Dibyendu Maji

Real Madrid has the perfect 4-1-2-3 formation that has guided them to five Champions League titles in the last 9 years. As much as it feels like it, this is not just happenstance.  Everything changed for the club after the 12-13 season of the UCL, the year that Bayern Munich won their fifth Champions League title by defeating their arch rivals BVB Dortmund. The years before that, it were the PL clubs and Real's ultimate league rival FC Barcelona who dominated the UCL more prominently. The Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich were there as well, intimidating the league by qualifying for three finals in four years. Real was led by the great Jose Mourinho that year, the same stupendous mind who had won the UCL with Porto. Real Madrid lost the semi finals to the Yellow Giants of Bundesliga, thrashed heavily by their rising star Lewandowski. However, the next season, Carlo Ancelotti stepped in as the coach of the Los Blancos and helped them go on to win the Copa Del Ray and the p...

If India were today to play a match against world's mighty Brazil, India would be more than happy to not concede more than three goals. Or perhaps five! A 2-0 loss might feel okay to do. A 1-0 might feel uplifting. A 1-0 'loss', might I! Not a 1-0 win, no: that's impossible! India is ranked 104 in a list of more than 200 football playing nations. Surely, the second most populated and one of the fastest developing countries in the world is capable of way more than that!  It is true to say Indian Football is in a mess. The team is, the management is; so is marketing, investment and political orientation. If any remedial structure isnt considered immediately, the whole system will crumble down to the ground.  Why do I say this?  The Political Instability Well, it's not unheard of that few weeks ago the Indian National Football team was nullified by FIFA, even temporarily so. This was done because (esteemed) FIFA found political disability within the governi...

After being linked to a number of clubs including the likes of Manchester City and PSG, and with a foreseeable future away from Juventus, the GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo finally joins his former club Manchester United.  Cristiano's first spell with MUFC saw him achieve 118 Goals and 69 Assists in 292 Games and win a total of 10 trophies including the Premiere League thrice. He was the Player of the Tournament twice in the PL. He also managed to bring along one UCL for the most hyped club in England; thereby making it the most successful and decorated club in England.  Now with this gigantically massive signing, Manchester United are certainly looking to win a number of trophies this season. Hope together they can achieve all those important trophies they want (except the Champions League of course; that belongs in Munich 😁)  (This definitely has to be the craziest Transfer Window ever.)  Image Credits: Manchester United, Ch...

"Leaving Barcelona was so hard, but I'm so happy to join Paris Saint-Germain, an ambitious club with a top team."- Leo Messi (source: Champions League)  Crashing economy at FC Barcelona ensures Leo Messi is no longer a one-club man. The move to PSG is perhaps, the best thing that could have happened to him in this uncertainty.  He is now reunited with his best friend Neymarjr. Although it would be unfathomable to watch Leomessi in a non- Barcelona shirt (excluding Argentina, of course) and that too without a number 10 below his name; the entire world can still descry the attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe take charge against the strongest defences in Europe.  It would be a bliss if this trio clicks. Hope for the best future possible at PSG.  😢 ➡️ 😀  Image Credits: PSG, Barcelona, Transfermarket  -Written by Dibyendu Maji (aka Kris) on 11.08.21 

If you ask, what determination and hunger can make do, I'll just show you this match. 2017 witnessed the biggest comeback in the UCL, in the history of Football. Fc Barcelona were down by 4 goals against PSG from the first leg and the quarters were looking too far away. It did so until the 86th minute of this match as well when Barca were up by 3-1 but trailing in the aggregate score by 5-3, until Neymar Jr, the prince of football, showed up and turned the game around completely. The very next minute saw a beautifully taken free kick by Neymar enhance the scoreline for the cules. Just in the nick of the 90th minute, Suarez obtained a penalty for Neymar who scored perfect. Barca had tied the scores but would still lose the spot in the quarters to PSG on account of away goals. It was in the final minute of the extra time when even Ter-Stegen, the Barca goalkeeper had come up to add to the attack. He procured a free kick that was soon taken. That was the last effort Barca ...

A club's legacy is not created in one day, neither is perfectly maintained throughout once established. A club's legacy is created by the sweat and blood of players, the effort of the staff and the emotions of its fans. Today's greatest clubs were once novice, and they built their legacy over time. It is certainly a disgrace to football to mark certain clubs with the tag of eliteness, clubs that possess all as in money to give, and purloin the excitement and thrill of newer beginnings and newer creations of history.  Football is a game of equality. A privileged and elite society of footballing clubs coming together to exclusively play in one tournament deeming it as the centre of the world's best, will be unjust for every other club, player and fan across the globe. The installation of the European Super League will compromise the excitement of football.  Why do I say so?  We have the UCL, the most competitive and the biggest stage in world football for Euro...

    Although Indian sports is defined by the achievements of the country in sports as such Cricket and Hockey, it would be wrong to say Football, the most popular game in the world, is not a majorly followed sport in the Indian Subcontinent. Various parts of India do not just watch football, they embrace football, they live football; especially those parts of the Northeast and the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka, and most especially, the city of Kolkata. This article showcases the biggest rivalry in Kolkata, the biggest rivalry in India, and one of the biggest rivalries in the entire world, of football; the famous encounter between the teams of Mohun Bagan AC (footballing department being called ATK Mohun Bagan) and SC East Bengal; the Kolkata Derby.   Club Details :      Mohun Bagan AC was founded on 15 August 1889; 131 years ago (as Mohun Bagan Sporting Club). The president of the Club is Swapan Sadhan Bose and the football team manager is Antoni...

    It was an amazing decade, the previous one, now wasn't it? Let's look back upon some marvelous moments of excitement and thrill football witnessed in that time. Marvel the decade's 5 most interesting and memorable football matches as by me (2010-2020) :  5. Barca Vs Chelsea, 2012      The Spanish monsters and the English giants were put against each other in a nail-biting encounter for a spot in the final round of the prestigious title of the Champions League in 2012.      Chelsea had already found themselves out of the national League competition to the Manchester clubs and were pushing to have themselves register atleast into the following year's UCL or even UEL for that matter when things become competent, given their absolutely terrible condition in the Premiere League. They ended up 6th.      On the other hand Barca had themselves quite some help trying for the Spanish league champions (that but went futile...