Table of contents for March 2017 in FourFourTwo UK

When we started planning this South American special at the end of September last year, we wanted to celebrate everything we love about the spiritual home of football. We knew that we wanted Ronaldinho to front it after a number of young players interviewed over the past 18 months named the former Barcelona and Brazil star as their hero when they were growing up. Ronaldinho’s quick feet and joie de vivre had clearly inspired a generation of flip-flapping forwards, so who better to represent the carnival spirit of this issue? Then we heard the news about Chapecoense and our plans were put on hold as the football world, particularly in South America, came to terms with the scale of the tragedy. We discussed postponing the issue indefinitely and scrapping…

“MY MOVE TO CHELSEA FELL THROUGH BECAUSE THEY STARTED SELLING ROBINHO SHIRTS. REAL MADRID WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS” CLUBS 2002-05 Santos 2005-08 Real Madrid 2008-10 Manchester City 2010 Santos (loan) 2010-15 Milan 2014-15 Santos (loan) 2015 Guangzhou Evergrande 2016- Atletico Mineiro COUNTRY 2003- Brazil WAS IT TOUGH BEING ‘THE NEXT PELE’? WHY DID HIS MOVE TO CHELSEA FALL THROUGH? DID HE REALLY GET THE BUS AROUND MANCHESTER? FourFourTwo arrives at the training ground of Atletico Mineiro to find Robinho happily chatting away on Facetime as pre-season preparations continue for the Brazil Serie A side. After his acrimonious exits from Real Madrid and Manchester City, there’s a perception the 33-year-old is a little surly. That couldn’t be further from the truth, and it’s not hard to see why…

Have you ever really wanted a screaming Gianluigi Buffon inked into your skin? Maybe a smiling Carlos Valderrama? Or how about a sullen Sebastian Viera? If your answer to any of the above questions is yes – and, let’s be honest, every self-respecting football fan has wanted a tattoo of ex-Villarreal and Uruguay goalkeeper Viera at some point in their life – then get yourself on the next flight to the Colombian city of Barranquilla. There you will find tattoo artist Ronald Horta, who has a growing reputation for his stunningly realistic inkworks of a growing list of footballers. To date, he has created tattoos of Ronaldo, Messi, Buffon, Valderrama, FFT’s cover star Ronaldinho, Colombia striker Carlos Bacca and even Viera, the ex-Nacional gloveman who now plays for local club…

“THE LIVERPOOL FANS APPLAUDED ME, EVEN THOUGH I HELPED ELIMINATE THEIR TEAM. THAT’S WHY I LOVE ENGLISH FOOTBALL” Sevilla 1 Osasuna 0 May 23, 2004 La Liga “I scored a lot of goals during my first season with Sevilla, but probably the most important was against Osasuna, who ended up with three red cards! The win secured a spot in the UEFA Cup for the club, for the first time in nine years. In the second half Dani Alves crossed, the ball fell at my feet and I scored.” Liverpool 3 Arsenal 6 January 9, 2007 League Cup “What a crazy game this was – I scored four goals and missed a penalty! The atmosphere was amazing and at the end Liverpool fans applauded me, even though I helped to…

“FANS OFTEN UNVEIL A BANNER OF A COCK WHICH RESEMBLES AN INCANDESCENT FOGHORN LEGHORN” We wouldn’t want to besmirch the reputation of the good people of Argentina, but if you go to Buenos Aires, you’ll find at least one Moron. That’s the name of a 130,000-strong city lying in the greater metropolitan area of the capital, and it is home to third-tier outfit Deportivo Moron. Formed in 1947, Moron have only spent one season in Argentina’s top flight but they’re now managed by a former Walsall striker, Walter Otta. He briefly played at the Bescot in 1998, before deciding the Midlands was no place for an Otta. Fair enough, really. Moron’s club badge features a cockerel balancing on a ball, Spurs style: the bird is the symbol of the city…

