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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 15h

A day in the life of the worst football team in the world www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser

Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 1d

He used to be homeless. When I was at his salon, he got a phone call. He answered like this:

"This is Mauro Shampoo from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, broadcasting to the world. Footballer, hairdresser, man, at your service. Let’s go, show, show, show!"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 1d

This is Mauro Shampoo, the most iconic Brazilian footballer you've never heard of.

"Pelé, Maradona & Zico were all No 10s, and so was I. I played for the worst team in the world, but I was still a No 10. I was the best of the worst, show."

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 1d

Íbis SC call themselves 'the worst team in the world'.

They once went four years without winning. Their mascot is called Little Defeat. Their biggest icon is a hairdresser called Mauro Shampoo, who only ever scored one goal for them.

So why is everyone so... happy?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser

Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

www.nytimes.com

1 5 13

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 1d

He used to be homeless. When I was at his salon, he got a phone call. He answered like this:

"This is Mauro Shampoo from Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, broadcasting to the world. Footballer, hairdresser, man, at your service. Let’s go, show, show, show!"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

1 1 2

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 1d

This is Mauro Shampoo, the most iconic Brazilian footballer you've never heard of.

"Pelé, Maradona & Zico were all No 10s, and so was I. I played for the worst team in the world, but I was still a No 10. I was the best of the worst, show."

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

1 1 2

Reposted by Jack Lang

The Athletic | Football @theathleticfc.bsky.social · 1d

Between 1980 and 1984, Ibis won none of their 55 matches. Their goal difference over that period was minus 206. Ibis say this was the longest winless run in football history.

They have attracted global fame as a result.

@jacklang.bsky.social went to Brazil to meet them.

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser

Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Michael Cox @zonal-marking.bsky.social · 1d

Football in 2025 doesn’t look how we expected it to in 2000. Here’s a list of eight things I anticipated would happen in that time, that have not happened at all.
www.nytimes.com/athletic/670...

Eight expectations about football from 25 years ago that have proven misguided

From pay-per-view coverage to the loss of technical midfielders to indoor stadiums – some expectations from 2000 haven't come true

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 1d

Íbis SC call themselves 'the worst team in the world'.

They once went four years without winning. Their mascot is called Little Defeat. Their biggest icon is a hairdresser called Mauro Shampoo, who only ever scored one goal for them.

So why is everyone so... happy?

www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...

Meet the worst football team in the world… and their superstar hairdresser

Ibis Sport Club once went almost four years without winning a game - the Brazilians' attitude to their status has brought them global fame

www.nytimes.com

1 5 13

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · 24d

"I am hungrier than I was 25 years ago. I feel more alive than ever."

Why Benfica are banking on José Mourinho, fuelled by a sense of unfinished business, to conjure a bit of the old devil magic and bring the glory days back to the Estádio da Luz

www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Jose Mourinho is back at Benfica and ‘more alive than ever’. They need his old devil magic

Benfica have chosen Mourinho as their new head coach - 25 years on from his first crack at the job - following a horror loss to Qarabag

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Sep 10

Brazil's defeat to Bolivia last night brought the curtain down on their worst qualification campaign ever.

Lots of work for Carlo Ancelotti to do. Not much time in which to do it

www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Brazil’s World Cup qualifying was an all-time low – Carlo Ancelotti faces a race to be ready

Brazil lost six matches in qualifying for the World Cup. Can Carlo Ancelotti fix their problems in time for the tournament?

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Sep 10

Brazil's defeat to Bolivia last night brought the curtain down on their worst qualification campaign ever.

Lots of work for Carlo Ancelotti to do. Not much time in which to do it

www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

Brazil’s World Cup qualifying was an all-time low – Carlo Ancelotti faces a race to be ready

Brazil lost six matches in qualifying for the World Cup. Can Carlo Ancelotti fix their problems in time for the tournament?

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Sep 10

Ecuador beat Argentina last night. That's 11 matches unbeaten. They finish second in South American World Cup qualifying, above Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia.

