Sport

Eight La Ligas titles, the fourth-highest in Spain. 23 Copa del Reys, second only to Barcelona. Three Supercopa de Españas. And a shedload of home-grown players. Welcome to Athletic Bilbao, a club which, for more than a century now, has boasted a playing squad who hail from their own Basque region – and stands as the area’s most successful football club in terms of cups and league titles. But what’s the reasoning behind this unusual Athletic Bilbao signing policy? Exactly who can play for Athletic Bilbao? Let’s find out: What …

Read moreAthletic Bilbao Transfer Policy: Basque Rule Explained

Tired of the same old playlists on your morning run? Want something different to listen to on the way to work (back when we all commuted, anyway…)? Well, if you’re a football nut, you’re spoilt for choice in that regard, because you have podcasts on the game coming – literally – out of your ears. We’ve picked eight of the weirdest and most wonderful of them, covering a range of topics in a range of different tones. These are, in our opinion, the best football podcasts on Spotify: Guardian Football …

Read moreBest Football Podcasts [Top 8 Footy Podcasts in 2021]

They’re known for being home to the ‘School of Science’, for being a ‘Grand Old Team’ to play for, and for boasting unrivalled obstructed views in their relic of a football stadium, Goodison Park, among other things. But what Everton Football Club are not known for is playing in Everton. Because they don’t; Goodison is located in Liverpool’s Walton area, while their original home – Anfield – is based in, well, Anfield. Even their potential new ground on the Bramley-Moore Dock site will be built in Vauxhall, just north of …

Read moreWhy are Everton FC called ‘Everton’? The Story of How Everton Got its Name

It’s often described as a lottery in football, but penalties are evidently far likely to be scored than missed or denied by the goalkeeper. At least if your name’s Matt Le Tissier or Alan Shearer, anyway. But just how much of an advantage to the attacker do penalty statistics point to? How great is a penalty miss chance, both in the Premier League and in general? How many are awarded in the first place? Let’s take a look: How Often Are Penalties Awarded? Per InStat, there have been more than …

Read moreWhat Percentage of Penalties are Scored? [Statistical Breakdown]

Brentford are a peculiar modern-day football club, in that so much of what they do feels ahead of their time while also sticking to principles which seemed to go out of fashion years ago. They give managers time. They nurture their own players. They spend sensible figures on thoroughly-scouted footballers from across the globe. But if all of this feels terribly sensible, they’re far from boring. In fact, one particular trait of theirs makes them pretty unique – Brentford essentially have no academy. Instead, they have their own B-team, whose …

Read moreBrentford B Team: How the Bees Are Treating Youth Development Differently