Got a random phonecall from CNN. And I told them: "Not every encounter in life is decided with a winner or a loser ... Sometimes there’s a compromise that both sides have to live with.” The whole piece, with Sam Mewis: www.cnn.com/2026/06/24/s...

I‘m not super invested in the World Cup, but it would be sad to see Doctor Congo go!

„It is also defiance. If Serbs and Croats can display their ethnic symbols, why not us? This younger generation believes in the nation even more than we did.” Excellent close-up of a complicated country from @julianborger.bsky.social here: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Ronaldo. Most annoying story of this World Cup already.

“Lalas is the ranter whose rants never actually say anything, the life of the party at the party no one enjoys attending, the “big personality” who’s always misjudging the size of the room.”

If you are a new listener and wonder where my interest in #Bosnia comes from, and why the country's run to the World Cup is closing the circle of this podcasting season so well, here it is: tinyurl.com/mrxs3mdy

#footycon26 at Fulham’s Craven Cottage. Conversation that was good for the mind. And the ambience wasn’t shabby either.

“Players shall not loiter between the ball and their adversary” - beautiful historical offside rule spotted at #footycon26 #footycon View from Craven Cottage’s new stand isn’t bad either.

“I’m here to take a professional development class”

In posh West London for #footycon26. But first, pilgrimage to the East.

Hang tight - season 4 roundup with a look back from many of the past years' guests will be out tomorrow - including titles for Thun and finals for Freiburg and Rayo, and the bankruptcy euphoria at 1860 Munich

Liberation Days! ⚒️ 🦁 #WHUFC #TSV1860

This is the most American soccer paragraph ever written

#1860, regularly a topic on this podcast, serve as another example today about what an investor can do to a club. Not enough money for the license to play third league - declaring bankruptcy and forcing the investor out might be an option to consider.

I feel very uneasy about this World Cup, despite Austria's participation - and the good memories of 1994. So I talked to historian and filmmaker Tom McCabe about it. Plus: 1994 music. Ace of Base, oh my! ⚽️ > tinyurl.com/2vyduwb9

“FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices”

The attorneys general of New Jersey and New York are investigating FIFA’s 2026 World Cup ticketing practices. The investigation focuses on inflated ticket prices and fans being misled as to what they were buying.

Now they’re 99. And coming to play Goshen City FC! Fort Wayne SC and its story is here:

The UK and Austria scored last at the #ESC2026. So you need an Austrian and a Brit to tell you what went down at #Eurovision last Saturday. ⚽️ > tinyurl.com/mtsufpr5 Our family scorecard, btw: Agree, disagree?

Kind of a well-deserved upset. Fun song, meaningless title, new winner! #Eurovision #ESC2026

Speaking of juries… #Eurovision #ESC2026

Juries go home, you’re drunk #Eurovision #ESC2026

and here's part 2 of our #Eurovision primer - including a quiz on a soccer and #ESC2026 connection ⚽️ > tinyurl.com/3m2xdwte

And another great season for a TAPoF club - Union St. Gillois wins the Belgian cup in a Brussels derby against Anderlecht!

#Albania with the the Mom reappearing, resurrected and walking on stage… I want to know what the discussion of the Albanian Juri was like when they decided that this will work #eurovision #unitedbymusic #esc

#Eurovision coming through! Your primer, part 1: tinyurl.com/4pn6mryr

Underdogs, spectacular collapses, bloc loyalties, political scores settled through performance? No, it's not soccer this time. It's #Eurovision! Special with 3 guests: two you've heard of before, including @darthsquig.bsky.social - plus my sister! Part 1 is here > tinyurl.com/4pn6mryr

Freiburg’s coach in the curve after the clubs, first European final run in history. Just lovely!

3 clubs that have featured in a longform portray on the Assistant Prof. of Football are reaching new Heights this season. It’s not just FC Thun, it is also… 2/3 @ClaptonCFC won their relegation and got promoted to the 9th League in England! tinyurl.com/3af2yy2f

3 clubs that have featured in a longform portray on the Assistant Prof. of Football are reaching new Heights this season. It’s not just FC Thun, it is also… 1/3 #scfreiburg, in their first European final as of today! theassistantprofessoroffootball.buzzsprout.com/2052670/epis...

Sounds encouraging! (And TAPoF record guest Andy Payne, just left of Virani)

Perhaps the best-timed episode ever? #Thun, population 44,000, freshly promoted, could be the new Swiss champion 2 hours from now. This story behind, with the club's historian, is probably an English-language original. And just in time: ⚽️ > tinyurl.com/4ynbbjf4

It only took a day. After their loss in Basel yesterday, St. Gallen lost today as well. And #Thun is indeed Swiss champion. Here is the story behind the headline, in an English language exclusive from Friday:

Well, they bottled it in Basel. You have another week to listen to this and celebrate in an informed way next weekend😉

Perhaps the best-timed episode ever? #Thun, population 44,000, freshly promoted, could be the new Swiss champion 2 hours from now. This story behind, with the club's historian, is probably an English-language original. And just in time: ⚽️ > tinyurl.com/4ynbbjf4

And they made it to European semifinals! Time for that primer in #Rayo ‘s history and neighborhood:

This week's episode will be delayed - the story and history behind this year's surprising Swiss frontrunner, FC Thun, takes some more coordination with the club. Look for this English-language original portrait in a few days - I will keep you posted!

Ahm... no love for #Millwall here, but what in the world? From an info booklet on hate groups for schools in Westminster Council. The club has received an apology by now.

Spring, Sun, #degerforsif New stand looking in style, the VIP "meadow" behind the goal has survived too.

⚽️ > tinyurl.com/58y6njfs and anywhere you get podcasts, with @casmudde.bsky.social

Jamie Dettmer over at Politico did a good long look at Hungary and Soccer: "Trump’s Favorite European Strongman Is in Trouble. Soccer Explains Why." But I maintain that that stadium is far from "stunning" but a kitschy monstrosity. www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Bodø/Glimt beat Atletico, Man City and Inter in this year’s #ChampionsLeague. And the story behind this run doesn’t involve a sugardaddy. Freddy Toresen has seen the last decades there up close. Very close. ⚽️ > tinyurl.com/356jbmcc #Bodøglimt #Bodø #UCL

Gemma Bosnia

A quick look from Bodø, on the #UCL Fairytale of the season. On Monday, March 30, Freddy and I will take the long view on how it came about. ⚽> open.spotify.com/episode/5n8f...

Idk. That’s a bit meta.

Soccer AND a strike? Right up my alley…

What do Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Munich and Austria Vienna have in common? ⚽️> tinyurl.com/2frr25zv and anywhere you get podcasts

Why is he not more known in the US? I even forgive the Newcastle jersey in West Ham’s stadium m.youtube.com/watch?v=mZLf...

I mean, bigger clubs have lost to Bodø in the #UCL

#crystalpalace fans returning from #Bosnia, who have gotten interested in the country, it’s football and it’s history might enjoy a listen this weekend: