Mental health is a growing issue in football  but suffers from being seen as a taboo subject. Co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to writer Johnnie Lowery who has published a new book, Match Fit, looking at how mental health affects footballers and fans, why it's been overlooked and what's being done to overcome it. As well as highlighting key moments that can affect players' mental health--as a young player starting out, approaching retirement or suffering a bad injury--Johnnie also points to...

Football has a gambling problem. In this episode, co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to award winning investigative journalist Steve Menary about the growth of gambling in the sport, from the football clubs who take the industry's money to the ways that betting companies are encouraging people to bet.  Steve also talks about the grey world in which many of these companies operate, acquiring a license in one country to enable them to operate in another country where betting is illegal as well as...

Brazilian football is famous for its noisy and passionate supporters. But Brazilian football fans are not only passionate, they also have a long tradition of political activism. In this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco speak to Luisa Turbino Torres, assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University, whose research looks at fan activism, gender and society in Brazil. Luisa talks about fans' activism and particularly the role of female and LGBTQ+ supporters in Brazil, with particular...

How much does the geography and politics of a country influence the development of its football culture? In this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to journalist Miguel Lourenço Pereira about football and politics in one of Europe's most fascinating countries, Portugal. Miguel is the author of several books including the recent "Bring me that horizon. A journey through the soul of Portuguese football".  He explains how the history of Portuguese football is closely connected to the...

What makes modern football political? And what is the role of football in civil society? In this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco speak to Cas Mudde, political scientist, football fan and enthusiastic groundhopper. Cas points to various developments taking place in modern football, from stadia as political arenas for both fans and the authorities around them, whether footballing or government. He notes the presence of illiberal regimes, including the growth of surveillance in and around...

How entwined is football and politics in Thailand? Guy and Francesco talk to Thai scholar Arjin Thongyuukong and UK journalist Matt Riley about the origins and development of the game in Thailand.  Matt and Arjin discuss the rise of the national league and the presence of politicians like Thaksin Shinawatra and Newin Chidchob as football club owners. Meanwhile, Thai society has undergone dramatic change in recent decades, resulting in the emergence of a new lower-middle class enthusiastic...

Footballers are global icons, and Mo Salah is probably the most famous Arab and Muslim one today. But does Salah's popularity affect the way that Muslims (and Arabs) are perceived? Guy and Francesco speak to Salma Mousa, Assistant Professor of Political Science at UCLA about the 'Salah effect': how hate crimes in Liverpool and anti-Muslim tweets by Liverpool fans fell after Salah joined the club. Salma also talks about her work in Iraq to measure the effectiveness and limits of football as a...

In this brand new bonus edition format, Guy and Francesco explore topical issues around football that have a political dimension with the help of an expert. In this episode, Alex Ireland, football writer and football kits connoisseur, talks about England's new football shirt. Nike's decision to put a multi-coloured St George's cross - the symbol on the English flag - has created a lot of discussion and led to calls to restore the traditional colours. Alex explains why this has happened,...

Can football be more inclusive and embrace groups that have traditionally been left out from the game? In our latest episode, Guy and Francesco learn what some football clubs and fan groups are doing in the UK and US. They talk to Sarah Keig and JulieAnn Thomas of Fulham Lillies, a women's supporters group in southwest London that aims to raise the profile and voices of female fans at the club and help bring attention for women's participation in football more generally and at Fulham in...

Most people associate India with cricket. And yet the country has a long and rich history with football, based mainly in India's periphery rather than its Hindu heartland. Guy and Francesco talk to journalists and podcasters Siddhanth Aney and Siju Mathew about the origins of the game from the end of the nineteenth century and  India's relative regional success in the 1950s and 1960s. Despite the game's subsequent decline, football  gained a new lease of life from the 1990s and especially...

Co-host Francesco is joined by a guest co-host Eugenio Giovagnoli to talk to Canadian sports journalist and activist, Shireen Ahmed. Shireen has been at the forefront of the battle towards inclusivity in football, particularly in the media. She reflects on the current challenges, the achievements so far made and those that remain, along with a look at the state of the women's game across different countries and with a particular focus on Canada. As well as examining the state of Canadian...

Football is a powerful tool in fragmented societies, none more so than Colombia. In this episode, Pete Watson of Leeds University explains to co-hosts Guy and Francesco what role has football played in the formation of a national identity and as a tool of reconciliation in both Colombia and in neighbouring countries. In Colombia the beautiful game has been used by a wide range of actors, from politicians to FARC rebels.  Pete also discusses the darker side of Colombian football, its...

