There’s been a lot of talk about how far women’s football in Spain has evolved, and how much further it still needs to go. On one hand, there’s been a World Cup title, bigger crowds, and more coverage than before. On the other, progress has been slow, with recognition often lagging behind the level of talent on the pitch.

In recent years, we’ve seen Barcelona dominate Europe and Real Madrid trying to play catch-up on the domestic stage, but it wasn’t always this way. Before the spotlight swung towards the heavyweights, there were other clubs carrying the women’s game forward in Spain.

That’s why I keep coming back to Levante. In the 2000s, they were one of Spain’s strongest women’s teams. They were consistently competing, producing talent, and lifting trophies. From 2000–2008, they claimed ten titles, cementing their place in Spanish women’s football history. Yet, their story has slipped out of focus in an era obsessed with Barça’s rise.

Despite a disappointing 2024/25 campaign which saw the finish in 12th place, up to that point Levante have still always been pushing to be in the top three. They are known as a club with an eye for young players and a knack for giving them the platform to grow. Their influence may not be shouted about, but it runs deep in the story of Spanish women’s football.

Where it began…

The story begins in 1993, with a team called San Vicente CFF. Incredibly, the Alicante side won the league in their very first top-flight season in 1996/97. Two years later, the club was absorbed by Levante and their brief but brilliant success was to become the foundation for what came next.

When Levante officially absorbed San Vicente CFF in the summer of 1998, they weren’t just acquiring a team. This was the beginning of an era that would define Spanish women’s football for the next decade. Levante became a proving ground for countless future stars, quietly building a legacy that’s too often overlooked today.

The Golden Decade

Between 2000 and 2008, Levante were almost unstoppable, they won three league titles, six Copa de la Reina titles and a Supercopa de Femenina. These are numbers that even now, make them one of Spain’s most successful teams.

This was essentially Barcelona before Barcelona knew what they wanted to be. This was Real Madrid twenty years before they’d even think about investing in women’s football. Levante made history in 2001/02 as Spain’s representatives in the inaugural UEFA Women’s Cup (now UEFA Women’s Champions League). They didn’t progress far, eliminated at the group stage, but sometimes being present and showing up is enough, they were there right at the start of European women’s football as we know it today.

The Roll Call

What is particularly impressive about Levante is the names that have donned the shirt. If you walk through any major women’s football club today and you’ll find ghosts of Levante everywhere. The roll call reads like a who’s who of Spanish women’s football, but these players weren’t superstars when they arrived. In some cases, they were teenagers with potential, raw talents who needed guidance and opportunity.

Take Ruth García, who joined Levante as a 17 year old back in 2004, she progressed to become an important part of the team which won the Copa de la Reina in 2005 and 2007. She wasn’t the finished article when she arrived; she was a young defender learning her craft. Following success at Levante, she went on to captain Barcelona, but it was at the Valencian club where she honed her skills.

On the flip side, there’s current National Team coach, Sonia Bermúdez. She ended her career at 35 after two final seasons at Levante, having won nine league titles and four Copas de la Reina in total. More recently, Ona Battle passed through these corridors too, before heading to English shores with Manchester United and then returning to Barça.

Of course, we have to mention Alexia Putellas. At just 17, she scored 15 goals in 34 matches during the 2011/12 season, finishing as Levante’s top scorer. She moved to Barcelona the following year, still only 18, where she became a first team regular, played in the team’s Champions League debut and became a multiple title winner and two-time Ballon D’or winner. Looking back, that single season with Las Granotas feels pivotal. Alexia was surrounded by vastly experienced teammates, which provided her with the perfect environment to sharpen her game before stepping onto the biggest stage.

The Inevitable Eclipse

In the 2010s, things changed. Money talks, and Barcelona had started listening. The likes of Ruth Garcia and Alexia departed as the Catalans poured resources into their women’s team, creating a professional structure that smaller clubs couldn’t match. Plus, Atlético Madrid were always on vying for the title and of course offered the lure European football. Yet despite these setbacks, Levante held firm. Even as they lost key players, they remained admirably consistent, finishing fourth or fifth across much of the decade.

Then, in the 2020s, Real Madrid entered the women’s game with greater resources and global ambition. For Las Blancas, Levante quickly became something of a recruitment ground. They first moved for Marta Corredera and Ivana Andrés, before returning a year later to secure the likes of Rocío Gálvez and Esther González. In recent seasons, that pipeline hasn’t slowed. In the summer of 2024 they tempted Levante fan-favourite Alba Redondo to the capital after her impressive five-year stint with Las Granotas, a period that included her Pichichi-winning campaign in 2022/23.

Redondo’s goals inspired the club to an impressive third-place finish in Liga F that season. For a moment, it felt like a resurgence was on the cards. However, the momentum proved hard to sustain. The following year Levante slipped back to fourth, and in 2024/25 the drop was even sharper, as they stumbled to a disappointing 12th place, perhaps a reminder of just how fragile progress can be in the modern women’s game.

Why This Still Matters

All success stories have starting points, and Levante’s role is one of the most important in Spanish football. Barcelona’s current dominance didn’t appear from nowhere, and Spain’s World Cup win wasn’t built overnight. Levante gave so many players the opportunity to shine. They were once (and arguably still are), a proving ground for talents who would shape the national game.

Levante may no longer be competing for titles in the way they once did, but their role in shaping Spanish women’s football is undeniable. From inheriting San Vicente’s spark to developing players who went on to define an era, their story isn’t one of dominance or headlines. This is a club that has been overshadowed in recent years, yet has always been there, quietly shaping the landscape. Levante’s influence may be a lot quieter now, but we can still see it in the players and pathways they helped create.

“Marseille isn’t a city for tourists. There’s nothing to see. Its beauty cannot be photographed, it can only be shared” - Jean-Claude Izzo.

