Cultured Football #99
Cultured Football #99
Maldini family legacies and more...
Hi, I’m Paul Grech. As the editor of Cultured Football, I scour through countless football articles every week to handpick the absolute best ones that I know you'll love. If you're finding any pleasure in reading this newsletter, don't hesitate to drop me a line and spread the word to your fellow football enthusiasts.
How Paolo Maldini Dreamed of His Father
By Owen Blackhurst for Mundial // 1,503 words
This is about Cesare and Paolo Maldini, two AC Milan and Italy legends. But, even more, it is about fathers and sons.
No, Manchester United are not in the Premier League title race
By Ryan O’Hanlon for ESPN // 1,578 words
Are Manchester United in the title race? No, but they’re having a fine season.
Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton tactics explained: Provoking the opposition press by becoming the possession kings
By Adam Bate for SkySports // 1,356 words
Roberto de Zerbi has been on of the revelations of this year’s Premier League. Not only has he continued to build on he foundations that Graham Potter had laid at Brighton, he’s visibly improved both their play and the ability to win games. None of that - Brighton picking him or the way his team is playing - is coincidental, with Brighton enjoying 70% of possession in five games so far this season as a result of his tactics.
Has Nathan Jones's Southampton Nightmare Tainted EFL Managers?
By Chris Evans for The Set Pieces // 988 words
Managers from the Football League are competing with some of the most famous names in the sport for Premier League jobs: for most the only way to the top flight is getting promoted there. Nathan Jones' struggles in the Premier League may make it harder with other clubs thinking twice about dipping into the second tier again.
What's Boehly's plan at Chelsea?
By Grace Robertson for Grace on Football // 1,591 words
I was not aware that, apart from Chelsea, Todd Boehly has also taken control of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organisation behind the Golden Globe Awards, and is looking to expand the brand. That link to Hollywood makes everything much clearer.
Something Else I Loved This Week
Traferta Magazine's twitter profile reads that it is about "football and travel and good proper writing and that". It surely is that. You don't have to take my word for it: they've put their most recent issue (4) online for free. Give it a read, give them a follow and share with all those who like football. And free stuff.
Last Week’s (Joint) Most Read: Sporting CP : The balance between tactical identity and business model sustainability
By Martin Juillard for Medium // 2,735 words
Ruben Amorim has revitalized Sporting Lisbon, implementing a 5-2-3 structure with a double pivot to create a new identity for the club. Perhaps more importantly, he is developing players that excel as soon as they move elsewhere, a not minor consideration for them. This in-depth piece looks at how he has managed all off this in just over two years.
Last Week’s (Joint) Most Read: Style over Substance- The Fashionable Fall of Venezia FC
By Casey Evans for Played on Paper // 1,846 words
In the summer of 2021, that of Venezia suddenly became everyone’s favourite second club through a mix of creative player transfers and a fantastic launch of equally fantastic looking football kits. But whilst Venezia FC has been successful in creating a lifestyle brand that transcends the limitations of a football club, they haven’t really managed to find similar success on the pitch. Increasingly it is looking as if they’ve created a “crown but the diamond is set in fools’ gold”