Adriano Returns - AFR Voice Ep. 28

Adriano Returns - AFR Voice Ep. 28

After two years in the footballing wilderness, hulking Brazilian centre-forward Adriano is back playing football again, representing Atletico Paranaense in the Copa Libertadores. As we tentatively welcome his return to the game, and hope that issues of alcoholism and ‘poor nutrition’ are behind him, we look back on the rise and fall of ‘The Emperor,’ and express regret that he’s not leading the line in the forthcoming World Cup.

Back on the European continent, we look back on the life of a giant of English football – Sir Tom Finney. We profile the man who was a colossus for Preston North End and England in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s. The winger amazed people with his Mess-like balance, his consistent ability to run defences ragged and his exceptionally humble character (he walked to home matches with the fans!).

Elsewhere we highlight an exceptional piece of journalism that details the history and logistics of a Pakistani city that produces a jaw-dropping 60-million footballs a year. Sialkotis creates almost every ball you’ll see in your park or on the TV, including the Champions League ball – which brings us neatly on to the giddy excitement we have experiences with the return of World’s most high-profile club tournament is back. Listen to our quick fire reactions to Tuesday night’s results, which include a spanking for Bayer Leverkusen at the hands of Mr Ibrahimovic and a soul-crushing loss to Barca for Manchester City.

The latest selection from the #whereisfootball project is from Instagram user johncrok Thanks to this magnificent snap of the Emirates stadium during Arsenal’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool, he has won the ultimate prize in football – taking over our podcast cover art for the next seven days.

Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

(Source: SoundCloud / A Football Report Voice)