This is a special episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, as we record our first ever episode in front of a live audience. Kiyan Sobhani is joined by Christian Paredes and Kenneth Jamora to have an intimate conversation with Peña members and Patrons on the direction of the team, and Florentino Perez's presidency.  Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast comes in two parts: Part One, Kiyan Sobhani and Alan Smith: - Paul Pogba to Real Madrid rumours -- his mentality, how he would potentially fit, etc - The closes player comp in modern football to Alan - Alan's strike partnership with Gary Lineker - His phone call from Sir Alex Ferguson in 1987 - Separating fandom from commentary - The art of FIFA commentating - What it's like working with Martin Tyler - His most famous FIFA line - What's changed in football since Alan's playing days - Leicester winning the title - Jamie Vardy deciding to stay in Leicester rather than signing with Arsenal - What happened to Lucas Perez? - Shkodran Mustafi's regression - What's next for Arsenal? - The Aaron Ramsey Situation - Alan's predictionsL EPL 4th place, EPL winner, Liverpool vs Barcelona Part Two (51:13) Sam Sharpe and Kristofer McCormack: It’s time for podcast number two of my (Sam Sharpe) hopefully ten part series! If you need a recap, then you can listen to the first episode with Barcelona B expert Navid Molaaghaei here! Irishman Kristofer McCormack is a fresh addition to the ManagingMadrid team, and he possess a large amount of Castilla knowledge. Because of this, it was easy to get lost discussing everything from buy-back clauses, to Javier Belman to Martin Ødegaard and everything in-between. Two recent pieces that you have to read include a briefing on Raúl, the manager - and an article on the history of Real Madrid Castilla. Thanks for Kris for coming on, and to all of you who asked questions and contributed to the podcast, now relax and enjoy!  Look out for Kristofer’s next piece dropping on ManagingMadrid in the next few days. I have some juicy guests in the works for the next few shows. Who would you like to see on the podcast next? Remember feedback is always appreciated and I’d love to know what you guys are thinking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reminder: LIVE Managing Madrid Podcast happening in San Francisco on April 28th! On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, and Gabe Lezra discuss: - Real Madrid standouts against Athletic Bilbao - Jesus Vallejo's performance - Real Madrid's center-backs next season - The difference between the first and second halves - Marco Asensio's best position - The accurate long balls and impressive cross-field switching from Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Raphael Varane - Iago Herrerin disasterclass - Karim Benzema's hat-trick, the myth that Cristiano Ronaldo held him back, and telling stats about this season - Casemiro's place in the this team - Discrepancies in opinion about Benzema - And more. Did you enjoy this show? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Purchase Managing Madrid swag here: https://teespring.com/stores/managingmadridswag On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: - A very long end to the season - Where to find solace - Zinedine Zidane's pre-game comments about Marcos Llorente - Nervousness about who Zidane chooses for next season - Marcelo and Isco's performances, and place next season - Mariano and Sergio Reguilon situations - Where the team's poison lies - In defense of Marco Asensio - The team missing Vinicius's flair - The team's slow attack - Jorge Valdano wisdom - Casemiro's performance - Breaking down the goal conceded, and also the Martin Braithwaite chance - Answering a question about Reguilon's future - What is Casemiro's market value? - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Eduardo Alvarez discuss: - Ed's article on ending Barcelona's domestic dominance - Real Madrid's priorities - Common traits in the seasons Real Madrid do well in La Liga - How can Zinedine Zidane turn the team around  - Raul Gonzalez and Xabi Alonso getting promoted in the youth ranks - Paul Pogba's fit - The goalkeeping situation next season - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Mike Goodman discuss: - xG and xGA among the top 4 leagues, and what they can tell us - La Liga's low attacking numbers - Premier League's strength - The money distribution in La Liga - Depth of the Premier League - Which stat is football lacking? - OPPDA stat - Examples of bad stats taken out of context - The efficiency of crossing, and particularly in the context of Zidane's tactics - Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic pairing at Juventus - How to break low blocks - Manchester City's incredible knack of scoring the same type of goal over and over again - xGA for goalkeepers - A hypothetical Spanish + French Real Madrid XI (for the future) - And more Did you enjoy this episode? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse, and Brendan Powers discuss: - Zidane's line-up - Luca Zidane's performance - Nacho's performance (and season, and future) - An assessment of Brahim Diaz - Alvaro Odriozola's performance - Was Gareth Bale really that bad? - Marcos Llorente's return - Zidane's press - How to adjust tactically when losing 'height' after Ronaldo's departure - Mariano Diaz's situation - What Eden Hazard's role would be with Real Madrid - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Sam Sharpe discuss: - Revisiting the Santiago Solari stint - The Best players in Castilla currently - An update on Aleix Febas, Alvaro Tejero, and Luismi Quezada - Pedro Ruiz, the striker compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Why some of the team's best players aren't playing regularly - Brahim Diaz - Sergio Lopez situation - Cristo Gonzalez's next stop - The next Castilla coach - An update on Raul Gonzalez and Xabi Alonso - The identity of the academy - How does Castilla compare to other academies? - Which players Real should hold on to - Javi Sanchez - And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: - Real Madrid's win over Celta and all it's wrinkles - Contextualizing the match -- sample size, opponent -- while discussing the encouraging signs - Zidane's line-up selection - The performances of Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio on the flanks - The crosses compared to the season average this season, both home and away, and why Zidane likes to rely on them (and explaining a crossing scheme in general, and why it can and can't work) - Isco's return - Ditto Marcelo - Bale's role, historically, under Zidane - Odriozola's physical traits - Zidane's subs - And much more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Tiago Estêvão discuss: - The sample size for Eder Militao's strong play - His best position - Is his versatility overstated? - His play since Pepe's arrival - His mindset and off-field distractions - How would he cope with more defensive tests? - Player comps, and parallels to Sergio Ramos - And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: - A strange start to the match in Valladolid - Real Madrid's problems in the first half hour of the game - Lack of coverage on the flanks - The mental state of the team during Valladolid's goal - Real Madrid's turning point: Varane's goal - Alvaro Odriozola's performance - Marco Asensio's performance - When to sack Santiago Solari - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Quick bonus podcast for you all. We'll record a more thorough podcast for our Patrons tonight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Eduardo Alvarez discuss: - The regression from the team from the Copa match, and Barcelona's adjustments - Real Madrid making Barcelona uncomfortable in the second half, but not having enough firepower in attack - Santiago Solari's subs, and the performances of Fede Valverde and Isco - The performance of Vinicius Jr - The performance of Gareth Bale - Real's transition year, and post-game hints of a changing of the guard this summer - The coaching debate (What Solari will want to implement long term, the team's identity, who they need this summer, etc) - Revisiting Ronaldo's departure - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Gabe Lezra, and Brendan Powers discuss: - Miscellaneous Real Madrid talk to prolong talking about this match - Real Madrid's poor passing, as well as their defensive issues - Nacho's regression this season - Vinicius's and Casemiro's performances - Solari's rotations this month, and we'll see in the upcoming games - Atletico Madrid's post-game tweet, and Carvajal's response - Bad club social media accounts in general - Casemiro's penalty, and new slow-mo replays - A discussion on VAR - Gareth Bale's celebration - Lucas Vazquez's starting role - Why has the team regressed since the Clasico and Derby? - And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Also, please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

UNLOCKED! Hosts Gabe Lezra (@ElEzrah) and Om Arvind (@OmVArvind) talk all the newest Bale and Marcelo gossip on this unlocked patron-only podcast, before diving into the four Real Madrid-less Champions League matches. Also plenty of Spanish media criticism! They suck, folks! They break down the tactics in Barcelona 0-0 Lyon (and why Lyon actually has a shot at the Nou Camp, despite their performance), and Atletico Madrid 2-0 Juventus--and why Juve are really on the brink after coming out in a semi-cowardly tactical position. Some other topics: *Bale's "integration" problems and why it's just a complete slander concocted by the Spanish press. *The wide-ranging campaign against Marcelo that has nothing to do with his current poor form. *Why Bayern, despite a declining squad, managed to go into Anfield and execute a strong gameplan. *Barcelona's Valverde obsession, and why they might have a point in criticizing a very strong coach. *Barcelona fans pretentiousness as they approach the "correct" way to play *a sport*. *Juventus' tactical failures in the Wanda and how exactly Allegri failed. *Simeone's vintage performance and Diego Costa's return. *The Spanish media's enduring crusade against any foreign-born star that is "keeping out" a promising young Spaniard--and some classic examples. *Why Gabe stans Chiringuito de Jugones. Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, podcasts. It also serves as a means for Real Madrid fans to connect and discuss the team. We would like your support so that we can continue to produce podcasts for you. The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is today. Your contributions will allow us to continue to have a real and full-time presence in keeping this website, and it’s podcasts, going. Hosts this week: Gabe Lezra (@ElEzrah) Om Arvind (@OmVArvind) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani discusses: - The difference between Real Madrid's first half and second half - The Vinicius Jr / Karim Benzema connection; and how it compares to the Cristiano Ronaldo / Benzema dyad - Mauricio Pochettino's ability to create an identity (not randomly thrown in after a loss -- just an answer to a question) - Vinicius's positioning - Mariano Diaz playing time and what he brings to the table if he plays more - Sergio Ramos longevity - Can Casemiro become a consistently press-resistant player? - Marcelo's defending - Were Solari's issues fatigue related? (And answer to this question before discussing the real problems against Girona) - Ramos suspension update - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Also, please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Kristian Jack discuss: - TSN losing Champions League rights, and how that affects Canadian soccer - Kristian's new football podcast - Barcelona's weaknesses, and how Real Madrid exploited them - Gerard Pique's body language and connection with Semedo in El Clasico - How will Barca's game hold up against Europe's best team in the Champions League? - Looking ahead to an interesting Manchester United vs PSG tie - Eden Hazard's comments: Are they necessary? Has he outgrown Chelsea? What is the likelihood Real signs him? - Sarriball issues - Assessment of Mateo Kovacic's season - Mauricio Pochettino's lack of trophies -- a fair criticism? - Marcelo's defensive liability, where Sergio Reguilon fits in big games, etc - Analyzing the perplexing Solari / Isco situation - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Also, please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: - Real Madrid's front-three: an assessment - Karim Benzema's hot form, and some context to go with it - Gareth Bale's passivity, and, does he get a start in the Camp Nou? - Why Vinicius Jr's performances and defending have been exemplary - Can Karim Benzema sustain this streak, and can the team find a second goalscorer to help him? - The performance of the midfield - Did Alaves deserve anything from this game? - Not as much energy throughout the 90, but finally capitalizing on Barcelona and Atletico Madrid dropping points - Mauricio Pochettino's comments about trophies not being important - Isco's brief cameo - Who start in the upcoming Clasico? - Can Gareth Bale recover his form? - How we became Madridistas - The upcoming schedule, balancing rotations - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Also, please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast is brought to you by Managing Madrid Swag. On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Matt Wiltse discuss: - How real / sustainable is this Real Madrid resurgence? - Karim Benzema masterclass - Real Madrid's continued intensity - Explaining the rollercoaster of this match - Sergio Reguilon's performance - Progression under Solari --> giving him credit for what he's accomplished in these past few games - Raphael Varane's red card -- assessing the call, and the dominoes that ensued - Solari's 'Marcelo for Modric' sub - What happens when Benzema doesn't score, then? - Diversified attacking - Modric playing in an advance role - Real Madrid's defense to end the game - Marcelo benched - Going over the Isco situation again - Debate: Marcelo, Theo, Reguilon, Achraf - Kevin De Bruyne (theoretical fit) - And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Also, please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast is brought to you by Managing Madrid Swag. On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Om Arvind discuss: - Real Madrid's high intensity to start both halves - Impressive off-ball movement  - The team's energy, and the crowd feeding into it - Reguilon, Ramos, and Ceballos taking out Sevilla's right flank - The team's defensive solidity - Shot volume -- how much does it solve the team's offensive problems? - Luka Modric's performance - A discussion on Solari and team morale - How low are our expectations? - Sustaining good form against different defensive schemes. Would we have looked as good if Sevilla had pressed? - Would we take Jose Mourinho back? - And more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is the first podcast I (Sam) have ever hosted, and depending on how it goes it may well be the first of many. For this reason I needed to start big, and get a guest of the highest quality in to talk to. We needed to enter rival territory to get the right man for the job. And who better than perhaps the Barcelona version of myself? Navid Molaaghaei (@NavidJaaan) from the YoungCules Twitter account was kind enough to miss the first half of the Barcelona-Levante game to come and speak to us.  