Barcelona thrash Newcastle while Spurs offer a glimmer of hope – Football Weekly Extra

20:38Mark Langdon:Listen at schwab.com slash Washington Wise.

20:50Mark Langdon:Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So Spurs 3, Athleti 2. Now, Mark, I mean, the first 20 minutes of last week's pod when Athleti beat Spurs seems to have gone down in history alongside the witch's curse as one of the great 20 minutes of Football Weekly history. We probably can't get quite so much out of this, but it is a win for Tottenham, which doesn't happen very much. In fact, it hasn't happened yet in 2026, if I'm right in thinking. So that's something to talk about. Well, in the Premier League, they did win in the latter stages of the league phase in the Champions League.

21:24But I was just thinking, if Tottenham would have lost 7-2, even to Barcelona, the banter, inverted commas, that would have been flying towards them, would have been very different, I think, to they were in the game for three quarters of the tie. And that's something that maybe as a Spurs fan have to put up with slightly.

21:43Mark Langdon:I mean, I suppose, Mark, you would have to put up with because Spurs have been absolutely awful this season. I think that's part of it. I had to remind myself this morning that they'd actually gone out Tottenham because I did have an extra bounce in my step as I was coming into the office. Look, it's small mercies at the moment, but that performance, and I take that Atleti were probably trying to manage the match. They're three goals up. You know, they don't need to be doing anything special. That performance was, I think it was Tottenham's best of the season. And it has been a low bar, but there was things happening, like players moving off the ball and one touch passing that literally hasn't happened this season.

22:29Much more cohesive. From where Tudor was, say, this time last week, where I was just anyone but him and just was looking back at the Rothmans' annuals to see who had Tottenham connections to just bring them in. He seemed to change, I think, at Anfield with his attitude. He was much more connected to the team in that game. And then the football was good against Atletico. They were just unable to get themselves into a position where they could get it back to just being one behind in the tie. Tell missed a good opportunity to make it 2-0. Maybe should have squared it as well. But I always think that's easier on TV to say, oh, square it in that position.

23:10Pedro Porro had the one-on-one as well to make it three-one. So there was a lot of encouraging signs. The most important game is on Sunday. I would also just like to say that Julian Alvarez is absolutely sensational as well. Archie Gray was great for Spurs, but I was watching Alvarez thinking, have City made a mistake here? Because Haaland doesn't fit what they're trying to do. And Alvarez, to me, looks like the perfect Man City or slash Pep Guardiola striker. I thought he was sort of, in the end, the difference in terms of just making sure Spurs couldn't get too close.

23:51Mark Langdon:Do you think, Mark, that these two performances are Tudor till the end of the season? Or on Monday's pod, when Forrest have won 2-0, that this is all forgotten? It's Tudor till Sunday, and then we'll see what happens against Nottingham Forest. but players mainly were played in the right position. Dragasin was more right back. I know the team graphic had it as a back three, but it looked to me like Dragasin was almost playing as a right back and Porro as a right midfielder for most of the game. But everyone else seemed to be in their more natural habitat. And Xavi Siemens was very good, despite getting kicked every time.

24:31He picked up the ball. Gray and Sarr were excellent in midfield. and they're also able to bring on Bergvau, Doggie and Gallagher. It just makes a difference, I think, in terms of the squad depth and strength, which is clearly improving. But it won't matter. If they lose on Sunday, they'll be back in crisis.

24:51Mark Langdon:Sure. And I did want to ask you, actually, as Jerry Simmons' number one fan, Barry, it must have been nice to see him do something.

24:57Max Rushden:I haven't been impressed with him since he arrived. He does play well every now and again. but he seems to be very inconsistent and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he was anonymous against Forrest. Him and Gray I think were the driving forces last night but the Forrest game is more important and when all said and done as good as they were last night they still went out. I think the turning point was when Moussa made that save from Paro. Atletico Madrid scored from the corner, the near post header and that put the tie beyond Spurs. If Poirot had scored that goal, they might have been able to turn it around.

25:38Mark Langdon:It was a great effort. Outside of the right foot effort looks so nice, doesn't it? It would have been. And as Mark says, it was like a move. Players passed and moved and actually found space. It was quite extraordinary.

25:49Max Rushden:And there were a few of those.

