Kicks for Free: Recent Episodes
Hindustan Times - HT Smartcast
This is a podcast where Bhargab Sarmah and Dhiman Sarkar of the Hindustan Times sports desk talk about the beautiful game. From transfers to tournaments, their discussions will cover what matters in football, in India and abroad. So, join them every week on Kicks For Free, if football is a matter of life and death -- or more -- for you.
This is a Hindustan Times production brought to you by HT Smartcast.
The first week of ISL10 is behind us and Bengaluru FC began the second with two red cards. Will Mohun Bagan, Odisha FC and Mumbai City pull away from the rest? Will East Bengal be among the top six? Here's what we think.
Seven goals between former champions Manchester United and Bayern Munich was the highlight of the opening fixtures but don't tell Ivan Provedel that.
With preparation that could be a study in contrasts, clubs and country get down to business next week. With colleague Aditya Chaturvedi as guest, we talk about the teams, how the Asian Games was the elephant in the room in ISL's media days and more.
From Bellingham to Bonucci, from Chelsea's splurge to City's conservatism, from Saudi Pro League to Alessia Russo and Ona Batlle, we look at the big moves of the summer window.
September 4, 1962, was when India, led by Chuni Goswami, won the Asian Games gold. We take a look back, hand held by football statistician Gautam Ray who relives those days with a meticulous eye for detail.
Belgian journalist Samindra Kunti was in Australia and New Zealand reporting on his second World Cup in less than one year. Hear from him about the month-long competition, the good, the bad and the ugly.
England and Spain, Sarina Wiegman and Jorge Vilda, countries and coaches, will meet on Sunday for their first shot to be on top of the world. What will it be? A humdinger? A nervy, narrow win? HT's Dhiman Sarkar & Vivek Krishnan discuss in this episode of the weekly football podcast Kicks for Free.
Another season starts in Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1. Will it be same old same old with Manchester City dominating or will there be new winners? Will Arsenal finish the unfinished business of last time? Will Mbappe stay at PSG? Will Neymar Jr? We don't have the answers but that doesn't stop us from discussing the questions.
Another season starts in Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1. Will it be the same old same old with Manchester City dominating or will there be new winners? Will Arsenal finish the unfinished business of last time? Will Mbappe stay at PSG? Will Neymar Jr? We don't have the answers but that doesn't stop us from discussing the questions.
On his birthday, the India and Bengaluru FC captain talks about the biggest change in his life and of the challenges on the pitch in a season that has the Asian Games, Asian Cup, World Cup qualifiers, Indian Super League and the Federation Cup.
Once a tournament synonymous with Delhi, one for which the capital would wait all year, this is now a competition that starts the Indian season. One which has a home in Kolkata. Through Jaydeep Basu, who has been following Durand Cup much before he began writing on football, we go back in time. The 132nd Durand Cup starts on August 3.
In this episode of the weekly football podcast Kicks for Free, hosts Dhiman Sarkar and Vivek Krishnan talk about what we can expect from the ninth edition in Australia and New Zealand, the first with 32 teams.
In this episode, Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at the SKEMA Business School, explains why the boom in the Saudi Pro League is unlikely to go the way of the Chinese Super League. Chadwick also speaks on whether the influx will help the Saudi Arabia men's national team and give the women's game a fillip.
You can't blame Umaid Wasim for having conflicted feelings about Pakistan in the SAFF Championship. The Pakistani in him wants the team to win a first South Asian title but the journalist in him -- Wasim is the sports editor of Dawn, Pakistan's largest circulated English daily --- is far from hopeful
Before the Asian under-17 finals, the India head coach said they have done all that they could, which included a pep talk from Fernando Torres, to get ready for the competition from where the semi-finalists qualify for the World Cup.
After hauling Hyderabad FC from obscurity to an ISL title and a semi-final in three seasons, Manolo Marquez has moved to FC Goa. Can the Spaniard repeat the performance? And how does he think the Champions League final will unfold? Listen here
As he looks back at a season where the club completed a hattrick of Indian Women's League titles, head coach Anthony Andrews explains why prolific goalscorer Sabitra Bhandari is called Samba, how players from Manipur kept their focus even as violence rocked the state, why morning kick-offs were difficult and more.
In this exclusive interview, the India head coach talks about the challenges of playing two tournaments in June almost back-to-back, why he is unlikely to go to the Asian Games, his plans for the Asian Cup and why it is important to have only Indians playing as strikers.
