Cultured Football #096

Transfer window trends and more...

Feb 04, 2023

By Ryan O’Hanlon for ESPN // 2,224 words

Chelsea’s spending spree this January has been widely spoken about but less attention is given to the desperate teams who spent heavily in January, with 11 teams spending at least €20 million more on transfer fees than they received. Will most of these big bets help them out? Probably not.

Barcelona: Englishman revealed as club's first manager

By Andy West for BBC // 976 words

The identity of Barcelona's first manager had been shrouded in mystery. Until now.

Chelsea has spent over $600 million on new signings. Here’s why that’s significant

By Ben Morse for CNN // 1,792 words

Just like 2003, a new owner has come in at Chelsea and completely transformed football through a willingness to spend huge sums on players. Yet, not even in the peak years of Roman Abrahmovic’s ownership did Chelsea experience a transfer window like this one. And, whilst fans are dreaming, it might have some repercussions down the line.

Set Piece Analysis: Newcastle United and Brentford

By Mohamed Mohamed for Analytics FC // 1,453 words

Two clubs have been exploiting set pieces better than most this season: Newcastle and Brentford. This is a break-down of how they do it.

From The AS Roma Boardroom To A Rome Jail: The Story of the Man who Helped Birth Roma

By Paul Grech for Libero // 2,420 words

One of the men pivotal in AS Roma’s foundation was an avowed nationalist and fascist. Yet that didn’t alter the fact that he was a Jew and, much less, save him from prison once Mussolini’s regime began its persecution of those seen as undesirables. This is his story.

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Something Else I Loved This Week

I’m a big fan of Dany Last’s photography, such as the one below, from his football trips and amazed (and a little bit envious) that he takes them all on his phone. so do give him a follow either on Twitter or else Instagram.

By Swiss Ramble // 3,730 words

A lot has been written about Deloitte’s Football Money League but none of it has been in the same depth and with the same clarity as this.