Category: Premier League

As his story in Barcelona seems to be coming to an end, Lionel Messi is all the headlines at the moment, be them footballing ones or not, and be them good or bad

A Bitter End to The Leo Messi – Barcelona Love Story

Barcelona, Champions League, La Liga, Manchester City, Premier League, Serie A, Spanish Football, Transfer Market, Uncategorized
Messi is all the headlines at the moment, be them footballing ones or not, and be them good or bad. The Argentine needs no introduction. A six-time Ballon D'Or winner, four-time Champions League winner, and 10 La Liga titles to add to that. His and Barcelona's dominance of Europe has been a joy to watch, but now it seems to be coming to an end.
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On Her Majesty’s Service: The Cult Hero That Was Fabrizio Ravanelli

England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League
Fabrizio Ravanelli had two separate spells in English football with Middlesbrough and then Derby County, proving himself a popular figure with both. He became a cult hero of both Boro and Derby fans’, and the fact that he scored 31 goals in all competitions in his first season for a relegated team in the Premier League shows just how underrated he may have been.
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On Her Majesty’s Service: The Rise and Fall of Massimo Maccarone

England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League
A name that rings true with Middlesbrough fans, Massimo Maccarone was an eccentric addition to the long list of fine Boro strikers. From Fabrizio Ravanelli to Mark Viduka, to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Yakubu, and Maccarone - the Riverside has long been the home of some great forwards, but the latter proved many wrong with his performances.
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On Her Majesty’s Service: Carlo Cudicini Could Have Been a Star

Chelsea, Italian Football, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League
Carlo Cudicini lasted 22 years as a professional goalkeeper, with 13 of those being spent in England between Chelsea and Tottenham, making him one of the Premier League’s longest-serving Italian stars. But for all his talent, it seems he was always with the wrong club at the wrong time and somehow forged a reputation as a "back-up" player.
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On Her Majesty’s Service: Attilio Lombardo’s Stint at Crystal Palace

England, Italian Football, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League, Serie A
Attilio Lombardo was one of the most robust right-wingers of the '90s. He spent a year-and-a-half in England, playing for the newly-promoted Crystal Palace in 1997. His move shocked many, as Lombardo had only just reached the heights of Italian football with Juventus and he swapped that all to become Palace's star player of an otherwise forgetful season.
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The Moral Dilemma of The Newcastle United Takeover

England, Newcastle United, Premier League 2 comments
Imagine being a supporter of a football club, and one day you find out that your club is about to become owned by one of the most criticized states in the world. What would you do? That is the moral dilemma that Newcastle United fans are currently facing as their club seems set to be purchased by controversial Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
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On Her Majesty’s Service: Gianluca Festa’s Hard-Hitting Days

England, Italian Football, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League
The North East of England has never been a hot-spot for incoming European footballers, but Gianluca Festa broke the mold when he joined Middlesbrough in 1997. Festa was an iconic Premier League player, renowned for his hard-hitting, no-nonsense style of defending, and also for his goal-scoring touch. A player who Boro fans will associate with their "glory days."
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On Her Majesty’s Service: Alberto Aquilani’s Liverpool Missed Chance

England, Liverpool, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League 3 comments
Liverpool had some forgettable Italian names in their ranks - Mario Balotelli, Andrea Dossena, and Fabio Borini to name a few. They all disappointed during their spell at the club and would move on without leaving any lasting legacy. But none joined with as much expectation surrounding them as Alberto Aquilani, and none endured as torrid a time at Anfield as he did.
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On Her Majesty’s Service: Benito Carbone’s Brit Tribulations

England, On Her Majesty's Service, Premier League
Of all the Italian names to have graced English shores, Benito Carbone is one that you may well have forgotten. He arrived at Sheffield Wednesday in 1996 amid the "European invasion" of the Premier League and, despite always becoming a fan favorite wherever he played, his time in England always seemed to have a factor that was holding him back.
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