What’s Going On?

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:20 - Spurs: Ange Postecoglou is tearing it up

09:30 - Arsenal: better defensively, worse offensively

11:00 - Man City: business as usual

13:29 - Liverpool: are they back?

16:13 - Aston Villa: what a job Unai Emery has done

18:47 - Newcastle: a well-run (and absurdly rich) club

22:07 - Brighton: struggling with European football

23:57 - Man Utd: chaos

29:08 - Chelsea: £1bn spent, but doesn’t look like it

30:49 - Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham

33:04 - Girona: the surprise team near the top of LaLiga

33:54 - Atletico Madrid: actually playing good football

37:12 - Saudi Arabia to host 2034 World Cup

38:50 - Ballon d’Or

40:56 - Tonali and Fagioli banned for illegal betting

44:00 - Bundesliga: Harry Kane on fire, and Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen are flying

47:00 - Luis Rubiales banned for 3 years

48:04 - AIK close to avoiding relegation

49:53 - Beckham documentary

52:00 - Outro

We're back with Season 2 after an extended summer break. A lot has happened in the football world over the summer and opening few weeks of the season. We reflect on the fantastic FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and we discuss the disgraced former president of the Spanish FA (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, who finally resigned as a result of his non-consensual kiss on Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso. We also delve into the "Las 15" incident, which ultimately led to Spain's Womens head coach, Jorge Vilda, getting sacked, despite winning the World Cup. We deep dive into the Manchester United right winger, Mason Greenwood, situation, who was arrested in January 2022 for attempted rape, occasioning actual bodily harm, and controlling and coercive behavior. Those charges were dropped in February 2023, and we touch on this summer's drama and u-turns, which resulted in his move to Getafe. Finally, we discuss another Manchester United right winger, Antony, who is under investigation for domestic violence.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

02:27 - FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

12:00 - Equal pay

17:40 - Luis Rubiales kiss scandal

26:00 - Jorge Vilda sacked as Spain’s women national team coach after “Las 15”

29:49 - Greenwood leaves ManUtd to Getafe after backlash from leaked reintegration plan forces u-turn

47:00 - Domestic violence allegations against ManUtd RW Antony

50:14 - Outro

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Erik McCue and Helmer Rusten join us to discuss their fascinating footballing journeys. Born in 2001 and raised in expat environments, Erik and Helmer became best friends in Thailand in 7th grade and represented FC Bangkok. 

Erik, a Swedish/American centre-back, has played in the DC United academy, represented Houston Dynamo from 2017-2021, and currently plays for El Paso Locomotive in the USL (2nd tier of US football). Helmer, a centre-back turned right-back, has represented Norway at U15-17 level, and currently plays for Kjelsås, a 3rd tier Norwegian side. Helmer is also Cwa’s cousin.

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome Erik McCue and Helmer Rusten!

01:16 - Helmer intro

02:12 - Erik intro

03:33 - The friendship

08:16 - Helmer’s transition from Thailand to Norwegian youth football

12:15 - Helmer time in Norway’s U15-U17 national teams

13:02 - Helmer’s 907 days of injury

19:41 - Helmer at Kjelsås

23:53 - Kjelsås’ run to the Norwegian Cup QF

28:06 - Helmer’s next goal

29:16 - Erik’s transition from Thailand to DC United

33:30 - Erik’s time at Houston Dynamo

36:43 - Erik’s call up to Sweden U19 national team

37:25 - Erik on confidence, and the MLS Homegrown All Stars

40:58 - Erik’s encounter with Zlatan

45:11 - Erik’s struggle to find a club after leaving Houston

48:36 - Erik on life at AB Argir in the Faroe Islands

51:19 - Erik’s season at El Paso Locomotive

59:25 - Erik’s next goal

1:01:11 - Gazelle vs Bull - the art of defending

1:05:15 - Quickfire questions

1:17:50 - Outro

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This is a Swedish episode. We are joined by Edvard Sjöberg, part-owner & Head of Sales and Marketing at FC Stockholm.

FC Stockholm was founded in 2010 and have already been promoted 6 times. They are currently in Division 1 (the 3rd tier of Swedish football), and aim to make it to Allsvenskan and become the 4th big team in Stockholm, after AIK, Djurgården and Hammarby.

Timestamps

00:00 - Välkommen Edvard Sjöberg, sälj- och marknadschef på FC Stockholm

01:18 - Edvards bakgrund

04:07 - Edvard träffar FC Stockholms grundare Sfefan Elfver

07:02 - Hur FC Stockholms grundades och namnvalet

09:30 - Välkända namn och PR-vågen i klubben

11:25 - Det fjärde Stockholmslaget?

15:27 - Revanschsugen, hitta glädjen och vara med på resan uppåt

17:19 - Div 7 till Div 1 Norra på 10 år. Vad är visionen?

