The Athletic FC Podcast

Hosts Dan Bardell and George Elek are once again in the company of bet365's Steve Freeth to preview the best of the weekend's FA Cup Third Round action... Will Ben Garner's Swindon stand toe-to-toe with Pep's Man City, could Arsenal be light in midfield against Nottingham Forest and is the Hull City takeover done yet?Plus, why Crystal Palace could be dark horses for the trophy this season, Manuel Lanzini's inspired West Ham form and what Ralf Rangnick could learn from his 29-year-old centre half, Phil Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off this weekend Mark Chapman & Matt Slater are joined by Hicham El Amrani, former Secretary General of the African Football Federation.And later in the pod we’ll be joined by The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon who has been speaking to Martin Semmens CEO of Premier League side Southampton following their takeover by a London-based investment firm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which referee's name strikes fear into your heart as a fan. Does Stuart Attwell really hate Arsenal and why do Premier League referees all look alike?... Hosts Dan Bardell and Flo Lloyd-Hughes are joined by The Athletic's Stuart James and Dan Barnes to reflect on the 'Great Referee Conspiracy' gripping the hearts of supporters across the country...The guys discuss the concerning lack of diversity, accountability and whether 'consistency' is even possible in football. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Chapman discusses the future of Romelu Lukaku - after he was dropped from the Chelsea squad - with The Athletic’s Simon Johnson & James Horncastle & Adam Crafton.Adam Crafton was at Old Trafford last night for The Athletic and has plenty of thoughts on United's struggles following their loss to Wolves. And with the transfer window now open, The Athletic's Newcastle United writer Chris Waugh joins the pod ahead of a very busy month on his beat.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic Football Podcast is taking break this week so we wanted to point you in the direction of the newest addition to the Athletic podcast network.In The Boardroom is hosted by Jacqui Oatley and she speaks to people from up and down the football pyramid about the day-to-day to running a football club. As a taster, this is Jacqui's conversation with Leon Mann, co-founder of The Football Blacklist, where they discuss Leon's on-going mission to make football more inclusive - from coaching to club administration to the media.If you like what you hear, you can listen to the other interviews from the series by searching for In The Boardroom and subscribing for free on Apple, Spotify and everywhere else you get your pods, including of course the Athletic app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ho-Ho-Hosts Dan Bardell and George Elek are joined by bet365's Steve Freeth to preview the best of the Boxing Day action as Dan questions whether this is a good time for his beloved Villa to face Chelsea and the trio debate where both Newcastle and Manchester United most need to strengthen in January...Plus, Phil Hay chimes in on how badly Leeds need some players back from injury this Christmas, if Liverpool can sustain a title challenge without their African stars and whether the Newcastle project is a more interesting proposition than Brighton's? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mbappe, Pogba, Rudiger and countless other star players are out of contract next summer; The Athletic's senior writer Stuart James joins Dan Bardell and Flo Lloyd-Hughes to explain...How the pandemic has helped to create a truly 'unique' summer, the role of football agents in this trend and how clubs are trying to wrestle back some control. Plus, who the big winners and losers might be in January? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton to discuss the fallout from the Premier League's decision on Monday not to postpone a round of fixtures over Christmas despite the rise in COVID cases continuing to put matches in jeopardy.We're also joined by The Athletic's senior writer Dominic Fifield and our Leeds correspondent Phil Hay to look at Chelsea and Leeds - two of the clubs who have been badly affected by the recent chaos in different ways, and with it being announced that 16% of Premier League footballers are unvaccinated we attempt to work out the reasons why and whether football can do anything about this issue.All that plus a look ahead to the January transfer window and our panel pick their footballing highlights of 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Dan Bardell and George Elek are joined by bet365's Steve Freeth to preview (what's left of) the weekend's Premier League action, as Covid outbreaks continue to disrupt the festive fixture calendar... Has 'Auba-gate' actually galvanised the Arsenal squad and can they take their impressive home form to Elland Road on Saturday? How much Kane would be worth if he tried to engineer another move away from Spurs in January and more on KdB's frighteningly good return to action. Plus, why Gareth Southgate MUST find a way to get Trent Alexander-Arnold into his England team for the World Cup next year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Chapman & The Athletic's Matt Slater are joined by Edwin van der Sar to discuss his journey from being a hugely successful player to leading one of European football's most famous football clubs as CEO of AFC Ajax.We also hear how Edwin's work at Ajax is being noticed from other clubs including his former side Manchester United.In a wide ranging discussion, Edwin also details the every day challenges he faces in his role from recruitment, managing finances and creating an authentic connection with fans through the club's unique culture and Bob Marley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.