Spanish Football Podcasts, Audiobooks

[Danny]

Bonjour amigos,

I have taken more of an interest in Spanish football and more specifically, the history of it from it's foundation to now. Currently my interest lies in the early formations of it but I will hopefully work my way through the ages.

I'm currently reading about Real Madrid as their history with Spanish royalty and pipping Barcelona to Di Stefano has always piqued my interest (didn't know that the football federation told the clubs to share Di Stefano on a season-by-season basis, knowing one club would back out and most likely Barce leaving the other clubs to the player (which is crazy ))

Anyway, not just Real Madrid I'm looking to read about, also Athletic Bilbao, Barce, Valencia, Atletico...slowly and surely everyone really. Not just interested in the club's beginnings but also the Spanish Football Federation's, how politics have effected the sport (obviously highest profile clubs being Madrid and Barce).

I'm not too short on reading material, though if you know any good sources other than the usual (club websites, wiki etc), but what I'd really like are some podcasts preferably (cheap bastard over here) or if need be audiobooks to get me through my days at work.

[SirBalon]

The problem is finding top quality material in Spanish that's been translated into English.  There's the issue mate!

Im happy that you're showing such interest in the history of the Spanish game... It's a history full of all sorts of episodes with many being politically related.  Another feature to get into is the Seville Derby (Sevilla v Betis / Betis v Sevilla)... That one is a story of the haves and have nots that traditionally divided a city. Left wing ideologues versus right wing ideologies and how they slowly integrated into each other with hesitance and families being broken apart.

I'll search for some material on differing aspects for you mate.  Also remember another thing... If something's been translated from a Spanish author, try and find both sides of the story.  Very rarely is a Spanish author neutral.

Edit: Curiously, the Seville Derby is on today!

[Danny]

29 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

The problem is finding top quality material in Spanish that's been translated into English.  There's the issue mate!

Im happy that you're showing such interest in the history of the Spanish game... It's a history full of all sorts of episodes with many being politically related.  Another feature to get into is the Seville Derby (Sevilla v Betis / Betis v Sevilla)... That one is a story of the haves and have nots that traditionally divided a city. Left wing ideologues versus right wing ideologies and how they slowly integrated into each other with hesitance and families being broken apart.

I'll search for some material on differing aspects for you mate.  Also remember another thing... If something's been translated from a Spanish author, try and find both sides of the story.  Very rarely is a Spanish author neutral.

Edit: Curiously, the Seville Derby is on today!

Ha yeah I'm sure things won't be one sided and straightforward

I was doing some research on the geography of Spanish clubs and I tried to convince the missus of a romantic long weekend away to the Basque Country, via San Sebastián, Eibar and Bilbao  I gave the game away with Eibar.

[SirBalon]

13 minutes ago, Danny said:

Ha yeah I'm sure things won't be one sided and straightforward

I was doing some research on the geography of Spanish clubs and I tried to convince the missus of a romantic long weekend away to the Basque Country, via San Sebastián, Eibar and Bilbao  I gave the game away with Eibar.

Well that region is beautiful mate.  Eibar is inbetween both Bilbao and San Sebastián with makes the trip even shorter than what it already is.  The gastronomy in the Basque region is one of the best in the world, not just in Spain and the city beach in San Sebastián (La Playa de la Concha) is astounding!

[Danny]

8 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

Well that region is beautiful mate.  Eibar is inbetween both Bilbao and San Sebastián with makes the trip even shorter than what it already is.  The gastronomy in the Basque region is one of the best in the world, not just in Spain and the city beach in San Sebastián (La Playa de la Concha) is astounding!

Yeah San Sebastián looked great on the old google maps, would love to go.

[SirBalon]

1 minute ago, Danny said:

Yeah San Sebastián looked great on the old google maps, would love to go.

From San Sebastián you're three hours away (by car) from Barcelona or you can go the other way along the north seeing more historic clubs like in Cantabria with Racing Santander, moving along to Sporting Gijón and then Real Oviedo in Asturias and finally arriving in Galicia where there are a multitude of old northern clubs with history founded on British steelworkers that on the most part remained in Spain and made roots there.  You find many English surnames still floating around with fifth and sixth generations still there (mostly in the mountain villages).

Did you know (I've mentioned it before) that when La Liga is won in Spain they call it "Cantar el Alirón" which is a play on words to the original meaning which came from the song the steelworkers would sing "Any Old Iron".

[Danny]

7 minutes ago, SirBalon said:

From San Sebastián you're three hours away (by car) from Barcelona or you can go the other way along the north seeing more historic clubs like in Cantabria with Racing Santander, moving along to Sporting Gijón and then Real Oviedo in Asturias and finally arriving in Galicia where there are a multitude of old northern clubs with history founded on British steelworkers that on the most part remained in Spain and made roots there.  You find many English surnames still floating around with fifth and sixth generations still there (mostly in the mountain villages).

Did you know (I've mentioned it before) that when La Liga is won in Spain they call it "Cantar el Alirón" which is a play on words to the original meaning which came from the song the steelworkers would sing "Any Old Iron".

Don't tell that last snippet to a West Ham fan

I was surprised in general to see how many clubs pepper the northern coastline, and also at how small San Sebastián is yet how big the new stadium is going to be there.

I hope I'm able to do some tours around Spanish clubs once my travels are over, will be a nice hobby!