Francesco Schirru

📝 Bio: Born in Cagliari in 1988, I discovered from an early age that writing, storytelling, and uncovering new stories were what interested me most.

At GOAL since 2009, I have always loved combining my interest in football with cinema and literature, using both to tell stories about the game. In recent years, I have been particularly interested in what the audience focuses on and what they want to know. I have always believed, and continue to believe, that football explains the world—how it can be political, how important it is to people, and how often it is intertwined with every aspect of life.

High school, university, and especially traveling around the world have allowed me to meet people for whom sport was essential in facing challenges: their stories are a reason why exploring those related to football is so interesting.

🧠 Areas of expertise:

• Statistics
• In-depth analysis
• National teams
• Cagliari

✍🏻 Favorite articles:

• St. Louis, the pride of American football: at the top on the first try
• Vinnie Jones, the 'baddest' in history: from kung-fu fouls to cinema
• The Other Final: Bhutan-Montserrat, the match between the 'worst' teams in the world played on the day of the World Cup final
• The Scilly Islands Championship: the smallest in the world, two teams and 18 matches