Arthur Renard

Arthur Renard has been writing for FourFourTwo since 2013, when Ronald Koeman hosted him for a Readers interview in a small room in stadium De Kuip. Two years later Arthur moved to London, where he still lives and from where he covers English football, while he has also been travelling the world to cover events like the World Cup and Copa America.

Latest articles by Arthur Renard

Netherlands squad World Cup 2026: Ronald Koeman's squad to face Japan

By Arthur Renard, Ewan Gennery, Isaac Stacey Stronge, Joe Donnohue Last updated

The Netherlands' World Cup 2026 squad has been finalised by national team boss Ronald Koeman

Team
‘Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona was one of the best teams ever, but we had something they didn’t – we were the first Barca side to win the European Cup’ Michael Laudrup compares his Barca Dream Team side to Pep’s juggernaut

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Before Pep's iconic side, there was the Barca 'Dream Team' in the early 1990s

EXCLUSIVE
‘It was down to me or Pep Guardiola for the Barcelona job. You can’t really say that they made the wrong choice!’ Michael Laudrup opens up on missing out on the Barca job

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Both were greats on the Barca pitch before they were up against each other for the top job at the Camp Nou

EXCLUSIVE
‘I told Diego Maradona his laces weren’t tied and he shrugged it off. He played six minutes like that, as if he was playing on the street!’ Michael Laudrup on his incredible encounter with the football legend

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Danish legend played with - and against - some of the greatest players of his generation

EXCLUSIVE
‘Johan Cruyff influenced the way I saw football. In the last two decades, even the smaller teams have started playing his attacking brand of football’ Michael Laudrup opens up on his time at Barcelona

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Dane joined up with his boyhood hero at the Camp Nou in 1989

EXCLUSIVE
‘I was keen to join Liverpool, but they changed their offer and I felt it wasn’t fair’ Michael Laudrup on missing out on Anfield move

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Danish icon almost came to English football with Liverpool

EXCLUSIVE
Christian Vieri of Italy, 1998 World Cup
‘Viv Richards was my favourite cricketer, together with Ian Botham. During the coronavirus period I thought about trying to train with the Italian national team’ Christian Vieri on his love for cricket

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The legendary Italian forward wasn't just handy with a football when he was growing up

EXCLUSIVE
Christian Vieri playing for Inter, 2002
‘I nearly signed for Spurs, but decided on Monaco. A guy also called to ask me if I wanted to join Chelsea, but I said no. I wanted to stay at Inter at the time’ Christian Vieri reveals his Premier League snubs

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The much-travelled Italian forward never made it to British shores

EXCLUSIVE
Ronaldo replaces Christian Vieri in an Inter game against Fiorentina in 2001.
“Ronaldo was from another planet, like a gift from God, but sometimes you’d see a piece of metal coming out of his knee. I was like, ‘What the f**k is that?!’” Christian Vieri on his best-ever team-mate

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Christian Vieri played alongside the Brazilian icon for three years at Inter Milan

EXCLUSIVE
Italian footballers Christian Panucci and Christian Vieri in action for Real Madrid and Atletico in a derby match in 1998.
“Atletico’s president once bet me a Ferrari if I scored a hat-trick. I’d left for Lazio by the time it was finally delivered, so said, ‘It’s OK, you can keep it’.” Christian Vieri recalls his La Liga spell

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The journeyman Italy striker spent a year at Atletico Madrid

EXCLUSIVE
LIVERPOOL - APRIL 12: Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard of Liverpool applaud the fans after the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Liverpool and Fulham on April 12, 2003 at Anfield in Liverpool, England. Liverpool won the match 2-0. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
'I called my agent after one training session with Owen and Gerrard and said, "There are two boys you should sign if you’re not silly". But he didn’t come!': Ex-Liverpool striker recalls first encounter with star duo in 1997

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Liverpool produced two greats in Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen, but one agent failed to take advantage of their situations

EXCLUSIVE
4 July 1990 - West Germany v England - FIFA World Cup Semi-Final - Stadio delle Alpi - The West Germany team before the match. (Back Row L-R: Thomas Berthold, Bodo Illgner, Jurgen Kohler, Rudi Voller, Guido Buchwald, Klaus Augenthaler. Front Row L-R: Olaf Thon, Thomas Hassler, Andreas Brehme, Jurgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthaus.) - (Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images)
‘I’d never taken a penalty before the Italia 90 semi-final against England, but Peter Shilton was in goal and wasn’t the quickest – it was quite easy to score’: West Germany hero reflects on beating Three Lions in World Cup clash

