Michael Bailey

Journalist, writer & presenter @TheAthleticFC | Sport lover | Wannabe barista | Occasional songwriter

[Michael Bailey @michaeljbailey]

Paul Lambert kilt klaxon

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

The Scotland squad will not repeat the show-stopping arrival of the 1998 team after the players decided against wearing a kilt before their opening World Cup match versus Haiti.

The Athletic understands the players were consulted on the option of following in the footsteps of captain Colin Hendry and his team when they arrived at the Stade de France to face Brazil in the tournament opener wearing traditional dress 28 years ago.

🗞️ @JordanC1107

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

A cargo ship, a floodlit metal cage, 24 of the world's best players, and Eric Cantona holding court.

Over three breathless, Elvis-soundtracked minutes, Nike's Secret Tournament turned a thousand playground daydreams into reality — or something like it.

It was impossible to wrench your eyes away. Nearly a quarter of a century later, it still is.

Here is an oral history of one of the greatest football adverts of all time, told by those who made it.

📝 @JackLang

Free to read 🆓

https://t.co/n04mUK4Nyo

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Is global sport being hit by a tidal wave of fixing?

Over an eight-month long investigation, The Athletic has learned that:

▪️Two players going to the World Cup have been reported to the national federations where they play their club football for suspicions of spot fixing.
▪️There have been highly suspicious betting patterns around games involving a top tennis player
▪️Hundreds of football games around the world have been flagged as suspect by integrity experts in the last year
▪️ Amateur sporting events, even games between minors, are attracting multi-million dollar bets

📝 @jwhitey98

https://t.co/qh3wEcvaHP

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Welcome to the first Transfer DealSheet for the 2026 summer window.

In this edition we look at:

▪️ @David_Ornstein’s One To Watch
▪️ Expectation Morgan Rogers will leave Aston Villa
▪️ Bayern Munich and Arsenal interested in Eintracht Frankfurt full-back Nathaniel Brown

Free to read via the link 🆓 https://t.co/TAkt1M2y4C

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

It is the start of the summer window and your club needs a goalkeeper.

Who do you turn to?

Well, The Athletic has set out to answer that question — with the help of nearly 40 experts, including technical directors, coaches, scouts, intermediaries, analysts and, in a few instances, people with important local knowledge.

Welcome to The Athletic’s Transfer Tiers. This is our attempt to take you inside a recruitment summit and — as clubs across the world will do — talk you through the top options.

These are our top nine goalkeeper choices for the summer window — and why.

📝 @SebSB

🔗 https://t.co/kyBtS6Vo1f

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

“The Barca Foundation thinks it has contributed to the community, but what does it fix? The damage caused by Gran Tierra is irreparable.”

The Athletic has spoken to more than 20 community leaders, environmental workers and other residents based in the remote Colombian region of Putumayo over the past twelve months about the impact of Gran Tierra Energy, an oil company blamed by the indigenous population for multiple environmental abuses, which the company strongly denies.

By accepting funding from Gran Tierra, and allowing it to sponsor local events using Barcelona branding, local activists say the Barca Foundation is complicit in sportswashing the alleged abuses.

Special report by @jwhitey98 and @mrendell ⬇️

🔗 https://t.co/B42AldiyQo

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

The Athletic FC's 25/26 Season Awards 🏆

Live now ⤵️ https://t.co/tzDbqGJY8f

[Dan Sheldon @Dan_Sheldon_]

Tonda Eckert authorised a “contrived and determined plan” to spy on opponents in a “deplorable approach” that led to Southampton's expulsion from the Championship play-offs. #SaintsFC Full story by @PJBuckingham @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/4opFENm06d

[Dan Sheldon @Dan_Sheldon_]

Exclusive: Southampton have lost their appeal and the players have been informed. #SaintsFC Full story w/ @mjshrimper @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/hq4loTLwQb

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

“Unai Emery, mate… genius.”

After Aston Villa won the Europa League - their first trophy in three decades - @J_Tanswell tells the inside story of how their season was turned around by a manager who is now immortalised in club folklore.

