Kicks for Free

The first week of ISL10 is behind us and Bengaluru FC began the second with two red cards. Will Mohun Bagan, Odisha FC and Mumbai City pull away from the rest? Will East Bengal be among the top six? Here's what we think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seven goals between former champions Manchester United and Bayern Munich was the highlight of the opening fixtures but don't tell Ivan Provedel that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With preparation that could be a study in contrasts, clubs and country get down to business next week. With colleague Aditya Chaturvedi as guest, we talk about the teams, how the Asian Games was the elephant in the room in ISL's media days and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Bellingham to Bonucci, from Chelsea's splurge to City's conservatism, from Saudi Pro League to Alessia Russo and Ona Batlle, we look at the big moves of the summer window. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

September 4, 1962, was when India, led by Chuni Goswami, won the Asian Games gold. We take a look back, hand held by football statistician Gautam Ray who relives those days with a meticulous eye for detail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Belgian journalist Samindra Kunti was in Australia and New Zealand reporting on his second World Cup in less than one year. Hear from him about the month-long competition, the good, the bad and the ugly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

England and Spain, Sarina Wiegman and Jorge Vilda, countries and coaches, will meet on Sunday for their first shot to be on top of the world. What will it be? A humdinger? A nervy, narrow win? HT's Dhiman Sarkar & Vivek Krishnan discuss in this episode of the weekly football podcast Kicks for Free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another season starts in Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1. Will it be the same old same old with Manchester City dominating or will there be new winners? Will Arsenal finish the unfinished business of last time? Will Mbappe stay at PSG? Will Neymar Jr? We don't have the answers but that doesn't stop us from discussing the questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On his birthday, the India and Bengaluru FC captain talks about the biggest change in his life and of the challenges on the pitch in a season that has the Asian Games, Asian Cup, World Cup qualifiers, Indian Super League and the Federation Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once a tournament synonymous with Delhi, one for which the capital would wait all year, this is now a competition that starts the Indian season. One which has a home in Kolkata. Through Jaydeep Basu, who has been following Durand Cup much before he began writing on football, we go back in time. The 132nd Durand Cup starts on August 3. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the weekly football podcast Kicks for Free, hosts Dhiman Sarkar and Vivek Krishnan talk about what we can expect from the ninth edition in Australia and New Zealand, the first with 32 teams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at the SKEMA Business School, explains why the boom in the Saudi Pro League is unlikely to go the way of the Chinese Super League. Chadwick also speaks on whether the influx will help the Saudi Arabia men's national team and give the women's game a fillip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can't blame Umaid Wasim for having conflicted feelings about Pakistan in the SAFF Championship. The Pakistani in him wants the team to win a first South Asian title but the journalist in him -- Wasim is the sports editor of Dawn, Pakistan's largest circulated English daily --- is far from hopeful Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the Asian under-17 finals, the India head coach said they have done all that they could, which included a pep talk from Fernando Torres, to get ready for the competition from where the semi-finalists qualify for the World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After hauling Hyderabad FC from obscurity to an ISL title and a semi-final in three seasons, Manolo Marquez has moved to FC Goa. Can the Spaniard repeat the performance? And how does he think the Champions League final will unfold? Listen here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As he looks back at a season where the club completed a hattrick of Indian Women's League titles, head coach Anthony Andrews explains why prolific goalscorer Sabitra Bhandari is called Samba, how players from Manipur kept their focus even as violence rocked the state, why morning kick-offs were difficult and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this exclusive interview, the India head coach talks about the challenges of playing two tournaments in June almost back-to-back, why he is unlikely to go to the Asian Games, his plans for the Asian Cup and why it is important to have only Indians playing as strikers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The former India midfielder is forthright about the situation in Manipur, talks about his academy in Imphal, the role of the Football Players' Association in India, how it came into being, and looks ahead to the national team's engagements Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can Real pull off another heist? Or will City take one more step towards a first? Can Milan come back stronger or will it be Inter in the final after 13 years? Tune in to find out our thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not even when Diego Maradona helped them win it in 1990 could they dominate the Serie A thus. But after years of hurt, can Napoli build on this and be what they were in the Maradona years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first Indian coach to win the Super Cup also looks back at how Arthur Papas changed his life and ahead to when he will not be an interim head coach Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we are in conversation with Misha Kumar, who directed the film that tells the world about why all roads in Kerala often lead to a football stadium. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Liston to Lampard, Manjeri to Manchester, imperiousness of a team in sky blue and ennui in a football hotbed, we talk about them all in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six seasons in India, the Spaniard talks about when FC Goa won the cup competition under his captaincy in 2019 when it was last held. But that is not the only reason why the former Racing Santander midfielder is looking forward to its resumption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India's title run in Imphal takes up the first part. In the second, Germany and Bayern Munich legend Philipp Lahm shares his thoughts on the change of manager, Jude Bellingham and Der Klassiker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices