Sport debate: Is Frank Lampard the right man to replace Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea? June 17, 2019 Chelsea are expected to choose Frank Lampard as their next manager following the departure of Maurizio Sarri. But is the club’s all-time record goalscorer the right man to replace the Italian? Two of our writers wade into the debate. YES: Frank Dalleres Talk of Chelsea calling on Frank Lampard to return as manager just one [...]
Football’s coming home to the City for the Square Mile’s unofficial club, the Honourable Artillery Company FC June 16, 2019 You could be forgiven for not realising it, but the City of London has its own football club which dates back to the 1800s and is among the leading lights of the amateur game. One reason you might have missed it is because red tape has seen them exiled from the Square Mile for two [...]
European Under-21s Championship: How England are lagging behind their continental competitors June 13, 2019 English football has enjoyed a bumper last 12 months. The Three Lions’ run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the all-English Champions League and Europa League finals that followed would suggest the domestic system that produced the players is in rude health. That is the picture at senior level. But look beyond [...]
Diego Maradona biopic a strikingly candid antidote to airbrushed world of modern football June 13, 2019 “Peace,” says a young Diego Maradona when asked, five minutes into Asif Kapadia’s candid new film about the troubled Argentinian genius, what he is hoping for from his impending transfer from Barcelona to Napoli. There is precious little of that in his seven tumultuous years in the fervent southern Italian city, which form the basis [...]
England make winning start on road to Women’s World Cup final in Lyon as Nikita Parris stars in Nice June 9, 2019 England expected. As one of the favourites to win the most anticipated and high-profile Women’s World Cup to date, and with a trophy already under their belts this year from the SheBelieves Cup, the stakes were high for their opening match of the tournament against Scotland. England delivered. First-half goals by winger Nikita Parris, from [...]
Pickford plays the hero and Alexander-Arnold stars as Three Lions claim third place at Nations League June 9, 2019 It took 120 minutes of goalless play followed by a penalty shoot-out that went to sudden death but in the end England claimed the victory over Switzerland that they more than merited and third place in the Nations League. Just as in Thursday’s semi-final defeat by Holland, VAR denied England a win in regular time [...]
Holland 3-1 England: Gareth Southgate’s side freeze in the face of the orange press to surrender semi-final June 6, 2019 The Estadio D Afonso Henriques was tonight etched into England’s football history alongside the Luzhniki Stadium as another nearly moment for the Gareth Southgate regime. Twice in the last year England have shown promise, brought excitement and progressed to a semi-final. Twice they have stumbled at the penultimate hurdle, with expectation ultimately giving way to [...]
Women’s World Cup: How brands are embracing the sport through sponsorship June 6, 2019 The World Cup arrives tomorrow at an opportune moment for women’s football. After a season punctuated by record attendances, greater exposure and successes both on and off the pitch, there is an air of optimism engulfing the sport. While the feeling is inspiring confidence that Phil Neville’s Lionesses could make good on their No3 world [...]
England looking to build on club success at last June 5, 2019 While Premier League clubs running amok in Europe this season may have lifted spirits among his squad, it has caused a headache for England manager Gareth Southgate. The problem is largely logistical, with the late arrival of Liverpool and Tottenham players to the training camp this week following their Champions League final exertions disrupting preparations [...]
How Holland bounced back from World Cup and Euro qualification misery with the aid of their football talent factory June 4, 2019 Every so often a Dutch player capable of setting the world alight announces themselves on the international stage. And even more rarely a crop of them come through the ranks at the same time.