25:14 - Omställningen från Tvåan till Ettan har varit stor

26:28 - Vikten av att spelarna ska ha kul

28:36 - Marknadsföring

34:53 - Intresset växer internationellt kring klubben

36:39 - Stockholms Stadion, Kristinebergs IP och Stadshagens IP

40:26 - Scouting, agenter och rådgivare

47:11 - Superettan nästa år?

49:20 - Vart är FC Stockholm om 5-10 år? 

51:10 - Dam- och flicklag

52:01 - Outro 

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We reflect on this never-ending season, discuss the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, deep-dive into the Saudi Pro League - football's big disruptors, and finally touch on some transfer news.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:30 - 2022/23 was a never-ending season

04:09 - Too much football?

05:58 - We consume football and it consumes us

08:03 - Man City win the Champions League and Treble

09:50 - Man City had the luck they missed in the past

10:54 - John Stones as an 8

13:27 - Haaland dropping deep and never being offside

17:15 - Pep: “now we enjoy defending”

19:05 - Greatness has not come easy for some of City’s stars

25:00 - Saudi Arabia - football’s disruptors

26:49 - Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

30:36 - The sovereign wealth fund (PIF) revamp the Saudi Pro League

32:31 - PIF-funded LIV Golf merges with PGA Tour

34:13 - Saudi Pro League’s goals

37:50 - Saudi Pro League vs Chinese Super League 10 years ago

39:50 - Recruitment process in Saudi

42:58 - Distribution of the product

45:15 - Saudi Pro League wrap up

47:51 - Transfer news & rumours

57:34 - Outro

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We are joined by Gabriele Marcotti, ESPN Senior Writer and Corriere dello Sport correspondent. We discuss Gab’s journey so far, life as a football journalist, local match-going fans vs fans that watch from afar, being a fan of individuals vs clubs, whether it’s “soccer” or “football”, why American investors are buying European football clubs, and Gab’s honest thoughts on the US Men's National Team.

Follow Gab on Twitter @Marcotti

Timestamps:

00:00 - Coming up

00:33 - Welcome Gabriele Marcotti, ESPN Senior Writer

01:22 - Gab’s journey so far

04:54 - Life as a football journalist

16:15 - Speed vs accuracy

17:06 - Social media fans vs match-going fans

18:49 - How much is a non-match-going fan worth to a club?

25:29 - Key factors in being a top journalist

28:17 - Social media abuse

29:23 - Fandom: being a fan of individuals vs clubs

36:11 - Career highlights

38:21 - Favourite leagues

43:16 - Football or soccer?

47:03 - Why are Americans investing in European clubs?

52:19 - Gab’s thoughts on USMNT hopes for World Cup 2026

59:12 - Outro

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We are joined by Europa Point FC’s Pär Magnus Roos (President & part-owner) and Martin Falkeborn (player & Head of Youth) as we discuss one of Europe’s most exciting football projects. The Gibraltarian club was bought by a Swedish consortium in 2022, and in this interview we discuss why they decided to buy the club, the unique dynamics of the Gibraltar National League, the club’s ambitions of European football, the academy, a footballer’s life in Gibraltar, the club’s progressive approach, and much more.

Europa Point FC social media:

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome Magnus Roos & Martin Falkeborn!

01:06 - Magnus' and Martin's role at the club

02:08 - Martin's football career before Gibraltar

05:22 - Magnus' career before investing in Europa Point FC, including working with Sven-Göran Eriksson

10:04 - Current status and long-term ambitions

11:38 - Choosing Gibraltar over Championship or League 1 clubs

20:09 - Ownership landscape in Gibraltar

22:09 - The Europa Point FC academy

26:04 - Gothia Cup

27:18 - Europa Point FC's May tryout in Sweden

28:35 - Benefits of relocating to Gibraltar as a player

30:43 - Lifestyle in Gibraltar

32:45 - Allsvenskan and Superettan have expressed interest in joining the club  

34:35 - Level of the Gibraltar National League

36:57 - Allsvenskan's 17th team

40:42 - Challenge of having 5 Gibraltarian players on the pitch at all times

43:00 - Initial actions after buying Europa Point FC and the importance of culture

45:41 - Women's team

47:47 - A progressive club

50:55 - Marcus Birro's book on Europa Point FC's journey

52:22 - Season goals

54:06 - Brentford, Brommapojkarna, and Manchester United

56:38 - Europa Point FC kit

57:16 - Outro

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We discuss the treatment of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr following the racial abuse he received (again) during the LaLiga match away against Valencia at the Estadio Mestalla. We reflect on Vini's powerful social media post, and the impact these recurring incidents are having on the reputation of LaLiga and Spanish society. Football's governing bodies need to do more. We also deep dive into the Premier League, and touch on the scenarios across a few of Europe's top leagues, as the season draws to a close.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:37 - Vinicius Jr gets racially abused (again) by Valencia fans, and gets a red card

04:37 - Ignorant attitudes in Spain that “monkey” is no different than any other abuse

06:08 - La Liga President Javier Tebas gets into Twitter fight with VIni Jr

07:25 - Vini’s social media post, and will he leave Real Madrid?

