Love him or hate him, Diego Maradona’s electric return to football ended far too soon. Taking the reins of Argentina in 2008, Maradona guided the national side through a last-gasp qualifying campaign and then inspired his players to produce the most entertaining football of the first round of the World...

After being appointed England manager in December 2007, Fabio Capello boldly announced that the role would be the last of his career. Two and half years later and that prophecy has quickly turned pear-shaped. England’s embarrassing defeat to Germany sent the Three Lions crashing out of the World...

You’ve got to hand it to the man; he certainly is not short on self-confidence. According to reports, on Friday night Jose Mourinho agreed in principle to become the next coach of Real Madrid. Nevermind the fact that Madrid have yet to fire their current coach, Manuel Pelligrini. And nevermind...

West Ham officials finally took the decision to sack one of the most likeable blokes in football, Gianfranco Zola. Although it wasn’t so long ago that the Italian genius was terrorizing Premiership defenses with his skill and vision for Chelsea, during his 20 months at Upton Park those extraordinary...

Last week brought the news every Liverpool supporter has been pining for: Tom Hicks and George Gillett are set to end their ill-advised, hapless, three-year association with the club. Read more

We here at Footy Factor anointed him Manager of the Decade last December. But just when we thought Jose Mourinho’s star couldn’t rise any further into the stratosphere, it seems the Special One is still hitting new heights. Inter’s recent dismantling of the reigning European Champions...

Juventus and Liverpool are two proud clubs, forever linked by one of football’s darkest moments – the Heysel Stadium tragedy of 1985. It’s perhaps fitting then that 25 years after that fatal evening, Juventus is throwing Liverpool a lifeline during one of the darkest periods on Merseyside. Read...

Avram Grant isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. A relatively unknown quantity before shooting to fame as manager of Chelsea in September 2007, Grant’s lethargic demeanour was never likely to win over the home fans after The Special One. But since that infamous rain-soaked night in Moscow,...

Mick McCarthy – Wolves We regret to inform you that “McCarthyism” is enveloping the English game. Now let’s be clear: this is in no way related to the communist witch-hunt that struck fear and suspicion into American hearts during the 1950s. Instead, this is a philosophy of cowardice and...

Just weeks to go until the bubbly is uncorked and the drunken masses spill into messy versions of auld lang syne. We here at Footy Factor headquarters are celebrating the decade’s end by honouring the best football teams, figures, matches and moments of the past 10 years. First up… Manager...