How did Borussia Dortmund become a factory for talent?

Head Coach Jurgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund goes up to collected his runners-up medal after losing the UEFA Champions League final match against FC Bayern Muenchen at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2013 in London, United Kingdom.

(May 24, 2013 - Source: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe)

Brief history

If we focus on merely achievements and numbers, Borussia Dortmund is undoubtedly one of the most famous football clubs in the whole of Europe, and the club has a remarkable reputation of having astounding numbers during their matches.

According to the club’s website, Borussia Dortmund stands for intensity, authenticity, cohesion and ambition. The club has a special place in the hearts of the club’s fans who have remained profoundly loyal in all the good, bad and ugly times for more than a century.

The club was founded in 1909 in the German city of Dortmund in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. In football talk, the club is commonly known with the abbreviation: “BvB”, which ultimately stands for Ballspielverein Borussia or in English "Borussia club for ball games." The full name is BV Borussia 1909 EV Dortmund and is definitely one of Germany’s most decorated clubs that will always be talked about for generations to come.

The club has managed to grab eight national titles, three DFB-Porkals, a Cup Winners’ Cup and an unforgettable Champions League win in 1997. Borussia Dortmund is famous for producing world-class talents like Marco Reus, Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic.

In 2003, the club fell into a financial predicament in the aftermath of excessive spending om expensive players in the transfer market. The club received financial support from arch-rivals Bayern Munich which gave them $2 million euros for paying players’ salaries. However, within a year, the club managed to repay the loan. Having gone through several challenges off and on pitch, supporters started to resent the team’s performances and were calling-out for change.

In 2008, they hired one of the most prominent managers of all times in European football named Jurgen Klopp who is the current coach of Liverpool Football Club. After making a good name for himself at Mainz, he had become the first choice for the club. Under his leadership, the first few seasons were average but eventually, Klopp, as he has come to be affectionately known, pushed the squad to incredible winning ways. He implemented a high pressing counter-attacking style which was described as heavy metal football and the club went on to take the Bundesliga title in the 2010 and the 2011 seasons.

Youssoufa Moukoko of Dortmund in action during the B Juniors Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Viktoria Koeln on August 19, 2017 in Dortmund, Germany.

(Aug. 18, 2017 - Source: Lukas Schulze/Bongarts)

Talent development

BvB takes pride in engaging youthful players and developing them to become world-class players. The end of 2019 saw the club fashionably sign a young teenager in Erling Haaland, a Norwegian who is originally from the Netherlands. In his January 2020 Bundesliga debut, the young superstar came from the bench to score a hat-trick in what has become one of Borussia Dortmund’s greatest ever comebacks in history.

The business model of recruiting raw, young talent and to nurture them into becoming superstars has become BvB’s best philosophy over the years. Since the unimpressive bankruptcy that the club experienced in 2005, in the aftermath of overspending, the executives of the club changed the strategy of recruitment. The Black and Yellow has become the best finishing school for young footballers in the entire world. In today's times, there is nowhere else in the world that a highly promising player in their late teens can go and so reliably be molded into a superstar. The smartest players, parents, and agents are aware of this notion. The youth co-ordinator for Borussia Dortmund Youth Academy explicitly stated that, “the biggest advantage at BvB is that we offer the greatest gift that young boys are looking for and it is the chance to play.” The main goal of the youth academy is to raise players that will qualify to become world-class players. The young players are kept in good shape as they are blessed with boarding facilities, healthy diets, great living conditions, and exceptional education. In the mornings, the young players go to school and later on they can carry on with proper training which does not necessarily exhaust the body’s performance.

Professionalism is a key factor at the multi-talent factory as they reach high limits in training. Their mentality is flooded with ‘winning’ it is ever so evident in the players’ performances on the pitch. For a young player, there is nothing like Dortmund City which is inundated with black and yellow colors everywhere and the training ground optimizes it. The players are graded into simple age groups namely, 12-15 years where they focus on technique, and 17-19 years where they focus on winning strategy and tactics.

The club sees training young players as a culture and the coaches are passionate to develop talent as a way of investment for the club. That is what distinguishes BVB from other clubs in Germany and in many parts of the world.

The role of Jurgen Klopp in promoting young talent

In the aftermath of bankruptcy in 2005 and not being able to pay hefty salaries of the players they had bought, performances needed a lot to be desired. In 2008, they roped in a profoundly unique coach in Klopp and under his leadership the club would revamp their youth production line, paying handsome dividends culminating in a Champions League final appearance in 2013. It was the same year in which the current Liverpool manager handed debuts to six academy products.

The German-born manager implemented an attacking football style that has its foundations in Dortmund youth, which is now being emulated by Europe’s big spenders to this day. It is said by BVB's youth coordinator that during games for the young players, their focus is not necessarily on winning though it's important, but on putting in a performance that is satisfying. At the end of each game, the young lads at the youth camp are given a sheet to fill, rate their performances and lay down their overall thoughts on how they can become better.

The youth lads are not only trained on the pitch but off the pitch with programs orchestrated to enhance their confidence in life, which inevitably plays a vital role on the pitch. There is a cultural activity done every quarter of the year that they participate in and an example is when BVB made them act out a play in English in front of 300 people. It is the kind of pressure that they have to overcome in order to play in front of 80,000 people at the Signal Iduna Park.

“A model born out of necessity and desperation has since become a hugely profitable business model for the club. In the last three years alone, Dortmund has raked in £427 million from transfers”

— Farai Maringa, FirstTouch Africa

Ousmane Dembele of Dortmund runs with the ball during the friendly match between Wuppertaler SV and Borussia Dortmund at Stadion Zoo on July 9, 2016 in Wuppertal, Germany.

(July 8, 2016 - Source: Christof Koepsel/Bongarts)

Dortmund’s successful youth products

Generally, it is obvious that of all the young players that get in the club youth camp, only a handful will make it to the top level but this is a different with BVB as they developed a reputation of being master craftsmen. The development of youthful talent has boosted the financial position of the club as they have had remarkable sales of talents over the years. One of the most incredible sales they pushed was the over €100-million sale of Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona. Dortmund have carefully put themselves in a position of attracting Europe’s elite and developing them to become renowned world-class players. Below is some of the top talents to emerge from Dortmund in recent memory.

1. Ousmane Dembele

Popularly known as the dribble king, his talents were clear to see even while he was still at a tender age at Rennes. But it was Dortmund who shrewdly signed the teenager for a mere €8 million in 2016. The Frenchman enjoyed a wonderful debut season in the Bundesliga, which attracted the attention of Barcelona, who were desperate to sign a new winger following the shock departure of Neymar for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017. Regardless of a troubled exit from Signal Iduna Park, Dembele still netted BVB a remarkable profit, with Barcelona agreeing to pay an initial €105m fee with the potential for a further €40m in add-ons.

2. Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang

The Gabonese starlet was given one of the toughest of jobs when he came to Dortmund in 2013. He played alongside Robert Lewandowski in his debut season at Signal Iduna Park and it was an incredibly rich show. However, when Robert decided to leave for arch rivals Bayern Munich, this meant the onus fell on Auba to become the center of the BVB attack, almost all on his own. Remarkably, he pulled it off, with a whopping 141 goals in 213 games making him one of Europe's elite strikers. He eventually left for the English Premier League, joining Arsenal for €62m which represented a massive return on the estimated €13m they had acquired him for from St. Etienne in 2013.

3. Ilkay Gundogan

The Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan ran the Dortmund midfield for five seasons between 2011 and 2016, having joined on a cut-price of €5.5m deal from Nurnberg when he was just 20. Manchester City was absolutely impressed with his gameplay and came to sign him in 2016. Dortmund pocketed €22.1m as profit from the sale of the striker and at his current club, he has won two English Premier League Championships, an FA Cup and two Carabao Cups.

Julian Weigl of Dortmund celebrates with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Dortmund (r) after he scored his teams sixth goal to make it 6:1 during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Moenchengladbach at Signal Iduna Park on September 23, 2017 in Dortmund, Germany.

(Sept. 22, 2017 - Source: Lars Baron/Bongarts)

4. Shinji Kagawa

Shinji was plucked from his native Japan for a mere €350,000 in 2010, with Dortmund taking advantage of a clause that allowed him to leave Cerezo Osaka on a cut-price deal should a European club come knocking. The attacking midfielder quickly became a fan favorite at Signal Iduna Park, scoring at a rate of just under a goal every two games and helped BVB to the Bundesliga title in each of his two seasons in Germany. Manchester United was delighted by his style of play and pulled out £17m from their billfold to secure his services. Dortmund were sorry to see him leave but happy with their substantial market gain. Just two years later after an unsuccessful spell at Old Trafford, Dortmund were able to re-sign Kagawa for just €8m.

5. Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic is one of Dortmund’s latest and arguably greatest transfer success story. The versatile American attacker was picked up at the tender age of 16 and quickly forced his way into the first teams of both his club and his country. In signing for Chelsea, Pulisic became Dortmund's second-biggest sale of all time, after Dembele. Dortmund sold him to Chelsea for £58m.

6. Mario Gotze

A product of the club's youth system, Gotze cost the club nothing and quickly became a teenage sensation. In 2013 the attacking midfielder decided to depart after Bayern Munich triggered the €37 million release clause in his contract. The lad is most famous for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil but through a combination of form and fitness issues, he never settled at the Allianz Arena and returned to Signal Iduna Park for €22m in 2016, admitting that he regretted ever leaving.

7. Sokratis Papastathopoulos

The Greek international’s sale proved another good investment when he chose to move to Arsenal. The defender starred for five years at BVB's camp, forming a remarkable partnership with Hummels to establish himself as a top-class center-half. Arsenal decided to move for the Greek and paid BVB approximately €15.9m meaning more money for the club.

8. Henrikh Mkhitaryan

The Armenian playmaker arrived in Dortmund in the year 2013 coming from Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk. He was phenomenal in attacking midfield. Three outstanding seasons in the Bundesliga earned Mkhitaryan a €41.8m move to Manchester United, and the Black and Yellow got another healthy profit on their initial investment. He later moved to Arsenal where he played delightful football alongside a former BVB player in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before being signed by Roma on loan.

Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund and Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund battle for possession during a Borussia Dortmund training session ahead of the UEFA Champions League Group H match against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on September 12, 2017 in London, England.

(Sept. 11, 2017 - Source: Alex Pantling/Getty Images Europe)

9. Mats Hummels

In the case of Mats Hummels, Bayern Munich's loss turned out to be an infinite gain for their arch-rivals BVB. The defender was not playing extremely well as a youngster for Die Roten and was shoved off to Borussia Dortmund in 2008 for a dirt-cheap fee of just €4m. Investment in Hummels was worthwhile as he became the chief cornerstone of the Dortmund defense system. He assisted the club in acquiring two consecutive league wins, also helping them to a Champions League final in the 2012-13 season. Hummels also got his hands on the 2014 World Cup trophy with Germany before Bayern Munich came to buy him out of BVB for €35m though later returning home to Signal Iduna Park.

10. Matthias Ginter

Props go to Borussia Dortmund for the exceedingly great eye for talent. BVB discovered Matthias Ginter when he was just 20 and they got him for just €10m from Freiburg prior to the 2014-15 season. He became a master in the Dortmund defense for three years, playing more than 100 games before he was allowed to leave for Borussia Monchengladbach. BVB cleared made a healthy profit of €7m on the center-back when they released him.

Out of necessity and desperation to profound success

Jurgen Klopp the manager of Borussia Dortmund speaks with Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund prior to kickoff during UEFA Champions League Group D match between Galatasaray and Borussia Dortmund at Turk Telekom Arena on October 22, 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey.

(Oct. 21, 2014 - Source: Lars Baron/Getty Images Europe)

Borussia Dortmund has now built one of the most admired structures in Europe as they continue to develop young stars that grow up to become world-class players. Borussia Dortmund manages their young prodigies with familial care. They are in regular dialogue with the parents of Sancho, for instance, and with the FA about the footballing development. In the 2019/20 season, the average age of Dortmund’s team has been 25.4 - three years younger than Bayern Munich, and almost a whole year younger than any of the 20 Premier League clubs, according to Football Observatory.

Dortmund’s business model is to essentially identify the world’s best young players, nurture them and give them game-time they would have been denied elsewhere, and then sell them on for a huge profit. Wild over-spending in the past led to the club almost becoming bankrupt and it's from that unhealthy experience that encouraged the club’s executives to look at different ways and focus on talent development to avoid excessive and unnecessary costs.

