He was known as ‘the mayor of Rome’ – and he was such a great player that later in his career the great Pele would go on to say that he was the best player in the 1982 World Cup.  But Bruno Conti had a very humble start – his home village of Nettuno was actually known as the baseball capital of Italy.  It was the site of a major US Naval Base during World War 2 – and the Italian boys would watch in fascination as the American GI’s would play baseball on the beach. Eventually they st...

John Fashanu

The soccerPod hosts long-form, heart to heart interviews with past legends of the game of soccer. There is a massive market for soccer in the United States today, but it wasn’t always this way. We go back in time and talk to legends from the prior era, whose stories are not well known in the United States. We talk about playing with no shin guards, the apparent impossibility of a straight red card and smoking cigarettes at halftime. We talk about the legendary games they were a part of, the goals they scored and the trophies that they won. But we also explore the time and culture in which our guests grew up – whether it was, as a kid - seeing the Berlin Wall go up in their backyard, or going to sleep to the sounds of IRA bombs in 1980’s Belfast. From childhood through their professional careers, on to where they are today – our guests’ have all had interesting rides – and we explore them here. &nbsp;&nbsp;For those who love it, the beautiful game connects us all. So relax, kick back and if you are into soccer talk with a nod towards nostalgia – or you just want to hear some fascinating stories that will make you laugh - give us a go.