Libero

The hosts dive into the complexities of Carlo Ancelotti's managerial style, pondering whether only he can make sense of modern Real Madrid. They passionately discuss the cultural influence of Italian coaching on the game, particularly with Ancelotti's new role in Brazil. Insights on how player dynamics shift with transfers and the balance of star talents versus unsung heroes highlight Real Madrid's current struggles. They also tackle the club's strategic needs, focusing on mega talents like Vinicius and Mbappé in an ever-evolving football landscape.

There was nowhere else to start than San Siro after the Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona. Was it the best of all? Why are semis over two legs usually miles more entertaining than finals? Jonathan Wilson, Miguel Delaney and John Brewin share their memories, and hail gambling man Hansi Flick as football’s greatest ringmaster. After that (16:55): a missive from Mexico triggers a conversation on the cult of the football hipster. Is that era over? Or did books like Wilson’s 'Inverting the Pyramid' trigger an enduring legacy of earnest investigation into Sparta Rotterdam’s use of Wiel Coerver’s methods and the like? We lounge on Athletic Club cushions to consider the fashion(!), the music and the writing a wider perspective on football has added to modern culture.  Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tariq Panja, a writer from The New York Times specializing in the football industry, joins the hosts to unpack the complexities of English clubs in European competitions. They discuss why the financially powerful Premier League often overlooks the Europa League. The conversation shifts to Lamine Yamal's potential rise in fame playing for Barcelona, highlighting the challenges faced by talented players from lesser-known leagues and the media's role in shaping their recognition.

In the interest of debunking beauty, the first part of the latest episode of Libero starts with Jonathan Wilson, Miguel Delaney and Tariq Panja discussing why Barcelona's thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter Milan should never have happened, largely due to the Catalan club's dire financial circumstances and the problems caused by its presidential model, while also trying to identify what ideal football club ownership looks like.The second half (38:16) focuses on the role of the modern Europa League, the ideal composition of of the competition's latter stages and the puzzle of finding a satisfactory host city for the final.Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode starts with a look to the Arctic circle, where Bodø/Glimt have become one of the best stories in European football this decade. The small club from northern Norway have won four of the last five league titles and face Tottenham in the Europa League semi-final this week. So how did they do it, and what can the rest of Europe learn from their success?Then conversation moves on to Anfield (29:34), where Rory watched Liverpool seal the Premier League title on Sunday. He explains why it meant so much to him, how Liverpool have done it, and whether this is the most successful title of the FSG era.Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopodYou can read Rory's 2020 feature on Bodø/Glimt via the New York Times' archive here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, Rory Smith, John Brewin and Jack Pitt-Brooke start off with a look at Paris Saint-Germain, who, for the first time, might well be the best team to watch in Europe. Have they finally moved on from their era of stars? Is a new focus on French talent a sign that they are finally putting football first? Or is it yet another cynical marketing ploy?Then discussion moves on to another team who play in red and blue: Crystal Palace. They are also from an area that produces plenty of good footballers, many of whom have made it into the Palace team. So is their local authenticity something to protect in the homogenous Premier League of 2025?Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it about the early 2000s that football finds so fascinating? Why is the game still so captivated by the career paths and podcast empires of the principal characters from an era that is now a generation past? On today’s Libero, Rory Smith, Tariq Panja and Jonathan Wilson try to answer that question, and also work out whether Pep Guardiola has the power to stop time.Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson, John Brewin and Miguel Delaney consider the Tottenham Hotspur odyssey as Ange Postecoglou faces down his near-certain fate. Can any Spurs manager succeed under the current ownership structure? Has the “Glory Game” been sacrificed for the security of a profitable business? And later in the show, the gang consider English football’s north-south divide: how come the Premier League’s upwardly mobile middle class are from Greater London and the Home Counties rather than Yorkshire and Lancashire? Is it really just about airports?  Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at liberopodcast0@gmail.comFollow us on X @podcast_liberoFollow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram @liberopodSubscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith, John Brewin and Tariq Panja ask whatever happened to the lost generation of footballers born in the second half of the 1990s? They should be at their peak now, dominating the global game. And yet it feels as if football belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for so long that they will ultimately be replaced by the Gen Z players, born in the 21st century.Later on the show they discuss the 'cult of the pundit' in English football, whereby Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville are now far more famous than they ever were as players, setting the news agenda with their every word. How have they managed to become so big?Email in at liberopodcast0@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Libero today, Jonathan Wilson, James Horncastle, Miguel Delaney and Tariq Panja discuss the new Champions League format. Is it better than what came before? Were there really more surprises? And what tweaks would they like to see.Then they discuss whether a football club can have a DNA — something that for better or worse, often intangible, that makes the club what it is, and explains why Sunderland will not win the playoffs.Email us at: liberopodcast0@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.