Huge credit goes to Jurgen Klopp as he spearheaded the model when he arrived from a second-division side called Mainz. The Dortmund website shows that the club stopped looking at seasoned, mid-market pros and instead concentrate their efforts on identifying "young high-potentials" who are just beginning of their careers, hungry for game time, willing to learn and crucially, much less of a burden on the balance sheet. In the 2007-08 season, the average age of new recruits had been just over 27 years. Twelve months later, it was reduced to 23.5 years and it went only further down from there, hovering between 22 and 23 over the following decade.

A model born out of necessity and desperation has since become a hugely profitable business model for the club. In the last three years alone, Dortmund has raked in £427 million from transfers, including £105m for Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), £62m for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) and £58m for Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), the latest high-profile departure.

Truth is Dortmund would rather keep their best players to become the best club in Europe but selling some great players is in acceptance of economic reality. When players start getting demand from other big clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, they are offered profoundly higher wages and as such a decision to leave by these players will be inevitable so they can earn what they deserve.

Parting Word

All factors remaining constant, Borussia Dortmund will soon be able to pay their players enough to keep them in the long term, then win titles and make a tremendous impact in European Football. The club will need to continue developing worthy talent in the academy, scouting, signing up-and-coming stars and consistently reaching the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Their ability to develop young talent will always be talked about for several years!

Will racism ever end in Serie A?

My joke is better than yours

"I don't see in the Italian league a player like Lukaku in any team, not in AC Milan, Inter, Rome, Lazio. He's one of the strongest and I like him a lot because he's one of the strongest, he's at least twice as strong as (Duvan) Zapata from Atalanta. These players have something more than the others, these are the guys who make the goals and drag the team. If they go one-on-one with you you're dead, you fall to the ground. The only way to out-muscle him is to give him ten bananas to eat." – Luciano Passirani on TopCalcio24

Believe it or not, those were the exact words uttered by a football pundit live on Italian television. Passirani immediately apologized after being probed by the presenter which was however not enough to save his job. In his mind, he was probably heaping due praise on the Belgian international packaged in a "good old joke." Bigger picture wise, those few words go a long way in trying to understand the racism issue in the context of Italian football. Without further ado, let's get it!

Investigating the problem: some fans, players and the leadership

In recent weeks, the word Serie A has become regrettably synonymous with racism. It's perhaps the first thing that most keen followers of football news and events think of at the mention of the word. There is a reason for that. To people and watchdogs outside the Serie A, racism incidents have spiked in recent weeks and months whereas insiders need to be repeatedly pinched before they could wake up and smell that wretched coffee. Put simply, "racism doesn't exist in Italy," so do many insiders and the general fabric of society believes and adheres to; and that is why it's a problem that never seems to go away.

Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates his goal with his team-mate Romelu Lukaku during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Juventus at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 6, 2019 in Milan, Italy.

(Oct. 5, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe

It rather continues to evolve in rearing its ugly head. You don't have to take my word for it, let's remind ourselves of how some people within the country and how they’ve explained the phenomenon.

"You have to understand that Italy is not like many other north European countries where racism is a real problem. We understand that it could have seemed racist to you but it is not like that. In Italy we use some 'ways' only to 'help our teams' and to try to make our opponents nervous, not for racism but to mess them up. Please consider this attitude of Italian fans as a form of respect for the fact they are afraid of you for the goals you might score against their teams and not because they hate you or they are racist." – Inter Milan Fan Group, Curva Nord

Number one, that was a statement from the infamous Italian fan group who sought to console their summer signing after monkey chants were directed at him, at Cagliari. Again, they seem to believe it's all simply just good banter. Let's look at another one.

“England identifies the players coming in and, if they are professional, they are allowed to play. Here, on the other hand, let’s say there’s [fictional player] Opti Poba, who has come here, who previously was eating bananas and now is a first-team player for Lazio … In England he has to demonstrate his CV and his pedigree.” – Carlos Tavecchio

So it's not just the fans who have a pretty good "sense of humor." The Italian Football Federation President between 2014-17 was eventually suspended for his comments but got back on the job and later fired. Not for his seeming despicable sense of humor but after Italy failed to make the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, for the first time in 60 years. There are some players as who have reacted questionably in the wake of racism incidents.

Juventus defender, Leonardo Bonucci claimed that the racial abuse experienced by teammate Moise Kean at Cagliari was caused by the teenage forward as much as it was by the group of fans involved, though he later took back his comments after media backlash. “Kean knows that when he scores a goal, he has to focus on celebrating with his teammates. He knows he could have done something differently. There were racist jeers after the goal. Blaise heard it and was angry. I think the blame is 50-50. Moise should not have done that, and the Curva should not have reacted that way.” – Leonardo Bonucci

At least he mentioned they “were racist jeers.”

Sulley Muntari of Pescara react during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and Pescara Calcio at Stadio Sant'Elia on April 30, 2017 in Cagliari, Italy.

(April 29, 2017 - Source: Enrico Locci/Getty Images Europe)

By getting instances where fans, leadership and players were involved, we understand that the issue has hardly been taken seriously, no wonder it seems to only get worse. After all, science and thought leaders have taught us that the first move in solving a problem, remains simply recognition of its existence. That's hardly been the case in Serie A.

Looking back at recent reported racism incidents

How far back in time do these issues and incidents go? Well, as far as time itself goes to the very beginning. In the 21st century alone, the instances are endless. In 2010, when Juventus played out to a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan with the latter earning a precious point that helped them win the Scudetto, Mario Balotelli was chanted at by a section of the Juve fans, "there is no black Italian," they shouted in the stands. So was Samuel Eto'o in 2010, Sulley Muntari in 2017. The former Ghanaian international in fact got a yellow card for complaining that he was hearing odd noises from the stands targeted at him while playing for Pescara again, at Cagliari. He eventually walked off the pitch in protest and got suspended for it. All of Blaise Matuidi, Moise Kean and most recently Lukaku have been reduced to just monkeys playing the soccer ball at Cagliari. Fiorentina's Dalbert was also recently targeted at Atalanta, Kalidou Koulibaly and the lists goes on and on and on like a song nobody wants to hear.

“It’s obviously not just in Europe but all around the world. There could still be a few stones that still need to be turned and in light of how much we have progressed as the human race to stop slavery and many other things, we should be encouraged to do more from where we are. Perhaps the simplest of things all of us can do is firstly recognize a damaging stereotype and then call it out.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Giorgio Chiellini of Juventus embraces Kalidou Koulibaly of SSC Napoli at the end of the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Turin, Italy.

(Aug. 30, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

The league, players and everyone else’s response

How then have the authorities responded in the face of the seemingly unending scourge of racism that's tainting one of the best leagues in world football.

Not very impressive when it comes to the Serie A, who are responsible for reprimanding or letting loose the alleged perpetrators. The incident at Cagliari where Lukaku was involved for instance, was dismissed because of a "lack of evidence." In other words, the monkey noises weren't substantial enough for a case or they "actually never happened." The Serie A’s disciplinary judge overseeing the case, Gerardo Mastrandrea, even shied away from mentioning the word racism in his verdict. In fact, none of the incidents at Cagliari have ever been punished and we wonder why we see the same thing happening over and over again. Former Newcastle forward, the Senegalese Demba Ba took to social media to explain why he never played in the Serie A, in response to Curva Nord's annoying statement on Lukaku.

"And here's the reason why I decided not to play there when I could... And at that point I wish all the black players would get out of this league! Surely it won't stop their stupidity and hate but at least they won't affect other races." - Demba Ba, Istanbul Basaksehir

Other players such as the 2019 Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year, Megan Rapinoe called upon the football fraternity to take a stand and applauded Manchester City and Napoli players, Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly for taking a firm stance and their proactivity in fighting one of society's ugliest beasts.

Anti-discriminatory body, Fare's executive director, Piara Power speaking to the BBC has lamented that "the rot is deep" in Italy and that the "authorities themselves are not fit for purpose." Fare's Eastern Europe Development Officer, Pavel Klymenko added that the problem goes past just the football circles. "This lack of understanding runs very deep. It is not just the ultras, it is the whole system of Italian football and consequently the society."

Other organisations such as KickItOut have also been quite vocal in calling out the Italian authorities and raising an awareness on the issue.

Beyond Italian borders

Yes, Italy may have been rightfully caught in the cross fire but racism also goes beyond the South Western European country's borders. Just recently in Eastern Europe where England thrashed Bulgaria by 6-0 in the Euro 2020 Qualifiers, the match was halted twice under UEFA's new protocol upon hearing monkey chants and seeing Nazi salutes in a section of the home fans directed at English black players, Tyrone Mings and Raheem Sterling. We witnessed almost the same pattern as in Italy with the Bulgarian coach denying that he heard any odd sounds during the match. The country's Primer Minister eventually went hard on the football leadership at the wake of bad publicity, forcing the Football Chief to resign.

Mario Balotelli (R) of Italy celebrates with team-mate Claudio Marchisio after scoring his team's second goal as Philipp Lahm of Germany shows his dejection during the UEFA EURO 2012 semi final match between Germany and Italy at the National Stadium on June 28, 2012 in Warsaw, Poland.

(June 27, 2012 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

England also has had a fair share of its incidents, most recently Chelsea's Tammy Abraham and Aston Villa's Marvelous Nakamba racially abused on social media and during the matches. Perhaps, most telling is how the English FA seem to want to handle further racism cases going forward. Manchester City's Bernando Silva has recently been charged for racially joking with teammate Benjamin Mendy on social media. In their thought process, even simple jokes maintain some of society's undesirable stereotypes.

It's obviously not just in Europe but all around the world. There could still be a few stones that still need to be turned and in light of how much we have progressed as the human race to stop slavery and many other things, we should be encouraged to do more from where we are. Perhaps the simplest of things all of us can do is firstly recognize a damaging stereotype and then call it out.

How much longer?

As far as Italy is concerned, they have been very slow in understanding and combating the racism but there's certainly some hope. For instance, the Italian Football Federation President, Gabriele Gravina has recently spoken of how they are looking into VAR to help identify all perpetrators in the stands and a campaign involving one player from all 20 Serie A sides is being organized by the league. Sustainable results from all these are yet to be seen but the noise from outside, calling out Italy is definitely piling pressure on the inside and might work out for the greater good!

How have Atalanta become Serie A Giants?

"I'm convinced, I'm going to wake up to find none of this is real," twitted one Atalanta admirer back in 2017. La Dea were shockingly sitting 5th on the Serie A standings, a club that had been relegated in 2003, 2005 and 2010; only managing a top 10 finish once in the decade. Fast forward two years, the exploits of the Bergamo club have proven to be by no means a fluke but properly institutionalised through agreeable structures. They finished 3rd behind Juve and Napoli in the 2018/19 season and we will make their UEFA Champions League debut this season. But how did they do it? Why them? Let's take a quick journey back into time.

“...that’s exactly what Atalanta have done and there’s nothing miraculous about their rise. It’s simply the old-age formula of #people #product and #process.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Atalanta BC coach Gian Piero Gasperini controls the ball during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Pescara Calcio at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia on March 19, 2017 in Bergamo, Italy.

(March 18, 2017 - Source: Marco Luzzani/Getty Images Europe

The nervous night

Just a few games into his Atalanta job, then 59-year old Giani Piero Gasperini had lost 4 of his 5 opening matches in charge. To make matters worse, his next opponent were to be Napoli, the Naples residents who are never shy to take the game to anyone. In Gasperini's mind, it wasn't only about his poor start at life in Bergamo but the past demons haunting him over a job lost at Inter Milan by reason of a similar run of results. A second consecutive sack was looming and Gasperini himself later admitted the dreaded possibility, "I was on the verge of being sacked, it's true," speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Prior to what could be his last match in charge, he threw caution to the wind and made some drastic changes to his formation which he communicated a night before the match to the club President, Percassi. The latter all of sudden had more time in the night than he had planned, with his eyes determined to disallow the eyelids from closing them as he peered into the most likely unpleasant future, savouring the dawning unsavoury moment over and over again. Thankfully, the gamble paid off. The youngsters which include Roberto Gagliardini that Gasperini blooded that day, saved his job and Percassi a few more hours of sleep as Atalanta registered an unlikely 1-0 over Napoli. The victory was so big that thousands of fans welcomed "The Goddess," at the Bergamo airport. A revolution had started and a few years more, we continue to write about it.