25:51Philippe Auclair:Yeah, I know. Philippe? I think many people always say there were many, many great goals scored throughout this round of 16. There were also many great saves. Some phenomenal saves. And I cannot not mention the save that Vicario made from that Simeone shot, which is just ridiculous because the ball is deflected on its way, struck very cleanly, going at full speed. Kind of easy speed, almost, if you see what I mean. And it's that same kind of shot with the laces and the way he reacts to save. And when you think about all the problems there have been around Tottenham and their keepers, I thought, hmm, actually, that's a bit of a statement.

26:34Philippe Auclair:You're pretty damn good, actually, Vicario, you know, from time to time and people have been reminded of this. Yeah, don't use up those saves in meaningless games. It was not a meaningless game. It might be a game that actually people reflect on and think, well, this is when actually Spurs' season started for real.

26:56Mark Langdon:You're right. When Tudor wins the Premier League next season, this was the moment. Thank you for giving me some hope, Philippe. Let's talk about Bayern. They beat Atalanta 4-1, 10-2 on aggregate. And you wanted to talk about Harry Kane being good, Philippe. And I thought Barry was slightly rude to you in the WhatsApp group saying it's a hot take. Because his second goal is so brilliant, Philippe. Yes, it's phenomenal. I mean, you can't do the phone-in, is Harry Kane underrated. But that's 47 for the season now.

27:26Philippe Auclair:Yeah, in 39 games. I mean, that's insane. third season that he's already gone past the 40 goal mark most consistent striker in world football for a long time and i don't think that's a hot take and i don't think that's banal because i do think that harry kane is grossly underrated particularly in his own country and that people don't realize he's the best center forward in english football history full stop he is wake up it's not a crime you have a right to say that and everybody else in the world seems to be aware of that except the English. For some reason, I don't understand. He is the most complete striker on the planet and has been for quite a few seasons.

28:07Philippe Auclair:He's a better striker than Kylian Mbappe. Wake up, he is. And the numbers, he might actually, it will be a shootout between the two for the golden boot, but he's already ahead. And what he showed again, I mean, last night, my goodness. I mean, that goal is just absolutely ridiculous. It's not ridiculous and it's something you've come to expect from him. So yes, I'm sorry, Barry, if it's a hot take or it seems like a thing to knock down a door that was already open. But I think it needs being retold because I think we're very, in a way, blasé about some players who do the exceptional week after week after week on such a consistent basis.

28:51Max Rushden:I don't disagree with anything you're saying, Pleep. I just... Play the tape, Barry.

28:55Mark Langdon:Everyone I know.

28:57Max Rushden:Big game bottle of tape about to be played, Barry. Well, I was going to get to that, but I don't know any football fan who doesn't think Harry Kane is brilliant. But, and I'm sorry, but it's a fact, he doesn't deliver in the big games. Semi-finals, final. Mark? He hasn't yet. I always think he quite often is just on his feet when you get to those matches. And certainly when he played for Tottenham, he'd had to play up front on his own without kind of a suitable replacement to give him able rest. For England, he didn't look fit in the last tournament. That was a problem for him and also for the manager because I think it was clear that he was operating below the best of his abilities.

29:43But there's always a clamour in the national team for him to be dropped. Do you remember back to a couple of Euros ago, Dominic Calvert-Lewin somehow was a better option than Harry Kane. It's just like, it's absolutely crazy. And if you look at like the Ballon d 'Or voting, he never anywhere even remotely close to sort of being in that conversation. And this is somebody that, as Philippe sort of says, has just been scoring just a ridiculous amount of goals for over a decade now and brilliant goals. And the second one last night, again, just right out the top drawer. So it's not just in England.

30:22There is kind of something about him that maybe doesn't screen kind of superstar in terms of maybe the way he doesn't chase some of the headlines maybe off the pitch that others seem to be interested in. He doesn't do that kind of, you have to do the scene, don't you, if you want to sort of be in the Ballon d 'Or kind of debate. And he just doesn't, you know, he just wants to play golf and just be with his family and just play football and score goals. It's no Timothy Chalamet.

30:48Mark Langdon:He came on stock doing the scene. It makes our huge consistency in the FSA Awards even more impressive because I think it's fair to say we don't play the scene, do we? I would also just finally, Max, just on Bayern because they play, I think they play the best football in Europe. Vincent Kompany took a lot of stick when he got promoted from Burnley to the Bayern Munich job. But I look at the way them, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona play football and you see all the money in the Premier League and there's not one team now. Pep seems to have given up trying to play like that. Not one team wants to play like Bayern Munich or PSG or Barcelona.

