Football’s most inhospitable host?
Indonesian officials couldn’t have guessed who would qualify for their FIFA U-20 World Cup. Now, they might be left without a tournament.
But could Putin do it on a cold night in Chisinau?
Partizan’s black and white colours weren’t good enough camouflage for some would-be coup plotters.
What if the World Cup had 48 teams already?
New Zealand, Nigeria and North Macedonia would all be there, hoping they get to play last in their groups.
Three fingers in the air, Jules Rimet still reeling
Serbia and Croatia managed to dominate FIFA World Cup headlines for reasons that had little to do with their on-pitch performances and all to do with the troubled 1990s.
‘What racist crimes?’: Greece’s new football chief
A disgraced official who lost his job over colluding with Nazis is now running Greece’s football federation.
Don’t give whataboutery a chance
While asking to “give peace a chance,” Red Star Belgrade ultras forgot a war close to home – and their bloody role in it.
Free choice or driving drunk: Football’s unvaccinated headache
Players, clubs and leagues are caught between a ‘right to choose’ and the pandemic. Europe’s governments are taking turns in announcing new measures to tackle yet another ‘wave’ of a pandemic that seems certain to drag on for months – if not years. As before, these policies also impact football, alongside every other aspect of our lives. The Netherlands already […]
Getting angry at the wrong flag
A Ukrainian fan drew the ire of his hosts, even though they’d probably agree with his intentions.
When footballers have the wrong passport
Cuba’s national team lost the chance to qualify for the Gold Cup because they could not get their U.S. visas on time.
Macedonian debut marred by an Austrian’s racist tirade
Tensions between Serbia and Albania surfaced in a game – and a tournament – which involved neither of them.
