MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : FOOTBALL EUROPE – FEBRUARY 1998

Peter Schmeichel is the cover star of Football Europe in the early months of 1998, as the magazine looks at the season so far across Europe.

There are four pages dedicated to the draw for Euro 2000, with all nine groups being previewed.

Getting just the three pages is Lillian Thuram, who will be joined at Parma by Faustino Asprilla, who returned to the club from Newcastle United this month.

There are six pages dedicated to the season so far in Europe, in all the major leagues.

Meanwhile in France, Basile Boli has been forced to retire as a result of a head injury while Sean Dundee wants to leave Kalrsruhe after a poor run of form.

Mouscron are making a complaint to UEFA after they weren’t allowed to play a home UEFA Cup tie against Metz in Lille.

As preparation for the World Cup nears, it has emerged that Scottish FA officials have booked flights home two days after their last group match, while Andy Hunt of West Bromwich Albion could be heading to the World Cup with Austria, after his Austrian Granny contacted Austria’s manager.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : FOOTBALL ITALIA – OCTOBER 1998

Christian Vieri is the cover star of this edition of Football Italia having just signed for Lazio.

Vieri’s move from Atletico Madrid to Lazio gets covered in news, as does Patrick Kluivert’s move from AC Milan to Barcelona, who areunder pressure to replace Ronaldo, who left the previous year.

Three pages are dedicated to Italy’s opening Euro 2000 game, a 2-0 win over Wales at Anfield, Dino Zoff’s first as manager.

There is also international action being reviewed in terms of Italian sides in the three main European competitions, with Juventus getting off to a slow start in their European Cup group.

Also getting reviewed is the early rounds of the Coppa Italia.

Inter Milan get a five page profile, which includes interviews with Roberto Baggio and Ronaldo.

Also getting a five page profile is Fiorentina, under new manager Giovanni Trappatoni.

Oliver Bierhoff gets profiled, having moved from Udinese to AC Milan.

Staying in Milan, there is a profile of Guiseppe Bergomi of Inter, one of the veteran players in Serie A.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : FOOTBALL EUROPE – JANUARY 1998

David Beckham is the cover star of Football Europe at the start of a World Cup year.

The editorial looks forward to the year ahead, predicting that an English club would win a European trophy, a prediction that would come true when Chelsea win the European Cup Winners Cup.

Diego Simeone, captain of Argentina, gets a three page interview as the gets ready for the Summer’s World Cup.

Talking of the World Cup, that gets a six page profile, with the draw for the finals having just been made.

Another draw, for the Euro 2000 Qualifiers, is on the horizon, and UEFA have announced that England would be a top seed.

Dynamo Kiev get a three page profile, described as a “dark horse” for the European Cup having beaten Barcelona home and away in the group stages.

Looking back at that group stages, there is a three page review of the group stages.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : FOOTBALL EUROPE – JANUARY 1999

Ian Wright is the cover star of Football Europe as the final year of the 20th century is about to start.

There is a look at demanding schedules and club’s abilities to balance domestic and international commitments, prompted by the fact that Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all lost on the weekend prior to Matchday 5 in the group stages of the European Cup.

In news, Ronaldo of Inter Milan is suffering injury problems, while Jean-Pierre Papin has announced his retirement from football, and Peter Schmeichel has announced he will be leaving Manchester United at the end of the season.

There is a profile of German football, with the national team struggling, as the country aims to bounce back to the top of European football at both club and international level.

There is a look at Qualifying for Euro 2000, with Belgium, who will co-host the tournament, and Norway both having bad form in friendly games, while Pippo Inzaghi has finally got his first goals for Italy.

After a successful World Cup, the focus is now on France’s domestic game, with the top flight getting a four page feature.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : FOOTBALL EUROPE – NOVEMBER 1998

David Beckham is the cover star of Football Europe as 1998 nears it’s end, but the 1998/1999 season is already in full swing.

As you open the magazine, there is a double page review of how Euro 2000 Qualifying has gone so far. Most teams have played three games, and the picture as to who will go to Holland and Belgium is anything but clear.

Headliners getting profiled include Artur Jorge, who is returning to manage PSG, and Mark Bosnich, likely to leave Aston Villa, but to Roma, who were put off by some of his behaviour on the pitch. He ended up signing for Manchester Untied in the summer of 1999.

Jose Antonio Camacho is the new manager of Spain, and Football Europe looks at the first battle he must win, against the Spanish media.

Someone else who has the media on his back is Alessandro Del Piero, after a poor run of form, and he gets a double page profile.