Prologue

A few months ago, I asked my good friend, Ismaila, if he had any book recommendations for me. To me, reading is something special. The nature of my work means I spend a lot of time looking at a screen so there’s something rather sacred about shutting down my laptop, putting my phone to one side and picking up a book of an evening. I’m often in awe of how a good book can completely transport you and the vivid imagery plays out almost like a movie inside your own head.

Isma suggested I try Jean-Claude Izzo’s Marseille trilogy, a series of books he read long ago that resonated with him. I absolutely loved them, they are a stunning set of books I would recommend to anyone.

Honestly, I won’t even try to explain the plot of each book because that would take me too long and this is most definitely a football-centred publication. I will keep it brief essentially ‘The Marseille trilogy’ consists of three books; Total Chaos, Chourmo and Solea. At the epicentre, we find Fabio Montale, a cop in the first book, turned private investigator in the last two. We follow Fabio as he navigates the murky waters of Marseille's criminal underworld where the distinction between hero and villain becomes increasingly elusive.

Whilst the storyline was captivating, what I truly loved about them though, is Jean-Claude Izzo’s ability to take us on a mesmerising journey, right into the heart of France's most rebellious and enigmatic city.

Marseille is more than just a setting though; it's a character in its own right. Izzo’s lyrical prose describes a city pulsating with life and modernity while its ancient history is present on every street corner. From the vibrant markets of Le Panier to the rugged cliffs of Les Calanques, Izzo truly paints a vivid portrait of a city that is as beautiful as it is brutal.

Music plays a key role in Izzo’s writing - the books are named after songs. Total Chaos is a rap song by IAM, a group hailing from Marseille. Chourmo is a Provençal word derived from “chiourme”, meaning the rowers in a galley, it’s used like “We’re all screwed so, we’re in this together!” - It is also a song by Massilia Sound System, another group hailing from Marseille while Solea is a piece by the jazz legend, Miles Davis.

The city is steeped in history. The port situated on the Mediterranean Sea is France’s oldest city, founded in 600 BCE. When a group of Greek settlers from Phocaea, (a city nestled along the coast of modern-day Turkey), decided to embark on a journey westward. They landed on these shores and founded the city of "Massilia", laying the foundations for what would become a melting pot of cultures and civilizations for centuries to come.

At the heart of the city is Olympique Marseille, often considered France’s wildest club. It’s not always the case that a football club is a true reflection of its city but with Marseille, that has never been truer. The Marseillais are fiercely proud, loyal to the core and some of the craziest fans in Europe. The best way to summarise it is through the quote below, from French football writer Philippe Auclair.

“A Marseillais is a Frenchman, true. But France will always come a distant second in the loyalty stakes.” - Philippe Auclair (2015)

It’s pretty well documented just how much power the Marseille Ultras weald over the running of their football club which often makes it a daunting prospect for any incoming manager.

The OM ultras have endured a tumultuous relationship with the ownership and hierarchy. When they disagree with a decision, they make sure their voices are heard, making Marseille a difficult place for managers to impart their tactical ideas onto the team.

This piece will walk us through the 2023/24 campaign and showcase the tactics of each manager. The thing with OM though, it’s never just about the club. The city and the people are all part of it and that’s why I feel Izzo’s writing is the ideal vehicle to carry us through this article.

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Part One: Marcelino - Total Chaos

At the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Igor Tudor resigned from his managerial post saying “A season here is worth two or three seasons in another club”. Sporting Director Pablo Longoria who is in charge of all things financial and football turned to Marcelino as the man to lead OM in the 2023/24 season.

I wasn’t sure about the Spaniard’s appointment given the other names linked with the job, personally, I thought Marcelo Gallardo would have been the ideal candidate in terms of tactical identity and temperament.

Whilst not entirely sold on the choice of manager, I did write a magazine piece around Pablo Longoria’s transfer decisions at the club and I firmly believed that this could be Marseille’s year in terms of challenging at the top of Ligue 1. Here is what I wrote in my conclusion:

Looking at the 2023/24 season, Longoria has put together a squad with a great mix of youth and experience. It appears that his previous decisions have allowed Marseille to reach a point where they could mount a viable challenge for the Ligue 1 title. 

Although Longoria hasn’t always been a popular figure amongst Marseille fans, and plenty of managers have questioned his decisions, if OM are able to secure a title, he will have certainly played a considerable part. - Myself in the TFA September 2023 Magazine

“Beautiful days only exist in the early morning. I should have remembered that. Dawns are only the illusion of the beauty of the world. When the world opens their eyes, reality takes over.” - Jean-Claude Izzo.

In the words of Jean-Claude, perhaps my belief that this season would be different for OM was an illusion and when the campaign got underway, reality kicked in.

Marcelino arrived during the summer, seeing 11 players join the club and 16 depart. In came the likes of Renan Lodi (who then left six months later), boyhood OM fan Iliman Ndiaye, and Pierre-Emerick Abameyang looking to restart his career after a tough time the season prior at Barcelona and Chelsea.

Meanwhile, ever-present midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi left the club for pastures new, this one came as quite a surprise considering how important he had been to OM since joining from Arsenal.

Despite a terrible start which saw Marseille lose in the Champions League Play Off to Panathinaikos, results for the former Valencia manager were by no means terrible in his first few games at Stade Vélodrome. After five games OM were still unbeaten and sitting fourth in Ligue 1. Not too bad, right?

Fans were not happy.

The OM fans are often involved in conversations with the club’s management and hierarchy. A meeting that took place in mid-September turned sour when fan groups took the opportunity to complain much more aggressively than usual about the state of results, style of play and departures of fan favourites such as the aforementioned Guendouzi, Dimitri Payet, Steve Mandanda, and Alexis Sánchez.

Fan groups demanded the resignations of the executives in charge at the club - that’s Pablo Longoria, Javier Ribalta, Stéphane Tissier and Pedro Iriondo.

