News of Dan Edwards

Dan Edwards

Dan Edwards

Diego's impossibly swollen ankle, Goycochea the hero, Maradona and Caniggia destroying Brazil, Naples in rebellion – Italia 90’s memorable storylines ensure that it’s still remembered 30 years on, especially in Argentina.

FOOTBALL

Epic Italia ‘90 continues to live long in the memory

04-07-2020 09:35 If Italia '90 was a grainy Fellini masterpiece, complex, tense and unafraid to lay bare humanity at its ugliest and, therefore, most real, four years later football had already crossed the line into pure Disney fantasy.

by Dan Edwards

Will Ricardo Centurión be rejoining Carlos Tevez at Boca Juniors next season?

FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

Tevez likely to re-sign with Boca – will Centurión be joining him?

25-06-2020 23:29 There may be no date yet for a resumption of top-flight football in Argentina, but that's not stopping Boca Juniors from making moves in the transfer market.

by Dan Edwards

“Everything is very difficult due to the uncertainty it generates and it is getting harder and harder to accept it,” the River boss fired off to Radio La Red this week.

FOOTBALL

Gallardo unafraid to go against AFA on virus crisis

20-06-2020 11:48 River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo voices his discontent at the Covid-19 lockdown. He might be wrong on this occasion, but at least he’s willing to stray from AFA’s party line.

by Dan Edwards

Ignacio Scocco.

FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

Two of the league’s most dependable veterans bow out

13-06-2020 10:56 Ignacio Scocco and Gastón Fernández will surely not have to wait too long until they are toasted once again by the River Plate and Estudiantes faithful respectively.

by Dan Edwards

Riestra, based in the southern Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Villa Soldati, a stone's throw from more illustrious neighbours San Lorenzo's home stadium, were caught holding a training session on Wednesday which involved several players being put through their paces by the club's fitness coach.

FOOTBALL UNDER LOCKDOWN

Deportivo Riestra in hot water after lockdown training breach

06-06-2020 10:28 Villa Soldati side gain the dubious honour of becoming Argentina’s first club to break coronavirus lockdown rules.

by Dan Edwards

Barra violence doesn´t stop with pandemic virus.

HOOLIGAN VIOLENCE

Barra violence continues in Argentina – with or without football

30-05-2020 08:58 Failed assasination attempt on Boca hooligan Marcelo ‘El Manco’ Aravena shows that not even a global pandemic and the cancellation of matches can stop barra violence.

by Dan Edwards

AFA – and Chiqui Tapia – have reasserted their control of the local game.

FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

Old habits hard to shake as AFA regains control of top-flight football

21-05-2020 23:08 AFA President Claudio 'Chiqui' Tapia awarded fresh four-year term, as football governing body regains control of top-flight football, bringing in new Liga de Fútbol Profesional to replace Superliga.

by Dan Edwards

The superclasico River- Boca and the reminder of the pepper incident.

BOCA-RIVER RIVALRY

The Superclásico that took the Boca-River rivalry to new heights

16-05-2020 10:00 Thursday marked the fifth anniversary of the infamous Boca-River Libertadores pepper-spray incident, an event that pushed the rivals’ animosity to almost-unseen levels.

by Dan Edwards

Internacional coach Eduardo Coudet oversees a training session in a face mask.

WORLD FOOTBALL

Brazil takes tentative steps toward restarting football, unlike Argentina

09-05-2020 09:02 For once, officials in Argentina are adopting a sensible approach to a high-profile issue – unlike the country’s giant neighbour to the north.

by Dan Edwards

AFA’s decision to suspend relegation in the top flight for two years has attracted fierce criticism.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

AFA’s attempt to be decisive only ends up being divisive

02-05-2020 09:00 If any observers were hoping that questions about the future of Argentine football would be answered this week they were to be sorely disappointed, if not entirely surprised.

by Dan Edwards

Just what form the top flight will take once this crisis finally passes is still very much up in the air.

FUTURE OF LOCAL FOOTBALL

Football officials toy with removing relegation amid virus shutdown

25-04-2020 09:59 Argentine football has now been paralysed for more than a month, causing immense damage to the budgets and bank balance of almost every team in the country.

by Dan Edwards

Istiqlol were crowned champions of Tajikstan, despite WHO recommendations that games be halted.

FOOTBALL & CORONAVIRUS

Desperate fans await football's return, though some are still going

19-04-2020 08:04 Just four leagues in the world continue to hold professional football matches, with Nicaragua the sole American nation that has not shut down the activity.

by Dan Edwards

Bielsa, followed quickly by the rest of the first team, was one of the first in the English game to take a voluntary pay cut in order to keep Leeds’ finances above water.

