It was the year Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur fans experienced the joys of winning a trophy, the season when the English teams who never usually win, won. But grief also enveloped the year. A few months after becoming Premier League champions, Liverpool was a club in mourning after Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car crash in July, a tragedy that affected the club, the city and the sport. They will — as was shown when Wolverhampton Wanderers visited An
But grief also enveloped the year. A few months after becoming Premier League champions, Liverpool was a club in mourning after Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, died in a car crash in July, a tragedy that affected the club, the city and the sport. They will — as was shown when Wolverhampton Wanderers visited Anfield last weekend — always be remembered.
As the year ends, we wanted to look back on the excellent work of our writers over the past 12 months as they covered not just football, but tennis, Formula One, cycling, cricket and athletics, too.
We asked The Athletic UK‘s team to nominate their favourite articles written by their colleagues, and so here are the pieces selected by our writers, editors and producers.
Article:The Art of Scanning in football. By Stuart James
Why I chose it: The level of detail is incredible, as are the voices and the explanation. This taught me so much about what I did not know.
Kevin Coulson
Article:‘Thank you, for making so many people happy’: Gondomar mourns Diogo Jota, their humble hero. By Jack Lang
Why I chose it: I was away in America, reporting on the Club World Cup, when I woke up one morning to the horrible, harrowing news of the death of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva.
The news hit me a lot harder than a “celebrity” death usually would, and I found it difficult to read some of the coverage elsewhere, but one article I found profoundly moving was Jack Lang’s report from Gondomar, where the two brothers grew up. Jack took the readers to the heart of a town in grief.
It was a beautifully but hauntingly poignant piece of writing.
Oliver Kay
Article:The secret meetings behind Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United appointment one year on. By Andy Mitten
Why I chose it: This piece was full of exclusive information, which Andy presented in a way that flowed smoothly from one part to the other. The length of the piece in relation to the insights was spot on, and its structure was brilliant. This is what top-tier journalism looks like.
Ahmed Walid
Article:How Liverpool won the Premier League – featuring Dire Straits, coffee club and one big outburst. By James Pearce
Why I chose it: The inside story of Arne Slot’s first season at Liverpool. The football obsessive left his family in the Netherlands as he replaced Jurgen Klopp and won the Premier League. With a cameo from Dire Straits, there was competition in other places, but this is the definitive tale of how Slot kept his cool. Apart from an out-of-character eruption at Anfield…
Peter Carline
Article:The heartbreaking death of Diogo Jota. By Daniel Taylor and Guillermo Rai
Why I chose it: The death of any footballer in his prime is shocking, but the context of Diogo Jota’s in a car crash in July made it doubly so. The fact that he was killed alongside his brother, Andre Silva; that it came so soon after he had been parading the Premier League trophy on the field at Anfield; and that he had been married to his childhood sweetheart, Rute Cardoso, just 11 days earlier.
There is no ‘right’ way to cover a story as traumatic as this, but Daniel Taylor and Guillermo Rai’s account of what happened to Diogo on that lonely road in north-west Spain was powerful, sensitive journalism of the very best kind.
Andrew Fifield
Article:Why footballers dose up on caffeine. By Sarah Shephard
Why I chose it: Sarah is one of the very best at explaining the differences in injury, diets and other day-to-day routines, and how they impact an athlete’s body. This piece on how much coffee a top-level athlete could ingest on a matchday had me reconsidering my own caffeine intake.
Carl Anka
Article:Andre Silva remembered: How Diogo Jota’s brother forged his own football path. By Thom Harris
Why I chose it: Few writers can handle a story as difficult as this. Details on Andre Silva, who played for Penafiel in Portugal’s second division and was killed alongside his brother, Diogo Jota, in a car accident, were scarce. Thom not only gathered those fragments quickly but also shaped them into a beautifully told story of brotherly love, interwoven with rich insight into who Andre was and how he played.
Conor O’Neill
Article: Tributes to Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League winners from the people who know them best. By Jack Pitt-Brooke and Jay Harris
Why I chose it: It has been a momentous year at Tottenham Hotspur — a truly ludicrous injury crisis, another managerial sacking, followed by another search for a potential new saviour, bidding farewell to a much-loved hero, and the shock removal of the chairman — but no moment moved the club’s fans quite like the night they finally ended their 17 year trophy drought.
Despite some atrocious Premier League form both before and after that night in Bilbao, the players involved will always be heroes in the eyes of the supporters.
Jack, Jay and several of their colleagues were able to capture the essence of the squad as human beings by speaking to a mix of friends, family, former coaches and team-mates, with the collection of messages featuring some particularly poignant contributions. It now serves as a fitting tribute to one of the club’s iconic teams.
