Football Daily - Euro Leagues: Valverde, Olise and Kvaratskhelia shine in Champions League

Episode Date: March 12, 2026

Steve Crossman, Guillem Balague, Julien Laurens and James Horncastle look at the key stories from this week’s Champions League ties, asking whether Federico Valverde is the most underrated footballer on the planet. There’s also a look at the impressive displays from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Michael Olise. There’s also an interview with Victor Font, who’s challenging Joan Laporta in this weekend’s Barcelona presidential election. And we get the European view on Igor Tudor’s troubles at Tottenham. TIMECODES 0:30 This week’s globetrotting….. 4:40 Valverde – the world’s most underrated footballer? 15:30 Kvaratskhelia – PSG’s super-sub 27:15 Interview with Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font 40:00 Olise tears apart Atalanta 47:00 The European view on Tudor’s Tottenham troublesCOMMENTARIES ON 5 LIVE/BBC SOUNDSSaturday: 1500 Burnley v Bournemouth (Sports Extra) 1500 Sunderland v Brighton (Sports Extra 2) 1730 Arsenal v Everton (5 Live) 1730 Chelsea v Newcastle (Sports Extra)Sunday: 1400 Manchester United v Aston Villa (5 Live) 1400 Nottingham Forest v Fulham (Sports Extra) 1400 Crystal Palace v Leeds (Sports Extra 2) 1630 Liverpool v Tottenham (5 Live)

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Learn more at Landrover.ca. On the Football Daily Podcast, The Euroleagues with Steve Crossman. Welcome to the Euroleagues. With us, Guillem Ballagay, ESPN, Julian Loron, and the Athletics, James Holncastle. Evening, evening. Hello, hello.

You've all been globe trotting. You've all made me jealous. Guillem, where have you been? I've seen a miracle. Oh. I've seen a miracle at the Bernabeo. I was at the Bernabeo. The miracle wasn't that Valverde scored a hat-trick in 45 minutes

so that Madrid beat city and nobody expected that. I saw people crying a half time in the first leg of the last 16 of the Champions League. What's that about?

You said no to a selfie again? No, no. The high emotions of football just still shocks me. That is the miracle. James has been in Bergamo. Yeah. It was a fantastic night.

For so many reasons, Steve. I mean, I got to see one of the best team and individual performances that I've seen all year from Byron and Michael Alise. We'll talk about that later. But to hear the Atlanta fans first, get on their feet and applaud Michael Alisei for his second goal was a lovely gesture. And then having seen their team lose 6-1, to treat them like they had won 6-1 at the end

of the game, was magnificent because the Atlanta players went under the Cordova. And usually after a defeat like that, you get. get booed, you get insulted, and instead there was this party atmosphere. And I think it was just away from the Atlanta France to say thank you for everything that this team and the club has done over the last eight years. And where have you been, Julianne? I went home to Paris for another very special night to be fair on Wednesday night. The party prince was incandescent.

And when Grascairacrescalia or Gvardadona, James and people in the night, Naples of nicknamed him before when he was there, he's in that kind of form and do those kind of and does those kind of things. Then it makes your night even more special. And I was lucky because I was watching the game like pitch side literally almost like if I was sat on one of the team's bench. And from there, you see even more how impressive those players are. So it was a very good night. Individuals are going to be the big focus of the Euroleaks tonight. And they've all already been mentioned save one. So lots to come on, Val. Verde, on Alise, on Kvara at Skelia, and yes, even Igor Tudor.

We'll be focusing on all of them on the Euroleads. We've decided not to do Bodo Glimp this week, just because you didn't want to, Jules. You just said, you said, no, you said, do we really care about them? Crossie, whenever we have a Scandy on, and we often have Scandies on this programme, we'll have to tell them about Jules' kind of no Scandy policy. That's not true. I'm so scandy as well. I'm so scandy. I just said there's so much this week and they won three in it. They will qualify for the quarterfinal, which will be another chapter in this incredible story.

So we can do them next week and focus on them next week. They just told the credit. Yeah. We have, I think we've led the Euroleagues with Bodo Glimped more times than any other team this. And that is right. But the problem with it is, Guillem, that we're running out of people to interview. So we've done the manager, we've done the players, we did the mentality coach. I think it's got to be the mascot, the culture coach.

I think we've got to have the mascot on live on the Euroleagues next week. Oh, a group of fans, but I think to do that, we should really go there. Yes, you're right. I'm in. You are right. The Arctic Circle, live for the Euroleagues. I'll pitch it. I did a Euroleagues from the Arctic Circle.

You did, yeah. Remember? I'll get the pitch written up. I feel like it might be a no, but you never know. Right, let's jump in and start with Federico Valverdi, shall we? I think we have to. His hat trick for Real Madrid, all of the goals as they beat Manchester City 3-0. I saw Guillem that Trent Alexander Arnold said after the game,

Valverdi is the most underrated footballer on the planet. Discuss. Yeah, he went straight into that. When I asked him about the performance of somebody that looked like Berkham and Van Bust. and El Piero put together, he was like, you've got no idea how this guy is really, and people don't know that he's got so many talents.

