Jose Mourinho divides opinion. He’s won European titles, multiple Premier Leagues, Primeira Ligas, Scudetto, and a La Liga in an honours list that boasts 19 major trophies in as many years in management. But his self-confidence, temperament, and philosophy have brought detractors. It’s nearly a decade since he won the Champions League and five years since he won the league, bringing questions over whether the 57-year-old is now a manager past his prime. He is one of only five managers to...

This is a special episode, celebrating two British footballing greats. Neither ever kicked a ball, or managed a team. But together they soundtracked the sport for a grateful nation for over 50 years. We sat down with commentary legends Barry Davies and John Motson to discuss a broadcasting rivalry older than most Premier League coaches. Read the full interview here: fourfourtwo.com/features/john-motson-barry-davies-interview-podcast-commentary-rivalry-motd-world-cup-euro-96 Buy the Euro...

Paul Gascoigne and Gareth Southgate are both integral to the story of Euro 96 in very different ways. They were at different parts of their career, were different kinds of players, and had deeply contrasting personalities. One scored the goal that encapsulated how England fans felt during the tournament, the other missed the penalty that sent the Three Lions out. Conor Pope, Si Hawkins, Gary Parkinson and Chris Flanagan discuss Gazza and Gaz. Buy the Euro 96...

Euro 96 took place in a different world. It was a time closer to the three-day week, the Vietnam War and the eradication of smallpox than the present day. English football had welcomed the start of the Premier League only four years earlier, but had endured embarrassment at Euro 92 and absence from USA 94. Despite that, the tournament captured the national imagination and came to sum up a moment in both our footballing and cultural history. Conor Pope is joined by Gary Parkinson, James...

It’s very simple. We’re here to discuss the 100 best players in the world. We’ve decamped to the pub for this episode. The reasons we’ve done this are simple: It’s the end of the year, and we felt like it.  Joining Conor Pope to go through the #FFT100 are editor James Andrew and staff writer Chris Flanagan. Read the FFT100 here: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/best-football-players-world-2019-100-footballers-soccer-list-full Buy the end of year mag:...

Let’s talk about facts, baby. Rafa Benitez is the cover star on the latest issue of FourFourTwo magazine, talking about Mike Ashley, Mourinho, and the Miracle of Istanbul. He’s currently managing Dalian Yafing out in China, although still has a family home in Merseyside, where we caught up with him for this interview. Will he end up back in the Premier League soon? I’m Conor Pope, and I discuss the kind of clubs he might end up at with our very own Chris Flanagan. We also look at...

On August 7th, 2019, the leader of Lazio’s ultras, the Irriducibili, was shot dead. He was assassinated in broad daylight, in a park in Rome. A few weeks later, Lazio played their fierce rivals Roma. Andy Mitten decided to attend the match – with the Lazio ultras. He’s written up the experience in the current issue of FourFourTwo – and here, he takes us behind the story. Buy the magazine...

In 1969, a series of World Cup qualifiers between Honduras and El Salvador played part in triggering a conflict that claimed thousands of lives. This episode looks at how the war began, and the role the beutiful game played in ugly combat. This story first appeared in FourFourTwo magazine's Autumn 2019 issue, which you can buy here: https://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/outdoor-and-leisure/fourfourtwo-magazine-back-issues/fourfourtwo-autumn-2019/ You can also subscribe to the magazine...

It’s a pretty big rivalry – you might have heard of it. They call it El Clasico. Right now, the two sides are facing a crisis, in their own way: neither side won the Champions League last season for the first time in six years. So how do they get back on top in Europe? Conor Pope talks to Andy Murray, who has written a blueprint for success for Barca and Real in the new issue of FourFourTwo. There is no Clasico match this weekend, even though there should be. Colin Millar, author of the...

Adoration doesn’t come along easily. No one knows that better than Raheem Sterling. Vilified and criticised, there was a time when, despite being the most exciting young English talent in a generation, he was also one of the most unpopular footballers in the country. Those days are behind him now. Not only has he progressed on the pitch to become one of the best players in the world, he has spoken out on social issues, including press ethics and racism, to become one of the game’s most...

Glenn Hoddle: player, player/manager, manager, pundit, pop star. The former playmaker was one of the most talented footballers of his generation – but his style of play always felt unsuited to the English game of the 1980s and, while appreciated for his technical ability, he perhaps was not as lauded or as influential as he could have been. As a manager, he took a continental approach to Swindon Town, leading them to promotion to the Premier League, and guided Chelsea to an FA Cup final...

Jurgen Klopp is a Champions League winner, a footballing philosopher, and now FIFA Manager of the Year 2019. But how did he become one of the greatest managers in the world? And how did he turn Liverpool into one of the great footballing sides? In the new issue of FourFourTwo we have an in-depth interview with Klopp by comedian John Bishop. The interview is an extract from a new book, A Game of Two Halves, where famous names from across the arts, media and politics interview their...