31:31I find that quite sad. Do you think that's a physicality thing? What do you think that is? I think everybody just wants giants in the team and wants to win on set pieces. I don't want to go all Fabian Herzler, but I think that the officiating at corners is a joke now. You're just allowed to do NFL-style blocking and it's quite an easy route to goal. So why would you risk kind of playing more adventurously in open play? I think it's maybe the way that the Premier League's gone about it now. But yeah, I just enjoy watching them three teams I mentioned.

32:06Philippe Auclair:To complement what Margaret just said, it's not just on corner kicks. Some people are not going to like what I'm going to say, but I wouldn't have been surprised if Dominic Soboslai's goal had been cancelled. There is an obvious foul by Ibrahim Erkanate, who is preventing, is not just blocking, obstructing, is actually holding the player who could have actually countered the strike by Soboslai. And in fact, you can see the Galatasaray player after the goal is scored going, what the hell, what the hell, what is going on here? But, I mean, Bayern, so many things to be impressed by. By the way, the fact that They were already through, but the way they approached this match, that was, wow, the concentration, the focus that they had for a game, a tie that was already dead, remarkable.

32:51Philippe Auclair:Then, and it's not something that you associate a lot with Bayern, there is an element of joy in that team. And it has to do with the young Karl. You saw his reaction when he scores his goal. That is so proper. I mean, this is just a proper celebration, joyful, and which is shared with his teammates. It's a very unusual thing to say about a Bayern team, which we normally equate with, yes, some brilliance, but also not necessarily an awful lot of joy and spontaneity and innocence, because it is not an innocent club. But on the pitch, they exude something which is very precious indeed at the moment.

33:28Mark Langdon:Weird to see 18-year-olds in with moustaches, you know, like the Everton midfield of the 80s, isn't it? But yeah, that Leonard Cargo was so nice. It was a lovely move, wasn't it? And then Luis Diaz's finish was brilliant, wasn't it?

33:39Philippe Auclair:You've got this beautiful outside of the boot pass by Harry Kane, which finds Luis Diaz, who then cuts the ball and gives the right angle to Kyle. It's absolutely gorgeous, yes.

33:52Mark Langdon:So the quarterfinals then, PSG Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atleti and Sporting Lisbon Arsenal. I suppose, Barry, when you get down to this level, it's normally eight quite big teams playing each other. But every year I do go, whew, that's good. Madrid-Bayern. Madrid-Bayern. We'll just be talking about Bayern because I think a lot of people expected City to beat Real Madrid, but Real Madrid are still Real Madrid in this competition in that sort of ridiculous... They've probably had their T-shirts printed already for whichever number win this is. And you imagine Bayern should win that game, but then you just...

34:24Mark Langdon:Real Madrid are Real Madrid.

34:26Max Rushden:Real Madrid very much have the wood on Bayern Munich. They've knocked them out seven times. I look at this quarterfinal lineup. I'm really looking forward to it. The only team I think will definitely progress is Arsenal against Sporting. And there's every chance that may not happen. But the rest of them, very difficult to call. Part of me would love to see an Atletico Madrid Arsenal semi-final, just out of interest to see how awful it would be. but Paris me would also love to see Barcelona Arsenal semi-final they're going to be great ties you'd imagine what do you make of it Mark I think the Arsenal will comfortably beat Sporting the other three much more difficult to call I'd edge towards PSG against Liverpool just because of Liverpool's inconsistencies just that that game in Paris might get away from them I would expect Bayern to beat Real Madrid but I also expected Man City to beat Real Madrid so I might as well write them off again I've done it for about the last 15 years in the Champions League and it hasn't gone wrong yet Barcelona Atletico I think if it was played on a fair pitch I would take Barcelona but the Wanda Metropolitano is going to be a difficult one for Barcelona because the surface is sub-optimal for a Champions League quarter-final

35:52Mark Langdon:Do you think we didn't give Spurs enough credit because the pitch was bad actually topman complained about the pitch less than barcelona did and um just accepted it was one of those things there has been a suggestion in spain that this is part of the simone dark arts and that they they quite like it and that it's giving them more of an advantage it's not like the abbey stadium in the 90s it's not like sand in the corners and you know was it like a plowed field well no it's no it's not like that but it's just very unreliable in terms of being able to stand up on it which is quite important when you're running around and trying to twist and turn i think i'd probably just edge towards atletico in that one because barcelona just just don't trust them defensively as philip sort of mentioned earlier on and you're uh if you cast your eyes over it philip what do you think of the draw

