Stephen Ganavas

Apr 13, 2024 | cultured.football | Stephen Ganavas |Sid Lowe |Grace Robertson |Austin Cornilles

By for The work permit changes that came into place after Brexit have made it significantly easier for English clubs to sign South American players and, increasingly, this is being reflected in more deals with that region. Soon, however, attention will start to shift to Asia which is becoming a hotbed for developing talent. Or it should. Bonus Pick [Chris Wright for Terrace Edition]: Personally, something that truly intrigues me about Asian football is the fan culture.

Feb 16, 2024 | open.substack.com | Stephen Ganavas

SCOUTED50 is our collection of the fifty young talents we believe are best positioned to break into the mainstream during 2023/24. Throughout the season, we’ll be detailing all fifty in definitive profiles. The full list can be read here. This profile focuses on Barcelona’s latest La Masia prodigy, Lamine Yamal. This profile was produced as part of a commercial collaboration with SkillCorner, SCOUTED’s official data partner.

Nov 13, 2023 | open.substack.com | Stephen Ganavas

After four long years, the FIFA U-17 World Cup is back. Matchday one didn’t disappoint. From Indonesia’s first goal at a FIFA tournament at any level, to Iran’s incredible comeback win over Brazil, and Senegal’s smash-and-grab victory over Argentina, there is so much to get into. A few early trends are clear. The brutal conditions in Indonesia are having - and will continue to have - a major impact. This time of year in South East Asia brings warm weather, lots of rain, and life-sapping humidity.

Jul 10, 2023 | scoutednotebook.com | Stephen Ganavas

The number nine is back in a big way. They can be worth €10 million one week and €50 million the next. Today, no other role in football can boast similar potential for value growth. The market is so inflated that one wrong move could spell a financial disaster from which many clubs would take years to recover. The answer, writes Stephen Ganavas, is the ‘Project Nine’. The number nine is back.

May 26, 2023 | scoutednotebook.com | Stephen Ganavas

Though the FIFA U-20 World Cup might be the youth tournament that draws the most attention this summer, a second kicked off earlier in May: the UEFA U-17 European Championship. The U-17 EURO is always a lot of fun, granting an opportunity to glimpse the next generation of European stars before they are exposed to the limelight of senior football – and so far this year’s edition, held in Hungary, has been no different.