We’ve revealed FourFourTwo’s ranking of the 101 best players in the Premier League right now. https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/best-players-premier-league-virgil-van-dijk-raheem-sterling-mo-salah-harry-kane Don’t worry: Conor Pope, Chris Flanagan, Joe Brewin and Hunter Godson don’t have time to discuss every single name on the list. Instead, they pick out their favourites, what themes emerge among the league’s best – and, of course, the battle for top spot. For information regarding...

They called him ‘Il Fenomeno’. In August 1997, Ronaldo was 20 years old. He’d just broken the world transfer record for the second time in a year, leaving Barcelona for Serie A with Inter Milan, and was on his way to winning that year’s Ballon d’Or.  Over the next five years, he’d add a UEFA Cup and World Cup to his trophy collection, establishing himself as one of the greatest ever to play the game. But was his time at Inter a success? A feature in the current FourFourTwo examines his...

In five years as manager, Mauricio Pochettino has taken Tottenham Hotspur from seventh in the Premier League to the final of the Champions League. From a club that were once synonymous with mediocrity, they have become a staple of Europe’s elite competition. Poch has become the longest serving manager at the club in over 30 years, and has managed to oversee this transformation without spending big – with finances instead being invested in a state-of-the-art new stadium. So how has he...

Two teams, six miles apart, 279 years of history between them: one saved, and one condemned. In this episode, Conor Pope discusses Bury’s expulsion from the Football League with Bury fan Tom Pickup, Bolton Wanderers’ reprieve with FourFourTwo staff writer Chris Flanagan, and the wider context of this issue – as well as what other clubs could be at risk – with football finance expert Kieran Maguire.Gary Parkinson: What English football can learn from the disasters of Bolton and Bury – so...

On Saturday, 26th April, 1986, Stroitel Pripyat prepared to take on FC Borodyanka in a cup semi-final in northern Ukraine; the first game in their new stadium. The game did not go ahead. The stadium would never be used. Adapted from an article in the latest issue of FourFourTwo magazine, in this podcast Grant Fulton tells the story of the footballers who had the flee the fallout of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, those who bravely helped in the aftermath – and the football club that...

FFT editor in chief James Brown is joined by writer and Arsenal blogger Tim Stillman and Bolton’s number one media player Chris Flanagan. They cover this week’s major talking points from the world of football including the England women’s semi-final against the USA, the continuing saga of VAR and Frank Lampard’s appointment as Chelsea manager. They examine what Arsenal need to do to achieve success, James shares some of his pre-match superstitions and Kevin Philips gets to the bottom of...

FFT editor in chief James Brown is joined by writer Hunter Godson and sports documentary maker and producer Tony Pastor. James reveals how the release of the fixtures for the new season only reminded him how raw the wounds still are from the last one and Hunter deliberates on what’s next for Rafa Benitez. Plus we speak to Tony about his career behind the camera and hear how his ground breaking documentary “Keane and Vieira – Best of Enemies” came into existence. He also reveals who are the...

FFT Editor In Chief James Brown is joined by features writer Chris Flanagan and one of the most respected football writers and authors in the country, Patrick Barclay. The topics of conversation include the cartoon sportsmen of childhood, what’s next for Frank Lampard and the latest VAR controversies. We speak to Paddy about his long and distinguished career as a football writer, the managers he’s written about and what it was like to watch Diego Maradona play at Napoli. Plus, in a FFT...

FFT editor in chief James Brown is joined by features writer Chris Flanagan and former Sheffield United, QPR and Crystal Palace midfielder Shaun Derry. Shaun shares tales of what the summer months mean if you’re a footballer, the job insecurity that comes with this time of year and the players who over indulge ahead of pre-season training. He also tells us what the coaching courses don’t prepare you for when you become a manager and pays tribute to former team-mate and close friend Justin...

FFT Editor In Chief James Brown is joined by writers James Maw, Hunter Godson and Tony Evans as they relive their trip to Madrid for the Champions League Final in a camper van. If the final was short on incident then the journey itself certainly wasn’t.   Tony reveals what Graeme Souness told him what they did with winners medals in his day and what the reaction in the Liverpool ranks was when Harry Kane was included in the Spurs side. They also preview the Women’s World Cup, examine...

FFT editor in chief James Brown is joined by contributor Barney Hoskyns and features writer Chris Flanagan. They dissect the magazine’s list of the best 101 players from the past twenty five years and look at some of the reader’s suggestions for the worst. Both Barney and Chris pick their favourites from list as well as discussing who missed out. Chelsea fan Barney reflects upon their victory in Europe and Chris questions whether it has actually been a successful season for the blues. In...

In this edition of the FFT podcast editor- in-chief James Brown is joined by football writer and die hard Liverpool fan Tony Evans and Spurs-supporting deputy editor of the magazine James Maw. They reflect upon a monumental week for English clubs in Europe, question what delights Baku has to offer Arsenal and Chelsea fans and why it's never good to see your footballing rivals show weakness. The 25th anniversary edition of FourFourTwo is out now and features a countdown of the 101 best...