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Though rarely as heralded as their outfield counterparts, some goalkeepers can become de facto legends at their club sides. When Chelsea signed Petr Čech from Stade Rennais, few would have expected him to become one of the most important players in the history of Chelsea Football Club. With over 300 games for the club, though, Cech became a regular for both Chelsea and then latterly rival club Arsenal, playing over 100 games for the Gunners.

He holds the records for the most clean sheets in a row in England, as well as the most clean sheets recorded by a keeper in English football.

What made Petr Čech so special?

A cat-like goalkeeper, Čech was often a key deciding factor in various wins for Celsae over the years. He regularly played a key role in Final victories and other major wins, becoming one of the best examples of a goalkeeper who can win his team points.

Known for his incredible agility and also his ability to save penalties, he became a crucial part of the English football scene as he dominated in nets for Chelsea for close to 11 years, followed by 4 years of success at Arsenal.

What does Petr Čech do now?

Today, Cech has taken part in playing goals for the Guildford Phoenix, playing for them during the 2019-20 season. In football, he has taken on a role at Chelsea, where he took on the position of Technical Director. At the club, he has played a key role in developing strategy, pinpointing long-term goals for the club, and also liaising with the fans in times of disharmony.

He played a key role in calming down the Chelsea support after the Blues were leaked as part of the European Super League project, diffusing the situation and eventually playing a role in the club exiting from the ESL discussion.

When reading into English football, you’ll be introduced to a whole host of clubs who are known outside of the English and British shores. Clubs from the northern, middle and southern parts of England are recognised as some of the biggest in the world. To the northern part of England, we have teams from Liverpool and Manchester. Towards the middle of the country, we have teams from the Midlands and Yorkshire with massive support and fanbases. London, too, houses many big clubs. But who is the most successful overall?

As of 2020, the most successful club in England is Liverpool Football Club. The Reds are the most successful club in England with a whopping 48 major honours to their name. Having recently added major tournaments like the FIFA Club World Club, UEFA Champions League, and English Premier League, the Reds have usurped their eternal rivals Manchester United as the most successful club on English soil.

Since being founded back in 1888, the Football League has seen many clubs come into existence and do well. None, though, quite match up to Liverpool. Despite not being the record holders for league titles (United hold that record, with 20), or FA Cups (Arsenal), the Reds do have a European record on these shores with six European Cups; nearly as many as the rest of England put together!

With fourteen international titles to United in second place with eight, the Reds easily have a handle over their illustrious rivals on European shores. And with just a single domestic title now separating the two teams, it’s clear that this rival could be set for some to-and-fro over the next years.

In fact, Liverpool come out on top in every metric apart from Premier League and FA Cup wins when it comes to United: United, though, do have an Intercontinental Cup and a Cup Winners’ Cup – two defunct trophies that the Anfield side now cannot win.

When a player is fouled in football, they will be given a free-kick. This is the opportunity to take a single uncontested kick, pass, or shot of the ball without an opposition player allowed to be within 10 yards of you. However, we get different forms of free kick in the sport of football – the two most common forms are known as indirect and direct free kicks.

An indirect free kick will be signalled by the referee by raising the arm above their head. The signal is maintained until the kick is actually taken and the ball either touches another player or goes out of play. However, you cannot score a goal directly from an indirect free kick. Perhaps unfairly, the free kick must be retaken if the ball enters the net – even if the referee has failed to make the symbol for an indirect free kick.

Indirect free kicks are different from direct free kicks both on how they are awarded and how they are used. Indirect free kicks tend to be given for a variety of different reasons, but the most common reason for an indirect free kick would be a player being called offside. Normally, indirect free kicks are given for technical fouls as opposed to a standard foul.

So, it could be something be given for all manner of things, including ‘dangerous play’ or ‘impeding progress without making contact’. Suffice to say, the rules are quite vague. Indirect free kicks can be awarded for things as varied as dissent, using foul language, or for covering any kind of foul the referee deems outside the spirit of the game without necessarily being in the rules.

Deliberate pass-backs and pickups from goalkeepers are another common one, though less regularly seen in the modern game due to how long the pass-back rule has been removed. Indirect free kicks are often given; we just don’t realise due to where they are provided and how unlikely a shot on goal would be anyway.

When watching a game of football, from Non league to Premier League alike, you might notice the ball go out of player behind either of the goals. If the ball was to go off a player who is attacking, then it would be deemed a ‘goal kick’; the defending team would take an uncontested kick from their goalkeeper.

However, if the ball was to go out of play and touch a defending player last then it would be ruled as a corner. The corner is the four small quarter-circle shapes in all four corners of the field. If the ball goes out of play behind the goal(s), then either a corner or a goal kick is given.

With a corner, an attacking player is given the chance to take a free pass or cross. This can either be put into the opposition box directly, or played shortly to a teammate. However, you can also shoot from a corner kick – should the ball go in the net directly, it will count as a goal. However, if you somehow managed to score an own goal from your own corner, then it would be awarded as a corner kick to the opposition team instead.

The ball must be taken from the corner area, and it must be stationary – it must also be kicked from a player in the attacking team. However, it does not have to leave the corner area; it must make a full rotation. So, you could simply roll the ball in a full rotation and allow a teammate to take the ball instead.

However, the kicker is unable to touch the ball again after initial contact until a teammate or opposition player then touches the ball. Once the ball is in play, all normal rules return to play apart from one thing: you cannot be offside from a corner on the initial play. Once the ball is touched by another player, though, offside rules return to normality.