Revista de la Liga with Graham Hunter

For such an intelligent football man, you might be surprised to learn how Brad Friedel was once in the grip of crippling superstitions. Oddly, when he crossed the white line, the nerves disappeared.Also in part two, you’ll hear about the one man Brad feared facing most of all: Alan Shearer. And there’s great stuff about how goalkeepers must never let their inner feelings show on the field of play.Thanks, Brad. I could have chatted all day.Graham.Subscribe to The Big Interview YouTube channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Today, I'm presenting to you an episode of Between The Lines, a podcast that tells the stories behind great sports writing, produced by Martin and Neil at BackPage, my producers and the publishers of the books I wrote on Barcelona under Pep Guardiola and the Spain team that won a hat-trick of tournaments. In this episode, Neil and Martin talk to Mark Palmer, the translator of The Immortals, Arrigo Sacchi’s memoir of Milan’s 1988-89 season, which ended with the first of two back-to-back European Cup triumphs for the great team of Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, Gullit and Van Basten.The Immortals brings to life the training diaries of Sacchi and captures in time one of the greatest club teams in football history.There are lots more stories on Between The Lines - take your pick hereBuy The Immortals here.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Brad Friedel fell in love with English football long before he arrived on UK shores to grace the No.1 jerseys of Liverpool, Blackburn, Villa and Spurs. A trip to Wembley during a childhood family tour of Europe gave him the bug.He was hardened by his Ohio upbringing, which set him in good stead for coping with the glorious craziness of Galatasaray.This is an absolute corker of a Big Interview.GrahamSubscribe to The Big Interview YouTube channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Here's my latest for ESPNFC - on Xavi's first game in charge of his beloved Barcelona, against their city rivals, Espanyol. The two teams are level on points, which means Espanyol have a sniff of finishing ahead of their neigbours for the first time since World War Two concluded. And they have, in Vicente Moreno, a coach who, like Xavi, has a very high ceiling in terms of what he might achieve.Not the kind of opening act Xavi would have selected. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Welcome to our Big Interview Icons series where we shine a light on a legend whose name has lit up some of the conversations I’ve had with my guests over the years. This episode focuses on Luka Modric.Former Tottenham colleague Robbie Keane admired the unassuming Luka’s particular courage: his willingness to take the ball under any circumstances.I interviewed John McGinn ahead of Euro 2020, and when asked who was the forthcoming opponent he would most like to swap shirts with, Scotland’s midfield maestro chose the classy Croat.Slaven Bilic espouses the virtues of having an independent Croatian football league to help develop younger players – but he says Modric would have made it anyway.Lastly, Rafael van der Vaart talks about joining the fantastic, attacking Spurs side Harry Redknapp had assembled in 2010, for which Luka was the midfield fulcrum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

As Spain prepare for a World Cup duel with Sweden, here are my thoughts on a player who is absent from the mission: the evergreen Iago Aspas, a player who continues to deliver in the biggest games in La Liga.  This is the audio version of the column I write every week at ESPNFC. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Olivier Giroud believes he was destined to play for Arsenal and current club AC Milan because he followed the fortunes of both as a kid.Also in part two, we hear about Olivier’s brother Romain who was a real talent but who didn’t make it in the professional game. And, of course, there’s France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, delivered, Olivier says, by team spirit. Did you know that N’Golo Kanté really does bend the rules at cards, and that Olivier and Hugo Lloris celebrated in a Moscow duck pond?Graham.Subscribe to The Big Interview YouTube channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Olivier Giroud is a World Cup winner whose will to succeed was undergirded by his deep religious faith; it’s no coincidence that his brilliant new autobiography is called Always Believe.In part one of our conversation you’ll hear about the euphoria that broke out after Olivier set up the winning goal against Lille in 2012 which all but clinched Montpellier’s only top-flight title. The big striker is a forgiving fellow, but it was nice to prove one doubter in particular wrong.And there’s chat about taking on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk when Olivier was at Arsenal and Chelsea. These were physical battles, but there was always mutual respect.Graham.Subscribe to The Big Interview YouTube channel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Owen Hargreaves from season four.As a youngster at Bayern Munich, Stefan Effenberg would kick Owen in training, but it toughened him, taught him to be ultra-competitive. When he went up against the likes of Luis Figo at Real Madrid in the 2001 Champions League semi-final, he soon felt worthy of the task. Owen played in the final in Milan where Bayern beat Valencia on penalties. Owen did well in shootouts with clubs – netting in Manchester United’s shootout win over Chelsea in the Champions League 2008 final, but not so well in them with England.There’s also great stuff about the legendary Paul Scholes, why England’s golden generation didn’t deliver and why Owen was so desperate to play for Sir Alex Ferguson, the ultimate competitor.Brilliant stuff.Graham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Here is my column for ESPNFC on the sacking, last night, of Ronald Koeman, by FC Barcelona, following a giant-killing defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano, the latest in a series of results that made this outcome automatic.All of the information I have - some of which you'll hear here - tell me Xavi is the man to replace him, returning to the club with whom he won it all in an historic career. But nothing is simple at Camp Nou these days.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe