Football Daily

Real Madrid are the most successful team in the history of the Champions League/European Cup with 15 titles. But how have they achieved this? Steve Crossman and Guillem Balague explore Real's relationship with the competition, looking at their early dominance in the late 1950s, through to their six triumphs since 2014. We hear from former players Clarence Seedorf and Sami Khedira on what makes Real Madrid so special. And former coach Paul Clement joins the pod to give us insight into Carlo Ancelotti and their "La Decima" win in 2014 against Atletico Madrid. To watch the TV documentary, it is available on BBC iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m00276py/how-to-win-the-champions-league[this is re-versioned episode from the Football Daily’s archive. It was first published on the 18th January 2025]

The best bits as John Murray, Ian Dennis & Ali Bruce-Ball talk football, travel & language.WhatsApp voicenotes to 08000 289 369 Emails to TCV@bbc.co.ukGlossary so far: 2-0 is a dangerous score, After you Claude, All-Premier League affair, Aplomb, Brace, Brandished, Breaking the deadlock, Bundled over the line, Champions elect / champions apparent, Clinical finish, Commentator’s curse, Coupon buster, Cultured/Educated left foot, Denied by the woodwork, Draught excluder, Elimination line, Fellow countryman, Foot race, Formerly of this parish, Fox in the box, Free hit, Goalmouth scramble, Good touch for a big man, Honeymoon Period, In and around, In the shop window, Keeping ball under their spell, Languishing, Loitering with intent, Marching orders, Nestle in the bottom corner, Numbered derbies, Nutmeg, Opposite number, Park the bus, PK for penalty-kick, Postage stamp, Put their laces through it, Rasping shot, Red wine not white wine, Relegation six-pointer, Rooted at the bottom, Roy of the Rovers stuff, Sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, Sleeping giants, Slide rule pass, Small matter of, Spiders web, Stayed hit, Steepling, Stinging the palms, Stonewall penalty, Straight off the training ground, Stramash, Throw their cap on it, Thruppenny bit head / 50p head, Put it in the mixer, Towering header, Turning into a basketball match, Turning into a cricket score, Walking a disciplinary tightrope, Wand of a left foot, We’ve got a cup tie on our hands, Where the owl sleeps, Winger in their pocket, Wrap foot around it, Your De Bruynes, your Gundogans etc.

We’re delving into the Football Daily archives for this episode as Steve Crossman, Guillem Balagué, Raphael Honigstein & Kristof Terreur argue, debate and (eventually) pick the Euro Leagues’ ultimate Champions League XI before the Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain back in 2020. Iker Casillas or Edwin van der Sar, Robert Lewandowski or Diego Milito – who makes it into the coveted starting line-up?

Kelly Cates is joined by The i Paper's chief football writer Daniel Storey, Sports economist Victor A. Matheson & football finance expert Kieran Maguire, as they delve into the rising number of American owners across British football. It's 20 years since the Glazer family’s highly-controversial and highly-leveraged takeover of Manchester United. Throughout those two decades, the Glazers have been the prime target of fan protests with “Glazers out” still ringing around Old Trafford. So over the course of this episode you’ll hear why US investors are obsessed with British football, and how real are the concerns that US owners could collude to “Americanise” the traditions of English football from the removal of promotion and relegation to moving matches overseas and relocating clubs to other cities.

A 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao brought Spurs a first major trophy for 17 years, but that wasn’t enough for ‘Big Ange’ to keep his place in the dugout. James Gregg is joined by BBC Sport’s Senior Football Correspondent Sami Mokbel, 5 Live’s Senior Football Reporter Ian Dennis, former Spurs midfielder Michael Brown & Flav from the ‘Fighting Cock Podcast’ as they react to Postecoglou’s roller coaster of a tenure, and who’s in the running as a possible replacement?

