The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   Gift a Patreon subscription for Christmas: www.patreon.com/SweeperPod/gift   Part 1 is all about the biggest domestic cup shocks and upsets across the globe, starting with Spaeri. But does their association with a government entity make it less of a fairytale triumph for the fast-rising second-tier Georgians? The focus then turns to other lower-league cup triumphs in 2024, including Senegal, where the final set an almost unbelievable all-time record. The segment concludes with our stand-out cupsets of the season in Spain, Austria, Norway and Denmark, where two top-flight teams have been hit with an expensive fine for a snowball fight.   Up next in Part 2 is a whistlestop tour of the globe, with five stories from five continents. In Europe, Serie D outfit Piacenza race through three coaches in one day, while a passionate fan tries to smuggle his grandfather’s skull into a continental final in South America. A striker hoping to face Cristiano Ronaldo in the Asian Champions League joins the wrong Esteghlal in Iran, TP Mazembe get stuck at the airport for two nights ahead of an African Champions League tie and Central American Cup winners Alajuelense want a place at the FIFA Club World Cup.   For bonus episodes, extra blog posts, weekly World Football Newsletters, sneak peaks at our agenda, football shirt giveaways and access to our magnificent Discord community, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod for a fiver a month and support our independent journalism. There are no contracts, no sign-up fees, no minimum stays and no advertisements. The next bonus episode – featuring our favourite stories from the 2024 calendar year – will be released on Wednesday 18 December.   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:39 – A Spaeri-tale Georgian Cup triumph 06:17 – Senegal’s lower-league final 09:53 – Cupsets across the continent 17:12 – An expensive Danish snowball fight 20:28 – Africa: TP Mazembe’s airport disaster 24:28 – Europe: Piacenza’s mental 24 hours 28:51 – South America: A smuggled skull in Paraguay 31:50 – Asia: A transfer to the wrong Esteghlal 35:13 – North & Central America: Alajuelense’s CWC claim 37:46 – The 2024 Intercontinental Cup on FIFA+ Editor: Ralph Foster

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper There was only ever going to be one starting point for our international coverage in Part 1: San Marino’s historic promotion to UEFA Nations League C! But how do we think they will fare and who do we want to see them face? Up next is the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, the home of Haiti & Dominican Republic – both of whom have qualified for the 2025 Gold Cup. But which other examples of shared island qualification for a major tournament are there? Finally in Part 1, we tell you all about Kitmas – a brilliant initiative started by our own Paul Watson. The focus switches to club football in Part 2 as we put the Coupe de France and the participating overseas territories under the microscope. How did US Avranches fare after their 16,000 kilometre trip to Tahiti? And why are USSA Vertou in limbo at the airport ahead of their trip to Réunion? We then finish the episode with the curious case of Seventh Day Adventist Silvan Wallner – and other religious retirements from football – before examining the outsiders and underdogs at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. Don’t want to wait another fortnight for your next dose of Sweeper goodness? Then join us for a bonus episode on 4 December, in which we will be discussing – amongst other things – a mad 24 hours involving three different head coaches at Italian Serie D side Piacenza and the thrilling conclusion to the Georgian title race, with the horrendously renamed Iberia 1999 in pole position. Simply sign up at www.patreon.com/SweeperPod and get a whole host of other perks such as weekly newsletters, bonus blogs and access to our chat community on Discord. Gift a Patreon subscription for Christmas: www.patreon.com/SweeperPod/gift Make a Kitmas donation or contribution: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/kitmas-2024 Leo Honig’s Substack newsletter: substack.com/@footballshaped RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 02:17 – San Marino’s historic promotion 11:53 – Hispaniola’s Gold Cup qualification 18:32 – Kitmas 2024 & Christmas Patreon gifts 26:03 – Coupe de France controversies 34:34 – Silvan Wallner & religious retirements 40:48 – FIFA+: The FIFA Club World Cup draw Editor: Ralph Foster

