Dani Gil

Latest articles by Dani Gil

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Behind the scenes: How PSG forward Ousmane Dembele's historic Ballon d'Or triumph unfolded

By Dani Gil Published

We travelled to Paris to peek behind the curtain of football’s biggest awards ceremony. On a night when a PSG player wins, it gets rather lively…

Stories
Jari Litmanen celebrates after scoring for Ajax against Panathinaikos in the Champions League semi-finals in April 1996.
‘I went on trial at Leeds, but English football was different then. Even if they’d offered me a contract, I would have said no’ Jari Litmanen on why he initially snubbed the English game

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Finn would go on to dazzle at Ajax

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‘Without my goal against Olympiacos, who knows if Liverpool would have pulled off the Miracle of Istanbul’ Former Reds star on his Champions League contribution

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Florent Sinama Pongolle didn’t feature in the Istanbul final, but had already played his part in the famous European run

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Pedro Rodriguez
‘Manchester United took too long to decide, the season was about to start, and I didn’t want to wait any longer, so I chose to join Chelsea instead’ Pedro opens up on snubbing the Red Devils

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Spanish World Cup winner left Barcelona for Chelsea in 2015

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Ronaldo
‘You looked at Cafu, Rivaldo, Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos – it felt like you were in a video game’ Juan Pablo Angel on the Colombia vs Brazil game that changed his life

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The former Aston Villa striker played 33 times for Colombia

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‘My time at Aston Villa was very special; I loved the club from day one because of the affection from the fans, who even made up a song dedicated to my name’ Juan Pablo Angel recalls an Aston Villa game that changed his life

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Colombian arrived in the West Midlands in 2001

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‘People ask me what it was like to play with Messi – he’s one of the best of all time. Playing alongside him in that Barcelona attack for so many years was incredible’ Pedro reveals what it’s really like to partner the Argentine icon

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Pedro and Messi were team-mates in Barcelona’s first-team for nine years

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Pedro celebrates after scoring for Barcelona against Manchester United at Wembley in the 2011 Champions League final.
‘Pep trusted me and taught me many things, not only on a professional level, but a personal one too. He’s like a father to me – he helped shape me as a person’ Pedro on Pep Guardiola’s influence at Barcelona

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The former Barca and Spain star came through the Camp Nou ranks during the Guardiola era

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Julio Cesar
‘It was our home World Cup and I made crucial saves to take it to a penalty shootout against Chile. That’s when goalkeepers stand alone against the world’ Julio Cesar recalls Brazil’s 2014 World Cup win over Chile

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The former Inter Milan stopper has recalled a dramatic knockout World Cup game on home soil

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Inter Milan lift the trophy after winning the 2009/10 Champions League
‘Jose Mourinho knew how to bring out the best in each of us. Inter had not been European champions for 45 years, but that did not put any pressure on’ Julio Cesar on the 2010 Champions League final

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The Brazilian stopper was between the sticks during Inter’s treble-winning campaign

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Barcelona players celebrate their Champions League final win over Arsenal in May 2006.
‘Henrik Larsson found me with a pass and I hit the ball with my whole soul. When I saw it go in, I wanted to get up to celebrate – my body wouldn’t let me’ Juliano Belletti on his 2006 Champions League winner

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The former Barcelona man broke Arsenal hearts with his Champions League winner

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Juliano Belletti
‘Frank Lampard said in front of everyone that I was the best, even though he was given man of the match. I’d played out of my usual position and it was perfect’ Juliano Belletti on his Chelsea highpoint

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Belletti spent three years at Stamford Bridge following a £4million move from Barcelona in 2007

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Andriy Shevchenko celebrates after scoring for Chelsea against Portsmouth in October 2006.
‘Working for Mourinho was a great experience – he was a master at motivating and knew how to strike the right chord with each player. We were his soldiers’ Andriy Shevchenko on his loyalty to his former Chelsea boss

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Jose Mourinho was in charge at Stamford Bridge when the Ukrainian completed his £30million move from AC Milan

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Andriy Shevchenko
‘Ian Rush gave me a pair of Nike boots and I treasured them for years. I tried playing with them once, until my big toes poked through the toe area!’ How a Liverpool legend helped inspire Andriy Shevchenko

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Shevchenko has recalled an early encounter with the Liverpool and Wales legend

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‘We dominated the game and I had a double chance that Dudek inexplicably saved. Football is beautiful for that reason. Never take anything for granted’ - Andriy Shevchenko relives 2005 Champions League defeat to Liverpool

