The Athletic FC Podcast

Are Real Madrid leaving Barcelona behind?

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are Real Madrid about to leave Barcelona behind, both on and off the pitch?After losing Saturday’s El Clasico and then seeing Lionel Messi collect a...

Is the Man United job impossible?

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At Old Trafford yesterday Manchester City proved once again they are levels above Manchester United.How much is Erik ten Hag to blame and is he right...

Weekend Preview: Can United upset City in the Manchester derby?

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Spiers, in for Adam Leventhal, hosts Jon Mackenzie, Reuben Pinder, and Omar Garrick for our weekly preview of the Premier League.Matchday 10 welco...

Inside Jadon Sancho's Man United exile

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two months on from his last appearance for Manchester United, Jadon Sancho seems no close to a first team return.The Athletic's Manchester United writ...

How Szoboszlai has 'transformed' Liverpool's midfield

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner and Naby Keita all left Anfield in the summer transfer window, Jurgen Klopp’s midfield required a full...

Is it time to take Tottenham seriously?

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last night, Tottenham went two points clear at the top of the Premier League, thanks to goals from Maddison and captain, Son Heung-min.Michael Bailey ...

Has Unai Emery silenced his critics?

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the eve of his first anniversary as Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery has Villa within striking distance of the top of the Premier League.Having retu...

Weekend Preview: Can Liverpool handle another 12.30pm start?

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal returns to preview Premier League matchday nine.The weekend starts with a Merseyside derby at Anfield. With only one win against Liverp...

Who succeeds Guardiola at Man City?

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Contracted through to 2025, there's no immediate sign of Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City.Yet with Roberto De Zerbi taking his Brighton & Hov...

Why Bellingham's better off in Spain

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As England secured their place at Euro 2024, we watched on in awe at another Jude Bellingham masterclass - is there a better player in world football ...

Does EA SPORTS need FIFA?

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Adam Leventhal and a couple of The Athletic's resident gamers, Jay Harris & Art de Roché, reflect on the cultural impact, messy divorce and ...

Man United takeover: Will Ratcliffe's proposal change anything?

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of Manchester United’s board being set to vote on selling a minority stake in the club to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe Ayo Akinwolere...

Weekend Preview: Are England favourites for Euro 2024?

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On this edition of the Weekend Preview we welcome another round of Euro 2024 qualifiers, with England potentially securing qualification if they can s...

How Brand Beckham transcended football

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Following the release of the David Beckham documentary that everyone is talking about, Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic’s Adam Crafton, Carl...

Hazard retires - how will he be remembered?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic’s Chelsea writer Liam Twomey and our tactics writer Michael Cox to reflect on the career of Eden Hazard fol...

Are West Ham better without Declan Rice?

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Benji Lanyado & The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas to assess how quickly West Ham have rebuilt after selling Declan Rice...

How significant was Arsenal's win over Man City?

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Arsenal writer James McNicholas and reporter Adam Crafton following the Gunners' first Premier League win o...

Weekend Preview: Have Arsenal closed the gap on Man City?

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal returns as he does every Friday to preview the weekend's football. The showcase this week: a clash between last season's top two, as Ar...

Saka, Bellingham, Mbappe & the never ending football calendar

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Danny Donachie former Head of Medical Services at Everton, ex-Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke & The Athletic’s Oli...

Do Man United expect too much from Rashford?

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Manchester United writers Andy Mitten and Mark Critchley to explore Marcus Rashford's 'streaky' goalscoring form and the w...

What can Newcastle learn from the PSG project?

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic’s George Caulkin and French football writer Tom Williams to explore some intriguing parallels between the s...

Will Liverpool’s VAR pain galvanise them?

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Pearce and Oli Kay are alongside Ayo Akinwolere to react to Liverpool's VAR-impacted defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.Both th...

Weekend Preview: Liverpool 2.0 vs Ange-ball

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal hosts Caoimhe O'Neill, Nick Miller, and Tim Spiers as they look ahead to match day seven of the Premier League.One game stands out amon...

What has happened with Osimhen & Napoli's TikTok?

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Roberto Calenda, the agent of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, has threaten the club with legal action for mocking the striker on TikTok.James Horncastl...

How Ajax imploded

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo is joined by The Athletic's Carl Anka and Simon Hughes, plus Chief football writer for Dutch newspaper AD Sjoerd Mossou, to explain how Ajax implo...

How will Man City cope without Rodri?

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After Rodri's red card at the weekend, Pep's Manchester City will have to find a way to cope without the most reliable player in the Premier League......

Do Arsenal need a goalscorer?

