SI.com: Gabriele Marcotti

Gabriele Marcotti: Liverpool struggling mightily, but not all is lost

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:57:09 EST

If you're a Liverpool fan, you're probably pretty angry right now. You've won one game since September (albeit a pretty important one, against Manchester United), qualification to the knockout stage of the Champions League seems extremely improbable right now and you're sixth in the English Premier League, after finishing second last year.

Gabriele Marcotti: Midterm grades for Champions League group stage

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:08:08 EDT

We're halfway through the Champions League group stage, which means it's midterm report-card time for Europe's elite. In this evaluation, though, you don't get a straight grade -- you're on a curve based on how you've performed relative to expectations.

Gabriele Marcotti: Is FIFA giving preferential treatment to big boys?

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:47:46 EDT

With World Cup qualifying wrapping up very soon, a potential nightmare scenario lies ahead for FIFA:

Gabriele Marcotti: UEFA takes small, but logical step toward fiscal sanity

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:59:17 EDT

We knew it was coming sooner or later. Michel Platini, president of UEFA, had said as much. And now we're one step closer, after UEFA approved what it calls the "concept" of "financial fair play."

Gabriele Marcotti: Is England a serious threat for the 2010 World Cup?

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:23:54 EDT

Jump on the England bandwagon too soon -- as often happens -- and you're bound to be disappointed. But the numbers are hard to argue with: eight games in World Cup qualifying, eight wins; 31 goals scored, five conceded.

Gabriele Marcotti: Sizing up all eight groups in Champions League

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:07:28 EDT

Finally, the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League draw is done and we know who's playing who and when.

Gabriele Marcotti: Arsenal struggling to stay ahead of EPL pack

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:21:01 EDT

There was a time, not that long ago, that Arsenal was the standard for club management. Devoid of a wealthy backer willing to lavish (and lose) millions, it worked very much as a real business, year after year, breaking even or turning a small profit. When it came time to make some serious capital investments -- moving out of historic, but cramped, Highbury in favor of a new 60,000-seater at Ashburton Grove -- it did so intelligently, securing financing and building a comfortable, state-of-the-art stadium capable of generating substantial match-day revenue.

Gabriele Marcotti: Things will get worse for Serie A before they improve

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:00:14 EDT

Welcome to rock bottom. It couldn't possibly get worse, could it?

Gabriele Marcotti: 11 questions for 11 clubs in strange transfer season

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:25:55 EDT

It has been a weird summer of transfers. Most of Europe's top leagues kick off next month and yet, with a few exceptions (Real Madrid and, to a lesser degree, Juventus and Bayern Munich), there hasn't been too much going on. The window won't close until Aug. 31. In the meantime, here's an attempt at making sense of it all, with 11 questions facing 11 big clubs:

Gabriele Marcotti: Brazil shows why it's Brazil

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:29:49 EDT

JOHANNESBURG -- Pedigree matters. If it didn't, we might not have witnessed what happened at Ellis Park on Sunday, an unstoppable rally that gave Brazil the Confederations Cup title in a 3-2 win over the U.S. (RECAP). Heck, when was the last time you saw a team come back from two goals down at halftime in a major final? (Apart from the 2005 Champions League final, that is.)