Football In The 2000s

The year is 2006, the place is Saint Denis (not Paris) and the squads are seemingly on opposite trajectories. The glow of the Invincibles seems to have faded on Arsene Wenger and his side coming into the 2005/2006 season. Not many still think he has many tricks left up his sleeve in the farewell to Highbury season. In the Catalan capital a new power, led by a flamboyant Brazilian baller is on the...

On this episode, we crossover harder than AI on Tyronn Lue in the 2001 NBA Finals. Wait, what? Wasn't this a football/soccer podcast? Why are they talking about the NBA? Many of the paradigm shifts we discuss over and over again on this podcast were also evident in the NBA during the decade, whether that be the internationalization of the league or a passing of the torch between generational talen...

Were the Galacticos an on-pitch success or, were they ultimately fated to remain a purely commercial venture? Was Florentino's strategy of purchasing only attacking talent wise? What if Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho or Totti had joined the project? Could things have ended differently? In this second part of our Galacticos mini-series we analyzed what went right, wrong and sideways during one of footbal...

It is the summer of 2000 and Real Madrid President Lorenzo Sanz seems to have life figured out (6:52). He is running the largest club in Spain, has just won a Champions League and his daughter is about to marry the star right back of the squad. What more could he possibly want? In the meantime, a local construction magnate starts to make noise ahead of the presidential election. He claims that the...

Football In The 2000s is back with a special new segment, where we put two legends of the decade up against each other, measure and litigate them on various parameters to see who, if anyone, comes out on top. First up, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero! After discussing our memories of the two Italian greats, we dive into our five scoring categories (12:00). Who had the greater Hollywood ta...

Since episode 1, we have promised our listeners that we would discuss the apparel of the 2000s... and now here we are with an episode exclusively about the decade's kits! We start by discussing the wide-array of shirt manufacturers, sponsors and awkward fits that made the decade unique (3:00). What happened to the likes of Umbro, Admiral, Diadora and Errea? Why did we kill off the pointy collar? A...

In light of Mario Balotelli's return to Serie A, this episode is all about the man himself! We dive into one of the biggest enigma's of the modern game: Mario Balotelli. How will history ultimately judge him? Did he fail to fulfill his potential? Or was he a misunderstood genius? How will football historians will evaluate Super Mario Balotelli now that his best days are behind him? We cover the hi...

If you could choose one 2000s footballer to take the penalty that would save your life, who would it be (2:45)? Who was the Tom Brady of European football (10:00)? Who were the 2004 Detroit Pistons? Does Mourinho win the decade - and the podcast, for that matter (30:15)? This is what the listeners wanted to hear! Tune in for our first ever mailbag extravaganza where Nicola and Franci cover all the...

On this second part of our series on the Promises Of The 2000s, we delve deeper into stories of unrealistic expectations, questionable career choices and positional enigmas. Who was the French kid that Karim Benzema claimed to be better than Messi on his day (4:30)? Then, what happened to the career of the LeBron James of US Soccer (23:10)? And did the heir to Argentine greatness choose a humble l...

Some players were predestined for greatness. They stupefied us all with their skill and had us gasping for air upon mention of their birthdates. They sky was the limit. Somewhere along the way, however, something went wrong. Do you remember a Catalan Messi lookalike with Serbian roots at Barcelona in 2007 (4:45)? What about Chelsea's goalkeeper pre-Cech (19:45)? And what happened to the forgotten...

After having crowned the Greatest Right Back of the Decade, we humiliate ourselves on a right back trivia shootout! Play along and beat us! All of this and much, much more on this episode of Football In The 2000s! If you haven't already, tune in to our other episodes on any app you get your podcasts! Make sure to follow us on our Instagram ( @football2000spod ) and tell us of more topics you would...

After having discussed the greatest goalkeepers of the decade, we shift our attention to the outfield, starting at right back. Who was the greatest 'number 2' of the 2000s and who will join them on the pyramid? First though, we pay our respects to some right-sided fullbacks that the streets will never forget (5:30). Then, in the piece de resistance, we each present our pyramids and make our cases...

Sooner or later it had to be covered. We heard our listeners, licked some salt from our wounds and decided to go all in on the 2004-2005 Uefa Champions League final! On the 25th of May in 2005, a star-studded Milan side headed to Istanbul to take on underdogs Liverpool. The stage was set for one of the most David vs Goliath final in decades. What we got was arguably the greatest final of all time....

On this episode we travel across the Atlantic and finally visit South America! There are many massive clubs in the region but one, in particular, seems to capture the international imagination more than others. What is it that makes Boca Juniors so special (2:40)? Are they truly the 'biggest' club in Argentina? And what do we make of their history? Then, while sipping our mate and cutting into a p...

What is a summer without the transfer window? On this episode Nicola and Franci reminisce on simpler times when the transfer record was broken "only" 5 times in 10 years (3:40). Learn more about the Argentine transfer king, how the Galacticos project inflated the market and how shady dealings between Italian clubs were already a thing. Then, the guys cover some iconic transfers in greater depth (2...

Our final episode on Euro 2004 is a swashbuckling trivia showdown between co-hosts Franci & Nicola! All of this and much, much more on this episode of Football In The 2000s! If you haven't already, tune in to Parts 1 & 2 where we discussed the tournament vibes, group stage play and the knockouts! Make sure to follow us on our Instagram ( @football2000spod ) and tell us of more topics you w...

In this second part of our series on Euro 2004, we dive into the knockout phase but not before a little work on crafting the ultimate soundtrack (per team) to represent the tournament (1:10). In the knockouts we litigate the merits of Otto Rehagel's defensive masterclass, the purity of Czech play and the Portuguese roller coaster (15:10). Was this England's Golden Generation's best chance at winni...

The sun never set on Portugal in the summer of 2004 when it hosted the Euros. The hosts were poised to win with their star Brazilian coach and teenage ear-pierced sensation (18:36). The Greeks put on their best impression of a German party pooper. A young scouser literally burst onto the scene. Italy's golden boy lost his mind and the Vikings retaliated by baking him a little souvenir. All of this...

In this second part of our series on Euro 2000, we cover a chaotic yet magical knockout phase which saw Golden Goals galore, nerve-racking penalties and some of the best players we have ever seen show up for the big moments! The quarterfinals saw a solid Italian defensive showing, Big Game Kluivert reminding the world that he existed and both France and Portugal staking a claim as favorites (4:45)...

The summer of 2000 saw us all listening to 'The Real Slim Shady' and watching Gladiator but the most magical scenes happened in the Netherlands and Belgium, where football aficionados were treated to a spectacle during Euro 2000. The World Champs, led by prime Zidane showed up hungry for more. The holders Germany were, well, German. Portugal had their own Golden Generation, the Dutchies sought glo...

FC Porto shocked Europe in the early 2000s, gave us Mourinho, Deco and even the odd corruption scandal! But how did they do it? What were their secrets to success (and bribing)? And are they one of the most important teams of the decade? Nicola and Franci seek to land on a unified theory of Northern Portugal's dragons in this episode, starting with a historical deep dive on the club (5:30) before...

The 2000s marked the last decade of the UEFA Cup before it became the Europa League. On this final installment of an epic three-parter, Franci and Nicola continue draft their respective XIs from the UEFA Cup finals of the decade (9:30). Who will be the first pick in a star-studded draft (14:15). The list is long, spanning cult heroes like Pierre Van Hooijdonk to players that have surprisingly neve...

The 2000s marked the last decade of the UEFA Cup before it became the Europa League. On this second part of an epic three-parter, Franci and Nicola continue their discussion on the finals, this time focusing on 2005-2009 in depth (0:35). Did Sporting CP experience the biggest upset of the decade? Did we already know Sevilla were going to open a virtuous cycle in Europe? How in God's name did Range...

The 2000s marked the last decade of the UEFA Cup before it became the Europa League. On this first part of an epic three-parter, Franci and Nicola dive into what made the tournament so special during this era before discussing the finals from 2000-2004 in depth (12:20). Why did Galatasaray vs Arsenal descend into rioting in the streets of Copenhagen? Did Boca Juniors make a sneaky appearance in th...

After having discussed the goalkeepers that the streets won't forget, Franci and Nicola turn to The Pyramid of the best 6 goalkeepers of the era (0:50). Did 'Der Titan' do enough to not be a pure-nienties keeper? Cech or Van Der Saar? And will the real Nelson Dida please stand up? Then, is it Iker or Gigi up top (26:08)? The guys round things off with another edition of trivia, this time focused e...