Futbolista, Issue 13

Futbolista magazine was founded in 2019 in the attic bedroom of a 17 year-old editor. It aims to cover the global game of football with long-read features and interviews which explore society, identity and history through the lens of the beautiful game.

In this issue:

The Interview: Oday Dabbagh. Palestine’s top goalscorer on growing up in Jerusalem, the Israel-Palestine conflict and his career in European football.

Football Can Build a Community. A Turkish lower league team needed a new home. They found it and more in Didim.

Birth of a Super Giant. How Mohun Bagan lost and won back its identity.

Travel Guide: San Siro, Milan. The FUTBOLISTA guide to the stadium, the food, the sights and everything in between in Milan, Italy.

The Invisible Kit. The logic behind Manchester United’s infamous half-time shirt swap at Southampton in 1996.

When Colonels Destroyed the Other Side of Crete. Greece’s dictators tried to disband Ergotelis Football Club in the 1960s. Today, the club survives in the lower divisions, emboldened by its past.

Identity, Faith and Football. The Muslim supporters group building bridges beyond 90 minutes.

Assyriska FF. A team for the people with no home.

The Land of Giants. A tale of unity and aspiration in Montenegrin international and domestic football.

Contributors: Mohammad Joseph, Christopher Evans, Anshuman Joshi, Chris Sergeant, Lorenza Suriano, Abdullah Mamaniyat, Theo Gardner, Jonee João, Steve Hoyles, Aashima Rawal and Callum Turner

Cover photo: Noushad Thekkayil