A Football Report

As things hot up in title races across the continent, things are getting especially spicy at the top of La Liga. This week we’ll be taking a look at what is being hailed as possibly the finest clásico of the century between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and why despite the result neither team are currently top of the league. There’s been plenty going on across the Atlantic too, where Jermain Defoe definitely didn’t forget to pack his shooting boots when he got on that plane to Toronto, and David Beckham has released plans for a new stadium in Miami that wouldn’t look out of place in… Portsmouth. With the World Cup now only 78 days away, there’s one team who couldn’t be much further from Brazil. Infamous for once losing 31-0 to Australia, American Samoa have been propping up the Fifa rankings for some time now, but with an ex-MLS player now managing the side their fortunes are starting to change. The story is told excellently in the forthcoming documentary 'Next Goal Wins', which you can get a sneak peak of here. We’ll also be taking a look at the latest controversy to hit Fifa, where issues surrounding the World Cup bid process continue to rumble on. With the FBI now involved, is the clock now ticking for world football’s governing body, and possibly Qatar 2022? The #whereisfootball Instagram project takes us to the symmetrical surroundings of Millwall's New Den this week - thanks to Norwegian user mortenbk for his keen eye and this stunning shot. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

‘Crisis’ has been the buzz word this season for the pod, with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and even Barcelona getting blasted with the dreaded ‘c’ word. But finally we have turned our audio attentions to a club that deserves it more than most – AC Milan. The Rossoneri are a shocking 40 points adrift from league leaders Juve and we discuss where it all went wrong. Is rookie manager Clarence Seedorf ripe for the sacking in the summer, and will the struggle for power in the boardroom be resolved anytime soon? Elsewhere, we look at Europe in more positive tones, heralding Bayern’s 50-game unbeaten run, ruffling the hair of little Lionel Messi for eclipsing recent AFR profilee Paulino Alcántara as Barça’s all-time record scorer, and bow down to the mighty Zlatan for making his own little bit of Parisian history. All that plus a quick fire witness report from Chelsea’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray, a report on Jermain Defoe’s perfect MLS debut and an evaluation of Rivaldo’s career which came to an end this week. He was arguably one of football’s all-time greats, but why won’t he be remembered as such? For the first time, the #whereisfootball Instagram project takes us to Japan - and the J.League's second tier to be more precise. Instagram user CD-Okaji caught this week's shot of Kyoto Sanga FC fans heralding the start of a new season. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

Barça suffered a domestic shock to the system at the weekend — coming up short against lowly Valladolid. With the La Liga title looking increasingly out of their reach, and their performances levels stalling, we question whether their footballing empire is crumbling. To make matters worse, Carles Puyol, a rock for the Catalan club for so many years, has announced he’s set to leave the Nou Camp at the end of the season. Be it heading plant pots, rocking up to Champions League draws in Bermuda shorts or winning everything under the sun, he’s had some memorable moments down the years and we navigate some of the very best. Luckily for Barça, their Champions League opponents are not in tip-top shape either — on Sunday Manchester City lost against lowly Wigan in the FA Cup for the second year in succession. We question the dismal lack of urgency displayed by Manuel Pellegrini’s men and ponder whether they will blow hot or cold in the Nou Camp tomorrow. Away from the glitz and glamour of Europe’s elite, we took an in-depth look at the grit and graft of The Championship in England. With the help of ex-pro and English football league expert Steve Claridge, we praise Leicester who look a certainty to go up, admire Burnley who defeated heir derby rivals Blackburn for the first time since 1979 and examine the truly ludicrous, kamikaze finances of fellow promotion hopefuls QPR. All that plus a look at the main headlines from the first week of the new MLS season, a perusal of the AFR articles that examined the Greenpeace’s campaign against Champions League sponsor Gazprom and most importantly of all — Ben regales his amateur cup final adventures. This week's #whereisfootball Instagram shot comes courtesy of UK based graphic designer Luke Barclay, whose work you'll be familiar with from Kick TV. As per usual, it will now become the podcast’s cover art and Twitter avatar for the next week. Make sure you keep uploading photos – next week, it could be you. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