36:42Philippe Auclair:i the first thing that i noticed is that it's a very exciting tie isn't that but they're all the names we were expecting, Bar City, aren't they? And I just wanted to quote you a few figures, which is the amount of money that the English clubs, who haven't exactly been fantastic in this competition so far, might change, you never know, have made. It's absolutely phenomenal. And that's the explanation why we get those kinds of quarters. Even Newcastle made 56 million pounds Spurs 74 Chelsea 79 Man City 83 Liverpool 95 as did Arsenal and for Liverpool and Arsenal they will make well over 100 million so that was a little aparte so that in a way it's completely to be expected to see the big guys the Deloitte big guys apart from sporting in those quarters that's not but when it comes to the themselves.

37:43Philippe Auclair:I think I agree with everyone. I think it would be if Arsenal were to go out to sporting, I would just wouldn't be a shock. That would be much worse than that. It would be a catastrophe and would have a huge impact on everything else.

37:57Mark Langdon:Just think one day in a hundred years, there will be a team called the Deloitte big boys. That will be when football ends. Tonight, Villa face Lille at home in the Europa League. They're a goal up. Forest need to turn it around against Midtjylland. They're 1-0 down. Palace are in Cyprus in the Conference League, 0-0 going to the second leg with AEK Larnaca. And that'll do for part two, part three. We'll begin by looking ahead to the Carabao Cup final.

38:38Mark Langdon:right now and how they may affect your finances and portfolio. Listen at schwapp.com slash Washington Wise.

38:55Mark Langdon:Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. Open the Carabao box, Barry. It's the final Manchester City versus Arsenal. Pep hasn't won a game against Arteta's Arsenal since April of 2023. He hasn't won the Carabao Cup since 2021, but they won four in a row, culminating in that one in 2021. Arsenal have only won the League Cup twice, which surprised me. Last time in 1993 under George Graham. Philippe, what's more important to you? I mean, the title race, a lot of people sort of said, looked at this a few weeks ago when the title race was closer and were like, this is a massive game with reference to who wins the Premier League.

39:30Mark Langdon:Is that a sort of, is that a sad way to look at a cup final? And do you think that doesn't hold as much now given Arsenal's lead?

39:38Philippe Auclair:Again, two things can be right. Yeah, it's a sad way to look at it. I think many people who wish Arsenal well will think of this game not just about the trophy, but about momentum, which is really sad when you think that a trophy that many other clubs would dearly like to win and which would make it a great day in their club's history. And I think there would be a tendency because of the situation in the Champions League, because of the situation in the Premier League, to see this League Cup not as a kind of added problem or added hurdle, but it has to be won so that the momentum can be kept. And that is, in a way, not the right way you should be looking at a cup final, even if it's only the League Cup final.

40:26Philippe Auclair:But the one thing we were talking about before, there would be some interesting choices. And one of them in particular is going to be the choice of goalkeeper for that final. And I think when we know what the team is coming onto the pitch at Wembley, we'll see how Arteta is actually approaching this fixture. Because there is absolutely no doubt that David Raya is one of the best around and that there is a massive uptick in terms of quality, not just in goal, but in the whole team when he's playing in Notkepa. So who will he choose? will he do the Wenger thing and keep Kepa or will he do the Arteta thing and go for David Reier and I think that will tell you an awful lot about the way Arsenal are approaching in this game

41:10Mark Langdon:and if it goes to penalties does Kepa refuse to come off that's his sort of you know that's his patented finishing manoeuvre isn't it in the the League Cup final I suppose it's nicely poised Barry isn't it given that Man City have the history and but are not as good as Arsenal at the moment I think even if

41:27Max Rushden:they were neck and neck in the title race and they may end up being if if city win their game in hand and beat arsenal which is fanciful enough scenario but i don't think this would have any bearing on the league whatsoever i think it's a nice distraction for both sets of fans i don't know who's going to win it i can't call it at all it is the least consequential of the the three domestic tournaments there's no getting away from that but it is a cup final and who doesn't like winning a cup final

42:00Mark Langdon:this is such a fascinating time for Arsenal they're in four competitions they've got favourable draws in the FA Cup Southampton Sporting is favourable in the Champions League they are clear in the Premier League you know this is possibly the greatest season in their history yeah wouldn't be for me but yeah I mean I agree I think that they have got really strong chances now you know to make this historic season for them, whether that is first Champions League, multiple trophies. Their League Cup record is poor, but Arsene Wenger is one of the early ones in just not caring about the League Cup. And you would often see, even when they'd reach semifinals and finals, really young teams, and he just didn't see it as a priority.

