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Heroes & Humans of Football

Heroes & Humans of Football

By: Immaterial
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About this listen

 Listen to the stories behind football's biggest names, hosted by Simon Kuper and Mehreen Khan. "Hosts Simon Kuper and Mehreen Khan know their stuff." – The Guardian "The most interesting football podcast of the moment." – NRC, a leading Dutch daily Heroes & Humans moves beyond the traditional boundaries of sports commentary to explore the lives of football's most interesting figures. Whether episodes are about Messi, Abramovich, Cruyff, Şükür or Haaland, this is the go-to podcast for football audio-biographies. Released once weekly on Thursdays. Simon Kuper, acclaimed by Time Magazine as "one of the world's leading writers on soccer," and an awarded Financial Times columnist, brings a three-decade career of interviewing and understanding the personalities that define the world’s greatest sport. Having attended the last nine World Cups and boasting Europe's largest football library, Simon's insights are rooted in a profound depth of knowledge and passion for football. Mehreen Khan, whose day job is as the Economics Editor at The Times, believes football is a "brilliant shortcut in how to understand societies, economies, and politics". She is a football obsessive and die-hard Chelsea fan. With her ability to intertwine socio-political narratives with pop culture savvy, Mehreen stands out in the football podcasting landscape. Her presence as one of the few female voices adds a valuable dimension, broadening the conversation for listeners. Mehreen was previously the FT’s Brussels correspondent, before moving to The Times in 2022. She started her career in sports journalism at the Daily Telegraph in 2014, and wrote a football blog that touched on themes including Russia’s breakaway Muslim separatism, German multiculturalism, and the earth-shattering magnificence of Andrea Pirlo. Follow @heroesandhumans everywhere. Instagram TikTok Facebook X Visit our website for news and updates: heroesandhumans.com© 2024 Immaterial 878266 Football (Soccer) Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Geoff Hurst: The Last Boy of '66 - Living with Glory's Shadow

    Geoff Hurst: The Last Boy of '66 - Living with Glory's Shadow
    Jan 16 2025
    What happens when your greatest moment becomes both a blessing and a burden? This is not just the story of Geoff Hurst's World Cup hat-trick but a deeper exploration of a vanishing era of English football and the often-challenging lives of the heroes of '66 after their moment of glory. In this episode, Simon and Mehreen uncover the complex legacy of England's World Cup-winning team through the eyes of its last surviving member. From modest wages and part-time jobs to the devastating impact of dementia on his teammates, Hurst's story reveals how differently football treated its heroes in the 1960s. They explore how these working-class heroes navigated life after football in an era before mega-contracts and media careers and how many struggled to find their place in the modern world. Time stamps: 0:00: Introduction and the last survivor 04:15: Football in the 1960s—a different world 08:32: Working-class heroes and modest lifestyles 12:45: The road to the World Cup team 17:23: That day at Wembley 23:41: Life immediately after the victory 28:56: The struggle to adjust to normal life 34:18: Financial hardships of the '66 team 39:27: The dementia crisis—losing teammates one by one 45:33: Bobby Moore's difficult later years 51:19: The forgotten stories of the other players 56:44: Part-time jobs and post-football careers 1:02:38: The burden of being forever '66 1:08:15: Modern football vs. the amateur era 1:13:27: Preserving the memory of a vanishing generation 1:18:52: What modern football can learn from '66 Follow @heroesandhumans everywhere. Instagram TikTok Facebook X Visit our website for news & updates heroesandhumans.com Thank you for all your support. We really appreciate your comments and encouragement. - Producer Matt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 36 mins
  • The Super Agents: How Mino Raiola Changed Football's Transfer Market Forever

    The Super Agents: How Mino Raiola Changed Football's Transfer Market Forever
    Jan 9 2025
    How did a pizza waiter from Haarlem become one of football's most influential figures? This is the story of Mino Raiola, the super-agent who transformed the football transfer market, and his successor, Rafaela Pimenta. In this episode, Simon and Mehreen explore the extraordinary career of Mino Raiola and his business partner, Rafaela Pimenta. From his early days working in his family's pizzeria to becoming the agent for stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, and Erling Haaland, this is the tale of how an outsider revolutionised football's transfer market through wit, work ethic, and an uncanny ability to see where the game was heading. This episode reveals how Raiola's pizzeria mentality of personal service shaped his approach to representing players, his complex relationship with football's establishment, and how he built the most powerful agency in modern football. Time stamps: 0:00: Introduction and background 03:40: Early life in Haarlem and the family pizzeria 08:22: Entry into football and first deals 15:44: Meeting Zlatan Ibrahimovic 21:33: Partnership with Rafaela Pimenta 27:16: Building the perfect agency 34:55: The Pogba transfer saga 42:18: Managing player careers and investments 48:37: Battles with clubs and FIFA 54:29: Legacy and influence on modern football 59:13: Rafaela Pimenta takes the reins 1:05:42: The future of football agencies 1:11:27: Final thoughts on Raiola's impact Follow @heroesandhumans everywhere. Instagram TikTok Facebook X Visit our website for news & updates heroesandhumans.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 47 mins
  • Football and the trenches: The 1914 Christmas truce

    Football and the trenches: The 1914 Christmas truce
    Dec 19 2024
    In 1914, 110 years ago exactly, British and German troops came up from the trenches to meet in no man’s land and play football. This remarkable event, known as the Christmas Truce, is the subject of today’s special episode. Instead of focusing on one hero, human, or villain, this Christmas episode examines the humanity behind war, discussing how football has united people across languages, cultures, and history. Simon and Mehreen delve deep into the story of World War I and beyond. They track the history of this poignant event, discussing its impact on Adolf Hitler (spoiler: he didn’t want to talk about it), the rise and suppression of women’s football, and discussing the event against wars and conflicts of today. This poignant, moving episode is ideal listening for football and history lovers alike and signals the start of Heroes & Humans’ Christmas break. Thank you for listening to our episodes in 2024. It's been a true pleasure to see how football has united so many listeners across the globe. Time stamps: 0:43: Setting the scene, 1914 6:30: Christmas Eve, 1914 11:25: How football united the warring sides 17:47: Was there just one Christmas truce match? 22:50: Were there any more sporting truces? 27:31: A gender revolution and the early rise of women’s football 31:05: Battle of the Somme and the end of the Great War 37:30: The legacy of the First World War, 110 years later 41:42: Reflections on today’s wars and conflicts (e.g., Russia-Ukraine) Like this episode? Make sure to vote for Heroes & Humans of Football at the Sports Podcast Awards: https://bit.ly/4fkQ8uA Join the Heroes and Humans Supporters Club! Are you a fan of Heroes and Humans and can’t wait for the next episode? Why not become part of our exclusive community and get even closer to the action? By joining our official H&H Supporters Club on Patreon, you’ll unlock access to behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, bonus content, and special Q&A sessions with your hosts, Mehreen and Simon. Whether you're looking for deeper insights into football’s biggest personalities or just can’t wait for the next episode, we’ve got something for you. Don’t miss out! Support us and get more from your favourite podcast. Join us today at patreon.com/heroesandhumans Follow @heroesandhumans everywhere. Instagram TikTok Facebook X Visit our website for news & updates heroesandhumans.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    50 mins

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