Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast

Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast is back for season two, and this season we're switching things up! From now on, we'll be doing a deep dive every month on a Scandinavian-LaLiga theme, and first up is one of the biggest of all, Henrik Larsson. Whether you know him as Larsson, Henke, or the King of Kings, there's no doubt that the Swede is one of the greatest Scandinavians to grace LaLiga, but with his time as a Barça player just pre-dating the explosion of Youtube, social media and minute-by-minute LaLiga coverage, plenty of details have been forgotten from his two years in Catalonia. With that in mind, we look back on our memories of Larsson's time at the Camp Nou, and enlist the help of three top quality experts who were there to watch it in the flesh. Graham Hunter (LaLiga TV/ The Big Interview), Johanna Garå (TV4) and Toni Padilla (DiariAra) share their thoughts and first hand accounts from Henrik's days with the Blaugrana. Finally, with Henrik's surprise return to the Camp Nou this summer as an assistant coach to Ronald Koeman, we try to answer the big question: just what the hell is his job? And will even someone as loved as the former Barça striker survive the cloudy atmosphere at the club these days? Remember to leave a rating/like and a comment at your podcast provider of choice if you enjoyed this episode. And feel free to tweet us with suggestions for what you want to hear in future episodes. You can follow Lee here and Alex here. Thanks as always for listening!

Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast is back for our penultimate episode of the season and it's a busy one... – We look at Julen Lopetegui finally finding the right home at Sevilla who sealed Champions League football. – We take our best shot at guessing who is going to be relegated and who will survive, though we can't quite agree... – As for the European spots, Villarreal are the best bet but who follows is still wide open, and Real Sociedad's Ødegaard and Isak fitness problems don't help. – Yet again Valencia have managed to raise the craziness level a further notch. The target this time? Most of their best players, including Dani Parejo. – And we answer listener questions on Real Zaragoza and the latest side to join LaLiga. Remember to leave a rating and comment, and follow the pod here, Lee here, and Alex here. Thanks for listening!

Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga podcast returns and there's plenty Nordic news to get stuck into amongst other things... – We look at Alexander Isak's goal scoring form and how he has already bettered both John Carew and Henrik Larsson's Spanish football stats, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic now in sight. – And we have the run-down on new Atlético Madrid signing, Swedish goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl. – With Espanyol's demise to second division oblivion imminent, we discuss the sad downward turn of a team that was once firmly rooted in a Barcelona neighbourhood, but now struggles to pull future core fans from the behemoth towering down the road. – Plus we look at the return of a familiar old face to LaLiga via Real Betis, and reflect on Spain's 2010 World Cup win, a decade later. Remember to leave a rating and comment, and follow the pod here, Lee here, and Alex here. Thanks for listening!

LaLiga has barely been back and yet there's not much left to go, so this week's Bombazo has a lot of ground to cover: – Alex has a rant at the standard of refs in LaLiga who are getting it particularly wrong even by their usual level... – We both get excited about Villarreal's return to form as a team competing for the top four. – And get upset for the way Valencia's fans are being treated by an owner who clearly couldn't care less. – Plus Barça's highly predictable coaching dilemma, their complete negligence with Marc Cucurella, John Guidetti's LaLiga future, Martin Ødegaard's issues and more. Remember to leave a rating and comment, and follow the pod here, Lee here, and Alex here. Thanks for listening!

Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga podcast is back again and after doing our best to keep on top of the endless stream of Spanish football action we have plenty to discuss, including... – Is Real Sociedad's downward slide away from European football something that could have been predicted? Or is it just good old fashioned low confidence? – Celta's remarkable revival under Oscar Garcia and why Alex is the most optimistic about them she has been for years. And why the Nolito signing shows the Braithwaite rule really is a joke. – Bruno Soriano's beautiful comeback and our hopes for someone who was one of the best in his position before injury took its toll. – Diego Simeone's stroke of genius with Marcos Llorente – And why don't we care about the LaLiga title race? We should! But we won't... Remember to leave a rating and comment, and follow the pod here, Lee here, and Alex here. Have a dig through our back catalogue too and you'll find plenty of timeless episodes to keep you busy: last week's Sid Lowe special is a good start, as is our Michael Laudrup special, guide to women's football in Spain, and the overlooked story of the last time two Swedes made it big in LaLiga. Thanks for listening – and stay safe!

