Education

Poor Gary Neville. The former Manchester United captain took over at Valencia in December, making him the 20th British manager to try his luck in Spain. He has yet to get a win after eight games. Remember, this is a side that finished 4th in La Liga last year, and boasts some considerable talent in Paco Alcacer, Alvaro Negredo and Sofiane Feghouli. They now sit in 11th, and haven't won since the 7th of November. The pressure is definitely starting to mount for the newest addition to the British Manager Abroad Club.

On the surface, soccer seems to be strikingly different from other sports such as American football and rugby, but 19th century soccer actually shared more in common with these sports than you might think. Here are five surprising traits from the early version of the game. 

1. You could catch the ball

Located on the Basque threshold, the range between the Cantabrian and Pyrenees mountains, is the historical port city of Bilbao and its corresponding club, Athletic Bilbao. An evolving service city that has experienced a massive boost in tourism thanks to the opening of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum – a stunning museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Frank Gehry – Bilbao is a fascinating crossroads of deep-rooted history and progressive renewal.

While many soccer brands have been around since the early 1900s, jersey and individual player sponsorship slowly emerged in the mid-century. Iconic European companies like Umbro and Adidas were early player favorites but, in recent years, global behemoth Nike has set their sights on becoming the biggest brand in soccer. Last year, the American company put out one of the best soccer commercials which included some of the world’s most popular players like Ronaldo, Neymar and Rooney.

The 15/16 iteration of Barcelona could go down as the best attacking side of all time; the 14/15 version arguably already has. This is because the front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar Jr. has been nothing short of unstoppable when they have all shared the pitch. While the three are known to get along quite well, we are going to pit them against one another. Specifically we are going to look at Messi vs. Neymar. 

While its self-entitled billing as “the greatest league in the world” is certainly open to debate, there’s no doubting the Premier League’s popularity and appeal throughout the world. Our Premier League guide will get you up to speed with regards to the league's history, format, clubs and players.

With a global fan following of 1.46 billion, or 70 percent of the world’s estimated 2.08 billion football fans, the Premier League is enjoyed around the planet.

Rumors of Scottish football’s demise have NOT been greatly exaggerated. Founded in 1873, Scotland’s Football Association (SFA) is the second oldest in the world (behind England’s), but it is currently at a crossroads. Known worldwide for the “Old Firm” rivalry between Celtic and Rangers, by far the two biggest clubs in Scotland, the top-flight Scottish Premiership has lost a lot of lustre since financial shenanigans led to Rangers’ relegation in 2012.

Welcome to The18’s La Liga guide, the highest level on the Spanish football pyramid and arguably the best league in European and world football. Despite what you may have heard, it’s not just Real Madrid and Barcelona; there are 18 other clubs that compete with the two giants for the Spanish title. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about La Liga’s history, top players, and current season. Vamos!