Minnow turned giant

South Africa's first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela once remarked that, "every now and then, a generation is called upon to be great. You can be that great generation." The current crop of Atalanta players are certainly living up to the late Pan-African's reflections. To understand how far they've come even more, picture the Premier League's Bournemouth or Burnely for instance, with their modest budget and presumably keen eye on home grown talent. If they were to maintain such a strategy and progressively break into the EPL's top three ahead of some of the so-called big 6 teams, that would be fairly considered as an unlikely miracle right? That's exactly what Atalanta have done and there's nothing miraculous about their rise. It's simply the age old formula of #people #product and #process.

Papu Gomez and Musa Barrow of Atalanta BC celebrate the 0-2 goal scored by Musa Barrow during the serie A match between Benevento Calcio and Atalanta BC at Stadio Ciro Vigorito on April 18, 2018 in Benevento, Italy.

(April 17, 2018 - Source: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images Europe)

People

Getting the right people for the right job is an indespensible ingredient anywhere. That's exactly what La Dea, "The Goddess," did in appointing Gasperini in 2016 and most importantly showing enough faith and patience to let him do his job when results went side-ways. It is reported that in his first few games in charge where wins were a scarce commodity, club President Percassi descended upon the Atalanta players in the gym and frankly shared he was all they got. They just had to shape up or shape up. “I have no doubts about Gasperini. He is our manager, the best manager possible, and untouchable. So now let’s see what you want to do about it.” – Antonio Percassi's comments as reported by L’Eco di Bergamo at the time. This was in contrast to what had happened at Inter not long ago when Gasperini was sacked after barely 6 matches in charge. His methods were clearly not modern enough for Inter who were looking to challenge Juve for the Scudetto. As luck would have it, Atalanta under Gasperini finished above Nerazzuri in the 2018/19 Serie A season. The appointment of Gasperini was the master stroke and the wild card which eventually led to him to find more people in the form of blooding youngsters who are mostly of Bergamo descent and have gone on to take the La Dea badge, up high with the best there is. Gasperini was quoted by Gazetta dello Sport back in November 2016 as having said this about their recruitment:

“...the club is serious, the structures ideal, the fans passionate, and I have already seen interesting players in the youth sector. The project is clear and focused on those players in the academy: on building really strong identification with our region. An Atalanta styled after Athletic Bilbao, maybe without reaching quite those excesses – because if there is a good kid who doesn’t speak with a Bergamese dialect I’d take him all the same …”

All these people have massively enabled the ‘Queen of the Provinces’ to build a product in the form of a results based style of football we are now celebrating today.

Duvan Zapata of Atalanta celebrates after scoring the equalizing goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Juventus at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia on December 26, 2018 in Bergamo, Italy.

(Dec. 25, 2018 - Source: Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images Europe)

Product

Below is a typical 3-4-3 formation that Atalanta have been using during their remarkable rise, albeit with a few tactical tweaks here and there when the wisdom of Gasperini finds it prudent. It's almost the same formation that has become synonymous with Antonio Conte after his 2016/17 Premier League title win with Chelsea. Three ball playing center-backs are flanked by two full backs on either side who become attackers, delivering crosses into the opposition box when in possession and can quickly switch to defensive duties to form a back-five when under attack. They always have a congested midfield of three players, whom the most advanced one in their set-up against SPAL and in most cases being Pasalic. Upfront are two forwards, the infamous skipper Papu Gomez who has given so much to the side and Colombian international, Duvan Zapata. Summer signing Muriel also gives Gasperini's side more options going forward. More interestingly, Gasperini prefers to play with a pseudo number 10. Pasalic's role in the team is hardly distinguishable to that of the other two midfielders and most of their goal-scoring opportunities come from the flanks. Summatively, this formation allows Gasperini's side to attack as a team and defend as one, making great use of the numbers rather than banking on any kind of individual brilliances. They move like a pack of wolves and unlike the criticism that Conte received at Chelsea for being too defensive, Atalanta's dynamism is sometimes too spontaneous for any opponent to counter. They have become the masters of the 3-4-3 formation.

Duvan Zapata of Atalanta BC celebrates his goal with his team-mates during the Coppa Italia match between Atalanta BC and Juventus at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia on January 30, 2019 in Bergamo, Italy.

(Jan. 29, 2019 - Source: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images Europe)

Process

A 2015 report by the Swiss based CIES Football Observatory cited Atalanta as having the 8th best youth academy in Europe's top five leagues. They have been super deliberate in the appointment of youth coaches who expertly scout mostly local talent and systematically grooms it to feed the senior side. Just like Eredivisie's Ajax Amsterdam, no wonder they hardly feel the heat when some of their most promising stars are snapped up by the more affluent sides. Atalanta have built a self-sustaining system and institution that doesn't rely on any individuals. When Ivorian international Franck Kessie left for AC Milan for example, he was never missed and the same goes for Mattia Caldara who was snapped by Juve and many others.

2019/20 Champions League dice

Most special, this season marks Atalanta’s first appearance in the UEFA Champions League since the tournament’s rebranding. They had only played in the 1963-64 European Cup. Drawn in group C against Manchester City, Dinamo Zagreb and Shakhtar Donetsk, they are the underdogs on paper given their lack of experience on the biggest stage in recent times. One thing we have however learnt is not to count them out on anything. I predict they will do enough to narrowly progress into the round of 16, registering an upset against City. La Dea will kick-start their UCL campaign away at Zagreb in Croatia on the 18th of September.

Looking ahead

The Serie A still pretty much remains Juventus’ stronghold, who have won 8 titles on the spin. They are miles ahead of their closest competitors such as Inter Milan and Napoli financially, and if anyone is going to get one over them – they would need to come in with a different strategy. Atalanta have been on that path, causing the Old Lady a few problems when they met and if their progression is to continue, it may not be now but definitely a matter of time before La Dea get their hands on a Scudetto.

Are Juventus Serie A Favorites?

Matthijs de Ligt of Juventus and Marcelo Brozovic of FC Internazionale talk prior to the International Champions Cup match between Juventus and FC Internazionale at the Nanjing Olympic Center Stadium on July 24, 2019 in Nanjing, China.

(July 23, 2019 - Source: Getty Images AsiaPac)

Forza Juve

They have had a great run, haven’t they? Eight Scudettos on the spin, one of which was won in that impressive 2011/12 campaign where they finished the entire season unbeaten. More profoundly, they have done it with three different managers in those 8 years, meaning it’s not just a result of one gaffer’s magic but perhaps the ageless spirit and wisdom of the Old Lady of Turin. Come to think of it, why were they nicknamed the Old Lady? Legend says it’s an ironic joke for their name Juventus, which means youth in Latin and also for notably sticking to some old players even up to date. Lady comes from how their fans love Juve as they would their better halves. Well, without turning this into an Italian history lesson, let’s chew the meat at hand. Yes, they have been dominant but rendered the Serie A less interesting to watch in that space of time.

Everyone wants some, “I didn’t see that coming” moments, for instance Leicester City’s historic 2014/15 Premier League title win. Fortunate enough for us lovers of the thrills and spills of the game, taking into account the events that have transpired over the summer, there seems to be a more realistic prospect of the Italian Serie A title changing hands, after close to a decade.

I hope I have piqued your interest because am going to get straight into it.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the International Champions Cup match between Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur at the Singapore National Stadium on July 21, 2019 in Singapore.

(July 20, 2019 - Source: Getty Images AsiaPac)

Addio (Goodbye) Allegri

The first fortunate factor that could favor the other bold Italian giants in their quest for a rare Serie A title, is actually self-inflicted by Juve. Them, parting ways with manager Massimiliano Allegri at the beginning of the summer hinted on what their priorities are at this point in time. It’s clearly not to win another Scudetto. The Italian had been a real clutch, taking over from Conte in 2014 and doing just enough to continue that impressive title winning run coupled with leading them to two Champions League finals in a space of three years. But the writing is on the wall, they are pricing another piece of silverware above the honor of becoming Italian champions, a UEFA Champions League crown they last laid their hands on, 23 years before today. No wonder they have had the privilege to pick and drop most of the finest rising and established Italian gaffers to do try and do that job in recent years with no success.

More evidence to support this cause states that the big money acquisitions of five time Balon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo (Mr. Champions League) from Real Madrid, suiting up Aaron Ramsey with hefty wages, the capture of Mathijs de Ligt for the third most expensive fee for a defender and recently the charge to try and prize Romelu Lukaku away from Manchester United amongst others. They had been winning Scudettos without spending a lot but specialising in signing some of Europe’s top talent on free transfers. All of sudden, they feel the need to. More concretely, Juve know that it could probably take a century to have another Ronaldo in world football and the need to utilise this unique opportunity before the soon 35-year-old can hang up his boots. They’ve had the first strike at the UEFA crown and the second one called 2019/20 could be the last. In short, they really like Italian but need some more European flavour which could loosen their hold on the domestic title and give room for the likes of Napoli and Inter Milan to pounce. What else has happened over the summer?

“They came, went abroad, saw and conquered, now the three Italian stallions in Sarri, Conte and Ancelotti have returned to headline a looming war for supremacy on home soil. With the silent and potentially dangerous stakeholders that also include the fast-rising Atalanta, AC Milan and AS Roma, the 2019/20 Italian Serie A season could be the best we have seen in quite a long time.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The Italian Job

So their new gaffer is Maurizio Sarri, a highly rated manager who has just won his first ever title with Chelsea in the recent 2018/19 season. A European crown, not the one Juve are craving but the sister, the UEFA Europa League title. Meaning the 60-year-old has bare minimum experience but less likely enough to help them maintain their foothold in Italy, as well as conquer Europe. Sarri’s “stubborn methods” came under a lot of fire in England as they seemed to suggest he needed more time to properly mold Chelsea to his vision, though doing considerably well in the end. Securing a champions league qualification for the Blues and winning some silverware. Now, that could be the same scenario at Juve, but does he have enough time? Considering the conversation we have just had, probably not.

But let’s look at how he could possibly set-up his team.

Juve’s predicted line-up

No doubt it’s a pretty strong 4-3-3 outfit (Sarri’s favorite formation), with the vastly experienced Buffon and long-time servant of the club returning from Paris to gang up with Ronaldo and company, there is hardly no better option in goal than the 41-year-old, who seemingly has the UEFA crown standing between him and retirement. With Mathijs De Ligt who captained Ajax to a Champions League semi-final in the previous campaign and meticulous Chiellini forming a centre-back pairing, they have the right mix of youth and experience. Alex Sandro and possibly Danilo on the left and right-back positions, provide some decent cover for the flanks and it’s in the midfield where it gets more interesting. Pjanic who has similar qualities as Sarri’s beloved Jorginho could retain his role alongside the dynamic Aaron Ramsey and the towering Adrien Rabiot who arrived from Paris St Germain in the summer. Up front, Gonzalo Higuain who just returned from a loan move at Chelsea, coincidentally with Maurizio whom he will work with for the third time dating back to their first meeting at Napoli; could finally get his chance to properly thrive at Juve. He would undoubtedly be flanked by the legendary Ronaldo and Bernardeschi. Another option would be the fluid Dybala but options is what they have in abundance with Matuidi, Samir Khedira, Douglas Costa and many more also looking to break into Sarri’s side.

It’s clear that this unit would be among Europe’s top 0.01%. But with the challenge of also managing egos of highly prized individuals falling onto Sarri’s plate, that won’t be any consolation for the Old Lady faithful who witnessed his fall out with Kepa Arrizabalaga in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester City in February 2019. One consolation however is that the Italian is unproven on home soil and could be on a personal mission to edge his name among the best by winning the domestic title and the much need Champions League in one swoop.

But still, it’s not all that happened over the summer. The next factors have nothing to do with Juve but everything to do with the threats that are gunning for their domestic throne.

Antonio Conte and Inter Milan

No one knows Conte better than Juve themselves. During his 3 years at Turin, the 50-year-old impressively won three Serie A titles and two Suppercopa Italiana. Aside from the Old Lady, we all know him as the highly tactical serial winner who always has something up his sleeve. Here’s a history lesson for you. In his first season at Chelsea, up against inarguably Europe’s best gaffers that included Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, he came out on top to win the 2016/17 English Premier League title. He didn’t have the best of squads as compared to his foes but after three consecutive defeats in the opening stages of the season, Conte employed some tactical tweaks that saw him and the Blues win 13 games on the bounce and race to the finish line. His methods led to the 3-5-2 formation craze and variation that we have seen in recent years. Even when he came under scrutiny for his dealings with Chelsea players off the pitch and the supposed “boring style” of play, the Italian still got results. He wrapped up his disputed final season in England with an FA Cup win in the 2017/18 season, beating the Special One, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United in the final.

In light of Conte’s brief bio above, its apparent what kind challenge Juve will get from Inter Milan. He is arguably the most experienced and highly proven gaffer in the league right now. Even more, he doesn’t have a bad squad to transmit his ideas through.

Let us also do justice and briefly look at how Inter could line up and cause Juve and everyone else some problems.

Inter’s predicted line-up

They are clearly not void of talent and experience as well. The possible defensive line up that would have Skriniar, de Vrij and Ghana’s Kwado Asamoah looks quite decent and arguably far even better than the Victor Moses, Gary Cahill, Azplicuetta unit he used to do the Chelsea job excellently. With the warrior and come-back kid, Brozovic, likely to play a key role in midfield and Politano or Ivan Perisic on either wings, they won’t be short of offensive options. Even better, there is mooted interest and likelihood of the Belgian, Romelu Lukaku joining the side from Manchester United which would also bolster the attack.

The transfer window is still open for Inter and the rest of Europe for at least 20 more days and some possible additions could make them even more interesting. For now, one thing is sure, Inter have good squad to try and match Juve and under the guidance of Conte who’s proved to be highly versatile when it comes to tactics, frustrating and annihilating opposition’s strengths; there’s a realistic chance of beating Juve to the 2019/20 Scudetto.

It’s not just the blue and black stripped warriors, there’s one more.

Carlo Ancelotti and Napoli

Kalidou Koulibaly of SSC Napoli vies Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Juventus at Stadio San Paolo on March 3, 2019 in Naples, Italy.

(March 2, 2019 - Source: Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images Europe)

For the Naples citizens, it surely must be now personal for them. That thing of Juve winning consecutive Serie A titles. Napoli last won a Serie A title in the 1989/90 season. What’s even worse is that they have come so near yet so far on many occasions, starting ever so well and the Old Lady snatching the trophy in the closing stages. In the previous two seasons under Maurizio Sarri and former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich manager in Ancelotti, they have finished second. They are clearly looking up to what’s beyond that ceiling and very much eager to achieve something tangible with the excellent crop of players they currently have at their disposal. Napoli might have narrowly missed out on Nicolas Pepe who moved to Arsenal in a record-breaking deal but still have an awful lot of quality to get the job done. With additions coming in the form of the Greek defender, Manolas who will partner Koulibaly. It’s a nightmare defense. One that’s foundation to winning titles.

With that in mind, let’s actually organize them and predict how Ancelotti might organize his charges to challenge both Inter Milan, Juve or any other underdogs we could be sleeping on.

Napoli’s predicted line-up

They have real quality players in perhaps not all but the most essential areas. With the best defender in the world in my humble opinion, Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly leading from the back, they still retain one of division’s top defences. Fabian Ruiz who emerged as one of the top players as he and Spain clinched the 2019 UEFA U-21 European Championship will undoubtedly be back for business and eager replicate that form, supported by the once Manchester City linked, Allan in midfield. The quick and diminutive cutting edge duo of Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Milik need no introduction and will no doubt return to terrorise defences.

Apart from new signings that could still be added to the team, Napoli finished trophy-less last season but very much showed they possess the pedigree to beat anyone or achieve anything on their day. It’s just the need to do it on a more consistent basis. For instance, after upsetting PSG and eventual champions Liverpool in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League group stages, Napoli were unlucky to miss out on the round-of-16 spots. Only the goal difference separated them and Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Final note

They came, went abroad, saw and conquered, now the three Italian stallions in Sarri, Conte and Ancelotti have returned to headline a looming war for supremacy on home soil. With the silent and potentially dangerous stakeholders that also include the fast rising Atalanta, AC Milan and AS Roma, the 2019/20 Italian Serie A season could be the best we have seen in quite a long time.

Who are you rooting for? Tell us in the comment section below and share with your friends on social media to get the conversation going.

Even without a Top 4 finish, Emery deserves some accolades

Au revoir Arsene

Fans hold up signs celebrating Arsene Wenger after the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Arsenal at John Smith's Stadium on May 13, 2018 in Huddersfield, England.

(May 12, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

That was the beginning, the conclusion of Arsenal’s match-made in heaven relationship with Arsene Wenger ushered in the new. The French manager had been on the touchline of the North London club for 22 years and even made the not so informed feel that the club was named after the gaffer’s first name. He had made and unleashed legends such as Thierry Henry, arguably the best play ever in the history of the Premier League who is still the leading scorer in the club’s history at 228 in all competitions; assembled the infamous 2003/04 Gunners squad that became immortal after earning the cloak of invincibility by finishing the entire 38 matches season unbeaten. Even more, the record extended to a remarkable 49 Premier League matches without a loss. What else? His efforts in the training ground and astuteness, compounded with the class of grooming young players ensured the club fetched high on the transfer market. Eventually raising enough funds to aid the construction of that London structure they now call, Emirates Stadium. His closing CV with club reads 3 Premier League titles, 7 FA Cups (the highest ever) and 7 Community Shields. A remarkable record but yet he was more famously known across the world for adorably and controversially staying at the club for a long time as well as being the personification of gentleman character. Remarks and send-off gifts received from some of football’s greatest players and managers as he left the Arsenal role said it all. We actually don’t have enough time and space on this piece to lay it all down but perhaps his own reaction to the praises summarises everything:

“I had a feeling a little bit to assist (life) at my own funeral. People speaking about you, how you were. That’s interesting, so I don’t need to die anymore. I know what is coming. Apart from the sense of humor I would like to thank everybody for being so nice to me. It has been difficult but as well as fantastic”

— Arsene Wenger, Former Arsenal Manager

The bottom line is that the 69 year-old left some pretty big shoes to fill for any kind of manager on the face of earth. It was obviously a rocket science project to find his successor who would build on his successes but more importantly address the challenges of the club that had become less competitive. Two Europa League appearances in Arsene’s final two years was one agreed upon standard that the club was on a downward spiral, especially after qualifying in nineteen successive UEFA Champions League seasons between 1998 and 2016/17, a record only surpassed by Real Madrid in Europe. Names of possible replacements were thrown in the hat and let us remind ourselves who they all were.

Many were called but one was chosen

Arsenal manager Unai Emery greets Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri during the Pre-season friendly International Champions Cup game between Arsenal and Chelsea at Aviva stadium on August 1, 2018 in Dublin, Ireland.

(July 31, 2018 - Source: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images Europe)

We won’t go through them all, but here is a refresher course of Arsenal’s process of appointing their new manager who would now be the head coach and take the club to the next chapter. The earliest reports suggested names like Ralf Rangnick, the current manager Bundesliga’s RB Leipzig who supposedly influenced Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp and PSG’s Thomas Tuchel’s high pressing football philosophy. Then there was the real shortlist of Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri, Luis Enrique who won the treble with Barcelona in the 2014/15 season and former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti. Many commentators asserted that to be an ambitious list by former Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis and his budget conscious Arsenal. True to form, they couldn’t get these for one reason or another. For instance, Luis Enrique reportedly required a yearly salary of £15m, which would have made him the second highest paid Premier League manager behind, Pep Guardiola. A more realistic list comprised of former Arsenal captains, Mikel Arteta, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira who are all pretty much at the infancy stage of their managerial careers. Even names like Jurgen Klopp’s assistant in Zeljko Buvac came into the conversation which left the more ambitious Arsenal fans disgruntled and cheated. Did I also mention Maurizio Sarri, the current Chelsea boss who had gone toe to toe with Juve in the race for the 2017/18 Italian Serie A title, doing more than just threaten to break their Scudetto winning streak since the 2011/12 season. In summary, it was a long list and process that lasted close to two months of phone calls, interviews and board meetings. They were looking for a value driven gaffer who would accept a dialled down salary from Arsenal Wenger’s, with keen interest of developing the current players, comfortable with a £50m starting transfer budget and most importantly maintain or improve Arsenal’s attacking style of play that became synonymous with the former manager. Quite a big ask for a club desperately seeking and going through change. Even more, the task of replacing a manager that had been at the helm of a club for over two decades has never been easier. The example of bitter rivals Manchester United who parted ways with the legendary Sir Alex Fergusson is available for all to see. All the attempted successors in David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and the special one, Jose Mourinho – spending over £500m in transfers were fiascos. Arsenal needed to get it right even with a tighter budget.

“Quite a bold statement of intent and purpose by the gaffer who barely knew the language as amazed onlookers by completing the entire press conference in the new language, though stammering his way through. The message was clear on plain tables, he was ready and not really short of the gentleman that Arsene Wenger is. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Now, when it all looked set that there were about to announce Mikel Arteta as their new Head Coach, the 37 year-old who was Pep Guardiola’s understudy and yet to lead any form of club in his short managerial career – the unexpected happened, much to the delight of Arsenal fans. The former PSG, Sevilla and Valencia coach popularly known for winning three consecutive Europa League titles with Sevilla, Unai Emery, was announced as the new Arsenal Head Coach. Looking at his pedigree of successfully doing a lot with few resources such as was the case in helping Valencia stay afloat in the La Liga during a period when the club couldn’t even foot their wage bill and obviously his silverware record with both Sevilla and PSG – Emery looked a great appointment. In fact, he had won 4 titles with PSG in just two years. The 47-year-old coach’s resume and display of character by picking the Arsenal job which many acclaimed gaffers had sidelined, spoke volumes. However, the task at hand was not at all sunshine and rainbows. To start with, the Spaniard had to start on his English before anything else.

“Good afternoon” world

Unai Emery manager of Arsenal looks on pre match press conference ahead of the International Champions Cup 2018 match between Arsenal v Paris Saint Germain on July 27, 2018 in Singapore.

(July 26, 2018 - Source: Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Arsene Wenger had become popular with reporters for usually saying, “look here,” when responding to their journalistic requests. On the day of Emery’s first press conference as the Gunners boss, after being formally introduced by the then Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, he uttered the precious words, “Good afternoon,” in a strong Spanish accent. Quite a bold statement of intent and purpose by the gaffer who barely knew the language as amazed onlookers by completing the entire press conference in the new language, though stammering his way through. The message was clear on plain tables, he was ready and not really short of the gentleman that Arsene Wenger is. Even until now, Emery is known for firstly passing on the greeting before responding to questions, “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” or “Good evening” depending on the time of the day. He vowed to speak to each and every single Arsenal player individually as part of his settling plan, even waiting on those who had been on international duty at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Memories from his first training sessions with the Arsenal squad had the words intensity and demanding written all over them. He was reported to have banned fruit juice and even relaxed some of Arsene Wenger’s norms by allowing players to use mobile phones. He held double training sessions, made some big calls by allowing loyal servants of the club such as Jack Wilshere to leave for West Ham even as he worked on his English. It really was all good vibes as far as the training pitch was concerned but their rivals were never going to make it easy for Emery and his new look Gunners to attain their targets. Emery and Arsenal’s goals for the 2018/19 season were widely communicated, “make the club competitive once again” clearly by avoiding some of Arsene’s humiliating losses and more importantly bring back champions league football to the club by finishing in the top four of the English top flight league.

Minnows amongst the top six

Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his side's first goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Aug. 11, 2018 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are the ugly sisters of English football as of now. They are the so-called big six amongst the 20 Premier League teams that compete in the top flight who go at each for the title and only 4 UEFA Champions League qualification spots every season. At the onset of Emery’s Arsenal career, they were highly considered to be underdogs amongst the six, given they had finished 6th in the 2017/18 season and also the state of affairs at the club. Champions, Manchester City were in no doubt favourites to return the Premier League title with their obsessive manager Pep Guardiola and expensively assembled squad. Liverpool were tipped to be Rocky Balboa to City’s cause, who would be Ivan Drago considering their impressive recording breaking 2017/18 campaign where they bagged a 100 points. That was Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp’s analogy with regard to his club’s title chances. The Merseyside club was of course boosted by the acquisitions of £66.8 million goalkeeper in Alisson Becker from Roma, Virgil Van Dijk for £75 million (record fee for a defender) and the highly rated Naby Keita for £52.75 million from RB Leipzig. In fact, Naby Keita’s transfer fee was almost the equivalent of Arsenal’s entire transfer budget. Ultimately, with these two, it was a no contest for Arsenal.