Episode 31 of Bombazo is a special one as we talk to one of our favourite football journalists and a man you should all be familiar with, Sid Lowe. Not only has Sid been the guy bringing Spanish football to an English speaking audience via The Guardian for as long as we can remember, he's also one of the hosts and people behind The Spanish Football Podcast – in our humble opinion the best pod on Spanish football out there. That's thanks in no small part to their dedication to attending games and getting to know the human beings behind the clubs. Sid knows more about Spanish football than most, so it was only right for us to grill him on the Scandinavians in Spain, including... – Why Martin Braithwaite is such a convincing player to speak to, and how that has won over Barça's coaching staff as well as a certain number 10. – His high hopes for Martin Ødegaard, in Sid's view probably the best player in LaLiga this season behind the aforementioned Lionel Messi. But there are some concerns about him continuing to play in the right environment for his development. – How Alexander Isak's endless confidence impressed him when the Swede put Real Madrid to the sword at the Santiago Bernabéu after a less than perfect first half. – Plus praise for Daniel Wass, intrigue on Pione Sisto, a bit of Zlatan, a bit of Henke, and how he ended up with Thomas Gravesen's shorts. You can hear Sid and the TSFP guys here, and they also have loads of additional content for subscribers. Thanks again for listening and, yes, you know what's coming: LEAVE A RATING for Bombazo at your podcast provider of choice, please. Drop us a comment or even an email while you're at it. Follow the pod here, Alex here, and Lee here. Enjoy the episode, it's a good one!

LaLiga 2019-20 is finally back, and Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast is back with it! We sit down for the first time in over two months to unpack the long-awaited restart to Spanish football, including... – What we think about the league returning without fans. – The winners and losers of the unexpected break, including why Lee expects Martin Braithwaite to make a big impact for Barcelona, and Alex has worries about Alavés surviving. – How having no supporters could impact teams who rely on strong home form, and whether it will even out and make away trips easier. – The tactical changes coaches like Diego Simeone have been working on during the break, like Atleti's new Raúl García. – And we preview a game we both attended last season, the Seville derby at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. The game where fans matter most, that has to be played without them. As always, remember to leave a rating and comment at your podcast provider of choice which really helps us to climb the rankings and get more listeners (super important now more than ever after a long break). You can follow the pod here, Lee here, and Alex here. Hay liga!

The last time you heard from Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast we had just taken in Barcelona v Real Sociedad from the Camp Nou. Little did we know it was the last football we'd be watching live for a long time. In this special update we check in with a report on the differences in life in Spain and Sweden under Corona, reflect on the season that stopped, and also what kind of LaLiga season we may see in the future. Remember to leave a rating and comment, and follow the pod here, Lee here, and Alex here. Have a dig through our back catalogue too and you'll find plenty of timeless episodes to keep you busy – like our Michael Laudrup special, guide to women's football in Spain, and the overlooked story of the last time two Swedes made it big in LaLiga. Thanks for listening – and stay safe!

Episode 28 of Bombazo LaLiga Podcast marks a first in the series as both Lee and Alex are finally in the same location! We report live from the Camp Nou at Barcelona v Real Sociedad, hear from one of the stars (spoiler: he's Swedish), then break down all the fallout. On today's show... – Alex kicks us off by sharing her experience at one of Spanish professional football's smallest stadiums as Mirandés capped their historic Copa del Rey run with an admirable semifinal performance. – We explain why Real Sociedad's return to a final for the first time in three decades is a huge deal for a club that once regularly competed for cups and league titles. – We look at Athletic Club's part in the mouth-watering all Basque final. – Then, we unpack Barcelona's narrow 1-0 win over Real Sociedad where the most dangerous player in Blaugrana happened to be a Dane. And the Camp Nou rewarded Martin Braithwaite with huge applause for his efforts. – There's more to dissect from the match including Real Sociedad bettering Barça at what was once the Catalans' own signature style of play, plus why we feel Alguacil got it wrong with his late change. – And finally, we hear from Alexander Isak on his performance, the team going toe-to-toe with Barça, and the future. Thanks to everyone who listens each week. If you enjoy it, leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of their choice (or even if you don't – let us know why). Please take a few minutes to do so – it's very helpful!

