About
About me & this project.
Who I am
A public archive of Umir's football thinking.
I am Umir Irfan, a football writer, analyst, and coach.
I have worked in football consultancy, analysis, and youth coaching roles in England and Italy.
My aim is to seek truth in football and improve the lives of people within the game through coaching and education at the highest level.
Background
This work is shaped by cross-domain study.
I trained and worked as a medical doctor, and continue to practise part-time. Medicine has informed much of my football thinking and work.
My thinking also draws on behavioural economics, anthropology, human psychology, and cross-sport methods. Threads of these interests will emerge throughout the archive.
I am interested in football as a tactical, cultural, psychological, and social system that resembles life.
Why this site exists
A record of experience and a place to examine ideas.
The archive records experiences and lessons from my work in football, whilst giving me a platform to explore ideas in depth.
The longer pieces take the form of detailed theses, drawing inspiration from the tradition at Coverciano.
It preserves this work over time, allowing ideas to be searched, revisited, and refined.
Inspired in part by Rory Sutherland's Alchemy, I am interested in ideas that challenge conventional reasoning and may appear illogical before their value becomes understood.
By publishing this work, I hope to encourage others to question both my perspectives and their own, contributing to the continued development of the game.
For all enquiries: contact@umirirfan.com