‘EL LOCO’ IN LEEDS

Marcelo Bielsa’s value should be measured in far more than titles

11-04-2020 08:32 Yes, there are naysayers, but Marcelo Bielsa’s is once again leading by example amid the coronavirus pandemic, proving once again that his impact goes above and beyond the trophy cabinet.

by Dan Edwards

Carlos Tevez belongs to the lucky few in football who – thanks to his long years in England, Italy and China – enjoy total financial security.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Footballers are easy targets for virus-tinged anger at high earners

04-04-2020 08:26 There’s a lot of talk about the cutting of salaries amid the coronavirus pandemic, but there’s no reason footballers should be singled out above other societal high-earners.

by Dan Edwards

He continued to represent youths like himself, from Argentina’s most deprived, precarious neighbourhoods, until the end of 2017 when he was diagnosed with tongue cancer.

TALES FROM THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

René Houseman: the football star devoted to Argentina’s villas

28-03-2020 11:47 El Loco, the ex-Huracán and Argentina idol who passed away two years ago this week, was a true villero who never forgot his roots.

by Dan Edwards

A measure that will be a huge inconvenience for Superliga clubs may well prove devastating in the lower leagues, deprived of even the modest incomes they rely on to pay playing staff and survive.

NO FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

Argentina’s lower leagues will be hit hard by virus crisis

21-03-2020 09:13 Cancellation is an inconvenience for Superliga clubs, but it may prove to be devastating for those hanging on in the lower leagues, deprived of even the modest incomes they rely on.

by Dan Edwards

Few could have imagined River Plate’s jitters at the final post, drawing against both Defensa y Justicia and Atlético Tucumán to throw away what would have been their first league title since 2014.

BOCA CAMPEON

Superiga glory makes Russo the toast of La Boca

14-03-2020 07:56 Who, at the start of the season, would’ve predicted that Boca would take the title against Maradona’s Gimnasia, with Russo on the bench and Riquelme in the directors’ box?

by Dan Edwards

Fifteen years have passed since River Plate and Boca Juniors went head-to-head for the title on the final day of a Primera season.

Argentine superliga

Not even a River-Boca title showdown will save the Superliga

06-03-2020 11:41 At breakneck speed and with an outrageous ad hoc rule change thrown in for good measure, the Superliga's days appear to be numbered.

by Dan Edwards

Perhaps the most miraculous outcome of this latest wave of violence is that nobody was killed or suffered lifethreatening injuries in either of the three most serious incidents.

FOOTBALL IN ARGENTINA

Football resumes after Summer break – and sadly, so does fan violence

29-02-2020 10:10 Until both clubs and the authorities get serious on supporter violence, and hand down suitable punishments, football in Argentina will remain locked in the same old cycle.

by Dan Edwards

Sergio Agüero, plying his trade for Manchester City.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Man City’s ban sparks dreams of prodigal sons

23-02-2020 16:41 UEFA bombshell greeted with glee in Argentina, but calm down, the top stars are not returning home anytime soon.

by Dan Edwards

The 21-year-old has decided to pursue his career in England’s Premier League as soon as possible.

FOOTBALL TRANSFERS

MacAllister crowns Pre-Olympic glory with Premier League slot

08-02-2020 09:41 Brighton & Hove Albion’s gain is Boca Junior’s loss at crucial stage for the xeneizes.

by Dan Edwards

Javier Mascherano, Marcos Rojo and Daniel Osvaldo.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Ageing stars return to Argentina as transfer window closes

01-02-2020 09:07 Yesterday saw the Argentine summer transfer window slam shut, although at some points it was difficult to notice – aside from the inevitable, endless rumour mill – that it had ever opened.

by Dan Edwards

River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

River bid to complete Gallardo’s CV as Superliga returns

25-01-2020 11:17 Almost half the Superliga kicks off the new year dreaming of glory, but the 'Millo' know that just seven games separate them from domestic glory.

by Dan Edwards

Fernando Batista oversees a training session of Argentina’s Under-23 squad.

ALBICELESTE U23S

Albiceleste U23s kick off Olympic quest in Colombia

18-01-2020 12:18 Argentina’s footballers are the latest to try and book their ticket to Japan, with the Pre-Olympic Qualifying tournament kicking off today.

by Dan Edwards

“The Argentine Football Association must express its profound concern with regards to the Superliga’s attitude in not agreeing the fixture calendar with it, taking into account the international commitments of our national team,” the statement reads.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Argentina’s top flight continues to suffer perennial problems

11-01-2020 10:53 As happens every year, 2020 has commenced with a bitter dispute between those in charge of the national game over the fixture list.

by Dan Edwards

Lionel Messi proving that he not only has a temper but is even capable of losing it, there was barely time to take it all in before it was time for the next bombshell to land.

