Siempre Positivo

E276: Jordi Alba, Jules Kounde, and a game of football?

Jordi Alba is leaving Barcelona, Jules Kounde might be, and apparently Barca lost 3-1 at Valladolid last night.

Sam, Rik and Toni talk about the things.

E275: Vinicius racially abused again, Barça lift 27th LaLiga trophy

Barcelona suffered their first defeat in LaLiga at Spotify Camp Nou this season as they were beaten 2-1 by Champions League-chasing Real Sociedad. Mikel Merino and Alexander Sorloth got the goals for the visitors, with Robert Lewandowski replying late on to remain on track for the Pichichi. After the game, Barça captain Sergio Busquets received the trophy. 

However, events in LaLiga this weekend were overclouded by more racist abuse aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius, this time...

E274: Alemany's Barça U-turn & Chyhrynskyi interview

Wednesday was a busy day. Director of football Mateu Alemany reversed his decision to leave Barcelona -- se queda! -- and Manchester City smashed Real Madrid to set up a Champions League final with Barça conquerors Inter, who have enjoyed a favourable run since being pitted in the Group of Death. 

Sam and Toni discuss those events, before focus turns to former Barça defender Dmytro Chyhrynskyi. The ex-Ukraine international spoke to Toni in Greece recently about his €25 million ...

E273: Q&A on mixed Barca 7s dream team, Lamine Yamal...

The other half of the Q&A from last week, on Lamine Yamal. Alexanko, Spotify deal, Cruyff, Toni’s Relevo decision, Barca 7-a-side mixed team, City or Madrid, and plenty of other topics...

E272: Campeones, campeones, oe, oe, oe!

Barcelona are Spanish champions. It only took 272 episodes. Sam, Rik and Toni on the 4-2 win over Espanyol and winning La Liga for the first time since 2019.

E271: Q&A on Leo Messi and Sergio Busquets

There were a lot of questions this week so we focused on the ones about Leo Messi and Sergio Busquets, with the rest to come in another Q&A ep next Tuesday.

Busquets legacy in pivot, who should replace him? Will Barca prioritise the position? Amrabat, Gundogan, Zubimendi, Neves…?

Where would Messi fit in at Barca? Could he go to Newcastle? 

Any questions?

Recording a new Q&A this week. Anything to ask? Signing Messi? Replacing Busquets? Alemany? Deco? Winning the league at Espanyol? Montjuïc? Transfers? Comment below 👇🏼

E270: Messi and Busquets to Saudi Arabia? How would Deco fit at Barça?

Following a game-less weekend in LaLiga, Sam and Toni discuss the issues of the week in the latest episode of Siempre Positivo.

As reports continue to grow that Lionel Messi will move to Saudi Arabia, what's the latest regarding a possible return to Barcelona? And could Sergio Busquets' imminent announcement about his future be linked to Messi's next move?

Also: Could Deco be Mateu Alemany's replacement? What would that mean for Raphinha? And which former Barcelona player's house ...

E269: It's getting Messi in Paris (ft. JJ)

Sam, Rik and Jonathan Johnson, a journalist in Paris who covers PSG for CBS, gives us the lowdown on what's happening right now, how Messi's time in Paris has been, and a bit of Neymar too.

Find JJ on twitter here: https://twitter.com/Jon_LeGossip 

E268: Barça two points from LaLiga title but Alemany off in the summer

Welcome to a taster of what you can get on Siempre Positivo's Patreon! As promised, due to the delay in Monday's free podcast hitting stores, we have made this episode free to everyone as an apology. 

When we made that pledge, we were not quite prepared for the drama which was set to unfold on Tuesday... 

Sam is joined by Rik and Toni to discuss a day that saw Barcelona's Jordi Alba score a late winner against Osasuna, Real Madrid lose to Real Sociedad, Barça move withi...

E267: Lamine Yamal becomes Barça's youngest-ever player in LaLiga

Barcelona handed a debut to 15-year-old Lamine Yamal in Saturday's 4-0 win over Real Betis. The teenager came on for the final 10 minutes after goals from the returning Andreas Christensen, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and a Guido Rodriguez own goal had downed 10-man Betis. 

Sam is joined by Rik and Toni to discuss that win ahead of Barça's game against Osasuna on Tuesday. They also wonder what the next step will be with Yamal and analyse why it's been two years since Barça last ...

E266: Xavi debate and Barca reach UWCL final

Sam, Rik and Toni answer a couple of questions about Xavi in depth, whether he's the right man for Barca mid to long term, his contract and more. Then Sam and Rik discuss Barca Femeni drawing with Chelsea at Camp Nou to reach the UWCL final... 

E265: Rayo... and more interesting things

Sam, Rik and Toni talk about Rayo's 2-1 win over Barca at Vallecas but also plenty of other topics, Toni's trip to Athens to meet Chyhrynskyi, Taty Castellanos, Kessie's future... 

E264: Barca beat Atletico Madrid to close in on title

Sam and Rik talk about Barcelona's 1-0 win over Atletico on Sunday afternoon which restored their 11-point lead at the top of La Liga. Frenkie and Pedri were back, Lewandowski was guilty of extreme selfishness, the team kept their 23rd clean sheet, Carrasco put in his Camp Nou audition, and we discuss all that and more at the start of a busy week...

