Libero

• Libero 021: Champions League Final, Premface Edition

  Today on Libero Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and James Horncastle look forward to Saturday’s Champions League final between Paris Saint Germain and Inter Milan.First up is the question of what actually makes for a good Champions League final, whether we ever get what we really want from these games, and whether there being no English team, Real Madrid or Barcelona makes this final a tough sell to English viewers. Does this make us - to borrow a phrase from the internet - ‘Premfaces’?(25:26) Then James explains Simone Inzaghi’s remarkable tenure at Inter since he replaced Antonio Conte in 2021. Is he one of the best managers in the world right now? And then to Luis Enrique, a brilliant manager with a touching personal story, who has coached some of the most exciting teams in Europe over the last 10 years. Could this be the game that turns him into one of the greats?Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at [email protected] 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.

  --------  

  53:32
• Libero 020: Never Go Full John Terry

  As European domestic seasons draw to their close, Jonathan Wilson, John Brewin and Tariq Panja consider how and why a different set of clubs have lifted trophies across Europe. They discuss the collapse of the pay-TV market in France to suggest not all is milk and honey within the global game. Has football finance’s growth in importance turned us all into reluctant accountants? (28:58) And, as the Champions League final in Munich beckons, they share memories of 2012 and Chelsea’s achievement of Roman Abramovich’s dream, and that night’s setting of trends for future trophy celebrations.Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at [email protected] 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.

  --------  

  50:04
• Libero 019: The James Horncastle Origin Story

  Dispatches from Libero's Bilbao Bureau bring word of an all-English European final that was not the greatest advert for the 'Best League in the World™', so instead James Horncastle, John Brewin and Rory Smith discuss the Italian perspective on football in 2025 and how Serie A lost its status as the premier domestic competition. (30:38) We also learn how a restaurant catering to Hull's theatre crowd led Horncastle to a career covering the game in Italy.Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at [email protected] 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.

  --------  

  58:07
• Libero 018: A Fight In The Portsmouth Ferry Port

  Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson and Miguel Delaney have crossed the Bay of Biscay to see the teams currently 16th and 17th in the Premier League duke it out in the Basque Country with not only Europe's second biggest prize on the line, but also a place in the Champions League. Up front, Libero's intrepid trio of travellers mull over the plotlines for Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and their respective coaches. We also find out the real reason why Jack decided to take the ferry to Bilbao.In the second half (33:02), talk turns to what such an abjectly anticipated final means for the Europa League and whether the changes to the competition are the result or cause of this less-than-desirable eventuality.Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at [email protected] 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.

  --------  

  47:21
• Libero 017: Bring On The Mezzanine

  On today’s Libero, Jonathan Wilson, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Miguel Delaney start by looking forward to Saturday’s FA Cup final. Everyone knows that the final is no longer the climax of the English football season, but the big question is why? They look at the rising prominence of the league in the 1980s, the advent of the Premier League in 1992 and Manchester United’s decision to pull out in 2000.The following Saturday at Wembley is the Championship play-off final between Sunderland and Sheffield United. (32:20) Jonathan talks about his personal connection to this game, and the realities of supporting a team with little chance in the top flight. Jack asks whether this really is such a big game any more, given the struggles of promoted teams to make an impact in the Premier League. Is there any hope beyond just become a yo-yo club, or in Jonathan’s phrase, a ‘mezzanine club’?Produced by: Tom BassamEmail in at [email protected] 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.

  --------  

  53:26

More Sports podcasts

Trending Sports podcasts

About Libero

Libero: Podcasts in Family