Cultured Football #220

Indian Football Shambles. Goalkeepers on Trial. Bordeaux Still Struggling. Argentine Football Loss. Gittens and Squad Building.

Jul 12, 2025

What's going on in Indian football?

By John Duerden for How Football Explains Asia

Judging by the cries of anguish I come across on Twitter, India is once again beating England in cricket, a game it continues to excel at. The situation in football could not be more different.

The Key Things Know To Impress On Trial As A Goalkeeper

By Sam Hudspith for The Goalkeeper

For many players, these are tense weeks as they hope to earn a new contract somewhere. In a lot of cases this means impressing during a trial, something that often goes way beyond playing skills. That’s especially the case for goalkeepers who need to convince coaching staff that they have the mental strength to handle anything that comes their way. That’s what’s fascinating about this piece that is as much about human psychology as it is goalkeeping.

Le Corniaud: Girondins de Bordeaux in Crisis

By The Ligue 1 Story for The Ligue 1 Story

The demotion of one of Europe’s elite clubs - Girondins de Bordeaux - to the fourth tier of French football was one of last summer’s biggest stories. Since then, very little has been said about them and their prospects bar those few times when Andy Carroll scored for them. Unfortunately, their prospects are not too promising.

Bonus Read: Brescia Change the Locks as the Cellino Era Ends, but What Next for One of Calcio’s Iconic Clubs?

[Dan Cancian x Destination Calcio]

As with Bordeaux, financial troubles brought Brescia to its knees. Now it is looking to rebuild but future is still uncertain.

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Have Argentina’s Iconic Football Clásicos Lost Their Essence?

By Gonzalo Hernández Más for Gonzalo Hernández Más – Football Without Illusions

Nothing stirs the soul of Argentine football like a clásico. These rivalries transcend sport; they’re history, identity, and emotion compressed into ninety minutes. Yet, whilst Argentine support can enthrall the world as happened at the Club World Cup, at home questions linger about what’s been lost as violence, media spectacle, player transience, and commercialization reshape the experience.

Gittens and the Art of Coaching

By Jonathan Wilson for Wilson's World (of football)

Somewhere along the line, developing a player to fit a system became unfashionable. Chelsea’s latest signing of Jamie Gittens is less about tactics and more about churn part of a wider transfer strategy that seems driven by accounting rather than coaching. The club’s approach treats players like short-term assets, perpetually replaced before they’ve settled or improved. In doing so, it risks losing sight of football’s core alchemy: the building of a team. What looks like bold disruption may instead be a quiet erosion of what makes great sides truly work. There’s a lot to reflect on here.

Bonus Read: Making the Case For and Against Selling Noni Madueke to Arsenal

[Daniel Childs x Son of Chelsea]

A similar argument, of sorts, is being made here from a Chelsea perspective about the sale of Noni Madueke. One that only makes sense if someone better is coming in.

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.