If one club encapsulates both the sublime and the ridiculous in modern football, it's FC Barcelona. Kate and Jim chart this duality on today's episode of the Book Club, as renowned author Simon Kuper joins them to discuss his new book, 'Barça'!
Simon charts their rise from a friendly regional club to a global behemoth, all on the back of an almost naive friendliness and goodwill within the Catalan community. They also discuss Simon's interviews with the likes of Johan Cruyff and Kylian Mbappé, assess Lionel Messi's legacy and wonder where the club goes next.
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You can purchase a copy of Simon's new book here!
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Book Club: Barça – Simon Kuper

Welcome to Upfront, the dedicated women's football podcast brought to you by the Football Ramble! Join Chloe Morgan and Rachel O'Sullivan every week for reaction and analysis throughout the season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Barcelona in mid-April. Stephanie Frappart in the middle. Emma Hayes with her formal blue coat on. It can only mean one thing: an ICONIC Champions League semi-final!
Chloe and Rachel look back on a historic victory for Chelsea at the Estadi Olímpic and how they “played dirty” to do it! Also, the Ann Katrin Berger Era comes to an end, Rachel explains why she’s worried about Man City in the last stretch of the season, and we find out how Crystal Palace have gone from Championship regulars to WSL-team-in-waiting. It’s not got anything to do with Chloe, we promise…
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***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Dirty' Chelsea beat Barça and Crystal Palace prepare for the WSL!

Today, we’re joined by the goalkeeper who has made the most saves in the WSL this season: it’s Brighton No.1, Sophie Baggaley!
Rachel sat down with her ahead of Brighton’s clash with Everton at the Amex on Friday night. Sophie reflects on her first season at Brighton: from her midnight arrival on transfer deadline day, to Melissa Phillips’ shock exit just six months later. She also reveals which Brighton players fancies themselves between the sticks and her friendly rivalry with Elisabeth Terland! 
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***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Baggaley on her first season at Brighton, Mary Earps, and learning to play with her feet

We’re only just getting our breath back from two stunning FA Cup semi-finals! And Chloe has finally stopped communicating exclusively with all-caps in the Upfront WhatsApp group, phew.
Clo and Rach give their reactions to Man United’s shock defeat of Chelsea to throw another spanner in the engine of Emma Hayes’ open top farewell bus. How did they do it? There’s also plenty of love for Mary Earps and Chloe reflects on how far her old team Spurs have come now that they’re in their first EVER FA Cup final!
Plus, Rachel quotes a poem and explains how Rachel Daly made versatility sexy after her shock England exit! But was it the right choice?
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.
Sign up for the Football Ramble Patreon to get ad-free Upfront shows and more: patreon.com/footballramble.
***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Man United halt Chelsea, Spurs reach Wembley, and Rachel Daly’s “sexy versatility”

Bay FC are the new kids on the block in the NWSL – and before a ball had even been kicked, they had made huge moves in the game. From Jen Beattie, to Asisat Oshoala, to Rachel Kundananji for a world record transfer fee, they have built an eye-catching squad. The challenge now is making it all fit together.
The woman behind all that is Lucy Rushton. Former General Manager at DC United and Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis at Atlanta United, there are few women in football who have broken quite as many ceilings as Lucy in the men’s game. Now, she’s the brain behind one of the most exciting expansion sides ever in the NWSL. Lucy catches up with Chloe to discuss how you create a club identity from nothing, how you convince players to join a squad when there isn’t even a training ground yet, and Bay FC’s ambitions to change the face of women’s sport forever.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.
Sign up for the Football Ramble Patreon to get ad-free Upfront shows and more: patreon.com/footballramble.
***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bay FC General Manager Lucy Rushton on building a club from scratch and pulling off the most expensive transfer ever

We’re here a day early because we need to answer some important questions. Should people be worrying about England after their underwhelming draw against Sweden? Or do fans need to accept that England just struggled against strong opposition?
Elsewhere, we chat about Wales and their longstanding legends as they smashed Croatia - but Scotland and Northern Ireland both turned in flat performances. We also look ahead to a seismic Upfront Derby, as a buoyant Ireland host the Lionesses tomorrow!
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.
Sign up for the Football Ramble Patreon to get ad-free Upfront shows and more: patreon.com/footballramble.
***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Book Club: Barça – Simon Kuper

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