The Hand of Pod

Football legends don’t get much tastier than this! The Highbury & Heels squad was honoured to welcome former Leicester, Everton, Tottenham, Barcelona and England striker, Gary Lineker.

From the despair of Diego Maradona’s Hand of God to seeing his beloved Foxes win the Premier League, we discussed it all with the man who fulfilled the bet of all bets… presenting Match of the Day… in his boxers! Get stuck in.

A Bergkamp Wonderland

Had an absolute blast chatting with the lads on A Bergkamp Wonderland. We got stuck into the good, the bad and the ugly. Should Wenger stay or go? Is Stan Kroenke the right owner for Arsenal? Why do the Gunners collapse mentally when they concede a goal? What is the best midfield option? What’s happened to Mesut Ozil? And should the club keep Mesut Ozil? Tune in and have a listen. You’ll need some type of beverage and snack. It’s a magical 2 hours of pure football heaven. You can follow the boys here @jasondavies71 @PR_WhoRu GeoffArsenal The_GFP!

Brazil Legend Carlos Alberto

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One of my favourite interviews ever. Brazil legend and World Cup winning captain Carlos Alberto is so candid with his opinions on the beautiful game. From Messi and Ronaldo, to Neymar and the current Brazil squad, he didn’t hold back with his thoughts. It was a dream to get to speak to him. Another legend gone.

http://talksport.com/radio/extra-time/130425/carlos-alberto-brazils-world-cup-chances-their-premier-league-stars-and-196344

NBC Sports Premier League Host Rebecca Lowe

NBC Sports Premier League Host Rebecca Lowe joins the junkie crew for a good old natter about Jose Mourinho and the new unauthorized book on The Special One written by Rob Beasley. Did Beasley break the journalist code? Will Mourinho trust a journalist ever again?

Plus we are giving away two signed copies of Liverpool legend Stevie Nicol’s new book “5 League Titles and a Packet of Crisps. Look at us talking books and stuff! Who said reading books was dead?!

Red card…

Red Card We are not the type to hand out red cards willy nilly. On this ocassion however, it was very easy to yank the shiny red card from the top left pocket and hold it high in the sky for everyone to see.

Sepp Blatter, this one is for you. It doesn’t require too much explanation. You are a bully. You are a shiner. You are nothing but Del Boy dressed in Giorgio Armani. How dare you ridicule one of the world’s best players? How dare you play favourites? How dare you say anything about Cristiano Ronaldo’s hair or style? Have you looked in the mirror lately? Do you see what we see?

Kudos to Cristiano for responding to Blatter. Kudos to Cristiano for standing up to the so-called leader of world football. Kids are bullied across this universe every single day. Even young lads who aspire to be like Cristiano Ronaldo and have lots of talent are victims of bullies. Cristiano showed young kids everywhere that no matter what anyone says, if you believe they are wrong, you can speak up and defend yourself. You have a voice and can use it.

Blatter may think that Messi is the “good boy every mother dreams of having,” but like many have responded to his ridiculous comments, there are a gazillion parents out there who would love to have a successful and talented son like Cristiano.

Not everyone has to be the same Blatter. That’s what makes the world special. That’s what makes things fun. We can appreciate Messi and Cristiano. Even if they are chalk and cheese, even if they are night and day, they are both gifted, they are both brilliant. There is room for each of them and we’d appreciate if you just got your bald bitterness out of the way!

The End of Act One…

co_1743[1] Act One of the new season in Spain is over and Sophie and Ben return to dissect the action so far, as Barcelona begin with a perfect record under ‘Tata’ Martino.

Atlético are hot on their heels with eight wins of their own and Real Madrid follow five points behind – albeit with some teething problems in their post-Mourinho project.

We take a look at how Barça have coped without Messi, how Madrid can improve in the lead-up to the Clásico, the difficult start to life in La Liga for Gareth Bale, plus Atlético and how the third team in Spain are looking to challenge under Diego Simeone.

Join us for all that and much more in La Liga Lounge!

The One After the Summer…

gareth-bale-real-madrid_4[1] 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 Neymar to Barcelona…

messi-et-neymar-barcelone-santos-10604955ghaax_1879 La Liga Lounge returns with a Brazilian blend, dedicating the entire show to one man…Neymar!

The most talked about transfer in football over the last two seasons is finally done. Neymar joins Barcelona from Santos and we look at how this deal could work out.

Will Neymar complement Messi or will he try to compete with him? Can these two superstars co-exist? Or are there too many cooks in the Camp Nou kitchen?

Neymar is also slight and doesn’t carry too much weight. Can he bulk up and also change his style of football to adapt playing in Europe? Will he be a huge success like Ronaldinho or will he end up a high-profile flop? Remember Keirrison?

We dissect this subject like a frog and are also joined by Brazil legend and 1970’s World Cup winner and captain Carlos Alberto. The scorer of the greatest goal ever seen in the World Cup doesn’t hold back when talking about Brazil’s current football starlet.

Sit back. Relax. Grab a chair in the lounge. It’s happy hour. It’s a special. It’s “The One with Neymar to Barcelona.”

Brazil Legend Carlos Alberto…

2001147_FULL-LND There are some moments in life when you feel exceptionally lucky. You want to freeze time in a bottle. You never want the moment to end. Talking to Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos legend Carlos Alberto Torres was exactly that moment for me.

The 1970 World Cup Final goal he scored versus Italy is undoubtedly the greatest we’ve ever seen. It was a stunning team effort that showcased why we’ve all loved watching Brazil in the World Cup. The goal also solidified Carlos Alberto’s name in football’s history books and is a moment he admits changed his life forever.

A true gentlemen of the game, Carlos is proud to have returned to his beloved New York Cosmos as an Ambassador. Together with other legends of the game like his best friend Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia, they set the Big Apple on fire, put the sport on the map in the United States and galvanized a nation to fall in love with football.

Talking to him about that historical final, the 1982 Brazil World Cup team, Pele, Maradona, Messi, Neymar and more felt like all the Christmas mornings I’ve ever had rolled-up into one. He unwrapped his thoughts and provided honest opinions like a gift that kept on giving.

I hope you enjoy listening to one of football’s legends as much as I enjoyed talking to him.

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/extra-time/130425/carlos-alberto-brazils-world-cup-chances-their-premier-league-stars-and-196344

Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.
Lob us @soccerdiva.

The One with the Spanish Inquisition…

The_Spanish_Inquisition_by_lyonlamb You didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition?

Ben and Sophie return to the Lounge to discuss where it all went wrong for Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Champions League this week.

Was Messi selfish to start? Who is helping Ronaldo? Is it time these teams looked beyond their individual icons in favour of collective choreography? Did Mourinho mess up? Why didn’t Tito react? Is a miracle comeback possible for either side? Just where do they go from here?

Let’s credit Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for their beautiful performances. They certainly shocked Spanish football to its core and have started a debate about the rise of German football. Is it premature? Is everyone getting carried away with their claims that Spanish football is dead?

Sophie and Ben discuss it all in La Liga Lounge. And if you agree or disagree with any of their opinions, let them have it volley style @LaLigaLounge. It’s always happy hour here.