James Maw
Article:Where does the word ‘soccer’ come from? By Nick Miller
Why I chose it: Petty arguments, cheap merchandise from Etsy, and a possibly apocryphal story that has lost some of its original meaning over time. But enough about Christmas, let’s talk about the history of the word ‘soccer’.
Balancing careful, historical research with a light tone is an impossible task for many writers, but this is Nick’s bread and butter. And hey, how many other articles on this list have clippings from a 1905 edition of the New York Times? Exactly. A jolly good show, as Nick says.
Justin Guthrie
Article:The ‘relationship of dependence’ between a barred coach and a Wimbledon champion. By Matthew Futterman and Charlie Eccleshare
Why I chose it: After multiple exclusive breaking stories on the WTA Tour’s investigation into Stefano Vukov, the tennis coach for 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, came this meticulously reported feature on their relationship. Months of trust-building, conversations and sensitive reporting — much of which was conducted while covering a Grand Slam tournament — led to this agenda-setting story that roiled the tennis world.
James Hansen
Article:Football’s capacity to make men cry: ‘I was buying milk and just burst into tears thinking about Palace’. By Stuart James
Why I chose it: Because I can empathise. There were tears at Wembley in May, of joy for once, and Stu’s piece, as well as Joao Castelo-Branco’s wonderful video of Crystal Palace fans attempting to comprehend what they had just witnessed, struck a chord. “It’s raw. It’s magical. It’s moving. It’s genuinely heart-warming. It’s football — that simple game that means nothing and everything — touching the soul.” Which is why the sport is important. And why most fans put up with so much nonsense in the hope they can realise an experience like this.
Dominic Fifield
Article:Turki Al-Sheikh and the two sides of boxing’s new king. By Jacob Whitehead
Why I chose it: Over the past few years, Al-Sheikh has become arguably the most powerful figure in boxing, making the biggest fights, putting on the grandest events, and taking Riyadh Season global. But few, outside of his closest circle, knew much about the man at the centre of it all. Jacob put months of work into this investigation, sourcing and double-sourcing information that few journalists would have been able to come by to build an in-depth profile of a man whom many people know of, but few knew much about. Incredible, determined and resilient reporting.
Sarah Shephard
Article:A cold, windy night in Stoke: How does weather really impact the Premier League? By Conor O’Neill
Why I chose it: It can be tricky to make data entertaining, but Conor’s analysis of weather influencing Premier League performance is, ironically, off the charts. It is factual yet funny, serious yet tongue-in-cheek, with Conor finding the right balance to keep the reader engaged with his sharp use of statistics — as he has done ever since he arrived at the start of 2025.
An archetypal ‘This is why I subscribe to The Athletic’ piece, excellently written and packed with insight.
Mark Carey
Article:Arsenal, Bayern, PSG and Visit Rwanda sponsorship: ‘We would rather wear anything on our sleeves’. By Dan Sheldon
Why I chose it: The most impressive part of Dan’s piece was the breadth of interviews, from supporters who protested to Rwandan and Congolese politicians and investigative journalists, to fans in Rwanda during Dan’s visit to Kigali. It also included the historical and political context of the controversy and why some teams have continued and extended their deals.
Alex Brodie
Article:In women’s sports, athletes losing their periods was long considered normal. Not anymore. By Megan Feringa
Why I chose it: The reporting for this story spanned nearly the whole year, and what came from it was an in-depth examination into an overlooked issue that women, not just elite athletes, face. Megan combines a comprehensive look at the limited research available with compelling and moving anecdotes from some of the top athletes in the world.
Emily Olsen
Article:Tears, tributes and Everton being Everton: Saying goodbye to Goodison with my dad. By Patrick Boyland
Why I chose it: My favourite writing is from the heart, and Paddy’s piece about a last trip to Goodison was exactly that. Leaving Goodison was always going to be a big deal — not just for Evertonians, because it’s a special place in the age of modern stadiums, and Paddy tapped into that perfectly. It was evocative and emotive. And if you’ve not listened to the podcast from Paddy and Abi Paterson, I would urge you to do so.
Craig Chisnall
Article:Raphael Varane interview: Real Madrid and Man United differences, Erik ten Hag relationship and retiring. By Charlotte Harpur
Why I chose it: Just a really good, engaging interview with a top-class footballer who won everything but had generally avoided the spotlight over his decade at the top. He made some interesting and original points about the game, and his unusual new job on the ‘education board’ at Como marks him out as a different type of footballer.