It's interesting that, and that Chavi Alonso, for instance, he felt limited, and he showed it. He said it in my press conference. I wasn't born to be a right back. And he wanted somebody to put him back where he thinks he belongs,

which is the center midfield. Arbelloa has done that. And with that, his leadership grows, well because when he was out of where he thinks he should be you didn't hear much from him he was like he was obsessed about his position didn't become a good example to everyone and now he is so he's not only those big names that I mentioned on the night he's the Juanito of of Real Madrid and this is said by Arbelloa Juanito being the legend number seven that represents the

the essence of what Ramadit is about hard work never gives up and and the magnificent thing about him is that it comes from a very very humble upbringing in Montevideo his mom was absolutely crucial because he pushed she pushed him to go on a trial for Peñarol as he was when he was a kid she pushed the president of Peñarol to sell him to Real Madrid when even the kid at 17 wasn't sure about that he I've gone to Arsenal. He spent a week in London training and he remembers the likes of

of Emmy Martinez help him a lot to understand what was going on. It was called a little bird as a three-year-old because playing football he just jumped around like a little bird. He's a Hulk now.

They call him the Alcon because he's just become a crucial part of what Ramadid is trying to do, especially when it works well which is not always the case. But yeah, Ramadid saw him when he was at the end of the 17 South American Championship in Uruguay.

They lost the final. He was in tears. But soon after, Real Madrid said, you know, we want you. Five million euros is what they paid Peñarol. And then he had to learn his way because he came to Real Madrid to B, to Castilla. He saw everybody wearing all kinds of brands. And he was wearing a Zara to like five-year-old shirt. And it's like, I don't belong here.

I need to improve. And there was a time that he didn't like running, and he's the biggest runner. Again, he learned through the coach that he had at the time, putting him on the bench. So he's been beating obstacles. And now, even though he's not the biggest speaker, or you would say of the pitch, the biggest personality, he's leading by example. And he had the best night of his life. He's never scored three goals in a game.

once he's scored twice but what we saw was really extraordinary and expected as well James whenever I hear that phrase underrated for a footballer I tend to try and sort of sub in underappreciated because Valverdi is not underrated

everybody knows he is amazing but maybe underappreciated in that he doesn't put himself front and centre at Real Madrid and maybe they always need at least one player who will do that, who will be a star sort of sans ego, if that makes sense.

Sans ego. I like it, crossy. I mean, I suppose when you are selected to be one of the Galacticos, I mean, he is one of the stars that shines the least, at least in terms of getting the attention that so many of the more illustrious players that are signed by Real Madrid get. You know, he is kind of, I think in cycling, you'd call him kind of Gregadio, you know, the guy who is basically there to sort of, well, he's there to, the water care, yeah.

He's there to, he's there to bring the water to your Mbapes and your, what did Gregario do wrong? Why can't Gregario go and win the tour? No, Gregadio is the name. It's the name of the teammates that carry the water. Okay, sorry. But to play from ERAMod, you have to be of outstanding technical quality.

And I think I was speaking to a chief executive of another Champions League club just a fortnight ago. And that chief executive was marvelling at Real Madrid's succession planning. And look, it hasn't always gone exactly to plan. But Guillem laid out the backstory that Federi Valverde has, at Peñerol. He's signed from Peñerol,

goes to Real Madrid-Castia. And from Real Madrid-Castia is integrated into the first team and becomes an established first team player who has won more Champions League than most people dream of. And they keep doing this. So they have done it regularly,

be it with Rodrigo at Santos, be it with Vinicius at Flamengo. These are guys who had not really been tried and tested in their own professional game in Brazil, in Uruguay, had not come to Europe and basically gone to another league and established themselves in European football.

They come to Real Madrid and they do it. for Rail Madrid. Madrid get them earlier than anybody. And I think that is still something that you really have to tip your hat at because as much as people say, look at Madrid, you know,

they do the free transfer for Mbapé, they do the free transfer for Trent Alexander Arnold, they can spend money when they're not building stadiums like the best of them. But this kind of recruitment, I think, is really, really important behind the success of Real Madrid, not as the most successful team in championship history,

but successful team in the last decade in the championship. You know how much we love our player ratings, right, in France? Oh, you are. Oh, yeah, this would be good. Yeah, because you got 10 out of 10. He's only the 20th player in history to get 10 out of 10. And it's obviously. And if you look at the list, obviously, you know,

Messi is there, Haleen is there, and Bapé is there, Levantowski is there. You can already, even when I just mentioned those names, you know the kind of games where they would have got the 10 out of 10, right? The Lukeman one is obviously the hard trick in the, you know, Palique final with Atalanta, I guess, by Leverkusen and all of that. And it's just, I don't

know, I don't think that obviously Féde Valverde reads the keep every day. I'm sure there's probably a Camavina, Hsuamani, and Mbapé who this morning would have either showed him the, I don't know, a screenshot, the newspaper, etc, or something. I don't know if he cares even, really.

But I think he's, just to say that when he went to bed last night, he probably could not sleep because not many players can sleep after big Champions League nights or big nights in general. He must have felt pretty good, I think, going home with his little like that. It sounds quite ridiculous,

that little trophy of playoff the match. You know that little UFO ball? Because when you've scored a hatchery like that, you need a much bigger trophy than the little one that he took home, to be honest. We report on football all the time and his rare instances, I think, where our body reacts in West you don't expect.

So I kind of laughed at people. that cried at half time and I saw a couple. There was a famous journalist as well that did so in the live radio station but he was broadcasting on the game. It was the fact that it was unexpected. It was the fact that it was another miracle at the Bernabeo, it was against Pep Wardiola and all of that.

But it was also the way it was done by one of theirs. And yeah, on the third goal, my arms spread very far and started touching, people around me and we were just turning around like like that holding almost like holding each other touching each other creating some kind of connection as if we just this happens every time we go to a game with julianne if we're a PSG game with Jules Jules's his hands are everywhere there's one thing sorry this there's one thing that you know if it's your team another thing

is one you're not you're just reporting and all that happens so all that happened at the Bernan I mean, there was, again, something magic was created. You did have an interesting experience, James, being with us at the Champions League finals, sitting sort of, Jules was kind of in between me and you, which was interesting. Yes, and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else than by my good friend Julianne's side and to finally see him get his day with PSG. No, it was good. But, I mean, Giams just said another miracle at Real Madrid.

Miracles are only supposed to happen once. these things keep happening. It's not miracle. Let's not let's not pump up the myth. He hardly ever happens. It's just that when it happens is really, really memorable,

especially when he's unexpected as he happened in 2022 and certainly, certainly, in the first 45 minutes last night. One more on Valverdi before we move on to Paris Saint-German. I think sometimes, James, you kind of,

you look for the way the best players in the world, see guys like Valverdi when they're a teammate. And there was two things that stood out to me. One was the reaction from Jude Bellingham in the stands when Valverdi's second goal. And another is the fact that Tony Cruz actually wanted Valverdi to take his number eight shirt.

Those are the two of the things that just make you think, well, if those guys see him in this way, you maybe don't even need to be told anything else. Yeah, I think he's helped them win so much. They appreciate the value that he brings to the team. team. I remember, I think, Carlo Ancelotti when he was writing his book, The Dream, about all of the dreams that have come true for him about winning the Champions League many, many times. It's a recurring dream. He talked about the game plan, I think, against Liverpool in the Champions

League final in Paris and how important Valverde was to get up to Virgil Van Dyke and stop him making those raking diagonal balls with his right foot. And little details like that and a player who's prepared to sacrifice himself and do that over and over again and help a team win a game and fulfill a dream like that, I think is why, as you mentioned,

you Drew Bellingham's, your Tony Grosses, understand that plays like that absolutely essential to a team that is so much, so often looked upon as a team of individuals and its collective endeavor like that from players like Valverde, which makes them special. Our next individual then is Kvitsha, Kfarat Skelia, scored twice, got an assist as Paris Saint-German beat Chelsea 5-2 at the Park Day,

Perens. I genuinely think he is my favourite footballer at the moment. And he couldn't even get in there starting 11, which is frightening. Yeah, yeah, it is frightening because his best position is on the left wing, where it's also Bradley Barkholder's best position. And to be fair, Barcola has been... the best or certainly the most consistent PhD player of late in attacking positions. So you could understand why Ruis Enriquezzié decided to go with Barcola on the left

and Zagva. Askeler could have started on the right and then there would have been a lot of fluidity within that front three with Dembele anyway. But I think part of the thinking from Reese and Ricky, who by the way got everything right on Wednesday night in his coaching, the lineup that he picked, how he out-coached, outsmarted Liam Rossigno, who's obviously much younger, unexperienced coach compared to Ruiz Enrique,

and I really hope for Liam that one day he gets to the level that Ruiz Enrique is right now, but at times yesterday it was a schooling, is the thinking was if there one player in this whole PhD squad that you want to bring on after an hour or 55 minutes, if you need it, it's via Skelly. Because you could see that the game had been so intense.

PhD went man-marking everywhere, the pressing, the counter-pressing from both teams, was really impressive at times. So naturally, players, even of that level, even of that physical, incredible fitness, would get tired. It's inevitable. Anyway, when you get to the hour mark and 65th and 70th minute and things like that. So imagine if you're Malagusto or if you're Wesley Fofana. And then suddenly you see Gravaskeli are coming on with the low socks.