It's the big one – or is it? Bombazo goes forensic on Real Madrid's 2-0 win over FC Barcelona in El Clásico. Talking points include... – Now it's clear the big game has lost a bit of its sheen, we get a nostalgic for the mighty Clásicos of old and ask whether LaLiga missed the opportunity to promote it properly internationally in those heady days. – Both coaches made big calls, but while Zinedine Zidane picking Marcelo paid off, did Quique Setién get it wrong with his conservative approach? – Tactical battles aside, if not for Thibaut Courtois making some big saves it's a different game. We have some praise for the Belgian who is still excellent when he's switched on. – We look at Martin Braithwaite's performance which included an instant impact with one of the best chances of the game. – And Alex rounds up the Scandis who have made previous appearances in this historic fixture. Spoiler: the Danes win. Next week we will bring the pod to you from FC Barcelona v Real Sociedad where LaLiga's three biggest Scandinavians could all appear, but until then for more quality content you can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. Thanks to everyone who listens, and if you like what you hear, leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of their choice. Please take a few minutes to do so – it's super helpful!

You had to wait, but Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast is back and it's definitely great as MARTIN BRAITHWAITE SIGNED FOR BARÇA. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. – We look at how the Dane's signing for the Blaugrana played out, and Lee has a few words for some of the doubters who were quick to write him off as a failure before he kicked a ball. – And as it turns out Braithwaite knows how to play football, after playing well with only one training session, is there potential for even more? – Alexander Isak and Martin Ødegaard's Real Sociedad smelled blood and smashed Valencia in the latest evidence that they're going to produce something special this season. But just how special? Alex looks at how they compare to some of their best teams. – After rocking Real Madrid, Celta took points yet again as Óscar García continues to get them back on course and away from relegation. We have some special words for their key man of the moment, Rafinha. PSA: For more quality content you can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. Thanks to the increasing number of listeners. Stick with us, and if you like what you hear, leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of their choice. Please take a few minutes to do so – it's super helpful!

Episode 25 of Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga podcast is here, and on a week where everyone in Spain was talking about a certain Swedish striker, we're on the ground in the thick of the action. – Alex reports back from seeing Alexander Isak eliminate Real Madrid from the Copa del Rey... then travelling north to watch him win a Basque derby with a stunning individual display. – We hear from both Real Sociedad and Athletic fans in San Sebastian on the potential for the two teams to play the Copa del Rey final, and what they think of both Isak and Martin Ødegaard. – With Celta finally getting a win thanks to Dane Pione Sisto's excellent goal, could the turnaround be about to kick off? – And with Raúl de Tomás scoring five goals in five games for Espanyol and helping them to pick up their first home win of the season, is their own great escape just around the corner? – Plus we look at other possible relegation candidates we think could get sucked in now the other teams are getting their acts together. PSA: For more quality content you can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. And as much as we love you, we know many have yet to leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of their choice. Please take a few minutes to do so – it's the only meaningful feedback we get for this labour of love we both do for free. Thanks!

Bonus Bombazo! Real Sociedad have just eliminated Real Madrid from the Copa del Rey, and it was Alexander Isak who conquered the Santiago Bernabéu with two goals, an assist, and yet another man of the match performance. So it was pretty handy that our very own Alex was at the stadium for the historic occasion. Alexandra sent us a special report from the game, as well as an interview with the hero of the day Alexander Isak after the game. Enjoy! PS: For more quality content you can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. And now feels like as good a time as any to ask you to leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of your choice. We do this all for free (including Alex's trip to Madrid to speak to Isak!) for your amusement, so it would be great to know your thoughts. Cheers!