There is six pages of coverage profiling the group stages of the European Cup so far.

That final would be played in Barcelona, having just been announced by UEFA.

UEFA were also in the news as they tried to avoid a European Super League by getting rid of the European Cup Winners Cup and expanding the group stages of the European Cup to 32 teams.

There is a look at the season so far in Germany, and the question is asked if anyone can stop Bayern Munich.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : FOOTBALL EUROPE – MAY 1999

Paul Scholes is the cover star of Football Europe, in an edition that looks at England’s chances of qualifying for Euro 2000.

Headliners this month include Pep Guardiola, who doesn’t share the opinion of some of his Dutch team-mates that the La Liga title race is over and that Barcelona will stroll to the title.

Meanwhile, Kevin Campbell is also labelled as a “Headliner” having gotten off to a goalscoring start to his career at Everton, having returned to English football following a short spell in Turkey.

Inter Milan get a profile amid a turbulent season where they had three managers, but look set for no trophies.

Henrik Larsson gets profiled, having signed a four year deal with Celtic, with Football Europe asking why he doesn’t consider a move to England’s Premier League.

There is also a profile of football in The Balkans and the potential affect of Civil Unrest in the region, which has already seen various Euro 2000 Qualifiers postponed.

There are then four pages dedicated to the latest progress in the Euro 2000 Qualifiers.

There is a feature on the best football websites on the web, with UEFA’s official site getting a mention for having a section dedicate to the bids to host Euro 2004.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : MELODY MAKER – 24.5.2000

It’s late May and almost the summer, so Melody Maker suitably gets in a festival mood with this edition.

Travis are in a chart battle with Fat Les, who are doing England’s Euro 2000 song, hoping to get Number 1 as revenge for England putting Scotland out of Euro 2000.

Also hoping for a Number 1 is Toploader, who are going to release a one-off single after the success of Achilles Heel.

Elsewhere, Graham Coxon of Blur has gone solo, his sound being described as heavier than Blur.

Paul Daniels is subject of a Q and A, denying that he’s a right wing bigot.

Mark Gatiss of The League Of Gentlemen is interviewed as they prepare for a tour, a book and a Christmas special.

There is a four page feature listing the Top Ten Greatest Festivals of all-time. Unsurprisingly, the winner was Woodstock 1969.

One festival not on the list MTV’s Five Night Stand, headlined by Embrace, Muse and Primal Scream. It did get three pages of coverage in this edition of Melody Maker though.

Toploader were reviewing singles, giving their Single Of The Week to Crashland.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : IRISH SOCCER MAGAZINE – OCTOBER 1998

Paul Doolin of Bohemians and Denis Irwin are the cover stars of Irish Soccer Magazine, which you could have purchased for IR£1.50 at Tuthills. Sorry, I couldn’t get the sticker off.

The editorial focuses on Pat Dolan’s disillusionment with the League Of Ireland and his threat to quit, hoping that he doesn’t.

There is a preview of Republic Of Ireland’s forthcoming Euro 2000 away to Yugoslavia, stating that a draw would be a more than acceptable result.

That match would be postponed because of unrest in The Balkans, eventually being played in November 1998.

In foreign news, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal are said to be involved in the creation of a European Super League.

There is a feature on TV coverage of football in Republic Of Ireland, as a new commercial broadcaster, TV3, is launched, and this is welcomed, as it means competition for RTE will mean they have to raise their game.

As well as looking forward to Yugoslavia, there is a look back at Republic Of Ireland’s opening Euro 2000 Qualifier, a 2-0 win over World Cup Semi-Finalists Croatia.

Eamonn Gibson has a column on British football, where he writes that the Bosman Rule and foreign import at other clubs have caused Manchester United to stand still. There is also a feature on the possibility of Wimbledon relocating to Dublin, after a recent poll claimed Dubliners were in favour of it.

There is a preview of domestic games in October, the highlight being the clash between St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork City at the end of the month.

There is also a preview of the games in September, a month that saw Brian Kerr awarded Manager Of The Month.

Cork City were recently in European action, and their defeat in the European Cup Winners Cup to CSKA Kiev gets a page of coverage.

In Dublin, St Patrick’s Athletic have announced plans to leave Richmond Park to build a new stadium at nearby St Michael’s Flats within the next five years, while the FAI have announced plans for a 40,000 all seater stadium, as well as redevelopment for Tolka Park and Dalymount Park.

