Matt Barker

Matt Barker is a freelance journalist and regular feature contributor to FourFourTwo magazine. He specialises in Serie A and Italian football, has interviewed players including Michael Owen and Gianluigi Buffon, as well as covering stories such as Silvio Berlusconi's purchase of AC Milan, and Ronaldo's injury-plagued time at Inter Milan at the turn of the century. 

Latest articles by Matt Barker

AC Milan
Building a brand and pumping up TV rights: How Silvio Berlusconi's reign as AC Milan owner shaped modern football

By Matt Barker Last updated

LONGREAD In 1986, Silvio Berlusconi bought a struggling AC Milan and turned them into football's first modern superclub, paving the way for the Premier League

LONGREAD
Romelu Lukaku
How Romelu Lukaku's time at Inter re-made the Belgian striker into one of the world's best goalscorers

By Matt Barker Published

LUKAKU Romelu Lukaku has been named on FourFourTwo's list of the world's best players after a year that brought a Serie A title and a £98m move to Chelsea

LUKAKU
Pat Nevin Chelsea
Pat Nevin interview: “My nickname was ‘Weirdo’ for a long time. I was always thinking, ‘Oh, no I’m the normal one…”

By Matt Barker Published

Chelsea winger Pat Nevin saw himself as a student, music critic and activist before a footballer. During his 1980s heyday, Nevin was the game's great outsider, regularly appearing in the NME, his alternative diversions featuring knife attacks, The Proclaimers and Saddam Hussein’s secret police...

Person
RONALDO INTER MILAN
Ronaldo at Inter Milan: The UEFA Cup, the goals and the injuries – the full story of his time in Italy

By Matt Barker Published

Ronaldo was the best player on the planet and signed for a world-record fee... but Inter Milan still didn't win the Scudetto. What happened?

Player
null
"That season put Liverpool back on the European map" – remembering 2001 with Michael Owen, England's last Ballon d'Or winner

By Matt Barker Published

Liverpool After a season that saw Liverpool win a treble, Michael Owen was crowned Europe's best player. He and Jamie Carragher talk his annus mirabilis, and ponder why he doesn't get the credit he deserves

Liverpool
Gigi Buffon FFT
The big interview: Gianluigi Buffon – "Goalkeepers are perverse – you’re playing a game where everyone uses their feet, but you want to use your hands"

By Matt Barker Last updated

The Big Interview What did he think of his world record transfer fee? How did he deal with his depression? And what made him stick around in Serie B? Your questions answered in July 2014...

The Big Interview
Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard
Milan '88: The inside story of Sacchi's all-conquering kings, as told by them

By Matt Barker Last updated

Milan Matt Barker looks back at the two-time European champions' glorious side, starring a visionary tactician, watertight backline and three superstars from the Netherlands

Milan

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: