Revista de la Liga with Graham Hunter

Last season, our Socios at patreon.com/grahamhunter got an exclusive interview with Eni Aluko. For the first time, here’s the full episode.In part two we’ve got more about the progress of the women’s game and how outspoken stars like Eni and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg took stances against mediocrity, poor coaching and bad treatment of players. Eni had a particularly painful experience with the culture at England. She forgives her antagonists now but she was mystified that she wasn’t selected for France ’19.There’s great stuff about the ruthless attitude that made the US dominate the women’s game, and about Eni’s long-term interest in developing talent and growing a winning culture at a club. Since our interview she has hung up her boots and become sporting director of Aston Villa Women. I’m sure she will be a great success.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

Last season, our Socios at patreon.com/grahamhunter got an exclusive interview with Eni Aluko. For the first time, here’s the full episode.I went to Turin to speak with Eni during her glittering spell with Juventus. In part one we chat about how she went to Juve to develop as a player and a person, and about adjusting to life at one of the world’s biggest clubs. She believes you are never too old to grow. Eni is an elite analyst who spent the summer of 2019 covering the World Cup for Fox Sports, and we discover what it was like watching the women’s game crack mainstream football culture.By the way, Eni’s autobiography, They Don’t Teach This, is a football story like no other. I’d highly recommend it.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

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 last five years of The Big Interview. First up is Eric Cantona.How to describe Eric… a Harley-Davidson-riding, collar-turned-up, French rebel genius. He was a totem for an era of fellow magicians and mavericks in England’s top division.Simon Stainrod played against King Eric in France and predicted that Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson wouldn’t like him, and that Eric would be better off playing for someone like Alex Ferguson. ‘You can’t coach him… you can only put ideas in his head,’ concludes Simon. Chris Waddle played alongside Eric at Marseille and believes he flourished when he moved across the Channel because English fans love a rule-breaker, someone unpredictable. We then hear from Gary McAllister and Gordon Strachan who speak about Eric’s spell at Leeds. Gary says that he wasn’t integral to the club’s 1992 league title win. Gordon takes a different view, that Eric made the difference as the other players started to tire. Gordon, like Simon Stainrod, saw Manchester United as Eric’s perfect fit.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

Any Argentinian will still play second-fiddle to the legend of Diego Armando Maradona in Naples, but Federico Fernandez didn’t mind this and doesn’t feel that it ever held the club back. When he was at Napoli he lifted two Copa Italias, and he describes the route to the second one, defeating Lazio, Roma and then Fiorentina in a final with a nervy ending.There’s stuff about ex-Napoli stars Pepe Reina – a man so positive that he is the world’s greatest teammate – and Edinson Cavani – the complete forward who will now make life hell for Premier League defenders.We also discuss Federico’s international career, from the high of scoring with a header in a victory over arch-rivals Brazil, to the low of being dropped for the latter stages of the 2014 World Cup, the final of which, of course, Argentina lost to Germany in an agonisingly close contest.Gracias FedeGrahamSubscribe to Between the Lines: The Stories Behind Great Sports Writing 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

Federico Fernandez has made an impression on Geordie shores over the last two years, but it was Napoli where the Argentinian centre-half made the grade. His hero Roberto Ayala had done a stint at the Stadio San Paolo in the nineties and Federico sought his advice, but nothing could have prepared him for the football-mad city where five hundred people would wait by a restaurant if a player was breaking bread inside. Federico is still remembered by Napoli fans for his first two goals for the club in one Champions League match in Munich.Before that, at Estudiantes in Argentina, Federico had been taught by Eduardo Berizzo, who had himself been a masterful centre-half. There was also the influence of a veteran Juan Sebastian Veron, whose work ethic, determination, and winning mentality raised the standards at the club. He encouraged a teenage Federico and gave him confidence.You will love this Big InterviewGrahamSubscribe to Between the Lines: The Stories Behind Great Sports Writing 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 Jamie Murray from season three.Jamie is one of the best doubles players in the world, but his sporting obsessions extend beyond tennis. Not only did he regularly defeat his wee brother Andy in homespun wrestling bouts, he is also a decent footballer and in this Big Interview he picks his perfect five-a-side team from the ATP tour. It includes a certain Paulo Maldini after the Italian legend had hung up his boots and picked up his racquet. There’s chat about being attracted to Sir Alex Ferguson’s exciting Manchester United side, and of course the 2016 Scottish Cup final when Jamie’s beloved Hibernian at last broke their Hampden hoodoo.Enjoy,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's part two of my chat with Joachim Bjorklund - featuring a staggering Champions League run with Gothenburg, scalping Barcelona and Manchester United, plus stories from his time as part of a wonderful Valencia team under Claudio Ranieri and Hector Cuper. That side reached back-to-back Champions League finals, won a Copa del Rey and had Louis Van Gaal's Barcelona in their pocket. Subscribe to Between the Lines: The Stories Behind Great Sports Writing 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 Joachim ‘Jocky’ Björklund, my former colleague at La Liga TV and now Hammarby assistant manager. His son Kalle plays for him there, just like Jocky once played for his dad at Brann.We had a simply fantastic conversation, discussing Jocky’s rapid rise to the Sweden team that reached back-to-back semi-finals at Euro ’92 and USA 94, and its stars, including Henrik Larsson and Tomas Brolin, his nation’s rock star footballer, and one worth revisiting.Jocky says that the best two players he played alongside were Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne when he was at Rangers, and he speaks insightfully and movingly when he describes Gazza’s troubles.Utterly brilliant, sparkling stuff.Graham.Subscribe to Between the Lines: The Stories Behind Great Sports Writing 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

Last season, our Socios at patreon.com/grahamhunter got an exclusive interview with Matt Jansen. For the first time, here’s the full episode.In part two, you’ll hear more about the psychological damage Matt’s accident inflicted on him. With the best of intentions, Blackburn got him back playing but his sense of invincibility had given way to fear, and he didn’t want the ball any more. He was on medication and drinking heavily. Psychiatrist Steve Peters was a great help, but he couldn’t be with the footballer all of the time. Matt eventually quit football, but a phone call from his old pal Garry Flitcroft kicked off a spell playing and managing in the lower leagues.There’s light-hearted chat in this interview too, such as why Matt’s Beatles-mad father nicknamed him ‘Maxwell,’ and how his Crystal Palace team-mate Hermann Hreiðarsson arranged to have him ‘kidnapped’ in Iceland. There’s also great stuff about the ordeal of having to knock back Sir Alex Ferguson, and what it was like to play alongside the wonderful Andy Cole.What a life story Matt has. What a privilege it was to speak with him.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

Last season, our Socios at patreon.com/grahamhunter got an exclusive interview with Matt Jansen. For the first time, here’s the full episode.In part one, you’ll hear how Matt was a thoroughbred centre-forward with a cultured left foot – and no little courage. After spells at his hometown club of Carlisle United and then Crystal Palace, he signed for Blackburn. He scored the first goal and set up the winner in Rovers’ 2-1 League Cup final victory over Tottenham Hotspur in 2002. Everything was going brilliantly, until he was cruelly denied a place in Sven-Göran Eriksson’s England squad for the 2002 World Cup.Instead of heading to Japan and Korea that summer, he went to Rome with his future wife. England could wait – he felt invincible, the happiest man in the world. And then disaster struck. Matt was so seriously injured in a scooter accident that the paramedics thought he had died. After six days in a coma, he began his rehabilitation and made a full physical recovery. But when he went back onto the pitch everything he had previously done automatically became laboured. The sound of the crowd sighing added to the agony.Thanks for sharing, Matt.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