Thus the legend announced his departure from the French capital. An enigma, champion and poster boy for the Qatari owned Paris Saint Germain’s recent success. Not only did the star end his reign peacefully (relatively), he also did it with a bang. He scored a brace in a Coupe de France final victory over Olympique Marseille. The game ended 4-2....

Long ago, the Italian First Division was the undisputed height of football. The best players in the world played in Italy, its clubs repeatedly played in European finals. TVs across the world tuned in every Sunday to watch the nation’s best play in packed stadiums. To this current generation it may seem like a fairy tale or a...

My entire face transformed into a big fat smile when I saw the above caption; particularly the question mark. It is beyond hilarious and I’ll tell you why. Isn’t it weird that these types of questions, these debates, seem to be on the rise THE MORE SUCCESSFUL Pep becomes? Why do we debate a manager’s genius, or lack of thereof,...

352NG looks ahead to the season ahead with daily previews of the top 5 leagues as football season resumes across Europe. It's the start of a new era in the Serie A. For the first time since 1986, Silvio Berlusconi’s direct influence at AC Milan will end. This comes as he has agreed a sale of the Rossoneri to a...

Clearly Antonio Conte favours the 3-5-2. He successfully employed it at both Juventus and with the Italian national team. However, he's now in the Premier League with Chelsea and the riddle is will he continue to deploy the same tactics that have brought him this far? If we are to go by pre-season showings, it seems unlikely. This period is...

30 years old now, he’s been an integral part for the Manchester United side for years. Since a 2004 switch, there’s currently none more deserving than Wayne Rooney to be captain in the current squad. With 178 goals in 368 appearances the English captain has cemented his position as a starter. He has also gone on to play several positions...

352NG looks ahead to the season ahead with daily previews of the top 5 leagues as football season resumes across Europe. Barcelona will start defending a 24th La Liga title on Saturday, August 20 against Real Betis. The Catalans have opted for a clutch of youngsters with an average age of 22. The hierarchy are clearly indicating eyes are on...

Why's Olivier Giroud given so little credit? As underrated players go, they might not necessarily be the best in their position but they ‘excel’ and deserve to get appreciated for what they do. In the EPL there are lots of underrated players; Michael Carrick, Christian Eriksen and Laurent Koscielny to mention a few. For these players, the plaudits will rarely be...

It's been almost 3 months since we savoured competitive English club football. Almost desperate, we'll take anything, even the less competitive Community Shield. Traditionally the season's curtain raiser & steeped in rich history, the Community Shield should be mostly ceremonial. Its a charity game between the English Champions & FA Cup winners, Leicester City and Manchester United. Make no mistake...

11 years ago, he was a European champion, today he is relegated. A year ago he dined with the Kings in Madrid, today he scrapes the bottom with Newcastle United. He inspired one of the greatest comebacks in European football history but couldn’t save the Toon Army from the trapdoor. Grace to grass best describes Rafa Benitez at this...