In Episode 8 of Tactical Touch, we tell the story of a football club that lives in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower but carries the weight of Paris’s true soul. While Paris Saint-Germain may dominate the headlines today, it was Red Star FC that laid the foundations of what football could and should be.

Founded in 1897 by Jules Rimet, a young idealist who would later create the World Cup, Red Star was not built for fame or silverware. It was built for unity. In a time of class struggle, social unrest, and deep division in France, Rimet dreamed of a club where all people could come together through sport. At a time when most French clubs served only the elite, Red Star opened its doors to everyone: workers, clerks, immigrants, and aristocrats alike.

This episode explores how Red Star FC became a symbol of resistance, creativity, and community. From early games on borrowed pitches to winning five Coupe de France trophies, from the story of Resistance hero Rino Della Negra to the punk spirit of Stade Bauer today, Red Star’s journey is filled with courage and conviction.

We look at how the club's working-class identity took root in Saint-Ouen, how it stayed strong through wars and political change, and how its supporters built one of the most passionate fan cultures in France. Red Star is more than just the second team of Paris. It is a club that chose authenticity over glamour, and family over fame.

In a city now shaped by corporate football and billion-euro budgets, Red Star remains defiantly true to its values. This is the real Parisian football story: one of resistance, of dreams that refuse to die, and of fans who keep singing no matter the division.

Whether you are a football romantic, a history lover, or just someone curious about how one club can capture the spirit of a city, this episode is for you.

If you want to read more, check https://tactical-touch.com

Step into the heart of Lisbon and uncover the story of a club that was never meant to be ordinary.

In this episode of Tactical Touch, we explore the birth, evolution, and enduring legacy of Sporting Clube de Portugal, a club founded not in the dusty streets but in the manicured gardens of Sintra by dreamers in straw hats who wanted to create something "as big as the biggest in Europe."

From the aristocratic youth of José Alvalade and the roaring ambitions of Sporting’s founders, to the turbulent years under dictatorship and the post-revolution reinvention, this is not just a football story. It is a story of identity, resistance, and transformation.

You will hear how Sporting’s famous green and white colors came to be, how their eternal rivalry with Benfica mirrors class divides in Portuguese society, and how the lion crest became more than just a symbol. It became a statement of pride.

But perhaps the club’s greatest contribution lies in its academy. We revisit the roots of legends like Luís Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Nani, and see how one of the finest youth systems in football shaped the very soul of the Portuguese national team.

This episode covers:• The 1906 founding by aristocratic rebels• The political shadow of Salazar and the Estado Novo• The Carnation Revolution’s impact on Sporting• The rise of Porto as a northern rival• The legendary Five Violins and European triumphs• The academy that produced generations of world-class talent

Whether you're a diehard Sportinguista, a football romantic, or just curious about how a club becomes a cultural institution, this is a story you won’t want to miss.

If you want to read more, check https://tactical-touch.com

In 1908, inside a smoky Milanese tavern, a group of rebels broke away from AC Milan to form a new kind of football club, one that welcomed players from anywhere. They called it Internazionale, because, as founder Giorgio Muggiani declared, “we are brothers of the world.”

This episode of Tactical Touch explores the radical founding of Inter Milan and the philosophy that made it different from the start, and dangerous under Fascism. You’ll hear how Inter:

• Split from AC Milan over a ban on foreign players

• Sparked the Derby della Madonnina, a rivalry steeped in class, culture, and politics

• Was nearly erased by Mussolini’s regime, renamed Ambrosiana, and forced to play under a different identity

• Resisted from the stands as fans kept chanting “Forza Inter”

• Rose again with icons like Giuseppe Meazza, La Grande Inter, and the treble-winning team of 2010

You’ll meet artists, generals, fascists, and revolutionaries — and uncover how one club came to symbolize resistance, reinvention, and global identity in Italian football.

🎧 If you believe football is more than just a game, this is your story.

🔗 More at https://tactical-touch.com

Long before it became a football powerhouse, Celtic Football Club was something far more radical: a mission to feed the poor.

In this episode of Tactical Touch, we head to Glasgow’s East End in the late 19th century — a place scarred by poverty, prejudice, and the long shadow of the Great Irish Famine. It’s here that a Marist Brother named Walfrid, moved by the suffering of Irish Catholic immigrants, used football not just as a sport — but as a tool for survival, solidarity, and social change.

You’ll hear how Celtic was founded to raise funds for starving children, how it gave a forgotten community a sense of pride, and how it grew into a symbol of identity and resistance. From its early triumphs to the rise of the Old Firm rivalry with Rangers, from church halls to packed stadiums, Celtic’s story is one of unity forged in adversity.

This is not just a football club. It’s a living reminder of what happens when struggle meets purpose — and when football becomes something far greater than a game.

🔗 Learn more at https://tactical-touch.com

What if your favorite football club only signed local players and still managed to take on giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona?

In this episode of Tactical Touch, we travel to the proud, fiercely independent city of Bilbao to tell the story of Athletic Club — a team unlike any other in world football.

