From 🏴, speak 🇪🇸 🇫🇷. Commentator/Interviewer. Host @nbaeuropepod. Writer @SkySports. Interested in basketball, football & the business of sport
The 2-strand spiral
Joined December 2011
- Tweets40.6K
- Following3.3K
- Followers6.4K
- Likes48.5K
Really cool to meet World Cup winner and UEFA Europa League goal machine Yeremy Pino earlier this week 🤝
A great guy and a really enjoyable interview - always grateful for the opportunities 🙏
Interesting choice of words at points.
Referring to “what franchises are going to be part of the initial franchises”.
Suggests a longer term way of thinking…
According to Marc Tatum, in comparison to the €3.4B distribution to EuroLeague teams, NBA Europe projections "are triple compared to the EuroLeague's plan estimates"
eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/20…
2
693
Few things better in journalism than being vindicated after sticking to your guns.
When I wrote about this image rights sham for The Independent in 2018, Manchester City threatened to sue us and demanded I tweet out a personal apology on here. We fought them. They did not sue us.
City's sham is confirmed by the Premier League today independent.co.uk/sport/foot…
1
2
1,491
Jordi Bartomeu’s recent comments align with my thinking.
UK basketball just needs one, preferably two, of the big football brands.
3
5
801
Ended up talking more golf than football with @mattycash622 when we met a few weeks back...
Fairly sure the guy could've gone pro if it wasn't for his abilities as a footballer!
1
291
Basketball is Europe's second sport and its fastest growing.
It takes under 1% of a €45bn market.
That gap is the whole reason NBA Europe exists.
With @ColinMurray and @Natpirks.
5
675
Talking about the mental challenges of becoming a dad on my new mental health podcast.
Expectant fathers still have to look after their own mental health 💙
#MensMentalHealth #ToxicMasculinity #SelfCare
9
1,125
Twelve target cities for NBA Europe. London and Manchester are two, and London's bids are north of a billion.
Barcelona play basketball. Real Madrid play basketball.
Not saying it happens out the gate. But Arsenal v Man City at basketball 🤯
With @ColinMurray and @Natpirks.
Was really lovely to receive such nice comments from @ShamrockRovers fans who watched the game.
Proves it’s worth putting the work in to get to know a new team.
Disaster for Shamrock Rovers as they concede through a Graham Burke own goal. Kups 1-0 Shamrock Rovers. This is Shamrock Rovers last chance for European hopes they need an equaliser for extra time and 2 goals to win the tie outright.
#Shamrockrovers #grahamburke #kups
My pleasure to lead on comms!
💻 This afternoon's Conference League Play Off is available to stream live on SolidSport, with kick off set for 4pm
🌎 Accessible worldwide excluding Finland
🎙️ English language commentary will be provided
🎟 Stream passes are available for €12
🔗 rov.rs/kups-away-stream
#RoversInEurope
3
33
5,535
“El Barça es el Barça.”
Cool new milestone ticked off for me with my first full published piece that I wrote entirely in a foreign language ✅
A Scotsman interviewing a Geordie about joining Barcelona, in Spain’s oldest sports paper.
Reigning G League Finals MVP @Tosan_Evb told me why he turned down other offers to sign for @FCBbasket.
Amazing where covering the NBA Europe story can lead you….
Thanks to @jfelipo and the team at @mundodeportivo
Wrote this after last night’s disaster.
Mental how a billionaire doesn’t know one of the most basic rules of business.
Six Champions League Failures: The Same Questions Remain
celticfanstv.substack.com/p/…
6
1,091
Kasper Schmeichel making the point:
Waiting to invest means players won’t come.
Europa League and a Thursday Sunday rhythm is hated by pro footballers.
The time for this regime at the club has to be over.
🚨 𝗦𝗜𝗫 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗪 — 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡?! 🚨
Once again, the Celtic board were banking on Champions League money BEFORE doing the business that was required.
They gambled. They risked it all. And once again, it has blown up in our faces.
❌ 2026: 🇦🇹 LASK — Play-Off
❌ 2025: 🇰🇿 Kairat — Play-Off
❌ 2021: 🇩🇰 Midtjylland — Q2
❌ 2020: 🇭🇺 Ferencváros — Q2
❌ 2019: 🇷🇴 CFR Cluj — Q3
❌ 2018: 🇬🇷 AEK Athens — Q3
✅ 2017: 🇰🇿 Astana — Play-Off
SIX FAILED QUALIFYING CAMPAIGNS IN A ROW. SIX!
How many times does the exact same mistake have to happen before somebody inside Celtic Park actually learns from it?
You KNEW Arne Engels needed replaced.
You KNEW we needed someone capable of sitting in front of that back four and protecting the defence.
You KNEW there were several areas of this squad that desperately needed more quality, strength and depth.
Yet once again, instead of getting the business done BEFORE two absolutely enormous Champions League ties, you waited.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Our last THREE Champions League appearances — 2022, 2023 and 2024 — came through DIRECT QUALIFICATION. The last time Celtic actually successfully navigated Champions League qualifying was 2017.
That is absolutely DAMNING.
Stop waiting to see if we qualify before spending the money required to help us qualify!
Build the squad FIRST. Give the manager the tools FIRST. Get your key targets through the door FIRST.
Then go into these ties properly prepared.
Champions League qualification should be the priority not something you gamble on with an unfinished squad before deciding whether you're willing to invest.
The supporters deserve better than watching the SAME mistakes being repeated year after year.
SIX IN A ROW.
When will you fcking learn? 🍀
It’ll take years to fully reshape itself.
Since it's the coming of a new era, a lot of stuff is still confusing to fans. So, while the EuroLeague and NBA Europe seem to be on a collision course, it's obvious that for this thing to work in Europe, a collaboration will be the natural evolution. Better sooner than later...
1
759
When I realised it was 10 years since I became Norwich City commentator, I've had so many requests for just one clip.
It's the moment that became synonymous with the whole season.
@grahamdorrans, take it away...
10 years ago today, I did my first Norwich City game.
What followed was a season that helped mould me as a commentator and gave me some priceless memories and lasting friendships.
An amazing experience – and hearing your voice boom across a ground is still cool!
Grateful for the experience and might share a reel soon of some of the best moments… #OTBC
Big one tonight, as @MotherwellFC stand on the cusp of history.
Never have they played a in a group stage or league phase of European competition.
They could take a massive step in changing that tonight but will face a stiff challenge against last season's defeated finalists in the @EuropaLeague, @scfreiburg.
I'm delighted to be on the call for @solidsport_swe again, and here's a compilation of the best of last week's win at Fir Park against HJK Helsinki to whet the appetite for tonight's UEFA Conference League playoff.