09:12 - Vini leaving Real Madrid would be a huge blow to the club, La Liga, and Spanish society

11:11 - 9 cases of racism against Vini since Oct 2021

12:59 - Vini is portrayed negatively in Spanish media

13:56 - Racism in stadiums in Spain and Italy

15:30 - Governing bodies must do more

21:57 - Man City win the Premier League, and are on the verge of The Treble

27:41 - Man City - greatest team or greatest cheats?

32:50 - Did Arsenal actually bottle it?

39:28 - Who has had a better season - Arsenal or Man Utd?

42:54 - Newcastle ahead of schedule

43:51 - Is Brighton’s De Zerbi manager of the season?

47:23 - Premier League relegation battle

50:19 - Next season’s promoted teams to the PL

51:52 - Dortmund are one win away from winning Bundesliga

54:07 - Complacency at Bayern Munich

56:09 - Juventus deducted 10 points, and Italian chaos

59:05 - Surprises in the Polish league

1:01:23 - AIK’s horrid form

1:05:17 - Outro

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We review the Champions League semi-finals, where Man City humiliated Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate, and produced arguably their best ever display, while Inter Milan cruised to a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory against their city rivals, AC Milan.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:30 - Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid (5-1 aggregate)

03:45 - Man City took 7 months to click, but have been mesmerizing since the March international break

06:30 - Total domination: before Bernardo’s 1st goal, City had completed 202 passes to Madrid’s 28

07:51 - Man City have not lost since being charged with 115 financial violations

08:59 - Best Man City team ever?

09:53 - Man City’s hit rate on replacements is unreal

12:49 - Abu Dhabi state project & no sympathy for Real Madrid

15:43 - Bernardo, Walker, and Rodri special mentions

23:14 - Courtois is immense, Benzema disappointing, Camavinga bamboozled

25:35 - Szymon Marciniak is the best referee in the business

26:40 - Can United or Inter stop Man City from winning the treble?

29:14 - Inter 1-0 Milan (3-0 aggregate), Inter at a different level physically

31:00 - Incredible atmosphere and ticket demand for Derby della Modonnina

32:56 - Huge financial boost for the Milan clubs

34:02 - Lautaro Martinez and Nicolò Barella special mention

35:38 - Manchester United rejects (Darmian, Lukaku, Mkhitaryan) impressed

36:58 - Inter manager Simone Inzaghi took over in tough conditions and has done more with less

41:42 - +€100M CL pot money will allow Inter to extend key contracts

43:43 - Outro

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This is a Swedish episode, where we are joined by Adrian von Heijne, Head of Scouting at Odense Boldklub (OB) in the Danish Superliga. Adrian takes us on a journey through his upbringing in Gothenburg, his law studies, and his transition from youth coach, to analyst to head of scouting at Allsvenskan club IK Sirius. He discusses his way of working, data-driven scouting, scouting networks, and the importance of club identity. Adrian also delves into the challenges of balancing long-term goals and short-term performance, competing against the top 6 clubs in Denmark. We discuss scouting circles, how scouting differs in Denmark and Sweden, which clubs inspire Adrian, and what the word “talent” actually means. 

Timestamps:

00:00 - Välkommen Adrian von Heijne, chefscout i Superligaklubben Odense Boldklub (OB)

01:45 - Adrians uppväxt i Göteborg och sina roller i Hovås Billdal IF

05:07 - Juriststudier i Uppsala

07:30 - IK Sirius - resan från ungdomstränare —> matchanalytiker —> Head of Scouting

13:55 - Datadriven scouting

15:27 - Adrians arbetssätt och vikten av klubbidentitet

20:45 - Scoutingnätverk

23:23 - Ålder, risktolerans och att inte vara bunden till plaster

25:40 - Adrian flyttar till Danmark och blir chefscout i Odense Boldklub (OB) 

29:14 - Var de forna AIK-profilerna Björn Wesström och Andreas Alm en stor faktor i byttet till OB?

30:23 - Arbetssättet i OB

34:29 - Hur balanserar OB långsiktigheten vs prestation från en spelare här och nu

35:47 - Scoutingcirklar: internt —> regionalt —> nationellt —> norden —> europa —> övriga världen

37:30 - Scoutingutmaningar för OB när de konkurrerar mot topp 6 klubbar i Danmark

40:54 - Skillnader i scouting mellan Danmark och Sverige

42:02 - Vad är en “talang”?

45:00 - Bästa spelaren Adrian har scoutat

48:20 - Största utmaningar som chefscout

49:48 - Klubbarna Adrian inspireras av

53:30 - Drömroll

56:12 - Outro

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