Bitter North London rivals, Tottenham, did not make any summer signings as they budgeted on completing their £1 billion stadium but still looked a stronger side than the Gunners. Pochettino’s squad was fairly balanced from the defensive point safeguarded by the likes of Toby Alderweireld (a Manchester United target) and Jan Vertonghen as well as in the middle going up top with the likes of Christian Eriksen, Delle Alli and Harry Kane. Furthermore, the successes of Poch in bringing back champions league football back to Spurs was all the confidence Tottenham Hotspur needed whereas Arsenal has to adjust to a new manager for the first time in 22 years, with a defenceless squad that had become famous for shipping in goals such as was the case in their 10-2 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich in the champions league. Obviously Chelsea were dealing with a new managerial appointment of their own in Sarri but were tipped to adjust quicker given the nature of the club’s serial appointments. They were also boosted with acquisitions of a £57 million midfielder in Jorginho and the most expensive goalkeeper in world football, £71.6 million Kepa Arrizabalaga – virtually making them favorites to secure a top four spot ahead of Arsenal. Finally, it was clear that all was unwell in the Manchester United squad with Jose Mourinho’s mourning for a centre-back even after getting Fred for £52 million and wing back Diogo Dalot for £19.3 million. In truth, no one expected United to finish outside the top four especially after rivalling City for the title in the previous season with a similar squad and the same special Mourinho.

In summary, Emery and the Gunners were simply minnows in that top four race, few gave them a chance but the continuation of the story outlines a different proposition.

“This was not the end of it. The celebrated scouting genius, Sven Mislintat, who had masterminded the recruitment of Lucas Torreira, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Matteo Guendouzi, left his role, just less than two years into the Arsenal job.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Changes and even more changes

Arsene Wenger manager of Arsenal (R) and Ivan Gazidis, CEO of Arsenal (L) look on prior to the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Arsenal and Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on September 28, 2011 in London, England.

(Sept. 27, 2011 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

As if their managerial change and ill-preparedness to compete with the rest of the top six as far as transfers are concerned, Unai Emery and Arsenal still had to deal with a few more roadblocks in their pursuit of champions league football.

Over 50% of the backroom staff including medical doctors followed Wenger out of the Arsenal door and more surprisingly, the Chief Executive who led the hiring of Emery. Ivan Gazidis who had been in charge of Arsenal for most of Wenger’s reign, left his own party for AC Milan and so did the adored billionaire Russian, Alisher Usmanov. Many Arsenal faithfuls had hoped that Mr. Usmanov would eventually assume majority ownership of the club from American Sports Entrepreneur, Stan Kroenke, whom they believe is less eager to spend on the club. Instead, the Russian surrendered his stake into the hands of the less adored Kroenke completing yet another set of roadblock in Arsenal and Unai Emery’s highway to the desired change.

This was not the end of it. The celebrated scouting genius, Sven Mislintat, who had masterminded the recruitment of Lucas Torreira, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Matteo Guendouzi, left his role, just less than two years into the Arsenal job. All this just gives even more context as to the seemingly impossible task on Emery’s plate to smooth sail the ship of change. How did he do though? Let’s find out.

The unbeaten run & players’ modern day Zorro

Unai Emery manager of Arsenal actions during training ahead of the International Champions Cup 2018 match between Arsenal v Paris Saint Germain on July 27, 2018 in Singapore.

(July 26, 2018 - Source: Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images AsiaPac)

An impressive pre-season, decorated by the outstanding performance of midfield prodigy, Matteo Guendouzi and the tantalizing prospect of the combination of Lacazette, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang and Ozil (LMAO), preached hope. Two matches into the Premier League season, two losses to both Manchester City and Chelsea became a reality check. But what happened next couldn’t have been in the script. Unai led his charges to a 22-match unbeaten run in all competitions. The 22-year-old Nigerian, Alex Iwobi, international who had a mixed start to his career under Wenger suddenly earned the nickname, The Nigerian Messi. The new midfield acquisitions in Torreira and Guendouzi proved to be huge bargains as they strengthened the Arsenal spine which had been questioned since the departure of Alex Song. The two even started to bring the best out of the Swiss international, Granit Xhaka, whose fingerprints featured on most crime scenes that involved Arsenal conceding goals of their own accord. The 26-year-old has is slowly becoming a force to reckon with in the Arsenal setup though he still does have a few off days, here and there. Emery continued with his demanding attitude and even became a point of discussion in the January transfer window as he resorted to dropping the German artist and world cup winner, Mesut Ozil. The Arsenal head coach was undone, he appeared to have had a midas touch on all of the Gunners’ current crop of players even the long-forgotten Carl Jenkinson who has been on the fringes got some minutes under his belt. Time won’t permit me to mention the likes of Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding who had lost their heads during Wenger’s last few years, perhaps as a result of self-esteem issues but bounced back to become regulars in Emery’s team. Lacazette and the Gabonese international, Aubameyang are still soaring as perhaps the deadliest striking duo in the Premier League, even when they do not play together. The latter already has 18 goals to his name in his first full EPL season and very much on the toes of top scorers, Egypt’s Salah and Sergio Aguero who are both on 19 goals.

He’s like the Latin comic hero, Zorro, saving the day and redeeming North London again to yield to Arsenal’s causes.

The possible fairy-tale ending on the horizon

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celbrates with Matteo Guendouzi of Arsenal after he scores his sides third goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 22, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 21, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

Adding some few numbers to Emery’s case for a great job so far, we learn that Arsenal is the third most prolific team in the Premier League with a total of 66 goals in 33 outings, just behind title chasers, Manchester and Liverpool who are head and shoulders above the rest. He is clearly succeeding in retaining the attractive style of play he was hired to. Arsenal already have 66 points with 5 more matches to play, that is 3 more points than their total tally for the whole of last season. There are on course to reach the Europa League semi-finals, if they preserve their 2-0 advantage heading into the second leg against Napoli – a route that also presents an opportunity to get champions league football if they go ahead to win it. They are currently 4th on the Premier League table and considering their run—in of games, still to play Leicester, Wolves, Burnley, Crystal Palace, and Brighton, they have a better chance at landing the 3rd spot as opposed to 3 other top six rivals who still have to face teams above them on the log. The only statistic that will matter is Arsenal’s final position after match-day 38. Should that position be 3rd, taking into account all the circumstances that confounded Arsenal’ season, the Spaniard definitely deserves some accolades. The Gunners could slowly creep back into title conversations in the next few years with the right backing of its board in the transfer market.

What are your thoughts?

UCL: Ajax schooling Real Madrid, the climax of football entertainment

Dusan Tadic of Ajax celebrates scoring a goal with Hakim Ziyech during the Eredivisie match between Ajax and Emmen at Johan Cruyff Arena on August 25, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(Aug. 24, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

I didn’t want the ninety minutes to end, my soul was yearning for something like ninety years.

It was all in there; sheer teamwork, individual brilliance, woodwork shots that leave you on the edge of your seat, “poetic justice” and much much more. It was not park the bus stuff we have been made to see recently, but end to end stuff of the experienced up against the less experienced. They were no sacred cows, as long as they were playing the round ball - all was willing to show what they can do with it.

Many post-match commentaries have spoken extensively as to why the holders of the UEFA Champions League crown, Real Madrid, fell victim to the young Ajax side. As tempting as it is to talk about the “bully” who has won the title, 4 times in the past 5 seasons, with many times just scrapping past opponents with a stroke of fortune or as some would argue, courtesy of experience - Ajax’s side of the story is a better one. More so because I selfishly get to say, I told you so as my predictions were all in favor of the Dutch Eredivisie side going through to the next stage.

“We never thought it could get worse, but it did. After early signs of getting back into the game with Real Madrid’s Asensio and Benzema working out a few moments of magic with no success, that other star took his turn to kill the game.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Just seven minutes into the match, as I bumped into the room, Morocco’s Ziyech bumped into the Madrid box and carefully stroked the ball into the net after Dusan Tadic had laid it on the most silver platter. That was just moments after Raphael Varane had hit the woodwork on the other end after being gifted a free header by the unsuspecting Ajax defence. It got worse for the Spanish La Liga side, and it was that man again - the number 10 of the night, Dusan Tadic. This time, the Serbian turned the turf into his dancefloor, breezed past a few midfielders, including the mighty Casemiro by means of the marseille turn, made popular by Zinedine Zidane. As if that was not enough, the 30-year-old laid another assist for the 22-year-old David Neres, a relatively lightweight who didn’t trouble Sergio Ramos in the first leg. As they say, when the cat is away, the mice play- that was Neres. The young forward needed no second invitation as he sustained a challenge from Modric and chipped the ball beyond Courtois’ reach for Ajax’s second. Confidence oozing, Ajax out their traps and Madrid exposed, Neres almost retired Carvajal on the touchline before the whistle came all too quickly to momentarily call out the city fire squad because the Bernabeu was basically in flames.

Andre Onana of Ajax and Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax celebrate following their sides victory in the Group E match of the UEFA Champions League between Ajax and SL Benfica at Johan Cruyff Arena on October 23, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(Oct. 22, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

We never thought it could get worse, but it did. After early signs of getting back into the game with Real Madrid’s Asensio and Benzema working out a few moments of magic with no success, that other star took his turn to kill the game. A feisty battle on the touchline, won by another Moroccan, Noussair Mazraoui resulted in a goal, controversially so as the ball looked like it had gone out of play. All I remember is that it ended in the glad feet of Tadic who took his time to place it in the top corner as he capped off what he called, perhaps the best match he had ever played. The unrelenting Asensio pulled one back for the champions but almost immediately, Ajax had another answer. Denmark’s Lasse Schone was delegated a task, preyfuly spied on the Belgian goalkeeper and dipped the ball into the net from the unlikeliest of positions. The Morrocan wonder, who scored in both legs, Hakim Ziyech, almost added a fifth from close range but somehow skied his effort. The four were more than enough to send the champions packing.

Now, the above narration sounds good but what makes this particular match an exhibit of a climax in football entertainment? Very simple, it was a David-Goliath story played before our very own eyes. Whether you were a Madrid or Ajax fan, it was difficult to be blind to the majestic displays. We looked on as a fairytale was being played and written.

The dreams of the Ajax kids were proved valid against the more mature and seasoned Madrid side. Conclusively, all dreams actually remain valid, at least in the world of football. It was all just the round of 16 - what more awaits us in the subsequent stages of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League season.

African Stars: Pick of the weekend's action

Gerard Pique of FC Barcelona duels for the ball with Youssef En-Nesyri of Malaga during the La Liga match between Malaga and Barcelona at Estadio La Rosaleda on March 10, 2018 in Malaga, spain.

(March 9, 2018 - Source: Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images Europe)

The weekend came and didn’t disappoint. From the mauling of Chelsea by Pep’s 6-star Manchester City, a dramatic Soweto derby stalemate and Benfica’s historic 10-0 dismantling of Nacional - it’s fair to say we were thoroughly entertained. Even more interesting is the growing number of African footballers grabbing headlines and superheroing the show for their sides. Here are the selected highlights involving such players.

En-Nesyri scores the first La Liga hatrick for Leganes

The 21-year-old Moroccan was perhaps the biggest winner of the weekend as he led Leganes to a 3-0 victory over sixth placed Real Betis. Youssef En-Nesyri made it 2-0 at the halfway mark of the match before adding a third after the restart, becoming the first ever player to score a Spanish La Liga hatrick in the club’s history. The youngster has since scored 7 times in his last 5 league matches for the side and is fast becoming a priceless gift for both club and country. It’s becoming clear that his 2018 FIFA world cup substitute strike in Lions of the Atlas’ 2-2 draw against Spain was not a fluke, he may be that goal getter that the North African country has been in need of. It’s actually turning out to be an interesting build up to the June 2019 AFCON finals.

Liverpool’s realise their African dream

Fans during the Carling Black Label Champion Cup match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on July 29, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa. At least two people have been reported to have been killed and several injured in a crush during the game at South Africa's biggest stadium.

(July 28, 2017 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

Jurgen Klopp’s title chasing Liverpool regained top spot in the premier league for at least a few hours before Manchester City’s “rude” bashing of Chelsea and all of Matip, Keita, Mane and Salah made a telling contribution to the result. Cameroonian defender, Joel Matip partnered with the Reds’ chief of defence, Virgil Van Dijk to deliver yet another clean sheet, a league high of 14 for the Merseysiders. Naby Keita was central to a renewed Liverpool midfield which had been almost non-existent in recent weeks, holding onto the ball, sliding passes and going out at opponents in super sonic speed. The Guinea national team captain enjoyed his best game yet for Liverpool and is starting to justify the price attached to his services. As for the forwards, Mane headed Liverpool ahead in the 24th minute for his 12th premier league goal of the season, making it 4 consecutive league goals for the first time in the Senegalese’s career. The Egyptian king wrapped up the scoring in the 48th minute, adding to Gini Wijnaldum’s cool finish and making it 3 goals and 3 points for Liverpool on the day.