With Jersey Week in MLS now in full swing, this week’s podcast is getting into the spirit of things by delving into the delights of the highest footballing fashion that 2014 has had to offer so far. We’re talking Portland’s exquisite third kit, San Jose’s 40th anniversary rebrand, as well as the finest kits that will be gracing this summer’s World Cup. And once again, the Dutch have not let us down. Speaking of Brazil 2014, with only 100 days to go until the tournament kicks off we’ll be taking a peek across the Atlantic to see how preparations are going, check up on the wrangles between the host cities and FIFA, and discuss the air conditioning requirements of an airport terminal that consists of a canvas tent. Back in Europe, we’ll also be looking at why Alan Pardew could soon be the technical area’s worst enemy, a fiery Madrid derby, the continued domination of Bayern's winning machine in the Bundesliga, and how Manchester City claimed the first piece of silverware of the English season. The finest snap to grace the #whereisfootball Instagram project this week was this shot of Western Sydney Wanderers in Asian Champions League action, courtesy of user bachelorpaad. As per usual, it will now become the podcast’s cover art and Twitter avatar for the next week. Make sure you keep uploading photos – next week, it could be you. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

We may still be a few months away from the World Cup in Brazil, but the draw for the tournament that will see Europe’s finest pit themselves against each other in two years’ time has already been made. On this week’s show, we’ll be trying to get out heads around the new-look Euro 2016 draw, complete with France playing in a qualification group despite hosting the tournament itself, match schedules that club managers will lose sleep over, and new boys Gibraltar making their debut in competitive international football. We’ll also be rounding up all of this week’s Champions League action, where a number of old faces will be reunited in the name of club football’s finest competition once more, and taking a look at the questionable boardroom activity going on at two of the Premier League’s controversial new boys - Cardiff and Hull City. Away from European shores, we’ll be casting our eyes over to Asia where a not very talkative Pablo Aimar is currently lighting up the Malaysian top flight (and where bank transfers seem to fall second fiddle to briefcases full of cash). And if that wasn’t enough, then this week’s feature interview sees us talk to player/manager George Day, who has just steered his team Tunstall FC to a historic 2-1 win over Betley Reserves. By why is this such a special result you ask? Well, it’s their first win since.....September 2007. Our favourite snap on the #whereisfootball Instagram project this week is this fine floodlit shot taken in Washington DC, courtesy of Jeff Tien. As is now customary, it will be rewarded by becoming the pod’s cover art for the week. What an honour indeed. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

After two years in the footballing wilderness, hulking Brazilian centre-forward Adriano is back playing football again, representing Athletico Paranaense in the Copa Libertadores. As we tentatively welcome his return to the game, and hope that issues of alcoholism and ‘poor nutrition’ are behind him, we look back on the rise and fall of ‘The Emperor,’ and express regret that he’s not leading the line in the forthcoming World Cup. Back on the European continent, we look back on the life of a giant of English football – Sir Tom Finney. We profile the man who was a colossus for Preston North End and England in the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s. The winger amazed people with his Mess-like balance, his consistent ability to run defences ragged and his exceptionally humble character (he walked to home matches with the fans!). Elsewhere we highlight an exceptional piece of journalism that details the history and logistics of a Pakistani city that produces a jaw-dropping 60-million footballs a year. Sialkotis creates almost every ball you’ll see in your park or on the TV, including the Champions League ball – which brings us neatly on to the giddy excitement we have experiences with the return of World’s most high-profile club tournament is back. Listen to our quick fire reactions to Tuesday night’s results, which include a spanking for Bayer Leverkusen at the hands of Mr Ibrahimovic and a soul-crushing loss to Barca for Manchester City. The latest selection from the #whereisfootball project is from Instagram user johncrok Thanks to this magnificent snap of the Emirates stadium during Arsenal’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool, he has won the ultimate prize in football – taking over our podcast cover art for the next seven days. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

We all love a good crisis here on the podcast, so it seems only right that this week’s show that we take a long hard look at the woes of Manchester United. After conceding a 94th minute equaliser against the Premier League’s bottom club, whilst employing tactics that use more crosses than a teacher marking a fiendishly difficult maths test, we’ll be discussing just what is going on at Old Trafford, and why things don’t seem to quite be going to plan for David Moyes. We’ll also be taking a look at the problem that faces 3 in 5 Premier League footballers within 5 years of their retirement: bankruptcy. How does it happen to stars who seem to be set for life, and what sort of support is in place for those who get into financial trouble? If our rambling on this isn’t enough, then you can also watch an excellent short documentary on the topic right here. Then it’s off to Brazil, where the likes of Gilberto Silva have started to campaign for an improvement to players’ rights. As the domestic league seems to be in a state of stagnation, we’ll discussing the emergence of the Common Sense FC movement, and what it hopes to achieve in the country that will be hosting this years’ World Cup. If you want to get a bit more info on this, then you can read a superb interview with Gilberto Silva himself here. Our favourite snap from this week’s #whereisfootball Instagram project is provided courtesy of dermixen, who’s shot of the Grünwalder Stadium in Munich will be gracing the podcast’s cover art this week. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

