Libero

Trying to place the scale of the Manchester City cheating scandal into context is not straightforward given there is almost no comparable event in the history of English football. However other historic scandals do exist, Calciopoli in Italy is one, but there are more closer to home too. Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson and James Horncastle discuss where the City case lands among all of that, as well as what it means for the club's fans and the integrity of the Premier League.

P1: (04:22)

P2: (27:33)

Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com.

—

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manchester City’s epic run of glory lies in ruins after a long awaited verdict reveals the success was built on a mountain of sham contracts and more than £850m in side income from its Abu Dhabi royal overlords. Rory, Jonathan and Tariq try to dissect a ruling for the ages.

P1: (00:55)

P2: (26:16)

--

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The arrival of the news that Manchester City had been found guilty of the majority of the more than 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League upended a sleepy international break weekend. It is the biggest story in football in recent memory and has huge implications for English football and beyond. Miguel Delaney and Tariq Panja have been tracking this story for years, John Brewin asks them to try and put the news into context.

P1: (00:37)

P2: (35:59)

--

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Spain are World and European champions (again), but is there more to the country's success than their clearly defined set of football principles? Why has this set of players succeeded where the post-2012 generation fell short? James Horncastle is joined by a very Spanish Miguel Delaney and Rory Smith to discuss.

P1: (05:45)

P2: (34:15)

--

It's the final day of Wilson Month! This is your last chance to sign up for SC Libero and get the opportunity to enjoy our member benefits of bonus content on the end of every regular show and a weekly bonus episodes with 30 days of access for FREE. The offer applies for all tiers of SC Libero membership, but be aware, only Einsteins and above get the extra episodes. More details and sign up is here.

---

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jurgen Klopp and Zinedine Zidane will be among some very familiar faces in the dugout during the upcoming Nations League fixtures as they become the latest high-profile coaches to make the move into international football. They join a number of high-profile peers, including as Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti, in trying their hand coaching a national team, but what is behind this raft of big-name arrivals on the international stage? John Brewin, James Horncastle and Miguel Delaney go through the new faces.

P1: (00:26)

P2: (37:41)

--

It's STILL Wilson Month! Anyone signing up for SC Libero in the next couple of weeks has the opportunity to enjoy our member benefits of bonus content on the end of every regular show and a weekly bonus episodes with 30 days of access for FREE. Jonathan Wilson is upset at these levels of generosity . The offer applies for all tiers of SC Libero membership, but be aware, only Einsteins and above get the extra episodes. More details and sign up is here.

---

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are the most high-profile, but they are from the only English players currently plying their trade on the continent - there are three at Inter Milan alone. This trend is certainly a break from tradition over the past 20 years, where outside of a few high-profile exceptions Englishman kept it strictly Premier League and there was a feeling the foreign clubs weren't particularly fussed about going after them. Why is this changing now? Tracking this phenomenon are Rory Smith, James Horncastle and Jack Pitt-Brooke.

P1: (00:35)

P2: (33:28)

--

It's STILL Wilson Month! Anyone signing up for SC Libero in the next couple of weeks has the opportunity to enjoy our member benefits of bonus content on the end of every regular show and a weekly bonus episodes with 30 days of access for FREE. Jonathan Wilson is upset at these levels of generosity . The offer applies for all tiers of SC Libero membership, but be aware, only Einsteins and above get the extra episodes. More details and sign up is here.

---

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sky Sports has changed football more than once since the outset of the Premier League and the latest development has elevated star pundits such as Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher to figures that dictate the discourse well beyond the broadcast. Driven by social media, technology and changing consumption habits, this is increasingly taking the form of partisan analysis. Rory Smith, Jack Pitt-Brooke, and Tariq Panja track the key moments in the modern evolution of football broadcasting and what impact it's having on the whole ecosystem.

P1: (01:26)

P2: (31:03)

---

It's STILL Wilson Month! Anyone signing up for SC Libero in the next couple of weeks has the opportunity to enjoy our member benefits of bonus content on the end of every regular show and a weekly bonus episodes with 30 days of access for FREE. Jonathan Wilson is upset at these levels of generosity . The offer applies for all tiers of SC Libero membership, but be aware, only Einsteins and above get the extra episodes. More details and sign up is here.

---

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manchester United were an outlier in a summer of lavish spending. In a sea of nine-figure signings, the new arrivals at Old Trafford were brought in on more modest fees as a number of targets moved to rivals. Gone are the days when United were top of the food chain, Premier League titles are now firmly in the rearview mirror and Manchester City are the dominant local force. So with another reboot ongoing under Michael Carrick, who are are Manchester United in 2026? Jack Pitt-Brooke is joined by John Brewin and Rory Smith.

P1: (00:31)

P2: (33:04)

--

It's STILL Wilson Month! Anyone signing up for SC Libero in the next couple of weeks has the opportunity to enjoy our member benefits of bonus content on the end of every regular show and a weekly bonus episodes with 30 days of access for FREE. Jonathan Wilson is upset at these levels of generosity . The offer applies for all tiers of SC Libero membership, but be aware, only Einsteins and above get the extra episodes. More details and sign up is here.

---

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Champions League begins this week with some enticing fixtures and a pool of potential winners that may be as small as six teams. PSG have plenty going in their favour but much of what benefits the defending champions in terms of a lighter domestic workload also holds true for a resurgent Barcelona. And what of the English clubs? Is this the start of a long-previewed era of Premier League dominance in Europe's top competition? Rory Smith is joined by Miguel Delaney and Tariq Panja as we hit play on the Champions League anthem again.

P1: (01:09)

P2: (30:47)

--

It's STILL Wilson Month! Anyone signing up for SC Libero in the next couple of weeks has the opportunity to enjoy our member benefits of bonus content on the end of every regular show and a weekly bonus episodes with 30 days of access for FREE. Jonathan Wilson is upset at these levels of generosity . The offer applies for all tiers of SC Libero membership, but be aware, only Einsteins and above get the extra episodes. More details and sign up is here.

—

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Do you have a burning question for the Liberi? Send them in to [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get them answered on the podcast.

Anything else, email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Premier League's clubs have spent just over £3.4bn this summer. Several clubs have paid fees exceeding £100m, Manchester City have done it twice. It feels like less a player trading system than an over-financed arms race, but is the league in a financial bubble?

In this episode, Rory Smith, Miguel Delaney, and Jonathan Wilson analyse the complexities of the modern football transfer market, the impact of financial regulations, and the broader economic forces shaping the Premier League, as well as explore whether the game is immune from the economic headwinds on the horizon.

P1: (02:13)

P2: (31:56)

It's Wilson Month! What does that mean? It means anyone signing up for SC Libero over the next four weeks has the opportunity to enjoy our member benefits of bonus content on the end of every regular show and a weekly bonus episodes with 30 days of access for FREE. We didn't tell your generous benefactor Jonathan Wilson about this in advance and he will be upset. The offer applies for all tiers of SC Libero membership, but be aware, only Einsteins and above get the extra episodes. More details and sign up is here.

—

The Libero Fantasy League is also back for the new season. You play against your fellow listeners by using ⁠this link⁠ or using this code: la4foa.

---

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices