Super Mario returns: Why his first Manchester City game in Italy has come at the perfect time for brilliant Balotelli
The Italian striker enters Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash against Napoli in fine form and fulfi...
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Category:All, Champions League, Comment, England, EPL Tags: Greg Stobart, Manchester City FC
Five things we learned this weekend
• The corner rule is a mess while Newcastle are here to stay• Watch highlights of the weekend's Premi...
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Category:All, Blackburn Rovers, Comment, England, Football
BBC’s Tim Gudgin calls time with: Airdrie United 11, Gala Fairydean 0 | Rob Bagchi
The 82-year-old announcer has read his final classified results for BBC TV, having started the job in 199...
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Category:All, BBC, Comment, Football, Media
Why John Terry has done his ‘fronting up’ for the last time | Marina Hyde
It feels as if football is waging a war on our language, but at least the death knell for the phrase 'fro...
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Category:All, Comment, Football, John Terry, Language
Bobby Zamora stuck in supporting role as England chance slips away | Richard Williams
The striker worked hard against Sweden but did not inflict as much damage as he could against such humdru...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Football, Friendlies
Pacquiao-Márquez judges send rotten smell wafting over Las Vegas | Kevin Mitchell
Outrageous scoring robs Juan Manuel Márquez of world title and proves it never pays to bet against the h...
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Category:All, Boxing, Comment, Floyd Mayweather, Football
How Spain’s papers rated England
Spanish press says England 'turned Italian' to beat SpainBeep! Beep! Beep! Fabio Capello cranked the bus ...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Fabio Capello, Football
Newcastle United are in a better place thanks to Mike Ashley | Paul Wilson
Sports Direct Arena may be one of the owner's cruder decisions but some of his previous ones have been go...
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Category:All, Comment, Football, Mike Ashley, Newcastle United
How do Sweden solve a problem like Zlatan Ibrahimovic? | Marcus Christenson
It could be said that Sweden, England's next opponents, are a one-man team who are better without the one...
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Category:All, Comment, Euro 2012, Features, Football
Darren Bent shows England there may be hope without Wayne Rooney | Kevin McCarra
Isolated striker stays alert as Fabio Capello experiments with his forward line in 1-0 friendly win over ...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Football, Spain
Winning a first England cap tests temperament more than talent | David James
International recognition is every player's dream but your debut comes with potential pitfalls it is wise...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Football, Sport
England’s young guns show stubborn desire to thwart Spain’s wizards | Paul Hayward
Phil Jones personified England's desire not to be humiliated – and the result exceeded all expectations...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Football, Friendlies
Lavezzi may have spared Argentina’s blushes, but another calamity against Bolivia proves Martin Demichelis’ days are numbered
An awful error from the laid-back defender almost condemned his team to an historic defeat, and it must b...
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Category:All, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Comment
Armistice Day and a mythologised, distant version of the first world war | Andrew Frayn
In the first world war, people fought not simply for a vague 'freedom', but for their national identity ...
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Category:All, Comment, Comment is free, FIFA, First world war
St George’s Park is no panacea for English football, but it’s a start | Kevin McCarra
England's new national training centre for football coaches open its doors in Burton next year, and not a...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Football, Holland
Maybe McClaren could give Hansen a run for his not inconsiderable money | Martin Kelner
New studio, new facial hair – but Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson are struggling to provide added valueI...
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Category:All, BBC, Chris Evans, Comment, Football
Why Ferguson is a complex messiah
The Manchester United legend is an manager who understands what makes footballers tick, as well as footba...
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Category:All, Comment, Football, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson
Thomas Vermaelen stands tall in making case for Arsenal’s defence | Richard Williams
Arsenal found solidity at the back in the shape of their injury-free Belgian captainOn a night of no goal...
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Category:All, Arsenal, Champions League 2011-12, Comment, Football
The John Terry racism row & Inter’s deplorable Heysel banner to mock Juventus fans – why this has been an awful week for football
The game has been dragged through the mud due to the accusations against the England captain, while Neraz...
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Category:All, Chelsea, Comment, England, EPL
Alessandro Matri the key man again as Juventus reveal their killer instinct
The former Cagliari man has proved in the past seven days that he has the game to lead the Bianconeri up ...
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Category:Alessandro Matri, All, Comment, England, EPL
David James: ‘I’ve never thought John Terry was racist – and neither is football’
The former England goalkeeper was shocked by the allegations made against John Terry and says racism is n...
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Category:All, Comment, Features, Football, From the Observer
No Ibrahimovic, no Eto’o, not even a Balotelli – Inter bereft of their old attacking edge as Juventus deepen their crisis
The Nerazzurri enjoyed plenty of possession in the final third in the Derby d'Italia but their lack of st...
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Category:All, Comment, England, EPL, Europe
Football League: your thoughts | Ian McCourt
Southampton set a club record, Huddersfield remain unbeaten and the eight goals at Bramall Lane are eclip...
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Category:All, Championship, Championship 2011-12, Comment, Football
David Platt is English football’s unexploited asset | Barney Ronay
There is more to David Platt than being Roberto Mancini's go-to guy and scoring a wonder goal against Bel...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Football, Manchester City
The Secret Footballer: misunderstood Mario is a much-loved maverick
We learn to be tolerant of flair players like Balotelli, even if they are cut more slack than their Engli...