2020: THE YEAR IN PREVIEW

What lies ahead for Argentine football in 2020

04-01-2020 09:12 As December comes to a close and January arrives at speed, it is all the same hard to believe that another year has gone by. For in the topsy-turvy world of Argentine football, each period of 365 days can often feel like an entire decade.

by Dan Edwards

Juan Román Riquelme’s late intervention into the Boca Juniors election galvanised fans and ensured a record turn-out on polling day.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

New beginnings, and no little rebuilding, ahead for ‘Big Five’

21-12-2019 12:33 The turn of the year will see Argentina’s biggest clubs line up with a host of new players, new coaches and, in some cases, even new presidents sitting in the boardroom.

by Dan Edwards

Argentinos Juniors are sitting pretty ahead of the likes of Boca Juniors, River Plate and Racing Club.

ARGENTINE SUPERLIGA

Alberto’s beloved Argentinos Juniors sitting pretty in Superliga

14-12-2019 09:06 Few would have bet on the Paternal side being anything more than top-half challengers in 2019-2020, making their fine form in this first half of the season such a surprise.

by Dan Edwards

In this 2013 file photo, Boca Juniors’ then-player Juan Román Riquelme and president Daniel Angelici watch a match at La Bombonera. The club holds elections on December 8.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

No love lost in Boca Jnrs bitter election battle

07-12-2019 12:12 Xeneize idol Juan Román Riquelme turned the club’s universe on its head – now we’ll find out how much weight his name carries.

by Dan Edwards

Marcelo Gallardo stands on the pitch after River Plate’s dramatic defeat to Flamengo in the Copa Libertadores final.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Gallardo ponders future after River’s dramatic Libertadores defeat

30-11-2019 09:28 Last weekend’s Libertadores loss to Flamengo will barely taint El Muñeco’s sparkling legacy. Now he has to decide if he has the appetite to go again, or take his chances in Europe.

by Dan Edwards

Juan Román Riquelme.

BOCA ELECTIONS

Boca legend Riquelme shakes up club’s elections

23-11-2019 10:03 Dynasty first formed when Macri came to the Xeneize presidency in 1995 is under threat, after retired playmaker jumps into club politics.

by Dan Edwards

River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo attends a training session in Lima, ahead of the Copa Libertadores final against Brazil's Flamengo.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Marcelo Gallardo leads irrepressible River to another shot at glory

22-11-2019 07:00 Saturday's first one-off Copa Libertadores final will be an intriguing clash between two of South America's biggest, most talented clubs. Flamengo are looking to end their drought – while River and Marcelo Gallardo want to take one more step towards immortality.

by Dan Edwards

CONMEBOL officials hold a press conference announcing the location of the Libertadores Cup final in Luque, Paraguay.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Fans lose out again in last-minute Libertadores final switch

09-11-2019 11:58 The one-off Copa Libertadores final already excluded loyal supporters from the chance of seeing their heroes in action in the biggest game of the year. This latest switch only rubs that fact even harder.

by Dan Edwards

Maradona on his throne.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Watch the throne: Newell’s give Maradona the royal treatment

02-11-2019 09:39 Gimnasia were a moribund club prior to his arrival – now, they’re dreaming of a great escape marshalled by their eccentric little trainer.

by Dan Edwards

River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo instructs his players during a Copa Libertadores semi-final second leg against Boca Juniors at La Bombonera.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Marcelo Gallardo continues to haunt Boca as inquest gets underway

25-10-2019 07:00 Five times Boca have lined up against Marcelo Gallardo, with three different coaches, in cup competition. And five times they have ended up on the losing side.

by Dan Edwards

Boca’s players, pictured during training this week.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Boca get into the mystic ahead of clash with River

19-10-2019 11:06 Xeneize looking to an astrologer in their quest to overcome their arch-rivals in the second leg of the upcoming Copa Libertadores semi-final.

by Dan Edwards

Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni watches on as the Albiceleste take on Germany in Dortmund on Wednesday.