Michael Cox
Article:How Crystal Palace won the FA Cup: A tearjerking tifo, lucky cufflinks and Glasner’s masterplan. By Matt Woosnam
Why I chose it: Wembley did shake and it was beautiful. I’m definitely biased, but this piece and its accompanying artwork summed up history. Crystal Palace had never won anything significant before — and that is not a slur on their promotions and the Zenith Data Systems Cup triumph of 1991. Matt supplied the insight into how their day out at Wembley thrust them into uncharted territory — from dressing room talks to tifos — while Demetrius’ stunning artwork, complete with smiles and tears and punches of the air, encapsulated a magical day.
Dominic Fifield
Article:Up to 20,000 calories a day and 75kg of rice — Sumo Grand Tournament comes to London. By Rob Tanner
Why I chose it: At the Royal Albert Hall in October, the Grand Sumo Tournament was held outside of Japan for just the second time in history. The build-up to the event — wrestlers pictured at London’s top attractions, outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, walking near the Houses of Parliament — had created anticipation. Rob’s piece brought the opening night to life, vividly conveying a sense of occasion — and the idiosyncrasies of this ancient sport.
Aimee Lewis
Article:Why Hidetoshi Nakata, face of the 2002 World Cup, retired at 29: ‘I’m not a fan of football’. By Tom Burrows
Why I chose it: There is an uncommon and altogether enthralling authenticity to the answers Tom elicits from the enigmatic Hidetoshi Nakata in this interview. You get a sense of just how uncompromising and different the former Japan international is.
As Tom writes, this sake-loving, football-ambivalent outlier is certainly ‘not your typical footballer’. The interview really lets Nakata’s voice emerge. It’s a well-researched, tightly written portrait of a man apart. “I do what I like. So if I like fashion, I do fashion. If I like other culture, I do other culture. If I like sake, I do sake,” Nakata says in the piece.
What a guy.
Greg O’Keeffe
Articles:Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid revolution has caused an early rift with big stars. By Mario Cortegana
Inside Barcelona’s injury crisis: Why Yamal and others complained, and the tensions it has caused. By Pol Ballus and Laia Cervello Herrero
Why I chose it: I’m biased as one of The Athletic’s Spanish football editors, but these two pieces showed the very best of our Barcelona and Real Madrid reporting.
Mario’s piece on the rift behind the scenes at Real Madrid due to Xabi Alonso’s methods was published when Madrid were five points clear at the top of La Liga and had won three from three games in the Champions League. But all was not well, as Mario expertly uncovered. One source close to a Madrid player said of Alonso: “He thinks he’s Pep Guardiola, but for now he’s just Xabi.” It was a sign of the cracks beneath the surface at Madrid, which have become plain to see, with Alonso teetering on the brink in recent weeks.
In November, Pol and Laia published an equally in-depth report into Barcelona’s recent injury crisis and how it had led to tensions behind the scenes. It was another incredibly well-sourced piece that took plenty of time and effort from both Pol and Laia, and which ended up setting the news agenda in Catalonia and beyond.
Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero
Article:Tony Mowbray: ‘I’ve no cancer in my body. I’m clear. Now I’m ready – I’ve got the energy for it’. By Michael Walker
Why I chose it: If we’re honest with ourselves, most football interviews aren’t very good: nobody wants to say anything too interesting, their clubs would prefer them to say even less, and when they do say something, it’s often by-the-numbers sentiment that nobody really needs to hear.
This interview, with a man who has football coursing through his veins, isn’t just “powerful” and “moving”, as we’re obliged to describe stories like Mowbray’s. It’s life-affirming.
Adam Hurrey
Article:The making of a Lioness – as told by their parents: Extra jobs, bank loans and sleeping in meetings. By Katie Whyatt, Charlotte Harpur and others
Why I chose it: This story took sharp reporting, heartfelt interviewing and nerves of steel. Like many that are used for major tournaments, it took months of planning. The bulk of the story was prepared before the 2025 European Championship, with the hope that there would be a perfect moment to release it to the world.
But then England lost their first game to France, turned it around to make it to the knockout rounds, went to penalty kicks with Sweden, and barely took care of Italy in extra time. Through it all, this story sat in the wings ready for its moment. I’m so glad it finally came.
Emily Olsen
Article:Jonathan Klinsmann interview: ‘There’s pressure being my dad’s son. I need to be good’. By Greg O’Keeffe
Why I chose it: “Knowing that people will always have something to say, I need to be good.” A standout line from Greg O’Keeffe’s insightful interview with goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann — son of Jurgen — who is reviving his career in Cesena, Italy. Klinsmann, who has finally found regular first-team football after a series of difficult spells, spoke candidly about the scrutiny and pressures that come with being the son of a famous footballer.