In Part 1 of this bonus Patreon episode, which we have released in the absence of a fresh podcast on this occasion, the Sweeper team are joined by Tom Middler and Simon Clark – Lee's co-hosts on his other podcast, 'The Other Bundesliga' – to talk about their groundhopping trip to Slovenia & Croatia. Which UEFA Conference League match did they watch? Who plays in Slovenia's 'metal derby'? And why is there a garden shed in Croatia's largest stadium? Join us to find out! The theme in Part 2 is sh*thousery and the dark arts. What bizarre measure did River Plate resort to for their Copa Libertadores semi-final against Atlético Mineiro? Why are Como using local buses in what has been described as a declaration of war on regional rivals Monza? And how did the AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifier between Australia and Indonesia descend into farce? Plus, a bonus question: How many footballs can Paul and Lee carry? If you like the bonus podcast, you can listen to them every fortnight – on the Wednesdays between our usual episodes – by signing up at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You can also enter our giveaways, read our weekly World Football Newsletter and our bonus blogs, and join our chat community on Discord, where hundreds of patrons are discussing world football on a daily basis. The show is also largely self-funded, so Patreon contributions are a great way to support our journalism! RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - Giantkillings & Kiribati fan accounts 08:18 - A scorpion save in Slovenia 14:52 - Metal-themed football clubs 19:57 - Ultras & garden sheds in Croatia 29:47 - River Plate's potent paint 35:51 - Como's declaration of war on Monza 40:59 - AFC U17 Asian Cup controversy 43:30 - How many footballs can we carry? Editor: Ralph Foster

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   Click here to buy the November issue of World Soccer: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/world-soccer-magazine   In Part 1, the focus is on the club game in the continent The Sweeper calls home: Europe. Why did the entire Njegoš team simultaneously collapse in the Montenegrin third division? And was there any truth to the plutonium poisoning allegations? How did Ängelholms in the fourth tier of Swedish women’s football miss out on the title despite not conceding a goal? And what bizarre record did their goalkeeper end the season with? And why did Breiðablik fans stage a break-in ahead of their final-day title-decider with Víkingur Reykjavík in Iceland?   Part 2 contains a selection of stories from Africa, Asia, Central America and Oceania. Why has a second club from New Zealand, Auckland FC, joined Australia’s A-League? And why will their upcoming match against Wellington Phoenix be unique in world football? What has led TP Mazembe in DR Congo to play Nigerian goalkeeper Suleman Shaibu in attack? How did Wolues of the British Virgin Islands come to have a misspelling in their name? And how are the two clubs from war-torn Sudan playing 5,000km away in Mauritania getting on?   If you don’t want to wait until 13 November for our next episode, join us on Patreon for our bonus episodes in the in-between weeks. Simply sign up at patreon.com/SweeperPod and join us for a special pod on 6 November. We will be joined by some special guests to talk about their recent groundhops in Slovenia and Croatia, before rounding up some other stories from Russia, Uzbekistan and Eritrea. Patrons also get access to our Discord chat community, bonus blogs, weekly newsletters and entry into our shirt giveaways too.   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:43 – Montenegro’s mass collapse 07:24 – Sweden’s perfect runners-up 11:54 – Iceland’s final-day title decider 16:12 – Other summer league tales 21:03 – Kiwi club’s debut in the A-League 29:28 – An attacking keeper in DR Congo 34:14 – The Sweeper Super Sunday on FIFA+ 41:15 – First Vienna game with a patron Editor: Ralph Foster

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   In Part 1, we take a look at one of the world’s most remote footballing outposts with Faraway Football blogger Matthew Eide, who has just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Bhutan courtesy of football kit designers Icarus. Which footballing figure flew the plane that transported him from Kathmandu to Paro? How did a 10-goal thriller have more drama after the final whistle than in the game itself? Which endangered species are Thimphu City fighting to help save? And how could YOU join the Overseas Board of a football club in Asia?   Part 2 is dedicated to the best stories from the international game in the October window. Why was oxygen being provided on the sidelines at Bolivia’s World Cup qualifier against Colombia? Who holds the longest ongoing winless run in international football now that Liechtenstein and Andorra have both won? Why did Turkmenistan’s government deny their national football team permission to travel to Malta? And for what unusual reason did the Turks & Caicos goalkeeper miss the CONCACAF Nations League clash with Anguilla?   If you don’t want to wait another fortnight for our next episode, join us on Patreon for our bonus podcasts in the in-between weeks at patreon.com/SweeperPod. The next patron-only episode will hit the airwaves on Wednesday 23 October. Subscribers can also read our bonus blog about our trip to Lugano, join several hundred other patrons on our Discord chat community, enter our regular shirt giveaway contests and get a sneak preview of each podcast on the weekend before it is released. Follow Matthew Eide’s Faraway Football account: Twitter: x.com/FarAwayFootball Instagram: Instagram.com/farawayfootball RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:31 – Lee & Paul’s travel disasters 02:57 – A groundhop to beautiful Bhutan 18:24 – FIFA+: South America & Oceania 26:58 – A golden era for Europe's micro-states 34:57 – Country vs. club in Turkmenistan 38:36 – Poolside viewing in the Caribbean Editor: Ralph Foster

