Cultured Football #186
Osimhen Shining. Ligue 1 Failing. Barca are Back. German Names. Edu Exit.
Why 'humble' Osimhen is thriving at Galatasaray
By Emma Smith for the BBC
One of the most baffling sagas of last summer was Napoli’s absurd insistence on getting rid of Victor Osimhen, their best player alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Such was their desperation that even after the Italian transfer window closed and it was clear that they wouldn’t be getting anything close to what he is worth they still pushed for his departure. So much that he ended up in Turkey. Given how he was treated, and his status in European football, few would have blamed Osimhen if he’d treated new league with contempt but instead he’s as devastating as ever, averaging a goal every 80 minutes.
What to Make of Ligue 1's Current Situation
By
for
There is no European country that exports more football players than France, a sure sign of the country’s unrivalled ability to develop top level talent. Yet that is not as positive as one might thing. Indeed, it reflects how weak the domestic league is with clubs unable to hang on to their best players. Indeed Ligue 1 is in big trouble, with a dominant super-rich club killing all semblance of competition and any interest with it. And that is putting a lot of clubs at risk.
Are Barcelona back for real?
By for
Every time Barcelona are written off as finished, they seem to come back stronger. The financial problems that have haunted them for the past years were felt again last summer where they failed to get the players they wanted to. Cynics even wrote off the appointment of Hansi Flick as a deal for an out-of-work manager who wouldn’t cost that much and necessitated no payment to get out of previous contracts. Yet here we are, with Barca top of the league and doing well in the Champions League. How have they done it?
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Fußball 101: Naming a football club
By for
Why are do so many German clubs have Borussia in their name? What does that mean? And what of the other strange titles that you see peppered across the German football league structures? Those are questions that, frankly, I’d never really thought about but which, surprisingly, have quite an interesting answer.
How will Arsenal handle sporting director Edu's shock exit?
By James Olley for ESPN
It has not been a few good weeks for Arsenal. And whilst, given the talent within their squad, I have no doubts that they will bounce back the surprising departure of sporting director Edu won’t ease fans’ worries. He had played a big part in the turnaround in the fortunes and the manner in which they reply to this setback will have more lasting consequences than any of the points dropped in recent weeks.
Bonus Read: Farewell, Edu
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As someone who is not that well versed in all things Arsenal, it came as something of a surprise to me that there are plenty within the fanbase that did not rate Edu. This is not a piece by that kind of fan, however.
Every Saturday, Cultured Football brings you five great football articles you will enjoy reading. And you get a free copy of the book Master of the Azzurri.
Last Week’s (Joint) Top Read: Stand
By Tom Reed for Terrace Edition
To be honest, there’s not much to read in this piece. But scrolling through this collection of photos of football stands makes me happy and that’s good enough for me to share.
Last Week’s (Joint) Top Read: Why United Wanted Amorim
[Ryan Benson x The Analyst]
If you’re curious to know why United quickly went after Ruben Amorim, here’s the answer.
So many good pieces
What do Gala pay Osimhen?