John Murray, Ian Dennis & Ali Bruce-Ball talk football, travel & language. They look ahead to Andorra v England with John & Ian in Barcelona for the match. John gets celebrity spotted. The guys have their say on the dazzling new Premier League ball. Will the biscuit vs cookie debate reach a conclusion? Plus more Glossary chat and Ali gets a guard of honour in Clash of the Commentators.WhatsApp voicenotes to 08000 289 369 Emails to TCV@bbc.co.uk Live show tickets: crossedwires.live/fringe 01:00 John & Ian in Barcelona for Andorra v England 04:35 Interviewing Ivan Toney & Trevoh Chalobah 08:25 How much do the media mingle? 11:30 Biscuit/cookie gate 14:00 Champions League Final reflections 17:35 John gets celebrity spotted… 20:55 New ball for Premier League revealed 24:35 Reminder of the BIG NEWS 31:40 Ali gets Clash of the Commentators guard of honour 41:45 Great Glossary of Football Commentary 53:50 Season finale musical masterpieceBBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries: Sat 1700 Andorra v England in World Cup Qualifying, Tue 1945 England v Senegal in Friendly.Glossary so far: 2-0 is a dangerous score, After you Claude, All-Premier League affair, Aplomb, Brace, Brandished, Breaking the deadlock, Bundled over the line, Champions elect / champions apparent, Clinical finish, Commentator’s curse, Coupon buster, Cultured/Educated left foot, Denied by the woodwork, Draught excluder, Elimination line, Fellow countryman, Foot race, Formerly of this parish, Fox in the box, Free hit, Goalmouth scramble, Good touch for a big man, Honeymoon Period, In and around, In the shop window, Keeping ball under their spell, Languishing, Loitering with intent, Marching orders, Nestle in the bottom corner, Numbered derbies, Nutmeg, Opposite number, Park the bus, PK for penalty-kick, Postage stamp, Put their laces through it, Rasping shot, Red wine not white wine, Relegation six-pointer, Rooted at the bottom, Roy of the Rovers stuff, Sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, Sleeping giants, Slide rule pass, Small matter of, Spiders web, Stayed hit, Steepling, Stinging the palms, Stonewall penalty, Straight off the training ground, Stramash, Throw their cap on it, Thruppenny bit head / 50p head, Put it in the mixer, Towering header, Turning into a basketball match, Turning into a cricket score, Walking a disciplinary tightrope, Wand of a left foot, We’ve got a cup tie on our hands, Where the owl sleeps, Winger in their pocket, Wrap foot around it, Your De Bruynes, your Gundogans etc.

John Murray, Ian Dennis & Ali Bruce-Ball talk football, travel & language. Ali reflects on his whirlwind trip to Wrocław to see Chelsea win the UEFA Conference League. John is in Munich for the Champions League Final between PSG and Inter Milan. Will John salvage some pride in Clash of the Commentators? And which terms will be added or removed from the Great Glossary of Football Commentary?WhatsApp voicenotes to 08000 289 369 Emails to TCV@bbc.co.uk00:45 Ali’s whistlestop visit to Wrocław, 07:10 Should English clubs be in the Conference League? 11:20 Ali emulates Alan Green 14:05 John in Munich for Champions League Final 15:10 BIG NEWS 27:00 Champions League Final preview 33:45 Clash of the Commentators 40:47 Great Glossary of Football CommentaryBBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries next weekend: Fri 1945 England v Portugal in the UEFA Women’s Nations League, Sat 2000 PSG v Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League Final.

Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, reflects on his victorious first season after taking over from Jürgen Klopp. He discusses the emotional challenges of winning the Premier League, the strategic navigation of player contracts involving stars like Salah and Van Dijk, and the joy of celebrating with the team in Ibiza. Slot shares his insights on cultivating a competitive squad amid financial pressures and the importance of resilience and teamwork in achieving sustained success. His journey also highlights the unique cultural elements of trophy celebrations.

In this engaging discussion, former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, ESPN's Mark Ogden, and senior football reporter Ian Dennis dive into the crucial Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. They explore the pressures facing both managers, especially Ange Postecoglou, and the significance of key players like Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount. The talk also touches on Tottenham's long-awaited quest for a trophy and the historical rivalry that fuels the excitement. Insights into team dynamics and pre-match moods add depth to this thrilling preview.

Chris Sutton, a former pro and pundit, joins Rory Smith, Chief Soccer Correspondent, Shay Given, ex-goalkeeper, and Joel Ward, Crystal Palace captain. They delve into Palace's historic FA Cup win, celebrating their first trophy in 164 years. Ward shares his emotional journey through the club. The discussion also tackles Manchester City's puzzling decisions, including why Erling Haaland didn’t take a penalty, and the future of Jack Grealish. They also pay tribute to Jamie Vardy as he bids farewell to Leicester City after a remarkable 200 goals.