Libero
Episodes
120 | Arsenal v PSG... A Meeting Of Europe's Best?
08 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We are doing our first live show. It's on 22nd May, doors 7pm at The Venue on the ICMP Queens Park Campus in west London (home of the Long Play Sessio...
119 | The Cult Of The Manager
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com. — From Matt Busby to Liam Rosenior...
118 | Saudi Arabia: Football's House Of Cards
01 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs: liberopodcast.com. — Amid a shifting landscape of Saudi Arabian sports...
117 | Diego Simeone And Atletico Madrid, The Club Moulded In His Image
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs: liberopodcast.com. — Ahead of Atletico Madrid's Champions League semi-...
116 | Liam Rosenior, Chelsea And A Crisis Of Their Own Making
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com. --- Liam Rosenior is no longer the Chelsea manag...
115 | Was Manchester City's Win Against Arsenal Really A Title-Decider?
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com. —Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal on Su...
Libero 114 | Arne Slot, Liverpool Manager: The Case For And Against
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com. — Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League...
Libero 113 | Why Does No One Want Arsenal To Win It?
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
So it all comes down to this. Maybe. After Arsenal lost at home to Bournemouth and Manchester City swatted aside Chelsea, the Premier League has a gen...
Libero 112 | Cracking The Code Of Premier League Survival
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, is now live! Join via liberopodcast.com. --- This time of year isn’t just a...
Libero 111 | Football Has A Ticket Price Problem
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, is now live! Sign up at liberopodcast.com. --- What’s happened with the tic...
Libero 1110 | Will Infantino And Trump Break The World Cup?
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, is now live! Get on the bandwagon early, before broadsheet journalists start de...
Libero 109 | Can England Win The World Cup?
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We are still in the soft launch phase of SC Libero, but getting on the bandwagon early will give you the chance to lock-in a pay-what-you-want p...
Libero 108 | Do National Teams All The Play The Same Way Now?
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join SC Libero! Our members’ only offering is now live, in a soft way. We're starting you off with ad-free episodes, but a host of other benefits ar...
Libero 107 | Chelsea, The Oligarch And One Of Football's Biggest Scandals
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, is now live! Get on the bandwagon early, before broadsheet journalists start de...
Libero 106 | Are Arsenal's Lost Years Over? Why The Carabao Cup Final Matters
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, is now live! Get on the bandwagon early, before broadsheet journalists start de...
Libero 105 | The Paradox Of The Premier League's European Struggles
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
For all of the Premier League's clubs financial advantages over their European rivals, they are facing a wipeout in the Champions League. Is it fatigu...
Libero 104 | Where’s Your Famous Atmosphere? The Premier League’s Sanitised Matchday
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Atmosphere is one of the Premier League’s biggest selling points to broadcasters, but ask anyone who regularly goes to games and they will tell you ...
Libero 103 | What Era Was Peak Champions League?
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Libero might like knocking the Champions League, but even we know there's nothing like European knock-out football for compelling drama. But with six ...
Libero 102 | Trying To Make Sense Of The Business Of Football
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Every year football's rich and powerful gather at a West London hotel to do deals, shake hands and talk about the game in a way would be quite unfamil...
Libero 101 | Spurs In Peril... No Longer Too Big To Fail?
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years it has felt as if the Premier League was permanently stratified, with the poor teams unable to win and the rich teams unable to lose. ...
Libero 100 | Anxious Arsenal And The Definition Of A Bottle Job
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It is – it turns out – quite difficult to pin down an accurate definition of what 'bottling it' means and, therefore, which teams can be fairly de...
Libero 099 | Has Jose Mourinho Burned His Bridges At Real Madrid?
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jose Mourinho will take his Benfica team back to Real Madrid on Wednesday night, trying to get through to the last-16 of the Champions League. It is ...
Libero 098 | Juventus, Benfica And The Plight of Europe's Forgotten Clubs
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Champions League punishment round week, which means clubs who were among the biggest and best in Europe 10 years ago are slogging it out to mak...
Libero 097| The Death Of Individualism
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where Jack Grealish becomes 'The Rest Station' and Jürgen Klopp says that "no playmaker in the world" can be as effective as counter-pres...
Libero 096 | Lads, It’s Tottenham: The Fall Of Thomas Frank
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Another week, another manager departed from the big chair at a traditional English heavyweight. It turns out Dr Tottenham does not have a cure for the...
Libero 095 | Slot And Guardiola: End Game?
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Resisting the temptation to get distracted by VAR, John Brewin, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Rory Smith discuss the more immediate consequences of Manchester ...
Libero 094 | Can VAR Be Fixed?
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There has been no bigger change to football in the 21st century than VAR. On today’s Libero, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson and Tariq Panja want ...
Libero 093 | When The Premier League Is The Man I Need
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In Libero’s lifetime, the panelists have regularly lamented the spectacle served up by the Premier League, but after a bumper weekend, Rory Smith, J...
Libero 092 | The Modern Premier League: Less Bump, More Grind?
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"In the middle area of the pitch, those 24 metres, we feel the game has become stuck, particularly in the Premier League. Everybody has so much inform...
Libero 091 | Bad In The Premier League, Winning In Europe
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wednesday sees the climax of the Champions League's 144-game 'league phase', a TV bonanza featuring 18 fixtures, after which we will know who made the...
Libero 090 | The Unbearable Weight Of Being Tottenham
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Frank may have delayed his departure with that surprisingly comfortable win over Borussia Dortmund, but that is only the tip of Tottenham’s p...
Libero 089 | How Afcon Descended Into Chaos
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It was supposed to be the smoothest running Africa Cup of Nations in tournament history, all the edges levelled off. Then came Sunday’s final and un...
Libero 088 | Real Madrid: Too Big To Manage
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
He might have been a playing legend but that ended up counting for nothing as Xabi Alonso became the latest Real Madrid manager to be crushed between ...
Libero 087 | Chelsea, BlueCo And The Case Against Multi-Club Ownership
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rory Smith enjoyed going viral for his rant against Chelsea's egregious exploitation of Ligue 1 'sister club' Strasbourg so much that he wanted to mak...
Libero 086 | Amorim, Maresca And The Battle For Power
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
That’s been quite a week, hasn’t it? On today’s Libero, Miguel Delaney, Rory Smith and James Horncastle explore how the sackings of Enzo Maresca...
Libero 085 | The Downfall Of Ruben Amorim
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Libero is not a coach. It is a manager. It has always wanted to be Ruben Amorim. Even on the day he was sacked by Manchester United. Rory Smith, James...
Libero 084 | The Things That Will Definitely Happen In Football This Year
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's the first Libero of 2026 and here to pick up the pieces of the festive period are Tariq Panja, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson. ...
Libero 083 | The Stories That Defined Football In 2025
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the year nears its end, Miguel Delaney, Tariq Panja, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Jonathan Wilson take the opportunity to look back at 2025 to pick out foo...
Libero 082 | Rabona Bans, Transfer Speak And 'United'... Christmas Dinner Debates
26 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Brewin, Miguel Delaney, Rory Smith, Tariq Panja and Jonathan Wilson have all had a bit too much on Christmas Day and are ready to get into it wit...
Libero 081 | The First Annual Libero Personality Of The Year Award
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Black tie, ballgowns and montages... it's the Libero Personality of the Year award. Rory Smith is your host for this glittering event, where he is joi...
Libero 080 | World Cup Tickets, Did It Need To Be Like This?
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's basic supply and demand, right? Fifa has stunned most of the world by making the 2026 World Cup the most expensive tournament ever for the match-...
Libero 079 | What's Stopping Newcastle Becoming 'The New Manchester City'?
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Manchester City racked up another Premier League win this weekend, beating Crystal Palace 3-0 with another display of their new direct, powerful indiv...
Libero 078 | The Big Beautiful World Cup: Six Months To Go
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With six months to go until the newly-expanded greatest show on Earth, today’s Libero considers what a World Cup designed by FIFA, Gianni Infantino ...
Libero 077 | Mo Salah, Player Power And Undignified Exits
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the...
Libero 076 | The Long Barclays... Is Football Trapped In The 90s?
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rory Smith is joined by John Brewin and James Horncastle, who – like the anxious middle-aged men they are – are seeking refuge in the past. But a ...
Libero 075 | Are Chelsea Actually Good?
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chelsea held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw on Sunday even though they were reduced to 10 men in the first half. They looked like a proper Chelsea team, playin...
Libero 074 | How You Watch Football Is About To Change All Over Again
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Football is ultimately a TV show, however much we might want to see it differently. The story of the rise of football over the last 40 or so years ins...
Libero 073 | Why Is It So Hard To Retain The Premier League Title?
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Only three managers have ever won back-to-back Premier League titles and that figure does not look likely grow this season. Managerial greats such as ...
Libero 072 | Arsenal v Tottenham: Who Really Owns North London?
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A team of interlopers from Kent are now arguably London's biggest club and with the pendulum of power swinging back Arsenal's way in recent years, a l...
Libero 71b | ACTUALLY The Greatest Week Of Football Ever
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week Libero called this the greatest week in football but little did we know the drama to come. In fact, there was so much to talk about we decid...
Libero 071 | Cristiano Ronaldo’s Search For A Happy Ending
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cristiano Ronaldo might not have done it exactly how he would have wanted — getting sent off while losing to Ireland — but the 40-year-old Al Nass...
Libero 070 | Why This Is The Best Week In Football
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The international break can often seem a chore, but this time around there are bountiful reasons for optimism. Miguel Delaney, James Horncastle and Jo...
Libero 069 | Liverpool's Mo Salah Conundrum
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Liverpool fans rejoiced when the club signed Mo Salah to a new contract. With Liverpool’s title defence in tatters, the team in chaos, have Liverpoo...
Libero 068 | The Premier League’s Goldilocks Clubs
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is one big question that today's Libero is seeking to answer and that is: is it fundamentally easier to change the fortunes of a club with less ...
Libero 067 | Is The Premier League Boring?
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A quarter of the way through this Premier League season, people are starting to ask: is the football we are watching this year any good? Or has the ri...
Libero 066 | Celtic And Rangers On The Brink... Is The Old Firm Dying?
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The rule of thumb in Scottish football is that if one Old Firm club is doing badly, then the other is doing well. So what happens when both Celtic and...
Libero 065 | The Diego Maradona Episode
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many words have been written and spoken about Diego Maradona, but not yet on Libero. That changes now. To celebrate the 65th birthday of the greatest ...
Libero 064 | Real Madrid v Barcelona: A Health Check On El Clasico
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Brewin, Jonathan Wilson and Tariq Panja are here to talk about the world’s biggest domestic fixture - self-styled, perhaps, but deservedly so -...
Libero 063 | Ange Postecoglou’s Main Character Energy
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ange Postecoglou was sacked as Nottingham Forest manager on Saturday, after just 39 days in charge. On today’s episode, Miguel Delaney, Rory Smith a...
Libero 062 | Arsenal, First The Worst, Second The Best
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Premier League is back, and Arsenal are top of it. There are plenty of reasons to believe they can stay there, too: the deepest squad in the count...
Libero 061 | England's Jude Bellingham Problem
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jude Bellingham is seen as England's biggest star, which is why it's very glaring that Thomas Tuchel has broken with decades of protocol and left the ...
Libero 060 | The Premier League: Thatcher’s Greatest Triumph
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hated, adored, never ignored, Margaret Thatcher is one of the most important figures in the history of the country that is home to the world's wealthi...
Libero 059: What’s Wrong With Liverpool?
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Saturday brought Liverpool’s third defeat in a week, following reverses at Crystal Palace and the cauldron of RAMS Park, home to Galatasaray. If you...
Libero 058: Is Football Too Online?
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dressing rooms sharing posts about refereeing decisions, managers complaining about their nicknames on X and social media troll campaigns, football is...
Libero 057: All or Nothing... Do We Need More Football Documentaries?
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No progressive football club’s project is complete without an authorised streaming documentary series. They’ve become a significant contribution t...
Libero 056: The Premier League's Triangle Of Sadness
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does Aston Villa’s sudden fall from grace say about the wisdom of basing a football club around one man in Unai Emery? Rory Smith, James Hornca...
Libero 055: Arsenal, Tottenham, Succession And Serious People
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two of the biggest Premier League stories in September came away from the pitch, and specifically in the boardrooms of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. ...
Libero 054: 'Ballon d'Or!' Rio screams, 13 times
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ruud Gullit has been booked. iShowSpeed is getting his tuxedo ready. Kaka will be around, probably. That’s right: it’s Ballon d’Or time, and on ...
Libero 053: The Things That Matter As The Champions League Returns
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Champions League is back. Or more specifically, the league phase, which starts with matchday one spread over the course of this week. On today’s...
Libero 052: Does The Manchester Derby Still Matter?
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sunday sees the first Meeting of Manchester United and Manchester City of the season at the Etihad. On today’s Libero, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Miguel Dela...
Libero 051: Long Throws And Set Pieces... Is Football Going Back To The Mixer?
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Libero returns with its smuggest and most chin-strokey lineup ever, as the first-time combination of Rory Smith, Jonathan Wilson and James Horncastle ...
Libero 050: Arsene Wenger, A Proper Football Man
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He’s the greatest manager in Arsenal’s modern history and the Emirates a monument to his reinvention of the club. Arsene Wenger is one of the most...
Libero 049: The Premier League’s Three Billion Pound Summer
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's that you say? Every Libero squad member on one podcast? That's right, in order of appearance, Rory Smith, Jonathan Wilson, John Brewin, Miguel ...
Libero 048: Ruben Amorim And The Philosopher’s Clones
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United tenure reached a new low on Wednesday night as they were knocked out of the League Cup by Grimsby Town. Critics say...
Libero 047: Euro-trouble... is the Premier League's financial might causing problems on the continent?
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The European club season is now underway, with the Champions League draw to follow on Thursday. James Horncastle and Miguel Delaney join John Brewin t...
Libero 046: Alexander Isak v Newcastle: A Player Power Battle
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest story of this summer’s transfer window is Alexander Isak. The Newcastle United striker is so desperate for a move that he has not been t...