The 28-year-old also reflected on a tough lesson he learned about life in the spotlight, recalling how, aged 16, he mocked Landon Donovan in a tweet after his father controversially left him out of the USMNT 2014 World Cup squad, something he described in the article as a “one-minute lesson on what not to do”.
Tom Burrows
Article:‘It’s Arsenal. They won’t just ignore it’ — Thomas Partey, the allegations and what the club knew. By James McNicholas
Why I chose it: There is nothing I admire more in journalism than dogged, determined reporting; the ability to dig behind the headline and tell people things they don’t know. It’s the hardest part of the job, particularly when the subject matter is as difficult and divisive as this. But our Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas delivered on all fronts with his investigation into what Arsenal knew about the allegations facing their former midfielder Thomas Partey, producing a sensitively written and challenging piece of reporting while giving a voice to women who have felt silenced for too long.
Laura Williamson
Article:6,252 calories and 1,245 grams of carbs: What it takes to fuel a winning ride at the Tour de France. By Jacob Whitehead
Why I chose it: One of the best pieces of Jacob’s superb coverage of the 2025 Tour de France, this article benefited from being both incredibly detailed and fortunately timed. Not only did it explain how riders fuel for stages that are being raced at record-breaking speeds, but Jacob was also on the ground (and in the team car) on a day when the subject of the piece — Ben Healy — won a memorable stage.
Duncan Alexander
Article:From footballer to referee: ‘Retirement took my life away from me. Now I have something to get up for’. By Philip Buckingham
Why I chose it: Without going full Brian Clough in 1979, modern football’s obsession with referees’ performances can border on parody; analysis of an entire match reduced to a ‘Yes, but should X team have had a penalty?’.
What a sea change, then, to read Phil Buckingham’s interview with Carl Baker, who was speaking ahead of World Mental Health Day 2025. Baker, a former professional footballer, credits training to become a match official as his salvation from the depression he faced post-retirement.
It’s a gem of an interview that not only encourages us to be kinder to the man in black, but perhaps to ourselves too.
Josh Bolton
Article: Is This The Football You Want?. By Oliver Kay
Why I chose it: Oli explores how this season has brought together what some see as less attractive aspects of the game. The argument for and against set pieces, direct football and long throws gets to the heart of how and why we watch and enjoy football. And the answer for everyone is different.
Alex Brodie
Article:Tennis adopted electronic line-calling on clay and created a ball-mark monster. By Charlie Eccleshare
Why I chose it: Charlie’s story on stalking in tennis was another piece of sensitive, probing reporting. But I have chosen this story for how it took something granular and a bit esoteric and turned it into a richly textured discussion about the way that tennis players see their world on court, and what happens when they are asked not to believe their eyes.
James Hansen
Article:Every 2026 World Cup ticket price, if you’re lucky enough to get chosen to buy. By Henry Bushnell
Why I chose it: Henry “Mr World Cup Tickets” Bushnell — as nobody has ever called him apart from me — has been on top of 2026 World Cup ticket prices from the get-go, with a spreadsheet and network that are things of beauty. The prices may be (much) higher than we would like, but Henry’s reporting on tickets and how to get them has become essential ahead of next summer’s tournament.
Laura Williamson
Article:Rhian Wilkinson climbs Wales’ highest mountain to announce historic Euro 2025 squad. By Megan Feringa
Why I chose it: An international squad announcement might seem a strange spot to unearth wonderful writing, but Megan’s piece combined a historic event for Wales, evocative language about its awesome backdrop, and an engaging, interesting interviewee. The piece afforded Wales’ big moment the richness it deserved and, best of all, made you feel like you were right there, climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) with them.
Chris Weatherspoon
Article:Farewell, John Robertson – ‘Little fat guy’ who became Nottingham Forest’s greatest player. By Daniel Taylor
Why I chose it: I don’t think there can be anything harder than writing an obituary, when there’s so much pressure to capture the mood and to convey all that made the person significant. It’s a huge responsibility and this was pitch perfect. A really tender goodbye.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
Article:When England last won in Australia: The story of the 2010-11 Ashes told by those who were there. By Paul Newman
Why I chose it: English cricket fans have long cherished memories of their team’s eye-catching campaign Down Under 15 years ago, forever hoping the modern selection might emulate the feats of Andrew Strauss’ all-conquering side. Paul, who has led The Athletic’s venture into cricket so brilliantly, secured some wonderful first-hand testimonies from that series for this piece, recounting everything from preparations (perhaps the current setup should have taken note) to execution across a golden Australian summer for English cricket.
