So long, Claudio
We are unlikely to see Claudio Ranieri back in the English game after his sacking by Premier League champions Leicester City. His hunger for football success has surely been satisfied. A permanent memorial to his remarkable achievements in the East Midlands is already being discussed.
A whole new ball game in the MLS
The mercury lingered close to ninety degrees Fahrenheit despite the onset of evening. Bolts of lightning flickered across the sky. The freakish weather conditions suggested this was not going to be like any club football match I had ever been to. I had decided to forsake the delights of Downtown Disney for Orlando’s slightly grimier suburbs for a taste of the MLS. The idea was to gain an insight into what lies ahead for Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and supporters tempted to take a trip across the pond to watch them play.
Planet Earth just can’t get enough of the English Premier League
The world’s insatiable appetite for all things Premier League shows no sign of abating. 212 territories now devour content produced by IMG in west London as part of a massive multi-million pound contract for overseas rights. I have had a real insight into the global reach of England’s top flight by presenting some of the programmes this season.
A Saturday afternoon in the life of a football reporter
England’s cricketers were still hogging the back page headlines as they put the Aussies to the sword. The nation was basking in a rare heat wave and the warm glow of another summer of sporting success offered some comfort in tough economic times. For those in my trade the new football season was upon us and there was work to be done. It had come around more quickly than ever – the first weekend in August this time. Nobody seemed able to recall an earlier start to a new campaign.
29th Africa Cup of Nations
Ivory Coast remain on course to win the Africa Cup of Nations in what is likely to be the final flourish for the great Didier Drogba and their “golden generation”. The Ivorians breezed through their qualifying group here in South Africa, but this may well be the last chance for the current crop of outstanding players. As well as Drogba, brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure and Salomon Kalou are nearer the end than the beginning of their international careers.
