Michael Robinson

Media career After retiring, Robinson began his broadcasting career in Spain as a commentator for RTVE, covering the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. He later worked as a commentator and presenter on Cadena SER's El Larguero and then on the subscription channel Canal+, where he hosted the cult television show El día después for 14 years (1991–2005). Following the show's demise he continued working with the network, as co-commentator on their live coverage of the Sunday night match as well as on the studio show El día del fútbol, and later by presenting a monthly sports magazine series called Informe Robinson.

Speaking to Simon Hughes, Robinson said "I came over on 7 January 1987. I didn't know if I was going to be here forever. But something strange happened. I enjoyed more or less everything about Spain and the way the Spanish interpreted life. I finished up realising that I had loads in common with the Spaniards. We laughed about the same things, cried about the same things." and also being the president of the Iberian Superleague, a rugby union league covering the Iberian Peninsula. As a broadcaster he also covered for Canal+ rugby events, including the World Cup and the Six Nations Championship.

Robinson also did voice-over work on television adverts as well as feature films, voicing the ugly sister in the dubbed Spanish versions of the Shrek films by DreamWorks Animation.

Illness and death On 17 December 2018, while taking part in La Ventana, a radio programme on Cadena SER, Robinson announced that he had a melanoma which had been found at an advanced stage and had metastasized. Doctors had told him it 'had no cure'. He died on 28 April 2020 of cancer at his home in Madrid at the age of 61, being survived by his wife Christine (née Sharrock) and children Liam, who worked in television production in Madrid, and Aimée, who worked in public relations in Australia.

Among the tributes was one from Rafael Nadal: "We woke up with the sad news of the death of one of our own. You were the one who always made us happy about sport. We are grateful to you."

Honours and awards Player Brighton & Hove Albion FA Cup runner-up: 1982–83

Liverpool Football League First Division: 1983–84 Adopted son of Cádiz (2019)

Works