Soweto still belongs to The Ghost

Sol Bamba of Cardiff City wins a header over Denis Odoi of Fulham during the Premier League match between Cardiff City and Fulham FC at Cardiff City Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Cardiff, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 19, 2018 - Source: Michael Steele/Getty Images Europe)

One of the most anticipated club football matches on the continent ended in a 1-1 stalemate as Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs gave in everything to claim bragging rights over Johannesburg’s Soweto township. For Chiefs in particular, it sure tasted like a defeat as they are yet to beat the Buccaneers in the last 12 meetings between the two sides. Quite fairly, Amakhosi sure looked like the side with a score to settle as their troubled Amabhakabhaka in the opening stages, with Khama Billiat and Bernard Parker spearheading that attack.Their efforts were eventually rewarded in the 53rd minute as Billiat won a penalty which Daniel Cardoso calmly converted. They could have gotten a second moments later as Billiat latched onto a quick overhead pass, only for his effort to skew inches wide of the goal. As the long awaited victory seemed assured for the Lords, heartbreak came in the 80th minute as Thembinkosi Lorch was sent through on goal, expertly rounding off the goalkeeper to extend Pirates’ unbeaten run against their bitter rivals to a record 12.

Other matches

Nigerian international, Alex Iwobi was on the score sheet as Arsenal saw off relegation threatened, Huddersfield Town to keep their top four hopes alive. Senegal’s M’baye Niang also grabbed a goal for Rennes who beat St Etienne 3-0 to move within a point of the league’s top 4 teams. It was a night to forget for Achraf Hakimi and Dortmund who blew away a 3 nil lead with only 25 minutes to go as they finished 3-3 against Hoffenheim whose Algerian striker, Ishak Belfodil struck twice to secure a point for the visitors. Wilfried Zaha returned to the score sheet as he grabbed an equalizer for Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw against West Ham and so did Ivory Coast’s Sol Bamba who added a goal for Cardiff as they sealed an emotional win since learning of the demise of Emiliano Sala.

UCL Preview: Will record breaking Marega resume form as Porto visit Roma?

Cengiz Under (C) with his teammates of AS Roma celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the serie A match between AS Roma and Genoa CFC at Stadio Olimpico on April 18, 2018 in Rome, Italy.

(April 17, 2018 - Source: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images Europe)

The last time Mousa “The Beast” Marega appeared in the UEFA Champions League, he went all Beast Mode! The Malian forward made history in the group stages as he became the first African to score in 5 consecutive UCL matches.Consequently he is tied on third place with the likes of Neymar and Dybala on the current top scorers of the 2018/19 campaign.

Heading into the tournament, the 27-year-old was only but filling the shoes of the injured Cameroonian international, Vincent Aboubakar in the Primeira Liga champions’ setup and boy did he do it with so much grace! FC Porto finished the group stages unbeaten with the highest points tally of 16 amongst all the 2018/19 participants and that was after going toe to toe with experienced sides such as Schalke and Galatasaray. Marega is expected to continue leading the Portuguese’ club frontline heading into the knockout stages beginning with the challenge of last year’s semi-finalists in AS Roma. Quite frankly, Roma doesn’t look like the side they were when they achieved that feat back in 2018. The Giallorossi did just enough to secure a knock-out spot in the round of 16 and their domestic performances need a lot to be desired. Recently, they were humiliated 7-1 by Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia quarter-final and currently sit 6th on the Italian Serie A league table, very much at the extreme end of a crowded race for the champions league places. On the other hand, Porto are actually on top of the world. They are perhaps fancying themselves to grab a consecutive Portuguese Primeira League title, sitting pretty at the top of the standings ahead of Europa League bound, Benfica.

Moussa Marega celebrates with Yacine Brahimi of FC Porto after scores the second goal during the Primeira Liga match between FC Porto and Feirense at Estadio do Dragao on May 6, 2018 in Porto, Portugal.

(May 5, 2018 - Source: Octavio Passos/Getty Images Europe)

Players to look out of

Marega who is currently on 7 goals and 5 assists in the Portuguese league is expected to continue linking up with Algerian international, Yacine Brahimi, the physically built playmaker/winger with technical abilities of rare quality. He provided 2 assists in the group stages and remains a force to reckon with, both on and off the ball. In case you are wondering, Chancel Mbemba of DR Congo is also an option for FC Porto in the defensive backline and will be hoping to get a run-in after finding game minutes hard to come by in recent weeks. As for AS Roma, their only arsenal heading into the fixture is their experience. Despite being gifted with the talents of Cengiz Under, Edin Dzeko, Kostas Manolas and Steven Nzonzi - their current form has done little to explain such quality.

The good thing is that, this happens to be the UEFA Champions League round of 16 where the stakes are obviously higher and teams give in more than they got. It’s obviously unfortunate for Roma that they have to welcome the Portuguese champions on Tuesday night, 13th of February 2018, an incredibly confident and organized side threatening to go all the way. But hey, it’s great news for all of us fans, we have a great spectacle on our hands.

My Prediction: Marega and Brahimi will rise to the occasion and send FC Porto through to the quarter-finals.

“Marega who is currently on 7 goals and 5 assists in the Portuguese league is expected to continue linking up with Algerian international, Yacine Brahimi, the physically built playmaker/winger with technical abilities of rare quality. He provided 2 assists in the group stages and remains a force to reckon with, both on and off the ball.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

10 Africans unsettled in the English Premier League: #6 Mo Elneny

Mohamed Elneny of Arsenal is challenged by Vyacheslav Sharpar of Vorskla Poltava during the UEFA Europa League Group E match between Arsenal and Vorskla Poltava at Emirates Stadium on September 20, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 19, 2018 - Source: Henry Browne/Getty Images Europe)

Of course, it is nice to see the likes of Mo Salah, Percy Tau and Hakim Ziyech shine for their nations over the most recent international break but it also raises questions about some popular names who are finding themselves in sticky situations. There are a number of African players dubbed to be the next Sergio Ramos and Xavis of this world but are currently unsettled at club level. Their potential is endangered by their lack of game time. Here’s a list of the XI players whose progress has stalled. What better time to look at these than now when the January transfer window is fast encroaching?

CM – Mohamed Elneny

Egyptian international Mo Elneny is no newcomer to this feisty topic about African talent being wasted in some of the top clubs in Europe. The 26-year old looks comfortable being used as a fringe player in the post-Arsene Wenger era at The Arsenal. There are not many midfielders with his passing range in the locker but a lot of questions are raised about his defensive contribution. Compared to the other midfielders in the Arsenal team, he looks a part but does not offer something extra to make him stand out ahead of Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and Aaron Ramsey. Maybe his best position is as a box-to-box midfielder free of defensive duties and Arsenal will not offer him that.

Verdict: The Egyptian should find a smaller club like Bournemouth, Burnley or Huddersfield where he can cement a starting berth and break teams on the counter with his quick passes.

10 Africans unsettled in the English Premier League: #5 Victor Wanyama

Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur warm up prior to the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on October 3, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 2, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

Of course, it is nice to see the likes of Mo Salah, Percy Tau and Hakim Ziyech shine for their nations over the most recent international break but it also raises questions about some popular names who are finding themselves in sticky situations. There are a number of African players dubbed to be the next Sergio Ramos and Xavis of this world but are currently unsettled at club level. Their potential is endangered by their lack of game time. Here’s a list of the XI players whose progress has stalled. What better time to look at these than now when the January transfer window is fast encroaching?

DM – Victor Mugubi Wanyama

Enough has been said already about the Kenyan defensive midfielder who is finding minutes very hard to come by at Wembley Stadium (Tottenham Hotspur’s temporary home stadium). Mauricio Pochettino was right to identify the player as the solution to the hole in the middle that had been left by Sandro at Tottenham. In all fairness, the player was thrown straight into the team and shined in his first season at the club in the 2016/17 English Premier League season. He however, has been ousted by the likes of Harry Winks, Eric Dier and even Moussa Sissoko. Wanyama is currently being played in the cup games against lesser teams whilst Pochettino’s first preferences are given a necessary break. This is an unusual situation for a player who was one of the first names on the team sheet at both Celtic and Southampton before his big move to the North London club. At 27, the player is reaching his prime years and cannot be wasted warming the bench at Tottenham when he is more than capable of competing for a first team position within the defensive midfield role at any top club in Europe.

Verdict: He should drop his CV by Manchester City and Arsenal’s doors as he walks out of White Hart Lane.

UCL Matchday 5: Five Africans key to the week's turning points

It’s matchday five of the 2018/19 champions league season and teams are closer to securing knockout stage qualification or getting eliminated than they were a few match-days ago. There are a number of Africans who have been grabbing headlines in Europe’s elite club competition we have been covering thus far, such as Moussa Marega, Kalidou Koulibaly, Andre Onana and more. Of special interest are the following five who are super critical to the fate of their clubs this champions league week.

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Watford FC and Liverpool FC at Vicarage Road on November 24, 2018 in Watford, United Kingdom.

(Nov. 23, 2018 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe)

Mohamed Salah

Last season’s UCL finalists, Liverpool, find themselves in a precarious position in group C with only two matches left, of which one is this week’s trip to Parc de Princes. PSG are too proud to entertain the idea of missing out on a knockout stage qualification and even more so by losing home and away to Liverpool. The Reds will have to count on their Egyptian talisman or Senegal’s Sadio Mane to deliver the goods on a difficult away match if they are to stay alive in the champions league.

Hakim Ziyech

The top man in the Dutch Eredivisie who was also at the top of his game in Morocco’s 2-0 hammering of Cameroon in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers as he scored all the goals in that match will be called upon again on Tuesday. A win against winless AEK Athens will guarantee qualification and the 25-year-old playmaker has the magic wand to inspire that.

Geoffrey Kondogbia

Manchester United’s surprising win in Turin meant that Valencia’s hopes of reaching the round of 16 got slimmer. The Spanish La Liga side will travel to Italy to face Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus who are yet to confirm their qualification and eager to put the United loss behind them. If Valencia is to stay alive, given that United welcome bottom of the group, Young Boys at Old Trafford, Central African Republic’s Geoffrey Kondogbia will be key in locking that midfield and establishing a base of hope for the Bats.

Geoffrey Kondogbia of Valencia is challenged by Alexis Sanchez of Manchester United during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Valencia at Old Trafford on October 2, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 1, 2018 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

Kwadwo Asamoah

Tottenham are on a high after handing Chelsea their first defeat of the season on Saturday. Their slim champions league hopes rest on a must-win encounter against Inter Milan on Wednesday at Wembley. The 29-year-old Ghanaian, Kwadwo will be required to nullify the threat from the right wing that usually come in form of crosses by either Trippier or Ivorian, Serge Aurier. Such crosses have become the hallmark of Spurs’ game and Kwadwo will be required to be on the job throughout the 90.

Marvelous Nakamba

Belgium’s Club Brugge are not down and out in the champions league. If they are to pull an upset in a group where Atletico Madrid and Dortmund are expected to progress, they have to get a result on Wednesday when they travel to Germany. Zimbabwe’s Marvelous Nakamba who has become the proper steel in Club Brugge’s central midfield will have to be called upon to work overtime on the day to stop the likes of Jadon Sancho, Paco Alcacer, Mario Gotze and Marco Reus.

Who do you have? We got the week’s big five listed above. It’s going to be lit.

FT Coach Tribute: The job where there's more than meets the eye

“On the contrary, questions were raised as to why these signings were made because they didn’t fit the profile of ‘a Liverpool type of winger’ which usually characterizes a British lad with a swerve in his locker and chips in with an odd goal once in a while. It is because of such decisions that I think management is not as easy as I thought it was. ”

— Tinotenda Magiya, FirstTouch Africa

The futures of some great coaches still remains to be uncertain with the likes of Arsene Wenger and Zinedine Zidane still jobless after having undoubted success at their former clubs. Watching Monday Night Football and following all the press conferences familiarizes the fans with the nitty gritties of the game. Because of that, the fans tend to ask questions about certain decisions made by managers in their preferred Starting XIs against different teams. Almost everyone feels like they can do a manager’s job and set a winning team on paper but it’s not that simple. There is more to coaching than setting the formation and picking the best players that suit that system. Let’s dive into the other duties of a modern soccer manager in the MLS or EPL.

