How to Get Your Football Fix

With all of football now on pause for an unknown length of time, the gap it has left is immense. For those of us whose life revolves around the beautiful game, those who checked the football transfer rumours upon waking, and debated endlessly with their mates and spent weekends traversing the country to follow their team. For these people, it has also left a feeling of bewildered apprehension about how to fill that gaping hole.

After all, as Italian manager, Arrigo Sacchi famously said, ‘football is the most important of the least important things in life.’ Well, worry not, as there is a plethora of culture and entertainment that is based upon the world of football that can help to plug the gap. Here then, is a quick rundown of some of our recommendations.

Dazzling Football Documentaries

Football is a sport that lends itself well to film. The thrill of watching the most talented players from the past working their magic on screen is a joy to behold. Yet, it is not just the skills that make football so great. It’s also the narratives that drive these moments of supreme talent that make football movies so fun to watch.

And when it comes to supreme talents with a compelling narrative behind them, Diego Maradona is perhaps the most supreme of all. The sly Argentinian had a masterful documentary made about him by acclaimed director Asif Kapadia, which was released last year to rave reviews. It is a glorious and balanced account of Maradona’s fantastic career at both club and international level, as it includes both the dizzying highs and the depressing lows. It’s a great way to remind yourself about a player that, at his best, burned so bright that he was able to drag both Napoli and Argentina almost single-handedly to success.

Another excellent documentary to watch is one that is a bit closer to Spurs’ hearts, Memory Lane, which is a fascinating insight into Tottenham’s club history. It delves into what the club means to the local community and how it represents those that lived close to White Hart Lane throughout its 118-year history. There are great interviews with football experts and real fanatics of the club to give a fantastic overview of just what the stadium meant to not only Tottenham Hotspur the football team, but also just to Tottenham as a place.

Great Football-Related Video Games

Sometimes though, just watching football isn’t enough. At times, you have to feel more immersed in the game to truly experience those twisting rollercoaster ups and downs that supporting a football team brings. One way to allow for this is by using video games to make sure you get this deeply immersive experience.

Football: Champions Cup is an online slot game with a twist, granting you the ability to pick a national team and try to rack up as many coins as possible to deliver glory. With Euro 2020 now being postponed, it is a great way to recreate the high octane of a penalty shootout in an international tournament. Plus, with the 888 casino bonus, it’s a great way to make the most out of your money.

But if you’d like more control and realism when playing your game, then nothing beats the intense simulation that is Football Manager. Have you ever said you could do better when a manager gets it wrong? Or think you know more about tactics than most? Then Football Manager 2020 is for you.  The latest annual update was released in November 2019 to great fanfare and is absolutely bursting with features and new gameplay additions.

Football Manager is seen as the holy grail of football simulation, with players given the ability to take over any team from a staggering 118 leagues. You can start at the bottom and try to promote a club up through the leagues or start at the top and try to dominate the silverware for many years and potentially go down in history as one of the greatest managers ever. Be warned, though. This is a game that might fill the gap too well, with some players having spent so much time on the game that it has been cited as the reason behind several divorce cases.