42:47Felix mentioned who plays in goal for Arsenal. I was thinking about that for Man City's point of view because Donnarumma, if you remember the game at the Emirates, I thought Donnarumma was brilliant at kind of coming for the corners and set pieces and really managed his box outstandingly well. And Trafford just hasn't got that frame. And he's been playing in the League Cup. Does Pep Guardiola sort of keep faith with Trafford? He normally does in terms of cup competitions, but Donnarumma, he hasn't had a goalkeeper like Donnarumma for a while either. And I think City have got a better chance of winning the game if Donnarumma plays than if Trafford does.

43:32So I would edge towards Arsenal. I think this would be a bad game. We see the one at the Emirates where City scored early and then just tried to defend for 90 minutes. It's like these pet VR Teta games, they become obsessed with beating each other and kind of out-thinking and out-witting each other. And I just see it being decided by maybe one goal either way, really, probably Arsenal 1-0.

43:59Mark Langdon:Always worth pointing out the most mind-blowing statistic of the season that James Trafford is one centimetre taller than Jean-Louis N'Donnell. I won't believe it. I mean, I don't believe it. I know the frame is different. I agree with you. I agree with you. I mean, he does have the stature. Like, he literally has the stature, but he doesn't have the stature. You know what I mean? Two things can be right at the same time, as we've established. So in the Premier League, then, the race for the top four. The table as it stands, Manchester United have 54 points, Villa 51, Liverpool 49, Chelsea 48.

44:33Mark Langdon:Man United go to Bournemouth on Friday night, Liverpool go to Brighton, Chelsea go to Everton, and Villa host West Ham, which obviously has implications for the bottom as well. out of that, Barry, who will be happy at the end of the weekend? I'll be honest, Max.

44:46Max Rushden:I'm slightly disappointed you've overlooked the big game of the weekend, cup finals included. Oh, I see.

44:54Mark Langdon:Okay, we can go to that Newcastle-Sunderland game if you want to.

44:57Max Rushden:Yeah, it's a 12 p.m. kickoff on a Sunday, which is putting us out of a job, isn't it? Our Sunday part-time job. But Newcastle's league form against Sunderland in recent-ish times, let's say, is dismal. They haven't won any of their last five at home. They haven't won any of their last ten home and away, and they've lost seven in a row. The corresponding fixture at the Stadium of Light in December was a terrible game of football, but Sunderland won, so that didn't matter. That was the goal in which Nick Vultamada settled it with a comedy-owned goal. So Sunderland have had a week off. Newcastle have had their traumatic trip to the Camp Nou, so they have to recover from that.

45:42Max Rushden:I have a feeling Sunderland will win this, actually. I may well be wrong. But if they do, that'd be a hammer blow for Newcastle's hopes of getting a European qualification next season.

45:56Mark Langdon:I've told you the top four. You can talk about those, Philippe, if you want. But actually, the bottom is probably more tense and more exciting. So you've got West Ham. Let me just give everyone the table. If we consider Wolves and Burnley to be gone, West Ham have 29 points, Forest 29. No? Okay. Carry on, Philippe. I really wish Wolves well.

46:14Philippe Auclair:And for some reason, I think it would be the most wonderful of all stories. Unbelievable. It would be unbelievable. But their current form is absolutely astonishing. And, you know, you see the teams that they've beaten to give them one 0.17 chance of not going to be dropped to the championship. That's already extraordinary because they were in the negatives, if such a thing is possible. Spurs. I'm just going to be very nice to you both. I think that they will win that particular game.