You're just full of energy, you know, the beard, everything. And you know exactly what's going to do. He's going to get the ball and just run at you time after time after time. time after time at pace. And that's not what you want to see. And he felt exactly like that. And I think even the part of the prize, the atmosphere was great. But there was a time at Tutu where he felt it's just the atmosphere just needed something

a bit special to bring everybody up again. And that's exactly what he did when he came on. Kfarit Scalia is like perfect Euroleague's fodder because he plays for PSG. So that's all jewels. He came from Napoli before that. So that's all James. And Guillaume, you've been round his outfit. but not his house now where he grew up in Tbilisi.

Yeah, went to Tbilisi and, and out of everything that was shown to me, like his first share with Tbilisi that his mom keeps in a little bit like an open wardrobe where he keeps all the key shares of his career, they show me around his bedroom, the bedroom that he goes to to hide from the world. This is a Soviet-style block of flats in Tbilisi. surrounded by a block of flats, nothing really special.

And the bedroom is mostly used by a big bed. And in the corner, there's a computer and there's a gamer chair and there's everything that you're required to play. And apparently he spends hours and hours there. And around the room that is number seven and again memorable pictures of his career. That, if you like, humble beginnings again, is where he comes from.

He doesn't forget Tbilisi or his country. That same day, he was a Napoli at the time, I ended up going to a cinema to not watch a movie, but watch him play. And the cinema had been full of Tbilisi boys and girls and celebrating every time there was a close-up of him. Never mind if he touched the ball, just a close-up. They're all very proud of him,

and he is of his country, and that was very, very obvious to see. James, have we reached a Kvarat Skelia mark two in that has he developed from the guy who left Napoli? Or are we just seeing the same player but on a bigger stage because he's at PSG and he's won a Champions League now? I think we're seeing him on a bigger stage because it's Jules' this stage. So gets talked about a lot more. I think, you know what, Steve? I think there's some regret at Napoli that.

In the year they won the league, and let's not forget, it was the first time they'd won the Skudetto for 33 years. They were also going for the Champions League that year. They broke new ground. They got to the quarterfinals. They'd never been there before. And they got knocked out by their fellow Italians. They see Milan. And I think a lot of people understood that Napoli were a better team.

They just went into those games with an injured Victor Osman and a game plan for Kavara. Kavara, I think, sort of 18 months into his career at Napoli was getting double. up, tripled up. And sometimes that wasn't enough. I think Luchana Spoletti when he had him, he felt that he's such, he's such like a Tasmanian devil, you know, in terms of he's just, he's all energy that after half an hour of a game, he, I wouldn't say he'd tire himself out, but he goes on these runs, which is so exhausting and kind of like leave you dizzy, that he had to get him to sort of manage his, energy levels better.

And I think it's really interesting what Jules was saying there. I know Kavari's had a few ankle issues this season, which is kind of normal when his ankle just gets kick so much. But Barcoa has been very good. But to use him in these short spells of 30 minutes, 40 minutes, it's lethal. And he has been lethal in the Champions League this season. I think he's got 10 goal involvement in 10 games. in the league Jules, he hasn't scored in 2026, has he?

He's actually, I think he's got four goals this season in Liga. But when those bright lights are on in the Champions League and when Jules is on the sideline, that's when Cabarro really shows up. He's a man of big games, you know, and I think there's, if there's a little bit of criticism that he's received a little bit this season, and he has, like the whole team, because they obviously haven't hit the highs that they hit last season and he's probably was never going to happen anyway. to have two seasons like they had,

or even two half seasons like they had last year, is that he picks his games. And that's with me, that's absolutely fine. As long as the one that you picked are the big ones, obviously, because he could not care less if he scores against OXA or even if he's bothered playing well against OXA. However, in a night like yesterday,

when he knows there's something for him there to bring, and you could see his first goal, that curler, everybody in the whole stage, I mean, the whole world watching on television, knew exactly what he was about to do. I think even the Chelsea defenders knew what he was about to do. It was inevitable, really. And he went and the delivery was still perfect.

I actually thought on the ball he gives to Vitina for his little lob. I thought he was going to shoot, and I was a bit disappointed. I think Vitina doesn't expect him to pass him the ball, by the way. He expects Vaya to shoot. That's why he's a bit surprised. That's why his first touch is not that good and the ball goes up. And then, obviously, the lob is beautiful. But because usually he takes those chances in those big games and scores them.

he would do later with the two goals but he gave a really good interview in the Parisian newspaper the day before the game where he said that he loves everything about Paris, he's the best in the world, he's just really cool, but he said something really cool. He said before, even when he was in Naples,

his wife used to say to him, imagine if if one day you could play for PSG and we would live in Paris and Vara would say like, listen, it's never going to happen, it's not going to happen. And yet, look, maybe it was destiny, you know? What a perfect balance that is at PSC though.