▪️ Crucial talks with Morgan Rogers
▪️ Complete faith from hierarchy
▪️ Doubling down on principles
▪️ Flight times changed by Unai Emery
▪️ Minimal celebrations after Champions League qualification
▪️ Extra player bonus for Europa League win

🔗 https://t.co/gsyTZ3YIWw

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

The inside story of ‘Spygate’ and how it left the EFL in chaos:

📱 Incriminating WhatsApps by Southampton boss Eckert
👀 Analyst was supposed to watch Boro train a second time
🥸 Eastleigh disguise used to monitor Ipswich
🎄 Christmas Eve operation to snoop on Oxford
😡 Players left furious at club’s handling of affair
🐅 Hull anger at disruption to Wembley plans
📃 Saints feel punishment is disproportionate, confident over appeal

https://t.co/2PM5dE6V3Q

[Adam Crafton @AdamCrafton_]

NEW @TheAthleticFC

Southampton players exploring their options regarding legal action against the club if the English Football League’s verdict to expel them from the Championship play-off final is upheld. Potential loss of earnings etc etc.

https://t.co/LVnAa8m7LK

[gunnerblog @gunnerblog]

22 years in the waiting, 6 years in the making: the title is Arsenal’s again.

The squad gathered at Colney to watch tonight’s game, as they became champions.

Here’s how #AFC won the #EPL - a title not simply won, but engineered.

@TheAthleticFC 🔴⚪️🏆

https://t.co/lMuk80lI04

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

■ Switching into dad mode when getting home after games
■ The surprise of a private plane laid on as a treat by the chairman
■ Soundtrack of Oasis, Taylor Swift and Vengaboys in the dressing room
■ Coping with 'the worst feeling I've had' in football

Welcome to life as an EFL footballer.

Over the past four months, The Athletic has spent time with Millwall captain Jake Cooper and his family - at his home, the evening before a match, at the training ground and on his way to saying his goodbyes the day after missing out on the play-offs.

This is what it is like to be pursuing the Premier League dream - and to have it end in heartbreak.

📝 @TBurrows16

🔗 https://t.co/rf9Lj0ZcD0

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Do Real Madrid players simply do what they want?

Carlo Ancelotti doesn't think player power is an issue at the Bernabeu…

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲. 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹****.

Read @AdamCrafton_'s exclusive interview here ⬇️

🔗 https://t.co/4QZzsK56Af

[Second Tier podcast @secondtierpod]

On this day in 2016 🗓️

This video was uploaded to the internet.

It led to this song being played relentlessly at nightclubs, bars and stadiums around the world.

And it all started with a Wigan fan in his bedroom.

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Jose Mourinho is Real Madrid president Florentino Perez’s favoured candidate to replace Alvaro Arbeloa as head coach.

Multiple sources, speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment, have told The Athletic that the decision on who will become Madrid’s next coach is being driven by Perez.

That is in contrast to the hiring of Alonso to replace Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season, a process which was led by Madrid’s general manager Jose Angel Sanchez, but given the green light by Perez.

Perez wants to rebuild a project that has fallen into disrepair, with Madrid set to end a second consecutive campaign without winning a major trophy such as La Liga, the Champions League or the Copa del Rey.

The president is now the main supporter of bringing back Mourinho, but some other voices within the club are opposed.

More from @David_Ornstein and @MarioCortegana

🔗 https://t.co/IwJ2fkq1Hb

[NCFC Numbers @ncfcnumbers]

Twists, late surprises, end of season party vibes. And that’s just this week’s OTB pod 🥳

@Ryan_Livermore, @zoevfmorgan, @dan_brigham and I hail Toure, get the Mo v Makama debate going, anoint Liam Giggs & solve the ChatGPT Get Banged mystery #ncfc 🎧

https://t.co/V6CuAMevn7

[NCFC Numbers @ncfcnumbers]

Mohamed Toure is the first player in Norwich City's history to score two hat-tricks in his first ten appearances for the club #ncfc 💚💛🇦🇺

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

▪️ Record losses of £1.6bn, a rise of 43% in a year
▪️ £4bn losses over 7 years
▪️ Only four clubs — Liverpool, Bournemouth, Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace — managed a profit without asset sales to owners

@CWeatherspoon_ looks at the troubling state of Premier League club finances after the 2024-25 season.

🔗 https://t.co/MJkCdYO6NQ