46:49Mark Langdon:The game that you must win. I don't know. So yes, West Ham 29, Forrest 29, Tottenham 30, Leeds 32. I just don't know, Mark. I mean, it's so hard to tell. If they play like they did against Athletic, you'd think they should. I mean, their league form is atrocious, but so is Forrest, actually. Yeah, I think Forrest playing quite well. up front has been just been the problem for them, dominated against Fulham dominated against Wolves were just unable to sort of score the goal so I was just looking at sort of what it will take to stay up I mean the estimations now are around 40 points which hasn't been for a long time so you're going to need roughly between 9 and 11 points depending on where you are yeah I would say that if Tottenham play like they did against Atleti which is by no means a given I think that it gives him a really strong opportunity to win I think as well I can see West Ham causing big problems for Aston Villa not in great form and West Ham are definitely I know they were battered on the statistics against Man City but like generally speaking they have improved so much in in the last couple of months so would not be surprised at all if they picked up a positive result even when they lost at liverpool 5-2 i thought they played quite well um in that game so um that might be the sort of in terms of that champions league race villa might be the ones that suffer most this weekend bit more on afcon robin and the panel spoke about it yesterday your thoughts philippe on morocco's sensational late late victory in afcon is that the longest var check ever yeah well it was the longest bar check and it's now the longest bar check isn't it yes because

48:35Philippe Auclair:the VAR check has to be checked. The latest development is the reaction of the president of CAF, Patrice Mossepe. The gist of it is that CAF is going to respect whatever decision is taken in the next stage. The Senegalese government, not just the Senegalese EFE, has published a statement in which they said that they would fight this decision all the way, which means with international bodies. And obviously, this is going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It's going to CAS. There's absolute doubt. And I do think that CAS is going to tell the CAF appeal board, this is nonsense what you've done, and is going to throw out the appeal.

49:23Philippe Auclair:And then Senegal can rightfully call themselves African champions. And absolutely everybody I've spoken to thinks that that's what should happen. But of course, in 2026 football, what should happen and what happens can be two very different things. But it would be in a way a solution that would save the blushes for, I mean, if such a thing is possible. So Senegal should have been kicked off the pitch. When they left the pitch, they basically forfeited the game. Let's be absolutely clear about that. It's true that in the statutes of CAF, if you do that, you forfeit the game. But you forfeit the game there and then.

50:04Philippe Auclair:And the referee, no, that's not what happened. They brought them back on and then happened what we know that Senegal won. And you cannot go on after the event. That's the root of it. So the Moroccan appeal, in a way, is which, and the fact that it was accepted by the appeals board of CAF, first of all, shows you who's boss in African football. Morocco is a superpower of African football, both on and off the pitch. But it will be, that decision, I think, will be scrapped. It will enable the Moroccans to say, we should have, it is an unfair decision, we should have had the trophy. and it will enable the Senegalese to say, look, we are the champions, and it would allow Kav to say, we followed the right processes, and that's the conclusion.

50:57Philippe Auclair:Even though nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, covered themselves in glory in that episode, which is one of the most, I mean, shameful, I have to say, in the very shameful recent history of that great confederation. This is where we are. So except it to be, I think, overturned in the future, but for the time being, We're still at the sparring, in the sparring part of the year. It might be resolved before Manchester City's case is resolved. That's the only thing I would say.

51:27Mark Langdon:Well, look, Morocco need an open-top bus parade before Cass have their verdict. Then Senegal can have an open-top bus parade after that, and they can just keep both celebrating. Philippe, you've written a book. Tell us all about it.

51:38Philippe Auclair:Oh, that's very kind. Yes, I've written a book about Kylian Mbappe, which is not the biography. But I was very interested to look at the way that the player had been built into a megastar. There are loads of biographical elements in it, obviously, but it's about the system which has been built by his family, by himself, by his entourage to create this absolute megastar. And it's a completely unique system by the fact that it's very small. It's totally outside of the normal football environment and ecosystem. system. It's totally unique because the player himself is the guy who calls the shots.

52:14Philippe Auclair:It's totally unique because it's run by women and the many other aspects to it. But he's, for me, he's not just an exceptional talent on the pitch, but he's something completely unique of it in the way that his career has been controlled ever since he was eight years old to come to the stage now where he is where he wants to be at Real Madrid and as a captain of the French national team. So the book tries to explain how all this was masterminded from a very young age to the player and the presence we know now. I'm fascinated by that. And that's why I've spent quite a lot of time researching and writing about this.

52:52Philippe Auclair:And thank you very much. That bribe was not in vain for mentioning the book on the pod. I'm very grateful. Is it available in English, Philippe? It is only in English at the time being. It will be translated. It is available at all good boot shops, as people say.

