On The Continent - A European Football Podcast

La Décimoquinta is here! Real Madrid are European Champions for the fifteenth time. Today, Andy and David Cartlidge discuss how Madrid won the final. David makes the case for why Vinicius Junior is the best player in the world and outlines what Madrid’s future could look like with Kylian Mbappé.  They also look ahead to next season for Borussia Dortmund and Andy explains why Dortmund should m...

As the European domestic season draws to a close, we highlight a few of this season’s most underrated teams and tip our hats to an unlikely title winner over in Poland. Plus, the likes of Sérgio Conceição and Paulo Fonseca take their places on the managerial merry-go-round - and we ask if any team from outside European football’s traditional elite could ever win the Champions League. Ask us a ques...

Olympiacos made history last night by becoming the first club team from Greece to win a European trophy, in their rival's backyard as well. Today, Andy, Dotun and David Cartlidge are here to explain what this means not just for Olympiacos but for Greek football generally. Elsewhere, David details the appalling way in which Barcelona have treated Xavi and Andy explains why Hansi Flick could be the...

Why on earth are Bayern Munich trying to confirm Vincent Kompany as their next manager? Where next for Mauricio Pochettino, has he exhausted his options? Plus, are the Belgian Championship play-offs just a bit of fun for the neutral or grossly unfair? And is Roberto De Zerbi seriously Barcelona’s next best candidate? Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen are here to answer your queries! Ask us a question...

Ademola Lookman became the 17th player in history to receive a 10/10 rating in L'Équipe last night. And more importantly, he helped Atalanta win their first trophy in 51 years. Today, Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen are here to explain how Lookman came this far and what this win means for legendary Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini. Elsewhere, Andy explains how Sevilla have gone from perennial...

Is the INEOS takeover at Manchester United bad news for Nice? And why could they be about to lose one of their prized assets - Khéphren Thuram - for barely any money? Cesc Fàbregas has helped steer Como back to Serie A for the first time in over 20 years – but why is he not the ‘real’ manager? Plus, is José Mourinho really about to jet off to Saudi Arabia? Dotun and Andy are joined by Nicky Bandin...

256 goals, 108 assists and one mediocre send off. Today, Dotun, Andy and Nicky look at Kylian Mbappé’s PSG legacy and explain why he might not be loved in Paris in the way his record merits. Elsewhere, it’s been an action-packed week in Italy. Nicky explains how Juventus overcame the odds to beat Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final and Andy asks what’s next for Thiago Motta and Bologna now that the...

One of the defining stories of this season’s Premier League has been - you guessed it - points deductions. But over in the Netherlands, Eredivisie side Vitesse have been relegated after being given the largest points penalty in Dutch history. They were docked a whopping 18 points after an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism discovered a secret network of loans linking Vitesse t...

If Paulo Fonseca gets the Marseille job, is he the right man to take them forward? How do Juventus restore themselves as the dominant force in Serie A? How have FC Köln gone from European aspirants to relegation favourites within a few years? And Parma are back at the top table in Italy! But can they stay there this time? Andy is joined by David Cartlidge and Nicky Bandini to answer your European...

Joselu was the hero in Madrid. Should we have expected anything else? Today, Andy, Nicky Bandini and David Cartlidge explain why Joselu having the limelight is typical of Madrid's anti-Galáctico season. Plus, David makes the case that Vinicius Junior is still widely underrated in England. Elsewhere, the panel explain how OTC favourite Edin Terzić got the best of another OTC favourite in Luis Enriq...

Andy is joined by Lars Sivertsen and Jonathan Johnson to tuck into some more intriguing questions as the European domestic season reaches its dramatic conclusion. We wonder which of the coaching free agents - Conte, Mourinho, Potter, Zidane, Flick et al - will snag a new job this summer. Plus, we despair at the state of Schalke, ask if Dortmund should think twice about changing coach and JJ gives...

Unbelievably Dortmund has the best defensive record in the Champions League this season. Today Andy Brassell is joined by Lars Sivertsen and Jonathan Johnson to unpick how Dortmund keep performing in Europe and dissect what PSG need to change for the second leg. In the other semi-final, it was vintage Tuchel in the second half from Bayern, however, Lars and JJ explain how throwing Kim under t...

It was a historic weekend in Portuguese football. Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa’s 42-year reign as president of FC Porto came to an end after André Villas-Boas secured a landslide victory in the presidential elections. However, it wasn’t a quiet campaign. In November last year, there was a violent outbreak in the club's General Assembly and a number of the club's ultras, who have long supported Pinto...

Does Arne Slot have what it takes to succeed Jürgen Klopp? With La Liga’s president talking about games in the US, how much can European leagues really sell themselves abroad? What’s happened to Sassuolo since their halcyon De Zerbi days? And what’s on the to do list for Dortmund’s new CEO of sport, Lars Ricken?  Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini are on hand to field your questions this week!&nbs...

“Io sto qua e io resto qua” (I’m here, I am staying here). The king of the cups, Simone Inzaghi, has finally gone one step further and won his first - and Inter’s 20th - Scudetto. Today Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini are here to explain why they see Inzaghi’s immediate future at Inter despite some huge managerial vacancies across Europe. Elsewhere, PSG are being made to wait for their Ligue 1 title...

10 days ago, Bayer Leverkusen won their first ever Bundesliga. Bayern Munich were dethroned at last. Last week, Andy Brassell went on the road with Leverkusen as their hunt for even more success this season continued – first at West Ham, then at Borussia Dortmund. Andy spoke to some of the fans, players and pundits closest to the club inc...

How come English teams are playing the most continental style of football in Europe? Why do players move to Barcelona when it has become a “clown house”? Roma have hard launched their future with De Rossi, why now? What does Naby Keita’s future look like? And how will Bologna and Lewis Ferguson be impacted by his ACL injury? Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen have the answers on today’s Ask OTC! Ask u...

And then there were four. Dotun and Andy are joined by Lars Sivertsen to get their heads around a dramatic conclusion to the Champions League last eight! Lars is gutted that PSG are finally turning into a sensible team, while Andy explains that Dortmund’s semi-final spot belies some far-from-sensible decision-making inside the club. Yes, Sven Mislintat might really be making a comeback. Plus, did...

After a final like no other in Turkey, what has been the reaction to Fenerbahçe’s extraordinary protest and has anything changed because of it? Is it all aboard the Premier League train for Thomas Tuchel? How has a former Sunderland player who had been out of management for 12 years worked miracles at a Ligue 1 club?! Where does the ‘Allez Allez Allez’ chant come from – and why does pretty much ev...

What a week of Champions League football! Andy agrees with Luis Enrique’s belief that his PSG side play more like Barcelona than Barcelona. And yet ultimately Xavi’s own style of football got the better of his old manager in impressive fashion. Dotun, Andy and David are on hand to explain how! Elsewhere, David and Andy fear for the losers of Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund as both sides appea...

What is Rúben Amorim’s journey so far and will he be a good fit with Liverpool? How have Valencia turned their fortunes around this season – even under Peter Lim’s ownership? Which coaches do other coaches learn from? And… why is Dotun speaking like Roy Hodgson in Norwegian? Dotun, David and Lars are back to answer your questions from the past week in European football! Ask us a question on ...

Dotun’s joined by David Cartlidge and Lars Sivertsen as one of this season’s biggest questions finally has an answer: Xabi Alonso will stay at Bayer Leverkusen next season. We contrast his fortunes with the dour ones of Thomas Tuchel, who is destined to angrily skulk through the exit door of yet another European powerhouse. Elsewhere, David is particularly scathing of Juventus’ reluctance to repla...

How will Ligue 1 cope without its preeminent star next season? Where next for one of Xabi Alonso’s most promising young talents, Florian Wirtz? Plus, why are all the major nations struggling ahead of Euro 2024 and why did the Basque Country play their first international fixture in four years? Dotun, Andy and Jonathan Johnson answer all of YOUR questions! Ask us a question on  Twitter , ...

We’re one step closer to the Euros after this international break but how are the runners and riders placed ahead of the tournament? Today, Jonathan Johnson tells Dotun and Andy how France has reacted to their unexpected loss to Germany and Andy identifies which player is the “Harry Maguire” of their national team. Elsewhere, the panel explain how Roberto Martínez has made Portugal a dangerous pro...

The international break gives Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini the chance to look ahead towards the end of the European domestic season. They wonder if impending financial concerns might halt an Inter dynasty just as it’s getting started and rate some of the non-English contenders in the Europa Conference League. Plus, they assess the summer suitors for Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen, with PSG and s...