BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY

Wigan's 2013 FA Cup triumph was followed by relegation three days later and off-field woe for years to come, but it sure felt good at the time. A decade on, those involved tell FFT how they sprung one of the cup's biggest upsets

MANAGEMENT IS VOLATILE ONLY THE LUNATICS SIGN UP FOR IT

Madness has never been far away during Joey Barton's career, but the Bristol Rovers boss has enjoyed success as a manager - now he tells FFT why he's taking his inspiration from Eddie Howe and, er, Genghis Khan?!

CRISTIANO OF ARABIA

After an acrimonious Manchester United exit, Cristiano Ronaldo has hit the Middle East goal trail, bringing the Saudi Pro League ever greater exposure. He's desperate for yet another league title, yes, but also to start a football revolution...

WØNDERKID

Arsene Wenger offered to take Martin Ødegaard out for dinner. His treat. Martin ordered the steak

Chris Hughton – "Of course it was unfair of Newcastle to fire me, but I'd seen it coming"

The mild-mannered manager recalls his 'shock' Tyneside exit and the real shock of Brighton binning him for Graham Potter

"At the start, it was just a cold.It never crossed my mind that it could be cancer"

The Bulgarian powerhouse takes FFT on a journey from Celtic's winners to Villa's nearly men, his leukaemia and recovery

SUGAR DADDY

Alan Sugar faced El Tel in court and angry fans in the stands during an eventful nine-year spell as Spurs chairman, which featured plenty of chances for him to hone his \"You're fired!\" catchphrase...

THE WSL HAALAND

Manchester City boast this season’s deadliest strikers in the men’s and women’s top flights. Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw tells FFT how carrots, peri-peri chicken and lots of patience have taken her from Jamaica to a possible Golden Boot…

MESTALLA MISERY

Valencia won two Ligas, the UEFA Cup and reached two Champions League finals at the turn of the century, but a half-built stadium, Gary Neville in the dugout and Peter Lim's toxic ownership threaten Los Che's very existence

TED TALK

Love it or loathe it, seen it or saved it, we need to talk about Ted Lasso. The award-winning show kicks off a third and likely final - season having captivated TV audiences in both the UK and US, even if you could fill two internets with what Ted doesn't know about football...

MY FOCUS WAS ON JOINING ARSENAL, THEN JOSE CALLED-IT WAS JUST A NO-BRAINER

Tammy Abraham has loved life under Mourinho since moving to Roma in 2021, and while the striker is in no hurry to leave Serie A - or pesto - behind, he's not ruling out a Chelsea return...

THE TOP 50 FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS AS VOTED BY THE FANS

As the season's run-in approaches, it can only mean one thing: with help from our readers, it's time for FFT's annual list of the finest stars outside the top flight

WHO NEEDS CRISTIANO RONALDO?

Since CR7's Manchester United exit in November, a revitalised Marcus Rashford's form has gone stratospheric. The journey to this point hasn't been easy, though, via penalty shootout heartbreak and a brush with Boris

PIPPO INZAGHI

\"Critics pushed me to prove them all wrong. Thankfully, I was born a metre onside, otherwise I would not have scored most of my goals\"

How Is This Club Able To Compete With Real Madrid , Juventus And PSG?

Uruguayan second-tier side Deportivo Maldonado average crowds of less than 350 but are vying for the hottest South American starlets with the world’s richest football clubs. How? FFT investigates…

Sun Shiiiiiiiiiiiine !

He’s a big fan of Oasis, learnt English watching Corrie and even enjoys the rain. It’s clear Pablo Zabaleta loves life in his adopted city – Blackpool Illuminations on the other hand...

They Used To Call Me The Kicking Machine Yes , Really!

Argentina vs England at France 98, Di Canio’s infamous shove, Wenger’s revolution, the rise of Simeone... like a fighty, footballing Forrest Gump, Nelson Vivas has been history’s witness

Our Man Of The Year Will See You Now

Champions League and European Championship medals in the bag make 2016 Cristiano Ronaldo’s most fruitful year to date. Next up, he says, is a plan to conquer Hollywood...

Woof!

Second season syndrome? Forget it. In the 12 months since we last spoke, Dele Alli has gone from England’s hottest prospect to the most talked about young player in the world. The only thing that can stop him now – someone chewing up all his football boots

What Do You Reckan, Mesut... Fancy Winning The League?

Arsenal have waited 13 long years for a Premier League title, but if anyone can end that barren run, it’s their telepathic twosome. But are Ozil & Sanchez really the new Bergkamp & Wright?

Shooooooooooooot!!!

It's been a while since the Gunners had a man who could mix it in midfield and have a pop from distance. Strap in... Granit's here.

And You Thought MLS Fans Didn't Care

Eurosnobs give MLS a bad rap, but keep your opinions to yourself when Seattle and Toronto fans are about.

They're All Just Headphones!

Chris Waddle's rant was not a lonely one. Today's footballers are aided by an army of player liaison officers, sports scientists and psychologists, with tech on top. Do they have the stomach for a scrap?

Idealist Pioneer Rebel

Few people knew the great Johan Cruyff as well as Jaap de Groot, the man who not only ghostwrote the Dutch legend’s weekly column for newspaper De Telegraaf and his 2016 autobiography, My Turn, but was his close friend for 30 years. He reveals Cruyff’s final months to FFT.

So You Want Some Bubbles,eh…?

Refusing to let his dreams fade and die, Michail Antonio has seldom had more to smile about. The West Ham hero and FFT’s Breakthrough Man of the Year reveals his route to the top.

Hal Robson-kanu Sends Belgium For A Hot Dog

The highlight of Wales’ wondrous Euro 2016 was their cult hero flummoxing three Belgians to secure a semi-final spot. FFT meets up with our Goal of the Year winner.