Host

My football story begins in the north German port City of Hamburg. The first memory of going to a football fan isn't actually my own memory but rather the memory of my father. He tells the story over and over again of him taking his toddler son to the Volksparkstadion where the iconic Hamburger SV (HSV) play their home games. Given that German stadiums typically have very large standing sections, my dad asked a few Hamburg fans to move aside a bit so he could sit me on top of the metal bar and have an uninterrupted view of the pitch. There I was, barely old enough to walk or kick a ball, watching for the first time something that would become my lifelong passion - Football. 

I started playing the beautiful game of football myself at the ripe age of 4 and always knew this sport would be the one thing that would accompany me throughout my whole life. The driveway at my house became an area to practice dribbling & shooting, the bedroom an area to practice juggling. Football was everywhere and visits to the newly renovated Volksparkstadion became a bi weekly ritual.The overwhelming passion, sense of community and electric feeling I got from going to HSV home games is something that would shape me for the rest of my life. Everything was HSV - the bedsheets, the birthday cakes & of course the yearly jerseys - my whole life was covered in the iconic black, white & blue rhombus which is the Hamburg logo. 

When I turned 12 my family relocated to Australia. This would never sever my connection to the club, in fact it made it stronger. Waking up at 3 am in the morning to watch football games with my dad became a weekly ritual and for the next 6 years of my life this was predominantly how I was able to watch European football. Every year, I would go back to Hamburg to see my family and friends and of course the first thing on the list was always to attend a home match. 

After finishing school, I decided to live and work in Europe and this is where attending football games became an obsession. Hamburg - home and away was just the beginning. I would go on to travel around Europe to watch games from Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga & Champions league, to name just a few known leagues. What excited me just as much though was to see games in lesser known or lower-level leagues. Going to these lesser-known league games around Europe and seeing some of the fiercest derbies in world football gave me some of the most exciting experiences and stories to tell.

We often get caught up in focusing on watching the top levels of European football and forget to appreciate some of the purest forms of football that come from these lesser-known leagues, where fans still have a strong voice, matchday experiences are filled with electricity and every club has unique traditions and characteristics. 

Feeling and experiencing new cultures and fan traditions is what motivated me to go on this journey with Football untold. I have always said - Football without fans is nothing and it's the stories from these fans that create stories we want to share with the rest of the world.

Host

My football story begins watching world cups with my grandfather and father in the early hours the morning from Australia, waking up in the middle of the night to catch the greatest spectacle on earth. I grew up in a city without a professional football team (Canberra, Australia) but fell in love watching the game from abroad through my television screen. 

Whilst I started playing the game at five years old, I was always more drawn to following, discussing and debating the game from all angles. I developed a connection to the clubs associated with my heritage, Reggina in Southern Italy through my father’s side and Hadjulk Split on the Dalmatian Coast through my mother’s side. In a bid to follow the trend in Australia and have something in common with my school friends, I came to follow the English game closely and developed a love affair with Portsmouth FC along the way.

I continued to follow the game from afar through my television screen during my youth, plenty of late nights and early mornings along the way, but when I was old enough to travel overseas, I jumped at the opportunity to chase this passion and bring it to life. 

The year was 2016, and I found myself jumping off a plane and making my way to San Siro in Milan for the ‘Derby della Madonnina’ between AC Milan and Inter, a truly life changing experience. From there I was hooked, taking whatever opportunity, I could experience new atmospheres and communities around Europe. 

Throughout my travels, I have met many wonderful people who have helped me enjoy many wonderful experiences. This is where the idea from Football Untold began, to bring these characters and communities to life in a centralised media platform. 

I want to continue to travel to experience different atmospheres, stadiums and experiences across the globe, especially into parts lesser known. Football Untold is a vehicle through which I want to achieve this and bring as many people along for the ride as I can.

Host

MY love affair with football began in 1993, when my dad told me to watch the exhilarating clash between São Paulo and AC Milan in the Intercontinental Toyota Club Cup on tv. That match ignited my lifelong passion for the game. For which over the past 32 years, I amassed a wealth of remarkable experiences.

I faced challenges as a player and never was able to get to a level that led to much, however, my love for football paved the way to coaching juniors and men's teams and to become a professional sports photographer. Eventually, this led me to embrace the world of football photojournalism, where I had the privilege of covering the sport at an elite level such as, the women's FIFA World Cup, AFC Asian Cup, Asian Champions League, FIFA Internationals and the Australian A-League.

I am a supporter of Botafogo and experienced unforgettable memories in the iconic Maracanã Stadium, but that does not compare to their historic double by winning the 2024 Brasileiro Serie A and the 2024 Conmebol Copa Libertadores on my birthday. 

I have joined forces with Gene and Lucas to launch the "Football Untold Podcast." Through the podcast, we aim to capture the essence of the game, sharing stories and insights that resonate with fellow enthusiasts and behind-the-scenes perspectives that enrich the football community.