The sight of ‘Bazball’ struggling so badly to emulate Strauss & Co’s successes merely added to the mystique of that 2010-11 series, with Paul’s an evergreen piece which we will no doubt revisit in 2029-30 when England next venture to Oz in pursuit of the urn.
Dominic Fifield
Article:Ex-USWNT midfielder Tobin Heath retires: Broken-foot goals, slugs and building new worlds. By Meg Linehan
Why I chose it: This story broke the news of Tobin Heath’s retirement while also giving an in-depth look at the player and her impact. The former USWNT midfielder is a future hall of famer whose career was cut short by injuries. Meg’s heartfelt storytelling captures the joy of playing and the pain of having to stop before you’re ready. I also love any story that can work a slug into the narrative.
Emily Olsen
Article:The saga of Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton proves our heroes are human. By Megan Feringa
Why I chose it: The fallout from Mary Earps’ book was the biggest story in football for a time and it provoked all sorts of responses, in both article, video and social media form. This was the best thing I read about it — it was the fairest to all parties and the most even-handed, which is a really difficult balance to find in a reaction piece.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
Article:After 239 races, Nico Hülkenberg scores ‘the most overdue podium in F1 history’. By Luke Smith
Why I chose it: It feels like a blur when you reflect on the 2025 Formula One season — but one of the highlights was Nico Hulkenberg securing his first podium in the sport. Before crossing the line third at Silverstone, the German driver had competed in 238 races and not finished on the podium once.
It was an achievement that brought a huge sense of relief — and Luke captured the emotion in his piece.
Benjamin Clark
Article:A celebration of Eurosport’s football coverage – on its last day on UK television. By Michael Cox
Why I chose it: Published as the Eurosport brand disappeared from UK television screens in February, this was the sort of sprawling, fascinating oral history of the beloved — if ramshackle — broadcaster who gave football fans access to world football for more than three decades. A big undertaking, brilliantly done.
Duncan Alexander
Article:Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz’s generational tennis rivalry and an Australian Open fever dream. By Matthew Futterman
Why I chose it: Like Charlie’s stalking story, Matt’s piece on the Vatican City tennis court was a seminal piece of feature work. But I have chosen his match piece from the Australian Open quarter-final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz because it was an exercise in feeling and conveying the absurdity of a moment, instead of trying to rationally explain what had just occurred in Melbourne. The image of Djokovic “limping one-legged into Alcaraz’s brain (to) scramble it from the inside” has stayed with me all year.
James Hansen
Article:Jonathan Edwards and the surrealness of holding a world record for 30 years. By Liam Tharme
Why I chose it: This did what all great pieces of sporting nostalgia can do: make the reader reminisce, reflect and smile — even if it did make some of us feel our age. Of all of Liam’s brilliant reporting on athletics this summer, this was a standout interview with an unassuming sporting great recalling those two incredible record-breaking jumps 30 years ago.
Aimee Lewis
Article:Analysing the technique behind Declan Rice’s extraordinary free-kick double against Real Madrid. By Jordan Campbell
Why I chose it: On the greatest night of 2025 for Arsenal, Declan Rice proved his technical brilliance with two incredible free kicks on the biggest stage against the biggest opponents. Jordan’s breakdown of how he did it, what made them so unstoppable and remarkable, brought home the uniqueness of the achievement.
Alex Brodie
Article: Alex Morgan’s first major business move started with a simple pink headband. By Asli Pelit
Why I chose it: Asli knows the business of sports. She can tackle any major move in the industry or even break the next NWSL expansion team, as she did with Atlanta, but what I love about this piece on Alex Morgan’s iconic prewrap is the storytelling. It coincided with several celebrations honoring the USWNT legend’s career, but took her story in a different direction.
We’ve all seen the pink headband holding back Morgan’s slick ponytail, but this is the story of how it launched her business empire.
Emily Olsen
Article:Sir Ben Ainslie: Sir Jim Ratcliffe America’s Cup split ‘most difficult thing I’ve been through’. By Andrew Rice
Why I chose it: A sporting fallout between an Olympic great and a British billionaire was always going to be of interest to those outside the world of sailing. “It’s probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever been through in my life, from a personal or a sporting perspective,” four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie told Andrew Rice of the end of his America’s Cup partnership with Sir Jim Radcliffe, the INEOS founder and chairman, in this insightful interview.
Aimee Lewis
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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