Cultured Football #163
Gasperini Among Greats. Weak Link Sport. Haiti Hope. Emma Hayes Departs. Mbappe a Success?
Beyond the Veil: Gasperini's Atalanta and the Search for Home
By Callum Tanner for
I’m quite fond of Xabi Alonso. As a player, he was a joy to watch wherever he played and it looks like the teams he manages are going to be the same. Even so, I wanted Atalanta to win the Europa League because few clubs have consistently pushed the glass ceiling in football set by those who have money as much as they have. And that’s largely down to manager Gian Piero Gasperini who has rebuilt the team time after time with the forced sale of key players. Amidst the changes, the one constant was his vision of how the game should be played. A true modern great.
Why Josko Gvardiol was so pivotal to Man City's fourth consecutive league title
By for
“To understand why Guardiola may opt for a central defender at left-back and why it ended up working so well, we need to take a moment to appreciate how football is a “weak-link” sport. Unlike, say, Basketball, which often has teams dragged through matches by their best player, football has long been considered a sport in which a team is only as good as its worst player. And in Man City’s case that would have been Gomez or any unconvincing left-back in his place. By electing to stick a supremely talented defensive player in the position, Guardiola not only avoided that problem but also plugged a hole in his defence.”
Can soccer save Haiti? James Louis-Charles believes so
By for
It is beyond sad that when the news cycles trains its attention elsewhere, the rest of the world largely forgets of the suffering in places like Haiti. It is even sadder when you read of everyday life in such places; what it is like to be afraid to drive from one neighbourhood to another because of the hooded gunmen patroling the streets. That remains the reality of the people of Haiti. Thankfully there is still football to instill a sliver of hope and joy in those same daily lives.
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Emma Hayes has done what even Pep Guardiola hasn't as Jurgen Klopp friendship speaks volumes
By Beth Lindop for Football London
Emma Hayes, Chelsea's manager for 12 years, won her fifth consecutive Women's Super League title, becoming the first team to do so. She has transformed the team into a dominant force in Europe and has garnered respect from legendary managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp. Yet all of this has taken a toll on her as evidenced by a brutally honest final press-conference as she leaves Chelsea and club football behind.
Seven years and 11 trophies, but no Champions League: Has Kylian Mbappé’s time at Paris Saint-Germain been a success?
By Matias Grez for CNN
As he departs Paris, Kylian Mbappe will take with him loads of medals won as he helped the club become the dominant team in France. Yet, deep down, there will remain the nagging feeling that he didn’t help them win what really mattered.
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Last Week’s Most Read: How Do You Assess The Value of an Academy
By Casey Evans for Analytics FC
“He’s one of our own” That’s what fans sing when a player emerges from the academy to become a star of the first team. Yet, whilst everyone dreams of the emergence of the next Trent Alexander Arnold, Phil Foden or Bukayo Saka, there is greater value to an academy than merely the elevation of stars.
great edition, Paul. Especially the Gasperini piece 👌🏼