With Patrick from AFR Voice currently travelling through Australia, it was only right we paid an in-depth visit to football down under. Featuring an interview with Football Central AU’s Ahmed Yussuf, we discuss Manchester City’s purchase of Melbourne Heart and look at the eye-wateringly difficult group the national side have to navigate in Brazil – Spain, Holland and Chile. Gulp. The Spanish national team itself also gets covered as we reflect on the passing of Luis Aragones – the founder of ‘tiki-taka’ football and former Spain coach who turned a group of under-achievers into a beautifully ruthless winning machine. Whilst in the Iberian Peninsula we greet the unusual site of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table and cast our eye over revamp design for the Bernabeu – a futuristic world class facility or a big silver Tupperware depending on how you look at it. All that plus we herald Libya’s fairytale victory in the African Nations Championships and look on at Leeds United with a mixture of bemusement, fear and intrigue as they get set to be purchased by one of the most unpredictable, impatient and eccentric owners in world football. This week the #whereisfootball Instagram project takes us to Liege in Belgium, with user Nico Geron, capturing Standard's Stade de Sclessin. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

In this week’s pod we’ll be taking a look at the rather strange goings on in Barcelona - they may now have one of the world’s brightest young players on their books, but their President has paid for it with his job. Listen to us squirm as we get lost in a pool of hidden payments, sign-on fees and third party ownership deals that we still think nobody (including Neymar himself) really understands. Away from the mess of Catalan invoices and contract law, it’s nearly the end of January which can only mean one thing – the transfer window is about to SLAM SHUT. We’ll be taking a look at the big transfer news in Europe, Diego Forlan’s rather unexpected move from Brazil to the Far East, as well as indulging in some transfer window cliché bingo. With Europe’s top leagues now back in full swing after the winter break we’ll also be discussing Dortmund’s latest woes as Bayern pick up where they left off in the Bundesliga, and take a peek at the top of Ligue 1 where a team might actually be buying a French player from Newcastle (which makes a nice change). Our favourite snap on the #whereisfootball Instagram project this week has been provided by the remarkably named crazysupaman, whose photo of a proper, no-nonsense football pitch on London’s Clapham Common will adorn the podcast’s cover art this week. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

In a week that has seen the first candidate throw his hat into the ring to become the next President of Fifa, we’ll be chatting to sports reporter and writer for worldfootballinsider.com, Christian Radnedge - who was at the launch of Jerome Champagne’s election campaign, to find out more about the man other than just his excellent name. We’ll also be taking a look at Chelsea’s latest import from the Portuguese top flight, and see how the top teams there have become masters of unearthing elite players from across the world, before selling them off for mind-boggling profits on a consistent basis. One of those money spinning sales was of course Radamel Falcao, who is experiencing a bit of a dry spell by his high standards in Ligue 1 at the moment. We’ll be discussing if everything is as it seems on the French Riviera, or if he could soon be trading in that salmon pink blazer for a Parka jacket and a portion of fish and chips by the Thames. It may be a World Cup year, but there’s also another major international tournament taking place in 2014…..and it’s already started. In case you missed it, the group stage of the African Nations Championships has already been and gone, and the South African Sports Minister has gone off on a sensational rant about his National side, but why does nobody know about it? We’re planning on making up for lost time, so make sure you tune in next week for an in-depth breakdown of the knockout rounds. This week’s finest photo to feature on AFR’s #whereisfootball Instagram project is brought to you courtesy of Mr. AFR himself, Eric Beard, whose snap from Portland will adorn the podcast’s cover art for the next week. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

There were two huge stories in football this past week – the crowning of Cristiano Ronaldo as the latest Ballon d’Or winner was one. We certainly saw that one coming, and we’ve dutifully doffed our cap to the Real Madrid colossus as a deserved winner, despite a late challenge from Messi’s fabulous red satin suit. What we didn’t see coming was Toronto FC breaking the bank to simultaneously secure the signatures of top players Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley. To get fan reaction in Toronto and find out whether this massive financial gamble is likely to be remembered as reckless or a stroke of genius, we spoke to Managing Editor of Canadian Soccer News, Duane Rollins. In Europe, we charge our glasses to Benfica for honouring the passing of Eusebio with a rare win against rivals Porto. Elsewhere, AC Milan had the good grace to appoint their new manager just hours before recording, which means we you’ll get our straight out of the oven first reaction to Clarence Seedorf taking the hot seat. The serial Champions League winner was a massive favourite with the Rossoneri, but will that goodwill be enough to paper over the complete absence of managerial experience? Grabbing the crown this week for the best photograph submitted to AFR’s #whereisfootball project is Rome-based photographer Adam Lloyd. His stunning snap of Roma fans at the Stadio Olimpico will be the podcast's artwork for the next seven days. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

