On June 2, 2004, Chelsea unveiled José Mourinho to the English Press. In his first press conference, Mourinho was sharp in wit and lavish in self-praise. He was unapologetic in his confidence over his ability and what he expected for the club he was joining. It was here he provided his most infamous sound bite: […]

It’s been relatively easy for many to discount Arsenal’s excellent start to their Premier League campaign. After all, they lost their first game, the table they currently sit atop is still somewhat topsy-turvy, and consider the relative quality of their opposition thus far. Yet with Tuesday’s authoritative 2-0 win over Napoli in Champions League group […]

Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas has slammed The FA's decision not to ban Fernando Torres after the incident that happened in the London derby on Saturday where the Spaniard clawed Jan Vertonghen's face. At his press conference today, Villas-Boas said: "It’s extremely difficult to know where to start. Obviously, it's almost a farcical decision. It […]

Bayern Munich and Manchester City are two clubs that could hardly be more distinct from one another. Bayern’s rise as a European giant with a tradition steeped in history after generations of hard work, success and self ownership that led to the identity they possess today is a sharp contrast in comparison to the drastic […]

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Roman Abramovich asked him to be Chelsea manager when he bought the club in 2003. In the interview with Charlie Rose, which was shown on PBS last night, Ferguson said: "They used an agent to approach me when Abramovich first took over the club and I said: 'No chance.'" […]

All hail Steve McClaren. The former England manager in his first day on the job as manager of Derby County delivered such an inspirational halftime team talk that his side, who were losing 4-1 at the half against Ipswich, stormed back in the second half to tie the match 4-4. McClaren was in the stands […]

With the middle of the Argentine Inicial upon us, Newell's Old Boys are showing that a system is more important than the sum of all parts. More importantly, when those parts are functioning well within a system, things can change and they will remain the same. In soccer, we always talk about how one person is […]

With Arsenal off to their best start in the Premier League in five years coupled with strong performances thus far in the UEFA Champions League, there is definitely a different vibe around the Emirates so far this season. There is cause for long-term optimism as the quality has improved throughout all phases of Arsenal's game. […]

In England, it's not uncommon to hear the saying that "Zonal marking is not defending." But, what the fact that these pundits often ignore is that goals are scored even when defenders are man marking. It's not that man marking is the be all and end all of defending. It's the system that leaks goals. […]

When Shinji Kagawa joined Manchester United in 2012 from Borussia Dortmund, many United supporters were ecstatic upon hearing the news. Kagawa was instrumental in Dortmunds’s back-to-back Bundesliga titles and was the creative force behind their electrifying play. The attacking midfielder scored 21 goals in 49 appearances for Die Schwarzgelben as well as scoring a goal […]

Greenpeace activists disrupted the UEFA Champions League match between FC Basel and Schalke today to protest against Schalke's main sponsor Gazprom. The match was temporarily stopped while the activists were removed from the stadium, but was restarted after order was restored. The protest is focused on trying to stop Russian energy company Gazprom from polluting […]

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Editor's note: Today marks the first column of a new weekly series by Matt Jones entitled 'The Heart Of English Football' that gives you insight into what it's like to be a supporter who lives in England — capturing the experience, rituals and everything we don't get to see or feel via the television set. […]

Napoli manager Rafa Benitez has hailed Arsene Wenger as the best manager in England. Both Napoli and Arsenal face each other later today in the UEFA Champions League, but while the praise for Wenger is worthy, you have to wonder how much of a dig that is for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. Benitez and Mourinho […]

Atletico Madrid and Barcelona both maintained unblemished La Liga records after seven rounds of matches. Atleti took the spoils in the Madrid derby and, together with Barca, who defeated Almeria, extended their lead over Real Madrid to five points. Diego Costa’s 11th minute goal at the Bernabeu was the difference in the capital as Atletico […]