Hello and welcome to Libero. My name's Jack Pitbrook. I'm from The Athletic. And we're going to start

today with a request. If you like listening to our podcast, please can you help us to spread the word?

You can do this by clicking subscribe or follow on your podcast platform. You could leave us a nice

review. You could share us on social media. We're slowly entering the world of Instagram. If you like

any of our clips, you could promote them there.

You could tell other people that you know about our podcast. You could tell other dads at school

pick up, tell your mates at Padal, tell anyone who might like a different take on a football podcast

and just try to get the word out there about what we're doing. We would really, really appreciate it.

So we're doing. We would really, really appreciate it. So we're joined today by Rory Smith and The Observer. Hello, Rory. Hello. And James Horncastle also for the

Athletic. How are you, James? Very good, Jack. So it's a big week, Champions League final week,

and you guys are both going. Can't wait. Off to Munich, which I do think is always a great venue, great place to visit. So, yeah, last time I was there, it was for the Euro semifinals last year when it was France, Spain. Oh, the Lameen goal. Yeah, the Lameen goal. And also the Danny Olmo goal, which has kind of also already been forgotten, but an amazing goal. Yeah, I hope it's a game of the same standard. Yeah, it's, um, this sounds really cheesy, but it's one of those weeks where you, you remember that you're very lucky to do the job that you do. Does, does a champion of the final is, is an exciting thing to be going to. I don't, I don't know, maybe Miguel's different. I never take it for granted. Like Miguel's just totting up the numbers.

He's just about. is an exciting thing to be going to. I don't, I don't know. Maybe Miguel's different.

I never take it for granted.

Like, Miguel's just totting up the numbers. He's just about stat panic. Stap panic, yeah. Whereas I'm, I, like, the ones that I've missed, like I missed 2020, just, I've COVID. And yeah, you're gutted not to go because it feels like the kind of culmination of the season. And it is, yeah, it's a big thing.

How much are you looking forward to it, James?

Do you feel like, this is, I, it's a big thing. How much are you looking forward to it, James?

Do you feel like, this is, I don't understand insulting, but do you feel like an extra,

extra personal excitement because it's got an Italian team?

As a knight of the realm.

Yeah, knighted by an embassy full of interfans as well.

So very much need, need to be on side. I am excited because, you know, I'm completely professional

and impartial. You know, I do like to see the league in the country that I cover do well. And I feel

...