This week Sam, Chris, Andrés, Santi B and special guest Andrés Gurrieri, who did NOT used to play for Exeter, meet up to discuss Estudiantes de La Plata's penalty shootout win over Racing in a less-than-classic Torneo Clausura final in Santiago del Estero. We also have a bit of news from San Lorenzo (for a lot more detail, and plenty more content besides, get over to our Patreon: https://patreon.com/handofpod) and the AFA as we head into the summer break. We hope you all have a good time whatever you're celebrating at this time of year, and we'll be back in your ears in mid-January.

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés, Chris and both Santis review two rather boring Torneo Clausura semifinals which saw Estudiantes and Racing advance to Saturday's final. We also look at the draw for next year's group stage and try to explain why the AFA and various clubs have had their offices raided by investigators.

This week Sam, English Dan and Andrés review last weekend's Torneo Clausura quarterfinals and look forward to Sunday and Monday's semis, which see an all-Big Five clash in the Bombonera between Boca Juniors and Racing and a clásico platense between Gimnasia and Estudiantes. There's also news of a thumping win for Argentina's women's team in the CONMEBOL Liga de Naciones (whose name also contains the totally unnecessary word 'Femenina') and listeners' questions (and our answers to them).

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Santi B review the first round of the Torneo Clausura playoffs, which saw ... um, champions? ... Rosario Central knocked out by Estudiantes following a controversial guard of 'honour' that broke a rule that didn't actually exist and has now seen Estudiantes president Seba Verón and several of their players suspended. Elsewhere, Racing are through after a wonderfully flawed win over River Plate, Boca Juniors saw off Talleres and there was plenty more besides.

We're back! Sam has been away for a while, so in this episode English Dan, Chris, Andrés and Santi B catch him up on what he's missed, which includes River Plate and Independiente not being very good, Boca Juniors and Racing being rather better, San Martín and Godoy Cruz being relegated and Rosario Central being awarded a championship no one knew was being contested. So nothing out of the ordinary for Argentine football ...

This week Sam, English Dan and Andrés unpack the scenes in Avellaneda on Wednesday night, which saw the second half of Independiente v Universidad de Chile in the Copa Sudamericana abandoned after violence from both barra bravas in the stands. In the continent's other cup the news was much better for Argentina's representatives, who make up four of the last eight. And we have one last look at the group stage of the Torneo Clausura. We'll be back in November for the knockout stage of the league and a Copa Libertadores final that will hopefully feature at least one Argentine team.

This week Sam and English Dan have the studio to themselves, and sit down for a chat about a round of league action that, mercifully, saw more goals than the previous one. The big story of the week was off the pitch, as Racing signed Marcos Rojo, much to many fans' annoyance, and it then emerged that he's ineligible to play in the league until next year.

No league action last weekend means the focus for Sam, English Dan and Andrés is on reviewing the Copa Argentina this week. We have a bunch of matches from the round of sixteen and – because this is the Copa Argentina – one from the round of thirty-two to go over. There's also a brief update on how Argentina fared in the Copa América Femenina (get over to our Patreon for far more detail with Tony) and listeners' questions. Check us out on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/handofpod

This week Sam, English Dan and Andrés have only 13 goals in 15 matches to look back on from the third round of the Torneo Clausura – and even that total is only thanks to eight being scored in Monday's three matches. River Plate's 100% start has come to an end, Miguel Ángel Russo is under a lot of pressure at Boca Juniors and there's plenty more to discuss as well.

This week Sam, English Dan, Santi S and Andrés review the second round of games in the Torneo Clausura, which saw Ángel Di María score another penalty (that's six in six matches for him now) to get the first win since his return to Rosario Central, River Plate convincingly beat Instituto to already become the only team with a 100% record and Leandro Paredes claim an assist on his second debut for Boca Juniors.

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Santi S meet to review the first round of action in the 2025 Torneo Clausura, which saw champions Platense concede three times in one game for the first time this year, not one but two injury-time winners (sort of) in the Cilindro and a less brilliant than anticipated clash of the Juniors as Argentinos and Boca ground out a stalemate.

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés, Santi S and Santi B get together to preview the 2025 Torneo Clausura, which kicked off a few hours before we recorded but will be going on for the next few months. Who's had a good transfer window? Who's appointed Carlos Tevez as their manager to replace their previous manager, who didn't take charge for a single game? And most important of all: who will be the next champions of Argentina?

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and both Santis (for the first time!) review the group-stage exits of River Plate and Boca Juniors from the Club World Cup, and answer some listeners' questions.

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Santi Bauzá review Argentina's two World Cup qualifiers – a win away to Chile and a draw at home to Colombia – and cast our eyes over the other games in the campaign as well, with Brazil and Ecuador confirming their places at next year's tournament and Chile eliminated. We also discuss Franco Mastantuono's transfer to Real Madrid and answer listeners' questions.

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés, Remi and Marcus look back on the final of the Torneo Apertura, which saw Platense crowned champions of Argentina for the first time in their history thanks to a 1–0 win over Huracán in Santiago del Estero in front of a frankly underwhelming number of fans. Remi is a Platense season ticket holder, so gives us his take on their campaign, and we also have updates including a new (old) manager at Boca Juniors, some absolute ridiculousness in Rosario and the small matter of the national team playing two World Cup qualifiers before we next record.

This week on HOP Sam, English Dan, Santi Sourigues and special guest Marcus Haydon review the semifinals of the Liga Profesional Torneo Apertura, which saw Huracán squeeze out Independiente on penalties and Platense get a 1–0 win over San Lorenzo to set up a final in which either El Globo will win their first title in over fifty years or El Calamar will win their first ever. We also take a look at the domestic players likely to be added to the Argentina squad and the last week of Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana group stage action.

This week Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Santi Sourigues look back on the quarterfinals of the Liga Profesional's Torneo Apertura and forward to this weekend's semifinals. Whoever ends up taking the title now it'll be the end of a length title drought, and for one of the remaining teams it would be their first top-flight title ever.

Sam, English Dan, Santi and Andrés have a bumper episode this week, in which we review the eight matches from last weekend's Liga Profesional round of sixteen and preview the quarterfinals, which run from Sunday to Tuesday. We also cast our eyes over the midweek continental action and let you know who Lionel Scaloni's called up from the foreign legion for Argentina's next two World Cup qualifiers.

This week Sam, English Dan and Andrés finally have some meaningful football to look forward to, and here we review the final weekend of group stage action in the Liga Profesional de Fútbol Torneo Apertura 2025, and take a look at this weekend's last sixteen fixtures. We also look at how Argentina's representatives in the Copas Sudamericana and Libertadores got on.

This week Sam, English Dan, Chris, Andrés and special guest Santi Sourigues review last weekend's action, and in particular Sunday's superclásico, in which Franco Mastantuono was imperious – and scored an astonishing free kick – for River Plate. Boca Juniors manager Fernando Gago became former Boca Juniors manager Fernando Gago after the game, so we also ask what's next for them.