“KAMMY CLAIMS THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY SING. NOW, THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE” Good morning Jeff. Your name is an anagram of ‘Elf Jest Fling’. Would you ever consider giving dwarf-throwing a go, given a consenting little person? Well, the Soccer Saturday team would tell you that it’s me who is the dwarf or elf. I get a lot of comments. I always reply that five feet, seven-and-a-half inches is above the average height for a male, in Guatemala. I was born in the wrong country. So far from me throwing dwarves, it would be me getting thrown. Which of your colleagues could launch a dwarf the furthest? Phil Thompson would like to throw me the most, but Matt Le Tissier would be the clear winner. He’s quite a big bloke. We’ve canvassed…

Think two games in three days was a heavy Christmas period schedule? The non-league striker George Gaskin played two games on Boxing Day, and netted a hat-trick in both. First he notched a treble for ninth-tier Littlehampton in their 11am kick-off away at Worthing, then drove 20 miles to sit on the subs’ bench for fellow Sussex club Horsham in their 2pm encounter against Godalming in Ryman League Division One South. Coming on for his Horsham debut 15 minutes from the end, he scored three more in an 8-1 win. “The Horsham boss is my mate, and so he asked if I’d help them out a bit over Christmas because Littlehampton didn’t have many games,” says Gaskin, who signed for the club on dual-registration. “He didn’t expect me to be…

It’s all been a stroll for the Portuguese side Canelas 2010 so far this season. The fourth-tier club stormed into a huge 14-point lead at the top of Porto’s elite division, even though they won just five of their opening 17 scheduled fixtures. There’s a good reason for that: 11 of those fixtures didn’t take place, because their opponents have been forfeiting the games. The team features five members of the Super Dragoes, an FC Porto ultras group, and their aggressive playing style has seen a growing list of clubs refuse to take them on – preferring to pay a €750 fine instead. “We know they’re afraid of us,” Canelas’ club president Bruno Canastro tells FFT. “But their fear should be only on the pitch, as we’ve managed to be…

@BoringMilner I just told Paul Pogba that was my favourite dab of the season. He said: ‘What are you on about?’ I said: ‘For the handball.’ He just stormed off. @FrankMSinclair I would love to go on ITV Chase Celebrity Special – just need to work out how I become a celebrity. @Pirlo_official Fireball! @craig_chis Take That will be playing Swansea in June. Have to fancy them for an away win. @RyanDarby Great interview with Jimmy Bullard, think there could be a future for him in coaching if he can build his way up. @Charlie26Adam Looking to make some commercial property investments in Stoke, can anyone help?…

DELE ALLI (2016) “A lot of kids that were my age loved Ronaldinho for his flair – you could see how much he loved the game. I can remember watching videos of him scoring overhead kicks and trying to recreate them myself, but never quite being able to pull them off.” FRANK RIJKAARD (2004) “He is special. He is the best player in the world and he’s very important in the dressing room. He likes to laugh and take the pressure off all the other players, even though he’s under a great deal of pressure himself. His attitude is always contagious.” LAURENT BLANC (2006) “I played against him when he first came over to Europe to play for PSG back in 2001, and even then you could tell that he…

All right, let’s get this out of the way. No, Arturo Vidal does not bite the heads off little children, not even when they have the temerity to beat him on the PlayStation. And yes, you can talk to him about subjects ranging from his upbringing in one of the poorest parts of Chile to exactly how many horses he owns these days, without having to fear for your front teeth or kneecaps. In fact, when FourFourTwo travelled to Bavaria to chew the fat with the notorious midfield enforcer, it was difficult to reconcile the man with his public image. In Germany, people call him Der Krieger (The Warrior), while Italy’s Tuttosport christened him Gladiatore during his four years at Juventus. Remezcla, a media outlet for young Latinos in the…

Eric Cantona’s artistic side has always been to the fore, way ahead of seagulls, trawlers and kung-fu kicks. “My father would take us to galleries,” he once recalled of his childhood days. “He painted because he needed to, but not in order to sell what he produced.” The Manchester United forward would follow in Albert’s footsteps, here preparing for the new Ligue 1 campaign at Auxerre in 1987 with his dogs, and has showcased his street art around the world.…