It is often said that football reflects the societies where we live. So what does football tell us about race and education? In this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco learn the difficulties that young black footballers faced in their education as they tried to make it in the game from Leicester University's Paul Campbell. Paul also provides insight into the different media representations of black footballers, including in video games, as well as the particular challenges that black...

Football is by far the most popular sport in the world, making it "the world's game". And yet there some countries in the world that don't have a national team or are unrecognised by major organisations like FIFA. In this episode, co-hosts Francesco and Guy talk to Paul Watson about who does and who doesn't get to participate in "official" international football and why football representation is important. Paul offers deep insight as the ex-manager of the Micronesian island team Pohnpei and...

Have you ever thought of Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo as workers? Probably not! And yet for global stars as for lower level professional footballers and others in less glamorous leagues, football is a job with 'trade relations'.  In this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco speak to labour rights advocates, Alex Culvin and Alexander Bielefeld from FIFPRO, the World Players Union organisation which brings together national trade unions of footballers from around the globe. Alex and Alexander...

The idea of a European Super League that would see top European clubs regularly compete against each other has bee in the news again in recent months, following a recent ruling at the European Court of Justice and its backers' latest proposals. But what would the Super League mean for European football, and will this project ever become reality? In this episode, Francesco and Guy talk to Anthony Macedo, a Portuguese academic based at the Lisbon School of Economics and Management and the...

Do religions and particularly Islam have a view on football? In this episode co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to Valentina Fedele, Associate Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicational Processes at Link Campus University in Rome. Valentina explains how most religions have beliefs and norms that apply to sport generally and football in particular, noting that Islam is not especially unique in this regard.  Looking at several Muslim majority countries  like Algeria, Saudi Arabia and...

Football fans are often at the centre of media and public opinion attention: condemned as violent and anti-social or applauded for their contribution to the atmosphere in stadiums around the world. But are football fans 'political actors'? If so, what is their politics? In this episode, co-hosts Guy and Francesco speak to journalist James Montague, author of several books on football fans including the widely acclaimed 1312: Among the Ultras. James explains how, while the roots of modern...

Football has been used by both politicians as well as fans to advance their own interests. How have fascist and right-wing political leaders and regimes exploited football to promote themselves? And how have fans tried to fight right wing authoritarianism through football?  In this episode co-hosts Francesco and Guy talk to Chris Lee, author of The Defiant: A History of Football Against Fascism and host of website and podcast Outside Write. Chris discusses the relationship between the...

West Africa is the home of exceptional footballing talent. In our latest episode, co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to Ghanian journalist Gary Al-Smith to understand why the countries in the region - Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Cameroon - produce so many good footballers and how and why many of them end up in Europe. In the episode we learn what impact this has had on the domestic game and for clubs there, contrasting West Africa's experience to other parts of the continent,...

Is the use of football in diplomacy a modern phenomenon? Or has sport always been used as a diplomatic tool? In this episode, co-hosts Guy and Francesco speak to Heather Dichter, Associate Professor at DeMonfort University specialising in sport history, with a focus on diplomacy and twentieth century Europe. Heather explains how the popularity of the game made it a unique diplomatic tool, and why the last decades have been a golden era for football diplomacy. Heather also discusses her...

December 29 marks the first anniversary of Pele's death. As one of the world's greatest football players, Pele's impact goes beyond the football pitch into politics, society and popular folklore. To discuss Pele's legacy in Brazil,  co-hosts Guy and Francesco talk to Ana Paula da Silva, who studies race and gender at the Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro. Ana Paula explains how Pele was perceived and judged in terms of race and race relations during his career from the 1950s to...

What has been the impact of the Qatar World Cup? Has the tournament been a success for the organisers, and what is its legacy in terms of human and particularly labour rights?  A year to the day after Lionel Messi's Argentina raised the trophy, co-hosts Guy and Francesco take a look at the reasons behind Qatar bidding for the World Cup and the immediate and long-term consequences of winning the hosting rights. As well as looking at the political and economic effects following the World Cup,...

Belgium is known for its waffles, chocolates and beer. And arguably for its football. But what can the beautiful game tell us about the politics and history of the country?  Co-hosts Guy (himself a Brussel resident) and Francesco  talk to Scott Coyne, Mechelen fan and co-host of the Belgian Football Podcast, the world's premier English language show on the game there. Scott provides insight on how football first arrived in Belgium, who the big clubs are and the extent to which past economic...