The Athletic FC Podcast

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2000 - when Luís Figo did the unthinkable and made the move from Barcelona to Real Madrid… It was a transfer that sent shockwaves through La Liga and went down in footballing folklore - but a quarter of a century...

The Thomas Frank era has officially begun at Spurs and they are busy. After landing Mohammed Kudus, Morgan Gibbs-White is next on the list.  But will their recruitment strategy get results? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Jay Harris, Seb Stafford-Bloor Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marcus Rashford is set to sign for Barcelona in a loan deal, with an option to make it permanent, leaving his boyhood club Manchester United. So, is it a deal that suits everyone? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Carl Anka and Pol Ballus Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Football Architects - a summer series from our friends over at the Athletic FC Tactics podcast, telling the the unsung tales behind modern football success stories. Episode one is focused on Ajax’s rebirth and how the club was rebuilt in the image of legendary figure Johan Cruyff. On this episode, we hear from Ruben Jongkind, former head of talent development at Ajax, and the club’...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to the summer of 2006, and a saga that saw rival lines crossed from the North to West of London as Ashley Cole traded boyhood club Arsenal for rising force Chelsea. So why was the acrimonious move considered such a betra...

On Tuesday Liverpool made an approach to sign Alexander Isak. And now they have also made a move for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike, who is also being targeted by Newcastle United. So could Liverpool get both? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein and James Pearce Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chelsea are the new Club World Cup champions beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Gianni Infantino says the competition has marked a new era for club football. But has the Club World Cup really been a success? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Adam Crafton and Phil Hay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to July 2009 when Carlos Tevez swapped the red half of Manchester for blue. So why was the move quite so controversial - and how symbolic was it in shifting the balance of power in the hunt for Premier League dominance?...

On Friday July 4th, news broke that former Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey had been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The allegations relate to three different women who reported the incidents which took place between 2021 and 2022. Police began investigations in February 2022 but Partey carried on playing for Arsenal until his contract expired on June 30. He deni...

Marcus Rashford is one of five players Manchester United told didn’t need to report for the start of pre-season but showed up anyway. So where does his future lie - and how difficult will it be for United to move on their unwanted stars? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Mark Critchley and Phil Hay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres. So what could the Swede offer Mikel Arteta’s side? And is he the missing piece in the title puzzle for the Gunners? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Carl Anka Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been two football tournaments in the United States this summer, the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup. Both with an ostensible Saudi feel, all part of grand plan to invest heavily in sport backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Adam Leventhal has travelled to Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas to witness this soft power at play. Hear from Saudi players and fans who celebrate the exposur...

Tony Evans, James Pearce and Simon Hughes reflect on the tragically sad news Liverpool forward Diogo Jota has died at the age of 28 along with his brother Andre Silva. The brothers were travelling by car in Spain when their vehicle left the carriageway and burst into flames in the early hours of Thursday morning. In this episode, we pay tribute to Diogo Jota sharing memories of the person and the...

Chelsea wanted to get the majority of their transfer business done by the end of June and they have been busy!  Coming up we’ll break down the signings so far and find out who else could arrive at Stamford Bridge before the window closes. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Simon Johnson Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producers: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

Crystal Palace are battling to keep their Europa League place, while Lyon have been relegated to French football’s second tier.  John Textor and his Eagle Football Group had stakes in both clubs last season. So is his multi-club ownership model to blame?  Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Matt Slater, Tom Williams and Matt Woosnam Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to August 2012, when Arsenal captain Robin van Persie crossed a divide that had defined a Premier League era… So why was van Persie determined to swap the Emirates for Old Trafford - and did the move ultimately prove to...

It’s still only June but Liverpool have already been busy in the transfer market, having signed both Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong and closing in on a deal for Milos Kerez. Today, we break down Arne Slot’s summer rebuild and ask is there even more to come? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein and James Pearce Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See aca...

Barcelona have agreed terms to sign Nico Williams - but with their ongoing financial troubles, how can they realistically afford the Athletic Bilbao winger? We also take a look at the other names on their summer wishlist, and the financial levers Barca may need to pull to make those deals happen. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Pol Ballus, Phil Hay and Conor O'Neill Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Pr...

Welcome to Transfers that shook the world, a summer series for The Athletic FC looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains. Today we’re heading back to January 2011 when Chelsea broke the British transfer record to sign Liverpool’s No.9, Fernando Torres. So why was Torres’ move from Liverpool to Chelsea so controversial and was he a success at Stamford Bridge? Host:...

Nico Williams has attracted attention from all over Europe but now looks likely to end up at either Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Matt Davies Adams is joined by The Athletic's David Ornstein and Seb Stafford-Bloor to discuss the latest on Williams, the futures of Xavi Simons and Hugo Ekitike and find out why nobody in the Premier League seems to want Victor Osimhen. Host: Matt Davies-Adams Guests: D...

Manchester City are back on the big stage this week, at the Club World Cup in the USA.  And, with a revamped squad and no trophies to show from last season, can Pep Guardiola’s side make a statement in the States? Host: Matt Davies-Adams Guests: Adam Crafton, Jordan Campbell, Thom Harris Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Jay Beale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, is world football's most powerful man. His presidency has been marked by the controversial men's World Cups in Russia and Qatar, as well as the awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. But it is the newly-expanded Club World Cup that he hopes to leave as his legacy. So, who is Gianni Infantino, where did he come from, where is he taking the game, and has he...

What happens when the best clubs in world football collide? We're about to find out in as the Club World Cup kicks off in the USA. Big names like Lionel Messi, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich will all be there. But what about the teams you don't know so well? The Athletic was granted Access All Areas to South Africa's super club: Mamelodi Sundowns, one of the four African teams taking part in the t...

There’s been a lot of noise around Arsenal’s pursuit of Martin Zubimendi, but the North London club regard the deal as done. Ayo Akinwolere is joined by David Ornstein and Duncan Alexander to discuss Arsenal's summer business including the potential arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga and their ongoing hunt for a striker. Plus, David reveals the latest on Manchester United and Liverpool's recruitment aft...

Tottenham Hotspur have sacked the manager who delivered a first trophy in 17 years. So, why have they sacked Ange Postecoglou and why do they want Thomas Frank to replace him? Host: Adam Leventhal With: Jay Harris and Seb Stafford-Bloor Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.