Cultured Football #214
Arminia. Working Class Appropriation. When Verona Ruled. Winners. Scottish Bottleopener.
Arminia: These Nights
By Gregor Ryl for Terrace Edition
“Sometimes, when I watch football these days, I just feel numb of the big clubs, the flashy spectacle, all the sponsorships, the marketing circus, that whole event vibe. But on a Tuesday in early April, a small football club reminded me why I love this game.”
Football's class appropriation problem
By for
Football clubs are very quick to make use of their working class origins and surroundings when it suits them. And, then, quickly ignoring them when money comes into play.
Bonus Read: CAF Champions League final: the billionaire’s club
[ x ]
It isn’t just in Europe that football has become a billionaire’s playground, it is very much the same in Africa where bankrolled clubs. Two of these will vie for the CAF Champions League. One is unpopular at home; the other hated.
How a ‘miracle’ season ended the ‘age of innocence’ in Italian soccer
By Ben Morse for CNN
In 1984-85 Hellas Verona, a provincial club stitched together from misfits and cast-offs, defied Serie A’s aristocracy to win their only Scudetto—and, in doing so, closed a chapter of Italian football’s purity. Led by Osvaldo Bagnoli and powered by Elkjær Larsen’s shoeless wonder goal, Verona’s “miracolo” season blended grit, guile and a rare sense of unity, earning them immortality in a league flush with Maradona, Platini and Zico. But as the confetti settled, so did change: the short-lived experiment with randomly assigned referees ended, and Verona’s ultras took a darker turn, reflecting Italy’s shifting social tides.
Bonus Read: Benitez, Garcia, fans recall Liverpool's 'Miracle of Istanbul'
[Beth Lindop x ESPN]
On a hot Istanbul night twenty years ago, a patchwork Reds side defied a 3-0 halftime deficit, the might of AC Milan, and all sense of logic to produce one of the greatest comebacks in European football history.
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Winners
By Kyle Boas for Tactics Journal
A punchy meditation on mentality over mechanics, this lays out a sharp-edged philosophy: greatness isn't about being exceptional, it's about having the audacity to act like you are. Winners aren’t defined by raw talent but by their unwavering belief that they will win—and by the deadlines they impose to prove it. A compelling manifesto for anyone who believes mentality is the true game-changer.
How McTominay became a Napoli icon after Man Utd exit
By Emlyn Begley for BBC Sport
With 12 league goals, a title-clinching volley, and a flair for showing up in clutch moments, Scott McTominay has become “McFratm” to the Neapolitan faithful—tattooed on legs, painted into shrines, and immortalised in pizza parlours. A folk hero forged in football’s most passionate cauldron, Antonio Conte unlocked a new version of the midfielder: less destroyer, more raider, leading from the front with guts and goals. This is the story of McTominay’s transformation from overlooked utility man at Manchester United to cult hero and Serie A MVP at Napoli. One that also features really great tasting tomatoes.
Bonus Read: A tale of nine points & the 99th minute - how Ajax blew title
[Arthur Renard x BBC]
Napoli managed to win the title despite some late stumbles. Ajax didn’t. Despite a position of dominance, the merciless psychology of a title run-in got to them.
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 when you join.
In Case You Missed It Here’s Last Week’s Most Read: The Twitter Footballer - How Social Media is Changing the World of Transfers
By Rich and Rob for Rich And Rob
Jake Tabor’s 127 goals for Amersham might have gone unnoticed; if not for Twitter. Now he’s playing Spurs U21s, turning heads with viral clips, and fielding offers without an agent in sight. He hates social media but knows it’s his best shot at the big time. A non-league striker selling gym gear by day, marketing himself by night: could he really be the next Vardy?