Planet Football Series

Planet Football: Greatest Managers

by Clive Gifford

Published 11 February 2016

Awesome facts and stats about the greatest football managers in the world. From the Premier League to the Bundesliga, Champions League winners to World Cup winners, find out what makes a winning coach or manager.

Find out how Arsene Wenger motivates his players; why Louis Van Gaal is considered to be one of the best and about Dutch masters, Louis Van Gaal, Guus Huddink and Ronald Koeman. Is it all about having good players? Can the transfer market make or break a manager?

Read about Alex Ferguson, Jose Morinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Frank de Boer, Vitor Pereira, Joachim Low and Silvia Neid.

Find out who is the youngest coach to win the UEFA Champions league, which coach had a stadium in South Korea named after them and which coach led the 2014 FIFA World Cup winning team.

Read about football managing icons, such as Brian Clough and Bob Paisley.

Whether you're an armchair fanatic or a football player, you'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the world's greatest managers and players right here!

Planet Football: Greatest Fans

by Clive Gifford

Published 11 February 2016

Awesome facts and stats about the greatest football fans in the world! Find out the lengths some fans will go to to support their team, from following them in home and away games to spending fortunes on club merchandise. Find out about club superstitions and traditions, such as who started the first Mexican wave. What mad mascots are there and how did they come about? Who are Super Rat, Berni, Goleo and Fuleco? Which country has the best club chants? Sing along to a few of them.

Some 'fan'-tastic facts include:
- Real Madrid sold 1.5 million replica shirts in the 2013-2014 season
- German club, FC Magdeburg, fans all held up large arrows which they pointed at the goal to encourage their players to score more
- 2,300 FC Union fans, repainted their stadium to save their club money

Answer quiz questions such as:
Which English football club has a mascot called Gunnersaurus Rex?
Which country's prime minister was such a big football fan that he declared a national holiday after their national team won a tournament?
Which Italian club sold cans of air taken from inside its stadium?

Whether you're an armchair fanatic or a player, you'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the planet's greatest fans right here!

Greatest Stadiums

by Clive Gifford

Published 14 January 2016

Awesome stats and facts about the greatest football stadiums in the world! From the Nou Camp and the Bernabeu in Spain, to Anfield, Old Trafford, the Emirates and Wembley in England, or the Maracana in Brazil. A football ground is more than just somewhere to view the game. For some fans, it's a home from home, a place of great excitement, tension, disappointment or elation. - Find out why some clubs have moved grounds. - Read about Braga's stadium, in Portugal, that is carved out of solid rock and The Float in Singapore, which is a floating pitch. - Which stadium is the biggest in Europe? - Which stadium crowd makes the most noise? -In which country would you find a stadium with a giant crocodile's head as part of its structure? Quotes from famous footballers and managers highlight why these stadiums are so special.

Greatest Players

by Clive Gifford

Published 14 January 2016

Incredible stats and facts tell you all about the greatest footballer players in the world. From the Premier League to the Bundesliga, Champions League winners to World Cup winners, find out what makes a truly inspirational player. From amazing goalkeepers such as Thibaut Courtois, Iker Casillas, David de Gea and Hope Solo, Central defenders such as Vincent Kompany and Thiago Silva; full backs like Philipp Lahm and Serge Aurier; midfielders such as Frank Lampard, Arturo Vidal and Toni Kroos; Wingers like Franck Riberty, Gareth Bale and Arjen Robben, attacking players such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and strikers like Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney Read about football icons, such as Peter Schmeichel, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini and Pele. Then answer the quiz questions: How many seasons in a row did Cristiano Ronaldo score 50 goals or more; which player has scored more goals for their national team than any other? and many more! Whether you're an armchair fanatic or a football player, you'll find everything you ever wanted to know about the world's greatest players right here!