In a week that has seen football lose one of its all-time greats, we’ll be taking a look at the dazzling career and life of the one and only Eusebio, including some of the tributes that have been paid to the man who scored more than a goal a game for his club side Benfica, and lit up the 1966 World Cup by becoming the tournament’s top scorer. We’ll also be taking a look at the steps being taken by Real Madrid to banish far-right ultras from the Bernabeu, and get stuck right into AFR’s exceptionally well put together “Best Of Football Writing 2013”. As you can probably guess from the title, it’s a compilation of some of last year’s finest pieces of writing about the beautiful game from across the web, and you can check it out right here. We’ve also got our first feature interview of 2014, which sees us talking to Serie A expert and author of “20 Great Italian Games” Giancarlo Rinaldi about the weekend’s top of the table clash between Juventus and Roma, Fiorentina’s bid for a Champions League spot, and of course, just what does the rest of the season hold for Queen of the South in the Scottish Championship? This week’s finest and most fitting photo on the #whereisfootball Instagram project comes from AFR’s very own Dominic Vieira, who was in Benfica’s Estádio da Luz on Monday to witness Eusebio’s final lap of honour. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

It’s a New Year, and with it comes a fresh new show to get 2014 rolling. This week we'll be delving into some of the Premier League action from the festive season (as there didn’t seem to be a ball kicked anywhere else in Europe), as well as discuss the prospects of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the newest kid on the English top flight’s managerial block, as he dons some leather gloves, hoists his trousers up, and takes the reigns at Cardiff City. At this time of year it only seems fitting that we also discuss something that has become quintessentially linked with January 1st, and we don’t mean New Year’s resolutions or optimistic gym sign-ups. We’re talking about the January transfer window which has been wrenched WIDE OPEN, and has already started to force the rumour mill into overdrive. We’ll also be taking a look at Serie A, which returns from Winter hibernation this weekend with a tasty top of the table clash, and play with that hot potato that is the issue of the Winter break (or distinct lack of one on British shores). Our top snap from the #whereisfootball Instagram project this week has been taken by Daniel Wilding, whose shot from snowy Canada will be the first to take over the podcast’s cover art in 2014. Things will be back to normal next week, so expect the next pod to spring out of the audio oven on Tuesday, January 7th. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.

In England, the day after Christmas means only two things – one, gulping down the remainder of the Christmas turkey and two, watching a phenomenal amount of football. Each side in the top tier played on the 26th December, and we’ve picked out the major points for debate – including the continuation of Newcastle’s astonishing hot-streak, a potentially season-defining win for Manchester City and the welcome return of Darren Fletcher at Manchester United. After we made our way out of that dizzying coma of food and goals, we took a far more global approach – analysing The Guardian’s list of the top 100 players in the world and doffing our caps to Bayern Munich who won the Club World Cup in Morocco. But what about the tournament itself – is it simply a vacuous money-spinner for FIFA, or is it a credible title that deserves more respect? Winning #whereisfootball this week is Instagram user derpucki for this particularly festive shot - 27,000 FC Union Berlin fans filling out their stadium to sing Christmas songs. And that’s the perfect opportunity for us to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to our listeners. Thanks for clamping your ears around our show in 2013. Our next show lands January 2nd 2014.

This week’s show sees us a man down - and before you ask, no we haven’t sacked Ben for overseeing a series of poor pod performances (he’ll be back next week), but we will be discussing the goings on of a weekend of boardroom-based carnage in the Premier League. Where did it all go wrong for Andre Villas-Boas and Steve Clarke? Will they be stuck on the managerial merry-go-round for long? And with the January transfer window fast approaching, who’s next to join them? Then it’s off to Europe’s top table, where we’ll be taking a look at the Champions League draw – the tasty looking match against Man City that Barcelona didn’t want, the prospect of two home games for Didier Drogba, and an Arsenal team looking to make sure we don’t get a sixth straight final that includes either Pep Guardiola or Bayern Munich. We’re also stopping off in La Liga, where Atletico Madrid are doing everything they can to disrupt the established balance of power, Barcelona have broken yet another record, and Cristiano Ronaldo has now got something that not many players in world football can boast – his own museum. This week’s feature interview sees us chat to journalist, broadcaster and Spanish football expert Guillem Balague about his new book, simply titled “Messi”. We’ll be talking about how he went about writing a book on the world’s best player, how he managed to speak to Messi’s friends, family and coaches to build a true picture of the man, and what makes the Argentine arguably the greatest player of all time. This week we're in Belgium for the #whereisfootball project, courtesy of Instagram user nicogeron. Remember, you can get in touch with the team by emailing afrvoice@gmail.com, or on Twitter @AFRvoice. You can also find us on iTunes here.