FIFA President Sepp Blatter Neglecting His Latin Homework
by Gabriele Marcotti (Commentary | London Times - February 12)
As president of Fifa, Sepp Blatter is the game’s most powerful politician and on Wednesday he showed that, like his colleagues in parliaments throughout the world, he too can appear disconnected from reality. more details | go to article

Big Drop In Transfer Market
by Gabriele Marcotti (Analysis | Wall Street Journal - January 31)
Top Clubs Slow Spending as Debt, U.K. Tax Changes Ripple Through Sport more details | go to article

Fabio Capello Will Not Prioritise Penalties
by Gabriele Marcotti (Blog Entry | London Times - December 8)
n today's e-mail bulletin we asked: "How will the England manager remedy the national team's poor record in penalty shoot-outs at major tournaments?" more details | go to article

A Level Playing Field? Not This Way
by Gabriele Marcotti (Commentary | Sports Illustrated - February 18)
A little more than a week ago, I was invited to a roundtable chat with UEFA president Michel Platini. One phrase stood out: "We need to reintroduce the concept of morality in football. We have to permit everybody to have a chance to win." more details | go to article

Exercise In Futility
by Gabriele Marcotti (Commentary | Sports Illustrated - August 17)
I engaged in a bit of masochism on Wednesday night. With the help of three televisions, two satellite dishes, my trusty DVD recorder and several cups of coffee, I watched four international friendlies: Ireland vs. Holland, England vs. Greece, Italy vs Croatia and Norway vs. Brazil. more details | go to article

2010: An African Odyssey
by Gabriele Marcotti (Commentary | Sports Illustrated - July 11)
I don't like predictions. With the best of intentions, it's extremely difficult and there is always some moron who goes back to point out what an idiot you are when you get it wrong. (A minority of Celtic fans continue to circulate a column I wrote for this website some six years ago in which my predictions went spectacularly awry.) more details | go to article

Totti's Time
by Gabriele Marcotti (Profile/Interview | Sports Illustrated - June 16)
Italy star relishes last chance to shine on world stage more details | go to article

Overzealous Anti-Doping Agency Risks Violating Players' Basic Rights
by Gabriele Marcotti (Commentary | Sports Illustrated - October 21)
Ask most 10-year-olds and they'll tell you there is a difference between a performance-enhancing drug like, say, nandrolone, and recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine or even alcohol. The former help you play better (at least in theory) and are a form of cheating. The latter have nothing whatsoever to do with sports. more details | go to article

No Respect: Copa America
by Gabriele Marcotti (Analysis | Sports Illustrated - July 14)
For a competition that is older than both the European Championship and the World Cup, the Copa America gets remarkably little respect. For the past few decades, it has been plagued by defections, usually from European-based stars whose clubs pressure them into taking a rest over the summer. more details | go to article

Officials Steal The Show As Monaco, Depor Take Advantage In First Legs
by Gabriele Marcotti (Analysis | Sports Illustrated - April 22)
Also: Question of the Week re: Man United signings, including Tim Howard. more details | go to article

Football putting its trust in faith
by Gabriele Marcotti (Analysis | London Times - April 12)
Manuel Vazquez Montalban, the late Catalan writer, described football as the only viable religion of the third millennium. He argued that the end of the Cold War and the passing of the great ideological battles of the 1960s and 1970s, coupled with the crisis of Western religions, had left a spiritual void that was now filled by football. more details | go to article