Cultured Football #204
Fans Buy Stadia. Zaire. Milos Kerkez. MK Dons Culture. Elite Players Don't Make Elite Managers.
Stadium for Sale: The fans investing in their clubs’ ground
By for
In Germany, where club ownership is still something for the masses rather than professional investors, fans are being asked to buy stakes in their clubs’ grounds to raise the money needed to develop them. It is an interesting concept, albeit one that would be alien anywhere else in Europe. And it is worth asking the fans who buy these shares why they do so.
Bonus Read: Will Man United’s stadium project really deliver £7.3bn a year to the UK?
[Frank Dalleres x CityAM]
The big stadium news in England this week came from Manchester United with talk of a new development for the club. Along with this came an ask to authorities to support financially with a claim that ultimately it would massively boost the whole economy. Does that latter claim really stack up?
1974 and All That
By for
In the 1970s, Zaire rose to international prominence on the back of sports, as it hosted the famous Rumble in the Jungle boxing match as well as qualifying for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. This was not accidental: ruled by an authoritarian regime, sports were used as a tool to project an image of strength and progress. It didn’t pan out that way in football, however, where the national team's participation in the World Cup was a disappointing one overshadowed by pressure from the regime. The story of that team - and the country - is however much more intricate than that.
Overlaps, Intensity and Tough to Beat: Why Milos Kerkez is One of the Most Sought-After Full-Backs in Europe
By Matt Furniss for The Analyst
It used to be that fans dreamt of signing strikers and attacking midfielders. No one really cared for fullbacks. That is no longer the case. Some of this summer’s biggest transfers will involve fullbacks and, if Milos Kerkez does move away from Bournemouth, it will certainly be big news. Does he deserve all the attention?
Bonus Read: Should your club sign this striker on a free?
[Kim McCauley x The Transfer Flow]
Beyond potential departures of Liverpool players whose contracts are expiring, Lille’s Jonathan David is expected to attract numerous suitors as his own deal nears its end. His numbers are impressive, yet doubts remain.
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Franchise FC: Inventing a heritage in Milton Keynes
By for
A game between MK Dons’ and AFC Wimbledon will always elicit extreme emotions and most of them will be in favour of the latter. Yet the reality is that MK Dons are not going away. Indeed, MK Dons' supporters and the club itself are constantly searching for ways to create a sense of continuity and connection with the past. It is the challenges faced by MK Dons in building a sense of heritage in the football world that this piece looks into and the uniqueness of it all - articles typically mock MK Dons and stop ther - makes it all the more interesting.
Elite on the Pitch, Ordinary in the Dugout
By for
The notion that elite football players have all that is needed to become elite managers is intriguing; it is based on the assumption mastering the game as a player inherently equips them with the skills needed to succeed as a manager. Yet facts counter that belief: most managers in top five leagues definitely weren’t elite players hinting that the gap between playing and managing is a bit wider.
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 Scot turning LAFC into an MLS powerhouse
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Before this I had never heard of Neil McGuinness but hearing that he was the man who pushed Celtic to sign a certain Virgil Van Dijk got me interested. And I’m thankful that I kept on reading because this is a delightful mix of personal football anecdotes and insight on what goes into building a squad capable of challenging for titles.