The Soccernomics Podcast

In our first listener questions episode, we get into a variety of topics - from penalties, to the European Super League and those weird "Match Momentum" graphs FOX kept showing during World Cup matches in the US.
If you've written to us and didn't get your question answered, don't worry - we will be doing another one of these episodes very soon!

A momentous day for The Soccernomics Podcast: Our first guest. Kieran Maguire, one of the world's leading football finance experts, and the author of "The Price is Football" joins Stefan and Ashish for a wide-ranging chat. Topics range from Infantino, to private equity, and the turmoil at Ebbsfleet United.

Since we last recorded, the pressure has been mounting on Gianni Infantino. Though he retreated from his botched World Cup sell-off plan, many want more - his resignation.
From the internal dissent within FIFA, to the opposition to Infantino's leadership from various national football associations and continental confederations - we discuss it all, and consider the fundamental question of whether he will survive the biggest test he's ever faced.

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide. Though we promise, this is ultimately an uplifting and hopeful story.

As the fallout from Gianni Infantino's botched attempt to sell a share of the World Cup continues, we'll be coming to you with a new episode about it on Thursday. In the meantime, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to republish an episode we first put out in May - as a reminder of why the World Cup is so important to people. It literally saves lives.

This episode was fist published on May 26.

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In a shock move on Tuesday, FIFA announced plans to create FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE), a new subsidiary which would sell all of FIFA’s commercial rights and run its major events, such as the World Cup. But the most significant part of the plan is that FIFA would then sell off up to 21% of the company to private investors.
The idea has been met with sharp criticism, especially from the governing body of football in Europe - UEFA - who said: “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”