waroffutbol

  Only several Austrian players with spells in European top five apart from Bundesliga can be considered the best. Austria might not be the top nation in European football today. Their golden era has long gone. The team which was known as the Wunderteam in 1920s and 1930s has turned into mediocre before being able to qualify to UEFA Euro championship in the past three editions. In the FIFA World Cup, Austria’s last appearance in the final round was in France 1998, whereas their best campaign was in Switzerland 1954, as they reached the semifinals. Nevertheless, they never lack talent. The Austrian top flight, also known as the Austrian Bundesliga, has produced distinguished players from time to time. Mostly, they would switch sides to their neighbour, the German Bundesliga, to improve their career. Naturally, such is the popular destination due to the geographical proximity and the same culture and language. Yet, there have been others who have been more adventurous too. They...

  Several goalkeepers have been signed to solve the goalkeeper crisis in the European elite sides. Goalkeeper is one distinguished position in football, which has its own term. The man between the sticks tends to have a longer career compared to the other outfield players, commonly shines in the late 20s and early 30s, and has bigger competition to cement the place in the lineup. The goalkeeping role has evolved too, following the introduction of the new back pass rule in 1992. The demand for goalies who are comfortable with the ball on their feet has been increasing, and the sweeper-keeper position is almost a must on the top team. The nature of this position, which is already hard to establish, has become even harder and more challenging. When the shot stoppers suffer long-term injuries, their team tends to become more panicked and has to sign replacements from the limited available names in the pool. Some even have to lure the well-known retired figure to make an emergenc...

  A number of well-known managers have been in a unique situation by being at the helm of both archrival sides. Each league in the world, whether in Europe or South America, always has two teams that have been involved in a long, heated rivalry. Some even had turned ugly as the diehard fans could be dangerous fanatics off the pitch to show their support to their team. The likes of El Clásico, Argentina’s Superclásico, or Scotland’s Old Firm derby are examples of such rivalries. Their fans could become brutal should they find their star cutting ties with their team and joining their archrival. Perhaps the most notorious one was Luis Figo’s move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000. He had to taste the Catalan fans’ fury in his first return to Camp Nou as a pig’s head was thrown nearby him just before his corner kick. The tale of a player in-between such vengeful rivalry is probably more well-known and exposed to the media than the managers. There have been gaffers who have b...

  A few notable goalkeepers have had to become journeymen in the European top league in order to play regularly. Being a journeyman might have been considered a way to sense the adventure. Such is not entirely mistaken, as it does have its own advantage. Yet, not everyone becomes such due to their own will. Some have to be the journeyman because of the circumstance.  For a goalkeeper, it can be quite challenging due to the nature of this position. You can either cement your place in the team or move elsewhere if you do not fancy sharing the tasks as a second fiddle in the club. The latter often becomes their only choice to save their career. Otherwise, they would have gone unnoticed due to being on the sideline for too long. This season, Australian international Matthew Ryan has to deal with it again. He is unhappy with the minutes he has in AS Roma. Despite being more experienced than the first choice, Mile Svilar, he is overlooked by the new boss, Claudio Ranieri. Ryan event...

  A few best players in the Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor of the FIFA Club World Cup, had an unusual tale in their playing careers.  The year of 2025 marks the year of a new global competition from the world football governing body, FIFA Club World Cup. It is the expanded version from the previous edition with 32 contestants. The tournament will be held in the summer in the USA from June 14th to July 13th. It is believed to be a warm-up tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which the United States is one of the joint hosts of. With the new format, FIFA expects to elevate the prestige of this competition, despite its controversy and the criticism from the players and managers in Europe. Prior to the FIFA Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, not the FIFA one, which was held in December 2024, was considered as the one to determine the best club in the world within the calendar year. It was a one-off match between the winners of the UEFA Champions League/Euro...

  Top managers rarely make a leap of faith by taking charge of the minnows in international football and succeed.  Being the top manager is always synonymous with the high demands from the clubs and foreign national teams. The big teams are always more preferable for those top figures as it suits their ambition. They are also accustomed to huge pressure and expectations.  However, some others take more unpopular options by taking the leap of faith with the minnows. Such is never easy, especially considering their lack of modern facilities, local bureaucracy, or, even worse, a limited number of talents. It is a huge challenge they have to face from time to time.  Recently, one of the minnows which could potentially qualify to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Indonesia, has just dismissed Shin Tae-Yong, who is considered one of South Korea’s top managers. He was the former South Korean national team boss in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where they crushed the defending champi...