THE FOOTBALL FACULTY
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Faculty Originals

Faculty Originals
FF

Tottenham Hotspur’s incentive problem: When players bear too little cost for failure

Tottenham Hotspur are firmly in the mire. On their worst run since the Premier League began and sitting just a single point above the…

The Football Faculty · March 8, 2026

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Photo of the Week: Chaotic protests mar Africa Cup of Nations finale

Senegalese players leave the field in protest following referee Jean Jacques Ndala’s decision to award a stoppage time penalty to opponents Morocco. The African…

The Football Faculty · January 19, 2026

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How a World Cup became less about football and more about money

Any remaining hope that FIFA might deliver an inclusive and accessible World Cup in 2026 has been extinguished over the past few weeks. A…

The Football Faculty · December 14, 2025

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Party Conference Special: Labour’s game plan for football reform

This is the second in a series examining how the UK’s major political parties approach football policy. In this edition we have taken a…

The Football Faculty · November 3, 2025

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Passport to play: Inside Malaysia’s football eligibility scandal

For years, Malaysian football fans have dreamt of the day their national team would take centre stage. A proud Southeast Asian nation with a…

The Football Faculty · October 14, 2025

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Party Conference Special: The Liberal Democrats and Ed Davey’s fight for the fans

This is the first in a series examining how the UK’s major political parties approach football policy. While many try to keep politics and…

The Football Faculty · October 11, 2025

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Napoli’s Armani partnership redefines how clubs build their brand

Traditionally, the elite of world football turn to global giants like Nike, Adidas, and Puma to kit out their stars. But in 2021, Napoli…

The Football Faculty · October 7, 2025

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Tottenham Hotspur ‘not for sale’—but can we really trust that?

The Board of Tottenham Hotspur were unequivocal in their dismissal of two expressions of interest for the purchase of the North London club. The…

The Football Faculty · September 25, 2025

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Photo of the Week: Bodø/Glimt make Champions League history

Bodø/Glimt players celebrate their qualification for the Champions League Group Phase following a 6-1 aggregate victory over Austrian side Sturm Graz. Bodø/Glimt made history…

The Football Faculty · September 23, 2025

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The World Cup of Capitalism: Mamdani takes Aim at FIFA’s dynamic pricing

New York City’s mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has taken aim at FIFA’s use of dynamic ticket pricing ahead of the World Cup in 2026.…

The Football Faculty · September 15, 2025

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Photo of the Week: Independiente disqualified from Copa Sudamericana after violent clashes

Independiente fans scale the perimeter fences as violence mars their Copa Sudamericana clash with Universidad de Chile. Violent clashes forced an abandonment to the…

The Football Faculty · September 10, 2025

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Why Aston Villa are proof loan-to-buy deals are taking over football

The Premier League’s recent summer transfer window was like no other. Expenditure eclipsed the £3bn mark for the first time, the British transfer record…

The Football Faculty · September 3, 2025

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Is Daniel Levy’s chairmanship of Tottenham Hotspur built on a fallacy?

Few executives in football create the level of division and debate as Daniel Levy at Spurs. Famed for his hard-nosed approach to business, Levy…

The Football Faculty · August 26, 2025

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Who is to blame for Crystal Palace’s Europa League demotion?

The start of the new season was supposed to be a continuation of a summer’s long celebration for Crystal Palace. After lifting the club’s…

The Football Faculty · August 21, 2025

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Why Spurs and Manchester United would be deserving of a seat at Europe’s top table

The eyes of the footballing world will be on the Spanish city of Bilbao this week, as two of European football’s trailblazers contest the…

The Football Faculty · May 20, 2025

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Why the Premier League must get creative in response to Chelsea fan outrage

Ticket touting has existed in English football for as long as most can remember. The practice of buying tickets for a game with the…

The Football Faculty · May 12, 2025

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Why extending Mohamed Salah became a ‘no brainer’ for Liverpool

Liverpool’s now inevitable romp to their second Premier League title will naturally be the main headline grabber come the end of the season. But…

The Football Faculty · April 21, 2025

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Why the anthem debate represents a no-win situation for Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel’s England reign started in seamless fashion this month, with comfortable victories over Albania and Latvia at Wembley Stadium. His first international camp…

The Football Faculty · March 26, 2025

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Will expanding the FIFA World Cup lessen its appeal?

It is a challenge these days to avoid addressing any new FIFA proposal without a healthy dose of cynicism. Gianni Infantino’s Swiss based association…

The Football Faculty · March 9, 2025

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Howie Roseman: The Philadelphia Eagles’ Master Manipulator

Howie Roseman has been one of the most effective executives in the National Football League for years now, but this past season was his…

The Football Faculty · March 1, 2025

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Why sour grapes don’t help the case against Manchester City

You don’t have to be an avid follower of football to be aware of the financial cases that have been made against Manchester City.…

The Football Faculty · March 1, 2025

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The decisions that define Daniel Levy’s relationship with Tottenham Hotspur

It has been nearly a quarter of a century since ENIC and Daniel Levy acquired Tottenham Hotspur — yes we did include the ‘Hotspur’…

The Football Faculty · February 23, 2025

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Why Manchester City’s ‘win’ is a defeat for football

Manchester City scored what appeared to be a huge legal victory this month when their latest legal challenge to Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules…

The Football Faculty · February 17, 2025

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Will legislative change help facilitate a Brazilian renaissance?

The English might well take credit for the birth and creation of modern football, but for many the soul of the game originates slightly…

The Football Faculty · February 12, 2025