The former India midfielder is forthright about the situation in Manipur, talks about his academy in Imphal, the role of the Football Players' Association in India, how it came into being, and looks ahead to the national team's engagements
Can Real pull off another heist? Or will City take one more step towards a first? Can Milan come back stronger or will it be Inter in the final after 13 years? Tune in to find out our thoughts
Not even when Diego Maradona helped them win it in 1990 could they dominate the Serie A thus. But after years of hurt, can Napoli build on this and be what they were in the Maradona years.
The first Indian coach to win the Super Cup also looks back at how Arthur Papas changed his life and ahead to when he will not be an interim head coach
In this episode, we are in conversation with Misha Kumar, who directed the film that tells the world about why all roads in Kerala often lead to a football stadium.
From Liston to Lampard, Manjeri to Manchester, imperiousness of a team in sky blue and ennui in a football hotbed, we talk about them all in this episode.
Six seasons in India, the Spaniard talks about when FC Goa won the cup competition under his captaincy in 2019 when it was last held. But that is not the only reason why the former Racing Santander midfielder is looking forward to its resumption.
India's title run in Imphal takes up the first part. In the second, Germany and Bayern Munich legend Philipp Lahm shares his thoughts on the change of manager, Jude Bellingham and Der Klassiker.
In this episode, hosts Dhiman Sarkar and Vivek Krishnan discuss Anirudh Thapa's goal against Myanmar, Sunil Chhetri's misses and everything in between. Those penalties by Petratos and ISL's most successful team becoming history.
Vivek and Dhiman in conversation with former India striker Jeje Lalpekhlua talking about the highs of his career, the agony of ending his playing career at 32 and what it takes to win the Indian Super League
Vivek and Dhiman speak to Hindustan Times' colleague Shantanu Srivastava on what was good and what could have been better in the men's national championship in Saudi Arabia
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia played and starred in many Kolkata derbies during his career. He talks to us about his experience and also how things are at the All India Football Federation now.
In this special issue, Dhiman Sarkar talks to football writer Jaydeep Basu about the legendary forward who was such an important part of the 1962 Asian Games gold medal winning team.
The Premier League has charged Manchester City for alleged breaches of financial rules. Hosts Dhiman Sarkar and Vivek Krishnan discuss their plight and also look ahead to the Champions League Round of 16 fixtures
A look at the major ins and outs from Europe and elsewhere in the January transfer window.
We discuss Arsenal's victory over Manchester United and whether they can go all the way. Also up for discussion is the prospect of Lionel Messi playing club football in Saudi Arabia and AIFF's 25-year roadmap for the growth of Indian football
In this episode of the Kicks for Free podcast, hosts Dhiman Sarkar & Vivek Krishnan discuss Lionel Messi's legacy and relive a final that will be spoken about for as long as the World Cup is held.
The two best teams, Argentina and France, are in the final. We discuss Messi and Mbappe, recent finals and other subplots from the game
In this episode, hosts Dhiman Sarkar and Vivek Krishnan review the second semi-final of the FIFA World Cup tournament where they talk about why France is good at getting the job done and what Morocco needs to do to build on this run in Qatar.
At the age of 35, Messi is still running the show. In this episode of the Kicks for Free podcast, hosts Dhiman Sarkar & Vivek Krishnan speak about his greatness and looks ahead to the second semi-final between France and Morocco.
In this episode of the Kicks for Free podcast, hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar discuss the importance of Lionel Messi and Luka Modric and where the semi-final is likely to be decided.
We look back at Morocco's historic win over Portugal and France's 2-1 victory against England
Both the quarter-finals on Friday were decided by a penalty shootout. While Brazil lost to Croatia, Argentina pipped Netherlands to keep Messi's World Cup dream alive
In this episode, hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar talk about why Brazil and Argentina will go into their respective quarter-final matches as favourites
Hosts Vivek Krishnan & Dhiman Sarkar discuss Morocco's historic achievement and why Portugal may be a better team without Ronaldo.
Hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar discuss Brazil's 4-1 win over South Korea and why Croatia's experience helped them prevail against Japan in the penalty shootout
Mbappe has nine goals in just 11 World Cup appearances. He is just 23. Can anybody stop the French forward? Hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar talk about Mbappe's magic that took France to quarters.
Argentina and Netherlands progressed to the quarter-finals on Saturday. We discuss that and look ahead to France vs Poland and England vs Senegal
Portugal lose to South Korea and Brazil go down to Cameroon on the final day of the group stage. We also look ahead to Netherlands versus US and Argentina versus Australia in the Round of 16.