E263: Negreira case, Gundogan or Kante & Espai Barça concerns

It's the latest Q&A, brought to you by Sam and Toni. 

They discuss the latest on Lionel Messi, the continued fall out to the Negreira case, rotating Marc-Andre ter Stegen, signing Ilkay Gundogan or N'Golo Kante and whether the timing for Espai Barça is right... 

Hit us with questions

We'll record a Q&A at some point this week, not 100% sure when, so fire away! 

E262: Barca's Getafe draw and Laporta on Caso Negreira

Sam, Rik and Toni discuss the 0-0 draw between Barca and Getafe, then analyse what Joan Laporta had to say about Caso Negreira. Kounde, Pablo Torre, Xavi and more come under the spotlight, then Toni reveals his Ramon Planes tidbit that he teased on Discord.

E261: Gundogan, Gavi, Messi, Laporta, Peter Crouch & goal factories

With a quiet week by Barcelona's usual standards, Rik, Sam and Toni touched on some of the stories circling club at the moment, including: 

-- Gundogan's old people's home?
-- Where would Gavi fit in prime Pep's Barça?
-- Messi: humans, head, heart, pressing
-- Laporta's explanation
-- Toni's goal factories 

E260: Barca bad in Girona draw (but the pod is good)

Sam, Rik and Toni talk a little about Barca's 0-0 draw with Girona but get stuck into other issues too, including motivation, fans, using youngsters, Xavi's anger at "cheapest title" line, media campaigns, the merits of winning the league, Lewandowski's back, suspicions, and an interesting Toni's Tidbit.

E259: Q&A on Messi return, FFP, Lewandowski and more

Rik and Toni and then Rik and Sam answer all (not quite) of your questions after the Clasico defeat and ahead of Barca vs Girona. Nice array of questions, thanks as ever for submitting them!

E258: Barcelona's Clásico streak ends with Copa del Rey disappointment

Three successive wins over Real Madrid ground to an end on Wednesday as Barcelona were knocked out of the Copa del Rey. Madrid overturned a first leg deficit, winning 4-0 at Camp Nou to set up a final against Osasuna. 

Sam, Rik and Toni look back on a disappointing night for Xavi Hernandez's side and reflect on what it means for the season and the future.  

Next Q&A...

Hey everyone, we'll probably record this on Friday, or possibly Thurs depending on our varying timetables, after the Clasico. Imagine plenty of the questions will be about/related to that, but just posting this now so there's time for people to ask anything else too...

E257: Fati strikes as Barca smash Elche, gear up for cup Clasico

Sam, Rik and Toni discuss the 4-0 win over Elche at the weekend with Ansu Fati on the scoresheet, Robert Lewandowski netting twice and Ferran Torres getting in on the act. Eric Garcia played in defensive midfield too, and the trio also discuss Wednesday's Copa del Rey Clasico semi-final second leg.

E256: Messi's Barça return, Ansu's dad and a campaign against Gavi

It's been an interesting week at Barcelona. Lionel Messi's return has never seemed closer, Ansu Fati's dad is angry about his son't lack of game time and there is a campaign growing against Gavi. 

Elsewhere, Barça's women are into the Champions League semifinal for a fifth successive season and the men return to league action against Elche on Saturday with a growing injury list. 

Sam and Rik discuss events at the club over the past few days in the latest podcast. <...

E255: Ask Toni! Siempre's Luuk answers your Barca questions

Rik asks Toni questions listeners have sent in, on sales, Messi, Barca's targets next season and much more

E254: Look what happened with DiCaprio and with Rose (Q&A)

Rik, Sam and Toni go through your questions, on a Lionel Messi return to Barcelona, contract clauses, Real Madrid's level, FFP and contract renewals, and much more. And Baby Shark.

Q&A time

Hey everyone, fire away with the Qs if you will, we'll probably record Thurs.

Enjoy the international break basking in that 12 point lead!

E253: Carles Planas interview on Kings League, Luis Enrique and Lionel Messi

Former Barcelona defender Carles Planas joins the podcast this week to talk about his involvement in Gerard Pique's Kings League, playing under Luis Enrique, training with Lionel Messi... and marking him as Celta Vigo. 

E252: Clasico success moves Barça 12 points clear of Madrid in LaLiga

Everyone feeling positive this Monday? 

Franck Kessie's stoppage time winner handed Barcelona a third Clasico win in a row and, more importantly, moved them 12 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga with just 12 games left. Sergi Roberto had earlier cancelled out Ronald Araujo's own goal at Spotify Camp Nou. 

Sam is joined by Toni, with a sprinkling of Rik, to discuss why Barça are more than a club, the LaLiga title moving into sight, Raphinha and Robert Lewan...

E251: Clasico preview, Dembele in Sunderland and TWO tidbits

Sam, Rik and Toni discuss Sunday's Clasico at Camp Nou: Will a win seal the title? Is the title already won? How many times can Real Madrid party a year? Should Pedri start? How important is the how this weekend? 

There are also two Joan Laporta-related tidbits from Toni and Sam's favourite moment of the week: Ousmane Dembele rocking up at a match in the English second tier.