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

Albiceleste serve up game of two halves in Dortmund

12-10-2019 12:54 Argentina were shockingly bad in the first half against an under-strength Germany, before responding with a stronger showing in the second 45 minutes.

by Dan Edwards

Boca Juniors players leave the field after their 0-2 loss against River Plate at the Monumental on Tuesday.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Timid Boca play straight into River’s hands

05-10-2019 10:29 River stroll to victory in Libertadores semi first leg. Now, the Xeneize need to stop complaining about VAR and focus on how they can defeat what may be the continent’s best footballing side.

by Dan Edwards

Pity Martínez slots home River’s final goal in last year’s Copa Libertadores second-leg final clash in Madrid.

COPA LIBERTADORES

Boca, River set to write a fresh chapter of ancient rivalry

28-09-2019 04:24 Tuesday’s Libertadores semi-final clash promises much – and Boca will clearly be hoping to hit back following their devastating final defeat in Madrid last year.

by Dan Edwards

River Plate celebrate clinching the Recopa Sudamericana title.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Regular supporters suffer as hooligans, security forces turn Lanús into a warzone

21-09-2019 11:37 Policing football in Buenos Aires Province is difficult, sure, but violence will only be eradicated by consistent, systematic policies – not big shows of force.

by Dan Edwards

Diego takes on daunting challenge with out-of-form Gimnasia.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Diego takes on daunting challenge with out-of-form Gimnasia

14-09-2019 00:24 Maradona’s coaching credentials may still not convince everyone, but perhaps no other sporting figure on earth is capable of awakening such furore by merely sitting on the bench.

by Dan Edwards

Boca Juniors’ Daniele De Rossi, centre, speaks to teammate Carlos Izquierdoz, right, during the match against River Plate.

FOOTBALL

Safety-first Superclásico fails to live up to expectations

07-09-2019 01:56 Amid all the hype, publicity and, occasionally, grim apocalyptic undertones afforded to each Superclásico, it is easy to sometimes forget that under it all is a simple football match.

by Dan Edwards

A devastated fan stands outside Bury Football Club’s stadium.

FOOTBALL

Bury and Bolton serve as cautionary tales for Argentine clubs

31-08-2019 01:21 Argentina should be in no rush to wrest clubs out of fans’ control and open up the Superliga to private owners.

by Dan Edwards

Reynoso (Boca Juniors) celebrates his goal, as well as Ignacio Fernández (River).

COPA LIBERTADORES

Boca and River on course for another Libertadores Superclásico

24-08-2019 12:27 Both Buenos Aires giants dispatched their quarter-final rivals with ease in this week’s first legs to inch closer to another blockbuster last-four clash.

by Dan Edwards

The late José Luis ‘Tata’ Brown.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

How ‘Tata’ Brown who wrote himself into the history books

17-08-2019 09:17 1986 World Cup winner José Luis ‘Tata’ Brown passed away this week, after a long, bitter battle against Alzheimer’s Disease. His greatest achievement, however – and the spirit that took him there – will live long in the memory.

by Dan Edwards

Brothers Ángel and Óscar Romero have joined San Lorenzo.

TRANSFERS

Baptism of fire awaits for Superliga’s new star signings

10-08-2019 12:52 Every team in Argentina’s team have been active ahead of the new season. And while one transfer caught the eye, all the new recruits must hit the ground running.

by Dan Edwards

Matías Lammens (left) and Marcelo Tinelli.

FOOTBALL

Lammens hopes to echoe San Lorenzo’s success at the ballot box

03-08-2019 12:49 Matías Lammens is hardly the first Argentine to jump from the beautiful game into politics. But does he stand a chance against City Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta?

by Dan Edwards

Fernando Gago (centre) holds up a Vélez shirt at his presentation ceremony.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Injury-stricken Gago hopes move to Vélez will put past behind him

13-07-2019 10:23 Still only 33, former Real Madrid, Valencia and Roma star has played just 39 club games in the last three years. Will Fernando’s fresh start help him rebuild his career?

by Dan Edwards

Argentina’s players applaud fans after their loss to Brazil on Tuesday.

ARGENTINE FOOTBALL

Copa América ends in anti-climax for Argentina

06-07-2019 11:19 The Albiceleste were hoping to have another chance at glory this weekend, but instead they’re set for the third-place play-off – a match absolutely nobody wants to play.

by Dan Edwards

Lionel Messi and Venezuela’s Junior Moreno greet each other at the end of their Copa América football tournament quarter-final match at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

COPA AMERICA

Argentina comfortably handles Venezuela, moves on to face Brazil

29-06-2019 08:19 Albiceleste advance to semi-finals as youngsters Martínez and Lo Celso take on the responsability of putting the ball in the net. Next up they face hosts Brazil.

by Dan Edwards