Libero 045: In Defence Of PSR
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the initialism on many people’s lips as the transfer window rages on. PSR, profit and sustainability rules: what are they good for? Miguel De...
Libero 044: Liverpool, Arsenal And The Premier League’s New Era (Maybe)
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a chance that Manchester City's imperial era is over, and might Arsenal-Liverpool be what replaces it? As everyone - again - waits for 'the C...
Libero 043: Five Questions For The Premier League Season
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Wilson sets the new season’s agenda for Jack Pitt-Brooke and John Brewin ahead of Friday’s big kick-off. The title, the drop, the transfe...
Libero 042: Welcome To The Championship: Hollywood Endings, Parachutes And Cliff Edges
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Libero Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson and Tariq Panja turn their attention to the Championship. Is it still the most competitive leagu...
Libero 041: The Last Dance Of Pep Guardiola?
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He’s the undoubted coaching genius of 21st century football, admired, aspired to, much imitated and rarely bettered, but this summer has been one of...
Libero 040: Is Jose Mourinho More Like Liam Gallagher Or Lenin?
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s podcast, James Horncastle, Jonathan Wilson and Jack Pitt-Brooke turn their attention to next week’s Champions League qualifiers, and pa...
Libero 039: Proper England And Liverpool Spend, Spend, Spend
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Horncastle and Miguel Delaney join John Brewin in extending congratulations to England’s Lionesses, and handle the hot potato of patriotism. W...
Libero 038: Manchester United and the LinkedIn saviours
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s pod James Horncastle, Tariq Panja and Jack Pitt-Brooke continue the discussion on Manchester United and ask: is there any way back to the...
Libero 037: The Absolute State Of Manchester United
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hated, adored, never ignored, not least because their downfall entertains those who endured the glory years with gritted teeth. Jonathan Wilson, John ...
Libero 036: Todd Boehly, football genius?
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Libero, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson and Tariq Panja put the politics of the Club World Cup to one side and stick to the football. S...
Libero 035: Trump, Infantino And The Meaning Of The Club World Cup
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Now that the Club World Cup is over, Libero’s Miguel Delaney, James Horncastle and Rory Smith discuss what Gianni Infantino’s great jamboree means...
Libero 034: Sesko Reimagined As A Giant Turkey
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan Wilson and Miguel Delaney discuss with John Brewin a big week for Arsenal, and a fever dream featuring one of the Gunners’ potential new st...
Libero 033: Can We Not Just Be More Like Wimbledon?
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode Jack Pitt-Brooke, James Horncastle and Rory Smith discuss the Club World Cup, where James saw the start of the tournament, with ...
Libero 032: Jesus Had A 2,000-Year Headstart On Ronaldo
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was recorded before the tragic news about the death of Diogo Jota and his brother. Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and, eventually (18:41), ...
Libero 031: In Sarina We Trust?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can women’s football sustain its exponential growth? Have the men just had a sliding doors without knowing it? The Women’s Euro 2025 gets underway...
Libero 030: John Textor, Skateboard Champion
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s Libero, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Tariq Panja and John Brewin ask the big question of the summer so far: who is John Textor? And what is going on...
Libero 029: Argentina And The Pie Of Football Mystique
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Another summer, another tournament enlivened by marauding hordes of Argentina fans taking over beaches and shopping centres. On today’s Libero, Migu...
Libero 028: Talking About Talking About Transfers
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here we go, right into transfer season, so Miguel Delaney, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson discuss how it all actually works from a media perspective, ...
Libero 027: Miami Vibes And The Tale Of Walter Da Silva
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Libero goes on location as James Horncastle reports from the Hard Rock Stadium after Boca Juniors v Benfica. Is our Italian stallion getting swept up ...
Libero 026: Hate-Watching The Club World Cup
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Club World Cup time, and Libero are just as excited as you are. Today, Miguel Delaney, John Brewin and Rory Smith discuss how this tournament c...
Libero 025: Bearded Dragons Being Driven By Trained Pigs
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode James Horncastle, Jonathan Wilson and Tariq Panja discuss Luciano Spalletti’s shock (is it?) departure as Italy boss and what b...
Libero 024: Data Is A Condiment
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today Jack Pitt-Brooke, James Horncastle and Rory Smith discuss the most wonderful time of the year: the transfer market between football executives. ...
Libero 023: Held Hostage by Hodgson
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With Paris Saint-Germain finally ending their cash soaked Qatari quest for a Champions League title John Brewin, Jonathan Wilson and Tariq Panja discu...
Libero 022: Crying Into The Dolmio
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brought to you live from the Allianz Arena Munich Football Arena, Miguel Delaney and Rory Smith discuss the fallout from PSG's destruction of Inter Mi...