Atletico Madrid – BRITISH SOCCER {DIVA}

Shut the Window Up! Thomas Partey Signs…

Thank goodness it’s over. The transfer window is finally shut and there’s no doubt the Arsenal pulled off the signing of the day stealing, Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid.

Joining Sophie, Amanda and Super Kevin Campbell is Arsenal legend and Anfield 89 hero, Alan Smith, ex-Newcastle, Wimbledon and now Fox Soccer analyst & LAFC color commentator, Warren Barton! And it doesn’t end there…they are also joined by the Bleacher Report’s transfer guru, Dean Jones.

Connect with our football democracy. Have your voice heard. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.

The One After the Summer…

The summer has gone and with it the transfer window is now a thing of the past too – at least until January.

Gareth Bale is finally a Real Madrid player, La Liga is underway again and Barcelona have a new coach – although not the centre-back they so badly needed. Sophie and Ben return to discuss all of that and more on the latest La Liga Lounge.

The One After the Summer. Tune in and join us as we catch up on all the stories.
We’re back in the Lounge for our laid-back look at the game in Spain…

The One with Tito & the Champions League Draw…

La Liga Lounge returns for a little chilled, relaxed and at times, passionate football talk. Despite the looming winter break in Spain, the Lounge bar staff are putting in some overtime to bring you enlightening and groundbreaking opinions!

In this week’s episode, we chat Tito Vilanova and his illness, how Barcelona will cope without their coach, a mouth-watering meeting between Real Madrid and Manchester United in the Champions League, Mourinho’s must-win match, Malaga and Valencia, Atletico, Falcao’s future and much more.

We also give a shout-out to our global listeners and look ahead to many more months of fantastic football in Spain throughout 2013. So join us for our laid-back look at the game in Spain. Let’s Liga Lounge!

The One with the Ballon d’Or…

Sophie and Ben’s laid-back look at the game in Spain has been very laid-back of late, but they return to discuss Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the fight for the Ballon d’Or. How would Ronaldo cope if he lost out to Messi again? What would it mean if Messi won for a fourth time at the age of 25?

The Lounge staff continue the Messi dialogue and chat about his pursuit of Gerd Muller’s single season scoring record. How would Barcelona cope if he were injured? And it wouldn’t be a fulfilling show without a little Mourinho at Madrid and the possible destination for both he and his great rival Pep Guardiola next season.

There’s also some weekend picks and much, much more. Join us in the Lounge for our laid-back look at the game in Spain.

The One with El Clasico…

La Liga Lounge returns for Episode III and it’s all about El Clasico! One of the most exciting and infamous sporting events on the calendar year has been heightened over the last couple of years because of the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi rivalry.

Both of their games have been elevated to levels we only dream of. Both of their games have improved because they fuel each other to be the best. These already declared legends continue to grow and so does the battle for Europe’s top individual football prize, the Ballon d’Or. Is Ronaldo going to knock Messi off his throne? Or will the little genius break CR7’s heart all over again?

It’s not all about the big two, though! We also chat about Atletico Madrid’s chances of La Liga glory. Should we believe they can win it? And what about Malaga and their start to the season? Can we trust them?

Sit back in your comfy chair and enjoy the sound of La Liga Lounge. It’s Happy Hour!

Welcome back Champions League football…

ITALY SOCCER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE The most electrifying competition in all the football land returns today. Finally, the Champions League is here. The wait is over. It’s game time people.

There is much excitement and anticipation for the teams that are appearing for the first time. UEFA’s rule to allow league champions from smaller countries has only added to the beauty of this competition and with the added flavour of lesser known champions from Russia and the Netherlands, we have many David vs Goliath clashes to look forward to. So please welcome APOEL Nicosia, Maccabi Haifa, Debrecen, Rubin Kazan, Unirea Urziceni and AZ. This is it. Don’t get scared now!

Many of Europe’s elite teams are also competing for glory again this year including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan AC Milan, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Juventus. But there are also some clubs that could be a force to be reckoned with in the near Champions League future. Could this be the year for team’s like Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Fiorentina, Marseille and Lyon?

There’s no doubt this could be the most arresting year yet for Europe’s biggest and best competition. Ronaldo, Rooney, Kaka, Messi, Gerrard, Lampard, Fabregas, Arshavin, Ribery, Eto’o and many other elite players will be fighting for the ultimate trophy in football. Prepare to be intoxicated by their wizardry and passion. Who will dazzle the world with their feet? Which team will be victorious? Can you see any upsets happening in these first few games?

Welcome back Champions League football. We’ve been waiting for you…