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Category
Football’s greatest rivalries
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05.23.13A look inside the other team from BarcelonaThe city of Barcelona is a major European tourist destination. Almost all of these tourists would be familiar with FC Barcelona. Plenty go to the Catalan capital for the sole purpose of attending a game at the Camp Nou. In fact, it's estimated that 10,000 tourists are in the 98,000 capacity stadium each week. The majority of these tourists would know very little of Barça's neighbours - RCD Espanyol. The name Espanyol literally translates to "Spanish". While many could see this as a confrontational name for a club in Catalonia, the club is very far from being anti-Catalan. In 1995, they ...
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03.13.13Football’s greatest rivalries: AC Milan v Inter MilanThe Milan derby, known locally as the derby della Madonnina, is one that every fan of the game shouldn't miss. Along with the Rome and Genoa derbies, it is one of - if not the - biggest games in Italian football and easily one of the most recognizable fixtures in world football: AC Milan versus Inter Milan. Unlike many fierce rivalries, it is not uncommon for players to play for both sides, often transferring directly between the two clubs. Massive names such as Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Seedorf, Pirlo, Vieira, Crespo, Balotelli and Davids, to name but a few, have all worn both ...
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02.08.13Where is the class of 2000?A recent alcohol-fueled conversation about the 2012 Euros (we had to talk about it sometime) led myself and a friend to talk about previous European Championships competitions. While the 2008 competition seemed to be somewhat underwhelming, the 2004 competition will be forever remembered as the year when some outsiders won it - Greece. But it was the 2000 one that witnessed some incredible games, spectacular football and some of the finest players in the history of the game all involved in this festival of European football. But where are these greats now, thirteen years on from the tournament? Let's see where ...
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01.07.13Football’s greatest debutsDemba Ba and Daniel Sturridge enjoyed their Chelsea and Liverpool debuts at the weekend, respectively. Fans of both clubs will hope it's the start of things to come. But those are just two in a long list of great debuts in the history of the game. Let's look at some others. Ronaldo. Real Madrid v Deportivo Alavés, 2002. Not Cristiano's first appearance as a Madridista in Tallaght, but the original. Ronaldo arrived at the Bernebéu with huge expectations, with the €45 million price tag seeking justification. He came off the bench with just 27 minutes remaining and scored two goals in a ...
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11.15.12Zlatan’s overhead-kick? It’s not even the best goal HE has ever scored!I'm sure you have all by now seen Zlatan Ibrahimovic's outrageously brilliant overhead-kick goal against England on Wednesday night. There is no doubt that few would have the ability never mind the audacity to try such a shot. But it's not the best goal of all time - as some people, like Piers Morgan, have claimed. In fact, and I'm sure many will agree, it's not even the best goal HE has ever scored. On 22nd August 2004, Ibra produced a goal for his then-team Ajax vs NAC that would make the hairs on Johann Cruyff's neck stand up - and ...
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10.06.12Football’s greatest rivalries: Barcelona v Real MadridFootball el Mundo this week comes directly from the city of Barcelona and, to be exact, from the grounds of the Camp Nou where on Sunday, FC Barcelona will take on fierce rivals Real Madrid. The game, known as El Clásico, is probably the biggest fixture in world football. The rivalry comes about as Madrid and Barcelona are the two largest cities in Spain, and the two clubs are two of the richest and most successful sides, with an enormous fanbase for both sides worldwide. Of course, it's been well documented that Barcelona and Real Madrid's rivalry goes way beyond a mere sporting one, going back to the days ...
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12.02.11Pig’s heads and galacticos: Luis Figo’s return to BarçaCan you imagine if Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher were to sign for Man United and start kissing United's crest? Or if El Hadji Diouf signed for Celtic declaring his love for the Bhoys? Or Wayne Rooney was to join Liverpool with a brand spanking new LFC tattoo? A decade ago, something similar happened at football's highest level. The year is 2000 and Luis Figo is Barça club captain and a major fan favourite with the Catalan faithful. Having won various silverware with Barcelona for the previous five seasons, Figo is adored by the club's supporters and the 100,000 strong members. Then, ...