“This match was played on the West of Scotland Cricket Ground and ended in a drawn game between Scotland and England after a splendid display of football in the really scientific sense, and a most determined effort on the part of the representatives. It was greatly admired by the spectators, who kept the utmost order. Although now and again showing some partiality to their own champions, fine play on the English side did not go uncheered. The only thing which saved the Scotch from defeat was the defensive play and tactics from their backs. With five minutes left, a determined effort to free their goal from danger was successful and [William] Ker, who played masterly, made a fine run to the English line as time was called. Before the players…

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IN THIS ISSUE: ADIDAS BLUE BLAST PACK NIKE HYPERVENOM 3 BOOTROOM KEEPERS BASELAYER However you play and at whatever level, there’s a Blue Blast boot to match your style and apparel to ensure you stay ahead of the game. ADIDAS ACE 17.1 LEATHER SG: 144554 - £170 ADIDAS X 16.1 FG: 144518 - £170 ADIDAS MESSI 16.1 FG: 144583 - £170 ADIDAS TANGO WOVEN PISTE HOOD QR: 144858 - £35 ADIDAS TANGO PL JERSEY QR: 144863 - £30 ADIDAS TANGO JERSEY QR: 144862 - £30 ADIDAS TANGO TRAINING PANTS QR: 144852 - £35 ADIDAS ACE SOCKS QR: 144887 - £10 www.prodirectsoccer.com…

GAME WINNERS The art of goalscoring is all about confidence. Strikers thrive on it and always back themselves to either break the deadlock or score the winner. Whether your game is based on speed, movement or power, we’ve got all bases covered here. GAME CHANGERS If you operate in the middle of the park, pulling the strings and creating chances out of nothing for your side, each of these boots is perfectly equipped with everything you need on a game day to make the difference.…

Gabo Morales: Sao Paulo-based snapper Gabo had the pleasure of capturing both Robinho and, our cover star, Ronaldinho for us this month. “We had lots of fun on the two shoots. Ronnie was in fine form for us throughout and Robinho loved the lollipop!” Martin Mazur: Long-serving FFT writer Martin visited the former Argentina and Arsenal midfielder Nelson Vivas – now manager of Estudiantes. “Vivas is fascinating. He’s been present at so many huge moments. He really is football’s Forrest Gump!” Paul Cooper: Pablo Zabaleta was asked to show us his best Liam Gallagher pose for his FFT shoot and was up for the task. “As an adopted Manc, ‘our kid’ delivered, channelling his inner Liam to great effect. Although I haven’t heard him sing yet!”…

1 THERE'S ONLY ONE MATCH HAPPENING HERE, SON Guam Dededo As usual, all the big football news is in Micronesia. There’s nothing that makes a man more alluring than netting a goal for NAPA Rovers in the Guam Soccer League, so Ashton Surber capitalised on the moment: racing to the stand and unveiling a ‘Marry me?’ T-shirt, even getting on one knee and pointing sexily in the direction of his girlfriend. She said “yes”, but the ref was less impressed, issuing Surber a yellow card and leaving him lumbered with a fine – just when he’s got a wedding to pay for. 2 YOU AIN'T PUNCHING OUR FLAG Australia Gosford You know Tim Cahill’s trademark goal celebration, where he does a spot of shadow boxing with the corner flag? A…

MARVEL AT A VAST LOBBY MURAL OF A HEROIC ROMAN ALAN, CLAD IN HIS TOGA Alan Pardew’s Self-Appreciation Mind Dojo Alan Tours, masterminded and led by Alan Pardew himself, presents the ultimate immersive Alan Appreciation Experience. You can marvel at a vast lobby mural of a heroic Roman Alan, clad in a toga and vanquishing all of his pitiful enemies – Derek Llambias, Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini – with a net and trident. Then enter the dojo itself, where you can get a selfie with The CyberAlans, laze about in Alan’s all-mirror trysting cubbyhole, feasting on chocolate Alans glazed with Alan’s special sauce – before losing the dressing room and getting axed, Alan-style. Lee Cattermole’s Battletoads A beat-’em-up tour that lets the users experience first-hand the ultra-violence meted out…

