Napoli put high-flying Liverpool to the sword in the Champions League this week. The 2-0 result surprised the many who view the Reds as untouchable after last season's success. Until the final whistle in Madrid, however, the Merseysiders…

Alexis Sanchez enjoyed the brightest days of his career at Arsenal. He was a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium before swapping the Gunners for Manchester United. After switching to Old Trafford, his career took a different turn.  …

Internazionale defied turbulence to sneak into Champions League last season. The Nerazzurri finished fourth in Serie A with 69 points, one more than city rivals AC Milan. After all the turmoil at the club, it wasn't enough for Luciano Spalletti…

If you were to put Antonio Conte’s career on trial, his character witnesses would include Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. The venerable Manchester United manager wasn’t afraid to rid himself of a player to whom he took a disliking,…

When Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen wrote “I want you to want me” in 1978, he wasn’t thinking about the UEFA transfer window. If he was, Nielsen was 25 years ahead of his time. The first window opened in 2003. Nevertheless,…

Last year, the Premier League imposed a ‘voluntary’ transfer deadline on its clubs that falls several weeks before the official UEFA date. The deadline is only voluntary in the sense of the league as a whole. Individual clubs cannot…

Footballers are a bit like Joseph from the Bible. The odds of realising their dream might be long but they persevere despite the obstacles in their path. As well, most wear shirts of many colours along the way. Keita Balde kitted up for four…

Fiorentina had a difficult time in the Serie A last season. The club struggled to maintain the form that has seen the Italian side consistently play in European competition in recent times. In fact, it was so bad that Fiorentina…

The game has always tried to promote itself as a dignified profession. Heroics are celebrated, talented footballers held up as role models. More money also means more propaganda depicting the beautiful game as a pristine, unblemished competition.…

I ate Chinese last night. The fortune cookie spooked me. Ability will enable a man to get to the top but character will keep him from falling. How did they know I was planning to write about Jose Mourinho? The Special One is finding it difficult…

Serie A bears a striking resemblance to playground football. Bear with me. I’m not disparaging Lega Calcio’s quality at all. Nor am I taking a dig at all the ugly name calling and crude mimicry that rains down from the stands although…

If Mauro Icardi is a Chris Brown fan, he'll be humming 'Don't wake me up'. Everything changed for the Argentine forward last week after his wife and agent made provocative comments about the squad. Inter stripped him of the…

When Neymar forced a transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017, player power came to the fore in football. Despite claiming €222 million through the sale, the Blaugrana remain bitter about losing the supposed…

The November international break is round around the corner, but first, we will witness Matchday four in both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. Some teams are inching closer to the knockout stages, while others need to improve…

After a three-and-a-half-month waiting period, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League are back. Even though the tournament qualifiers started back in June, now we're at the group stages as things start to get interesting.…