The Sports Governance Podcast

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Ben Sanders, Executive Director of sportanddev, to explore the realities of Sport for Development. We discuss how sport is used to promote education, inclusion, peace, and sustainable development, why positive impact is never automatic, and how governance, accountability, and local ownership determine whether sport truly creates social change.

In this episode, we explore sport beyond competition, business, and governance — as a cultural and social phenomenon. Through concepts such as Homo Ludens, rituals, collective identity, and tradition, we examine how simple games become powerful symbols that connect communities, nations, and generations. Because sport is not only about what happens on the field — it is about the meaning we create a...

The FIFA World Cup is more than the biggest football tournament on the planet. It is a global business ecosystem shaped by economics, politics and power.vIn this episode, I am joined by Professor Simon Chadwick, one of the leading experts in the business and geopolitics of sport, and co-author of the upcoming second edition of The Business of the FIFA World Cup. Together, we explore how the World...

In this episode, we explore the psychological impact of political pressure, institutional silence and athlete vulnerability in global sport. Together with sports psychologist and researcher Andrea Marcela Castaño Rodriguez, we discuss moral injury, identity conflicts, neutrality, safeguarding and the human cost athletes face when performance collides with conscience.

This episode introduces the sports economy as a complex system of stakeholders shaping how global sport operates. From governing bodies and athletes to media, sponsors, and agents, it explains how value is created, distributed, and coordinated—and why sport functions through interaction rather than isolated decisions.

What role does the European Union play in governing global sport? This episode explores how EU law, competition policy, and recent cases like the International Skating Union and the Super League challenge are reshaping the boundaries of sport governance. It examines the limits of self-regulation, the tension between autonomy and accountability, and how the globalization of sport may redefine the E...

This episode examines a central question in modern sports governance: who is actually responsible for protecting athletes when sport becomes political? Moving beyond individual experiences, it explores the structural role of federations, international governing bodies, and legal frameworks in shaping athlete protection. Drawing on expert insight, the conversation unpacks the gap between formal res...

In this episode of The Sports Governance Podcast, we examine how global sport is governed in times of war featuring Stanis Elsborg, head of Play the Game. Using the Middle East crisis as a case study, the conversation explores how conflicts disrupt competitions, affect athlete participation, and challenge the idea of neutrality in sport. From event cancellations to inconsistencies in sanctions, th...

In this solo episode, Younes Filali reflects on two contrasting perspectives from the previous episodes: institutional reform from within the Olympic system, and athlete protection during moments of crisis. What does it truly mean for sport to be athlete-centred? Is representation in decision-making enough — or does real athlete-centred governance require enforceable protection when athletes chall...

This episode marks the beginning of our collaboration with the Iranian Women’s Sports Law Association. Joined by Olympian and sports lawyer Nikki Dryden, we explore what happens when athletes withdraw from competition during times of political or social crisis. What legal and professional risks do they face? Who steps in when federations fail? And what role can NGOs and international governing bod...

Ahead of the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics, this episode explores what “athlete-centred” governance really means today. With Sang-Eun Lee, former winter athlete and IOC Young Leader, we discuss athlete voice, gender equity in winter sports, and how change can happen from within the Olympic system.

Global sport is full of rules, ethics codes, and governance frameworks — yet scandals keep repeating. In this episode, we look beyond who governs sport to ask a harder question: who actually enforces the rules? From internal ethics bodies to arbitration and external intervention, this episode explores why accountability in global sport is uneven — and why enforcement so often stops before it reach...

This episode explores how authority, autonomy, and power operate beyond the state in global sport — and why governance is ultimately less about ethics than about who decides.

With AFCON approaching in Morocco, questions around legacy and development are back in focus. But what do major tournaments really change for grassroots sport in Africa? In this episode of The Sports Governance Podcast, Younes Filali speaks with South African sports entrepreneur and IOC Young Leader Jabu Mtwa about sport development across the continent. Using AFCON as an entry point, they explore...

President Trump’s visibility around major sporting events — from the UFC to the 2026 World Cup — raises new questions about how political actors use sport to shape public messaging. In this episode, investigative journalist Karim Zidan joins me to break down the MAGA movement’s relationship with sport, FIFA’s role, and the influence of figures like Gianni Infantino and Dana White. A concise look a...

A clear and accessible introduction to the systems shaping modern sport. We break down what sports governance is, why it matters, who the key actors are, and how decisions off the field influence everything on it. We also explore how governance connects with politics, economics, and society from athlete rights to data, inclusion, and soft power.