By Steven Chicken Published

The former AC Milan striker could not believe what was happening when Rafa Benitez's Liverpool came from 3-0 down to win the 2005 Champions League final

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Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (C), flanked with Barcelona's midfielder Xavi Hernandez (R) and Barcelona's midfielder Andres Iniesta (L), poses with the 2010 Ballon d'Or trophy (Golden Ball) for the best European footballer of the year prior to the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) football match FC Barcelona vs Real Betis on January 12, 2011 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. AFP PHOTO/ LLUIS GENE (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)
'When I joined Barcelona, the president told me, ‘There’s this boy who will be superb’. He started training with us and I soon knew that he would replace me' Ludovic Giuly on knowing his Barca days were numbered

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The France international knew someone special was coming through the La Masia ranks

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Jens Lehmann is consoled by Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry after his red card in the 2006 Champions League final against Barcelona.
‘When Lehmann fouled Eto’o, I put the ball in the net. I was on cloud nine, but then I realised that the referee had blown his whistle for the foul. It was unfair’ Ludovic Giuly on Barcelona’s dramatic Champions League final comeback vs Arsenal

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE The French winger still believes he should have a Champions League final goal to his name

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Javier Zanetti
‘When we saw Sergio Busquets exaggerating, we felt a great injustice had been done. It made us mentally strong. We gave everything, we left our souls on the pitch’: Javier Zanetti on Inter Milan and Barcelona’s 2010 Champions League classic

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Inter Milan had to dig deep in their Champions League semi-final at the Camp Nou in 2010

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‘There was a time when it was said Xavi and I were incompatible – we proved the opposite. Our connection grew organically, without forcing anything’: Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta recalls early criticism when playing alongside team-mate

By Ryan Dabbs Published

Barcelona pair Andres Iniesta and Xavi formed arguably the best midfield ever, but people were doubtful at the start...

Stories
Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti lifts the Champions League trophy after victory against Bayern Munich in the 2010 final
‘Mourinho convinced us with actions, not words. Immediately, he made us believe we were capable of making history. His confidence gave us wings’: Inter Milan legend Javier Zanetti on the Special One’s instant San Siro impact

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Jose Mourinho won an historic treble with Inter Milan in 2010, with Javier Zanetti at the heart of his side

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Andres Iniesta (Barcelona) scores a goal. (Photo by liewig christian/Corbis via Getty Images)
‘The second leg at Chelsea will stay with me forever. Luckily, the ball went to the one spot where Petr Cech couldn’t reach it, which was almost miraculous’: Barcelona legend explains 2009 Champions League stunner at Stamford Bridge

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Barcelona shattered Chelsea hearts in the 2009 Champions League semi-final

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CHOFU, JAPAN - DECEMBER 15: Andres Iniesta of Barcelona looks on with Xavi after the Andres Iniesta Testimonial 'El Clasico' In Tokyo at Ajinomoto Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masashi Hara/Getty Images)
‘Many people expect me to coach Barca one day, but I’m not thinking about it. Hopefully one day I’ll return – Guardiola, Xavi and then me? Sounds good’: Andres Iniesta discusses potentially becoming Barcelona manager

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Andres Iniesta is a Barcelona legend who could potentially follow in the footsteps of other Blaugrana academy products

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UNSPECIFIED: 1988 Frank Rijkaard, Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit of AC Milan pose for photo after training session, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images) Real Madrid
‘To beat that team, with Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, was almost impossible - it was one of the greatest games of my coaching career': Ex-Real Madrid manager reflects on beating stacked AC Milan side in 1989

By Ryan Dabbs Published

EXCLUSIVE Real Madrid beat AC Milan in 1989 in what the winning manager claims is the best of his coaching career

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‘There was great chemistry from the start. I’d jump up with a smile on my face, as I knew that if I won the jump and touched the ball, he’d find it for a finish’: How Kevin Keegan proved the perfect strike partner at Liverpool

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE Kevin Keegan formed one of the best little and large partnerships the English game had ever seen in the 1970s at Liverpool

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'We lost the first league game of the season, then drew with Racing Santander. Spontaneously, I decided to go to Pep's office to reassure him. “Don’t worry,” I told him, “everything will be fine"': Andres Iniesta opens up his early Guardiola pep talk

By Joe Mewis Published

EXCLUSIVE When Barcelona appointed a rookie Guardiola in 2008, he had plenty of early doubters

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