I mean, there is the potential with all the names that we mentioned to actually be big egos that want to be recognized ahead of the team, you know, Cavara and Barcola and Dembele and Bittin. And yet the only leader of the whole thing is Luis Enrique, who's just has got no shame in admitting that. He is the boss. He is the one deciding. if he's got to leave Dembele out of the team he does

if he's got to leave Cavada on the bench he does not a problem and then if he loses then football is we cannot use the word that he described football when he lost in the championship I can remember who against but use a bad word because he didn't go his way so he can even say whatever he wants and now he's even given the press conference in quite good French I've not done it for the first year so he is the master of his stage isn't he

One more on Kavarat Skelia to finish James. I wonder if part of the reason he is such a joy is, you know, when people sort of talk about the idea of a street footballer, and normally actually what they mean is like a player who'll just do loads and loads of amazing bits of skill, I almost think it applies to Kavar at Skelia better, because he looks like what he is, which is somebody who hasn't come through a major academy, and had anything coached out of him, if you see what I mean?

and I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Clearly, loads of unbelievable players come through the world's best football academies. But I do look at Kvahar at Skelia and think the way you have come to the stage you're at is perfect for you. Yeah, absolutely. I think you're spot on about this sense

that he's been sort of uncoached. I think even when he was in the Russian Premier League with Rubin Kazan, and yeah, let's not forget that when the war in Ukraine started, FIFA allowed foreign players in Ukraine and Russia to break their contracts and leave. He broke his contract and went to play back in Georgia with Dinah Batumi. And this isn't long ago.

And so I think that left a lot of scouts and sporting directors thinking, why is he going back to Georgia? And it made them skeptical of him. And Napoli took a chance on him. and yeah, no one had heard of this player, no one had seen much of this player. And that just doesn't happen anymore, Steve. You know, we are so overwhelmed by clips and content online

talking about players when they are 12 years old. And this guy was, you know, practically unheard of. And I remember his first game for Napoli, right from the get-go, just delivered in Verona. And he's never really stopped since. And I think, Jules alluded to it earlier, the socks down, two-footed, in and out, zigzag, and just the speed with which he can move with the ball, but also make the ball move. I mean, that goal where he just wraps it around into the top corner,

there were very few players on the planet who can do that, although we might get to one. On the other side. I'm Matt Shirley coming to you live from. Westminster, Monday to Friday from 2 o'clock. It's politics, but how it affects you. It's the funny stories. The people and the personalities that make up the Westminster Village. But I want to explain how it works. Order! Order! I've worked there for 20 years now. I really know all the people, the quiet corridors, and I know how to find the stories about what's really happening in politics which affect you. As soon as the news breaks, I can bang on the wall, and one of the BBC co-sponsors will come running in and tell us what's going to. going on. Matt Shirley, Monday to Friday from 2 on BBC Radio 5 live. On the Football Daily podcast, the Euroleagues with Steve Crossman. Right, let's talk Barcelona.

They drew one all at Newcastle in the Champions League last 16, first leg on Tuesday. At the end of this week, club members will vote to decide the club's next president in the running. Juan Leporte, current president, returned five years ago. He was the man at the top during one of their great period. 2003 to 2010. There were two Champions League wins and four La League of titles within that. His opponent, a man by the name of Victor Font,

who was runner-up five years ago. And we're going to hear from him now because he's been speaking to Guillem about what you need to be the big boss of Barza. Obviously, you need to have the club in your heart. Barsar is not a business. There's a business component, but it's not a business.

You need someone who does have economic independence because basically this position and the board members do this basically without salary and especially the president if

in our case especially given the transformation the club requires I will need to devote the majority of my time 100% of my time to the club so unless you are financially independent it doesn't work.

You need to have a vision on where the club needs to go not just run the organization day by day. You need a vision and especially in the world of sports and entertainment how to combine

the roots of the club, the legacy, our foundational values with where the sports and entertainment industry is going. I think it's very important to understand how to combine that. John LaPorte has been in charge

for five years. What has he done right and what has he done run in that period? Everyone does right and wrong things. We are human beings and therefore that happens across

obviously there's good things that have happened during this Monday. Signing Hansi Flick is a clear one. And another one, for example, I think that the association with Spotify,

regardless of whether I believe that we could have or we could generate even more through that partnership. But putting that aside qualitatively and strategically, the association with Spotify is also a very good thing, right? On the, let's say, areas of improvement or things that I believe should have been done very differently, obviously professionalizing the club and being able to run the organization profitably, this administration has lost a billion euros, a billion in the last

five years. Obviously, we've recovered part of that selling some assets, but selling them instead of two reputable companies, like for example, the audiovisual and digital businesses, instead of, you know, doing a partnership with, I don't know, Disney's, Netflix, well-renowned organizations that could be a good partner for Barcelona, like Spotify is. The club has been struggling big time to, not to sign players only, but to register them. And still today, in the last good signing we've done, the goalie, John Garcia, could only be registered because Teresteggan got injured. Without that injury, we could have not registered Terestegen. Not being able to take advantage of the potential, the financial potential that an organization like Barcer has puts the club at risk, at least the

club as we know it. If on top of this, because the club is being run very much old style like football clubs were being run in the 80s last century, personal priorities go ahead and before the interest of the members, that creates a lot of problems. And that's why we are going to win on Sunday, because the voters are the members, not the fans. And the members are the ones that feel that have been mistreated, that have not been taken care of, that many promises have not been fulfilled. And I think that that's why the majority of members believe that the change is needed

and that change will come and will stay here for good. Let me finish with Chavi Hernandez, former manager, talking about the situation of Messi when he tried to return in 2023. What do you stand with that story? He clearly, Messi wanted to come back, but what happened? I personally knew what had happened.

