The Quants Who Bought Football
Via The Arc Sport
That Brentford and Brighton have become two of best English football’s through the use of data is well known. Less well known are the stories of Matthew Benham and Tony Bloom, the former partners who made fortunes applying mathematics to football betting before bringing much the same thinking into club ownership.
AmaZulu FC and the ever changing faces of South African football clubs
By Ben Jackson for Stories from African Football
AmaZulu FC are not one of the most famous clubs in South African, yet few have a history as distinctive. With close ties to Zulu monarchy and controversial returns to the top flight, theirs is a remarkable story that. It is a remarkable tale of survival sometimes at all costs.
Sanremese Calcio: Karembeu’s Ambitious Project on the Italian Riviera
Via Calcio England
The Italian Serie D is filled with historic clubs trying to find their way back, but few projects match that Sanremese. World Cup winner Christian Karembeu has taken control of a club long defined by financial instability, bringing other big names like Clarence Seedorf and Yann M’Vila into an ambitious rebuilding project.
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Never mind the big three, London City calling
By Clare McEwen for She Can Kick It
The WSL has traditionally been dominated by women’s teams attached to some of England’s wealthiest clubs. London City Lionesses break that mould: an independent side backed by billionaire Michele Kang, whose investment has already taken them into the top flight and attracted some of the game’s biggest names. Their rapid rise poses interesting questions about the future direction of women’s football.
No Vardy, No Party: Chaos in Cremona
Via Goalazzo
Serie B rarely needs much help producing drama but Cremonese have provided an early reminder of its unpredictability by sacking Marco Giampaolo hours after a cup victory over Parma.
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: Why Herrera is playing for free in Spanish third division
By Nathan Edwards for the BBC
After a career spanning Manchester United, PSG and Boca Juniors, Ander Herrera is back at his boyhood club. Real Zaragoza have fallen a to the third tier since Ander Herrera left them 15 years ago, but he has returned at 37, donating his salary in the hope that he can aid the rebuild.
This is exactly why football writing still matters. The game is so often reduced to results, transfers and numbers, while the stories that stay with us tend to be about people, places and what a club means to them. The AmaZulu and Herrera pieces especially caught my eye. Thanks for pointing us towards stories we might otherwise never find.
Just saw the mention, thank you Paul. Made my day. Been reading Cultured Football for a while, honoured to be in the same paragraph.