The Athletic FC Podcast

Man United want Dan Ashworth to be their new sporting director. He has been placed on gardening leave after informing Newcastle of his desire to leave the club. But Newcastle want a huge fee of 20 MILLION pounds to release Ashworth from his contract. So how will this tussle between the two clubs play out as both teams chase Champions League football next season. And why is Ashworth so sought after...

Michael Bailey and co breakdown matchweek 25 of the Premier League. The headline clash is Saturday's late game between Manchester City and Chelsea. The last meeting was a 4-4 classic, but can Chelsea take anything away this time? Elsewhere Luton host in-form Manchester United, who are going for their 5th win in a row, while Arsenal and Liverpool travel to Burnley and Brentford respectively hoping...

Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami appeared to be a marketing dream for all concerned, that was before their pre-season tour of Asia. After playing just seven minutes in Saudi Arabia and missing a ‘last dance’ with Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi failed to feature in Hong Kong with the fallout still rumbling on. So why has Messi’s no-show caused geo-political tensions to rise and is the GOAT in danger of...

West Ham’s 6-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend was the club’s worst home defeat in over 60 years… and the fans voted with their feet. Wins over Man United and Arsenal in December had seen supporters unite behind David Moyes. But a poor run of results have swiftly soured the mood at the London Stadium. So.. will Moyes bid farewell to the Hammers when his contract expires this summer, or can he turn...

Bayern Munich are out of both domestic Cup competitions and were humbled by Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side at the weekend. As pressure mounts ahead of their Champions League game at Lazio this week… Why are things not going as smoothly as usual for Bayern? And is i t REALLY possible Kane could go another season without finally winning a title? Is Thomas Tuchel in trouble? And could Bayern potential...

Manchester United's 2-1 win at Villa Park on Sunday made it four consecutive wins for the first time this season, but what is the significance of that? Have Erik Ten Hag's side got a realistic shot at recovering their hopes of securing Champions League qualification, or is this latest run just the latest false dawn at Old Trafford ahead of a summer reset? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's...

Adam Leventhal returns to preview a bumper weekend of football ahead, including the Premier League as well as title matchups in Germany and Spain, and two international cup finals. The Premier League matchweek is headlined by fourth-place Villa welcoming eighth-place Manchester United to Villa Park. Both are chasing Champions League football, and Villa could open up an 11-point gap over the visito...

After four weeks of showcasing what the continent has to offer, the Africa Cup of Nations is down to a final two. Hosts Ivory Coast play Nigeria in Sunday’s showpiece final in what has been the most thrilling AFCON in decades. But what’s made it so good? Has the on-pitch drama been matched by the eyeballs watching the tournament?  And what does AFCON need to do off the pitch to match the success o...

Man City look unstoppable…  Victory over Brentford on Monday was their ninth consecutive win across all competitions… Win all their games and Pep Guardiola’s side will be Champions  But is their fourth Premier League title in a row already set in stone? Or are there enough flaws in this City team for the likes of Arsenal & Liverpool to believe?   Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic’s data...

After a heavy defeat at the weekend, home fans at Stamford Bridge made their feelings clear.. Less than a year on from the sacking of Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table So…. after spending so heavily on players over the past 19 months, what exactly is owner Todd Boehly’s plan for Chelsea? And where does this leave the Pochettino Project?...

Having moved to within just two points of the top of the Premier League, are Arsenal serious contenders to win this season's Premier League? The Gunners saw of Liverpool 3-1 on Sunday in a must-win game for their title hopes as Mikel Arteta's side hope to go one better than last season. Join Ayo Akinwolere, James McNicholas and Oli Kay as they analyse Arsenal's win over table-toppers Liverpool bef...

Michael Bailey sits in for Adam Leventhal for another preview of the weekend ahead!  Headlining the fixture list is Arsenal vs Liverpool - is it now or never for Arsenal to get back in the title race?  Elsewhere a downturn in form has seen Everton drift into the relegation zone, but will Champions League-chasing Spurs pile on the misery at Goodison?  And Manchester United's chaotic season continue...

It's been a low-key transfer window as the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules showed their teeth. Saudi spending paused, the “Chelsea loophole” closed and clubs instead left scouring the market for loans or cut-price deals. The summer, however, things could ramp up again though clubs will start to work with two deadlines in mind! Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Oli...

Manchester United say Marcus Rashford has “taken responsibility for his actions” and will be available for selection again after being dropped  This after we reported Rashford went for a night before reporting ill & missing training the following day United says that the disciplinary matter has been dealt with internally and is now closed. But given how the likes of Jadon Sancho were dealt wit...

After a humiliating defeat on Saturday, Barcelona manager Xavi announced he’d be stepping down from his position at the end of the season.  So what led Xavi to make this decision when he did?  And as financial troubles & power struggles continue behind scenes whilst the team struggle on the pitch What next for Barcelona?  Is it time for a cultural reset for the club with perhaps the most famou...

On Friday morning the world of football was shaken by news Jurgen Klopp is to leave Liverpool at the end of the season. After more than eight years in charge the German is to walk away in the summer, leaving the Reds in need of a new management team including a new Sporting Director, manager and first team coaching staff. So how do Liverpool go about beginning their search for a successor to their...

Adam Leventhal and co return to preview another bumper FA Cup weekend, featuring 16 matches, including several heavyweight Premier League ties. Friday night sees Spurs welcome Man City back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a match in which they boast a remarkable record: five games played, five wins, zero goals conceded. Can Man City snap the streak? Also on Friday, Aston Villa head to Stamford B...

Liverpool have announced that Jurgen Klopp is stepping down as manager at the end of the season. After a hugely successful eight and a half years at the club, Klopp will take a sabbatical. So what next for him, and what next for Liverpool? The Athletic's Liverpool correspondent James Pearce reacts to this seismic news. Host: Iain Macintosh Producer: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...

Just 18 months after completing a £45m move to Manchester City from his boyhood club Leeds United, Kalvin Phillips is heading out on loan to West Ham United. So why has the move ended in failure for the England international after flourishing under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road prior to signing for Pep Guardiola. And with Euro 2024 on the horizon can David Moyes rejuvenate one of Gareth Southgate'...

Into a cup final and not spending a penny in January… Couldn’t be Todd Boehly’s Chelsea could it?  So, is this another false dawn or is Pochettino's project starting to gather pace?  And as the Blues struggle to find suitable buyers for players like Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher - would anyone actually notice if someone gently closed the January transfer window now? Produced by Adonis Pratside...

As Egypt scraped through to the knockout stages on another night of pure drama at AFCON, Mo Salah was resigned to cheering on his teammates from the stands, with a hamstring injury... With Salah returning to Liverpool for treatment - confusion reigns over how it was communicated by his club and country. So is his tournament really over? How has Egypt's perception of one of African football's bigge...

Less than one month on from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in Man United being made public, INEOS have already signalled their intentions poaching Omar Berrada from rivals Man City to become their new CEO. But who is he? How significant has he been in building City’s dominance and what impact can he have at Old Trafford? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's football correspondent David Ornst...

Adam Leventhal returns to preview the five remaining fixtures of matchday 21.  Liverpool head to Bournemouth on Sunday, and will have to cope with the red-hot Dominik Solanke. Can he make the difference against his former club, and could he be in line for a big move in the near future? Arsenal host Crystal Palace hoping to get back to winning ways after three straight defeats. Will their winter br...

After eight months away, after being banned for 232 betting offences, this weekend marks Ivan Toney’s return. Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic’s Brentford writer Jay Harris and Senior Football writer Oli Kay to discuss how much the Bees have missed their talisman ahead of the second half of the campaign. David Ornstein shares the state of play in the transfer market regarding the striker b...

Jose Mourinho’s 'Roman reign' came to an abrupt end yesterday... Former captain Danielle de Rossi will now take charge of Roma until the end of the season. It’s almost 20 years on from that touchline sprint at Old Trafford & THAT Chelsea press conference ... But is he still special? And what next for Jose Mourinho?  Produced by Adonis Pratsides Additional production: Guy Clarke & Jay Beale...