Stadio: A Football Podcast

Musa and Ryan take another stroll through alternate soccer universes, beginning with what if Roman Abramovich had decided to buy Portsmouth, instead of Chelsea (03:30) in 2003. They then discuss what would have happened had Arsenal hired Johan Cruyff, not Arsène Wenger in 1996 (18:30), the Barcelona board hadn’t sanctioned a deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2009 (34:26), and Neymar had joined Pep Guardiola’s Bayern instead of Barcelona in 2014 (46:20). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musa and Ryan begin by reflecting on the death of Chadwick Boseman (00:25), and then partake in some much-needed cheering up thanks to a couple of brilliant listener emails. They then look back at the Women’s Champions League final, which saw Lyon win a fifth straight championship by beating Wolfsburg 3-1 to maintain an unbeaten run that is well into its third year (07:57). The domestic season began in England this weekend, with Chelsea beating Manchester City in the Women’s Community Shield (21:12), and Arsenal beating Liverpool in the men’s. There’s praise for Mikel Arteta, who notched his third Wembley win and his second trophy as Arsenal manager (24:55), plus talk of why this defeat may not be the worst thing in the world for Jürgen Klopp ahead of a season defending the Premier League title. They wrap up by talking about Marco Rose topping a sexy survey in Germany (45:49), and answering questions on which clubs they would invest in (48:33) and La Liga’s weighing in on the Lionel Messi situation (54:16). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musa and Ryan reflect on the news that Lionel Messi has notified Barcelona of his wish to leave the club and the circumstances that led to this point, including the conflicting philosophies surrounding the club (04:02). They also speculate about where Messi might land, or whether he will leave at all. They then look back at this week’s Women’s Champions League semifinals, which saw Wolfsburg and Lyon remain undefeated and progress to Sunday’s final (26:46). Then they open the mailbag to answer questions on statement signings made by clubs promoted into the Premier League (37:01) and which current coach would improve the side they manage if they were in it as a player at the peak of their career (41:06), and they finish by mapping out their dream careers had they been professional footballers (45:06). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musa and Ryan discuss Sunday’s Champions League final, which saw Bayern defeat PSG 1-0 to clinch their sixth European Cup and the second treble in their history (04:54). The guys heap praise on a number of Bayern players, including Thiago, and discuss the attributes that make him such a wonderful midfielder (11:18). There’s also discussion about the amazing job that Bayern coach Hansi Flick has done since taking over in 2019, when they were fourth in the Bundesliga and a long way off from looking like the side they are now (27:17). The pair discuss the Women’s Champions League, which also returned last weekend and saw Wolfsburg, Barcelona, Lyon, and PSG progress (32:21), and then finish up by looking back at Friday’s brilliant Europa League final in which Sevilla clinched the trophy for the sixth time (44:02). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musa and Ryan let the mailbag direct their recap of the Champions League semifinals, which saw PSG and Bayern move on. After the inevitable reference to Julian Nagelsmann’s suit, they talk about Thomas Tuchel’s strengths and what he has brought to PSG (04:39), and heap praise on Angel Di Maria (07:47) and Marquinhos. They move on to discuss Lyon’s impressive run coming to an end, the strength of their academy, and the wonders of Houssem Aouar (12:55). Next, they talk about Joshua Kimmich, Bayern, and a brief recap of key moments from the game itself (24:30). Then they discuss mustaches in football (32:01), how Bayern’s high line will cope with Mbappe, Neymar, and Di Maria (36:26), and Inter’s dominant win over Shakhtar Donetsk whilst looking forward to the Europa League final against Sevilla (39:50) and the Women’s Champions League quarterfinals, which begin on Friday (42:26). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musa and Ryan look back at Bayern’s 8-2 destruction of Barcelona, focusing on the game itself (00:23) and then moving on to how mismanagement at the board level has led to the current situation at Camp Nou (13:25). The guys also discuss what they're like on the pitch (24:14) before moving on to Rose Lavelle’s move to Manchester City and her NWSL rights being acquired by OL Reign (30:17). Then they wrap up the rest of the Champions League games, including more disappointment for Pep Guardiola with Manchester City exiting at the hands of Lyon (32:00) and RB Leipzig eliminating Atletico Madrid and what that might mean for Diego Simeone’s future (40:35). And then they wrap up with their reaction to Manchester United’s loss to Sevilla in the Europa League semifinal (47:57). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musa and Ryan discuss the first Champions League quarterfinal, in which PSG came from a goal behind to score two goals in stoppage time and eliminate Atalanta (04:49). They then run through the four quarterfinal matches of the Europa League (22:00), which will now see Inter meet Shakhtar and Sevilla face Manchester United in the semifinals. There’s also chat about the MLS Is Back final (37:58), as the Portland Timbers beat Orlando City to secure a second piece of MLS silverware. Finally, there’s news about Musa’s new book. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Champions League is back! Musa and Ryan round up the round of 16 second legs that were played over the weekend ahead of its move to Lisbon for the remainder of the tournament. They begin with Manchester City’s drama-free win over Real Madrid (03:56), and Musa is accused of jinxing Raphaël Varane. Lyon went through thanks to the away goal rule (11:42), and there's discussion about Maurizio Sarri's replacement, Andrea Pirlo (17:50). There’s also talk of Bayern cruising through against Chelsea as well as Barcelona progressing despite failing to impress, before the guys look ahead to this week’s quarterfinals (34:46). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s another what-if episode, in which Musa and Ryan take a trip through an alternate football reality. Before they do, they reflect on the news that Arsenal are to lay off 55 staff members, including roles in recruitment and scouting (04:34). Then it’s on to the what-ifs, beginning with if Gareth Bale had been sold to Birmingham City in 2009 (19:35), if Antonio Conte had signed Romelu Lukaku for Chelsea in 2018 (35:38), if the current football and social media climate had existed when Alex Ferguson was under pressure during his early days as Manchester United manager (43:07), and if Celtic had beaten Chelsea in the 2003 UEFA Cup Final (47:53). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Musa and Ryan break down Arsenal’s FA Cup Final win over Chelsea at Wembley, thanks to two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (03:40). They discuss Christian Pulisic, who scored before suffering a hamstring injury, and Mikel Arteta’s securing the first trophy of his young managerial career. They also reflect on Eddie Howe leaving Bournemouth and predict where he may go next (24:55), before moving on to the failed Newcastle takeover bid and what it means for the wider context of ownership of European clubs (28:55). There’s also a quick chat about Inter, Atalanta, and looking ahead to the Champions League’s return (40.28). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesFor more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.