Joseph Zebedee, Author at The Trivela Effect

The immortal legacy of Joaquín at Real Betis

25May

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The immortal legacy of Joaquín at Real Betis

The story of Joaquín is a perfect tonic for the ruthlessness of modern football. A Real Betis legend for these two stints separated by nine years, an old-school winger who rallied against the winds of change to keep playing in an era where he was unfashionable, and a beloved figure in Spanish football. This is the story of Joaquín, and the legacy he leaves the club. Early years To give him his full name Joaquín Sánchez Rodríguez was born in the Andalusian town of El Puerto de Santa María, a town known for producing fellow footballer José Manuel Pinto, but also comedians. Joaquín would be comfortable in the company of both as adoring fans would find out. Although he was from a town not far from Cádiz, Joaquín was a Bético, As are a lot of people in Andalusia. His youth career at Real B...

Why you should watch Rayo Vallecano vs Atlético Madrid

6Apr

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Why you should watch Rayo Vallecano vs Atlético Madrid

Think of Madrid and you think of Real Madrid, the city's giant football club plays a leading role in Spanish football, let alone in the nation's capital. But, Madrid is far from a one-club city. This Sunday, Rayo Vallecano and Atlético Madrid will face off in LaLiga. A brief history of Atlético and Rayo I'll start with the more well-known club of the two, the city's second club, Atlético Madrid. Founded by Athletic Club fans in 1903, they quickly became more than a Basque project in the capital, but have never quite been able to topple Real Madrid off its perch as the city's number-one club. During the Second World War they became the team of the air force, calling themselves Atlético Aviación de Madrid, and in the 1950's they had something of a golden era. Under the management of Hel...

Why you should respect the hard-working, non-goal-scoring forwards

22Mar

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features

Why you should respect the hard-working, non-goal-scoring forwards

Being a forward, specifically a striker, is probably the most envious position to play. Goals are the currency of football, goalscorers are more well-known than say a technical midfielder to the layman. A striker can have a poor game, but as long as they find the back of the net once it doesn't really matter. So what about the breed of forward whose play style encompasses more than scoring? The idea of having a striker who is there for more than just scoring, or even isn't supposed to be scoring at all in theory, is not a new idea. The idea of the False Nine, a striker who drops deep and acts like an attacking midfielder, was around in the pre-war era. The great but sadly unheralded Jimmy Hogan had a direct influence on the Austrian Wunderteam of the 1930s and the Hungarian Mighty Magy...

Kit numbers in football, the how and why

15Mar

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features

Kit numbers in football, the how and why

I like kit numbers, there I said it. I'm weirdly invested in what numbers players wear, why? God knows, best not to question it, leave that to the litany of therapists who'll try and work out why I know about Serie A number assigning in the 1990's and not why I cry myself to sleep. In 2023 they're wild, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I believe as a self-styled kit number aficionado we could all do with a refresher. The origins of kit numbers Kit numbers were first spotted on the backs of players in the 1910s, and by the early 1930's they were beginning to catch on, having first featured in European football competitively in 1928, but were still different to what we would see now. There were no set rules on how numbers should be assigned yet, so in the 1933 FA Cup Final Everton ...

How did Valencia get to this crisis point and what happens next?

28Feb

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

How did Valencia get to this crisis point and what happens next?

One of the first things I ever wrote about Spanish football was a short series on Spanish internationals who played just before Spain's period of international success beginning in 2008. The biggest takeaway from that was the amount of Valencia players who made the cut, and just how impressive the club was in the early 2000s. Now in the early 2020s, the club is currently in the LaLiga relegation zone, with little hope that things will get better. So, how did they go from European success to staring down the barrel of the Segunda and financial disaster? A recent history Valencia have faced a fall from grace before, going down in the mid-1980s, having enjoyed a period of success in the late '70s. The club began its modern rise in the 90s. The early part of the decade would be characterize...

21Feb

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features

Why Jakub Jankto coming out matters

On the 13th of February 2023, Jakub Jankto came out as gay. The past couple of years have seen two professional male football players come out, but also two former ones make a joke out of it. Jakub Jankto represents the highest-profile player to come out so far, this matters. Four months ago former Spanish internationals, Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol, both made a joke about being gay. It appeared to be serious at first, providing hope and joy to those of us wanting increased LGBTQ+ representation in the male game, before being laughed off as a tasteless joke with the cruel slew of homophobia following. At the time it felt to be a step back following a positive period in the sport. Current Adelaide United left back Josh Cavallo came out in 2021, followed by Blackpool's teenage prosp...

28Dec

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The Rise and Current Malaise of Sevilla

Sevilla have been one of the premier clubs in Europe over the past decade, and yet they are looking at a relegation battle this season in LaLiga. So, how did a team which finished 4th last season end up in such a predicament? A brief history of Sevilla Sevilla are historically not super successful, at least not compared to other clubs who have won major European competitions. Their only LaLiga title was in 1946, yet they have six Europa League titles in the modern era. The Nervionenses spent the majority of their history until the 2000’s flirting with relegation at best and financial catastrophe at worst. A revolving door of club presidents and a disastrous affair with Diego Maradona in the 1990s did nothing to help the situation. Things had to change. The 2000/01 season saw Sevi...

20Nov

By Joseph ZebedeeNo Comments

Features

Is the “Pure CAM” Dying Out?

No. 10 on the back of a footballer means more than any other number historically, it means they are a special player. Someone with magic in their boots and the privilege of being purely offensive, at least it did. In 2022 as football becomes more positionless the era of the pure attacking midfielder might be dying out. Diego Maradona, Rivaldo, Francesco Totti, Michel Platini, and Ronaldinho. Those are just a few names in the pantheon of great attacking midfielders. Purely offensive footballers, out on the pitch to do the undefendable and inadvertently become sources of joy for millions watching around the globe. Bruno Fernandes, Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Joelinton, and Jamal Musiala are all currently listed on Transfermarkt as mainly being attacking midfielders. De Bruyne ha...