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10.21.11Football’s greatest rivalries: Man United v Man CityManchester has a population of just under half a million people. Not all of them are into their football. But many are. And if you come from Manchester, you are either a proud red or you are a proud blue. And you will have absolutely no sympathy for the rival club. A slightly different atmosphere to say, Barcelona v Madrid or Lazio v Roma, the Manchester derby is one full of pure Mancunian passion. From the first meeting between the two sides in 12 November 1881, right through to the present day, the fixture has sometimes had an edge to it. ...
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08.31.11Fascism, bust-ups and moments of genius – all in a day’s work for Paolo Di CanioLast May, former Italian footballer Paolo Di Canio was appointed as manager of Swindon Town. Never one to be out of the headlines for long, just last night he was scrapping with one of his own players. To be fair, I wouldn't mess with Di Canio, I don't know what this player is thinking. Watch it below. [kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/dLv4onfFks4" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /] Yet despite his close friendship with Lazio's violent ultra supporters and his fascist beliefs (Paolo has a tattoo in tribute to Il Duce himself), Di Canio has been quite the character on the pitch as well as off it. ...
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07.11.11Football’s greatest rivalries: Ajax v FeyenoordThree clubs have generally dominated the Dutch league since the beginning of professional football there in the 1950's: Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. But it is clear where the main rivalry in Holland is when Ajax, who come from the capital Amsterdam and Feyenoord, who hail from the port city of Rotterdam, both face each other in a fixture that has become known as 'De Klassieker' (The Classic). The two clubs' rivalries extend right up to both boardrooms and they very rarely transfer players with one another (the last being Greek international Charisteas in 2006). Though Holland's most famous player has ...
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05.11.11Football’s greatest rivalries: Olympiacos v PanathinaikosOlympiacos, Panathanaikos and AEK Athens are the three most popular clubs in Greece. They all have a rivalry with one another. But when Olympiacos and Panathinaikos meet each other, the derby is as intense as some of the game's most fierce rivalries. The rivalry stems back mainly due to the two clubs' regional differences. Olympiacos come from the busy port town of Piraeus, just outside Athens. Panathinaikos hail from right in the centre the centre of the Greek capital itself (and the large shamrock in the club's badge sadly has no connection to Ireland, before you ask). These regional and cultural ...
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04.14.11Football’s greatest rivalries: Bohemians v Shamrock RoversI've previously talked about Milan v. Inter, Galatasaray v. Fenerbahce, Roma v Lazio and more. This edition of 'football's greatest rivalries' will focussing on Ireland's two most successful clubs and how instense the tie can be when they come head-to-head. Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers first faced each other just under a century ago at Dalymount Park. Over the years, from amateur status to professional clubs, interest and attendances snowballed making it the biggest game in the country which it still is today. It became, in footballing terms, viewed as the southside of Dublin (Rovers) against northside of Dublin (Bohs). Always ...
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04.08.11Football’s greatest rivalries: Galatasaray v FenerbahceThe Turkish are passionate about their football. They truly are. So when bitter rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray go head-to-head, the city of Istanbul turns into chaos. Well, maybe that's me exaggerating it a bit. But certainly Fernabahce's Sukru Saracoglu Stadium and Galatasaray's new Turk Telecom Arena are chaotic in terms of the atmosphere in and around the stadia on matchday not to mention the tension on the pitch when this fixture takes place. Known locally as Kitalararasi derbi (or the Intercontinental derby), it is one of the most fiercly competitive derbies in world football. 'Fener' have beaten their city rivals 140 ...
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03.06.11Football’s greatest rivalries: Roma v LazioThe Stadio Olimpico has been the venue to some great events, from the 1960 Olympic Games to the World Cup Final in 1990 to Bono & co. rocking the place last year. However, at least twice a season, it plays host to something which, for some Romans, is far more important than any of these - Roma vs. Lazio. It began when Italy's northern teams such as AC Milan and Juventus were dominating Italian football in the 1920's, that the powers that be in The Eternal City decided a great Roman club was needed to rival their northern counterparts. That's when ...
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02.21.11Football’s greatest rivalries: Boca Juniors v River PlateHello one and all and welcome to a new feature to the blog which, as the title will tell you, will focus on the greatest rivalries in world football. Today we'll have a look at Argentina's big one - Boca Juniors vs. River Plate. The game, known locally as 'el superclásico', was described by Diego Maradona as "unequalled". This is quite the statement coming from a man who played for some great clubs with huge rivalries in their respective leagues. He has a strong argument however as on matchday in either clubs' stadia, all that can be seen amongst the hugely ...
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