Answers 1) Southampton; 2) Juventus; 3) Chelsea; 4) Valencia; 5) Portsmouth; 6) Aston Villa; 7) Sheffield Wednesday; 8) Bayer Leverkusen; 9) Porto; 10) Tottenham; 11) Norwich; 12) Scarborough; 13) Dortmund; 14) Seattle Sounders; 15) Getafe; 16) Philadelphia Union; 17) West Ham; 18) West Brom; 19) Clydebank; 20) Arsenal WHY URUGUAY? Felipe Melo is making friends after joining Palmeiras: “The story that I’m violent is made by the media. But if I have to slap a Uruguayan, I will”…

Football’s Coming Out Neil Beasley, Seth Burkett (Floodlit Dreams, £9.99) There’s been much debate lately about the depressing truth: the game in England has yet to create the correct environment for any player to feel they are comfortable coming out as gay. “I’ve been asking the gay community: ‘How can we provide some more support if people want to be open regarding their sexuality?’” the FA’s chairman Greg Clarke has recently asked. Clarke would do well to pick up Neil Beasley’s book, that chronicles his own struggles as a gay footballer, supporter and club chairman. Beasley’s honest, funny and evocative story gives us an idea of life at his level of the game, with an amateur club called Birmingham Blaze, and of the sort of rubbish gay men would have…

Confused? OK, then let us walk you through this. In Champions League history, nine teams have progressed after drawing 0-0 at home in the first leg of a post-Christmas knockout match; 21 have been eliminated. So draw 0-0 at home, and you’ve only got a 28 per cent chance of advancing. Look at other scores and that compares to 32 per cent for 1-1, and 70 per cent for 1-0. But better to draw 0-0 than win 3-2: you’ve got a 17 per cent chance then. * SPELL OUT OF ACTION Rwanda’s FA have banned the use of witchcraft after a player was accused of casting a spell on his opponents during a game…

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE DOG JUMPER Has your dog been feeling a bit chilly during the winter? And has your pooch always had a soft spot for the Football League’s southernmost club, sitting faithfully by the television and barking encouragement at Graham Carey & Co. during their recent FA Cup clash with Liverpool? Obviously, the answer to both of those questions is yes, so why not buy it a knitted jumper with the words ‘PAFC top dog’ on the back? A bargain at just £14, it’s now available in small, medium and large.…

“MONEY IS IMPORTANT, BUT THE LIFESTYLE IN CHINA AND THE CLUB’S PROJECT WERE CRUCIAL” You have joined Shanghai SIPG for £52 million – what was it like when you arrived in the city? There were many supporters waiting for me, it was a special day in my life. My first impression was that Chinese people are crazy about football. It was my first time in Shanghai and it is a nice city. It reminds me of New York in many ways. Why did you opt to swap Chelsea for Shanghai? I had an offer from Chinese football last year as well, but I didn’t want to talk further at that time. This time I listened to their offer and the project sounds perfect. In every conversation we had, they were…

CLUB OWNERS GO ABROAD SO OFTEN BECAUSE DOING WELL IN LIGUE 1 IS A MUCH BETTER GUIDE THAN DOING WELL IN LEAGUE ONE There was a point in January when you started to wonder if Gary Rowett had what might be called ‘Alan Curbishley Syndrome’. Over the course of a couple of months, whenever a Premier League manager lost his job, Rowett’s name appeared as a possible replacement. He was never the outright favourite – that would always be some old stager, or an exotic import with a nice line in V-neck jumpers and slicked-back hair – but the former Derby, Birmingham and Leicester defender was always there, waiting patiently in the wings, at the sort of odds that are worth a flutter but won’t make you rich. He was…

DYCHE PLAUDITS Sean Dyche really has done a brilliant job at Burnley - keeping them up this season would be a massive achievement. Tony Connell CALM DOWN, CHRIS... Is Chris Sutton always so angry, or is his punditry style just for the effect? Surely no one can be so permanently furious. Edward Burton RODGERS RESPECT It’s great to see Brendan Rodgers redeeming his reputation at Celtic. For all but a year at Liverpool, his record is very good. Karen Stuart LEEDS ON THE UP Things are finally looking good at Leeds - Garry Monk is making us into a top team. This could be the year we go up. Tom Leighton BOB HAD IT TOUGH The way Bob Bradley was ridiculed at Swansea wasn’t right – American players are accepted,…

“HE WENT TO PARIS A NOBODY AND BECAME A DANDY, RETURNING HOME IN A SILK CRAVAT AND NICE TOP HAT” It is entirely appropriate, yet utterly unjust, that one of the most famous images of Jose Andrade, Uruguay’s greatest footballer, shows him pulling a pint behind a bar in Amsterdam. Appropriate because Andrade, a game-changing half-back, was football’s first great international playboy. His list of other activities makes him sound like a character straight out of one of Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s magic realism novels: shoeshiner, musician (he could play the drums, violin and tambourine), newspaper seller and, it was rumoured, gigolo. However, his taste for the good life would ultimately undo him. A serial womaniser, he thrilled fashionable Paris in the 1920s. After a party with the…

Who? A prodigious but perennially in/out keeper for Spurs, then Watford, who pulled off the Save of the Season during 1997-98 to help the former beat Bolton. Raised in California, Baardsen played at France 98 for Norway, despite never having been to Scandinavia. Bold and calculating, he’d peruse financial papers while in the dressing room rather than page three, the quasi-Nordic scamp. Bet he planned well for his retirement… Yep, and the gloves soon came off. He bowed out at 25 in 2003 after Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock offered him a deal that was “less money than a Tube driver earns”. Espen opted to go travelling rather than sit on the Bramall Lane bench. Did he re-emerge? Travel bug sated, he returned to London, studied at The Open University,…

1 JULIO IGLESIAS REAL MADRID The Spanish crooner was a promising goalkeeper in Los Blancos’ youth team until a serious car accident, aged 19, left him unable to walk for two years. While he lay in hospital, a nurse gave him a guitar to occupy his hands and the rest is history. 2 STEVE HARRIS WEST HAM UNITED The Iron Maiden founder, bassist and chief songwriter – and famous West Ham fan – was an Upton Park trainee until he swapped playing as a Hammer for playing an axe. Come on you Iron! 3 ROD STEWART BRENTFORD Rod’s early songs were quite prophetic: ensuring Blondes Have More Fun by marrying several and playing football on Top of the Pops to showcase those Hot Legs. But after trials at Brentford they…

“Confidence is key. When you have self-belief, you trust your ability and can take ownership of the game” How did you handle the pressure of making your debut last season? Honestly, I wasn’t nervous at all. There were a few other youngsters who were also making their debuts and wanted to impress, which probably took the pressure off me a little bit. The game [at Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup] was on TV, so I was excited to get out there and show what I could do. I told myself to do the simple things well and I knew if I did that, then the rest of my game would come together. It was all a dream come true for me. What advice did Arsene Wenger give you before…

When footballers and movies mix, things don’t tend to end very well. Sure, Vinnie Jones was great in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels , but we weren’t fans of Stan Collymore’s brief appearance in Basic Instinct 2 . Victor Anichebe is the latest player to link up with the film world, but he won’t be appearing in any gangster films or Sharon Stone thrillers, sadly. The 28-year-old has been working with Nicky Holender, personal trainer of Tom Cruise, during pre-season for the last four years and turned to him again before joining the Black Cats. Holender tells FFT: “I wanted him to finish games as strongly as he started them, so he trained twice a day, doing interval training until nearly throwing up.…

