Author: Martyn Green

Gre-No-Li: Milan’s Unstoppable Swedes

Published on by Martyn Green

Zlatan Ibrahimovic recently announced that he was looking to sign another contract at Milan, in his 40th year, having led the line alongside Olivier Giroud as the Rossoneri lead the Serie A table and look for a first Serie A win since 2011. He has helped the cause with more than just his eight goals this season; he is an icon, a gravitational presence that inspires and intimidates in equal measure. But he is far from the first Swede to make his way to the San Siro, and in the minds of many, he may not even be the best.

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What do you do when the GOATs are gone?

Published on by Martyn Green

According to Twitter, the Messi and Ronaldo era is over. It is important not to overestimate their decline; Ronaldo won the golden boot at the European Championships less that 12 months ago, and as fans discovered against Monaco, a PSG side without Messi is still significantly weaker than a PSG side with him. But the fact that neither will play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League feels like an important, if somewhat arbitrary, watershed. Barring injury, both will play at the World Cup in the winter, and Messi might even get to another one in 2026, but their time is coming.

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Big Promises, Rapid Decline: How Hertha’s Dream became a Nightmare

Published on by Martyn Green

When the full-time whistle blew at BORUSSIA-PARK, Gladbach collected just their second win in ten games, putting some of their genuine relegation fears to rest. But on the other side of the coin were Hertha Berlin, whose collapse has been reminiscent of Schalke’s capitulation a couple of seasons ago, and who are staring down the barrel of the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in a decade. But it was all supposed to be very, very different.

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