There’s one aspect of his role as president of Atlanta United that Darren Eales looks forward to more than anything else — more, even, than winning championships and trophies. (Those are nice too, of course.) But most fans will be surprised to learn that the thing Eales loves most about his job takes place on Twitter.



Minutes before Atlanta United announce a new signing, Eales will tweet a complex riddle about the player that the club’s one million Twitter followers will then attempt to decipher. These cryptic tweets have become a club tradition, and each one originates with Eales, not a brainstorming session with the marketing team.



“It’s just me. I’m a nerd. I love cryptic crosswords,” Eales said in an interview ahead of Atlanta United’s first match of the 2020 season. “Back in my barrister days, before I was in the front office, I’d do the Telegraph’s cryptic crossword on the...