We're in the second month of 2020 and incredibly, Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast continues to be made despite popular demands. This episode is a good 'un: – We rate the winter transfer window action in LaLiga. How Barcelona managed to sign nobody despite being willing to sign anybody. How Atlético messed up with Cavani, ended up with Carrasco, but may end up better than a lot of people think. And how Sevilla's signings leave us... dubious. – Plus it's the small teams who make the most exciting moves. Paco Alcácer hits the ground running at Villarreal, and Espanyol defy expectations by spending a small fortunes. But will it be too late? – There's the usual Scandi roundup, including Alexander Isak further establishing himself as Real Sociedad's idol. – And we reluctantly admit that we're now pledging our allegiance to Getafe. You can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. And make sure to leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of your choice. We do this all for free for your amusement, so it would be great to know your thoughts. Cheers! (Vamos Geta)

Episode 23 of Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast comes with news of the biggest weekend for a Swede in LaLiga since Zlatan was at Barça, as Alexander Isak becomes Spain's top scoring player under the age of 21. – We look in detail at the striker situation at Anoeta where Willian José could be on the way out, but either way looks to have lost his starting place to new fan favourite Isak. – Alex explains how Pione Sisto still manages to piss his manager off when he's producing one of his best games in a long time. – With Atlético Madrid falling out of the top four, goals impossible to come by, and turning the season around apparently relying on Edinson Cavani being a superhero, has Diego Simeone's magic finally worn off? – We give Valencia some much overdue praise as they rock Barça with a big win at Mestalla, and explain why they may just be the club with the most pressure and expectation relative to their level. – We ponder why LaLiga produced such a low-scoring weekend. – And look at the sad scenes in Barcelona when Iñaki Williams was racially abused, though there has been some encouraging reaction. Remember you can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. And make sure to leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of your choice. We do this all for free for your amusement, so it would be great to know your thoughts. Cheers!

Episode 22 of Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast is fresh out the oven with plenty to unpack now that league football is back in Spain. – We look at Casemiro's outstanding attacking display in Real Madrid's win over Sevilla, and ponder whether the offensive side of his game is overlooked. Could he be unleashed in a new look Madrid midfield some time soon? – We round up what is comfortably the worst week for the Scandis in Spain since the season started, where even the guy who picked up an assist had a bad game. – There's analysis of Quique Setién's Barcelona, what looks good and what may be a point of concern. – With Joao Felix showing a bad attitude as Atlético stumble, is he starting to believe the hype too soon? And could Edinson Cavani be just the medicine they need? – It's a great weekend for Espanyol thanks in no small part to RDT, the kind of signing that could yet save them from relegation. And former Pericos boss Rubi looks to have Real Betis firing on all cylinders. Hurrah all round! – Plus we say goodbye to John Guidetti after almost five years in Spanish football, looking back at his highlights, as well as the 'what if' moments. Remember you can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. And make sure to leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of your choice. We do this all for free for your amusement, so it would be great to know your thoughts. Thanks!

This week on Bombazo Lee and Alex are joined by special guest Morten Glinvad – Danish expert on all things LaLiga – for a bumper episode. We discuss... – The revamped Supercopa in all of its controversial glory. How Real Madrid came away the big winners in more ways than one, not least for reinforced Zinedine Zidane and once questioned Thibaut Courtois. – The Barcelona coaching situation and our sympathies for Ernesto Valverde who has had a week on the job nobody should want to emulate. Not even Xavi? – Speaking of Barcelona coaching jobs: once rumour mill staple Michael Laudrup is no longer in the mix for the gig at his old club. Morten explains to us why Scandinavia's greatest ever export to LaLiga is no longer interested in full-time coaching despite an impressive CV as a manager. – We pick Morten's brain on red hot Martin Braithwaite, one of the outstanding LaLiga goalscorers of the last few months, who he recently interviewed in Madrid. Did you know that you've probably been pronouncing the striker's name wrong all along? Or that Braithwaite has a special technique to get in the zone before matches? You will after listening to this... – Plus we talk Daniel Wass and his brilliant Valencia form. LaLiga's overlooked Mr Reliable? – Alex has news on John Guidetti and his Alavés situation. – And we close with a look at our surprises and disappointments of LaLiga 2019-20 so far now we have reached the half way stage. Remember you can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. And please, make sure to follow Morten here. Michael Laudrup aside, no Dane knows LaLiga better! Finally, if you could leave us a rating, review and comment at the podcast provider of your choice it would be much appreciated. It makes a huge difference. Thanks!

