Thomas Burrows

England, London

Football Writer at The Athletic

Football news reporter @TheAthleticFC | Sports fan | Music lover

Articles

Lyon sacking, working with Textor and Cherki's talent

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

Pierre Sage pops onto the Zoom screen from a ski lodge in France's Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, close to the border with Italy. He has been enjoying some quality family time after he was dismissed from his position as Lyon head coach at the end of January. It was the 45-year-old's first managerial role in senior football, and his first sacking in what is a notoriously brutal industry, but the experience has only left him hungry for more.
What it's like to be fired as a manager

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

When Gus Poyet arrived to work as a BBC Sport pundit for a 2013 Confederations Cup match between Spain and Nigeria, he was still the manager of Brighton & Hove Albion. The Uruguayan had been suspended by the club the previous month following their Championship play-off semi-final defeat by Crystal Palace but there had been no further news about his position.
Who are Victor Musa, JJ Gabriel and the other stars of Man Utd U18's 13-1 win over Leeds?

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

Manchester United's under-18s humiliated Leeds United's youngsters on Saturday, winning 13-1 as highly rated 14-year-old JJ Gabriel scored twice on his age-level debut. It was a resounding victory for United at Carrington and followed the disappointment of Aston Villa knocking them out of the FA Youth Cup semi-final on Monday night.
EFL official charged with 16 child sex offences, to stand trial in September

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

An assistant referee who officiated in the EFL has been charged with 16 child sex offences. Gareth Viccars, 46, has been charged with 12 counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed to The Athletic.
This is the story of Craig Johnston

4 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

Many footballers like to market themselves as one-offs; few truly are. Craig Johnston, however, is the exception. The Australian won five English league titles and a European Cup at Liverpool in the 1980s but his football achievements are perhaps the least remarkable thing about him. He is an engineer and a businessman; a chart-topping musician; the creator of a television gameshow and the inventor of a hotel mini bar security system.
Former footballer Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

Former footballer Joey Barton has today (Tuesday) been found guilty of assaulting his wife. The court was told how Barton pushed his wife, Georgia, 38, to the ground before kicking her in the head at their home in Kew, south west London. The assault happened on June 2, 2021, when Barton was manager of Bristol Rovers. The argument began when Barton threatened to fight his wife's brother and father.
What other projects tell us

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

When Manchester United unveiled their grand plans for a new 100,000-capacity stadium, they offered a first glimpse of what the ambitious £2billion ($2.6bn) project could look like. "When you go to Paris, you visit the Eiffel Tower. Everybody who is interested in Manchester United - and football - will want to come and visit this stadium," Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United's co-owner, declared.
UK Athletics, former World Championships chief plead not guilty over Paralympian's death

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

UK Athletics and the former head of sport for the World Paralympic Athletics Championships have pleaded not guilty to all charges relating to the death of Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei. Hayayei, who competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, was killed when a throwing cage fell on him during a training session at Newham Leisure Centre in London on July 11 2017. The 36-year-old was practising his shot putting ahead of the World Paralympic Athletics Championships at the time.
'I'm not a fan of football'

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

"I never had a dream to become a professional footballer, but somehow it happened and I played in World Cups and I went to Italy and England. I played all the time for passion. I'm not a fan of football, I like to play football. That's the reason I left, I had lost the passion. If I didn't have the passion, it was like I was lying to myself."Hidetoshi Nakata, one of football's trailblazers, retired from playing when he was just 29.
Haji Wright hat-trick gives USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino timely reminder of his talent

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Thomas Burrows

Mauricio Pochettino is dealing with a shortage of USMNT forwards due to injury, so Haji Wright picked a good time to give the national team manager a timely reminder of his quality in front of goal with a hat-trick for Coventry City. Wright, who has been working his way back to full fitness after an ankle injury kept him out for almost four months, scored all the goals for Coventry in their impressive 3-0 victory over Championship promotion rivals Sunderland on Saturday.