Bombazo La Liga Podcast Episode Nine: Michael Laudrup (Greatest Scandinavians)

It's the international break so today marks the debut of our special series Greatest Scandinavians where we look at the best players from the region to feature in Spanish football, and what better way to kick-off than with arguably the greatest Scandinavian footballer of all time, Michael Laudrup.

With five LaLiga titles in a row, a key part in Barcelona's first ever European Cup, the unique ability to boast playing in back-to-back 5-0 El Clásico wins on both sides of the divide, and a strong legacy as a coach that includes taking Getafe on a heroic European run, Laudrup's impact on LaLiga has been huge and spans decades.

The Blaugrana's false nine before Messi and the man who Andrés Iniesta tried to copy, we look at some of the anecdotes and lesser known details of Laudrup's time playing for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, including how he almost ended up at Barça as a teen.

We also analyse his move from from Barça to Madrid, including the forgotten context of why it happened, why Barcelona fans ultimately forgave him, and why he holds the rare honour of being seen as a club legend by both sets of fans. 

And finally, we reach some conclusions on two big questions: is Laudrup the Scandinavian who had the biggest impact on LaLiga, and above all, is he the greatest Scandinavian footballer of all time?

If you're a fan of the Great Dane or simply want to understand a key figure in shaping modern day Spanish football, you won't want to miss this one.

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Thanks for listening!