We explore:

• How football arrived in Bilbao through British shipbuilders and Basque students returning from England

• The founding of Athletic Club in 1901 by young locals and Englishmen determined to build something lasting

• How the club quickly became a symbol of Basque identity, especially during Franco's dictatorship, when other cultural expressions were suppressed

• The powerful legacy of the Basque-only player policy — a tradition that continues today and defines Athletic’s soul

• Why the San Mamés stadium is more than a venue — it’s the city’s second cathedral

• And how Athletic’s biggest rivalries, including the iconic Basque Derby with Real Sociedad and the historic tension with Real Madrid, reflect deep cultural truths

This is not just a football story — it’s a story of resistance, belonging, and pride. It’s about how a club can carry the hopes of a people and become a beacon of authenticity in a sport often driven by money and globalization.

Athletic Club isn’t just playing for points. It’s playing for principle.

Press play to discover why this team of local Lions continues to roar — even when the odds are against them.

Follow the podcast and share this episode if you believe football should still mean something.

For more articles visit ⁠https://tactical-touch.com⁠

In this episode, we explore the story of a football club born not in fireworks and chants, but in restraint, grace, and silence. Girondins de Bordeaux is unlike any other team we’ve covered so far. It didn’t shout to be noticed. It let its football do the talking.

From its beginnings as a gymnastics club in 1881 to its rise in French football through the 20th century, Bordeaux built a legacy based on style over speed, control over chaos, and class above all else.

We dive into:

• The club’s roots in Bordeaux’s cultural identity: a city that preferred wine to war, art to noise.

• The rise of Stade Chaban-Delmas (Lescure) as a sacred place, a stadium that didn’t need to roar to be feared.

• The golden years of Giresse, Tigana, Zidane, and Lizarazu, when Bordeaux made football feel like poetry.

• The heartbreak of the move to Matmut Atlantique, a new stadium that fractured the bond between fans and club.

• The soul-searching of a fanbase that still believes in subtle brilliance, even when modern football demands spectacle.

This is not just a history lesson. It’s a meditation on what it means to belong; to a club, to a place, to a way of watching football that prizes elegance over ego.

Whether you’ve never seen Bordeaux play or grew up under the Lescure lights, this story will remind you:
sometimes football isn’t about the noise. It’s about the presence.

Hit play. Listen close. And don’t forget, Tactical Touch continues next week, with a new city, a new club, and another timeless origin story.

For more articles visit ⁠https://tactical-touch.com⁠

Before the trophies, before the European nights, and before "You'll Never Walk Alone" echoed through Anfield… there was a fallout over rent and beer.

In this episode, we dive into the surprising and dramatic birth of Liverpool Football Club, a team that rose from conflict, ambition, and a stubborn brewer with a vision.

Most people know Liverpool as a footballing powerhouse. But few know how the club came into existence — not out of glory or triumph, but out of a bitter breakup with their city rivals, Everton.

You'll discover:

• How a power struggle between John Houlding (club president and stadium owner) and Everton’s board tore the club in two
• Why beer and rising rent played a central role in the dramatic split
• The birth of a brand-new club in 1892 — with no players, no name, and just a stadium left behind
• The clever way Houlding tried (and failed) to steal Everton’s name… and how the rejection led to the perfect alternative: Liverpool Football Club
• How the Reds earned their place from scratch — recruiting a team of Scots nicknamed “The Team of All the Macs” and smashing their first league season unbeaten
• Why Everton and Liverpool became the city’s friendly rivals, and how the first Merseyside Derby sparked a century of passion

This episode is packed with twists: legal drama, personal betrayal, unexpected victories, and a city learning to love two teams instead of one. Whether you live and breathe football or can’t tell a pitch from a pint, this is a story of identity, community, and starting again when the odds are stacked against you.

At its heart, this isn’t just a football story. It’s a story about loyalty, legacy, and the power of a name.

You’ll walk away knowing:

• Why Liverpool fans still sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with their whole heart
• How a small act of defiance in 1892 changed football history forever
• And why, in Liverpool, football is never just a game — it’s family.

🎧 Perfect for new listeners or long-time fans. Hit play to discover how Liverpool FC was forged not in glory, but in grit.

Follow the show and share it with someone who loves stories that matter — even if they’ve never watched a single match.

For more articles visit https://tactical-touch.com

Before Paris had PSG, Marseille had a dream.

In this debut episode, we take you to the sun-drenched streets of France’s oldest city to uncover the true origin story of Olympique de Marseille — a club born from vision, built on culture, and carried by passion.

Whether you're a lifelong fan of the game or you’ve never watched a single match, this story has something for you. It’s not just about football. It’s about identity, pride, rebellion, and belonging.

We explore:

• How René Dufaure de Montmirail, a 23-year-old dreamer, founded the club in 1899.

• Why OM was named after the Olympic spirit — and the ancient Greek founders of Marseille.

• How a motto coined by his wife, "Droit au but" (“Straight to the goal”), became the beating heart of the club.

• The rise from a local team to national champions — and eventually to Champions League glory.

• How Marseille’s rugged, passionate, diverse identity became woven into every thread of OM's jersey.

• Why OM fans are called les fadas — “the crazy ones” — and how that love endures through every high and low.

We also step inside the iconic Stade Vélodrome, where strangers sing in unison and 60,000 voices rise as one. You’ll hear how football in Marseille became more than a sport — it became a love story.

At just under 6 minutes, this episode is the perfect intro to our new series: inspiring football origin stories that even non-fans will enjoy. Stories about more than goals. Stories about people, purpose, and legacy.

Hit play. Get inspired. And discover how one football club became the voice of an entire city.

New episodes drop weekly. Follow us and join the journey through the greatest football stories ever told.

For more articles visit ⁠https://tactical-touch.com⁠