"The feeling among the players and staff is that we are in a position to make history"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Ecuador are outperforming Brazil in World Cup qualifying. They are a footballing nation on the rise

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Sep 8

That's true. Guess they'll have to make an impact at the actual World Cup too!

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Sep 8

Really engaging guy. We spoke about the growing confidence of Ecuadorian players, learning from previous WC experience with Chile & Argentina, and why *not* playing at altitude highlights La Tri's "leap in quality"

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Sep 8

Ecuador haven't lost in 10 games. Their defensive record is laugh-out-loud amazing. They qualified for the World Cup with a year to spare despite a points deduction.

I spoke to coach Sebastián Beccacece about their rise – and their big ambitions for next summer

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Ecuador are outperforming Brazil in World Cup qualifying. They are a footballing nation on the rise

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Aug 19

Watched Matheus Cunha's Manchester United debut with his old futsal mentor in Recife – and a few of the kids who hope to follow in his footsteps one day

www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Jul 6

“He was a symbol of this region.”

“We felt he was ours.”

In northern Portugal, a community mourns Diogo Jota, a blue-collar footballer who never lost sight of where his journey began

www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

‘Thank you, for making so many people happy’: Gondomar mourns Diogo Jota, their humble hero

Jack Lang reports from Portugal on the impact that Jota's death has had on the region where he grew up and leaves such an indelible mark

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Jul 6

“He was a symbol of this region.”

“We felt he was ours.”

In northern Portugal, a community mourns Diogo Jota, a blue-collar footballer who never lost sight of where his journey began

www.nytimes.com/athletic/647...

‘Thank you, for making so many people happy’: Gondomar mourns Diogo Jota, their humble hero

Jack Lang reports from Portugal on the impact that Jota's death has had on the region where he grew up and leaves such an indelible mark

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · Jul 1

Stand-out performer so far at this Club World Cup? There’s a strong case for Jhon Arias, the softly spoken, Gabriel García Márquez-reading dreamer who has come from relative obscurity in Colombia to bring his brand of magical realism to Fluminense 🇧🇷🇨🇴 #Fluminense www.nytimes.com/athletic/646...

Meet Jhon Arias – a novel football hero

The softly spoken Colombian winger has emerged as one of the stars of the Club World Cup, and was crucial to Fluminense's win over Inter

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Jun 28

“He will soon be seen as one of the top managers in the world.”

How “restless” Filipe Luis went from novice to Brazil’s most promising coach in the space of eight months

www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

Filipe Luis: The Flamengo coach who is making a hard job look easy

Tipped to manage Brazil in the future, Filipe Luis has already made a big impression at the Club World Cup this summer

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Jun 28

“He will soon be seen as one of the top managers in the world.”

How “restless” Filipe Luis went from novice to Brazil’s most promising coach in the space of eight months

www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

Filipe Luis: The Flamengo coach who is making a hard job look easy

Tipped to manage Brazil in the future, Filipe Luis has already made a big impression at the Club World Cup this summer

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Jack Lang

The Athletic | Football @theathleticfc.bsky.social · Jun 27

Igor Jesus is one of the breakout stars of the Club World Cup.

The most interesting thing about him?

Just over a year ago, barely anyone had even heard of him.

📝 @jacklang.bsky.social

Igor Jesus, the Premier League-bound Club World Cup star who last year was a nobody

The 'Little Frog' is now starring on the global stage and has a move to Nottingham Forest already agreed. Not a bad year's work for a nobody

www.nytimes.com

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Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Jun 27

Read the piece

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Reposted by Jack Lang

Jack Lang @jacklang.bsky.social · Jun 27

Igor Jesus took the scenic route to the brink of global stardom. It might just have been the making of him www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

Igor Jesus – The Premier League-bound Club World Cup star who last year was a nobody

The 'Little Frog' is now starring on the global stage and has a move to Nottingham Forest already agreed. Not a bad year's work for a nobody

www.nytimes.com

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