This article first appeared in the Autumn 2019 issue of FourFourTwo magazine. Subscribe now and get yourfirst three issues for just £3!Barcelona and Real Madrid may top La Liga, have qualified from their Champions League groups, and remain the top two football clubs in the world in terms of earnings– but it's widely accepted that neither side looks on top of their game. To carry on progressing in Europe's elite competition, they will need to sharpen up – hence Barca's decision to replace Ernesto Valverde with Quique Setien this week.Here, AndrewMurray looks at what else needs to change at the Camp Nou and Bernabeu.1. Integrate big-name signingsYou can always judge how Barcelona and Real Madrid perceive the relative success of...
For nearly 28 years now, the Premier League has blessed us with the geniuses, the madmen and the most enduring that football has thrown up.The cult heroes aren't always those that score the most and save the most, but the ones who simply stay the longest. Often, they're not your best players - they're usually some of the ones that you become most attached to, though.We've listed out the top three Premier League appearance makers for every club currently in the top flight. That's a lot of Premier League football.You have 10 minutes to try and recall the 60 names - get thinking about those regular team sheet fixtures, past and present.Tell us how you fared @FourFourTwo on Twitter –...
1996 was year that Blur and Oasis fought for chart dominance, that Charles and Diana divorced, and when England opened its doors to Europe's footballing finest, for a three-week spectacle that we still talk about 24 years later – and celebrated in the new issue of FourFourTwo, now on sale.We all have our memories of that tournament - Gazza's celebration, David Seaman's penalty heroics and Gareth Southgate's penalty heartbreak - but England aside, who else do you remember from the tournament?You have 10 minutes to guess every single team to compete in Euro 96, from the newly-formed nations, to the old favourites. Yes - you can have England, just to get you started on your way.There were only 16 entrants...
Ernesto Valverde’s time as Barcelona manager is up. It’s been a curious spell for Barça - two consecutive league titles have been clouded by two spectacular Champions League capitulations to Roma and Liverpool - but as the club look to snatch a third title in a row (they are currently top of La Liga), in steps former Real Betis manager, Quique Setien.A chess lover, a Messi enthusiast and an apparent collector of Sergio Busquets memorabilia, here’s everything you need to know about the new head honcho at the Nou Camp.Playing careerQuique Setien had a more modest footballing career in comparison to some of Barcelona’s past coaches. Fair enough, really - since he’s competing with Cruyff and Rijkaard on that front...
N'Golo Kanté, Eric Cantona, Arsene Wenger: Britain owes its cousins over the channel for some of the Premier League's finest.Ligue 1 has a somewhat quiet reputation in Britain but it's still churned out some of football's biggest ever characters. The question is, how much do you know about its history?We've listed every single champion of Ligue 1 of the professional era - that's going back to the 1932/33 season (ask your grandad).You have eight minutes to list every title winner. Remember to tweet us @FourFourTwo with your scores - bonne chance, tout le monde!THEN TRYQuiz! Can you name the 50 highest foreign goalscorers in Premier League history? While you're here, why not take advantage of our brilliant subscribers' offer? Get...