53:11Mark Langdon:Oh, great. The Mbappé Project, Making a Superstar by Philippe Eau Claire. Now, all of us wanted to send our love to Danny Kelly, who announced on Wednesday on TalkSport, he has cancer of the esophagus. He's going to be taking time out from broadcasting to undergo treatment. He's one of the greats, like an inspiration to me, you know, if I think about the shows that he did with Danny Baker back in the day and a great man, a brilliant broadcaster. It is much harder to make radio, which is joyous and loving and upbeat and creative with wit and intelligence. And he does that brilliantly. And so I just wish him all the best in the world and I can't wait for his return.

53:51Mark Langdon:He is having treatment. They found it very early. So fingers crossed with all of that. Mark, you've worked with him, haven't you? I have, yeah. He's one of my early broadcasting heroes. We did a show together on Sunday nights on European football. It was an immense thrill for me. So, yeah, I sent him a message last night just wishing him all the best and hopefully makes a full recovery. And Barry, you always get excited when I can't do the show and he does it instead.

54:17Max Rushden:Yeah, and it's not a slight on you, but with the greatest respect, he's a bit of a hero of mine as well. Lovely man. I wish him all the best. As he said himself, he's a long road ahead. we'll be with him every step of the way in so much as we can be.

54:32Mark Langdon:And you mentioned, obviously, you know, he's one of those sort of fountains of knowledge, Philippe. And you wanted to mention his vinyl collection.

54:39Philippe Auclair:Oh, it's absolutely amazing. I mean, his vinyl collection is the stuff of legend. He had to build a barn to house it. It's absolutely extraordinary. And it's not just the records he's got. I mean, he's got some of them in several copies, you know, the mint copy, the seal, the shrink wrap copy, the copy that you play. because he plays his records. He knows his music wonderfully well. But again, he's not somebody who is going to crush you with his knowledge, which is immense. Because as a man and as a broadcaster, his first virtue is that he makes people shine. He's a man of great generosity. So like all of us, I can't wait to hear his quite unique voice and unique delivery back on the airwaves.

55:22Philippe Auclair:So all the best, Danny.

55:23Mark Langdon:Yeah, all the best, Danny. We love you. Mark says how much barbecue did you and Barry eat in Texas AJ did Max and Barry enjoy South by Southwest and spending their time with fellow A-listers I will say Barry as work trip goes that was pretty amazing and I'm not sure how to I'd sit down and tell Jamie that I went for work to just go and watch Alanis Morissette sing Jagged Little Pill I'm yet to work out to what benefit this was to this wonderful institution that is The Guardian but hopefully we did something good for them while having an incredibly nice time.

55:57Max Rushden:Yes, and thanks to Brendan Hunt, aka Coach Beard from Ted Lasso, for taking us out for proper Texas barbecue, buying us tequilas and beers and baseball hats to remember the occasion by because I'm pretty sure if I didn't have the hat, I would remember very little of it.

56:20Mark Langdon:But yeah, we had a lovely time and you can hear the live show tomorrow. thank you to everybody who helped us get there and looked after us while we were there and Football Weekly listeners that came and we met them that was a real pleasure because we were worried no one would turn up and given every other panel at South by Southwest was about AI taking over the world ours was a slight outlier anyway that'll do for today thanks everybody thank you Mark thank you Max cheers Philippe thank you thanks Baz thank you Football Weekly is produced by Tyra Papula and Jesse Howard but our executive producer is Ian Chambers.

56:54Mark Langdon:We'll be back with that show from Texas tomorrow.

57:03Max Rushden:This is The Guardian.

57:12Mark Langdon:Decisions made in Washington can affect your portfolio every day. But what policy changes should investors be watching? Washington Wise is an original podcast from Charles Schwab that unpacks the stories making news in Washington right now and how they may affect your finances and portfolio. Listen at schwab.com slash Washington Wise.

57:33Max Rushden:Mr. Beast launched a theme park and Alex Cooper has an energy drink. What does it take to reach that kind of scale? I'm Kai Urieff. And I'm Jasmine Enberg.

57:41Mark Langdon:We're the founders of Scalable, where we take you beyond the headlines and help you make sense of it all.

57:46Max Rushden:Every Thursday, we break down the biggest stories affecting the business of creators, brands, platforms, and the dollars behind them. If you're a marketer, founder, creator, or investor, you need to understand what it means for your business and where this industry is going next. Subscribe to the Scalable Podcast and our newsletter at scalablepod.com.