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE West Germany defeated England on penalties at the 1990 World Cup, with one player taking his first ever spot-kick in the shootout

EXCLUSIVE
9 Aug 1997: Karl-Heinz Riedle of Liverpool jumps above Dean Blackwell of Wimbledon during the FA Carling Premiership match at Selhurst Park in London, England. The match was drawn 1-1. \ Mandatory Credit: Shaun Botterill /Allsport
‘It was an incredible experience to go to Liverpool. I sang a Bavarian song for my initiation but it didn’t last long – after 30 seconds I got beer over my head’: German star reveals unruly welcome at Anfield from his team-mates

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Liverpool players didn't enjoy one German players' initiation song...

EXCLUSIVE
Steve McManaman in action for Liverpool, January 1995
'I fell on the floor and shouted for a penalty. Someone pulled me up and said, "Don’t cheat to win penalties". It was Steve McManaman. I never did it again!' Ex-Liverpool forward reveals harsh lesson he learnt from his team-mate on Reds debut

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE One Liverpool signing learnt from team-mate Steve McManaman that cheating wasn't tolerated in the Premier League

EXCLUSIVE
Paul Gascoigne Lazio
‘I only played with Gazza for a year, but could still write a book about it! People remember him for his behaviour, which is a shame because he was incredible’ Paul Gascoigne's former team-mate reveals what playing alongside the Englishman was really like

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Former Germany and Liverpool forward Riedle spent a year with Gazza at Lazio

EXCLUSIVE
Virgil van Dijk feels the manner of Liverpool's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup was 'unnecessary'

By Arthur Renard Published

Liverpool's captain admits his team's performance in the League Cup semi-final was below their usual standards

Competition
“I got knocked down by a big Irish striker after the first touch on my debut – I was lying on the floor, then Gus Poyet said, ‘Hey, welcome to British football!’”: Ex-Chelsea star recalls first Premier League encounter

By Ryan Dabbs Published

A former Chelsea player had to learn about the British style of football the hard way...

Person
LONDON - MAY 11: Jesper Gronkjaer of Chelsea celebrates scoring the winning goal during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Chelsea and Liverpool held on May 11, 2003 at Stamford Bridge, in London. Chelsea won the match 2-1. (Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images)
‘It was without a doubt one of the most important matches that I played in my career. It wasn’t just Champions League football – it was a whole club at stake’: Ex-Chelsea star opens up on key game which changed the Blues' fortunes forever

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Chelsea became a completely new club overnight, following one key victory

EXCLUSIVE
‘Sven asked if I’d like to play for England – even to be considered made me proud, but I don’t think they really wanted a foreign player in the national team’: Former Premier League star reveals conversations over converting nationality

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Sven Goran-Eriksson wanted an Italian star playing in the Premier League to turn out for England two decades ago

Player
The stats behind Lamine Yamal’s Golden Boy award, as reports surface of a 'logistical dispute' as the reason Barcelona didn't attend

By Arthur Renard Published

FourFourTwo were at the awards to see the Spanish youngster win with record points tally

Person
'They are lowest, and we are fifth or sixth in the league' Oliver Glasner on the weakness he spotted in Manchester City

By Arthur Renard Published

Crystal Palace were unlucky not to take all three points from the reigning Premier League champions

Competition
'Loves football, humble, no strange things' Enzo Maresca reminisces about coaching Cole Palmer at Manchester City AND Chelsea

By Arthur Renard Published

The Chelsea manager knows his star player extremely well, having first coached him four years ago

Competition
Enzo Maresca offers surprising appraisal of Chelsea's Premier League title chances

By Arthur Renard Published

Chelsea are heading in the right direction, with people are starting to assess their title chances

Player
Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Rodri kisses the trophy as he receives the Ballon d'Or award during the 2024 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28, 2024.
'I had to do better in the last third': Rodri explains how evolving his game helped him land Ballon d’Or

By Arthur Renard Published

Spanish midfielder Rodri is the first Manchester City player to win the Ballon d'Or and the first Premier League footballer since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008

Team
Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Rodri receives the Ballon d'Or award during the 2024 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28, 2024.
Ballon d'Or 2024: The full standings

By Mark White Published

The full standings of the Ballon d'Or begun this afternoon, with the winner announced tonight

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