QUINOA These days you can’t scroll through your Instagram feed without seeing a picture of a so-called superfood that is dressed up to the nines in an exotic dressing. Quinoa is now a favourite among social media health fanatics, but what exactly is all the fuss about? This nutritious crop has been grown in South America for thousands of years and belongs to the same nutritional family as beets, chard and spinach. Quinoa is considered a far superior alternative to starchy carbs such as bulgur wheat, rice and couscous because of its high protein content, which is perfect for repairing your body after training, a rigorous 90 minutes or working out in the gym. 1 “Quinoa contains 14g of protein per 100g,” says nutritionist Gavin Allinson, “plus amino acids, which…

ADIDAS The latest addition from the adidas ACE Zones range features a Nova palm and Evo Zone Tech finger area, giving fantastic grip in all conditions. UHLSPORT SUPERGRIP foam is designed to give outstanding grip in all conditions, and the Eliminator also offers a neoprene backhand and 3D embossed punch zone. PUMA Removable Flextec 2 finger spines let you customise exactly which fingers you want to guard, protecting you from even the hardest of shots. NIKE Nike’s patented Grip3 technology wraps the forefinger and pinky to offer comfort, while the flat middle fingers give a close feel to the ball.…

You’ve seen how it’s evolved over time, and you’ve read how it can improve your game. So ditch the old vest, the gloves from Nan, and the cycling shorts that are actually designed for riding a bike and get yourself some proper performance-enhancing baselayers.…

Chelsea vs Arsenal February 4 The Premier League leaders seek revenge for their 3-0 loss at the Emirates in September AFCON final February 5 Ivory Coast won the tournament two years ago: who will secure victory this time in Libreville? Bayern vs Arsenal February 15 Arguably the biggest fixture in the Champions League last 16 – the first leg is at the Allianz Sevilla vs Leicester February 22 The Foxes may be struggling in the Premier League, but will the dream live on in Europe? Norwich vs Ipswich February 26 Live from Carrow Road, it’s the East Anglian derby – sometimes known as the Old Farm derby League Cup final February 26 Wembley is the stage for the showpiece event: who will succeed Manchester City as winners?…

“You’re only here for the culture,” has become a chant at Hull’s KCOM Stadium, and now you don’t have to be at the ground to hear it. Some scoffed when Hull was selected as the UK’s 2017 City of Culture, but locals have always been proud of the place’s artistic heritage. And now that art includes a ‘sonic installation’ in the city: mics were placed all around the Tigers’ pitch during November’s League Cup quarter-final win over Newcastle, recording the sound of the home fans. The result, entitled 105db and edited down to 21 minutes, is being played back at Hull’s Zebedee’s Yard, with speakers located strategically to try to recreate the “virtual landscape” of the game. Got it? “Fans can wander over to where they were sitting, or go…

When the fixtures were released for the new season, Darlington boss Martin Gray knew he had a problem. Unexpectedly, the Quakers had been given a match on New Year’s Day – the same day Gray was getting married, with his assistant Brian Atkinson down to be his best man. “What did I think when I realised it? Sh*t!” Gray tells FFT. “The wedding was arranged a couple of years back. We’d paid the money.” Initial attempts to rearrange the game with Halifax were rebuffed, but Gray opted not to tell the players until the day of the game, when he gave a team talk on the bus, which informed them he wouldn’t be going. Coach Sean Gregan and chief scout Harry Dunn guided Darlo to a 2-2 draw, as Gray…

THE NEW SAINTS Ian Brazier Managing director, 55 Greg Draper New Zealand striker, 27 Q: Against which club did TNS begin their world-record run of 27 victories in a row? IB: Aberystwyth Town. We won 2-1, I think. ✓ GD: It was Aberystwyth – it seems like a very long time ago now! ✓ 1-1 Q: In what year did the club change its name from Total Network Solutions to The New Saints? IB: It was 2006. ✓ GD: Hard one. ’06? ✓ 2-2 Q: TNS beat Tre Penne in the qualifying rounds of this season’s Champions League. Which country do Tre Penne come from? IB: I definitely know this one. It’s San Marino! ✓ GD: I’ll go San Marino. ✓ 3-3 Q: Who is TNS’ all-time record goalscorer? IB:…