Japan advance to the Round of 16 after a 2-1 win over Spain as Germany make a group-stage exit for the second successive campaign
By beating Poland 2-0, Argentina show why they were one of the tournament favorites coming into the World Cup
In this episode, hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar discuss the final round of matches from Group A and B.
In this episode, hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar discuss why defensive midfielder Casemiro is so integral to the way Brazil plays.
In this episode, hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar discuss the 1-1 draw between Spain and Germany and why this is Brazil's chance to show they are not overdependent on Neymar.
We discuss individual brilliance from Lionel Messi for Argentina and Kylian Mbappe for France.
After a loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina will seek all three points in their second game. Can Messi & Co deliver?
In this episode, hosts Vivek Krishan and Dhiman Sarkar talk about how the Germans may be heading for another early exit after a defeat to Japan and how Spain has set a marker with a 7-0 demolition of Costa Rica.
In this episode hosts Vivek Krishnan and Dhiman Sarkar where they talk about the initial games where Argentina went wrong in their loss to Saudi Arabia and what Giroud brings to the table for France.
Tune in to this episode to know why hosts Qatar may have been overawed by the occasion in the opener against Ecuador.
We look ahead to the opening game of the World Cup between Qatar and Ecuador. We also discuss FIFA chief Gianni Infantino's explosive press conference on the eve of the World Cup
In the first episode of Season 2, hosts Vivek Krishnan & Dhiman Sarkar look at why France may find it difficult to retain the World Cup and why the Brazilians seem to have the ammunition to go all the way. Tune in for the FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 PREVIEW.
Let’s kick off this season head-to-head with the FIFA World cup 2022. Tune in so that you’re prepped upright and up to speed with headlines on and off the pitch before all the big tournaments.
Why Spain could go all the way, why the all-conquering USA women's team may not and more as the big ball begins to bounce in Japan
Why continental champions Italy and Argentina would be among the teams to look out for in Qatar 2022
Both know what it is to lose major games at Wembley but have built teams who know how to win
On the eight remaining teams in the European Championship and how the rest of the tournament could shape up after a dramatic round of 16
Picking favourites for the quarters and beyond, not always agreeing except when it comes to predicting why England might stumble.
In this episode, Dhiman & Bhargab pick their favourite teams and why they agree that England may not be greater than the sum of their parts.
Ahead of the games against Qatar, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, we look a possible starting line-up; the problems of a short Indian season and try to understand Igor Stimac's grumpiness.
In this episode, Germany and Bayern Munich great Philipp Lahm speaks to Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview. Captain of World Cup-winning and Champions League-winning teams during his glittering career, Lahm discusses a range of topics in this interview, including Robert Lewandowski’s Bundesliga record, Joachim Loew’s final bow with Germany, among other things.
Will LM10 end his association of two decades with the club and the city that made him a household name or will he renew his vows?
In this episode, we discuss the implications of a bubble breach, quarantine in Qatar and how the women's game got another setback
Revisiting the semi-finals of the Champions League and Europa League to understand a tale of two cities: Manchester and London
No Messi, no Ronaldo in the Champions League quarter-finals but that isn't the only reason why this could be the start of a new order in European club football.
As the Premier League top-4 race enters its final stretch, the announcement of a breakaway Super League prompts fury across Europe. Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, gets the boot.
Ahead of his club's AFC Cup qualifier, the India and Bengaluru FC goalkeeper spoke about the season; the club's coach; India's 0-6 defeat to UAE and even shared his thoughts on the continuing farmers' strike.
FC Goa are set to make history next week when they become the first Indian club to play in the group stages of the AFC Champions League. In this episode, the club’s head coach Juan Ferrando joins Dhiman and Bhargab to discuss the challenge ahead and his expectations from the upcoming campaign.
After leading Gokulam Kerala to their maiden I-League triumph, the club’s Italian head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese joins Bhargab and Dhiman to discuss the highs and lows of the season, the key players in his squad and his coaching career that has spanned over 10 countries across the globe.
For the fifth time in seven seasons, the I-League title race is heading into the final day of the season. TRAU, Gokulam Kerala and Churchill Brothers are all in the fray for the title. TRAU play Gokulam and Churchill face Roundglass Punjab on the final day. Bhargab and Dhiman discuss the season so far and look ahead to Saturday’s games.
The hurly-burly is done and Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan will play for the title. An analysis of who's ahead of where, from goalkeepers to forwards, and more ahead of Saturday's showdown.
Can Sergio Lobera's team go all the way or will it be a third title for Antonio Lopez Habas. Or a first for either of Juan Ferrando and Khalid Jamil who is the odd one among three Spanish coaches?
