Cultured Football #172
World's Best Pub Team. Bielsa's Bubble. German Talents. Bordeaux No-More. Throw-In Success.
The remarkable story of how a taxi driver in Mexico with €50 to his name became captain of ‘world's best pub team’ in Gibraltar
By Jack Kenmare for Sport Bible
Occasionally, I come across an article that is almost impossible to describe and simply has to be read to be believed. This is one of them.
The Anatomy of a Bubble
By for
Not only is Marcelo Bielsa one of the finest thinkers about the game of football, he also has the ability to captivate fans wherever he goes. It is easy to see why, with his recent impassioned speech over how the current state of football prioritizes success above all else being the latest example of how he feels what the fans feel. He might inhabit a bubble, as this analysis of him suggests, but it is one that many hunger for as well.
10 Young Talents to Watch in the 2024/25 2. Bundesliga
By for
With a growing number of historically big clubs found playing their football there - FC Koln, Schalke 04, Hamburg, Hertha Berlin - the 2. Bundesliga is an increasingly interesting league to follow also because it is so hard to get out of the division. It is also a league where young talent often gets the opportunity to play. Last season saw the emergence of the likes of Assan Ouédraogo (now at RB Leipzig), Nicolo Tresoldi and Jonas Urbig. The upcoming season shouldn’t be any less prolific.
Bonus Pick: With the success of the likes of Adam Wharton and Alex Scott, the Championship is proving to be a really successful source of talent. Here are seven players who are ready for the jump. [Matt Furniss x The Analyst]
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Girondins de Bordeaux: tombé en panne
By for
This is not a happy time for French football. Clubs in the top flight are struggling to make ends meet following the collapse of a TV deal. But others have it even worse. Girondins de Bordeaux, six times French champions and the club which produced many a French legend, has effectively folded under the weight of financial mismanagement and an owner who sought to build a multi-club model. Theirs should be a lesson to many other; whether they heed it is another matter altogether.
Measuring Throw-In Success
By Jaymes Monte for StatsBomb
In a sport riddled with randomness and chaos, throw-ins (like all set pieces) are a chance to wrestle back some control. Some, however, do it much better than others.
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Every Saturday, Cultured Football brings you five great football articles you will enjoy reading.
Last Week’s Most Read: CD Euzkadi
By Forgotten Football
After being denied permission to play any more FIFA-affiliated teams due to the Spanish Civil War, the Basque Country national football team chose to remain in Mexico and participate in its domestic league. This is the story of their exile and resilience.