The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

113 episodes

Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans – Plus Bursaspor’s Turkish football completion & Den Bosch’s promotion dilemma
28/04/2026 | 32 mins.
Red Bull are finally coming for Italian football!

The energy drinks giant, which already majority-owns football clubs in Austria, Germany, America, Brazil and Japan, has reportedly now set its sights on FC Südtirol.

So what makes the Serie B club a sensible strategic move for Red Bull? And why should supporters in Bolzano be wary about a takeover?

This weekend, we went to Austria Salzburg – the phoenix club that rose from the ashes of Red Bull’s hostile first foray into the sport – to explore what the future may hold for FC Südtirol.

Plus, Bursaspor win each of Turkiye’s top four divisions and a defeat helps Den Bosch secure a spot in the Eerste Divisie play-offs.

You can book your ticket for The Sweeper's live show and Around The World in 80 Clubs book launch from this link: thesweeper.eventbrite.com

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:15 – Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans
07:30 – The hostile takeover of Austria Salzburg
11:10 – The phoenix club that rose from the ashes
15:40 – FC Südtirol: Yes or no to the energy empire?
21:15 – Bursaspor’s Turkish football completion
26:45 – UEFA Champions League fallen giants
28:12 – Promotion chaos in the Eerste Divisie
Shakhtar Donetsk's imposter club – Plus Heidelberg’s Asian aspirations & Montserrat’s Facebook coach ad
21/04/2026 | 34 mins.
Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian club – but Russia are trying to change that!

As part of their efforts to integrate occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia are now creating their own versions of major Ukrainian teams.

So why are UEFA not stopping this? What lie is being told to make it happen? And could the real Shakhtar win the Conference League?

On this episode, we’re taking you on a journey to Ukraine to investigate how football is being used as a weapon of war.

Plus: Semi-pro Heidelberg United eye up an historic AFC berth and Montserrat search for a new head coach on Facebook.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – The copycats in Russia’s fourth tier
06:22 – The Crimean Premier League
08:01 – Shakhtar Donetsk’s European run
11:15 – The rapid rise of LNZ Cherkasy
17:31 – Heidelberg United’s AFC aspirations
20:58 – Unlikely continental qualifications
25:30 – Montserrat’s unorthodox manager hunt
Inside promoted Thun’s fairytale season in the Swiss Super League – Part 1
14/04/2026 | 36 mins.
A newly-promoted club are on the verge of the impossible.

If tiny FC Thun can get just a few more points on the board, they will win the Swiss Super League and claim the first major trophy in their 128-year history.

But what do the locals make of it all? Why is Thun the perfect place for such a fairytale? And how did a literal sauna force a high-stakes clash with Basel to be called off?

We headed to the Alps to meet the fans and find out the answers. Join us in Thun for Europe’s most extraordinary club football story of 2026.

Sign up to Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod to enter the FC Vaduz giveaway.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:35 – A quick history of FC Thun
04:45 – The fire at St. Jakob Park
11:20 – Other bizarre postponements
16:46 – Groundhopping with the Thun Army
22:16 – A tour of the Stockhorn Arena
28:10 – The stunning beauty of Thun
33:15 – A quick stop-off at FC Vaduz
Bosnia’s poker player at the World Cup – Plus Ceuta coach’s Rome pledge & Nauru’s 1 child 1 ball initiative
07/04/2026 | 37 mins.
A former poker player has coached Bosnia to the World Cup!

Sergej Barbarez has guided the Balkan country to the tournament in his first head coach role – at the expense of four-time champions Italy.

So how did he go from the casino for the dugout? Why has qualification cost his striker Ermedin Demirovic €300,000? And how are Bosnia at a second World Cup without ever making the EUROs?

In this episode, we explore brilliant Bosnia’s incredible journey and reflect on Iraq and DR Congo’s play-offs successes too.

Plus, the Ceuta coach pledges to walk to Rome and Nauru launch their one child, one ball initiative.

Nutmeg Magazine (You can buy the magazine for a special Sweeper discount rate of £10 by using the code 'sweeper' at checkout): https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/product/issue-39/

Nauru's 1 Child 1 Ball Initiative: https://stingz.co/pages/nauru-soccer-federation-one-child-one-ball-initiative?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ8cvxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEelDO7Gm-3sFxEpJ4A-iTsjaeuk0DmhnSSu4YoASfMxIsy-KbfggLYXbPp-qE_aem_QArFYavpkwgspTpT7riFWA

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:26 – Bosnia’s poker-playing coach
15:20 – Iraq’s 21-match qualifying campaign
19:32 – DR Congo and the legend of Zaire
23:39 – Nutmeg magazine’s World Cup issue
26:24 – Ceuta coach’s pledge to walk to Rome
31:40 – Nauru’s 1 child 1 ball initiative
Liechtenstein: Europe’s strangest national team – Plus Germany’s drug dealer striker & Italy’s coach turned priest
31/03/2026 | 34 mins.
Liechtenstein have the strangest national football team in Europe.

