Revista de la Liga with Graham Hunter

Olivier Giroud is a World Cup winner whose will to succeed was undergirded by his deep religious faith; it’s no coincidence that his brilliant new autobiography is called Always Believe. In part one of our conversation you’ll hear about the euphoria that broke out after Olivier set up the winning goal against Lille in 2012 which all but clinched Montpellier’s only top-flight title. The big striker...

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Owen Hargreaves from season four. As a youngster at Bayern Munich, Stefan Effenberg would kick Owen in training, but it toughened him, taught him to be ultra-competitive. When he went up against the likes of Luis Figo at Real Madrid in the 2001 Champions League semi-final, he soon felt worthy of the task. Owen played in the final in Milan where Bayer...

Here is my column for ESPNFC on the sacking, last night, of Ronald Koeman, by FC Barcelona, following a giant-killing defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano, the latest in a series of results that made this outcome automatic. All of the information I have - some of which you'll hear here - tell me Xavi is the man to replace him, returning to the club with whom he won it all in an historic career. B...

Paolo Sousa played through the pain barrier for his entire career, but it didn’t stop him winning back-to-back Champions Leagues at Marcello Lippi’s Juventus and then Ottmar Hitzfeld’s Borussia Dortmund. He had come to feel unwanted at Juve, and it was surely karma that it was the Italian club that Borussia defeated in the 1997 final. Also in part two: How to manage a genius like Poland’s Robert L...

Hola With the sad news of Walter Smith's passing, I felt moved to record this appreciation.  Best Graham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

Paulo Sousa was one of the most elegant midfielders of his generation. The Poland head coach is also one of the beautiful game’s deepest thinkers. In part one of our chat, you’ll hear about how he would visualise techniques and game scenarios before playing. Nobody told him to do this – it was an instinctive process, and one that has now been formally introduced to the coaching curriculum. Truly f...

Hola! Hope you enjoyed yesterday's Clasico, which finished Barcelona 1 Real Madrid 2. Myself and Pete Jenson answers your questions covering Alaba's goal, Depay, Modric, Ansu, Koeman's future and whether it is time to make the call to Xavi Hernandez. Enjoy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

Here's part two of this month's Q&A, with a focus on the upcoming Clasico. What does the rest of Spanish football make of the global fascination with Barcelona and Real Madrid? And how will a faltering Barcelona cope with Vinicius as the Real Madrid forward develops game-by-game into a world-class talent? Pete Jenson and Graham Hunter have the answers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

Here are Graham, Pete Jenson and our beloved socios, asking and answering all around this coming Sunday's Clasico - in this first part, we connect the Champions League performances of Barcelona and Real Madrid to the possible outcome of the weekend's La Liga meeting. And the focus falls on two of the hottest properties in Spain: Ansu Fati, whose signature is still fresh on a new Barcelona contract...

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Alan Smith from season four. Alan was part of an Arsenal side which won England’s top division twice, and he won the golden boot twice, but a crisis of confidence blighted the end of his career, even when he scored the winner against Parma in the 1994 European Cup Winners’ Cup Final. The Gunners’ success was due to the camaraderie and chemistry insti...

Welcome to our Big Interview Icons series where we shine a light on a legend whose name has lit up some of the conversations I’ve had with my guests over the years. This episode focuses on Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders tells us how Jurgen and his coaches instil the players’ inner voice in training. Jurgen’s charges can adapt to personnel changes by sticking to a collective...

In part two of my fascinating conversation with Michael Laudrup, we continue talking about Swansea’s 2013 League Cup triumph. They won the final against Bradford 5-0 but Michael never liked humiliating teams or individuals. We hear about a masterclass dealt out in Naples by one Diego Armando Maradona when Michael was playing for Juventus. Michael also explains his philosophy of a happy retirement...

As a player and a manager, Michael Laudrup was pure footballing nobility, so much so that they made him a knight of the Danish realm. Michael is one of that rare species who can articulate his playing genius. Crucial to his development was playing under Johan Cruyff at Barcelona, who was a genius at conveying his message in simple terms. There’s great stuff about how the Danish national team trans...

