Cultured Football #174
Cultured Football #174
Championship is Back. IShowSpeed. Moneybags Atletico. Bayern's Fine Location. Saudi League Growing Pains.
Championship 1-24: 2024-25 Season Preview
By Joseph Pope for Off the Line
The Championship kicks-off this week and it looks like it is going to be as competitive as always. Parachute payments - and the money they provide to recently relegated teams - will once again play a role but it looks like this could be the season where a couple of former staples of top-flight football - Coventry, Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough - make it back. But probably not Blackburn.
Bonus Pick (I): If, apart from the Championship, you want detailed previews of any other English league down to Southern League, then this will have you covered.
Bonus Pick (II): I also really enjoyed this preview of the National League.
IShowSpeed’s Soccer Takeover
By Kelvin Loyola for Urban Pitch
I have to admit that I had to ask my kids who IShowSpeed is. But the fact that he had broken into my usually football focused social media feeds shows how much he leans into the sport. He’s also the latest of the recent trend of celebrities crossing over to sport, for everyone’s benefit.
Where has all Atletico Madrid's money come from?
By Mark Doyle for Goal
Last season was a poor one by Atletico Madrid’s recent standards, so much that at a point it seemed as if Diego Simeone’s time there was reaching the end. Ultimately he stayed and promised a revamp of the squad. That took some time to get started but with four big transfers in the space of a couple of weeks, they’ve truly set the transfer window ablaze. All they needed to do so was find some cash.
Bonus Pick: In a similar vein, here’s why Atletico couldn’t afford another mediocre summer and have gone all in.
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Why geography helps Bayern Munich dominate the Bundesliga
By for
The Bundesliga has a reputation for being an uncompetitive league because of Bayern Munich's dominance but few seem to realise that a key reason for that dominance is down to a combination of history and, primarily, geography. Location, location, location.
Bonus Pick: If you like this article then you should definitely read Kit Holden’s book Played in Germany which, among other things, explains why Bayern are so afraid of Hamburg getting their act together.
The Saudi Pro League: Much Ado About Nothing?
Gabriel Stewart for Football Paradise
A year ago it seemed as if the end was looming for European football with Saudi Arabian clubs spending huge amounts to convince the best talent to join them. For such an ambitious project, a year is too soon to judge what is eventually going to happen with this league. Yet should it still be a cause of concern or is it just an opportunity for European clubs to shift players they no longer want for huge amounts?
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Last Week’s Most Read: Is the ‘Wrexham Effect’ actually hurting lower league finances?
By Ed Warner for City A.M. / Sport inc.
The spotlight trained all the way from Hollywood on Wrexham has undoubtedly elevated interest in England's lower leagues. Yet there is now evidence that their presence and dramatic rise is causing issues for those trying to keep up.