Furthermore, Marcelino’s brand of football was another item on the agenda. Fans were frustrated with his favoured 4-4-2 and rather ‘safe’ style of play.

While OM did sit in fourth place after five games, their results had been less than desirable as they had laboured to draw against Metz, Nantes and Toulouse, three of the league’s weakest sides. “We don’t see the ball. We’re ashamed. You don’t respect us,” were the arguments put forward by the fans.

Here, we can see OM against Metz, the fourth game of Marcelino’s tenure. As we know out of possession, the team adopted a 4-4-2 shape, this is the system the Spaniard has used at a number of his previous clubs but perhaps Marseille is the team where it didn’t work.

Well, in fairness to the coach, he didn’t really have time to fully implement his ideas as the squad was ever-changing with players coming and going right until the end of the transfer window.

During Marcelino’s time at Athletic Club, they were synonymous with an intense high-pressing system out of possession. Upon losing possession, the Basque team would immediately adopt a high-block press in the attacking third. This resulted in them applying 43.8 pressures in the final third on average per 90, making them one of the most intense pressing teams in La Liga during the 22/23 season.

This was the intended blueprint for Marseille which never came to fruition due to his unexpected departure.

OM were less than well-drilled in Marcelino’s defensive structure which led to huge gaps opening up for the opposition to exploit. We can see here that Metz had the opportunity to play straight through the middle of OM’s out-of-possession shape.

Moreover, during Marcelino’s short tenure, OM made 107 high regains in total which given his preference for an intense pressing system, remains quite low suggesting the squad had not fully adapted to his desired playing style.

In the build-up phase, OM adopted a 2-3-5 structure which is pretty common as it allows the team in possession to build up through the thirds while pinning the opposition back, as we can see here.

Furthermore, in this example, we can see how Marseille’s buildup shape often facilitated opportunities for defenders or midfielders to play passes over the top as the two forwards occupied the opposition defenders leaving space for runs in behind from inverted wingers or central midfielders.

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Additionally, Marcelino’s tactics at OM heavily favoured right-side overloads as shown in these examples. In the Metz game, whilst the fans were understandably not happy with the outcome, there were some nice rotations down the right flank involving Jonathan Clauss, Ismaïla Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye. The trio moved the ball efficiently between them and drew the opposition out of their shape to create space in central areas.

It was a similar story against Nantes, as seen in the example above. Clauss made the forward run in between the centre-back and fullback whilst Sarr stayed wider and had the opportunity to play the ball in behind to Clauss. Plus, space opened up for midfield runners to get into the box in anticipation of a cross being played in.

The glaring issue of the team’s play under Marcelino was of course that they only netted 12 goals from xG of 18.39 - a significant underperformance. Of course, there were many issues throughout the Spaniard’s time in Marseille, the struggle to hit the back of the net had a big impact.

With fans voicing their displeasure at the results and the style of play rather loudly and in some cases, rather forcefully Marcelino walked away from Stade Vélodrome on 20th September leaving the club in Total Chaos.

Part Two: Gennaro Gattuso - Chourmo

It rained, eventually. A violent storm, and brief too. Furious, even, as Marseille has them in the summer sometimes. - Jean-Claude Izzo.

Jean-Claude’s words could be classed as something of a prophecy for what was to come at Stade Vélodrome. Following Marcelino’s departure, the club turned to the notoriously firey Gennaro Gattuso.

Although the former A.C. Milan midfielder had already held managerial positions at nine clubs since 2013 before accepting the role at OM, however, his sole managerial honour to date is winning the 2019/20 Coppa Italia with Napoli.

It’s safe to say that things did not go to plan, Gattuso didn’t bring the strong and impactful leadership the board was hoping for. Instead, his time at OM was rather hit-and-miss, well… mostly ‘miss’ if we’re being honest. The Italian was statistically Marseille’s worst manager in a decade, amassing 21 points from 15 league games.

However, it is important to point out that Rudi Garcia only fared slightly better, picking up 24 points in his first 15 games and he was in post from 2016 until 2019. So it’s not as though Gattuso’s early performance as OM manager was woefully worse than some of his predecessors.

Tactically speaking, there was a fair bit of rotation in Gattuso’s approach, something which will of course have been influenced by the loss of several players to AFCON at the beginning of 2024.

He mostly opted for a 4-2-3-1 system at the beginning of his tenure, then a 4-3-3 and towards the end, OM were lining up in a 3-5-2 formation.

Here, Marseille lined up in a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 system against Lens. We can see how the right-winger, Ismaïla Sarr dropped in to form a box midfield during the build-up, whilst Jonathan Clauss propelled himself forward from right back.

This did enhance the team's ability to control possession by creating numerical superiority in midfield, OM could look to build attacks from deep, thereby maintaining sustained pressure on the opposition.

Furthermore, the overlapping Jonathan Clauss provided width, stretching the opposition's defensive shape and creating space for Sarr and other central attackers to exploit. This, of course, created opportunities for the full-back to deliver crosses into the box or cut inside to provide an additional passing option.

Under Gattuso’s instructions, the majority of OM’s build-up play centred around utilising Clauss’s attacking tendencies.

This approach did cause some problems, especially when faced with an intense press from the opposition as shown above. Due to Clauss being so high up the pitch, it meant that OM lost a viable passing option when looking to play out of defence.

In this instance, due to a lack of options, the central defender had no other choice but to hit a long hopeful ball which resulted in a turnover and meant OM had to transition back into their defensive shape immediately.

Despite some initial promise, Marseille and Gattuso never seemed to click and five months after his appointment, the Italian departed the club.

"We've hit rock bottom. When you hit rock bottom, you have to take responsibility. It's my responsibility. There is nothing else to say. The table? The truth is that we're going to have to start looking behind us. We can no longer speak about Europe. We just need to take the necessary points to be calm in the standings."

Marseille found themselves ninth in the standings after 22 matches and were trailing leaders PSG by 23 points when Gattuso left the club.

