Admit it: when Iker Casillas lifted the Euro 2012 trophy, you felt a twinge of despondency. Not because Spain didnâÂÂt deserve to win, but because it meant the end of the football festival. But never fear! FourFourTwo is here to soothe your Euro hangover with a brand-spanking new issue, chock-a-block with brilliant articles on Brazilians (not that kind), the Euros, and much more!
HeâÂÂs turned down Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Chelsea â but fortunately not us! â we speak exclusively to Neymar, BrazilâÂÂs future (and current) superstar, as he reveals to us how he deals with comparisons to Lionel Messi, his reaction to the relentless media spotlight, and whether heâÂÂll make the trip across the Atlantic any time soon â and not just as part of Brazil's Olympic squad...
Keeping with the Samba theme, the legendary Ronaldinho answers your One on One questions /â from the dangers of training with his dog to the mechanics of the elastico dribble, and whether he really intended that goal against David Seaman.
It would be remiss of us not to look back on Euro 2012, so our round-up reminds you of the highs and lows of an intriguing tournament â and speculate as to whatâÂÂs next for the England team.
But donâÂÂt despair â the football just keeps coming. FourFourTwo gives you 15 reasons why this yearâÂÂs Olympic football tournament is set to be so much more than just a summer also-ran, as well as a guide to the players and teams you should keep an eye on.
While the Olympians are going for gold, there'll be plenty of money changing hands as the summer transfer market hots up â and in this issue we investigate the workings of the infamous rumour mill. From the underhand tactics players use to fashion a move to the journalists fighting it out for the top stories, itâÂÂs a surprisingly complex system that gives fans the gossip, media the attention â and players the golden contracts.
It's not all gold and glory, though. If you thought your five-a-side hamstring tweak was bad, spare a thought for poor old Salvador Cabanas, whose international career was shattered when he was shot in the head after an unprovoked altercation in a bar. We follow his remarkable story as, two years on, he fights to return to first-team football.
Also, we revisit Crystal PalaceâÂÂs extraordinary 1992 pre-season tour of apartheid-ravaged South Africa. As the country faced civil war, Mark Bright, John Salako and the rest of the Eagles squad braved a torrent of hatred. FourFourTwo finds out what it's like to play football in a country on the brink of social revolution.
Streetwise, or just plain cheating? Craftily clever, or downright immoral? We investigate the diving epidemic that is threatening to throw the global game into disrepute.
As ever in FourFourTwo, there's far more to read: a beginnerâÂÂs guide to âÂÂgolfootâÂÂ, the hybrid sport thatâÂÂs taking Europe by storm; an interview with Argentina boss Alejandro Sabella on how to get the best out of Messi & Co.; Jlloyd SamuelâÂÂs eye-opening adventures in Iran â and much, much more.
The August issue of FourFourTwo was brought to you by⦠Franco Baresi, Andy Cole, Ronaldinho, Claudio Lopez, Neymar, Robbie Savage, David Seaman, 'Doctor' Khumalo, Ashley Young, Micah Richards, Ramires, Ron Noades, Tostao, Pepe, Salvador Cabanas, John Salako, Dino Zoff, Patrick Suffo, Alejandro Sabella, Gordon Taylor, Lee Dixon, Jlloyd Samuel, Terry Venables, Graeme Le Saux, the anonymous figures who control the transfer rumour mill, Mo Farah, Marlon Devonish, blind footballer Dave Clarke and Kelly Smith.
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