brought forth a significant obit: the only player still remaining from the first World Cup final in 1930. Argentine Francisco Varallo passed away at the ripe young age of 100. That first World Cup final was more than 80 years ago, and 75 or...
Read more »

The piece below – a piece rather than video – is a rather astonishing remake of the final 15 minutes, the penalties, of the semifinal between France and West Germany in 1982. Astonishing in its labor, nuanced accuracy and sheer simplicity. These are everyday people doing largely everyday things, movements which normally wouldn’t...
Read more »

Footballer autobiographies can be found housed under the Dewey decimal system in the eight circle of hell. Where does that put autobiographies by the team doctors of famous teams? Hitchhiking to the ninth, I suppose. The team doctor from France’s ‘98 World Cup win has made some fairly damning statements regarding the blood samples of...
Read more »

This may just be the best thing France has done since ‘98 (or ‘00 if you prefer). In the wake of that massive mental and behavioral meltdown that was their World Cup 2010 campaign, a show of bad football and even worse insubordination, the French Football Federation has suspended the entire World Cup squad...
Read more »

A Brazilian tech company doctored these transformations for our amusement. Something which may be very simple but to the technologically unevolved (present!) still stands in the end as wonderfully cool. At least in the case of Dunga. Diego’s (below), however, is artistic metaphor. Someone whose transformations have run the full spectrum of one human’s physical...
Read more »

Between being named the honorary friend of a Spanish town which holds an annual octopus festival and Russian betting syndicates attempting to purchase his special powers, Paul’s plate is getting rather full. Not just of mollusks, but of opportunities the most limelight-hungry celebrity could only dream of. So clearly he doesn’t have time right...
Read more »

Tell us if you’ve heard this story before: a ball which clearly crosses the line against Germany is not given as a goal as the Germans run out 4-1 winners in the end. No? Didn’t think so. This completely original plotline occurred in yesterday’s u20 Women’s World Cup – being held in Germany – match between...
Read more »

In some strange turn of fate, Swedish channel SVT1 decided in early 2009 that it would behoove their nation to get a glimpse into Martin Hansson’s run up to the World Cup just finished. One year under the camera’s glare for a look into the life of Sweden’s best referee. You’ll know, of course,...
Read more »

A reporter asked for the same treatment Iker gave Sara Carbonero in their post-World Cup victory celebrations. Only she’s less reporter and more former Argentine beauty queen, which promptly puts her in the ‘kissable’ category (one needs meaningless awards to be peck-worthy, I guess). But Joan wasn’t impressed and, according to Google Translate and...
Read more »

What, you thought he was done? Never. Paul is in demand; hell, Paul is demand. In a move befitting their footballing counterparts, the Madrid zoo has inquired about Paul’s services and launched a transfer saga of Jules Verne-esque proportions. Florentino Perez was reportedly overheard yelling “we must have that octopus!” during the final celebrations, and...
Read more »

In 140 days, two bids will be given the task of assembling the world’s biggest traveling circus, one in 2018 and another in 2022. One of the greatest beneficiaries in the process is us, of course – the fans. As the movers and handshakers worry about the details, we’re being thumped on the head...
Read more »

Fresh after a full World Cup tilt – 7 games – Bastian was spotted in a Munich park doing what he does best: playing football. Only he wasn’t wearing some ratty tee, but rather Frank Lampard’s game worn shirt he snagged after their knockout victory, like he’s some little kid paying homage to his...
Read more »