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Category:All, Comment, Football, Manchester City, Mario Balotelli
French game given timely lift by a fictional All Black | Richard Williams
France cinema has a low-cost blockbuster on its hands – a rugby story that could almost have been set i...
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Category:All, Arsenal, Comment, Culture, Film
A record scoring Football League trio
Within 121 days the Football League's goalscoring record for one player in one match was broken three tim...
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Category:All, Blogposts, Comment, Features, Football
Dave Ellis an Englishman excelling for France at the Rugby World Cup | Richard Williams
Before leaving his post France's defence coach has 'put every minute' into helping his employers reach th...
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Category:All, Comment, Dan Wheldon, France rugby union team, Indycar
Five things we learned from the Premier League this weekend
Mario Balotelli should be taken seriously, Alex McLeish got it wrongMaybe it's time to take Balotelli ser...
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Category:All, Aston Villa, Blogposts, Bolton Wanderers, Comment
David Millar has paid for his doping, now he suffers for his sport | Richard Williams
David Millar could probably challenge his lifetime Olympic ban but the BOA has common sense on its side, ...
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Category:All, Comment, Cycling, Drugs in sport, Football
Paolo Di Canio goes through the motions to unlock Swindon’s dark side | Jeremy Alexander
The Italian manager's passionate side is on show during a 3-3 home draw with Hereford UnitedPaolo Di Cani...
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Category:All, Comment, Football, Hereford, League Two 2011-12
Self-harming England give Fabio Capello plenty to ponder | Paul Hayward
From Wayne Rooney's temper to an inability to regain control of matches, the national team make life hard...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Euro 2012 qualifiers, Fabio Capello
How Laurent Blanc rebuilt France after the chaos of the 2010 World Cup
Les Bleus were at an all-time low after the mutiny in South Africa, but the former player has won back th...
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Category:All, Blogposts, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Comment, Euro 2012 qualifiers
Newcastle United’s French scouting policy is no laughing matter | Paul Hayward
The recruits identified by Graham Carr, father of the comedian Alan, offer Mike Ashley the chance of the ...
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Category:Alan Pardew, All, Comment, Football, Mike Ashley
Euro 2012: Five lessons Fabio Capello can learn from World Cup failure | Dominic Fifield
The England manager must be be more flexible with his tactics this time around, as well as giving youth a...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Euro 2012, Fabio Capello
Disorder and demons afflict Wayne Rooney on the international stage | Paul Hayward
The England striker's attempts to be a great player for his country continue to be peppered with problems...
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Category:All, Comment, England, Euro 2012 qualifiers, Football
Robert Enke’s life story should make us pause before we castigate | Amy Lawrence
English football can learn lessons from the German reaction to the death of the international goalkeeperT...
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Category:All, Bundesliga, Comment, European football, Football
Hail Daniel Sturridge and the art of self-censorship | Rob Bagchi
Chelsea's striker has joined a notable list of strikers who muzzled their instincts after scoring against...
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Category:All, Chelsea, Comment, Football, Sport
The EU’s Premier League rights ruling explained
,BSkyB,BSkyB+(Business),Consumer+affairs+(Money),Money,Household+bills,Premier+League+(Football),Football,Law,European+court+of+justice,European+Union+(News)&c5=Personal+Finance,Policy+Society,Not+commercially+useful,Business+Markets,Media+Weekly,Television+Media,Consumer+News,Premier+League&c6=Owen+Gibson&c7=11-Oct-04&c8=1642531&c9=Article&c10=Comment&c11=Media&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU/Media/Sports+rights){kind=small}
How the verdict will impact on the football fans, BSkyB, film studios and homegrown TV production compani...
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Category:All, BSkyB, Business, Comment, Consumer affairs
Football League in Focus: Derby County pulled up short by Leicester | Jeremy Alexander
A four-goal drubbing at the hands of Sven-Goran Eriksson's side came out of the blue but Nigel Clough is ...
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Category:All, Championship 2011-12, Comment, Derby County, Football
Tottenham look good for fourth place
Spurs need more steel in midfield, Arsenal are still dozing at set-pieces and Harry Redknapp's side are m...
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Category:All, Analysis, Arsenal, Arsène Wenger, Comment
Carlos Tevez affair takes hammer to love, trust and loyalty | Paul Hayward
Striker's refusal to go on was the perfect demonstration of what happens when players no longer feel alle...
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Category:All, Carlos Tevez, Comment, England rugby union team, Football
The Leveson inquiry will miss the real scandal | Nick Cohen
A genuine inquiry would investigate how David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt prostituted their government"Hackga...
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Category:Alastair Campbell, All, Comment, Comment is free, David Cameron
Carlos Tevez’s behaviour is ultimate sideshow for Manchester City | Richard Williams
Bayern Munich's powerful performance is a stark lesson not to be overlooked amid the furore surrounding C...
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Category:All, Bayern Munich, Carlos Tevez, Champions League, Champions League 2011-12
Workaholic wide boys give Napoli the edge over Manchester City | David Pleat
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Category:All, Comment, Football, Manchester City, Napoli