The new commercial broadcaster TV3 gets a feature, focusing on their proposed football coverage, having bought the rights to Republic Of Ireland’s away Euro 2000 Qualifiers.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : MELODY MAKER – 10.11.1999

It’s a special James Bond edition of Melody Maker, as Huey from Fun Lovin Criminals and Shirley Manson from Garbage cosplaying on the cover.

In news, Feeder play their biggest ever indoor concert, supporting Red Hot Chilli Peppers at Wembley Arena.

Elswhere, Oasis are filming a new video, with Gem Archer, formerly of Heavy Stereo, now confirmed as a member of the band.

Bobby Gillespie talks about Primal Scream’s new album, describing it as both a Punk record and a Dance record.

Gillespie is one of a series of musicians from both countries commenting on the forthcoming England v Scotland Euro 2000 Play-Off, stating that he doesn’t give a fuck.

Cover stars Huey and Manson relive their favourite Bond memories, with Garbage having done the soundtrack.

Eminem is interviewed, denying that he glorifies violence.

In reviews, Melody Maker pays a visit to see Suede in concert in Reading.

Paul Draper of Mansun is the subject of a Q and A, where he reveals he once shoplifted from Boots in Chester.

MAGAZINE ARCHIVE : WORLD SOCCER – NOVEMBER 1998

An expensively assembled team in Sky Blue are featured on the cover of this edition of World Soccer, but it’s not Manchester City, it’s Lazio.

In Jersey, there is an experiment taking place where a referee can move a free-kick forward ten yards if a defending player shows dissent or engages in unsporting behaviour.

In this edition, World Soccer has an article on satellite channels and receivers that can pick up football from around the world. One of those clubs you could watch, is Anderlecht, who get a page feature about their recent downturn in form.

Drugs were a major issue this month, with rumours of failed tests in Serie A being covered up, and one journalist suggesting that referees should be subject to random testing like players.

There is an article based on a quote from Ray Clemence that there are too many foreign goalkeepers in England, looking at the shotstoppers of the twenty Premier League clubs, noting that the two most promising English prospects, Steve Simonsen and Richard Wright, are playing outside the top flight.

Lazio get a four page profile, having spent £70m to try and win the Serie A title. They did manage it in 2000, but not since. One of those player in the expensively assembled sky blue outfit ……. was Roberto Mancini.

Two of those pages are used for an interview with Christian Vieri, who left Lazio the following summer in a big money move, becoming the world’s most expensive player when he signed for Inter Milan.

German football is in crisis with the departure of Berti Vogts as national team manager, and the DFB being rebuffed, for various reasons, in their attempts to appoint Otto Rehhagel, Christoph Daum, Jupp Heynckes, Franz Beckenbauer, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Roy Hodgson and Paul Breitner, before eventually settling on Erich Ribbeck.

Davor Suker, top scorer at the summer’s World Cup gets a double page profile, while Croatia’s Euro 2000 Qualifying opponents, Yugoslavia, get a double page spread.

It’s not just Germany who had a change in manager, the departure of Spain manager Javier Clemente after a 3-2 defeat to Cyprus in their opening Euro 2000 Qualifier got a double page spread. He was immediately replaced by Jose Antonia Camacho.

Across the border in France, Vikash Dhorasoo gets a full page feature, as the most exciting prospect in French football.

Back in Germany, Keir Radnedge reports on the success of the two Munich clubs, currently first and second in the Bundesliga.

In England, Aston Villa are top with an almost all English team (Mark Bosnich from Australia being the only foreigner in their regular starting eleven) and have money to spend following the sale of Dwight Yorke. World Soccer suggest that money could be used to bid on another English player, Andy Cole of Manchester United.

A former manager of Cole, George Graham, has new employment, as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, a move that has divided the club’s fans, given his long association with Arsenal.

In Scotland, Marco Negri is in dispute with Rangers, with manager Dick Advocaat accusing him of lying to the media about his transfer situation.

Northern Ireland’s news is dominated by the resurgence of Linfield and Glentoran, looking to win their first title in 5 and 7 years respectively, but already pulling away from the chasing pack at the top of the table.

Also in dispute with their club like Marco Negri, was future Rangers players Frank and Ronald De Boer, who want to leave for Barcelona.

Bruce Grobbelaar made a comeback of sorts, playing for Zimbabwe at the age of 41, as well as being part of their coaching staff.

Brian Glanville uses his column to question Alex Ferguson’s record in the European Cup and World Cup, in the aftermath of a TV documentary where he referred to Paul Ince as “A big time charlie”

Glanville also uses his column to question the wisdom of those who want Terry Venables to return as England manager following England’s poor start to Euro 2000 qualification.