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Part Three: Jean-Louis Gasset - Solea

In which the love we share with a city is often a secret love. From the sky to the sea, it was an endless variety of blues. For the tourist, the one who comes from the North, the East or the West, blue is always blue. It’s only afterwards, if you take the time to observe the sky, the sea, to caress the landscape with your eyes, that you’ll discover the grey blues, the black blues, the ultramarine blues, the pepper blues, the lavender blues. - Jean-Claude Izzo.

We know how much the people of Marseille love their city and their club and it finally appears that their voices have been heard, albeit resulting in an unexpected appointment.

To steady the ship once more, the club turned to 70-year-old Jean-Louis Gasset and what a good decision that has proven to be. While OM and Gattuso didn’t click, the former Montpellier manager has brought all his experience and man-management skills to Stade Vélodrome and by all accounts, players and fans are very happy with his approach.

Gasset has brought the attacking football that OM fans have been crying out for all season. In his first five games in charge, the team netted 18 times and conceded only three! A far cry from when they were struggling to score under Marcelino.

Tactically, Gasset has kept it pretty straightforward, the team lines up mostly in a 4-3-3 pr 4-2-3-1 system that adopts a 4-4-2 shape in the defensive phase as we can see here. They do press but are very strategic with it, rather than putting the opponent under intense pressure, OM often let them build out and then put pressure on when the opposition is looking to play into midfield.

Gasset wants his team to maintain a compact defensive shape in the middle of the pitch, making it difficult for opponents to penetrate through the central areas which was a huge problem under Marcelino and to a lesser extent under Gattuso.

The two banks of four provide a solid defensive structure, with the midfielders and forwards working in tandem to close down passing lanes, apply pressure on the ball, and force turnovers in midfield. This coordinated defensive effort makes it challenging for the opposition to build sustained attacks and increases the likelihood of regaining possession in advanced areas of the pitch.

OM looks rejuvenated in attack thanks to the freedom Gasset allows. We can see here, that they look to make use of Jonathan Clauss’ crossing abilities but look how many players are clamouring to get into the box. The right-back has five players to aim for on this occasion.

This confidence is permeating throughout the entire team. We can see here when OM are on the attack, they now look to commit men forward and pin their opponents back, consistently looking to sustain the attack.

Furthermore, Pierre-Emrick Aubameyang has been reborn since Gasset’s arrival. He had shown glimpses of his ability for Marseille in the Europa League but only netted twice in the league before December. Auba had a brief burst of something resembling good form in the month leading up to Christmas, netting four more times but it soon faded out as OM went on a six-match winless run.

Under Gasset, though, Aubameyang found his form, scoring eight goals in the 70-year-old’s first six games at the helm. Highly impressed with the veteran striker’s newfound form, Gasset stated:

“He’s the player. In any team, you have the player. You play him where he loves to be and then you build the team around him. He scores goals and drops back to work if he must, and even shows a measure of generosity.”

Aubameyang has become the focal point for this Marseille team, having netted 24 goals in all competitions so far (11 in Ligue 1) and already recorded a career-high nine assists. The former Arsenal striker is back to his best, with Gasset’s leadership having the desired impact.

With six league games to go, OM are only five points off the European places so it’s not entirely unthinkable that they won’t mount a very late charge (probably quite unlikely though).

Buy me a coffee

Izzo commented that “Marseille isn’t a city for tourists” and in many respects, he has been proven right by the revolving door of managers this season. Marcelino’s way infuriated the fans and resulted in him walking away a few weeks into the season and Gattuso couldn’t cope with the pressure cooker of the Stade Vélodrome.

It wasn’t until the relaxed approach of veteran Frenchman Jean-Louis Gasset that OM found their managerial match.

Perhaps it is the 70-year-old’s laid-back approach that not only allows his players to express themselves but also filters out to the intense atmosphere in the stands.

It’s impossible to predict what will happen when the season is over, will Gasset be at Stade Vélodorme next season? Who knows. OM is a law unto itself with the decision-making as we have seen throughout the current campaign. One thing is for certain though, it will not be easy and it will probably be one hell of a ride (again).

Marseille, a city and a football club like no other and it’s a match made in heaven.

If you enjoy my work, you can subscribe with the link below - pieces can often take a lot of time, so any support allows me to put even more time into my work.

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When we think of incredible football teams, the mind immediately wanders to the likes of Brazil in 1970, West Germany in 1974 or more recently Manchester United’s 1999 Treble winners, Arsenal’s Invincibles or the Spain team of 2008–2012. What about the Wunderteam? It could be argued that the icons of Austrian football tend to get overlooked when we talk about the great teams of the past.

The Wunderteam is the name given to Hugo Meisl’s Austria team of the 1930s who became renowned for the quick passing style of play that was made famous in Scotland and then introduced to Europe by Jimmy Hogan (there’s probably an argument in there that the real ‘home’ of football is Scotland). Hogan — an Englishman, was born in 1882 in Lancashire he was considered a talented player and had an 11-year playing career with the likes of Burnley, Fulham, and Bolton Wanderers. It is Hogan’s venture into coaching that is most interesting as without Jimmy Hogan, the Wunderteam wouldn’t have existed. His first managerial role was at Dordrecht in The Netherlands where he set about implementing the combination game (the passing game as we know it today).

After a single-game stint in charge of the Netherlands National Team, Hogan landed the Austria Wien job in 1911–1912, his successor would be none other than Hugo Meisl. It was thanks to Meisl that a league system was established in Austria in the 1920s. He began working for the Austrian FA as an administrator and then became the first team manager in time for the 1912 Olympic Games, the biggest competition in international football at the time. After a disappointing 1–1 draw with Hungary in the lead-up to the Olympics, Meisl was so disconcerted by his team’s performance that he asked the referee how they could improve. That referee happened to be James Howcroft, and he recommended that Meisl should employ a professional coach to improve the preparation of the team. His recommendation? His friend, Jimmy Hogan.

