WELCOME

The terms ‘Greatest of All Time’ and slightly

ARRIGO SACCHI

“The inventors of football thought of it as a collective, attack-minded sport. Italians turned it into an individual, defence-minded one”

MEAN WHILE IN …

...Catalonia, Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero surprisingly came out of retirement – dressed as a clown

GAMES THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

“I PLAYED THE FULL 90 MINUTES AND FELT

ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC VS ABOUBAKAR KAMARA

SO NEAR, YET SO FAR After failing to

WHO ARE YA? | POSITIVE FC

COULD BE The world’s most mentally tough football

REQUIRED READING

HOW (NOT) TO BE STRONG Alex Scott (Century,

MY FOOTBALL

The One Direction star has two principal loves: Ronaldinho and James Coppinger

2010 WHEN TONY ADAMS MANAGED IN AZERBAIJAN

In 2009, Tony Adams was a Premier League

WILL STILL

The 30-year-old English boss has turned around Reims’ Ligue 1 form since taking charge in October. Next stop Blighty, then?

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS EVER!

A World Cup, Messi’s triumph and Pele’s passing prompted discussion aplenty about the finest footballers ever to play the beautiful game – now, FFT presents to you our definitive ranking. Don’t agree? Of course you don’t! Tell us at #FFT50

02 PELE

O Rei dominated the World Cup – and his legacy stays strong

01 LIONEL MESSI

In Doha, the Argentine confirmed himself as the greatest. What does it mean at home?

NEXT STOP, THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?

Keira Walsh enjoyed a majestic 2022, winning the Euros with England and joining Barcelona for a world-record fee, three years after she had nearly given up on football. The pass-master reveals how she revitalised her career

DANI CARVAJAL’S QUEST FOR IMMORTALITY…

AND 11 MORE THINGS WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

IT’LL BE ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT

Manchester United and Barcelona meet in the Europa League this month, 32 years after they faced off in a Cup Winners’ Cup final – one that would set Alex Ferguson’s behemoth on its way to glory

“YOU WANT SOME, SAMPDORIA?”

Manchester United made the most of their European return, but the ban on English clubs denied us Serie A giants at Plough Lane and Maradona vs Luton

PLAY LIKE ALMIRON

Newcastle is a city that appreciates hard work, and Miguel Almiron’s graft, endeavour and enthusiasm bought him a rare commodity in football: time. Four years after arriving on Tyneside, the Paraguayan winger is flying – and it has nothing to do with Jack Grealish...

WHE YAYE, PARAGUAY!

...and Brazil, Peru and the rest of South America. The Toon love a Latin cult hero

OTTO’S REVENGE

Newly promoted Kaiserslautern stunned football a quarter of a century ago when they won the 1997-98 Bundesliga title. Otto Rehhagel, some nasal strips and the mother of all managerial meltdowns were vital, but it all began with Bayern Munich sowing the seeds of their own downfall…

WE COUNTED THE MONEY. WE WERE NORMAL, ASPIRING, LOWER-LEVEL FOOTBALLERS, AND THIS WAS MORE IN ONE NIGHT THAN MOST OF US EARNED IN A YEAR. IT STARTED THAT NIGHT.

Moses Swaibu was attracting Premier League clubs’ attention when he first collided with the murky world of match-fixing. The ex-Lincoln defender recalls why he came to be in the grip of organised crime and how a spell in jail turned his life around, to help others avoid a similar fate

MY PERFECT XI

STELIOS GIANNAKOPOULOS

GARY ROWETT

The 48-year-old counts former Cambridge gaffer John Beck as an early inspiration – now he’s hoping to guide Millwall up to the promised land

RISING FROM THE ASHES

Stevenage only escaped non-league oblivion courtesy of Macclesfield Town’s mismanagement – three years on, they’ve sunk Aston Villa and are looking up

BEST&WORST

PRESTON NORTH END

BOY’S A BIT SPECIAL

THE LOWDOWN Born near the Lake District and

KIT CRIMES | SWANSEA HOME, 1995-96

Rumour has it Frank Lampard denies any recollection

R£CORD BR£AK£RS

PEDIGREE Pressley joined Rangers aged 17, having impressed

THE GAME’S GONE

HEREFORD 2-1 NEWCASTLE, 1972

CLAIMS TO FAME QUEEN’S PARK

1 CROSSED PURPOSES Queen’s Park, formed on July

“I BOUGHT A HORSE WITH JOEY BARTON AND WE NAMED IT AFTER A SONG BY ARCTIC MONKEYS"

CLAUDIO PIZARRO • BRIAN LITTLE • RAYMOND VAN DER GOUW • DOMINIC MATTEO

“ BELIEVEME, I’M NOT PROUD TO BE THE LAST VILLA BOSS TO WIN A TROPHY”

The Villans’ hero on England frustrations, his partnership with Andy Gray and craving a return to glory for the club

“I WAS WORKING AS A PE TEACHER AND CONSIDERED LEAVING FOOTBALL – THEN I ENDED UP AT MAN UNITED”

Peter Schmeichel’s backup recalls being already on the plane to Manchester when he was told which club he’d be joining

“GOOD QUESTION , BUT I’VE HAD BRAIN SURGERY, SO HOW THE HECK SHOULD I KNOW HOW MANY GOALS I SCORED FOR LIVERPOOL?”

The ex-Red and Leeds man opens up about cancer and finding his long-lost mother