(SOUTH AFRICA OUT) Pitso Mosimane of Mamelodi Sundowns reacts during the Absa Premiership match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Maritzburg United at Loftus Stadium on December 20, 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa.

(Dec. 19, 2013 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)

Getting the best out of the players in the league matches requires a special attention to each individual. This can be applied on the training ground where the managers identify the weaknesses and strengths of each individual and finds ways to make everyone play as a team. All this go through the minds of a coach and sometimes bring them sleepless nights whilst us fans are impatient to see our players in action in the next match. The manager, with the help of his assistant coaches, has that responsibility to set the right training drills and make sure that the player turns up the way he wants to in the League. Take Alex Iwobi for instance. He looks a different player this season under Unai Emery at Arsenal. The Nigerian player seems to have found a position on the pitch which suits him which is wide out the left and playing as a direct winger. Under Arsene Wenger, he was in and out of the team because he was deployed in countless positions which did not suit neither his style of play nor the team. Emery has me convinced that with the right coach and willingness to learn, any player can go places.

Soccer players are human and they also need to feel motivated to get the job done. A manager has the responsibility to make sure that the player feels wanted at the club and also motivated to play in the next game and do bits. Wayne Rooney left Manchester United for Everton in 2017 in search for that self-belonging. Still, both Sam Allardyce and Marco Silva failed to bring the best out the player until this year when he moved to the MLS. Wayne Rooney arrived at DC United when the club was in the relegation zone and transformed his team to be real contenders for the MLS trophy with a comfortable place on the MLS playoffs. He scored 12 goals and provided 6 assists in 17 starts. The player felt wanted at the club and he has since been trying to pay back the faith the club had in bringing him across oceans to the MLS.

Unai Emery, Manager of Arsenal gives his team instructions during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Leicester City at Emirates Stadium on October 22, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 21, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

Another role that often skips the mind of an average fan is the role the manager has in the recruitment of the players that suit their style of play. Take Liverpool and their intense pressing game, one ought to find that unique talent that not only offers the goals and assists but also the work rate to keep pressing forward when out of possession and recover the ball in less than 20 seconds. The club successfully recruited two Africans, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah who are expects in that role. On the contrary, questions were raised as to why these signings were made because they didn’t fit the profile of ‘a Liverpool type of winger’ which usually characterizes a British lad with a swerve in his locker and chips in with an odd goal once in a while. It is because of such decisions that I think management is not as easy as I thought it was.

Finally, a club’s image is a significant part of the business. Because of that, the club board identifies managers with a personality, coaches who do not crumble under pressure and fail to respond to questions asked by the journalists in the press conferences. It requires a woman or man of character who can speak their truth and leave both the media and fans satisfied with their plans for the club. This is a rare quality that comes with management.

Do you think you have what it takes to manage these big clubs? Tell us why.

Koulibaly and Napoli revealed PSG's apathy for UCL glory

“Koulibaly and the rest of the Napoli team hardly had a lot to do in the encounter, except when they could do nothing about Di Maria’s stunner in stoppage time.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Every club in Europe dreams of being crowned with the UEFA Champions League trophy. An accolade for being the best football club, of course after knocking out the rest in the fiercest of competitions. It’s a public secret that Paris St Germain have been literally hunting the champions league gold for some time. Their only European gold dates back to the 1995-96 season when the tournament was still called the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. Even after breaking the bank so many times in recent times and consistently hired new management, they still look unfit to go all the way. Allow me to make it a bit more concrete.

Delusions of the Ligue 1

Angel Di Maria of Paris Saint-Germain scores his team's second goal during the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Paris Saint-Germain and SSC Napoli at Parc des Princes on October 24, 2018 in Paris, France.

(Oct. 23, 2018 - Source: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Europe)

Now, it goes without saying that the French top flight football league is not the most competitive football league in Europe. PSG has won the domestic title consistently from the year 2012 up until now, only missing out in the 2016/17 when Monaco was really on fire. Before the Parisians’ dominance from 2012 onwards, Lyon had also enjoyed 7 consecutive title wins from 2001-08. Even now, PSG look like they will likely go uncontested in the 2018/19 season after winning all of their opening ten games, with some huge scorelines. The pattern of the French league obviously amplifies some of their performances and seem to take a toll on the team’s mentality when lining up against the best there is in Europe. They do have some of the world’s best football talent in their ranks which seem almost unplayable in many of the Ligue 1 matches but consistently fail to put up the same performances in the big European matches. Do you remember how they gave away a 4-0 first leg win to lose 6-5 on aggregate to Barcelona in 2017 or how they cowed when they lined up against Real Madrid in the 2017/18 campaign, losing 5-2 on aggregate. Getting knocked out in the round of 16 of the competition on both occasions. Make no mistake, they do have some real quality players in their squad, almost in all the positions but it just seems never to be enough. No matter how much they spend, nothing is changing - perhaps you cannot “buy” trophies after all.

Koulibaly and Napoli argument

Players of Napoli applauds fans after the Group C match of the UEFA Champions League between Paris Saint-Germain and SSC Napoli at Parc des Princes on October 24, 2018 in Paris, France.

(Oct. 23, 2018 - Source: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Europe)

Carlo Ancelotti’s men have been gathering up some impressive results as of late. A dominant home win against the 2018 champions league finalists, Liverpool, have been followed up with an impressive 2-2 draw away in Paris. With Senegalese center back, Kalidou Koulibaly, reaching maturity and attaining world class defender status coupled with the experience of Hamsik, the decisiveness of Insigne, Dries Mertens and finally pure grit exhibited by the rest of the not so world class players in their squad - they have been punching way above their weight. The final scoreline does not accurately show the complexion of the entire match. Koulibaly and the rest of the Napoli team hardly had a lot to do in the encounter, expect when they could do nothing about Di Maria’s stunner in stoppage time. The battle of the match was won in the midfield by Allan, Hamsik and Spanish youngster Fabian Ruiz, who got the better of Verratti and Rabiot. Of course Neymar tried more than once to individually rally the Parisians but the final ball was never really the one they would have desired. The few times they got clear chances, they were met by the inconsistent Edinson Cavani or the outnumbered Mbappe. It was real masterclass by Napoli, with Koulibaly even striding forward in attack on several occasions and fluffing out the final balls thrown into the box during the closing moments of the match. Before Di Maria’s sublime finish, PSG had been fortunate to head back into the game, courtesy of a Mario Rui own goal from Thomas Meunier’s poor cross into the box.

Am I bashing the Parisians too much? Perhaps, but something need to change in their game if they are to become European champions.

What’s my recommendation

Thomas Tuchel is a great manager but I think they need a more experienced guy who has actually won the champions league and possessing the abilities to manage the big egos in the squad. The likes of Zidane, Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho may be some of the options. As of this season, I will not put my money on the Parisians winning the European gold, I am prepared to be proven wrong.

European clubs plot to sign Usain Bolt after debut goals

People change careers all the time but not so much in sports entertainment. The Olympic sprint legend that still lives, Usain Bolt, hung up his running spikes in 2017 and picked up soccer boots. The 32-year-old Jamaican looks like he is not just writing his name in history books but creating new books to write history. His desire to become a professional footballer has not been a secret and the eight time Olympic gold medalist is surely getting some traction now.

Usain Bolt of the Mariners controls the ball during the pre-season match between the Central Coast Mariners and Central Coast Football at Central Coast Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Gosford, Australia.

(Aug. 30, 2018 - Source: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac)

The world record holder for the 100m and 200m sprint currently training with the Australian top flight side, Central Coast Mariners scored two goals for the club in his first full professional match as the A-League side cruised to a 4-0 pre-season win. Though he is still not yet a finished product in football, signs signalling the existence of the talent are evident, passion is unquestionable and speed is in abundance. For Lightning Bolt, the idea of forwards lurking on the edge of a defensive high line seem not to be important to him. For his first goal, Bolt was like two bodies away from the defensive line, obviously outran the centre backs who had a good head start to finish off a delicious pass in typical striker style. Fans present got to witness the infamous lightning Bolt celebration once more, but this time on the football pitch. The second goal was much easier to finish as he capitalised on a miscommunication between the Macarthur South West United defender and goalkeeper, slotting the ball into an empty net.

After training with both Borussia Dortmund and Norwegian side Stromgodset, Bolt was obviously delighted to get off the mark at Mariners. Speaking to Fox Sports, Bolt spoke his heart:

“It was my first proper game with the first team, I’m just happy I got the chance and I’m proud of myself. It was a big deal. I think scoring a goal in your first proper match, it’s a big deal. Your first start and scoring two goals, it was a good feeling. This is what I worked towards, I tried to improve myself, I tried to get better, and I’m on the way to doing that.”

— Usain Bolt, Olympic Champion

Usain Bolt of the Mariners thanks Mariners fans after debuting in the pre-season match between the Central Coast Mariners and Central Coast Football at Central Coast Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Gosford, Australia.

(Aug. 30, 2018 - Source: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac)

Bolt’s agent in Australia has also come out to announce that an unnamed club in Europe with new owners, chasing UEFA Champions League football has made an approach for the former Olympian. He shared that the club are willing to offer Bolt a two-year professional contract. Usain’s future at the Mariners is still uncertain as the club is yet to offer him a contract with the new A -League season just a week away but still remains patient and hopeful something can be worked out with the club that offered him a fighting chance at becoming a professional footballer.

In other news for Bolt, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority made known their intentions of testing the Olympic champion for doping to which he reacted angrily and the authority clarifying it as a standard operating procedure for all athletes.

To all the Bolt fans, the reincarnation of your champion might have just dawned.

FT Pause Moment: Should "dummies" be considered as assists? Inspired by Suarez

Well, the UEFA Champions League matchday 2 is behind us now, but some moments stay with us forever. One such performance would obviously be vintage Messi showing up big time for Barcelona but schooling Tottenham Hotspur on the fundamentals of GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) behaviour. The 31-year-old created all of the four Barca goals and scored two as the La Liga champions registered a 4-2 victory at Wembley. Croatia’s Ivan Rakitic and Philippe Coutinho were also on the score sheet, banging some seriously ridiculous goals. One player not on the scoresheet or having a cute statistic for example, an assist, but equally crucial to the overall performance was Luis Suarez.

Two dummies, two goals

Luis Suarez of Barcelona shoots while under pressure from Davinson Sanchez of Tottenham Hotspur during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between Tottenham Hotspur and FC Barcelona at Wembley Stadium on October 3, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 2, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

Assists and goals have become some of the most important stats in the modern game. GOATs have been crowned based on such and the value of players continue to be influenced greatly by statistics more than anything else in the digital age, leaving many assuming the role of being unsung heroes. An assist in particular is simply awarded to the person who makes the final pass before a goal is scored. They are considered to have “assisted” the goal, laying it up on the plate for the scorer.

Now, what about those who do the same without touching the ball? On two occasions, Jordi Alba squared the ball into the box that found Messi after Suarez had skipped past the ball, in other words dummying, to draw out the defenders and give Messi the space to find his favorite spot in the net without pressure. In fact, on the first instance, Coutinho and Suarez had to both dummy the ball, confusing the Spurs defenders and aid Messi to deliver his masterpiece. Credit to Alba for delivering the assists by delivering the ball into the box, but what of Suarez’s awareness to know where Messi would be in a glance and drive all the defenders out of the “heat area” without touching the ball but with just simple cheeky movements. What brilliance!

The Uruguayan will not be in the record books for such, now and in the future and maybe even get criticized for not scoring as many goals as a striker. Alba laid up the ball for Messi, but Suarez increased the odds for Messi scoring exponentially. Looks like an assist to me, maybe even more.

“Jordi Alba squared the ball into the box that found Messi after Suarez had skipped past the ball, in other words dummying, to draw out the defenders and give Messi the space to find his favorite spot in the net without pressure.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

What has happened to Ivory Coast’s Bailly at United?

Eric Bailly of Manchester United and James Maddison of Leicester City battle for possession during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford on August 10, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

(Aug. 9, 2018 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

Jose Mourinho looked to have made a masterstroke in landing the signature of a certain Ivorian defender from Villarreal on the 8th of June, 2016. Not many teams were aware of the attributes that Eric Bailly possessed at just the age of 22 when he moved to Manchester United. The young player had a raw talent similar to that of Raphael Varane when he was brought in at the Bernabeu by Jose Mourinho when he was still the manager of Real Madrid. His pace above all else, convinced many that the defense of the new-look Manchester United team will not be easy to break down. It was all glitz and glamour for the Ivorian, but two years later, there are still issues at the back. Bailly has been in and out of the team because of one reason after another. In this piece, we explore what has happened to Bailly and why he has not yet achieved the expected success at Old Trafford.

