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