Libero

Libero

A podcast about football, the least important of the most important things, featuring John Brewin, Miguel Delaney, James Horncastle, Tariq Panja, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson.

Episodes

July 20, 2026 50 mins
Spain have beaten Argentina in the World Cup final in a slightly underwhelming conclusion to an overwhelming tournament. This episode was recorded throughout the day of the final by our Liberi on the ground, Rory Smith, James Horncastle and Tariq Panja. It is a bit rough and rugged but it is how we saw it. Build-up: (01:38) Pre-match: (03:23) 90mins: (14:35) Post-match: (16:39) - For this summer's main event, we are offering...
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England's latest World Cup exit at the hands of Argentina was both familiar but also a new type of failure. The familiar retreat was exacerbated by Thomas Tuchel doubling down on the tactics that had worked in Mexico City and it all means that Spain will play la Albiceleste in Sunday's final. James Horncastle, Jonathan Wilson and Miguel Delaney review both semi-finals before turning their attention to Spain v Argentina at MetLife. ...
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France v Spain and England v Argentina are the World Cup semi-finals FIFA wanted but they could not be more contrasting in terms of what they offer the viewing public. One side promises technical prowess and a game for the chin strokers, on the other a mess of emotions and brilliant moments. You work out which way around those are being billed. Jack Pitt-Brooke, John Brewin and Rory Smith have this one. P1: (00:12) P2: (27:44) F...
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We 're down to the final stages of the World Cup. So who is going to win it? Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson and Miguel Delaney are on today’s episode, and start with discussion of Argentina who have won their last two games 3-2 in remarkable circumstances. Then focus turns to England, as Jack and Miguel discuss their historic win at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday night. Spain have gone under the radar so far, but could the...
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It's been a busy start to the World Cup round of 16. England triumphed on a night of great drama in Mexico City and Norway dumped out a hapless Brazil. Are these results, especially the latter, symptomatic of modern international football? Are the game's traditional powers being caught by nations with better organised youth development? Jack Pitt-Brooke and Miguel Delaney check in from the Azteca, with John Brewin, Jonathan Wilso...
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As traditional World Cup giants like Germany and the Netherlands fall, their flaws are exposed but how deep do they run? Are these football cultures that have been overtaken the changes in the modern international game? Why then are France excelling? John Brewin, Miguel Delaney and Jonathan Wilson discuss the reasons behind these shifts, as well as where new ideas in international football are coming from. They also berate some ref...
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Memorable moments in the 2026 World Cup group stage were rare, with Lionel Messi, Iran and the late drama of Algeria v Austria providing the best of them. With jeopardy now back on the menu as we enter the knockouts, will the identity of the winner become clearer? Or is it foolish to draw any conclusions based the low-stakes football we've seen so far? Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Tariq Panja chew over the tournament so far. ...
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As the 2026 World Cup concludes its final round of group games, it is time to ask whether the new format has delivered or not. Are the levels of the additional teams a problem? Why are the likes of Scotland being left in limbo? And what do the complicated permutations tell us about a changing game? On today’s episode we have Rory Smith in LA, James Horncastle in Miami and Jack Pitt-Brooke in New York. They also discuss wheth...
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It is essential for the success of international football tournaments that the hosts do well, and so far Team USA - undeniably the leader of the 2026 World Cup triumvirate - have exceeded expectations. Yet much of the discourse remains fixated on the popularity of the sport in a country where there are certainly other, bigger games in town. What will it take for the conversation to move on from the health of football in America? J...
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With all 48 teams at the World Cup 2026 now having played, Gianni Infantino will be delighted that the football is now doing the talking, quite emphatically. To pick apart the first round of matches and the off-field stories that are bubbling away under the surface at Fifa's big jamboree are Miguel Delaney, James Horncastle and Tariq Panja. P1: (00:32) P2: (30:45) For this summer's main event, we are offering all new signups to&...
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Libero has landed at the World Cup and we've even seen some football. We have everyone’s first impressions from the first week (or so) in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Both Tariq and Jonathan were in Mexico City for the opener, Jack and Miguel are ensconced in the England camp, while Rory and James are experiencing it from opposite sides of the USA, engaging in the greatest pastime of all: working out if America likes...
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The 2026 World Cup is upon us. The “biggest, most inclusive and best" football tournament ever is finally here . Gianni Infantino told us to say that. On today’s Libero, James Horncastle, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson look forward — if that’s the right word — to what is about to unfold across the United States, Mexico and Canada and try to pick their way through the politics and the problems to find s...
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The 2026 World Cup has a class of elite coaching talent unlike any other tournament in history. Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino will all be calling the shots for nations they are not from. There is a clear shift in the profile of managers willing to take jobs that were previously the preserve of international football specialists. Is this the start of a permanent trend shift for top coaches looking to escape ...
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play at this World Cup despite a combined age of nearly 80. It is a credit to their commitment to football and, undoubtedly, improvements in sport science that the two defining players of the last 25 years are still going, but it also begs the question of why can't the game let go of these two superstars? Messi and Ronaldo are not the only players in the upper age bracket at this tournament, ...
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Arsenal lost the Champions League final on Saturday night but it has still been an undeniably brilliant season and deserved to parade the Premier League trophy around north London in front of millions fans. For the final Libero of the club season, Rory Smith and Miguel Delaney dial in direct from Budapest, before Jack Pitt-Brooke, John Brewin and Jonathan Wilson ask how Arsenal can make up the gap to PSG next season if they are t...
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The Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal has a rare quality in this fixture: it pits clearly the two best teams in Europe against each other. Both clubs have had brilliant seasons, each winning their domestic league, adding to an epic feel for the game in Budapest, but the fixture has a sense of freshness, because Arsenal have never won this competition, and PSG won it for the first time last year. On today’s Libe...
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The Premier League's final day confirmed Arsenal are champions, West Ham are going down and Sunderland are in the Europa League. But it also felt like one long goodbye: from Pep Guardiola to Mo Salah, via Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Andy Robertson. On today’s Libero, Rory Smith, Jonathan Wilson and our North London correspondent Tariq Panja ask how different the league will look without several of its defining figures, wh...
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Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City. It’s an exit that brings to an end one of the most unique experiments in football history, and one that is unlikely to be repeated again. Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Tariq Panja discuss Guardiola’s legacy and the very specific set of circumstances that provided the platform for him to produce arguably the most complete winning machines in English football history. Join SC ...
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Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com. —Unai Emery is once again in the Europa League final with a team featuring the letters V-I-L-L-A somewhere in their name, a remarkable achievement and one that also creates a perception that he is not among the top echelon of coaches. The competition with which the Aston Villa manager has become synonymous is also suffering fr...
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ICMP has kindly released an extra few tickets for our live show on 22nd May, so we can squeeze a few more of you in. Plans are coming together and it should be a fun night there will also be copies of the various books of the Liberi on sale and they may even sign them for you. Doors 7pm at The Venue on the ICMP Queens Park Campus in west London. The link for tickets is here 👍 The FA Cup should be English football’...
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