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Christian Fuchs from season four. Back then, Christian was still at Leicester, where he had won the Premier League against all the odds. Nigel Pearson signed him for the Foxes from Schalke – and was then promptly sacked. But the left-back fitted in with Claudio Ranieri’s plans. Ranieri made every player feel special, which was key to their amazing su...

In part two of my fascinating interview with Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass, we hear about how everyone goes on about ‘pressing’, but no side can truly pull it off for ninety minutes. You’ll get the skinny on some of the great coaches Stephen has worked under or alongside: Roy Aitken at Aberdeen, Ruud Gullit at Newcastle, Gianluca Vialli at Watford, Tony Mowbray at Hibernian, Tata Martino at Atlanta....

Stephen Glass might have been brought up as a Dundee United fan, but he gave everything as a player and gives everything as a manager to my beloved Aberdeen. Once, he even helped relegate United while wearing a red jersey. Stephen learned his trade from coaches who had played during the Dandies’ golden age, but boy, it was a tough apprenticeship. Such were his talents that when at Newcastle, he wa...

In part two of my riveting Big Interview with Aston Villa manager Dean Smith we hear about how he establishes the right culture by leading by example. He thrives on developing players, and consistency is his byword. All of this laid the groundwork for the incredible 7-2 destruction of then Premier League champions Liverpool in October 2020. Thanks, Dean. That was special. Graham Subscribe to The B...

Dean Smith is a dyed-in-the-wool fan living the dream. As a youngster, the Aston Villa manager watched his club’s glory days from the Holte End when the European Cup was clinched and talents like Brian Little, Gary Shaw, Gordon ‘Sid’ Cowans, Andy Gray and Didier Six plied their trade. But the man he has just sold for £100million – Jack Grealish – rivals them all. Enjoy. Graham Subscribe to The Big...

Welcome to our Big Interview Icons series where we shine a light on a legend whose name has lit up some of the conversations I’ve had with my guests over the years. This episode focuses on Jose Mourinho. Benni McCarthy’s tough time at Celta Vigo ended when Jose brought him to Porto. Benni saw the Portuguese as a father figure, and would have run through a brick wall for him. He repaid Mourinho by...

Madrid miss out on Mbappe... for now. Valencia look sharp, three Liga talents head for the Premier League and Rayo Vallecano reboot!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe

It was quite a transfer window in La Liga, but when we asked our socios for questions, there was one move they all wanted to know more about. Here is Graham and Pete Jenson with a 360-degree look at the deal that took Antoine Griezmann back from Barcelona to Atletico Madrid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with ot...

In part two of my absorbing conversation with Vinny Samways, we speak about the midfielder’s earlier days at his beloved Tottenham, not least his time spent under manager and club legend Ossie Ardiles, who Vinny considered to be ahead of his time. Vinny was the kind of player Ossie wanted the play to flow through, his ‘pivote’. There was even a call-up for Ossie’s testimonial match, when a teenage...

Vinny Samways is a man I admire. At the age of 28, the classy midfielder gave up the English top flight and stepped into the unknown. He signed for Canary Islands club Las Palmas, then in Spain’s second tier. It was a struggle to adapt at first, not least because of the number of yellow and red cards Vinny received, but in his fourth season there his perseverance paid off when he was part of a pro...

Welcome to our Big Interview Icons series where we shine a light on a legend whose name has lit up some of the conversations I’ve had with my guests over the years. This episode focuses on Roy Keane. Darren Fletcher believes that Roy was underrated in terms of his passing and ball control simply because he played alongside the magnificent Paul Scholes. Quinton Fortune tells us about receiving a ki...

With Messi gone and both Barcelona and Madrid reassessing their long-term finances, our socios ask Graham and Pete Jenson about the teams most likely to make a title challenge this season Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.revistadelaliga.com/subscribe