Cultured Football #184
La Guerra Eterna. Mother of all Fanzines. Flick's Tricks. Sporting's Finances. Indonesia FC.
La Guerra Eterna
By Sam White for Football Heritage
That of Boca Juniors and River Plate is one of the fiercest rivalries in the world. At the root of their distaste for each other is a class divide at the birth of these two clubs which, somehow, they have never let go of.
The Mother of all Fanzines: 'Millerntor Roar!'
By Tom Ritchie for Bundesletter — German football culture
The fanzine culture that emerged during the 1980s played a huge role in shaping and changing the nature of English football. Yet the club where it played the most significant role was not English but German. At St Pauli, the Millerntor Roar help unite a fan base and give it a unique voice that has made it the envy of fans all over the world.
Dynamism, Directness and Intensity: Barcelona Are Prepared for Hansi Flick’s First Clásico Test
By Jamie Kemp for The Analyst
Hands up those who thought Hansi Flick would have such an immediate and dramatic impact on Barcelona. Certainly, his disappointing experience in charge of the German national team had largely erased how good he had made Bayern Munich whilst in charge there. Even so, it was hard to anticipate such a start from Barca. But now there’s the biggest test of them all: a clash with Real Madrid who always seem to find a way to win the big games.
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Club financial analysis: Sporting CP 2023/24
By Chris Weatherspoon for Game State
Ruben Amorim has led something of a rebirth for Sporting Lisbon, delivering two titles after a wait of almost two decades. All this whilst selling their best players and recruiting (cheaper) replacements. This has long been the way for Portuguese clubs: sell talent to invest in potential. Yet Sporting’s huge operating losses makes it vital that they get this right.
Bonus Pick: A reliance on data helped Toulouse achieve unexpected results including a win in the Coupe de France. Yet replacements for big money summer sales haven’t really landed and they’re now struggling once more. [Cameron Milledge x Ligue 1 Conversation]
Scouting the Diaspora: Indonesia's Story
By Bergas Brillianto for Analytics FC
For all of football's popularity in a country with more than 250 million people, Indonesia have never made an impact on the international stage even when it comes to their regional competition. That is changing thanks to a change in strategy that is seeing them act more like a football club than a national association.
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Last Week’s Most Read: Next Generation 2024: 60 of the best young talents in world football
By Marcus Christenson, Steven Bloor and Garry Blight for The Guardian
Each year, the Guardian pick the 60 best young 17 year-olds on the planet. Each year it is a delight to go through it. Not sure what to make of the fact that, each year, an increasing number of those selected is already something of a familiar name.
Bonus Pick: Also each year, the Guardian pick the best young player at each Premier League Club. These are the names people will be talking about very, very soon.
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