Great Reputations: When Sampdoria shocked the system
Think of Italian football and you come up with Juventus, Milan and Internazionale, in that order. Then add to that Roma and Napoli, perhaps Lazio. Toda…
Tag: featured
Great Reputations: Dinamo Tbilisi – Georgia’s on our mind
In 1980-81, Dinamo Tbilisi put on a scintillating display when they met West Ham United at Upton Park in the European Cup-Winners’ Cup. They won emphat…
Great Reputations: Tottenham 1970-73 – Bill Nick’s final flourish
It is hardly surprising, but when Tottenham Hotspur’s great teams and players are discussed, the conversation rarely moves beyond 1951 and 1961. The la…
Great Reputations: Borussia Mönchengladbach 1974-77 – mythical rebels
It's part of popular football culture that Bayern Munich have always been the dominant force in German football. Certainly, Bayern is the country’s mos…
Naples and Maradona, a dream that won’t end
Naples provokes great debate. At first glance, it is dirty, unruly, scary and ugly. It is a sprawl, Italy’s most densely populated urban area, overlook…
Great Reputations: AC Milan 1961-1963, the Nereo empire
While Internazionale are credited with being the arch-exponents of catenaccio, the nerazzurri were not the first Italian team to adopt the defence-mind…
Great Reputations: Swindon Town 1969, winners of the “People’s Cup”
It couldn't happen today, could it? A third division (league one in the current money) team winning at Wembley. It didn’t happen much then, but for two…
Great Reputations: Grande Inter – a harsh legacy?
There was an air of menace about them: Black and blue stripes; dark, matinee idol looks; oiled hair; and a dictatorial manager who had a slightly sinis…
Great Reputations: Red Star Belgrade 1973-74 – the team that changed English football
In 1978, Chelsea chairman Brian Mears, desperate to change the fortunes of his ailing club, started to court Miljan Miljanić the Yugoslav coach rated a…
Great Reputations: Arsenal, the Art Deco club
In the 1980s, a television series called The Thirties highlighted a turbulent and exciting decade. An entire chapter was devoted, quite simply, to “The…