In the first episode of 2020 Alex is joined by two guests. First Semra Hunter who you normally can see over on LaLiga TV. And then by Galician Dani Mendéz who is the pitch side reporter in San Sebastian and Eibar for LaLigaTV/Movistar. With Semra we discuss the following: – Martin Braithwaite only needed 4 min to score in 2020, how important is he for Leganés and can he save them from relegation – Espanyol shocked Barcelona with a 2-2 draw in the first game of Abelardo, is he about to create another "Alavés miracle"? And is Barça too dependent on Lionel Messi? – Semra saw Ødegaard as a 16 year-old in Madrid and met him again this season in San Sebastian, how much has he changed and just how good is the Norwegian? With Dani Mendéz we discuss the following: – In the early 2000's SuperDepor won LaLiga, Copa del Rey and almost made the Champions League final. Now Deportivo are last in Segunda and in huge debts.. what happened? Can one of Spain's historic clubs disappear or is there a way out? – What do the local fans in San Sebastian think of Martin Ødegaard and Alexander Isak, is the Norwegian the biggest star of the club and will Isak steal the starting spot from Willian José? Don't forget to follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts as well as our guests Semra and Dani. We also want to say a huge thanks to Keven Bader for editing this episode, follow him too! And please, please leave a rating, review or comment. It helps a huge amount. Thanks for listening!

In the final episode of Bombazo for 2019 we look back on the historic 2010-11 LaLiga season, a time when Mourinho's Real Madrid and Guardiola's Barcelona were at their peak, Unai Emery's Valencia and a resurgent Atlético Madrid were raising the standards behind them, and most importantly as far as we are concerned, two Swedes played in the same LaLiga squad for the only time in history. Kennedy Bakircioglu came to Racing Santander an unknown quantity for supporters but would ultimately become a hero thanks to goals and assists that helped the team from northern Spain stay up by a comfortable margin. Markus Rosenberg meanwhile came with bigger expectations, but in hindsight, his respectable goals tally in arguably the toughest Spanish league of all time looks far better than it was recognised for. We detail how both of the attackers ended up in Spain, and how they both had to fight for years to get the money they were owed. Plus we detail the sad demise of Racing since, the fairytale ending the two Swedes' recently had to their careers, and treat you to a bit of Scandi LaLiga trivia. You can follow the pod here where we will post some links to Kennedy and Rosenberg's LaLiga best bits, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. Like every week we encourage you to leave a rating, review or comment at the provider of your choice. It's simple: do that small favour for us, we'll keep putting these out. Last but not least, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. We will be back in 2020!

Episode 18 of Bombazo: The Scandinavian LaLiga Podcast is here to round up the best weekend for Scandinavians in Spanish football this season. – We look back on Real Sociedad v FC Barcelona, where Martin Ødegaard stepped up and proved he can tangle with the best, and Alexander Isak got a huge goal to equalize for his team and make a claim to be a more regular starter. – Alex dives deep on Pione Sisto's continued revival at Celta, plus Rafinha's rise. – We round up some of the other standout moments from the Scandis including Daniel Wass providing an assist against Real Madrid to continue his excellent form, and Martin Braithwaite getting a goal. – There's VAR chat because some LaLiga clubs decided to get a bit awkward with social media. – We preview what is shaping up to be the most important El Clásico for some time. – And we have EXCLUSIVE information about the Santi Clause in Cazorla's Christmas contract!* You can follow the pod here, plus Lee and Alex at their personal accounts. Like every week we encourage you to leave a rating, review or comment at the provider of your choice. It's a simple transaction: you do that small favour for us, we'll keep putting these out. Thanks for listening! *Not actually an exclusive or information