Mario, We Hardly Knew Ye - AFR Voice Ep.11

It’s been a magical weekend of FA Cup action, but now the dust has settled, Luton have finished celebrating, and Oldham’s Matt Smith has stopped shoving Martin Skrtel around the penalty area, let the latest of edition of AFR Voice take you through all the highs and lows of what was a truly rollercoaster weekend of fourth round drama.

We’ll be taking a good look at all of the weekend’s big upsets – Oldham dumping out last year’s finalists Liverpool, Brentford holding cup holders Chelsea, Leeds knocking out a much fancied Spurs side, as well as the MK Dons shoving Harry Redknapp back into the transfer window “gang war” in a bid to sign up yet more talent that may (but most probably won’t) keep QPR up.

We’ll also be saying a fond farewell to Mario Balotelli as he heads back to Milan, as well as what to do if a Premier League footballer’s car gets a puncture outside your house, and why unemployed French tutors should get on a train up to Newcastle, and pronto.

Then it’s off around Europe where Lazio are desperately trying to recruit a new ornithological mascot before the January window shuts, Cristiano Ronaldo’s hatrick still isn’t enough to upstage Messi in La Liga, and Zlatan gets a good megging in Ligue 1, before we head down to South Africa to give you an update on all of the happenings at the African Cup of Nations, including the real reason as to Cape Verde are proving to be such high fliers.

As always, you can get in touch with the team by tweeting @AFRvoice or emailing afrvoice@gmail.com. You can also subscribe to AFR Voice on iTunes and find us on Soundcloud.

The past is an illusion: On Beticos, Sevillistas, and stagnation in Southern Spain

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Over the course of the past six months I’ve spent a considerable amount of time conducting research on both nationalism and market integration in football as part of a long-term thesis project. On January 9th and 10th, I attended both Real Betis and Sevilla’s Copa del Rey matches. The disparate experiences seen in the neighborhoods that house the teams, Heliopolis and Nervion respectively, revealed the lasting effect of the financial crisis on the game and offered a view into the state of the coming years. This micro-level experience fell in line with my macro-level my analyses. First: football responds to the market before the market in economic downturns and slower in recoveries, and second: that regional identities are magnified in times of economic crisis. Oh, and I also had a blast.

My week in Sevilla was a performance piece. I had elaborately designed to evade cultural superstition and sideways glances of nationalistic scorn so that I could see what being a ‘Sevillista’ or a ‘Betico’ really represented to the supporters and the neighborhoods that they represent. I wanted to become an insider, to really see what made these people tick. I stayed the bulk of my time in Nervion where there is no reason for tourists to visit the drab unornamented buildings and spent my time in the gap between tapa and racion. Not a tourist, but definitely not a local. My mission was to be a fly on the wall - I had a great time failing with that as my objective.

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Vintage, 8-bit Ronaldinho On the Seine, red lights and wild sensation Gave way to greater fire and contest Madrid ignored the revelation For despite the wonder he possessed and showcased fortnightly The Brazilian had features closed to commercial exploitation Beckham’s hair and face impressed, and introduced us to Keira Knightley Though the joke would always be on them As that grin full of genius brought a bucket of trophies to the Catalan men. We’re delighted to be working with Matheus, the man behind 8-bit Football, as we head into 2013. Poetry by Max Grieve and Eric Beard.

Vintage, 8-bit Ronaldinho

On the Seine, red lights and wild sensation

Gave way to greater fire and contest

Madrid ignored the revelation

For despite the wonder he possessed and showcased fortnightly

The Brazilian had features closed to commercial exploitation

Beckham’s hair and face impressed, and introduced us to Keira Knightley

Though the joke would always be on them

As that grin full of genius brought a bucket of trophies to the Catalan men.

We’re delighted to be working with Matheus, the man behind 8-bit Football, as we head into 2013. Poetry by Max Grieve and Eric Beard.

Daydreaming with Iniesta “I realised how much I admire Iniesta as a player and a person after reading Graham Hunter’s BARCA book. I love his style of play. He is the epitome of skill, but what hits home is his personality. The guy seems to be so humble and appreciative of his position in life. With him being so down to earth, I wanted to show him in an everyday situation while simultaneously reminding us that everything starts as a dream.” - Dan Leydon Find Dan’s work on: Twitter / Tumblr / Etsy / AFR.

Daydreaming with Iniesta

“I realised how much I admire Iniesta as a player and a person after reading Graham Hunter’s BARCA book. I love his style of play. He is the epitome of skill, but what hits home is his personality. The guy seems to be so humble and appreciative of his position in life. With him being so down to earth, I wanted to show him in an everyday situation while simultaneously reminding us that everything starts as a dream.” - Dan Leydon

Find Dan’s work on: Twitter / Tumblr / Etsy / AFR.

Neither words nor numbers do him justice. By Dan Leydon “My thoughts on Messi are probably a lot like everyone else’s; I feel like I’m witnessing something special every time I watch him play. When he was through on goal the other night and then collapsed in a heap clutching his knee I was worried he’d lose some of his ability to a serious injury. But no, he just came back in the next game and scored two ridiculous finishes to break Muller’s goal record and notch 86 goals in a calendar year. Words don’t do him justice. I have a feeling we won’t be able to fully understand the consistency of his genius until he retires.” We’re delighted to feature Dan’s work on AFR. Find him on: Twitter / Tumblr / Etsy.