The outbreak of WW1 meant Hogan was interned as a foreign prisoner of war, but he was smuggled to the Hungarian border and ended up in Budapest. He took charge of MTK and laid the foundations for them to go on to dominate Hungarian football by winning 10 league titles in a row. Hugo Meisl remained as Austrian National Team manager and oversaw their rise to prominence in the 1920s and 30s. It was around this time that coffee houses in Vienna and Budapest became hubs of football analysis, and intellectual conversations between like-minded individuals about football tactics became the norm. Football teams themselves would often end up in Coffee Houses after a game to dissect what had happened on the pitch.

The Wunderteam:

During the late 1920s/early 30s the Wunderteam era was in full effect. The quick passing style that Meisl had implemented saw Austria become a very celebrated team during this period. The team went on a fourteen-match unbeaten run between April 1931 and December 1932, this saw them crowned winners of the Central European International Cup (what we know as the European Championship now) beating Italy 4–2 in the final.

Leading up to the 1934 World Cup in Italy the Wunderteam recorded huge wins over their opponents, including 5–0 and 6–0 victories over Germany. Going into the tournament they were considered the favourites to win. The Austrian way of playing became known as the ‘Danubian Whirl’ with the five forward players constantly interchanging positions and the team using quick passing to bypass their opponents.

The 1934 World Cup was sadly not meant to be, after knocking out big rivals Hungary in the quarter-finals, a meeting with Italy was set up for the semi-final. Bad weather limited Austria’s ability to play their lauded passing game, Italy scored the only goal of the game when the Austrian goalkeeper was pushed over the line! As you can imagine the referee faced intense criticism for bias towards the hosts, he then refereed the final, which Italy won. Austria faced Germany in the third-place playoff and suffered a 3–2 defeat. This Austrian team went down in history as one of the best footballing teams that failed to win the World Cup. The 1936 Olympic Games gold medal match offered a rematch of the World Cup final, yet again a single goal would separate the teams with Italy victorious. Meisl’s death in 1937 was really the beginning of the end for the Wunderteam, they did go on to qualify for the 1938 World Cup but withdrew after the Anschluss to Nazi Germany.

Player Focus: Matthias Sindelar

Name: Matthias Sindelar

D.O.B: 10 February 1903

Position: Centre Forward

Club: Austria Wien; 312 apps, 240 goals

National Team: 43 apps, 26 goals

Known as ‘The Mozart of Football’ or ‘The Paper Man’ (due to his slight frame) Sindelar is considered one of the greatest Austrian players of all time. By the age of 15 he was already considered an excellent finisher, he used his slight physique to quickly dodge his opponents and get through the defence. After undergoing surgery on his knee in 1923 he signed with Austria Wien where he went on to win one Austrian Championship (1926), five Austrian Cups (1925, 1926, 1933, 1935, 1936) and two Mitropa Cups (1933, 1936).

After the 1938 Anschluss, the Nazi regime organised a friendly match between Germany and Austria. The prearranged plan was for the game to end in a 0–0 draw as the Austrians had been informed not to score against the Germans. Sindelar had other ideas, he not only scored a goal, but he also celebrated by mocking the Nazi officials and showing his love for Austria. Although infuriated, the regime acknowledged the prolific striker was an incredibly talented player and consistently requested him to play for the Third Reich, Matthias Sindelar refused every time, citing old age (35) or injury as his excuse.

On 23rd January 1939, the Austrian and his girlfriend Camilla were found dead in their Vienna apartment. The official cause of death is stated as carbon monoxide poisoning however many claims are disputing this, it has been suggested he was in fact killed due to his opposition to the Anschluss as the Gestapo had a file on him and the cafe he owned was under surveillance. An investigation was opened and quickly shut down, there has been a mysteriousness surrounding his death ever since. Sindelar was (and still is) the greatest footballer Austria has ever seen, fiercely loyal to club and country he will always be respected and remembered for his incredible abilities on the pitch and for standing up for his beliefs off the pitch.

Originally posted on Medium

Founded in 1919 (now known as Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire), the club based in the Rhone-Alps region is the joint record holder of the number of Ligue 1 titles. Les Verts have won ten titles, a number which Qatari-backed PSG overtook with their 11th league title last season.  

The football club was founded by employees of a grocery store chain called Groupe Casino; the choice of their famous green kits was due to it being the primary colour of the aforementioned grocery store. Upon football becoming professional in France, in 1933 the club changed its name to AS St Etienne or ASSE as it is commonly known and was inserted into the second tier of French football. They gained promotion to the first division during the 1938-39 season under the stewardship of Englishman Teddy Duckworth. 

Moving forward in the timeline, between the years 1956 and 1981 Les Verts secured their place in the history of French football by winning ten league titles, a record that has only just been equalled by PSG. The first of these titles came in the 1956-57 season when St. Etienne finished four points ahead of Lens. The next title was secured in the 1963-64 campaign, and then a period of domestic dominance ensued as the club won the Ligue 1 title on four consecutive occasions from 1966-67 to 1969-70. After a three-year drought, the club had another burst of success as another three consecutive titles were won from 1973-1976.

In 1976 Les Stephanois also reached the final of the European Cup where they faced Bayern Munich, who were chasing their third European Cup win, at Hampden Park. The French Champions were narrowly defeated 1-0. The game began with Gerd Muller going on an incredible solo run after winning the ball back in his own half and finding the back of the net, the goal however was ruled out for offside.

Les Verts could breathe easy for a while, they had plenty of chances to score but ultimately failed to do so after hitting the woodwork on multiple occasions. In the 57th minute, Bayern broke the deadlock as captain Franz Beckenbauer played a short free kick to Franz ‘Bulle’ Roth who found the back of the net. 

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In 1981 the club won its final league title to date as captain Michel Platini lifted the Ligue 1 trophy. What immediately followed can only be described as a downward trajectory of epic proportions. The year after their final league title win saw long-time president Roger Rocher jailed for his role in a financial scandal. Unsurprisingly the club suffered relegation to Ligue 2 in 1984.

The club returned to the top flight in 1986, where they would retain their status there for a decade despite the ongoing financial insecurities. In 1996, the club was relegated back to the second tier and bounced back to Ligue 1 in 1999. The following year there was yet another scandal as two players were found to be using fake passports – after an investigation that showed some staff members were involved in the acquisition of the forged documents, the club was docked seven points and relegated.

Following another three seasons in Ligue 2, St Etienne once again returned to the topflight for the 2004/05 campaign. They arrived back in the top division with a new philosophy to which the club’s investment in youth was central. The 04/05 squad consisted of a core group of players who had either emerged through the academy (Bafetimbi Gomis and Loic Perrin) or were shrewd investments in quality young French players (Blaise Matuidi and Dimitri Payet). Perrin, who stayed with his boyhood club throughout his entire career is considered one of the best players to wear the green of St. Etienne in recent years. 

After maintaining its position in Ligue 1, the year 2013 saw Les Verts secure their first domestic trophy for over thirty years as they won the Coup de la Ligue. The following year saw the team secure a home victory against fierce rivals Olympique Lyonnais for the first time in twenty years.

Moving forward a few years, the club secured a fourth-place finish in 2019, however, troubled times returned as the club was put up for sale the year after and the team battled relegation once again. After going on a ten-game winning streak St. Etienne secured survival for another year, but sadly, the following year saw the inevitable happen.

Les Verts struggled throughout the 2021/22 season, spending much of the campaign in the relegation zone, and were eventually sent back down to Ligue 2 after losing the relegation playoff to Auxerre. After finishing 8th in Ligue 2 last season, following a fairly terrible start it has to be said, that Les Verts are enjoying a much more fruitful campaign this time around as they find themselves in third place, well and truly in the hunt for promotion.

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Saint-Ètienne are a club rooted in history, and they have emerged as one of the most successful clubs in France and helped to develop the likes of Michel Platini, Laurent Blanc, Blaise Matuidi, Dimitri Payet and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. There is one player though who deserves our attention:

In 1958, club legend and second all-time leading scorer Rachid Mekhloufi made the decision to sacrifice his playing career to go and join the fight for Algeria in their battle for independence from French rule. Mekhloufi and nine other players based in France chose to play football for the FLN Football Team (The National Liberation Front was leading the fight against French forces).

At 21 years old, the young Saint-Etienne player used his footballing skills to bring awareness to the ongoing battle between Algeria and its coloniser. This was incredibly brave as they were essentially playing for a country that did not fully exist yet (when France colonised Algeria it became classed as part of the nation of France meaning in the eyes of the French the nation of Algeria ceased to exist).

The FLN team won 65 matches in four years which meant that the Algerian cause could not be ignored as many fans who supported the players also made their voices heard in their wishes to see an independent Algeria. The war raged on and the players including Mekhloufi lost family members and friends to the intensely bloody battle. However, Mekhloufi himself stated that the experience of wearing the colours of Algeria and signing what would become the national anthem ‘couldn’t be bought with all the gold in the world’. 

Mekhloufi and his compatriots were celebrated as heroes as they continued to pay for the FLN until 1962 when Algeria achieved independence. Some people may criticise the politicisation of football, but no one can deny that Mekhloufi’s decision to use his talent to protest French rule was incredibly brave and no doubt instilled an even higher sense of national pride in Algeria.

Originally posted on Breaking the Lines

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The port city of Gdańsk can be found on the coast of Northern Poland, located at the mouth of the Motława River, flowing into the Baltic Sea. The city has a vastly complex history featuring periods of German rule, Polish rule and self-determination. It has functioned as a major seaport since the Middle Ages. In 1361, it was incorporated into the Hanseatic League (a network of well-connected and wealthy towns and cities from the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, and Russia), handling trade throughout the continent.

Gdańsk (formerly Danzig) served as a key city in the build-up to and during the Second World War. The city was given ‘Free City’ status from the Treaty of Versailles meaning that instead of being given to the newly created country of Poland, Danzig was turned over to the League of Nations for administration.

France and the United States supported the idea that Danzig should be assigned fully to Poland but this was vehemently opposed by Britain and Germany. In the end, the compromise of stripping the city from Germany, and having it simply be a free city was agreed upon.

Poland wanted to obtain Danzig as it was a large port city situated geographically at an important strategic point in Europe. The only problem was that Danzig’s population was largely German. In 1929, the census counted the city’s population as being 95% German.

In 1938, the seemingly unstoppable Nazi annexation machine set its sights on the Free City of Danzig. Germany contended that the city should be reunified with the Reich, citing historical and ethnic arguments in support of its case. This did not sit well with Poland who saw Danzig as a future and inevitable part of their plans going forward.

As we know, World War II went on to be the bloodiest war in human history, the build-up was largely based on the city of Danzig. After the war, the city (renamed Gdańsk) returned to Poland, under the rule of the Soviet Union.

In the 1980s, Gdańsk was the birthplace of the Solidarity movement, which helped precipitate the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact. In July 1980, facing an economic crisis, Poland’s government raised the price of food and other goods, while restricting the growth of wages. These price increases made it difficult for many Poles to afford basic necessities, and so a wave of strikes swept the country.

Amid escalating tensions, a popular forklift operator named Anna Walentynowicz was fired from the Shipyard. As a result, some 17,000 workers began a sit-down strike to campaign for her reinstatement, as well as for an increase in wages.

They were led by the former shipyard electrician Lech Walesa, who had himself been fired for union activism four years earlier. Walesa went on to be given the Nobel Peace Prize for his actions and after winning the 1990 election, was named the first democratically elected president of Poland since 1926.