Marco Asensio CLUB Real Madrid POSITION Midfielder VALUE £40m FOOT L HEIGHT 1.80m NATION ESP AGE 21 TECHNICAL Blessed with a rocket of a left foot that saw him light up the early weeks of the season with some incredible strikes. Happy to carry the ball at pace, with smart close control, and he can drift infield from wide areas to craft a chance for himself or his team-mates. He is technically gifted with the balance and stature required for navigating his way through various close-quarter situations, meaning that he’s a real player to keep an eye on when Real Madrid are attempting to unlock a resilient defence that is camped on the edge of their penalty area. MENTAL Despite only having six months of consistent top-flight experience in La…

Final hat-trick Hits three as Brazil win the 2011 Under-20 World Cup final against Portugal – only Geoff Hurst had previously notched a World Cup final hat-trick, in any age group. Opening-night strike Scores in injury time as Brazil beat Croatia 3-1 in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup in Sao Paulo. He is later included in overall team of the tournament. Champion of England Helps Chelsea to secure the League Cup and Premier League title in 2014-15, having already lifted the Europa League in his first season at Stamford Bridge.…

Having read your feature on dynamic duos in FFT 272, I can’t help but feel that you missed a trick by omitting the Juventus pair of David Trezeguet and Alessandro Del Piero. In 10 years together at Juventus, they scored a combined 346 goals – and netted 52 between them in the 2001-02 campaign when they overtook Inter Milan in the table on the final day of the season to lift the title. Apparently, Hector Cuper still has nightmares about it! Robert Ramsey, via email THE LURE OF MOVIES Reading your Men of the Year article on Cristiano Ronaldo in FFT 271, it made me wonder how many world-class players from football’s modern era have got the desire to move into management at the end of their careers? How many…

It’s 3pm inside Manchester City’s Etihad Campus and FFT is beginning to wonder whether we’ve been stood up. We have spent what seems like an absolute age gazing outside, as the rain falls from a mass of black clouds and bounces off the first-team squad’s fleet of expensive cars. Welcome to Manchester. Slowly, the club’s flock of stars begin to emerge down a set of stairs leading to the main reception. David Silva comes shuffling along, clutching his designer washbag. A grinning Nolito then struts on through, his hair slicked back with a Spandau Ballet-sized serving of wet-look gel. However, there’s still no sign of our man. Our heart sinks as we take another nervous glance at our watch, when a rugged-looking figure with a closely shaven head and designer…

In his 2001 book, Cebollita Maradona, Francisco Cornejo describes perfectly – if somewhat dramatically – how it felt to be the manager who had Diego Maradona “taken away” from him. “It was almost like a robbery, a violent robbery in which I had no alternative but to hand him over,” he said. “I felt like an artist who, after polishing a rough diamond and then turning it into an almost perfect jewel, feels that the jewel he knows down to every last detail will be borne by someone that doesn’t know it or care for it so much.” Cornejo had been Maradona’s first coach with Los Cebollitas – The Little Onions – an all-conquering youth team affiliated to Argentinos Juniors. He was the man who had discovered the future world…

“WAKE UP, LADS!” Atletico were given the nickname Los Colchoneros (the Mattress Makers) in 1911 when a kit change to red and white came about as unused bed cloth from a local factory proved a cheaper alternative to cotton. DROP-DODGING Struggling in La Liga, they finished second from bottom in 1936 but were spared the drop as Real Oviedo’s stadium took heavy hits in the Spanish Civil War and they could not finish the season – relegation was then suspended. FRANCO FAVOURS Real Madrid flourished under Franco (below) but Atleti dominated under the dictator at first, merging with an air force team in 1939. FIT AND PROPER? Future owner Jesus Gil was sentenced to five years in prison in 1969 after a complex he built (without any architects) collapsed, killing…

