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  Some of these football cinderella stories in the top leagues may be forgotten in comparison to more recent or well-known examples. Cinderella stories in football have always stunned everyone. Such can be found in almost every competition at the top levels, including European top leagues. In fact, they may see another one or two in the summer. Girona’s and Bayer Leverkusen’s impressive form in the Spanish and German top flight this season has shocked the world. They may have a chance to replicate the miracle of the past. So far, only a few of them have been widely discussed. The magical victory of Leicester City in the 2015/16 season, Greece’s and Denmark’s unlikely triumphs in EURO 2004 and 1992, respectively, seem to always be at the top of the list, with Kaiserslautern's unexpected success in the Bundesliga 1997/98, the wonderful tale of Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest, Alan Shearer’s Blackburn's glorious campaign in the Premier League 1994/95, Olivier Giroud's

A number of reasons could be giving the clue why players tipped the Next Messi mainly flop at the top level. Lionel Messi has undoubtedly been the most inspirational figure in modern football. The Argentina captain, who unexpectedly retained his FIFA Best Player award this month, has served as a role model for a number of talented footballers around the world. Being compared to La Pulga can be a blessing or a curse. Being the Next Messi requires them to prepare for the intense pressure of being the star on the big stage. Unfortunately, not every player has what it takes to be the global star like the Argentine Messiah. In the 2023–24 season, players touted as the Next Messi are all over Europe. Yet, once again, very few have been able to even replicate the success of the Argentine living legend. The likes of Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, Brighton’s Ansu Fati, and Luka Romero are prominent examples of those who fail to meet expectations, whereas Real Sociedad’s Take Kubo and Martin Od

  Three footballers were named as the best players in Asian Cup history without even winning the title. In most competitions, whether at the club level or on an international stage, the MVPs or best players in the tournament mainly come from the winning team. However, there have always been some exceptions. In the FIFA World Cup, Luka Modric and Lionel Messi are the most recent examples. They were awarded Best Player in the 2018 and 2014 editions, respectively, although their teams lost in the final. In the AFC Asian Cup , such exceptions existed too. Throughout the tournament's history, three players have been named MVP without lifting the trophy. One of them did not even play in the final, as his team did not advance to the summit. Nevertheless, their success earned them the opportunity to play for European clubs. Check out these three extraordinary figures in Asian football. Jia Xiuquan (PRC) He won the Best Player award in the 1984 Asian Cup. Jia helped China reach thei

  The role of sweeper-keeper in modern football owes its existence to these two underrated shot-stoppers from the past. Football today requires a nontraditional role in every position, including goalkeeper. The days of goalies passively waiting for the ball and not actively participating in the attacking phase are long gone, particularly at the highest levels. Classic goalkeepers may still thrive in mid- or low-level teams and competition, but they certainly will not survive at the elite. Many have wondered how Germany’s Manuel Neuer or Manchester City's Ederson rolled out of the backline to engage in the attacking build-up and serve as an extra defender in recent years. In the past, the world was astounded by the impressive goalscoring record of former Sao Paulo star Rugerio Ceni, the unexpected set piece goals of Paraguayan legend Jose Luis Chilavert, or the ‘lunatic act’ of Colombia’s René Higuita between the sticks in the 1990s. Those names could be those who made their

  Several continental champion managers are eyeing for their next silverware in the 2023 Asian Cup. The Asian Cup is already underway, and all the favourite teams started off their campaign quite well. Unlike previous editions, several teams are currently led by the continental champion managers. They are aiming to lift the trophy in Qatar to help them secure their position. Not all of them are at the helm of the top teams. The ones in command of the stronger sides would undoubtedly have a better chance of winning the title. Yet, such definitely comes with the price of more pressure due to the team’s lofty target. Consequently, any hint of a disappointing outcome could lead to their dismissal. So, who are these continental champions in this year's tournament? Check out their profile below: Phillipe Troussier The 68-year-old boss is the Asian Cup-winning manager. He did it with Japan in the 2000 edition after beating Saudi Arabia ina narrow 1-0 win. Troussier also guided Hid

