Curated Cutback #0:

While preparing the newsletter that will be released at the end of the month, I decided to add a section where I would recommend the best articles I’ve read between issues. However, here arises a problem.

I read at least ten articles a day, both sports-related and not (plus the readings for university which I do not count), and therefore in about a week from the publication of the post on Dallinga, the links I end up recommending are already nine. In another twenty days, the newsletter would have a very long section of links. So, I want to make a decision on what to do in the future, and at the end of this post, I created a small survey for you – who, even if you are just over twenty, are my readers and I hope you will give me some feedback.

In summary, this issue is simply a curated newsletter, not unlike Cultured Football that you can find here on Substack, from which I have taken an article that I believe is worth sharing.

The articles you will find below are both in Italian – because I am Italian, live in Italy, and this is my native language – and in English. I will divide them by language into two different sections, but I hope that, if you have the chance, you will also take a look at the ones in Italian, perhaps using a translator. One last thing: the theme will always be sports, not necessarily football, nor necessarily related to data analysis. Nevertheless, I hope you like at least one or two of the links I recommend.

(If I may, given my background in anthropology, offer a suggestion: the articles in Italian are deeply influenced by the Italian context and are addressed to an Italian audience, dealing with Italian issues and controversies. It might be interesting to read them as a small porthole to look inside the sea that is Italy).

English:

• Eredivise Exports: Five players to watch in 2024-25; by Opta Analyst. 

  • Wieffer, Pavlidis, Brobbey, and Boscagli are among those I would consider known, but I found the Sahraoui part really interesting.

• Barcelona pull 12th lever, find €62m; by The Transfer Flow.

  • If you don’t know the newsletter, you’re missing out. It was founded a few weeks ago by Statsbomb’s founder Ted Knutson, who, in this issue, talks about the state of set-piece analysis and coaching.

• How Man United improved their still-flawed transfer strategy; by Ryan O’Hanlon for ESPN.

  • Ryan discussed the strategic significance of their summer activities and explored the implications of these actions for the upcoming season and beyond. He also gives his opinion on what these moves means for United's long-term vision for sustained improvement. (I found it thanks to Cultured Football, check it out)

• Riccardo Calafiori’s Arsenal signing awakens a long-dormant Italian connection; by Amy Lawrence for The Athletic.

  • Amy explores the historical and cultural significance of Calafiori’s arrival in London in her article. Published on The Athletic, which is likely the most well-known sports site globally and requires a subscription to read, this piece captivated me.

Italian:

• Da Pilato a Sinner, gli sportivi non ci devono nulla; by Valerio Moggia for Valigia Blu.

  • Regarding the relationship that supporters have with the emotions athletes feel after a disappointing performance, there was a particular case where the polemic sparked after 19-year-old swimmer Benedetta Pilato said on record that it was the best day of her life after she finished 4th, just 0.01 seconds from third place.

• Gli atleti italiani sanno accettare la sconfitta meglio di noi; by Dario Saltari for Ultimo Uomo.

  • Related to the previous one, but more focused on the controversy that sparked in Italy about refereeing at the Olympics, which was a huge theme more for people on Twitter/X and observers in the media than the athletes.

• Perché la Corea del Sud è così forte nel tiro con l’arco?; by Marco D’Ottavi for Ultimo Uomo.

  • A splendid piece in which the author tried to reconstruct why South Korea is dominant in archery at the same level as China is in table tennis. Absolutely worth the read, in my humble opinion.

• Nooticer: Andrea Colpani; by Charles Onwuakpa.

  • Charles, a regional scout for a Premier League club, has started a Substack where he will publish reports on players he has interest in, utilizing data and video clips. In this particular entry, he discusses Colpani. As expected from a professional in his field, the quality of his work is exceptionally high.

• Perché per la Cina il medagliere è così importante; by Moris Gasparri for Ultimo Uomo. 

  • Moris, a researcher and writer whose work I admire, is undertaking a comparative and anthropological study on the significance of sports and Olympic medals. His analysis will contrast what these achievements mean for China with their meaning for those of us living under the influence of the US Empire.

Here is the survey I mentioned. I would like to know if you prefer that every week (perhaps always on Monday) I create a post exclusively dedicated to this (curation), in which I share the most interesting things I’ve read, or if you prefer that I include it at the end of the pieces I write. In any case, I will have to start reading much more and delving into the more hidden corners of the Internet. Let me know.

All the images were taken from the respective posts, and I’m not currently monetizing from this newsletter, so I don’t want any problems.

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