The Soccernomics Podcast

Based on the feedback we've been getting, a lot of you had a lot of thoughts about Stefan's takes on the Manchester City case last week. We knew that was probably gonna be the case. 

Like many of you, Ashish is also not fully convinced about Stefan's arguments. So consider this Thursday's episode a part two of the debate, where he'll also put some of your questions and points to him.

In the meantime, we're republishing an episode that might help you better understand where he's coming from in the first place. This episode was about Stefan's overall views on financial regulations in football - and was recorded at the end of August.

It was first published on September 1. None of the dates and references have been changed since that time.

Don't forget to vote for us at The Signal Awards:

https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/sports

Voting is open until October 15!

By now you've probably already heard the news. After years of investigation, Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 100 + charges they've been facing in relation to breaching the Premier League's financial regulations.

If you know Stefan, you probably won't be surprised to find out that many of his views on this topic go against the mainstream narratives. And though Stefan is upfront that he was a witness for the club in the case, his views on financial regulations in football predate any association with Manchester City.

Still, Ashish isn't fully convinced of his arguments. What do you think? Do let us know by writing in to [email protected].

And don't forget to vote for us at The Signal Awards: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/sports

A quick check-in to explain why we didn't do an episode today, and to announce that we are finalists at the Signal Awards.

It's one of the biggest awards competitions in the podcasting world, so it's a big honor for this independent podcast that didn't even exist five months ago.

You can help us win the Listener's Choice Award by voting here:

https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/sports

Make sure you create an account and verify it in your email!

VAR always produces a spirited debate, and today's episode is no different. Though Stefan has data that proves that VAR is highly effective, Ashish pushes back arguing that it's still used too subjectively, and that perceptions around its accuracy are a problem. What do you think?

The English Premier League is widely considered to be the best soccer league in the world, but how can we rank the rest of them? Opta, the British sports analytics company have come up with their latest power rankings. We discuss them, and metholodigies that can be used to rate the world's best leagues.

Following on from our latest episode on why managers get fired so often, today we're republishing our episode on how much they really matter in the first place.

This episode was first published on June 25. None of the dates or references have been changed since that time.

Football managers are constantly on the hot seat. Just a few weeks into the season, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Fiorentina and Valencia have already sacked their managers. What's behind the constant merry-go-round? And does it make sense from an economic point of view?

At long last, we delve into the promotion/relegation in the context of Major League Soccer, but also American sports in general. Stefan explains the closed league system, and what it would take for it to change. We also discuss how US sports leagues avoid charges of collusion under antitrust litigation.

As an extension from our Thursday episode, we discuss the MLS experiment and where it is today. How did it survive after its lowest ebbs in the late 90s and early 2000s? What's behind high present day MLS club valuations? And why hasn't it taken off and actually become a major league?

From the Boston Beaneaters of the ALFP, to the New York Cosmos of the NASL, we dig into the long history of professional soccer in the US, dating back to the 1890s. It sets us up for Stefan's critiques of Major League Soccer, and why he believes the league should bring in promotion and relegation.