Neither words nor numbers do him justice. By Dan Leydon

“My thoughts on Messi are probably a lot like everyone else’s; I feel like I’m witnessing something special every time I watch him play. When he was through on goal the other night and then collapsed in a heap clutching his knee I was worried he’d lose some of his ability to a serious injury. But no, he just came back in the next game and scored two ridiculous finishes to break Muller’s goal record and notch 86 goals in a calendar year. Words don’t do him justice. I have a feeling we won’t be able to fully understand the consistency of his genius until he retires.”

We’re delighted to feature Dan’s work on AFR. Find him on: Twitter / Tumblr / Etsy.

What does ‘més que un club’ mean?

In theory, ‘more than a club’ means feelings, it means a political idea of freedom and passion… for football, right?

At a time where politics and more importantly, Independència, is buzzing throughout the rambling state of Catalunya - FC Barcelona’s voice in the movement is long established. When Camp Nou makes a statement, people listen. Spanish football expert Sid Lowe explores FC Barcelona’s involvement in such a delicate and important issue - one which can completely transform Spain.

The journalist interviews a series of politicians, former and current board FC Barcelona members. In particularly, he underlines Joan Laporta’s role, the club’s former President and now an upcoming figure in Catalan politics.

“The Catalans had two options. Either do nothing and continue as we were… Or the option that has never been tried, which is to give as a solution the process for the independence of Catalonia.”

FC Barcelona is a football club, although they are more than a club, or as they like to express it: ‘més que un club’. However, despite their involvement in Catalan politics, which is certainly pioneered through their board directors and passionate fans - the club must be careful, they can’t be used as a political engineer.

And as Cruyff states, “their attitude is one of the most improtant things - and sometimes it’s a battle.”

The next weeks and months will be crucial in Catalonia’s fight for independence, and Barça too will be greatly affected - on or off the field; but it’s important to remember they are neither the protagonist nor the leader.

[This short documentary was first posted on the Guardian, by Sid Lowe - Posted by Dominic]

We love Falcao, but we also love Atlético Madrid

By Jake Allingan

Prized, lethal and ruthless are three adjectives which spring to mind when asked to describe Falcao. Is he world-class? Absolutely, definitely, positively, ridiculously. Take a look at this stat for this season: he scores with roughly every third shot. Falcao provides so much for Atletico Madrid that Gerard Pique recently described the side as ‘Falcao’s team.’

However, whilst the strength which the Colombian provides his side with cannot be undervalued, it would be unfair - and arguably stupid - to flippantly disregard the talent which resides within the bowels of the Vicente Calderon stadium as nothing more than servants hurrying to meet their striker’s needs.

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How to be cool


By Max Grieve

Here at AFR, we think we know what it takes to be cool – and you want in, don’t you? You want the rush of the relative joy of being cool, and know how it feels to have all kinds of goodness coursing through your veins. We won’t keep you from learning how to be cool like us – it isn’t fair, and it’s not cool, either. 

Real Oviedo are in trouble, and that’s certainly not cool. Twelve years after being relegated from La Liga, the club now find themselves in Spain’s third division, and dangerously close to collapse. The current economic climate has only served to amplify Oviedo’s financial difficulties – not cool – and the situation has seemingly reached its climax. Fail to act now, and Real Oviedo will simply disappear.

That’s where you come in. We’d argue that nothing’s cooler than helping, and part-owning a Spanish football club. For €11.50, you can buy one share in Real Oviedo. It’s not much, and you won’t make any money from it, but you’ll have helped to save a football club that serves a community and a region, and has a fascinating place in Spanish football history. And we think that’s pretty cool.

If you’d like to purchase shares in Real Oviedo, head on over to http://www.yosoyelrealoviedo.com/ingles/index.html. ‘DNI’ means identity card number. You can enter your passport number or leave it blank. ‘Nombre y apellido’ means name and surname – this you must enter. Keep your receipt. That is your proof of share purchase. If paying via PayPal, you can switch the language by selecting your current country from the options at the top of the page.

We’ll update this page with any further information as it is released.

AFR x adidas x You. Designing Lionel Messi.

Leo Messi needs you (or your more artistic friend) to design his next pair of adidas football boots, which he’ll wear during a match in December. WAIT. Read that last sentence again to make sure we’re on the same page. You can create a unique pair of adidas adizero f50s (just like ours, above) for Messi by visiting the new “miadidas configurator” here and submitting a design with various colour schemes and personal touches.

But you don’t really want to hear us go on and on about this, do you? Alright, we’ll turn this over to our favourite #10. Messi said: “In football, you express yourself with your feet, which is why I like to feel like I have a connection to my adizero f50s. Knowing that your boots are unique makes you feel special and makes you play with more confidence. I’m excited to see the designs that my fans create for me on the miadidas configurator and I look forward to playing in them.” 

Want more info? Head to facebook.com/adidasfootball or @adidasfootball (use the #miadidas hashtag to join the conversation), or even ask us @afootballreport. These boots make their debut this weekend, and the likes of Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and AC Milan’s Riccardo Montolivo will be hitting the pitch with their own customised boots. [posted by Dominic and Eric]

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