The topics included: We spoke about Nav, and the work he does and how he got into it all the way from Denmark!We talked about Castilla and Barcelona B and how they are both faring in Segunda B this season, as well as what they’ve been up to during the past few years. We took some questions from you guys! We tried to answer all of them, but I read them directly from Twitter due to being a complete amateur, and may have got some confused or forgot to read out names! We compared and contrasted the best Barca B and Castilla teams of all time. Of course note that this section completely opinionated , and was meant for a bit of light hearted fun (Translation: please don’t slay me for putting in Casemiro ahead of Del Bosque!!). Who would make your team? The scores from this game were as so:Castilla/Barca B Iker Casillas✔/Víctor Valdés❌ Dani Carvajal✔/Albert Ferrer❌ Manolo Sanchís❌/Carles Puyol✔ Nacho Fernández✔/Marc Bartra❌ José Antonio Camacho✔/Sergi Barjuán❌ Casemiro❌/Sergio Busquets✔ Guti❓/Pep Guardiola❓ Juan Mata❌/Xavi Hernández✔ Jesé Rodríguez❌/Lionel Messi✔ Míchel❌/Andrés Iniesta✔ Raúl González✔/Pedro Rodríguez❌ So, 5-5 with one point to go (Thanks to Nav refusing to let Raúl leave without a point), it is now down to you guys to decide who wins... Just who was better, Guti or Guardiola? This was seriously fun to make, and I am certainly open minded to the idea of making more. I learned a lot simply from talking to Nav about the goings on at Barcelona, and I hope you guys find it all as insightful as I did. If you wan’t this to become a regular thing with a range of different guests coming on to talk football, then please don’t hesitate to leave some feedback on how you found it! Make sure to follow Nav (@NavidJaan), and the YoungCules account as it is seriously insightful even for non-Barca fans like ourselves! Once again a big thank you to Nav, and also to you guys who made hosting any type of show possible. I can’t wait to hear some of your thoughts!  Did you enjoy this podcast? Please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Also, please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, Gabe Lezra, and Om Arvind discuss: - Thoughts on the 3-5-2, especially in the context of this game - Solari's high press - Setien's adjustments going into this match - Real Madrid's inability to escape any pressing this season - How Isco and Marcelo would've helped - Will we see this formation again? - Why did Madrid regress in the second half? - The Benzema -> Cristo drop off - Ceballos's free-kick, the wall, and Pau Lopez's positioning - Casemiro's performance - Vinicius's performance - Fede's performance - VAR's ruling on Canales goal - Isco - What could Flo have done better last summer? - And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Also, please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Phil Ball (Author of Morbo, and columnist at LigaFever.com) discuss: - What is 'Morbo'? - Which rivalries have Morbo? - Most shocking Morbo examples - The Sevilla - Betis schism - Tamudazo - Sociedad, Bilbao, and Basque policies - And more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Also, please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Gabe Lezra and Om Arvind are here to discuss: - How Solari's Madrid has actually gotten worse since he took over from Lopetegui - Solari's (lack of) offensive tactics and what that means for the team moving forward - Why bringing inn new players won't actually fix the problems with this squad - Everyone looks worse--which is actually a perversely good thing - Did Madrid actually "deserve" to win this match? - More Isco chicanery - And talk about what it means to "reinvent" the squad, and why that's not what we're calling for - And more. SPECIAL NOTE: This is Gabe. So sorry this is dropping late. I was supposed to upload it last night and I was honestly really under the weather and just passed out. SO here you go. I'll do an extra free episode this week as penance. Love you all and I hope you enjoy (as much as you can, given everything) the show. Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, podcasts. It also serves as a means for Real Madrid fans to connect and discuss the team. We would like your support so that we can continue to produce podcasts for you. The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is today. Your contributions will allow us to continue to have a real and full-time presence in keeping this website, and it’s podcasts, going. Hosts this week: Gabe Lezra (@ElEzrah) Om Arvind (@OmVArvind) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast is in two parts. Part One (Kiyan Sobhani, Allen Dodsen of Villarreal USA): - Villarreal's struggles this season - Possibilities of them getting relegated - Coaching issues, and lack of identity - Will Villarreal play more defensive against us? - Villarreal team news - Iborra's potential signing - Predictions (Kiyan goofed, and talked about the game being at the Bernabeu, when it's not -- didn't realize until after the recording) Part Two (Kiyan Sobhani, Matt Wiltse): - Should we overpay for a player? - Do we overrate players from the current era? Where do Marcelo and Ramos rank all time? - Why have Real Madrid not opened up an academy in India (among other places)? - Why haven't Real Madrid signed another young center back? - Bold predictions for 2019 - Why Valladolid should be a place where Real Madrid players go on loan - And more Did you enjoy this podcast? Please leave us a 5-star rating on iTunes. Also, please consider supporting us through Patreon: Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices