Latest articles by Dani Gil
‘Real Madrid wanted me, but I knew they were never going to trigger my release clause’ Gaizka Mendieta on the offers he got to leave Valencia
EXCLUSIVE The Spanish playmaker spent nine seasons at Valencia before his 2001 move to Lazio
‘Gareth Southgate wasn’t honest with me – he left me on the bench without explanation when he took over at Middlesbrough’ Gaizka Mendieta on falling out with the future England boss
EXCLUSIVE The Spanish playmaker famously fell out with his then-Boro boss
‘I don’t know if Cristiano understood the ramifications of his meeting with Donald Trump’ Louis Saha on Ronaldo’s White House encounter
EXCLUSIVE The Portuguese icon met with the President of the United States at the White House in November
‘Ronaldo will reach 1,000 goals easily, I have no doubt. It’s a milestone that matters to him – something he’s had in mind for years’ Nani on Cristiano Ronaldo’s ultimate goalscoring quest
EXCLUSIVE Ronaldo’s former club and country team-mate knows exactly how driven the goalscoring icon is
Jeers, protests and moments of brilliance: Barcelona can once again boast a derby of real stature
Barcelona vs Espanyol is livelier than ever - with rat placards the centrepiece for the biggest game in Catalonia
‘I can’t imagine myself in any world other than football, though I don’t know in what role. For now, I just want to keep scoring goals’ Pedro on the secrets of his longevity and what next
EXCLUSIVE The Spaniard has won just about everything there is to win in the game
‘Antonio Conte changed everything. He revolutionised football in England’ Pedro on Conte’s seismic impact at Chelsea
EXCLUSIVE Pedro was in his second season at Chelsea when the title-winning Italian arrived
‘I have no doubt Lionel Messi will play at the World Cup – he’s fully capable of continuing as a leader for the national team’ Argentina great tells FFT that Inter Miami star can keep on shining on the global stage next summer
In an exclusive interview, an Albiceleste hero is confident that Messi's impact will continue for some time yet
‘I’m convinced it will be unforgettable’ Javier Zanetti tells FourFourTwo about joining forces with Rivaldo, Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko to launch new global tournament at Walt Disney World
The Argentine great is one of several footballing legends backing an event that brings together top academy teams and inspiring grassroots sides
‘Our fans died travelling to Madrid. We played to honour them and the Bernabeu applauded us’ Former Premier League striker remembers the most difficult game he ever played in
Former Liverpool striker Florent Sinama Pongolle joined Spanish LaLiga side Recreativo Huelva following his spell in England
‘Pep told me to enjoy it. It was a reward. I was the first Canary Islander to play in a Champions League final’ Pedro reveals calming instructions he received in biggest game of his career
Former Barcelona winger Pedro is among the most decorated footballers of the modern era
‘I couldn’t speak with Mourinho when I left Roma – maybe one day we’ll have the chance to sit down, and he can truly explain what happened’ Pedro reflects on his Jose Mourinho split
EXCLUSIVE The World Cup winner left Mourinho’s Roma for cross-town rivals Lazio in 2021
Real Madrid nemesis Pep Guardiola extends unique Santiago Bernabeu record with Manchester City
Once again, Pep Guardiola proved to be Real Madrid’s nemesis as Manchester City inflicted a second league phase defeat on the Santiago Bernabéu club
‘We were all disappointed, but the real question was why Figo left. It’s just not normal for a Barcelona player to join Real Madrid’ Jari Litmanen on Luis Figo’s explosive Nou Camp exit
EXCLUSIVE The Portuguese star made the controversial move from the Camp Nou to the Bernabeu in 2000
‘I suffered heart rhythm problems after signing for Fulham. A combination of my health issues and the team’s need for fit players meant Roy Hodgson stopped counting on me’ Why Jari Litmanen never played for Fulham
EXCLUSIVE The Finn reunited with his former national team boss at Craven Cottage in 2008
‘To have been part of Zlatan’s career when he was still growing into the player he became, it’s something that makes me happy’ Jari Litmanen on playing alongside a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic
EXCLUSIVE The playmaking pair line-up alongside each other during Litmanen’s second spell at Ajax
‘Arsene Wenger showed me the Arsenal training ground and I was convinced. Then my team-mate said he was going to Liverpool so I decided on Anfield instead’ Why Florent Sinama Pongolle turned down the Gunners
EXCLUSIVE The Frenchman ended up signing for Liverpool as a 16-year-old in 2001
‘I dreamed of being like Ronaldo, Rivaldo or Diego Maradona and lifting a World Cup – something unattainable. But it was real’ Pedro reflects on Spain’s 2010 triumph
EXCLUSIVE The former Barcelona and Chelsea star was handed a place in the starting line-up for the 2010 World Cup final
‘I had three options: Bayern, Barcelona and Liverpool. I went to Barca – it’s a special club and I followed La Liga because of Cruyff and Koeman’ Jari Litmanen on his Nou Camp stint
EXCLUSIVE The Finn ended his superlative seven-year stint at Ajax when he joined Barcelona 1999
‘I missed Liverpool’s Champions League parade because my flight was delayed. I cried - I was part of that too’ Florent Sinama Pongolle on his 2005 regret
EXCLUSIVE The former Reds forward was left disappointed after Liverpool’s iconic 2005 Champions League victory
‘It was fascinating to watch how Bergkamp controlled the ball, managed space and stayed so calm in front of goal. That year alongside him was really valuable for me’ What Jari Litmanen learned from the Dutch legend
EXCLUSIVE The pair spent a season together at Ajax before the Dutchman moved on
‘I wanted to wear 77 at Liverpool to combine my idols Keegan and Dalglish, who were both No.7, but they told me it was too high’ Jari Litmanen on what it meant to sign for Liverpool
EXCLUSIVE The Finnish legend made the move to Anfield in January 2001
‘I had a grass allergy a week before the Champions League final. My eyes were red, my throat was sore and I didn’t feel right but I played anyway’ Jari Litmanen on his European triumph at Ajax
EXCLUSIVE The Finn was a key part of Ajax's brilliant 1994/95 Champions League win
