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Ian Hawkey

Ian Hawkey

European Football Correspondent
London
Ian is an award-winning journalist and author. He has lived in and reported from Cairo, Johannesburg and London and, based in Barcelona, was The Sunday Times European football correspondent for 12 years. His books include Feet of the Chameleon, The Story of African Football – winner of the National Sports Council’s Football Book of the Year – and Di Stéfano, shortlisted for the Cross Sports Book of the Year.

Articles

Lamine Yamal, left, and Arda Guler will face off in this Sunday's Clasico. Getty Images
Barcelona v Real Madrid: Guler bids to upstage Yamal

Young forwards will be key for their sides in Sunday's crucial Clasico showdown

May 10, 2025
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, centre, gave Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni, right, a tough time in their Uefa Champions League semi-final first leg. AP
Inter v Barca: Experience takes on fearlessness with focus on stopping Yamal

Both semi-finalists have fitness concerns after first-leg thriller finished 3-3 which saw teenage Spanish winger produce wonder show

May 06, 2025
Mohamed Salah has broken plenty of records as Liverpool stand on the cusp of being crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images
Mohamed Salah and his obstacles to winning the Ballon d'Or

Barcelona trio Lewandowski, Yamal and Raphinha in the running while PSG's Dembele can also stake a claim to be the world's best in 2025

April 25, 2025
Manchester City's James McAtee reacts after a missed chance against Aston Villa. Reuters
Club World Cup: Plenty of teams struggling ahead of Fifa's lucrative event

The 32 clubs picked had either been champions of their continent, or shown enough pedigree over the previous four years to warrant inclusion. Few are showing signs of that now

April 24, 2025
Mamelodi Sundowns' Peter Shalulile celebrates scoring against Esperance. Reuters
CAF Champions League: South African upstarts face Egypt's finest in last four

North African dominance under threat as teams from south show quality ahead of semi-finals of continent's elite club competition

April 18, 2025
Athletic Bilbao's Maroan Sannadi in action against Rangers at Ibrox. Reuters
Athletic Club pin hopes on Moroccan novice Maroan Sannadi in Europa League

Striker making his name at San Mames follows in a long line of Basque target men

April 17, 2025
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal has shown exceptional maturity and tactical nous at a young age. EPA
Dortmund tasked with containing Barca's knockout master Yamal

Talismanic teenager likely to play a big role in Uefa Champions League quarter-final clash

April 09, 2025
Achraf Hakimi has played more minutes than all but one of his PSG teammates this season. EPA
PSG close in on Ligue 1 title with inexhaustible Hakimi leading the charge

Moroccan defender at heart of French side's push for treble with Club World Cup also on horizon

April 04, 2025
Brahim Diaz, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring for Morocco in their World Cup qualifying win over Tanzania. AP
Morocco have one foot in World Cup but potential twists in tale await

Atlas Lions made it five wins from five qualification games after beating Tanzania

March 27, 2025
Patrick Kluivert's first game as Indonesia coach saw his team lose 5-1 to Australia. AP
Kluivert’s Indonesia reign off to rocky start in razor tight qualifying group

Five teams, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, still in mix for automatic qualification to 2026 finals or play-off spot

March 25, 2025
James Kwesi Appiah took over as Sudan national team manager in September 2023. Photo: Instagram
‘When we play, the guns go quiet’ - Appiah on managing Sudan during war

The Jediane Falcons are top of World Cup qualifying group despite being forced to play home matches in Libya due to conflict

March 20, 2025
Marseille's Algerian forward Amine Gouiri, second left, celebrates with teammates after scoring against Nantes at the Velodrome. AFP
PSG v Marseille: Gouiri and Bennacer revive OM's Algerian roots

Fennecs duo thriving at Stade Velodrome after joining in January

March 13, 2025
Soccer Football - Champions League - Knockout Phase Playoff - Second Leg - Atalanta v Club Brugge - Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo, Italy - February 18, 2025 Club Brugge's Chemsdine Talbi applauds fans after the match REUTERS / Alessandro Garofalo
Moroccan teen Talbi already up to speed in Champions League for Club Brugge

Belgian side will be hoping jet-heeled young winger can inspire comeback against Aston Villa in last-16 second leg

March 12, 2025
Achraf Hakimi of PSG, left, and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold. Photos: EPA / AFP
PSG v Liverpool: How Hakimi and Alexander-Arnold changed the game

Arguably the two best right-sided defenders in world football will share a pitch for first time in Paris on Wednesday night

March 05, 2025
PSV Eindhoven's Ismael Saibari during their Champions League tie against Juventus. Reuters
PSV's Moroccan star Saibari can make difference against Arsenal

Eindhoven club's versatile talisman has been driving force behind their run to last 16

March 04, 2025