A Football Report

Joey Barton gets FFW’d up

Our friends at French Football Weekly met up with Joey Barton and it didn’t end with someone on the ground, begging for an ambulance. Nor did it end in a mass recital of Nietzsche’s aphorisms. No, Andrew Gibney and Scott Johnson had 30 minutes with England’s most outspoken player, and it’s one of the most interesting, well-balanced interviews we’ve seen in months. Joey talks about Twitter, his relationship with French referees, his new perspectives on how development in England is being hindered, and much more. If you don’t have 30 minutes, make time Andrew also transcribed the interview here. 

“For me, I’m more than happy to stay here. I envisage myself playing for another 6-8 years, I won’t retire, they’ll have to carry me off the pitch.”

[Posted by Eric]

#WhereIsFootball: March, 2013.

1. “Throwback to when I used to live in Brazil. Just kidding, this is Vung Tau, Vietnam.” [x]

2. Nothing like Sicilian calcio on a perfect pitch. | Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italia [x]

3. You can’t beat seats from the balcony. Ferro vs Douglas Haig. | Caballito, Buenos Aires [x]

4. League halftime entertainment. Sagan Tosu vs Kawasaki Frontale. Embrace it. | Tosu Stadium, Tosu, Japan. [x]

5. Outnumbered. Futbol’s a tough sell outside Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Natividad. | Chincheros, Cuzco, Peru. [x]

6. MLS is back. Season #18. Here’s to many more. | Centurylink Field, Seattle. [x]

7. Opening day. Underneath the @KCCauldron. | Sporting Park, Kansas City. [x]

8. The Megaphone: An Ultra’s greatest friend | Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux, France. [x]

9. Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Barcelona all united in Valencia, Venezuela. [x]

It’s been nearly four months since we kicked off our Where Is Football project. Courtesy of your creativity and expansive surroundings, we’ve seen the game in ways we’ve never imagined. And honestly, that’s exactly what we hoped would happen. But that doesn’t mean we’ve reached a point where we can hang up our boots. No, every morning we check in on the #whereisfootball hashtag on Twitter and Instagram, and somehow we always stumble across something refreshingly new. Thanks for showcasing the game in your part of the world, but - at the same time - don’t stop. Together, let’s continue to find the game. [Posted by Eric]

Not you, David.

Ahead of St. Etienne’s match against PSG, it was announced that David Beckham - Paris St. Germain’s ambassador H&M model representative of the AARP newest addition - would be starting the match in the Rhone-Alps region of France.

With Beckhamania hitting France like a Zizou headbutt (too easy), St. Etienne’s fans had time to prepare a little banner showing their love for Beckham just before kickoff. The initial surprise of seeing “Beckham I Love You” from the club’s supporters was met with a resounding “ohhhh” a few minutes later as “Victoria” popped up to complete the tifo. [Images via. Posted by Eric]

Through Ryu’s Lens: France vs Germany, Stade de France

For the first time since 1987, the French fell to Germany. It may have been a friendly, but it happened at Stade de France in Paris, no less. The come from behind victory was a product of yet another outstanding performance from Mesut Ozil, working the strings in the final third. Just look at THAT PASS to set up Sami Khedira for the match-winner. Ryu followed the Germans from Berlin to Pair-ee, capturing Deutschland defeat Les Bleus. 

Interact with Ryu on twitter @Toksuede and check his Flickr. Posted by Eric.

Bienvenue à Paris, Beckham

Words had been swirling everywhere from Australia to England to Qatar, but David Beckham has finally landed in France for a five-month stint with Paris Saint-Germain, the rising superpower in the capital.

The man has also decided to donate his PSG wages to a local charity for children in Paris while he’s in town. With the speculation ending, many are questioning whether or not the 37-year-old can still compete with the best in the world. After all, the decision to join PSG gives Beckham one last chance at the Champions League. So after conquering England, Spain, Italy, and America, a remarkable career continues…

Trophée des Champions celebrations: Jordan Beard captures Lyon’s jubilation

This past weekend, Montpellier (Ligue 1 champions) and Lyon (Coupe de France champions) faced one another in the annual Trophée des Champions. The only difference? The match wasn’t played in France, but actually just outside of New York City. The match started out slowly, but it ended in magnificent fashion, with a 2-2 draw forcing a penalty shootout. Hugo Lloris stepped up and proved why he is France’s #1 keeper, and the rest was history. We were stationed right next to the likes of Lloris, Gourcuff, and Koné for the trophy celebrations, so Jordan took some splendid shots. With his camera.

[posted by EB. Follow Jordan on Twitter at @escucharemos and view his photos on Flickr]

Getting Schooled by 3NIL.

Our friends at 3NIL are back, and this time they’re paying homage to two of the world’s most famous football academies, or schools, in the world. Without further ado, here are ‘La Masia’ and ‘Clairefontaine’.

These two schools have given us an incredible amount of talent from the likes of Xavi, Gallas, Fabregas, Anelka, Messi and Henry. These two famous institutions are renowned around the world for providing the best in football education.

Minimalist and clean designs highlight each school in their respective colours allowing fans of the beautiful game to wear these shirts anywhere they like.

‘La Masia’ and ‘Clairefontaine’. The most famous schools in football. You never had the chance to walk in Thierry Henry or Xavi’s footsteps, but at least you can pretend…

These are both available exclusively at www.threenil.com. Also find 3NIL on Twitter at @threenildotcom.

(Source: 3nil)