Revista de la Liga with Graham Hunter

Dietmar Hamann is one of the beautiful game’s most engaging characters; sheer class as a guy just as he had been sheer class as a player. Before his breakthrough, he was a marauding offensive midfielder, but after he caught Bayern Munich’s eye he was given the holding role, a position he made it his own.Head coaches Franz Beckenbauer and then Giovanni Trapattoni were massive influences at Bayern. ‘Der Kaiser’ had an aura about him when he walked into a room and took a relaxed approach. ‘Il Trapp’ was different: an emotional man and a hard taskmaster, but still loved by his players.Dietmar describes what it was like to come off the bench to score his first senior goal in a 5-0 victory over Nuremberg as The Bavarians homed in on their first Bundesliga crown in four years.EnjoyGraham 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 the World Cup final of 2010.As our mini-series concludes, let's go back to the build-up to Spain v Holland: both Franz Beckenbauer and Paul the Octopus predicted a Spain win, but nobody foresaw the nature of their victory.There has never been a dirtier World Cup final - there could easily have been more than the one red card we saw. And Holland could easily have left with the trophy and the glory, were it not for an eternal moment - perhaps the most memorable from my journalistic career - between Arjen Robben and Iker Casillas.And that's before we even get to Iniesta. Or, for that matter, Gerard Pique, who almost got me into serious trouble in the immediate aftermath of this unforgettable game.I hope you have enjoyed this series. If you'd like to find out about the book I wrote on Spain's three successive trophy wins from 2008 to 2012, in hardback, paperback and audiobook (read by me), then you can do that 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

It's the final four, socios.For Germany, it's World Cup semi-final number 11. For Spain, number one.It's a rematch of the 2008 European Championships final. And it's a repeat of the same scoreline. Spain outplay their most dangerous opponent of the tournament but they need a singular goal to reach the final.Here's the back story to Carles Puyol's majestic leap; where I rank it in the pantheon of World Cup headers; and how the evening ended with Puyi face-to-face with the Queen of Spain, wearing only a towel (Puyol, not Queenie).  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

Spain v Paraguay. Quarter-finals.Spain's top two goalkeepers, Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina, conspire to keep out Oscar Cardozo's penalty - and that's just the start of one of the craziest five minutes in World Cup history - two more penalties, another not given and after all that the score is still 0-0. With the clock ticking down, and their quarter-final curse looming, Spain turn to the tournament's top scorer once more. 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

It's matchday in South Africa 2010, so it's time to see what Spain were up to.It's the round of 16 and it's Portugal: that means Ronaldo. He was the world's most expensive footballer and had just finished his first season in the white of Madrid. Behind him, was one of the meanest defences in world football.Spain had to innovate to stifle Ronaldo and break down the defensive barrier that stood between them and a quarter-final spot. Here's how they did it. BUY Spain: The Inside Story of La Roja's Historic Treble in paperback, ebook or audiobook (read by 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

In the sweltering heat of Orlando Pat Bonner misjudged a net-bound shot during Ireland’s knock-out defeat to the Netherlands at USA ’94. Getting over setbacks like that, and indeed the whole psychology of goalkeeping, has obsessed him ever since he hung up his gloves. He has been a top-level coach, he has developed goalkeeping courses and he has been a consultant to the major footballing bodies.In this brilliant lock-down Big Interview, he is incredibly insightful on the nature of modern goalkeeping, especially on how the No1 has now become a player in his own right. It is little wonder Pat is such a sought-after broadcast analyst. He is also one of the true gents of the beautiful game.Thanks for breaking the lock-down monotony, Pat.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

It's win or bust in the final group game. Spain must Defeat Chile or go home. This was packed full of incident: a whirlwind start by Chile; two beautiful goals from Iniesta and Villa; a red card that should never have been; and the most bitter memory of the World Cup for my taste, as Chile offered Spain a murky deal, which they eventually accepted. Before that, nerves were shredded and I had to use all my wiles to get Spain's talismanic superfan past stadium security. 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

Pat Bonner was made in Donegal: his values, resilience and work ethic were instilled in him by his family and his community, while playing Gaelic football toughened him up for a glittering soccer career.He was Celtic’s stalwart No1 for years, winning nine major honours at the club, and he earned 80 caps for the Republic of Ireland. His penalty save in a shootout in Genoa against Romania - exactly 30 years ago this week - earned his national side a place in the quarter-finals of Italia ’90. Just weeks before, Pat had failed to save a single kick in the shootout against my beloved Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final. But he analysed and strategised and gave his country one of their biggest parties ever. Everyone in the world was a little bit Irish that night.EnjoyGraham 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 the Spanish press lose their minds in the wake of an opening defeat against Switzerland, Vicente Del Bosque sends his under-fire players on safari. This is just one of the ways in which the European champions are treated as adults and now, in crisis mode, it pays off. They find a collective solution and move into Game Two, against Honduras, as one. Elsewhere, England, France and Italy are not so resilient. 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

We're off and running with our World Cup 2010 recap. Here's what I saw and heard while tracking Spain for the first few days of their tournament, up to and including their first match against Switzerland.Why getting the right training camp counts.How to tame a dangerous Puyol in the wild. The Ali-Frazier nature of the series of matches between Vicente Del Bosque and Ottmer Hitzfeld, the two coaches, when they were in charge of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.And, of course, the game. A weird one, at the end of which Spain would know they had to make history if they were to add a world title to their European one.All of this and a dance through the other games in the first round: Rob Green costs England Maicon scores a belter for BrazilTshabalala starts the party.Want to read the whole story of how Spain on in 2008, 2010 and 2012? Find out about the book here:   https://backpagepress.co.uk/books/spain/  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