They have no domestic league to develop players, sometimes take just one fan to away matches and, for years, had just one professional footballer.

So how do they make it work? Why is it so hard to generate support for the team? And what change to international football might improve their fortunes?

In this episode, we put the micro-state under the microscope and examine how Europe’s richest country is also home to its strangest national football team.

Plus, the German winger with a secret double life and the Italian coach who disguised himself as a priest.

Equator's World Cup 2026 course with David Goldblatt:
https://www.equator.org/courses/world-cup-2026

Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stamping-Grounds-Exploring-Liechtenstein-World/dp/0349114889

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:03 – Liechtenstein at the FIFA Series
08:07 – Europe’s strangest national team
18:41 – Sudan’s bizarre 12th-tier call-up
20:21 – Puerto Rico’s tournament triumph
23:08 – Equator’s 2026 World Cup Masterclass
27:22 – The German winger with a double life
30:07 – Italy’s coach disguised as a priest

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About The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

Tired of the Premier League and want to discover the hidden stories of the global game? The Sweeper Podcast is your passport to the most extraordinary stories from across the football world. From the World Cup and Champions League to the most obscure and overlooked competitions on earth, expert journalists Lee Wingate and Paul Watson explore the intersection of football, travel, geography, geopolitics, history and culture. If you enjoy Guardian Football Weekly, The Totally Football Show or Football Ramble, you will love The Sweeper. Start here: 🎧 Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans (28 April 2026) 🎧 North Korea’s top-secret league (3 March 2026) 🎧 Greenland left out in the cold (24 June 2025) Hit “Follow” to discover new stories from the global game every Tuesday. Join us Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for bonus podcasts every Thursday. Contact: [email protected]. ——————————————————— World soccer archive The Sweeper is the only podcast committed to covering the beautiful game in all 211 FIFA countries – and beyond. The archives include deep dives into: EUROPEAN FOOTBALL (UEFA) • Countries: Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Finland, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Switzerland, Ukraine • Clubs: Austria Salzburg, Bodø/Glimt, Bursaspor, Ceuta, Kairat Almaty, Ludogorets, Mjällby, Paks, Qarabag, Shakhtar Donetsk, Steaua Bucharest, Südtirol, Thun, Vaduz • Competitions: Champions League, Conference League, Coupe de France, Europa League, European Championship ASIAN FOOTBALL (AFC) • Countries: Australia, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan • Clubs: Arkadag, Gimcheon Sangmu, Heidelberg United, Johor Darul Taz’im, Machida Zelvia, Mohun Bagan, Neom, Thimphu City • Competitions: Asian Cup, Challenge League, Champions League 2, Champions League Elite AFRICAN FOOTBALL (CAF) • Countries: Algeria, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Zanzibar • Clubs: Al Ahly, Al Hilal Omdurman, Mamelodi Sundowns, Pyramids, Rahimo FC, RS Berkane • Competitions: Africa Cup of Nations, Champions League, Confederation Cup NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICAN FOOTBALL (CONCACAF) • Countries: Anguilla, Belize, Bonaire, Canada, Curacao, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Montserrat, Suriname, USA • Clubs: El Farolito, FC Supra du Québec, Robinhood FC, Vancouver Whitecaps • Competitions: Caribbean Cup, CFU Shield, Champions Cup, Gold Cup OCEANIAN FOOTBALL (OFC) • Countries: American Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Vanuatu • Clubs: Auckland FC, Bula FC, Hekari United, Solomon Kings, South Island United, South Melbourne, Tahiti United, Vanuatu FC • Competitions: OFC Champions League, OFC Pro League SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL (CONMEBOL) • Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela • Clubs: Chapecoense, Coquimbo Unido, Mirassol, Mushuc Runa, The Strongest • Competitions: Copa América, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana REST OF THE WORLD • Countries: Bougainville, Greenland, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Scilly Isles, Tuvalu, Vatican City • Clubs: B67 Nuuk • Competitions: CONIFA World Football Cup, Fenix Trophy Topics: Altitude, amateurs, artificial intelligence, away days, cross-border clubs, cross-border leagues, day jobs, defections, derbies, dictatorships, elections, exclaves, fairytales, Football Manager, Futbology, groundhopping, identity, investigative journalism, islands, micro-states, minnows, multi-club ownership, non-league, outsiders, play-offs, promotion, relegation, sports washing, stories, ultras, unbeaten runs, underdogs, winning streaks Similar shows: COPA90, Football Cliches, Men in Blazers, Mundial, Stadio, The Blizzard, The Tifo Football Podcast and The Price of Footb

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