The Club…

Lechia Gdańsk was founded in 1945 by people expelled from Lwów, who were supporters of Poland’s oldest football team Lechia Lwów. In 1945-46, the Soviet Union oversaw ‘population transfers’ which, in short, saw the Eastern borderlands of Poland become part of Ukraine, Lithuania and Belarus. The city of Lwów became Lviv and its Polish inhabitants were forced to leave.

The club’s name comes from the word Lechia which is a poetic name for Poland and is a continuation of the name used by the club based in Lwów. During their early years, Lechia most notably finished third in the Polish top division, before then spending decades in the second and third tiers.

In the early 1980s, the club won the Polish Cup, and the Polish Super Cup, and ventured into European competition for the first time. After having two mergers with other teams in the 1990s the club had to restart from the sixth tier in the early 2000s.

In May 2008, Lechia was promoted again to the Ekstraklasa. Their most prominent top-flight league finish came in 2019, where they ended the season third in the league and again won both the Polish Cup and the Super Cup, before suffering relegation to the second tier in 2023.

Since 2011, Stadion Gdańsk has been the home of Lechia Gdańsk. The 41,000-capacity stadium was one of the designated venues for UEFA Euro 2012 and hosted four games throughout the tournament. The stadium also played host to the 2021 Europa League Final which saw Villarreal beat Manchester United 12-11 on penalties.

The current Lechia Gdańsk team has an average age of 21.97 years old, so they have a youthful core of players to build around as they look to re-establish themselves in Polish football.

One night in 1983…

Lech Wałęsa joined the Lenin Shipyard (now Gdańsk Shipyard) in 1967 as an electrician. From early on in his career, he took a great interest in workers’ rights and concerns for the conditions in which they were carrying out their jobs. He continuously encouraged his colleagues to protest against the communist regime in power at the time. Wałęsa helped to organise the strikes against rising food prices. Such protests at this time were deemed to be illegal, and so the government responded with force, consequently 44 people were killed and over 1000 injured.

In 1976, Wałęsa was fired from his job at the Gdańsk Shipyard because of his involvement in illegal unions, strikes, and a campaign to commemorate the victims of the 1970 protests. Following his departure from the shipyard, he worked as an electrician for several other companies but his activism led to him meant it was never too long before he was laid off again. Additionally, Wałęsa and his family were under constant surveillance by the Polish secret police; his home and workplace were always bugged. Over the next few years, he was arrested on multiple occasions for participating in dissident activities.

Following the 1980 strikes led by Wałęsa that were a response to another increase in food prices the trade union, Solidarity was born with Wałęsa as its chairman. Solidarity’s membership grew exponentially, eventually claiming over 10 million members—more than a quarter of Poland’s population.

Wałęsa held his position until December 1981, when General Jaruzelski declared martial law in Poland. Wałęsa and many other Solidarity leaders and activists were arrested and he was jailed for 11 months and Solidarity was outlawed. In 1983, Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his activism and it is one night in 1983 that inspired this blog post.

On the 28th of September 1983, Lechia Gdańsk took on Italian giants Juventus in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. With this being Lechia’s first foray into Europe the tie was met with great anticipation from fans. Giovanni Trapattoni’s Juve boasted a star-studded squad with the likes of Paolo Rossi, Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek on the books.

At this time, Poland was a very fragmented country. The hope brought about with the creation of the Solidarity movement had largely disappeared and Jaruzelski’s martial law had just been lifted. The rebellious city of Gdańsk though, was always at the heart of resistance. During these times there were only three places where people could express their anti-system views. The first place was, of course, the shipyard and the second was at the Church of St Bridget. The third? The Lechia Gdańsk stadium.

With the Juventus game being televised, Solidarity and Lech Wałęsa decided there was no better opportunity to remind the public that they were still there, fighting for change. Wałęsa simply had to be there.

With 30,000 people at the game, getting into the stadium relatively incognito was not a problem for Wałęsa. The security forces had information that Wałęsa would be there but could not arrest him as the government did not recognise Solidarity as a political party and therefore Wałęsa was considered a “private person” rather than a political activist.

There had been some attempts to discredit Wałęsa. A day earlier, state television published a heavily edited discussion between Wałęsa and his brother in which he was portrayed as being very vulgar and caring only about money. The authorities had hoped that this would lead to Wałęsa being booed at the stadium.

However, the opposite happened. In the first half, fans were mainly focused on the game but, at half-time, things changed – quite dramatically. Piotr Adamowicz, a Solidarity member went and spoke to the camera crews from NBC and CBS, who subsequently trained their cameras on Wałęsa in the crowd.

It began.

First quietly, then getting louder and louder. “Solidarnosc! Solidarnosc! Solidarnosc!” (Polish for Solidarity). State media tried to report that it was only two or three thousand fans chanting but it was far more than that. It was the whole stadium.

The chanting was so loud that it could be heard in the Lechia dressing room. The manager, Jerzy Jastrzebowski, commented: “We were in the dressing room during half-time when we heard it and it sent shivers down our spines, the whole ground singing ‘Solidarnosc’.”

The government-controlled state television was so perturbed about the rest of the country hearing these chants that they delayed the transmission of the second half by six minutes whilst they considered what to do. Eventually, they decided to show it without any sound at all. Lechia lost the game 3-2 and the tie 10-2 but it was irrelevant, a much more important victory had been secured.

To avoid being caught up in any riots Wałęsa thought he should leave the stadium early. He worried for nothing, there was no trouble at all. The Lechia Gdańsk fans felt something special had just happened and did not want to ruin it.

The mid-to-late 1980s were a time of economic and political stagnation in Poland, the shelves at the supermarkets were often empty and ration stamps were introduced. It is estimated that between one and two million Poles left the country in the late 1980s.

By the end of 1990, Wałęsa was the first democratically elected Polish president since 1926. When asked about that night in Gdansk, Wałęsa commented: “Maybe they thought I would be whistled and booed after the TV programme they showed? They hoped the nation would turn their back on me. It would have been my end.”