“He also had a contusion which took his twenty-one days of training before going on his longest spell out of the side for a hundred days due to an ankle injury. In total, he missed 34 matches since joining the Manchester club. That’s about a season spent on the treatment table.”

— Tinotenda Magiya, FirstTouch Africa

Early Success

The African player went straight into the starting lineup in Mourinho’s chosen eleven. He looked sharp, quick, calm and confident which made him a fan favorite in no time. Bailly looked the player that Manchester United longed for after losing Ferdinand and Vidic to old age. Mourinho’s job was made easier at the back as he lifted the FA Community Shield, FA League Cup and the UEFA Europa League in his first season at the club. Bailly, alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, was one of the outstanding players in their quest to success. What a perfect way to start a career in England with arguably the biggest club in the world. What followed was something that no one could have guessed.

Injuries

Eric Bailly, unfortunately, started picking up injuries in his second season at Manchester United. He suffered a knee injury in October 2016 which kept him out till December. He also had a contusion which took his twenty-one days of training before going on his longest spell out of the side for a hundred days due to an ankle injury. In total, he missed 34 matches since joining the Manchester club. That’s about a season spent on the treatment table. This slowed down his development into a world class defender like all the youngsters nurtured by the Portuguese mentor. Think about the likes of  Ricardo Carvalho, John Terry, Ramos, Varane, Walter Samuel, only to mention but just a few, he could have easily joined this company. With those 34 matches under his belt, the Ivorian centre back would have been on another level now.

Jose Mourinho, Manager of Manchester United in discussion with Eric Bailly of Manchester United as he replaces Paul Pogba of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Manchester United at Turf Moor on September 2, 2018 in Burnley, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 1, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

Inconsistency

When Mourinho identified him as a potential Manchester United defender, he knew he had the task to iron out inconsistencies out of Bailly’s game. This still proves to be a difficult task even for the Special One because Bailly’s performances have been unpredictable. One match, he plays like a world class defender; commanding the defence, instigating attacks with his defense-splitting pass and scoring goals on set pieces. The other, he looks uninterested in the development of play which frustrates his manager. Bailly has been demoted to the bench in the two most recent English Premier League games for Manchester United. The reason behind this is not quite clear but many allude that it is down to inconsistent performances. Bailly should work hard to come back stronger and cement his position in the starting lineup.

A few spots and wrinkles

Besides, Bailly has been culpable of some costly mistakes for Manchester United. This should not be a surprise considering his risky style of play which sees him holding the ball too much in search of open spaces for his teammates. Bailly has the confidence of holding the ball under pressure and releasing it when necessary but this has backfired on a couple of occasions. He usually covers it up with his amazing ability of intercepting passes but these errors are not easily forgotten among the Manchester United faithful. Perhaps one other growth areas for the Ivorian international would be the ability to balance passion and logic. Because he loves the game and the team so much, at times Bailly makes rush tackles even when they are not needed leading to dangerous set pieces and penalties for the opposition.

The sun has not set yet

There have been transfer rumours in recent weeks about the 24-year-old moving to the Emirates in Arsenal or their cross town rivals in Tottenham meaning he is still a prized asset in the game. Whether or not Bailly eventually moves, he still has enough time to work on his not-so strengths and become a world-class centre back. Perhaps having a more senior partner to mentor Bailly in a defensive pairing could help him a great deal. Look at Liverpool’s Joe Gomez for instance, the 21-year-old is looking like a Kalidou Koulibaly only because the more experienced Virgil Van Dyk is there to compliment him. Confidence inevitably grows as well which is something Eric Bailly could really use at this point.

Do the FIFA POTY Nominees hint at a new era?

The national team captains, coaches, fans and selected journalists casted their votes and they have been tallied. After a decade of dominance by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with each claiming five individual honors for the world’s best football player, we are witnessing some new trends across most of the categories. Indeed, I cannot deny the Messi and Ronaldo are among the unique breed of footballers that this world will ever know but it was becoming a little too boring. Here are top three new features of the “new age” I am most excited about.

Timely reminder that football ingenuity can’t be reduced to a simple goal statistic

Mohamed Salah of Egypt celebrates with teammate Marwan Mohsen after scoring his team's first goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group A match between Saudia Arabia and Egypt at Volgograd Arena on June 25, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia.

(June 24, 2018 - Source: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Europe)

One of the reasons why Ronaldo and Messi had not left the podium since 2008 is that they are goal scoring machines and they are surrounded by other great players in the biggest of clubs which almost always win trophies. For almost all the years these two won the FIFA Ballon d’Or Award now known as FIFA Best Award, it was given to the one whose club had claimed the UEFA Champions League trophy or scored the most goals.The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta, Antoine Griezmann, Xavi, Manuel Neuer and Franck Ribery were well in their right victims of the Ronaldo-Messi era. Great football talents who happen to have been born at the wrong time as many people would say.

The good news for the first time, we see a player like Luka Modric making the top three list, a complete midfielder who is hardly on the scoresheet but almost inspired his country Croatia, to their first ever FIFA World Cup triumph, losing to France in the 2018 final in Russia. The 32-year-old  did win the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid in May, bagged the Golden Ball for the best player at the 2018 World Cup finals but quite remarkably and unusually pipped Ronaldo to the 2018 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award. A sign that the Ronaldo and Messi era could very soon be behind us.

Egyptian king, Mohamed Salah deservedly made it to this year’s top three with Ronaldo completing that list and Messi missing out. Salah broke the scoring records in England, banging in 32 goals in a 38 match season and helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final. He also won all the individual awards in England but making the list without winning any major team trophy emphasises this change I am trying so hard to describe.

Unfamiliar but familiar faces in goal

Kasper Schmeichel of Denmark reacts during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between 1st Group D and 2nd Group C at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on July 1, 2018 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

(June 30, 2018 - Source: Francois Nel/Getty Images Europe)

If I were to ask for the names of the three top goalkeepers in the world, most certainly, the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer and David De Gea would frequent on most people’s list. They are really goalkeepers of some of the elite and acclaimed football clubs in the world. Quite honestly, they are great and probably deserve the naming. But this year, the voters decided on some talented individuals between the sticks who have not received the deserved praise over the years. Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City in the Premier League and Denmark, Hugo Lloris who captained France to the 2018 World Cup title and Thibaut Courtois, the best goalkeeper in Russia 2018 make up the three men shortlist. Does this signal an element of enhanced objectivity in choosing players for these awards, without necessarily looking at the crest of their clubs or their national colors?

We just love that Senegalese fans are nominated for one of the awards

You cannot really blame us for singling out exceptional contributors to the game from the beloved continent of Africa. That’s what FirstTouch Africa aims to bring the global stage anyway, telling the untold stories of invaluable significance, steering communities forward.

Senegal fans enjoy the pre match atmosphere prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group H match between Japan and Senegal at Ekaterinburg Arena on June 24, 2018 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

(June 23, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

The Lions of Teranga football fans are part of the nominees for the FIFA Fan Award after their resounding efforts to keep Russia clean at the world cup finals. These guys literally picked up all litter after each and every game they cheered their heroes on, even after the bitterest of games that saw Senegal exit the tournament in the group stages because they had more yellow cards than the second placed Japan in Group H. Even the Japanese fans also headlined Russia for the tidy civility acts and are nominated together with Senegal as a unit.

Below, is a full list for all the nominees.The winners will be announced on 24 September at Royal Festival Hall in London.

 

 

 

 

Men's player

Cristiano Ronaldo - Juventus & Portugal

Luka Modric - Real Madrid & Croatia

Mohamed Salah - Liverpool & Egypt

Women's player

Ada Hegerberg - Lyon & Norway

Dzsenifer Marozsan - Lyon & Germany

Marta - Orlando Pride & Brazil

Men's coach

Zlatko Dalic - Croatia

Didier Deschamps - France

Zinedine Zidane - former Real Madrid

Women's coach

Reynald Pedros - Lyon

Asako Takakura - Japan

Sarina Wiegman - Netherlands

Goalkeeper

Thibaut Courtois - Real Madrid & Belgium

Hugo Lloris - Tottenham & France

Kasper Schmeichel - Leicester & Denmark

Puskas Award

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) v Liverpool

Denis Cheryshev (Russia) v Croatia

Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (AEK) v Olympiacos

Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro) -v America MG

Riley McGree (Newcastle Jets) v Melbourne City

Lionel Messi (Argentina) v Nigeria

Benjamin Pavard (France) v Argentina

Ricardo Quaresma (Portugal) v Iran

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid ) v Juventus

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) v Everton

Fan Award

Sebastian Carrera (Deportes Puerto Montt, Chile)

Peru fans

Japan and Senegal fans

FT World Cup 2018: Tunisia's Tournament in Review

Like all African states, the Eagles of the Carthage came into the World Cup oozing with hope and pride for the African continent. Little did they know that they will be slapped with a loss from England, followed by a heavy blow of loss from Belgium. To redeem themselves, the Tunisians exited the tournament with inflicting the same kind of loss on Panama with a 2-1 win. Even though the departure was sooner than hoped for, the lessons learned were timely. Below is an overview of the learning curve.

Tunisia vs England

FirstTouch had predicted that this should be a game not to miss because of the certainty that the Eagles will bring their fight forward. They did live up to the expectation. They were flexible enough to change their strategy to a 5-3-1-1 during their second half of the game which tightened the bolts and made it hard for England to go past their defense line. The pressure on England was too much. Only Harry Kane stood in their way to victory when he scored twice for England and only allowing Tunisia to take one goal away. The 2-1 loss was not enough to discourage the North Africans as they went to devise more strategies to face Belgium in their next game.

Tunisia vs Belgium

This was the hardest and most dramatic match that the team faced throughout the tournament. Firstly, they had a new man (Farouk Ben Mustaph) at the goal post after their initial goalkeeper Mouez Hassen got injured in their first match against England. This level of flexibility is commendable. This did, of course, have negative implications for their game. Secondly, two of their players had to leave the game early due to injuries. It might have been these loopholes that allow Belgium to kick in the ball into the net 5 times. Lukaku scored two goals before the first half. Even after he left the game, the rest of the team carried the job to the very end of the 5-2 victory. This was the lowest point for the Eagles, but not all hope was lost because they still needed to face Panama.

Tunisia vs Panama

Tunisia proved that losing your former battles does not translate to absolute loss. You learn from them and come back stronger, as they gave Panama the same taste of what England gave them: 2-1 loss. In this game, Panama struck first in the 33rd minute with Jose Luis Rodriguez. This was after the Tunisian goalkeeper had not just one grip of the ball, but held it twice in the 18th minute to make sure that they did not lose this one. Tunisia was not held back by that first stab, as Fakhreddine Ben Youssef scored in the 50th minute. Just 16 minutes before the referee blew the whistle, Wahbi Khazri came in to redeem the team and ensured that the team leaves the tournament with some respect. The team is not just leaving empty handed but leaving with some lessons that will inform their next tournaments.

"For Tunisia's narrative, it's one of slight disappointment. We went into the tournament not expecting a miracle after having lost our best player Msakni. We knew our only chance was to get a result against England. We fought hard and were just 90 seconds away from making the country proud. That loss demoralized us and we went into the Belgium game physically and mentally weakened. We couldn't capitalize on our chances, and we were left fighting for our honor against Panama. We were able to salvage what could've been yet another winless World Cup (Tunisia holds the record of most winless games in a row with 11 or 12). The win against Panama was our first in 40 years!" - From Tunisian Fan Perspective, Amine

Lessons Learned

• Being flexible enough to change your strategy in the middle of the game is important.

• The ability to play in different roles is a definite treasure for teams.

• Learning from your mistakes as a team is the whole point of the game.

• The ability to persevere through a match can enable a team to turn its losses to amazing wins.

Evaluation

Not all good plays result in a win. Tunisia played well in the team, especially when it came to the strength of its defensive line. The only issue is that they conceded too many goals, but as their coach Nabil Maaloul says, it was only when they “met with very tough opponents”. The coach went on to say that they came into the group hoping that they could at least be third in the group, and yes, their hopes were fulfilled.

Critical Issue

They need to train more of their goalkeepers to avoid the concession to so many goals. The ability to shoot right at the net would also be necessary for them to be at their best at the Africa Cup of Nations.