Anderlecht 1990-92 kit Not many teams choose to turn out in purple, but when it looks as good as this early ’90s effort from the Belgians, you wonder why. International Soccer One of football’s earliest forays into videogames was pretty simplistic (you’d pick your team based only on the colour), but tremendous fun. Pixel perfection. Umbro Speciali boots So snug that they were like playing football in your slippers and you could even fold the toe and heel. Not to mention achingly stylish.…

Favourite music Wretch 32 – he is good lyrically. Last album bought Views by Drake. Pre-match tune All The Way Up by Fat Joe fi res me up. Favourite actor Will Smith – I want to be just like him! Best holiday destination Marbella, as I had a really great time there last summer. Pre-match meal Carbs, carbs, carbs! Lots of rice or pasta. Gym session or cardio session? Gym. I hate cardio – we do hard sessions. Favourite tricks Flip-flap. I’ve pulled it off in training on a few occasions. Five years from now you’ll be… Still at Arsenal and scoring plenty of goals, hopefully.…

Sunderland Terminally-ill Bradley Lowery was the Black Cats’ mascot against Chelsea and scored at half-time. Classy. Hot boxing When it’s too cold to go running outdoors, try a hot boxing class. Be prepared to sweat! Chris Brass Bury’s new manager lost all four matches he took charge of as caretaker and yet still got the job full-time. Loris Karius The Liverpool keeper is certain to feature in this year’s batch of Christmas football blooper DVDs. Oops. CR7 blankets We love Ronaldo, but you will never see us taking forty winks in Cristiano’s new range of branded blankets. Birmingham Giving manager Gary Rowett the boot after two top-10 finishes in the Championship on a shoestring budget is just plain bonkers.…

HE ANSWERS Marouane Fellaini Man United and Belgium midfielder “If you’re unable to get a free header, you must hold off your man without giving away a foul. I always try to win that battle with my opponent and it is something you get better at over time. I’ll try to push him a bit and destabilise him. If you can win the first or second header of the game, you’ll dominate the defender – he’ll get nervous and you will then get a lot more aerial opportunites.”…

The next time that your partner or parents complain about your unhealthy obsession with going to play football, insist that you are training your brain, too. We’re not just trying to get you in trouble at home, honest – 24 exercise specialists hailing from 24 different countries have been highlighting the cognitive gains from doing physical exercise. A report that’s appeared in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that “a single session of moderate physical activity will benefit brain function, cognition and scholastic performance in children and young people.” In plain English, it means that having a game of headers and volleys with your mates or going to play 5-a-side in your free time could help to improve displays in the classroom or workplace. The statement goes on to…

THE OLD SCHOOL The “Baggy is Best” era, when baselayer was very much homemade, and literally anything goes. THE NEW SCHOOL The “Tight is Right” era, starting at some point in the mid-2000s. Improved performance gained through enhancements in technology. Cast your mind back to 13 September 1997 (if you’re old enough!) when Ian Wright scored a hat-trick against Bolton to become Arsenal’s record goalscorer. Cue huge celebration and the Arsenal legend (prematurely) lifting his jersey to reveal … a baggy white vest?! Yes, this was an era before baselayer as we now know it. Around this time, you would’ve risked remorseless ribbing in the changing room simply for wearing cycling shorts, let alone any other type of skin tight garment (we won’t even mention those that chose to take…

MARTIN DEMICHELIS “He was a great defender at Bayern; he always made us feel secure. Martin was a reassuring presence – we shared a lot of great moments and we both learned German together. He’s done well since leaving Munich, even when few thought he’d succeed with Man City. He named me as one of his best-ever team-mates, despite playing with so many Argentine greats, and that really did honour me.” FERNANDO REDONDO “In the ’90s he was what is now considered a modern box-to-box player – he was ahead of his time. He had refined skills and he was a leader, not only at Real Madrid but wherever he played. I didn’t spend enough time at Madrid to know him that well, but everyone in the team thought he…