On The Continent - A European Football Podcast

El Clásico once again delivered drama, but Barcelona didn't just beat Real Madrid - they dismantled them. In the first Clásico at the renovated Camp Nou, Barça showed exactly why they’ve dominated this season's La Liga by exposing just how broken Real Madrid are. Andy is joined by David Cartlidge to dissect it all: a stunning Marcus Rashford free-kick, the electric Camp Nou, and how Real Madrid's...

Kylian Mbappé’s situation at Real Madrid is deteriorating: yacht trips during games, growing isolation in the dressing room, and fans launching petitions to force him out. So what’s his next best move? Andy and Dotun are joined by Nicky Bandini for more of your questions! Should Pep Guardiola return to the continent? How high is Como’s ceiling? And is multi-club ownership really that bad? Ask us a...

PSG have qualified for back-to-back Champions League finals for the first time in their history. Luis Enrique is clearly doing something right in Paris, but he in the midst of creating something even more special, a dynasty perhaps? Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy to discuss PSG's brilliance and Bayern Munich's shortcomings. Plus, is it time for Atlético Madrid to finally say goodbye to Diego S...

Athletic Bilbao is a football club defined by its Basque-only philosophy: the club only uses players developed either in its own academy or elsewhere in the Basque Country. While managers are exempt from this rule, the club has still rarely hired outsiders - so why have they turned to Edin Terzić? David Cartlidge joins Andy and Dotun to answer some of your continental queries! Why did Roma sack Cl...

We all expected PSG vs Bayern Munich to be good... but that good? Nobody could've predicted that. David Cartlidge joins Dotun and Andy to dissect what was a Champions League game for the ages... and also Atlético Madrid vs Arsenal. It was never going to live up to the standards set on Tuesday, but it was an intriguing game in its own right. Plus, José Mourinho looks set for a Real Madrid return. O...

After two years away, Barcelona have returned to Camp Nou. When finished, it will be the biggest football stadium in Europe and a much-needed financial lifeline for Barcelona. However, what does this mean for local fans? Will inflated ticket prices and the rise of tourism sanitise the experience? Andy visited the new Camp Nou to find out… Ask us a question on  X ,  Instagram  and&nb...

Lars Sivertsen isn't even on the show today, but after Juventus' 0-0 draw away at Milan on Sunday night, you can hear his cries of 'make Juventus fun again' reverberating across the continent. It wasn't a vintage clash between two of Italy's great heavyweights and it's not the first time we've said that this season – what's happening to the broader entertainment value across Serie A this seas...

Chelsea have pulled the trigger again, parting ways with Liam Rosenior after a mere four months at Stamford Bridge, so where should he go to rebuild his reputation? And after yet another managerial sacking, where should Chelsea be looking for a replacement? Lars Sivertsen joins Andy and Dotun to answer more of your questions! Could Bernardo Silva return to Benfica? Should we take notice of Club Br...

Things tend to get twitchy when Real Madrid aren't competing for trophies, but the atmosphere you can sense on the Bernabéu terraces is something we haven't seen for a very long time. Their side beat Deportivo Alavés 2-1 on Tuesday, but that didn't stop their own fans booing both Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr in midweek. Something needs to change, and fast. Lars Sivertsen joins Dotun and Andy to d...

Real Sociedad claimed their first major trophy since 2020 by winning a thrilling Copa del Rey final against Atlético Madrid. Glory for La Real, but yet more misery for Atleti. Lars Sivertsen joins Andy to discuss how unlikely American Head Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo took his side all the way. Plus, heartbreak for Diego Simeone's men after a tough couple of weeks for the Rojiblancos. Can they reall...

After their ruthless dismantling of Bodø/Glimt, many thought that Sporting would have something to offer an out-of-form Arsenal side - but just one goal across both legs tells a different story. It was a timid performance from Rui Borges' side, but did they deliberately take it easy? Miguel Delaney joins Andy and Dotun to answer more of your burning questions! Why does Aurelio De Laurentiis want t...

The Champions League served up yet another all-timer at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night with Bayern Munich putting Real Madrid to the sword. You know you're getting something special when those two teams play, but did anybody expect drama quite like that? Miguel Delaney joins Dotun and Andy to pull apart what the result means for both of those European giants. Plus, Atlético Madrid keep their...

After some questionable performances in the previous stage of the Champions League, many doubted whether PSG could retain their European crown. But after such a dominant showing in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Liverpool, what's stopping them from going all the way to Budapest? Dotun & Andy are joined by David Cartlidge to break it down. We also talk about Manuel Neuer's pla...

Atlético Madrid pulled off a shock victory at Camp Nou for the first time since 2006! So, how did they do it and what do they have to do in the second leg to secure their place in the final four? David Cartlidge joins Dotun & Andy to discuss that. Plus, Bayern Munich get a big win at the Bernabéu - all credit to Vincent Kompany and his side, or was the defeat a self-inflicted one for Los Blanc...

We've all heard the term ‘Project Mbappé’ . It's used to describe parents pushing their children into football from a young age, inspired by Kylian Mbappé’s father, Wilfrid. But beneath it lies a far more deliberate story - one of meticulous planning, hyper-analysis, and a career mapped out long before Mbappé had even played professional football. Andy is joined by Philippe Auclair, author of The...

After failing to return to training, Romelu Lukaku's future at Napoli hangs in the balance. It seems unbelievable given his relationship with Antonio Conte, but is Lukaku's absence reflective of his time in Naples? Nicky Bandini stands first in line to answer that as she joins Dotun and Andy to answer more of your questions! Could Nico Schlotterbeck be on the move? How has Ashley Cole performed at...

Yet another disastrous qualification campaign has ended with Italy failing to reach the World Cup for the third successive time. First under Gian Piero Ventura in 2017, then in 2022 with Roberto Mancini, and now in 2026 under the management of Gennaro Gattuso. Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy to express her disappointment, but it's not all doom and gloom! There was euphoria for Sweden, Türkiye,...

The news of Mohamed Salah's Liverpool exit reverberated across the football world. Some have linked him to the Saudi Pro League, others to MLS - but would staying in Europe actually be his best move? And if so, where should he go next? Nicky Bandini joins Andy and Dotun to tackle more of your questions. Were Ligue 1 right to accommodate PSG's Champions League schedule? Could Jürgen Klopp return to...

Italy, we send you one simple message ahead of your World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland tonight. Please, all you have to do is not screw it up. But will it really be as straight forward as it should - emphasis on SHOULD - be for a nation that hasn't been at the world's biggest tournament since 2014? Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy to share her anxiety. Plus, after La Liga's m...

There was a time when De Klassieker represented the very best that Dutch football had to offer. Long gone are the days of Frenkie de Jong, Wesley Sneijder, Dirk Kuyt and of course the countless Netherlands legends who passed through Feyenoord and Ajax in the 20th century. What we're left with are two sides nowhere near the standard of title contenders. Andy is joined by Dutch journalist Kalum van...

Dotun, Andy and Miguel Delaney are here to answer more of your questions after another wonderfully chaotic week of European football. They start with another disappointing exit for Galatasaray and ask what can be done to improve their fortunes on future European adventures. Plus: exciting times at Málaga, the transfer futures of Enzo Fernández and Troy Parrott, and Joan Laporta’s return to Barcelo...

The wheat has truly been separated from the chaff in the Champions League. Atlético Madrid face Barcelona in an all-Spanish quarter-final - will Diego Simeone finally break their European duck? Miguel Delaney joins Dotun and Andy for a blockbuster Champions League show. Can Real Madrid find a way past the indomitable Bayern Munich? Plus, why are Sporting flying under everyone’s radar? Ask us a que...

Five goals, a Raphinha hat-trick, Gavi returning to action, and still resting some legs: Barcelona couldn't have asked for a better prelude to their Champions League second leg against Newcastle. Andy and David discuss their 5-2 victory over Sevilla in a game that – once more – put the importance of Raphinha to this team in block capitals. More surprising was the return of vintage João Cancelo. D...

For a long time, Federico Valverde was used in a deep role for Real Madrid. But after scoring a blockbuster hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League, has he been playing in the wrong position all along? Could he become a mainstay in Real's attack? Andy and Dotun are joined by Lars Sivertsen to decipher that. Also, what will Julian Brandt's legacy be at Borussia Dortmund? Are OGC N...

The French media were insistent that Paris Saint-Germain came into their game against Chelsea as underdogs. Well, they certainly proved those critics wrong. A display of incredible resilience has put the Parisians firmly in the driving seat ahead of their return leg at Stamford Bridge. Somehow, are the defending champions the dark horse to win it all? Lars Sivertsen joins Dotun and Andy to heap pr...