Cultured Football #197
Made in the Carribbean. No Mexican Managers. A Fan's Truth. Fall of Asia's First Superclub. Crisis in Dortmund.
Cole Palmer: Made in the Caribbean
By Neil Johnston for the BBC
"The truth is when you look at Cole Palmer, you don't naturally think about St Kitts and Nevis." That thought, expressed by the country’s sports minister Samal Duggins in this piece, is a massive understatement. Yet Palmer’s links to the Caribbean islands are very real, as detailed in this fascinating article.
Bonus Read: Innit innit boys and Super Eagles: how Nigerian Londoners found their identity through football
[Aniefiok Ekpoudom x The Guardian]
A revealing long read on the Nigerian community in London and their struggle for belonging in a city shaped by colonial and post-war conflicts whilst highlighting the impact of Nigerian players in the English Premier League and their role in shaping the country's footballing image.
Why aren't there more Mexican managers in Liga MX & abroad?
By for
I have to admit that I’ve never really thought about Mexican managers. If you were to press me to name any, I think that I’d struggle to get past Javier Aguirre. But I’d also always assumed that for a country that is so passionate about the game they’d have quite a few managing at least in the domestic league and nearby region. Yet, as it transpires here, that is not the case.
This Is My Truth
By Dave Proudlove for Football Heritage
“It is English football’s heritage and my experience of it that has shaped my own outlook on the game and its role in our society. And I make no apologies for my outlook, and neither should anyone else. Because what I have experienced in more than 40 years following football, being involved in football, talking about it and writing about it, has helped to make me the person that I am. Put simply, I am who I am because of football.”
Thinking of someone who might enjoy Cultured Football? Let them know.
The rise and fall of Guangzhou Evergrande -Asia's first superclub
By for
That of Guangzhou Evergrande is a story of boom to bust. Still, it is surprising how quickly it all happened.
There Is More To Borussia Dortmund’s Crisis Than Replacing Nuri Sahin – BVB Has Alienated Many Fans
By Ben McFadyean for World Football Index
In the end, Nuri Sahin’s dismissal became inevitable. Atrocious form in the league and poor performances in the Champions League became too much to ignore. Still, Dortmund’s problems are not solved simply by Sahin’s removal; their problems run deeper than that and include a poorly assembled squad. And that’s only one part of the crisis enveloping a club that till a couple of season ago were everyone’s second favourite side but have now lost much of that goodwill.
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 Most Read: The distracted striker
By Kyle Boas for Tactics Journal
“Very few strikers can perform multiple tasks. Multiple tasks can become a distraction. You don’t want their attention to be divided.”