Stakes High for Russia in Europa League

Andy Shenk looks at the three Russian clubs remaining in European competition…

Three Russian clubs remain from the six that entered European competition this season. Moscow clubs Dynamo, CSKA and Spartak are out, while Zenit, Rubin and Anzhi advance to the Europa League round of 32, which kicks off today across Europe.

In a nation eager to regain a top-six UEFA ranking, and the extra Champions League place that comes with it, the autumn European campaign was almost a complete disaster. Champions League failure and disappointing exits from CSKA and Dynamo in August left Anzhi and Rubin the only bright spots.  Continue reading

African Cup of Nations 2013 Preview: Group D

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The False Nine’s David Dodds previews Group D in the African Cup of Nations…

Ivory Coast

This is the so-called Golden Generation of Ivorian football, and it’s little surprise that this is the case given how stacked their squad is with players who have European pedigree. Continue reading

TFN Looks Back at 2012: Part 1

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It’s undoubtedly been a fantastic year for sport and not least football. We asked our writers and friends ten questions that we hoped would sum up 2012 and offer a wide range of memories on the year past. Happy New Year!

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2012-13 Russian Premier League Halfway Point Review: Race for the Title

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False Nine editor, Andrew Belt, assesses the front-runners of the Russian Premier League in the first of three 2012-13 review pieces of the campaign so far as the teams ease into the winter break…

Two weekends ago, the Russian Premier League broke up for the safety of warmth during winter as harsh weather comes to the country. Continue reading

Liverpool vs Anzhi Preview: Russia’s Black Swan Comes to Anfield

False Nine editor, Andrew Belt charts the rapid progression of Anzhi Makhachkala ahead of their away trip to Liverpool in the Europa League. The third and final part of a trilogy previewing the game, comparisons are made between the evolution of the club and the growth of a rare type of swan…

Misanthropic TV critic, Charlie Brooker, blew the whistle on a particularly vulgar American TV programme on his Screenwipe review several years ago. Called The Swan, supposed ‘ugly ducklings’ were transformed into ‘beautiful swans’ via painful plastic surgery. Continue reading

Liverpool vs Anzhi Preview: Lacina Traore

Ahead of Liverpool’s Europa League clash with Anzhi, False Nine editor Hugo Greenhalgh profiles dangerman Lacina Traore…

Think of Anzhi Makhachkala and the first thing that comes to mind will probably be Samuel Eto’o. Continue reading

The Changing Face of European Football

False Nine writer Ethan Meade forecasts greater challenges from Eastern Europe and Paris in elite European competition…

Upon his election as President of UEFA, Michel Platini made it an express concern to diffuse European power away from solely in the hands of the traditional powerhouses. He had numerous plans to do this, ranging from changing the format of Champions League qualification, to the often mentioned, but seldom properly understood, Financial Fair Play rules. Continue reading