Chavi told me he was a manager at Barcelona and on the three wise men a day, which is a very relevant day, as you know, here in Spain. He was having lunch with his family and he got a call from Leo. That was after he became a World Cup winner. His contract in Piagie was finishing that year and therefore he was saying,

He told Chavi that he was very keen to come back and he wanted to check with Chavi if Chavi thought that that would be a possibility from a sports perspective, from a sporting perspective. And obviously Chavi was all over it, right? Given the talent that Leo has and given also the squad, the team was being rebuilt at that time, if you remember. So he thought that having Messi there with his talent,

his capacity to score goals and the combination with the young players that were coming up and that Chavi was the responsible to give them opportunities like Lamin Jamal or Qarcy or Fermin that combination would be great, right?

So sad for all of us, members of FC Barcelona is that we continue to live in this way of doing things that it seems as if the former president has the capacity to decide who is a good Kulea and who is a bad Kulea. And now I think that that's why change is needed. We need to ensure that we are allowed to work all together,

to take advantage of all legends, of all talented people that have Barcelona at their heart and create the conditions for them to help the club. Xavier Rander said that it was Lapporte who stopped it because he was in fear of Messi overshattering the President Laporta denies that and says he was Jorge Messi, in fact, the one who stopped the conversations. Last one, a story that came out actually yesterday

that you are in conversations with Manchester City for Elling Halland, if, I guess, Manchester City tries to sell the player. Is that true? Yeah, at the end of the day, what we have what the sports organization that we've set up is trying to do is obviously plan not just for the short term

but also for the long term. We know Erling is very happy in Manchester that he signed a very long term contract last year, but we also know that things change in football, right? And very quickly and the only thing that we need to do

because we also know that Erling loves Spain and obviously the two big clubs in Spain are Barcelona, Real Madrid. So our But our role, if we want to do things properly and plan things properly, is make sure that we have a preferential option if that day comes so that he cannot go to Real Madrid and he comes to us. Victor Font, Barcelona presidential candidate. Guillaume, I love these moments when we have massive clubs and presidential elections. Because of course, we don't get this in England. And I love that there's always a name. And this time it's Harland. And there's always like a yay. you know, a vote for me is a vote for Harland in five to six years. Do you know, I love that stuff. It's great.

And Victorphone has changed because in his previous election, he didn't want to put names forward because he thought, no, no, no, it's a program. And remember, he spoke to us in that election. And I think he's just playing the game a little bit. So, yes, there was, picture this. The directors of football, he's got three directors of football in his candidacy. were in the same hotel as Ferran Soriano, the CEO of Manchester City.

They all come out of the hotel and there's a camera there. Funny that there was a camera there, picturing all that. So, yeah, the game has been played. And then, of course, the agent of Holland has denied everything and La Porta will put another name at some point. But it is fantastic, democratic, and it means that you can monitorise, the ones in charge when there are elections.

And of course, the campaign has been gone on for months, but now he's hitting up because the 15th is when it takes place. Can he win, Guilliam? Or is it La Porta really hugely favourite? He's got polls in which he says he's gone very much up in the appreciation of many people and he's going to be closer than people think. John LaPorta, meanwhile, has drove at the... tractor has prepared a paella and I think I think all beans or something like that.

What? And mix with the people because he's one of the people, isn't he? Of course is. So that's the idea. And he manages a stage better than anybody. The accusation against Laporte is that is a group of friends and family and it literally is that I work with him that is all very presidentialist, that he is the one deciding. Like for instance, according to Chavi, he's the one.

one who stops Messi coming back to Barcelona in 2023 when Messi was desperate to make it. When in fact, just to add to that story, a little bit of context, there was never any documentation presented by Barcelona to La Liga to accept or approve that happening. So not so much blocking it, but perhaps Lapporte wasn't convinced that bringing Messi was the greatest idea. And one of the things that Victor Fohn wants to do is have Messi at the forefront of the future of the club, even though maybe not as a player. I feel like I'm presenting drive all of a sudden now

because I'm doing the sort of politics thing. We did ask to speak to Joanne Laporteur and we were told he wasn't available. So it's not just that we've spoken to one Canada. Not that it really matters. It's not the same as a general... It's not the same as a general election in the UK, I don't think. I think on the day of Barcelona's presidential elections, we don't just have to talk about photos of dogs at polling stations.

