Classic Big Interview Episode: Thierry Henry

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Thierry Henry from season four.You’ll hear about how Barcelona’s talented players adapted to the visionary Pep Guardiola’s methods. The 2009 6-2 victory at the Bernabéu – in which Thierry scored a double and then went off injured –felt like the moment things fully clicked, and the Frenchman recovered in time to star in the Champions League final against Manchester United. Barcelona knew they would win – they could see the defeat in the United players’ eyes, and not even Sir Alex Ferguson had a response.There’s also chat about playing with Lionel Messi, whose talent is not of this planet.Brilliant stuff.Graham

Classic Big Interview: Thierry Henry

Here comes part two of the November Q &amp; A, in which Graham and Pete mourn Levante's demise, look at interim managers from recent Spanish history and examine the tea leaves of Xavi's first weeks in charge of Barcelona.

Memphis? He's a dud! Q & A part two

Messi to Putellas : The Race for the Ballon d'Or - Q&A part one

HolaWelcome to this month's Q and A. Here myself and Pete Jenson talk Vinicius Jnr, the rise of La Real, Rayo Vallecano and who might win tonight's Ballon d'Or.EnjoyG

Messi to Putellas : The Race for the Ballon d'Or - Q&A part 1

Watching Real Madrid - and in particular how their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, handles his veteran midfield trio of Casemiro, Modric and Kroos - I saw one side of a theological divide. Call it hawks versus doves; Robin Williams versus the Marx Brothers; systems versus players.Here is why I think the Madrid ideology cannot navigate a critical run of games ahead, and why it all means Zinedine Zidane was never the guy Manchester United need right now.&nbsp;

A Night at the Opera, or a night at The Improv? Why Madrid's midfield may need a new script

Brad Friedel Part Two: Confronting Superstitions and My Nemesis Shearer

For such an intelligent football man, you might be surprised to learn how Brad Friedel was once in the grip of crippling superstitions. Oddly, when he crossed the white line, the nerves disappeared.Also in part two, you’ll hear about the one man Brad feared facing most of all: Alan Shearer. And there’s great stuff about how goalkeepers must never let their inner feelings show on the field of play.Thanks, Brad. I could have chatted all day.Graham.<a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUC-fx5fn0ivc2GrjfQ8bTTNg&amp;data=04%7C01%7C%7Cf7fc57878f854192b53b08d8b6e9515d%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637460460496509772%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=TArpn95FiDie6Th1pR8vv37NHvKu7pMJO%2Bww66sgHRw%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe&nbsp;to The Big Interview YouTube channel</a>

Brad Friedel: Confronting Superstitions and My Nemesis Shearer

Today, I'm presenting to you an episode of Between The Lines, a podcast that tells the stories behind great sports writing, produced by Martin and Neil at BackPage, my producers and the publishers of the books I wrote on Barcelona under Pep Guardiola and the Spain team that won a hat-trick of tournaments. In this episode, Neil and Martin talk to Mark Palmer, the translator of The Immortals, Arrigo Sacchi’s memoir of Milan’s 1988-89 season, which ended with the first of two back-to-back European Cup triumphs for the great team of Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, Gullit and Van Basten.The Immortals brings to life the training diaries of Sacchi and captures in time one of the greatest club teams in football history.There are lots more stories on Between The Lines - <a href="https://play.acast.com/s/betweenthelines/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">take your pick here</a><a href="https://backpagepress.co.uk/books/the-immortals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buy The Immortals here</a>.&nbsp;

Presenting Between the Lines: Arrigo Sacchi and The Immortals

Brad Friedel Part One: How to Cope with Being Gala’s Goalie

Brad Friedel fell in love with English football long before he arrived on UK shores to grace the No.1 jerseys of Liverpool, Blackburn, Villa and Spurs. A trip to Wembley during a childhood family tour of Europe gave him the bug.He was hardened by his Ohio upbringing, which set him in good stead for coping with the glorious craziness of Galatasaray.This is an absolute corker of a Big Interview.Graham<a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fchannel%2FUC-fx5fn0ivc2GrjfQ8bTTNg&amp;data=04%7C01%7C%7Cf7fc57878f854192b53b08d8b6e9515d%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637460460496509772%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=TArpn95FiDie6Th1pR8vv37NHvKu7pMJO%2Bww66sgHRw%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe&nbsp;to The Big Interview YouTube channel</a>

Brad Friedel: How to Cope with Being Gala’s Goalie

Here's my latest for ESPNFC - on Xavi's first game in charge of his beloved Barcelona, against their city rivals, Espanyol. The two teams are level on points, which means Espanyol have a sniff of finishing ahead of their neigbours for the first time since World War Two concluded. And they have, in Vicente Moreno, a coach who, like Xavi, has a very high ceiling in terms of what he might achieve. Not the kind of opening act Xavi would have selected.

Time for Xavi to act locally, think globally

Luka Modric: Big Interview Icon Episode

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 Luka Modric.Former Tottenham colleague Robbie Keane admired the unassuming Luka’s particular courage: his willingness to take the ball under any circumstances.I interviewed John McGinn ahead of Euro 2020, and when asked who was the forthcoming opponent he would most like to swap shirts with, Scotland’s midfield maestro chose the classy Croat.Slaven Bilic espouses the virtues of having an independent Croatian football league to help develop younger players – but he says Modric would have made it anyway.Lastly, Rafael van der Vaart talks about joining the fantastic, attacking Spurs side Harry Redknapp had assembled in 2010, for which Luka was the midfield fulcrum.

Luka Modric: Big Interview Icon

Graham Hunter one-on-one with the biggest names in football.

Graham Hunter one-on-one with the biggest names in football.

The Big Interview with Graham Hunter

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