Latest Articles
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CM/FM Legends: Mika Ääritalo
£200k. That’s it. Two hundred thousand of your finest English pounds, and it got you an absolute wizard of the left wing. Whether you wanted a player to drag you from the lower leagues up to Champions League glory, or someone to supplement 20+ goals and assists per season from the flanks in a world…
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CM/FM Legends: Kerlon
If the ball isn’t on the floor, they can’t tackle you. Sound logic really, don’t know why more players didn’t try it. Kerlon tried it, spectacularly, multiple times, and the ‘Seal Dribble’ became his signature move. He got an elbow from Dyego Rocha Coelho for his efforts on one of the occasions as defenders struggled…
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Debate – Cups
1. What is your fondest personal memory of the FA Cup? Does the competition still hold the importance nowadays that it once enjoyed? Simon Toye: I have two FA Cup experiences; weirdly they both involve Man City. The first as a boy going to Man City vs Halifax at Maine Road in 1998 (I was…
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Matchdays: Ulsan
It was a normal Saturday in the bustiling South Korean city of Ulsan. The sun was shining and the beers were flowing, after a lull in the conversation, one of the gang suggested we go to the game. “Tickets are only 5000 won for foreigners” he said. After some deliberation it was agreed. We hopped…
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Interview – Blaine McKenna: A coaching odyssey
Blaine McKenna is not your average coach. In the modern game one must strive harder than ever to stand out, and the Northern Irishman has succeeded with a bold and forward-thinking approach. In a career that has already spanned 11 countries on five continents, McKenna has already accumulated considerable experience. He sat down with Heart…
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Matchdays: Turin & Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Blinking into the blazing Tuscan sunshine I had to stop for a moment and catch myself. Looking back, it was verging on scandalous that I didn’t appreciate the sumptuous charm sprawling out before my aching eyes, but at that point I wasn’t in any state to take stock. Not a soul stirred as the valley…
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Matchdays: Prague
Saturday 26 October 2019, Prague, Czech Republic. Just over a year to the day when I was last in the Czech capital on holiday and day four of my trip. Vacation is a time to relax, discover or explore, or even in some cases – including mine – all three. Saturday has arrived, and while…
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Football’s most unique cup competition: the Coupe de France
“The greatest cup competition in the world is back”: a phrase commonly trotted out amongst English pundits and supporters this time every season. It is the first weekend of a new year, the weekend of the third round of the English FA Cup. After eight previous rounds, the first of which being the extra-preliminary round…
Heart of Football 