  The renovation of Helsinki Olympic Stadium appeared to have cost more than expected. The home of the Finland national team, the largest stadium in the country, Helsinki Olympic Stadium, had just been renovated and opened for public again in summer 2021 with a number of additional facilities. However, the price for its overhaul turns out to be skyrocketing compared to the previous plan. Recently, it has been reported by NAOF (National Audit Office of Finland) that the final price for such a project has reached $ 410 million, whereas the previous estimation in 2016 was only $218 million. In other countries, such an amount is normally sufficient for building an entirely new one with a large capacity. Yet, the result of the renovation project, apart from the new facilities, is barely different from the previous condition. The capacity is still the same: 36,000 people, which is not a big one. Its design tends to be a modest one as well. Nothing really stands out in particular, althoug

  Several notable former goalkeepers who thrive as managers from outside the European top leagues deserve recognition. The goalkeeper position has often been underrated despite its crucial role in football defence, especially in the past. Goalies tend to be deemed less likely to succeed when they become managers. Being a tactician demands the ability to read the game in their playing career. Thus, the best head coaches are normally the former midfielders or defenders. The likes of Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane, Jurgen Klopp, and Thomas Tuchel are the proven examples, as they all used to operate from the second line or backline and get involved in the attacking build-up. However, it does not mean that former shot-stoppers is bound to fail in their managerial career. Some manage to shine as well when they are in the dugout. Julen Lopetegui, Nuno Santo, Dino Zoff, and Raymond Goethals are the popular examples. They have been frequently discussed due t

  The new player loan system, which was introduced in 2022, has been one of FIFA’s attempts to make changes to a rather distorted football transfer system. The reformed loan system has been on the news again this month as clubs are considering the loan move, either in or out, for some of their unused players looking for more minutes to play, out-of-favour figures in the squad estranged by the manager , or young players looking to improve themselves. Such a new system is currently in the transition period before its final amendment in the 2024/25 season. The Goal FIFA’s objective in this overhaul, alongside the modified regulation for the players’ agents, is none but to leave no more space for the clubs to hoard young talents and then loan them out to any clubs without any limits in duration or even any chance for them to be included in the first team squad. Moreover, this will help create more balance in the competition as well. The previous rule had already crushed the youngst

  Southeast Asian teams have never been highly rated as the favourite in Asian Cup history, despite their progress. Southeast Asia has been considered one of the most progressive regions in the world. Yet, when it comes to football development, it is quite far behind, despite the popularity of football among their people. In AFC Asian Cup history, seven teams have made appearances since the first edition of the tournament in 1956. Four of them—Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia—are playing in the upcoming 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar. However, only two of them have made their mark in this continental competition. This year’s Asian Cup was supposed to take place in China last summer. Yet, it kicks off this weekend on January 12 instead, due to Qatar’s climate. China opted to relinquish their hosting rights for the sake of their zero COVID-19 policy. The AFC finally named Qatar as the new host in October 2023. Here is the ranking of all Southeast Asian teams’ performance in AF

  The plan for holding the newly formatted UEFA Super Cup in 2024 is still not yet official. UEFA had a scenario of changing the current UEFA Super Cup format from one-off games to the final four tournaments in 2022. However, the plan does not seem to be rolling out as expected yet. The European football governing body has yet to confirm it until today, unless a sudden announcement is anticipated in the near future. The 2024 Super Cup will be held at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland. The Expanded Format UEFA has been studying the possibility of expanding the Super Cup, originally a match between the champions of the top two tiers in continental competition. The current one has been considered rather outdated, with a single game between the winners of the Champions League and Europa League. Such a format has become gradually less and less popular. On the other hand, the final four format is getting more and more recognisable to gain more revenue with more teams involved and

  Most English managers barely make their mark in major European leagues, including in their own Premier League. It seems like an ironic situation for English football, as they only have a few successful football managers in the major leagues compared to their continental counterparts. Judging from the dominance of English clubs in Europe in the past decades, the rarity of English football managers in Europe shows a stark contrast. In fact, no English managers were involved in three all-English finals in the Champions League, once in the Europa League, Manchester City’s triumphant campaign with treble winners, or West Ham’s victory in the Europa Conference League last season. In the Premier League this season, only five names are registered as the team's gaffer: Eddie Howe (Newcastle United), Sean Dyche (Everton), Gary O’Neill (Wolverhampton), Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace), and Chris Wilder (Sheffield United). Once again, none is having a continental campaign any longer after Ho