Cultured Football #269
Italian Saviour. Leandro Trossard. Goal Posts. Cannavaro Giving Back. When Leo Met Lamine.
Can Paolo Maldini Save Italian Football?
Via Goalazzo
Italy was the big absentee from this World Cup (and the previous two). The task of ensuring that doesn’t happen again has now fallen on Paolo Maldini. It won’t be easy.
Farewell, Leandro Trossard
By Sham for The Non-Negotiables
Arsenal have rarely lacked star names under Mikel Arteta, but some of their most important players have been those which never really fell under the spotlight. As Leandro Trossard leaves north London, his time at the club is remembered not for headlines, but for the reliability and decisive moments that helped deliver results.
GOAL | Photo Series Celebrates Goalposts Around the World
Via Lower Block
“After a ball – and maybe a few mates – a goal is one of the most important parts of football. And they come in every shape and size.”
Most people find Cultured Football through someone else. Be that link.
Fabio Cannavaro’s Naples and the Streets he can Never Leave Behind
By Emmet Gates for Destination Calcio
Fabio Cannavaro's story is inseparable from the streets of Soccavo, and a training ground in the shadow of the Stadio Diego Maradona that helped define generations. Years after conquering football, he has returned to protect the place that first gave him a chance, completing a circle that ensures a future for the next generations.
Messi first met Yamal as a baby. The World Cup final will be their next meeting
By Chris Wright for ESPN
Before Lamine Yamal emerged as Spain's brightest star and Lionel Messi completed football, the two shared an unlikely meeting at Camp Nou. Now they arrive on opposite sides of a World Cup final, linked by a moment that feels almost impossible.
Each week on Cultured Football we pick the five great football stories from the previous seven days.
In Case You Missed It Here’s Last Week’s Most Read: The Fall From Grace: Bundesliga clubs in the Regionalliga - Part One
By Benjamin Darby for The Bundesliga Chronicles
Football has always celebrated clubs that climb the pyramid, but the journey in the opposite direction can be just as fascinating. Germany’s lower leagues are home to a host of former Bundesliga sides whose glory days now feel a lifetime away, each carrying a different story of how quickly fortunes can change.