ISL7 has shown that a few young Indians have a nose for goal. Even if they are a work in progress, it could mean good news for the national team.
From growing up in New Delhi, Manila and Bengaluru; from playing the Gothia Cup and opting for sunny Spain and from consistently scoring late, late goals, this FC Goa striker is having a ball.
Covid-19 felt like a tackle from behind in the tiny state and there are issues with the Mizoram Premier League but dearth of footballers is not one of them, says Lalnghinglova 'Tetea' Hmar, the state association's honorary secretary, in this episode.
Being part of City Football Group, a consortium headlined by Manchester City, has helped Mumbai maintain pole position in ISL this season but things could get hot on the homestretch.
United winning the FA Cup tie mirrored the fortunes of both teams and defending Premier League champions Liverpool now have all to do to get their campaign back on track.
Despite losing the entirety of 2020 to the pandemic, India head coach Igor Stimac is upbeat about 2021. The 53-year-old former Croatia international has been closely following the Indian Super League season from back home in Split. In this discussion with Bhargab and Dhiman, he names some of the youngsters he has been impressed by, India’s remaining World Cup qualifiers, his views on the I-League, among other things.
Bengaluru FC are struggling for form this season, losing their last four games in the Indian Super League and failing to score a goal from open play in six of their 10 games. The club has sacked head coach Carles Cuadrat, with Naushad Moosa taking over as interim head coach. In this episode, Dhiman and Bhargab discuss the reasons behind Bengaluru’s struggles and the challenges that lie ahead for the club.
The national capital has never had a team playing in the I-League. That changes this season with Sudeva Delhi FC making their debut in the competition. In this episode, Dhiman and Bhargab discuss the season ahead with the club’s president Anuj Gupta.
Can a Delhi club’s entry to the I-League change the city’s footballing fortunes? Dhiman and Bhargab discuss the significance of Sudeva’s rise with Football Delhi president and former FIFA development officer Shaji Prabhakaran.
Missed chances to consolidate their position could see top teams scour the market and Arsenal trying to solve the Oezil puzzle.
Why can't the 100-year-old club that has won everything in Indian football get off the blocks in its debut ISL season under Robbie Fowler?
After missing a year’s action due to a serious knee injury, Sandesh Jhingan is back on the football field. Having moved from Kerala Blasters to ATK Mohun Bagan, the India centre-back hasn’t taken long to fit into Antonio Lopez Habas’s side. In this episode, the Chandigarh-born footballer joins Bhargab and Dhiman to discuss his career and his challenge at ATK Mohun Bagan, among other things.
She has been a prolific scorer in India and for India. And now Bala is showing Scotland she can do it there now. We discuss what Bala's goal means for football in India.
Recollections of the genius; his visits to India, playing football with Sourav Ganguly and watching him at World Cups in South Africa and Russia.
Why SC East Bengal's Eugeneson Lyngdoh is looking forward to Friday's ISL game against ATK Mohun Bagan and why 2020-21 could end two seasons of hurt for the midfielder before which he used to be a regular player for India.
Ahead of a new season of the Indian Super League, former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia talks about Mohun Bagan and East Bengal being part of the competition, why promotion and relegation are important going forward, India not playing an international in 2020 and more, including his political career, in this episode.
An interesting round of games in Europe’s top leagues provided many talking points—from Grealish to Gnabry, from Villa to Valencia—for Dhiman and Bhargab to chew on in this episode.
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has taken charge as head coach of East Bengal ahead of the club’s debut season in the Indian Super League. In this episode, he discusses the upcoming season, his Liverpool days and many other things with Bhargab and Dhiman.
Things are not going to plan at FC Barcelona and a 3-1 home loss to bitter rivals Real Madrid in the season’s first El Clasico has added to the pressure on new head coach Ronald Koeman. In this episode, Bhargab and Dhiman discuss last weekend’s game at Camp Nou and what could lie ahead for Spain’s two biggest clubs.
After five rounds, Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton sit atop the Premier League table with 13 points while Aston Villa maintain their perfect start to the campaign. In this episode of Kicks for Free, Bhargab and Dhiman discuss among other thing, why The Toffees are tasting so good.
India goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan in an exclusive conversation on her foray into football, the lockdown, why she thinks she will emerge a better player from it and how the reigning world champions USA inspires her
With the final round of the I-League second division, sports will resume in India in the time of Covid-19. Here's a lowdown on the health protocols in the bio bubble in Kolkata and more for the five-team competition beginning on October 8 with @BhargabSarmah and @DhimanHT. Tune in now!