“I DON’T KNOW IF SOMEONE PROMISED BATIGOL THE NO. 9 SHIRT, BUT IT WAS MINE!”

WELCOME

At some point, you wonder what more there

GUUS HIDDIINK

“After that Iniesta goal in 2009, some people argued it was fixed. It was the only time I started to have a few conspiracy theories”

MEANWHILE IN …

WEIRD WORLD OF FOOTBALL

GAMES THAT CHANGED MY LIFE FRANCO BARESI

Verona 1-2 Milan April 23, 1978 Serie A

UP THE PALACE!

In Brazil’s Serie D, there’s a team named after Croydon’s finest

HAL ‘SPICE BOY’ ROBSON-KANU

ASK A SILLY QUESTION

GROUND HOPPER

Photo Rosie Gabrielle PASSU PAKISTAN You may not

FC NOAH

True to their Biblical name, the animal-saving Armenians are going two by two

REQUIRED DID YOU READING KNOW?

THE DREAM FACTORY Ryan Baldi (Polaris, £17.99) ●●●●●

MY FOOTBALL

The Libertines singer on Charlie Austin’s wellies, missing Trevor Sinclair’s overhead kick, and the day Sir Les pretended to be a hotel concierge

FOWL REF!

Behold, the Premier League’s weirdest pitch invasion –a decade on

THE ULTIMATE QUIZ

Curious lower-league internationals, World Cup heroes and strike titans all feature in our latest selection

VAGNER LOVE

A stalwart of European competition since 2004, the Brazilian is still going strong in Denmark at 37 with no plans to quit yet

WHO IS THE MOST UNDERRATED FOOTBALLER IN HISTORY?

✱ STAR TWEET Paul McGrath never gets mentioned

"AM I THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD? IN MY MIND, YES"

Mohamed Salah has become a Liverpool legend in less than five years at Anfield – but he’ll never tell you his appetite is sated. With more trophies to be won and personal accolades to aim for, the Ballon d’Or hopeful exclusively tells FourFourTwo why he’s not satisfied just yet, and why remaining on Merseyside is in his heart

EGYPT: 10 YEARS OF TRAGEDY

A deadly riot forced Mo Salah out of his home country in 2012. A decade on, the Egyptian Premier League is yet to recover from those fateful events

GLORIOUS GEORGE

In 1995, George Weah did something no African footballer had ever done before in winning the Ballon d’Or – and hasn’t again in the 27 years hence. But how did a former weed-smoking striker conquer the world… without really scoring that many goals? Allow FFT to explain…

THE 40 BEST FOOTBALL VIDEO GAMES EVER

Sports gaming has come on leaps and bounds since Atari brought us Pong way back in 1972 – FFT ranks the finest football titles that have surfaced since then, featuring referee dashes, Kebab Shop FC, a balletic Tony Popovic and the much-loved Tonton Zola Moukoko

RAM RAID

Rewind exactly half a century and Brian Clough was helping unfancied Derby to break into the elite and bag a maiden top flight title. Where was he when the Rams clinched it? On the Isles of Scilly, naturally…

"I REGRET NOT STAYING AT BAYERN FOR GUARDIOLA – BUT I HAD TUNNEL VISION"

Dale Jennings was the one-season Tranmere wonderkid who bagged a stunning move to Bayern Munich in 2011, then struggled to sustain the dream. A decade on, and now playing at Prescot Cables, he relives his experience in his own words

AFRAID In CHELSEA

Roman Abramovich’s sanctions plunged Chelsea into disarray, yet 40 years ago fan riots, financial crises and legal wrangling made for a bleaker Stamford Bridge situation. In their time of need came a spiky Ealing businessman who didn’t suffer fools – but saved the club

TOO BIG TO FAIL?

Chelsea weren’t the only powerhouse to slip out of the top tier shortly after post-war success. Despite a true great and a penalty-taking keeper, the same fate befell this trio

DYCHE

Since guiding the Clarets to promotion in 2016, Sean Dyche hasn’t had to face a season as tough as this one. Thankfully he’s been steeled to shake off adversity, via boos at Bristol City and limo rides with Stuart Pearce

MY PERFECT XI KEITH GILLESPIE

The former Northern Ireland flanker and Class of ’92 graduate picks a stellar side of team-mates from fond spells at Manchester United, Newcastle and Blackburn

AROUND THE GROUNDS

EFL • NON-LEAGUE • SCOTLAND

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Best-selling author Val McDermid withdrew sponsorship from her beloved Raith Rovers when they signed David Goodwillie. Now, she fronts a brand new team

BEST&WORST OXFORD UNITED

Scott Walkinshaw, aka Oxblogger, on Beauchamp brilliance, Aldridge atrocities... and hairy-arsed keepers

BOY’S A BIT SPECIAL

JAN PAUL VAN HECKE BLACKBURN LOWDOWN Football fans

THE UNLIKELY LADS

FERENC PUSKAS SOUTH LIVERPOOL (1967) CREDENTIALS Well, a

IAN HOLLOWAY

Christmas might come in December on planet Earth, but May is where the EFL’s big annual festivities are at – a gorging seasonal bash of excitement, ecstasy and oh-so-much agony. FFT’s columnist needs no reminding

STUDENTS, NETFLIX AND FORMER WORLD CHAMPS

Football clubs can go under no matter how much they’re adored – but some aren’t quite so easily forgotten. From history-making universities to Scottish conquerors, FFT recalls six defunct sides who made their mark

“I GET CREDIT FOR MY ROLE AT THE 1994 WORLD CUP, BUT I HARDLY HAD TO DO ANYTHING!”

THE PLAYERS LOUNGE

“I WASN’T THE LAST STRIKER TO STRUGGLE AT CHELSEA – I SET A TREND”

The poacher turned pundit chats Larsson and Shearer – and reveals why Celtic joy tops a Premier League title

“I SCORED FIVE FOR ENGLAND AND TOLD DON REVIE, ‘READ THAT AND WEEP, YOU BASTARD. TRY DROPPING ME NOW’”

Supermac recalls the black eyes, bust-ups and blistering pace that made him a hero