I think we'll still be a lot. allowed to talk about it. The thing that I found really difficult for Victor Font, though, Guillaume, is that, and this was actually true when LaPorter first got the gig many years ago, you probably want the club to be in a really bad place because you want people to vote for change. And stuff like that big partnership with Spotify, stuff like Hansi Flick, that's going pretty well, isn't it? So I wonder if that's going to make life harder for him, even with all of the issues. they've had in recent years. And a new stadium, almost like a new stadium,

even though it's very delayed, I just say 2.5 billion euros. That's the debt of Barcelona that has increased by one billion under La Porta. You know what? That doesn't matter. It does not matter to people. You're absolutely right.

The things are going well on the pitch. You've got La Miniamal hiding a lot of cracks and a lot of other youngsters. So it becomes very hard, very hard for Victor Fon to try to explain his policies which are professionalizing every department to get a president who is just a figurehead if you like an organizer of people and to change the model that Barthona has got at the moment which is a little bit it feels a little bit old at a time when the income is one billion pounds

so it shouldn't be wrong like a family company but i think he's going to have a hard time to convince the right amount but we'll see I love that the other thing that separates it from normal politics is that you can just do your own polls. You'd be like, yeah, well, I've seen polls which say I'm really popular. I've seen polls which say I'm the best thing about the Euroleagues. It's a poll of one, but... Yeah, it's like one of those WhatsApp polls.

Yes. That you do, in a group of four friends. Should I be Barcelona president? Yes, yes, yes. Right, well, it's on Sunday, so we'll know this time next week. Right, let's talk a bit about Bayon's 6-1 winner Atalanta in the Champions League. James, you were obviously in Bergamo. And clearly, as an Italian football writer,

that will have been predominantly what you were hoping I would think to write about, but then somebody stole your heart. Yeah, no, a little bit like in the Champions League final because when I was sat next to Jules and Jules was punching the air and celebrating, I sort of had to pivot from writing about Inter who lost 5-0, writing about Desire Duet, who was fantastic that night.

And, you know, it's, it never ceases to amaze how France continues to produce these maverick dribblers. I mean, we've talked about Cavart Scalia, but, yeah, I mean, even in the PSG goal, a game that Jules was at, Usman Dembele scores a goal, which is a magnificent individual goal.

And to see Michael Alise performing the way that he did in this 6-1 win for Bayern where it was kind of done after half an hour of this game and from what people who follow the Bundesliga tell me the Bundesliga teams that face

Bayern have figured out that you have to double this guy up or maybe get someone to give whoever's marking him as much help as possible and Atlanta didn't do that. Atlanta decided to change. Move away from the system that's worked for them for eight years, 342-1, to play 4-4-2, still man-marked all over the pitch.

And boy, did Michael Elisa have some fun. I mean, just to see someone so nonchalantly play back heels, you know, ball up in the sky. So everyone in the stadium is looking up and then watching this ball come down and he just cushions it perfectly. And in the same movement, plays Serge Napari through on goal.

To then score... You cut inside and find the far corner, and you did it twice. He's like, I'll do the low corner in the first half, top corner second half. Just magnificent to watch. And yeah, I know some people thought Byron spending $53 million or something on him was maybe a lot of money. I mean, it just looks like such good business. And, you know, Vinnie Company after the game, delighted not only with the performance in his in the first half, but they kept going.

Bion just relentlessly kept wanting to score goals. Michael Alisei wanted to score more goals because companies said, you never know what happens in the Champions League. You know, if we get comfortable with being 3-0 up and then Atlanta score that goal at the end and it's 3-1 instead of 6-1, then all of a sudden that second leg in Munich,

okay, Bayern would still be favorites. But you never know on these Champions League nights. We do know. what will happen when I go to Munich next week for this second leg? Bayern will definitely still be going through it. Guillem, bear in mind where the England captain currently plays his football when I tell you this. So Christoph Kramer, who's become one of the top pundits in Germany, people might remember he's a World Cup winner. He said on TV last night, Michael Alise is the best signing any Bundesliga club has made in the last decade.

So there you go. Well, yes. and perhaps it's what we're seeing and what we're about to see. The room for improvement is fantastic. And it's based on not just intuition. There was a little interview that he gave CBS after the game and he was talking to Thierre and Reh

and touching on how he learns, what he learns, how he applies what he learns, how he visualizes what he's going to do next. And even though he's, he's not a man of many words and next I want to ask you for advice he could tell that he's to this the game the advice is the fault is as follows

so there was a meeting today I'm desperate to sit down with him and talk to him and there was a meeting today on that what has come back is yeah he may do it if I don't ask him any questions okay no questions I really sure it's if you don't ask him any

questions. Yeah. Well, it'll be him and I, but I won't be able to ask questions. Interesting. He doesn't talk much even in the dressing room to the fair. It's not just to the media. It just, he's not a talker. Jules, can you give us an idea of how he is different to someone like Kfarut Skelia then,