This was not the case. It was actually a beginning. One of the Solidarity leaders once said: “What happened during the Juventus game kept us going for the next five years.”

Little did they know but in that moment when the Lechia Gdańsk fans chose to show their support for Lech Wałęsa, they changed the course of Polish history.

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References:

Karol Nawrocki and Mariusz Kordek: Lechia v Juventus – More Than a Game

https://rfbl-pl.translate.goog/lechia-juventus-1983/?_x_tr_sl=pl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

https://www.inyourpocket.com/gdansk/Solidarity-FC_72959f

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-20195971.html

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/port-of-gdansk-becomes-third-busiest-baltic-sea-port-for-cargo-shipments/

https://polishhistory.pl/solidarity-the-40th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-the-social-movement/

https://lechiahistoria.pl/artykuly/lechia-gdansk-juventus-fc-23-28-09-1983/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lech-Walesa

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/28/shipyard-strike-puts-mark-of-change-on-poland-1980

https://www.laczynaspilka.pl/biblioteka/mecze/lechia-gdansk-juventus-turyn-23-28091983

https://www.juventus.com/en/news/articles/last-time-out-against-lechia

Since the arrival of Qatari money, PSG has mostly dominated Ligue 1, but during the first few years of their Qatar Sports Investment takeover, it’s fair to say Les Parisiens struggled. In the 2011–12 campaign, the newly super-wealthy club spent €82 million under Carlo Ancelotti’s leadership. The Ligue 1 champions that year? Montpellier. Yes, La Paillade and manager Rene Girard stunned the footballing world to win their first-ever league title.

The 2011–2012 season would see the likes of Eden Hazard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang announce their presence as potential superstars. There was another young player at the heart of Montpellier’s title-winning season — Olivier Giroud. The forward had just missed out on promotion to Ligue 1 with Tours FC in 2008–09, when the club failed to mount another promotion charge the following season, it was inevitable he would leave. Montpellier and Rene Girard came calling with €2 million so ‘Le buteur de charme (The Charm Striker)’ was heading South.

The club also brought in defensive reinforcements ahead of the 2011/12 season with Henri Bedimo and Hilton singing, the latter being so integral he ended up being included in the Ligue 1 team of the year. Other players in Montpellier’s title-winning squad included sought-after young French midfielder Benjamin Stambouli, at the time multiple Premier League clubs were chasing the signature of the talented youngster. He eventually signed for Tottenham in 2014 but endured a torrid time in North London and moved back to France with PSG the following year.

Younes Belhanda was another young player who stood out during the title-winning season, he went on to win Goal of the Season and was also named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season. His career sadly never really reached the anticipated heights after he departed La Paillade with the Moroccan struggling to live up to expectations.

Back in Paris, Les Parisiens started the season well, new signing Javier Pastore hit the ground running and was proving to be an inspired signing, Brazilian forward Nenê was also on top form throughout the season. By the end of November, PSG were sitting at the top of the table after picking up a comfortable 3–0 victory at Montpellier. La Paillade did not fade away though, constantly chasing the Paris club, largely thanks to the goal-scoring antics of their star man Olivier Giroud, of course.

The Montpellier talisman had 18 goal contributions in 18 appearances to his name by January, with 13 goals and 5 assists. Giroud was solely responsible for 13 of Montpellier’s points that season, it is fair to say they would have been lost without him. The thing about Giroud is that it wasn’t just his goalscoring abilities that were so important to Montpellier, he worked tirelessly, chasing down every ball, battling for every header, running the channels to create space for teammates such as Belhanda, John Utaka or Remy Cabella. This incredible work rate and lethal goalscoring capability meant that Premier League club Arsenal were taking note of his performances.

Shortly after the winter break, Rene Girard had the opportunity to exact revenge on Ancelotti and PSG. Whilst they battled hard, they couldn’t quite manage to grab a victory at Parc des Princes, Montpellier headed home with a vital point from a 2–2 draw nonetheless. PSG then surprised everyone by dropping points in three consecutive games in March, meaning the title race was very much on as Montpellier found themselves top of the league.

Olivier Giroud led the line with a passion and desire that seemed to drive his teammates on — he was determined the league title was not going to Paris this year. Giroud inspired his team to important victories against Marseille and Lille, a loss to Lorient though meant that the gap between La Paillade and Les Parisiens was cut to just two points. The title race was going down to the wire.

In the final game of the season away to Auxerre, Girard’s men needed to avoid defeat. In true underdog fashion, they made it difficult after going 1–0 down early in the game and a volatile Auxerre crowd didn’t help matters as they were guilty of constantly throwing objects onto the pitch which saw the game halted on multiple occasions. Girard ensured his team never lost sight of their aim though and a John Utaka double ensured that history was made, and the Ligue 1 title was Montpellier’s.

The manager summed up his team’s title win perfectly by saying: “I think our triumph is a real shot in the arm for French football. It just goes to show that everyone can beat everyone, and that money isn’t the be-all and end-all. We’re a club of mates, a club that brings young players through and gives them a chance. At the end of the day, it’s worked out well for us. We played some great football, with a well-balanced team and I’m overwhelmed.”

It’s true, this team of youngsters and forgotten men had not only proven that hard work and talent could be victorious against all odds over the dazzling wealth of PSG, but they had made history, bringing the city its first-ever Ligue 1 title. The main man was undoubtedly Oliver Giroud.

The prolific forward won the Golden Boot after scoring 21 goals in 36 appearances and also finished with 9 assists to his name. His performances earned him a place in France’s Euro 2012 squad and a move to The Emirates as Arsene Wenger was suitably impressed. Giroud has gone on to play for the likes of Chelsea and A.C. Milan and become a World Cup winner with France, his goalscoring abilities are unquestionable, his work rate is never ending and his desire to win drives everything he does. The 2011–2012 season was just the start, but what a start it was.