
Michael Yokhin
Michael Yokhin is a European football writer. In addition to FourFourTwo, he wrote for Guardian, BBC, ESPN, Blizzard, New York Times, Independent, 11Freunde, Josimar and others. He takes keen interest in leagues, teams and players that might be a bit out of the main focus in the mainstream media, and loves football history as well.
Latest articles by Michael Yokhin

Maccabi Tel Aviv: Israel's Cruyff-led Bayern Munich (with two Tal Ben Haims)
By Michael Yokhin published
Maccabi Tel Aviv Michael Yokhin provides the lowdown on Chelsea's latest Champions League opponents...

Yacine Brahimi: The Arsenal-linked winger who idolises Zidane and plays like Mahrez
By Michael Yokhin published
Talentspotter The Gunners are reportedly interested in the Algeria international, who's angling for a move away from Porto. Michael Yokhin introduces the talented, but occasionally troubled, winger...

FourFourTwo’s 100 Best Teenagers in the World 2017: 90-81
By Michael Yokhin last updated
100 Best Teenagers Two of England’s rising stars feature here – including the kid who spurned Pep Guardiola and grabbed Ousmane Dembele’s vacant No.7 shirt at Dortmund

How Russia wasted seven years ahead of hosting the 2018 World Cup
By Michael Yokhin last updated
FIFA World Cup At Euro 2008, they looked like one of Europe’s most exciting emerging sides – yet their World Cup build-up has been a shambles, as Michael Yokhin explains

Anderlecht: The Belgians with a Premier League-linked wonderkid to hurt Spurs
By Michael Yokhin published
Anderlecht Michael Yokhin introduces the Pro League side who many Tottenham supporters will know all too well...

FourFourTwo’s 50 Best Football Managers in the World 2017: No.13, Lucien Favre
By Michael Yokhin last updated
FFT 50 Managers He took Nice into a Champions League qualification spot in 2017 – but nobody should be too shocked, as Lucien Favre has form for overperforming

Faouzi Ghoulam: Meet the Arsenal target who could be their left-back solution
By Michael Yokhin published
Talentspotter Michael Yokhin offers the lowdown on the left-back who could be on his way to the Premier League

10 La Liga bargains who should interest Premier League clubs this January – and who they’d suit
By Michael Yokhin published
La Liga Great value is hard to find right now, but these stars from Spain could be intriguing to top-flight clubs says Michael Yokhin

10 breakout stars we can't wait to see at World Cup 2018
By Michael Yokhin last updated
World Cup Michael Yokhin picks out a handful of lesser-known gems who could shine in Russia next summer

FourFourTwo’s 50 Best Football Managers in the World 2016: No.18, Lars Lagerback
By Michael Yokhin last updated
FFT 50 Managers Sweden didn’t know what they’d got until he was gone. After some unappreciated international achievements, the late bloomer duly took Iceland to new heights and helped create Europe’s feel-good story of 2016

FourFourTwo’s 100 Best Teenagers in the World 2017: No.8, Matthijs de Ligt
By Michael Yokhin published
100 Best Teenagers It wasn't all near misses and woe for Ajax last season – in large part thanks to their record-breaking Holland international who's just getting started

8 big stories to look out for in football this weekend
By Michael Yokhin published
FourFourTwo An emotional pitch to Arjen Robben, Serie A's oddest head-to-head and Turkey's madcap league season all feature in Michael Yokhin's weekly review

10 players we're (very) excited to see in the Champions League group stage
By Michael Yokhin published
UEFA Champions League It’s back! Europe’s premier competition kicks off for another instalment this week – and these are the stars we can’t wait to watch

FourFourTwo’s 100 Best Teenagers in the World 2017: No.2, Kylian Mbappe
By Michael Yokhin published
100 Best Teenagers Has a player ever progressed so quickly? 2016/17 was Mbappe's first full professional campaign – but so good it was that France couldn't ignore him and PSG were happy to shell out €180m to get him

Tiemoue Bakayoko: Meet Chelsea's new general who was straightened out by Makelele
By Michael Yokhin published
Talentspotter Michael Yokhin profiles Monaco's former problem child who the Blues are about to splash £35 million on

Emanuele Giaccherini: Italy's Sunderland reject with a fascinating backstory
By Michael Yokhin last updated
Emanuele Giaccherini The Black Cats lost patience in his second season and sent him out on loan, but it’s not the first time the Italian has bounced back from adversity. Michael Yokhin tells his intriguing tale…

The 8 big stories to look out for in football this weekend
By Michael Yokhin published
FourFourTwo The man who's big on both sides of the Rome derby, Benfica's Portuguese wonderkid who could seal the title, and the Turkish Puyol saving Fenerbahce’s season – all you need to know in Michael Yokhin’s weekly round-up

FourFourTwo's 100 Best Football Players in the World 2017: No.5, Kevin De Bruyne
By Michael Yokhin last updated
FFT100 The world's most complete midfielder is dropping jaws with his defence-splitting brilliance – and setting himself on the path to superstardom

6 players Real Madrid could sign to get back among Europe’s elite
By Michael Yokhin published
Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane will get huge funds to spend in the summer, after a dismal year at the Bernabeu. But who should he bring in to overhaul an ageing squad?

FourFourTwo’s 50 Best Football Managers in the World 2016: No.5, Unai Emery
By Michael Yokhin last updated
FFT 50 Managers How does Emery do it every year? Michael Yokhin gives the lowdown on the three successive Europa League wins with Sevilla, following years of success elsewhere in Spain, that earned him a career-defining move to glory-craving PSG

Meet Ahmed Musa: Nigeria's speedster set to boost Leicester's Champions League charge
By Michael Yokhin published
Talentspotter The 23-year-old Nigeria international could have joined Ranieri's fantastic Foxes in January, but thank goodness he didn't. The Russian Premier League champion could join the English champions now instead...

FourFourTwo's 100 Best Football Players in the World 2017: No.27, Thibaut Courtois
By Michael Yokhin last updated
FFT100 The Chelsea and Belgium net-minder has developed into one of the world's best at Stamford Bridge

Krasnodar: Only six years old, never promoted, no fans – but a threat to Everton
By Michael Yokhin last updated
Krasnodar Michael Yokhin fills you in on the stuff you need to know about FC Krasnodar, Russia's community club on the rise...
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