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Ornstein and Art De Roche are alongside Ayo Akinwolere following Arsenal's 2-2 draw in the North London Derby at home to Tottenham Hotspur.Withi...

Weekend Preview: North London Derby Special

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal welcomes a packed studio to preview this weekend's biggest clash: Arsenal vs Spurs plus David Ornstein pops up to bring us exclusive de...

Raya vs Ramsdale: Can you really rotate goalkeepers?

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Following the signing of David Raya on loan from Brentford, Mikel Arteta has maintained his view this season he can rotate between the Spaniard and la...

Are the real Barcelona back?

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Barcelona had failed to win by a five-goal margin in any game since Lionel Messi left for PSG back in 2021... So after back-to-back 5-0 wins in La Lig...

Can Chelsea handle being a ‘project’ club?

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chelsea were booed by their own fans away at Bournemouth on Sunday but are they actually playing better than results would suggest?Ayo is joined by Ad...

Why are Brighton better than Man United?

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is alongside The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Carl Anka to reflect on Manchester United's 3-1 humbling defeat at the hands of Brighton &...

Weekend Preview: Can Brighton expose more Man United cracks?

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Miller, Tim Spiers and Luke Bosher join Adam Leventhal to preview round five of the Premier League.They attempt to answer the weekend's big quest...

Does Sancho have a Man United future?

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Following his public fallout with manager Erik Ten Hag, Jadon Sancho's Manchester United future looks uncertain.Host Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Adam ...

How Maddison is helping Spurs move on from Kane

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are Spurs actually better without Harry Kane? ... Of course not, but new manager Ange Postecoglu's personality and James Maddison's 'swagger' are cert...

Pogba & Juventus: a rollercoaster 12 months

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Italian writer James Horncastle to discuss a chaotic 12 months at Juventus including the news that Paul Pog...

Why Germany sacked Flick

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein and Seb Stafford-Bloor to debate Germany's decision to sack Hansi Flick ahead of hosting...

Weekend Preview: What does life after Southgate look like for England?

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal welcomes Nick Miller, Thom Harris, and Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero onto our weekend preview show, this time with an international twis...

Mudryk at Chelsea: can he turn it around?

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Ayo Akinwolere is alongside The Athletic’s Liam Twomey and Adam Crafton to dive deeper into the struggles of Mykhailo Mudryk at Chelsea.The Ukr...

Have Bayern & Tuchel been left short in the transfer window?

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bayern are a club known for getting their transfer business done early but have they been left short - despite landing number one target Harry Kane?.....

Henderson & Saudi Arabia: The interview & the fallout

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan Henderson sat down with The Athletic's David Ornstein and Adam Crafton this week in an attempt to set some of the records straight about his co...

Ten Hag's 'Boom & Bust' Manchester United

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Manchester United writers Laurie Whitwell & Mark Critchley, as well as, senior writer Oli Kay, to reflect on Ten Hag's...

Mo Salah’s future, United get Amrabat and Spurs get their top target

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a special Deadline Day episode of the Daily Football Briefing; all the football news you need to know to start your day.Today, David Ornste...

Weekend Preview: Arsenal v Manchester United - two sides with more questions than answers

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal is joined by Caoimhe O'Neill, Thom Harris, and Joey D'Urso to look ahead to this weekend's round of Premier League fixtures.Do Arsenal ...

Deadline Day with David Ornstein

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Transfer Deadline Day is here and clubs, as ever, are still busy doing deals.To give you the lowdown on what to expect, David Ornstein and Adam Levent...

Rubiales, the kiss and football’s #MeToo moment

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Spain won their first Women's World Cup last week, but the fallout has instead been dominated by one man; president of the Spanish Football Federation...

Why Everton's crisis is just the tip of the iceberg

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everton are rock bottom of the Premier League with zero points and zero goals from their opening three games, but their problems extend way beyond the...

Darwin’s evolution & Liverpool’s transfer needs

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Liverpool writer James Pearce and Nick Miller following Darwin Nunez's explosive cameo at St James' Park as...

Weekend Preview: Are Newcastle or Liverpool serious title contenders?

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Spiers takes on hosting duties of our weekend preview with help from Nick Miller, Nnamdi Onyeagwara, and Reuben Pinder. They break down the big ...

Bernardo Silva, Foden and Man City's midfield evolution

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a summer Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez has moved on and with Kevin De Bruyne struggling with injury, Man City's Bernardo Silva has committed his ...

Greenwood & Man United: What Next?

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Sarah Shephard, to reflect on Manchester United's U-turn over the decision to bring back M...

Why Olise staying is good news for the Premier League

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Dom Fifield and Jay Harris to reflect on the significance of Michael Olise's decision to stay at Crystal Pa...

How 'Bellingham Phenomenon' has taken over Real Madrid

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Having scored three goals in his opening two La Liga games Jude Bellingham has enjoyed a meteoric start to his career with Real Madrid.The Athletic's ...

How Spain won the World Cup

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a special bonus episode from The Athletic's team in Australia, Michelle Owen is joined by Michael Cox, Charlotte Harpur, Mark Carey and Laia Cervel...

Weekend Preview: Can Newcastle shock Man City?

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal returns to preview the second round of fixtures of this Premier League season, featuring mouth-watering clashes such as Man City vs New...

Greenwood & Man United: The charges, investigation & planned return

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday Adam Crafton broke the news on The Athletic that Manchester United’s chief executive, Richard Arnold, told the club’s executive leader...

Neymar & PSG: Was it all worth it?

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Peter Rutzler and Carl Anka, French football writer Tom Williams and Brazilian football correspondent Renat...

Caicedo, Lavia and why Chelsea can keep spending

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Football Correspondent David Ornstein and our Chelsea and Liverpool writers Simon Johnson & James Pearc...

How Bayern got Kane out of Tottenham

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of the transfer window’s longest-running sagas is over now Harry Kane has swapped Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich in a deal worth more than ...

Weekend Preview: Harry Kane agrees to join Bayern Munich

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Leventhal previews the return of the Premier League with the help of a crack team of Athletic staff: Laura Williamson, Jay Harris & Nick Mill...

Where did Maguire’s Man Utd career go wrong?

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2019 Manchester United signed defender Harry Maguire for a world-record £80m for a defender, four years later he’s set to join West Ham in a £3...

Are Liverpool ready?

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Raphael Honigstein and Walk On podcast host Tony Evans, to take a closer look at how and why Liverpool went...

Could PSG lose Mbappe & Neymar this summer?

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Peter Rutzler and Adam Crafton to discuss latest round of drama at Paris Saint Germain...Nine new faces in, including ris...

Where next for Lukaku & Who next for Chelsea?

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two years on from re-joining Chelsea in a club-record move, Romelu Lukaku has no future at Stamford Bridge - but where will he be playing this season?...

Josko Gvardiol: why Man City are willing to pay €90m

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Manchester City have agreed a €90m (£77.6m, $98.6m) deal to sign their top summer target Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, ahead of looking to begin ...

Why didn't Man United sign Harry Kane and does it matter?

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So Erik ten Hag has been able to strengthen his squad in three key positions this summer already but will the arrival of Mason Mount, Andre Onana and ...

Why Arsenal want Raya & What about Ramsdale?

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why do Arsenal want to sign Brentford’s David Raya and what does it mean for current number one (and fan-favourite) Aaron Ramsdale? Host Ayo Akinwol...

Access All Areas: Brentford - How to build a Premier League team

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Harris introduces The Athletic's new podcast series, Access All Areas: Brentford. It's a behind the scenes look at how to build a modern Premier L...

The Making of Messi: Leaving a Legacy

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What you're about to hear is a sample of our new three part narrative series; The Making of Messi.With arguably the greatest player of all time set to...

Arsenal sign Declan Rice: The inside story

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Ornstein and Adrian Clarke join host Adam Leventhal to reveal how Arsenal won the race to sign Declan Rice...How serious were Pep Guardiola and ...

Is Saudi Arabia funding Chelsea?

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amid a series of reported bids for unwanted Chelsea stars, host Adam Leventhal is joined by The Athletic's Matt Slater, to examine the relationship be...

Have Man City had the best season in sports history?

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Manchester City sweep all before them to win a treble, where does City’s dominant season rank in comparison with those conjured by teams across f...

Football on Turkey's Fault Line - Part One

10 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Istanbul plays host to the Champions League final tonight just months after the horrific earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people in Turkey....

Weekend Preview: Pep Guardiola & Man City reach for football immortality in Istanbul

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As Manchester City head to Istanbul in search of a Treble, having already secured the Premier League and FA Cup, Inter Milan stand in their way of ach...

Messi to MLS: a seismic story explained

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lionel Messi has opted to join Inter Miami in MLS over a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia or a romantic return to Barcelona.On this bonus episode of The...

Real Madrid sign Bellingham - and they’re not done yet

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How Real Madrid won the race to sign Jude Bellingham and why he chose La Liga over the Premier League.. We also have all the detail of how much are t...

Saudi Arabia’s extraordinary football overhaul explained

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week the Saudi Arabian domestic league announced a big revamp. In short it’s more teams, bigger talent, and a huge injection of cash. How will...

Will Ange Postecoglou fix Tottenham?

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After 72 days of searching for Antonio Conte's successor, Tottenham Hotspur have named Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach.Following his successi...

How can Man United get closer to Man City?

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Coming up, how far are Manchester United from Manchester City in terms of success on the football pitch? And with uncertainty around ownership and tr...

Weekend Preview: Wembley prepares for first FA Cup Final Manchester derby

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Bardell, George Elek, Tim Spiers and bet365's Steve Freeth are here to cast an eye over events at Wembley this weekend as Manchester City look to ...

Barmy Bundesliga: Dortmund collapse & Bayern’s rebuild

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Mark Chapman is alongside The Athletic’s Raphael Honigstein and Seb Stafford-Bloor after a hectic finale to the Bundesliga season in which Baye...

Relief and anger at Everton - what next?

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Greg O’Keeffe & Patrick Boyland to detail the story of Everton’s latest escape from relegation &...

Ivan Toney's ban & Gambling's grip on football

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Mark Chapman is joined by Steven Caulker & The Athletic's Jay Harris to explain Ivan Toney's 8-month ban from football and discuss the game's...

Why Leeds & Leicester were relegated & what next

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 So Leicester City & Leeds United have been relegated from the Premier League and will be playing in the second tier of English football next sea...

Weekend Preview: The battle at the bottom heads to the final day as Everton, Leicester & Leeds await their fate

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Bardell is alongside George Elek, Tim Spiers and bet365's Steve Freeth as the curtain comes down on this Premier League season.Ahead of the scrap ...

The Fairytale Play-Off Final for the biggest prize in football

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As recently as 2018 both Coventry City and Luton Town were playing one another in League Two, yet on Saturday meet at Wembley for a place in the Premi...

Vinícius Júnior has had enough

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Mark Chapman is alongside The Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan, and former player turned commentator for DAZN Spain, Alberto Edjogo-Owono, after Vin...

Newcastle United: Where next?

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Newcastle United will be returning to the Champions League after 20 years away next season, after securing a top four finish with a 0-0 draw against L...

Manchester City: Champions and Allegations

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So Manchester City are Premier League champions for the fifth time in the past six years.But off the pitch questions remain after over 100 Premier Le...

Weekend Preview: Man City aim to complete first leg of potential Treble, Newcastle looking to confirm Top Four finish & Big Sam heads back to West Ham in need of points

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Bardell is alongside George Elek, Tim Spiers and bet365's Steve Freeth ahead of the penultimate weekend of action in the Premier League.Man City w...

What rest of Europe thinks of Man City's dominance

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

So the treble is very much on for Manchester City after they swept aside Real Madrid to reach the final of the Champions League in what Pep Guardiola ...

Why did Southampton's data gamble fail?

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Chapman is joined by Matt Slater, Dan Sheldon and Jacob Tanswell to dissect Southampton's relegation from the Premier League under the stewardshi...

Barcelona: Why winning La Liga is not enough

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Barcelona's social media biographies read "“La Liga is ours. So is the future.”But how true is it and how well placed is the club to push on from...

Pochettino’s Chelsea - will the players and owners buy into his plan?

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

 What is the coaching philosophy of Mauricio Pochettino and is it what Chelsea need? And why wasn’t he considered at his old club Tottenham? Where...

Weekend Preview: Leeds & Leicester in need of relegation reaction, Liverpool applying top four pressure & Man City's Treble charge continues

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Bardell is alongside George Elek, Tim Spiers and bet365's Steve Freeth as Leeds United and Leicester City look to respond to the pressure applied ...

Manchester United: A season on a knife edge

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are Manchester United really back?That was the feeling back in February after winning the League Cup and beating Barcelona.But now league form is falt...

Why Bellingham to Real isn't a done deal. Yet.

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Host Ian Irving is joined by The Athletic's Guillermo Rai, Sam Lee and Raphael Honigstein to explore Jude Bellingham's proposed summer transfer to Rea...

Is Italian football back?

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James Horncastle joins Ian Irving to talk through the biggest headlines in Italian football.We go through the story of Napoli's first Scudetto since 1...

How Sam Allardyce plans to keep Leeds in the Premier League

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Allardyce has just three games to keep Leeds United in the Premier League..Coming up, we’ll look at the impact that 'Big Sam' has had already ...

Weekend Preview: Big Sam is back, Man Utd leave top four door open & Erling Haaland powering City towards Premier League Coronation

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the Premier League welcomes back Big Sam, join Dan Bardell, George Elek, Tim Spiers and bet365's Steve Freeth to look ahead to this weekend's actio...