Martin Samuel - Sport for the Daily Mail's recent articles

MARTIN SAMUEL: Qatar 2022 rolled over us and we had to lie back and take it. A Saudi World Cup in 2030? Football just needs to say NO to the hideous Gianni Infantino and his FIFA henchmen

19/12/22 21:50

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Qatar 2022 rolled over us and we had to lie back and take it. And, because we did, the temptation is to think that we must do so again. That after this, wherever Gianni Infantino (far left, with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman) and his henchmen want to drag the World Cups of the future, however repressive, however alienating for the marginalised sections of society, we can only wring our hands and observe. What doesn’t work? Armbands (inset, Harry Kane with England's OneLove armband and right, Germany protesting its banning). Silly, meaningless, irrelevant, armbands, and the soundbites that go with them. Anything that can be countered successfully by the threat of a yellow card is lame. Vague compromise protests are also worthless, as is leaving it until the World Cup is months away to make your move. By then, the juggernaut cannot be stopped. Everything the Football Association signed up for in agreement with other UEFA nations can be consigned to the bin. But simply saying no? That has possibilities. Saudi Arabia in 2030? No. Think of the backlash against the Super League. It collapsed, pretty much, because the fans refused to engage. ...read

MARTIN SAMUEL: This is Lionel Messi's last chance to shape his legacy and rest in the pantheon beside Pele and Maradona... an off day against a great French side will be fatal. No pressure, then.

16/12/22 19:13

MARTIN SAMUEL: There used to be a segment on the original Fantasy Football show, about Pele. It implied he was rubbish. There would be a clip of him skying a free-kick high over the bar, missing an open goal, getting his jump for a header entirely wrong. The joke, obviously, was that Pele wasn't rubbish at all but that every player, no matter how great, can make a mistake, have a bad game, miss a sitter, take a lousy free-kick. All frequent, forgettable calamities, even for the very best. All things that Lionel Messi has to avoid on Sunday. He can't miss that chance. He can't have an off day. If he does, given his importance to Argentina, he will probably lose. And if he loses then his last chance to shape his legacy, to rest in the pantheon beside Pele and Diego Maradona, to have comedians crack wise at his expense because he is so plainly, so indisputably, one of a triumvirate of the greatest footballers ever, will be gone. ...read

MARTIN SAMUEL: Is it racist to think the manager of England's football team should be English? No. Is it nationalist? Yes. That's the POINT of international sport

15/12/22 20:38

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Do we have to go through this again? It would appear we do. So for, one hopes, the last time: it is not racist to think the manager of England's football team should be English if incumbent Gareth Southgate steps down. It is not overtly racist, it is not borderline racist, it is not in the ball park of racism, and anyone who thinks that it is does not understand either racism, or international sport. Wanting England's manager to be English is nationalism. Turning abroad either results in expensive failure, as with Sven-Goran Eriksson or Fabio Capello, or as with Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman, whose success only gives the impression that we are the Manchester City of international football. ...read

December 2022

November 2022

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Man United didn't play like they were listening to Erik ten Hag in 2-2 draw at Bournemouth - they were outclassed and looked like a bunch of strangers thrown together, writes CHRIS WHEELER

BOURNEMOUTH 2-2 MAN UNITED - CHRIS WHEELER AT THE VITALITY STADIUM: Ten Hag said his players would have to learn, but United didn't play like they were listening to him.