Podcast: Spanish Football Culture with Miguel Pereira

Estadio Mestalla, home of Valencia CF [Photo: Miguel Pereira]

I welcome Miguel Lourenço Pereira back onto the podcast to discuss his new book, Pasión: A Journey to the Soul of Spanish Football. Following the success of his first book in English, Bring Me That Horizon, a deep-dive into football in his native Portugal, Miguel pops next door to explore the diverse and deeply rooted cultural identities that make up Spanish football. In Pasión, Miguel demonstrates how football reflects the country’s complex social and regional differences.

In this podcast…

We highlight lesser-known clubs and regions like Galicia and La Riona, bringing attention to rich football stories that are often overlooked outside of Spain.

We discuss how Spain’s unique federation-like structure—17 autonomous regions and multiple languages—shapes how football is played, consumed, and felt across the country.

We examine how Spain’s lack of a historical tactical school has led to a flexible, adaptive coaching style, contributing to the rise of globally successful Spanish managers today.

We emphasise the importance of fan-owned clubs and grassroots football, especially in regions where economic challenges have reshaped the football landscape.

Continues…

The cover of Miguel Pereira’s second book in English, Pasión [Image: Pitch Publishing]

We share anecdotes that reflect both the beauty and hardship of supporting regional football in a country where economic shifts and modern football pressures have left many traditional clubs struggling.

We analyse how Spain’s football passion is fuelled daily through sports media, particularly via dedicated football newspapers, round-the-clock radio shows, and visual storytelling.

We reflect on how clubs like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have transformed from political and regional symbols into global commercial brands, though historical identities still resonate within Spain.

We celebrate the new, more diverse face of Spanish football, where players of immigrant backgrounds now lead the national team, reflecting a modern, multicultural Spain.

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I release a new podcast every two weeks, so be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. You can find Football Travel by Outside Write on Apple, Spotify, Player.FM and Anchor. Look for it in Google Podcasts too. I’d really appreciate a rating or view if you like what I’m doing as it helps others discover the podcast.