On The Continent - A European Football Podcast

Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini open the floor to you lovely listeners once again, as we start with a look at some Euro 2024 dark horses. No Turkey, please Andy. We also wonder if Jose Mourinho will leave Roma at the end of the season - is that Antonio Conte lurking in the shadows? Plus, what can Rangers fans expect from Philippe Clement and we discuss how difficult it’s proved f...

Dotun and Andy are joined by Nicky Bandini to look back on an unhappy return to Wembley for the Azzurri – and a very tricky week for Italian football in general. While there are green shoots for Italy under Luciano Spalletti, the panel also discuss what awaits Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo as an investigation into alleged betting breaches continues apace. Plus, we assess the reality behind Port...

Dotun, Andy and Lars are back with more of your questions, as attentions turn to international football. We assess whose Euros hopes are dwindling and why Norway are proving less than the sum of their imperious parts. We don’t abandon club football entirely though, as we wonder whether Xabi Alonso can sustain a Leverkusen title charge and why Union Berlin are struggling in comparison to last seaso...

Lars is back on the pod! And on the subject of returns, today he joins Dotun and Andy to discuss Romelu Lukaku’s Roma redemption. But can he save José Mourinho from the haters? Elsewhere, Andy thinks Germany’s trip to America could be good for Julian Nagelsmann – and not just because of his love for NFL – and the panel pays tribute to the amazing career of Eden Hazard. Ask us a question for tomorr...

What’s the future of Real Madrid’s left wing position? Are Inter the best team in the world bar Manchester City? Can Bayern Munich get over failing to sign Joao Palinha? And which Scot has Thiago Motta taken under his wing? Dotun, Andy and Nicky get to the bottom of those questions and much more! Ask us a question on  Twitter ,  Instagram and  TikTok , and email us here:  otc@f...

Is it too early to call Jude Bellingham the best player in Europe? Today, Dotun, Andy and Nicky consider that question and - after a dramatic night in the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium - discuss how far Napoli can go in Europe this season. Speaking of which, how far can Newcastle go in the Champions League? The panel evaluate the runners and riders in the group of death .  Plus, Galatasaray’...

Our very own Andy Brassell has written another book! Called ‘We Play On’, it’s all about Shakhtar Donetsk’s remarkable modern history – from being cast out of their original home in Donbas in 2014, to being bombed out of Ukraine altogether in 2022. Once flippantly dubbed ‘The Brazilian Colony’ for their history of bringing through Brazilian stars, Shakhtar is now a club for all of Ukraine. They ar...

How have Girona rocketed to the top of La Liga? Why has Gennaro Gattuso taken the Marseille job? And a listener asks about their trip to St Pauli... Dotun, Andy and David tackle all that and more! Ask us a question on  Twitter ,  Instagram and  TikTok , and email us here:  otc@footballramble.com . For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballra...

Have you ever seen a player score a hat-trick over the space of four days? Today, Dotun and Andy are joined by David Cartlidge to discuss how unsavoury scenes during Ajax's loss to Feyenoord lead to maybe the world’s slowest hat-trick. They also ask: how do the Dutch giants escape this crisis? Plus, what’s happening with Victor Osimhen? Andy tells us that football clubs need to re-think the way th...

How did Marseille ultras force their new manager out? How can goalkeepers put mistakes behind them after André Onana’s tricky start at Man United? And why do Bayern Munich play that infuriating music?! Dotun and Andy are joined by Miguel Delaney to answer all that and more on this week’s Ask OTC! Ask us a question on  Twitter ,  Instagram and  TikTok , and email us here:  otc@f...

Is Xavi at Barcelona basically just Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace? Andy puts that to Dotun and Miguel Delaney on today’s show as they take a moment to celebrate João Félix’s excellent start at Barça under Xavi! And after the first round of Champions League fixtures, the lads try to work out who the biggest contenders are to Man City’s crown. Listen to find out why the answer might not be Bayern Mu...

The Parc des Princes is a stadium that’s used to hosting celebrities, so we sent Andy Brassell and Jonathan Johnson last night to record an episode of OTC Reacts after PSG vs Dortmund! How has Kylian Mbappe had his fastest start to a season despite off-field issues and what’s next for Borussia Dortmund? Andy and JJ answer all that and more! Ask us a question on  Twitter ,  Instagram &nbs...

Are Italy or Portugal potential dark horses at Euro 2024? Is the Eredivisie the league to watch this year? And how will Sandro Tonali be welcomed when he returns to Milan? Dotun, Andy and Nicky answer all these questions and more on today's show. Ask us a question on  Twitter ,  Instagram  and  TikTok , and email us here:  otc@footballramble.com . For ad-free shows, head o...

Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended after submitting a positive drugs test. Today, Dotun and Andy are joined by Nicky Bandini to bring us up to speed with all the latest Pogba news and to assess where it’s all gone wrong for him since joining Juventus. Andy then explains how Thomas Müller played a key role in Germany beating France in their first game after Hansi Flick’s departure. Plus, t...

Join Andy for a special OTC Reacts episode alongside Bundesliga reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt! Germany boss Hansi Flick barely had time to bid Auf Wiedersehen before he got das boot after a humbling loss to Japan at the weekend. Andy and Archie look into the structural problems at the DFB and ask if they can turn things around ahead of their home Euros next summer. Could Jürgen Klopp be the perfect r...

How has Mason Greenwood’s transfer to Getafe been received in Spain as the Luis Rubiales scandal accelerates? Why is no one talking about Atlético Madrid’s financial troubles? Is Jude Bellingham achieving something Cristiano Ronaldo never could in Madrid? And after a week of refereeing controversy in England, how are the laws changing in Europe? Dotun, Andy and David take on all those qu...

Dotun and Andy roll out the red carpet for the return of Sevilla’s most famous son… in David Cartlidge. And we’ve got some juicy stuff to get into on today’s episode! We delve into why Sergio Ramos hasn’t got the hero’s welcome he thought was guaranteed back in Seville. Plus, Napoli refuse to do the dance with their Georgian gem, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and we wonder if Didier Deschamps will stumbl...

Happy Deadline Day to all those that celebrate it! Miguel Delaney joins Dotun and Andy to answer all of your questions. How good will Beto be for Everton? What happened to Ryan Gravenberch at Bayern Munich? And with the Romelu Lukaku saga over, we discuss the other players on the continent who are desperate to find a new club. Ask us a question on  Twitter ,  Instagram and  TikTok ,...

“Rome would go crazy for Romelu Lukaku!” That's what Nicky Bandini told us last week, and didn’t it just? Today Dotun, Andy and Miguel Delaney discuss José Mourinho and Lukaku’s “second marriage of convenience” and whether it will really work out for all parties. They also discuss La Liga and explore why kids are now dominating a league that was once ruled by the Galácticos. And after protests aro...

Is Wataru Endō an improvement on Jordan Henderson and Fabinho? Can Laurent Blanc last much longer at Lyon? And who is about to reignite their career on the continent in a big way - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic, or Charles De Ketelaere? Listen to Dotun, Andy and Nicky to find out the answers to all that and much more! Ask us a question on  Twitter ,  Instagram and  Ti...

Happy Birthday to the Bundesliga! Today, Dotun, Andy and Nicky are on hand to celebrate 60 years of the German top flight by asking whether it’s definitely a sure thing that Bayern will win the league, and if not, who is best placed to spoil their party. Meanwhile, in Italy, Nicky explains why Romelu Lukaku moving to Roma could be better for the Romans than people think, and we also get an update...

Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge are back to coast through more continental correspondence, as transfers continue to rumble along across both sides of the Channel. We wonder where David de Gea can realistically end up after past dreams of Madrid appear to be dashed. We also ask if Nicolò Zaniolo’s previous European seasons have prepared him for Aston Villa and we discuss just why European football...

Jude Bellingham’s La Liga debut was so impressive that Real Madrid are even amazed at how good he is. Today, Dotun, Andy and David are on hand to celebrate that and also question why Barcelona seemed so surprised by Getafe’s gamesmanship when the two teams met at the weekend. We also cast a few doubts over whether the signing of Harry Kane is enough to paper over the cracks at Bayern Munich, as An...

Welcome to Ask OTC, where our panel tackle your questions from the week in European football! In our inaugural episodes, Dotun, Andy and Nicky discuss which league in Europe is most likely to enjoy a proper title race this season (a lot of 'em, it turns out!) and reflect on some of the continent’s early dark horses - with plenty of love for Atalanta especially. Plus, why Khvicha Kvaratskhelia need...

We start the season with some breaking news: Bayern have agreed a deal with Spurs for Harry Kane. Dotun, Andy and Nicky are on hand to explain why this deal is absolutely vital for Bayern Munich. More so than it is for Kane, seemingly. Elsewhere, Andy explains how PSG seem to be carrying on with the Mbappé project - without Kylian Mbappé - and Nicky updates us on José...