Elisa? Yeah, and I think the most interesting thing is maybe what's going to happen at the World Cup. I mean, I don't want to remind you English people that you obviously chose to play for a country that can win the World Cup in France and not for English. England. But the interesting thing more seriously is obviously, as James rightly said, he's incredible on that right-hand side, coming into his left foot and all of that. Deshaun wants him as a number 10, which is a very different position, very different role, very different bearings when you are on the pitch, was in front of you, was behind you, how you position your body

to receive the ball. All of that is very, very different from that right-hand side into the middle. one I'm not too sure about changing him in position by the way I think if you're Deschenne you go into the World Cup why would you move the guy that is one of what top five in the world right now in his position is definitely top three but maybe in the whole world in terms of form top five and why would you move him into another position even if you think he might be great in that position sure

I think he can play anyway is that good but maybe just keeping where he feels the most comfortable and that would be here and that's why I think is different than somebody like Varskelia and maybe even to some extent somebody like Lamin too who plays in the same kind of position Lamin maybe later on

when he's the edge of Olyse can move into a number 10 position and be great but I think Olié gives you that because he's also that good and certainly in Deshaun's mind he's the guy that will lead France in the number 10 position which is a heavy number he won't have the number but it's a heavy

position to play in obviously because of whoever played there before And we've got three minutes left of the Euroleagues, guys, which basically means if you're batting your average here, you're getting one answer each on our final topic. And we've talked about so many wonderful personal individual stories. We're going to finish with Igor Chudor, after Atletico Madrid beat Tottenham 5-2.

But we're not here to talk Tottenham because this is the Euroleagues. What we want to know about is Chudor, James. And whether what's happening, whether that's four defeats in a row or what he did to Antoninkinsky subbing him off after 17 minutes, whether any of this is in or out of character? Look, I've followed his career in Italy.

I've never seen him take action like that, so drastic. And something that is not only damaging to Kinski, but I think also damaging to him. Because I think it will be the decision that he is going to be most associated with in his Tottenham career because I think it's very hard for us to, expect him to turn it around at Tottenham now.

And yeah, that's the big surprise to me, because as much as he's had no Premier League experience, he has experience of these kinds of situations and to see him flounder and make mistakes in pretty much every game, I think has been very disappointing. Can I defend Igor Tudor very quickly? Have a go, yeah? Three reasons why he was right to do what it did, right? When two mistakes happen in quick succession, sportsman can go through analysis paralysis,

which means that the goalkeeper, in this case, stops acting automatically, begins to overthink and not the mistake can happen. So if he got to do so that, he's got to get him out. Two, uh, Kanjzares, anti-Kaniathares famous goalkeeper said he played his whole career through fear, uh, the fear of making a fool of himself. So he says,

not me, that if to door the goalkeeper was overwhelmed and struggling to cope with all of that, he needed to get him out. And I've asked four managers, and I said, what would you do? And they thought we needed to defend, we would defend difficult decision, they all said, but we would defend the team. It wasn't the right

decision, and football has to accept that sometimes the changes have to happen in a minute 15 or 13 or 10. Which allows me then, Jules, to throw this to you to end the show. Regardless of that, is the real issue here just letting him walk off the pitch and not going to see him and not going to console him. Is that bigger than the decision?

Probably, yeah. I think that adds insult to injury, really. I think ego Tudor was, I think it was all disgraceful what he did. I completely disagree with him. By the way, it's Romero who told Tudor to take him off. It's not even Tudor's decision. So I've got nowhere. I'm so disappointed about what Tudor has done since he arrived, really mistake after

mistake. I thought he should have resigned after the game. It was another humiliation, like the Palace game, like the Arsenal game. It's a lot of humiliations when you've only been in charge for four games, by the way. And right now he's on course

to be the worst manager. I know he's only a permanent, like he's not interim anymore. He's permanent. I know he's for a short term, but he's still a permanent coach. He's on course to be one of the worst we've ever seen in the Premier.

And we've been joined live by Frank DeBurr. No, I'm kidding. They're together. Thank you very much, guys. Great stuff as always. Right, that's it for this edition of the EuroLeaks. Big thank you to Guillem Ballaget, to Julianne,

and to James Horncastle. John Murray, Ian Dennis, Ali Bruce Ball will be here on Friday with the excellent The Commentator's View. Look out for a great interview with Brentford Captain Nathan Collins as well, which you'll be able to hear on the football daily feed from Friday. As always, thank you so much for listening.

I'm Rich Hall, and this is Sports Strangest Crimes Presents Confessions of a Super Bowl streaker. When people ask me what I do, I say to them, well, by day or by night. The story of one man's mission to conquer the holy grail of streaking the Super Bowl. Mark Roberts is too lively for this body. He's just like the entertainer.

Mark pushes the boundaries of what is socially acceptable. No chance, Texas. It's really strict, but then the more of those about it. No, Phil Fying on. What are you about? Sports Strangers Crimes Presents, Confessions of a Super Bowl streaker.

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