In Part 1, Lee reflects on his trip to watch high-flying Lugano take on Winterthur in the Swiss Super League. What’s the story behind their collaboration with MLS outfit Chicago Fire? What else has been behind the club’s rise to domestic cup winners and title challengers? And could Switzerland have its first national champion from the Italian-speaking region since 1949? We also hear from YouTuber and friend of the pod TheTimTraveller about Campione d’Italia (the exclave on the other side of Lake Lugano) and their eighth-division football team.   Next up, it’s Paul’s turn to tell the story of his visit to Welsh outfit The New Saints ahead of their UEFA Conference League clash with Fiorentina. But what about the four Welsh clubs in the English pyramid dreaming of European football? Why is Norwegian second-tier club Bryne inviting spectators to bring their tractors to matches? And why are the Vatican’s men’s and women’s teams making a trip to Berlin soon? We answer all those questions in Part 2, which includes another guest appearance from YouTuber and Away Days host Ellis Platten.   For the chance to win a Vatican national team shirt, to read our in-depth bonus blog about Lugano’s rise and to join our chat community on Discord, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You can also listen to our bonus podcast out on Wednesday 9 October, in which we talk about our visit to the Serie B match between FC Südtirol and Palermo, the Iranian ballistic missiles that made an appearance in the AFC Champions League 2 and the Romanian sporting director urging fans to abandon adult content creators. RUNNING ORDER 00:00 – Intro 00:51 - The rise of Swiss side Lugano 10:34 - Mascots & miniature models 13:15 - Campione d'Italia with TheTimTraveller 17:25 - A stop-off at FC Südtirol 18:52 - Behind the scenes at TNS 25:00 - Alternative Welsh routes in Europe 29:21 - Tractor tickets in Norway with Ellis Platten 33:53 - The quirkiest VIP offerings in football 38:27 - Peru's Vatican-themed football club 42:12 - The Vatican's upcoming tour to Berlin   Video: Away Days at Bryne: Out on Saturday 5 October   Video: TheTimTraveller on Campione d’Italia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1fqinoNiZE   Editor: Ralph Foster

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   Part 1 covers the best international window for underdogs in living memory, with San Marino’s first-ever competitive triumph, Anguilla’s first victory since 2010 & American Samoa’s first win since 2015 among the highlights. There’s also a mention for the Turks & Caicos Islands’ 14 year-old goalie, a rare competitive away win for altitude specialists Bolivia & a presidential helicopter disruption at Guyana vs. Suriname.   There’s a special announcement to kick off Part 2, as we tell the listeners all about The Sweeper Podcast’s brand-new partnership with FIFA+ and all the matches around the world that can be live-streamed in top quality for free. The episode then finishes off with some great headlines from Chile and Argentina: Huachipato’s two games in one day, Barnechea’s 45-point deduction, Talleres’ gun-wielding chairman & Banfield’s half-time coach sacking.   To enter the draw to win the San Marino-Liechtenstein match programmes & the Anguilla shirt, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. There you will also be able to read our San Marino bonus blog and find our next bonus podcast on Wednesday 25 September, in which we talk about the Welsh substitute who got arrested before the final whistle, the Italian coach who scythed down an opponent & Chris Smalling’s nightmare debut for Al Fayha.   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:31 – San Marino: Local disbelief 05:00 – Anguilla: First victory in 14 years 06:42 – Turks & Caicos: 14-year-old goalie 10:21 – Bolivia: Altitude & away wins 14:18 – International window: The best ever? 16:08 – Guyana: The presidential helicopter 18:55 – FIFA+: Introducing our new partner 22:43 – Chile: Huachipato’s two games in a day 26:50 – Chile: Barnechea’s 45-point deduction 29:27 – Argentina: Talleres’ feisty chairman 32:20 – Argentina: Banfield’s half-time sacking Editor: Ralph Foster

Would you believe it?! San Marino, the worst team in the world by FIFA ranking (210), have ended the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004) and won a competitive match for the first time in their history! The 'Titani' beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. Along with other content creators, friends & listeners, Sweeper duo Lee Wingate & Paul Watson were live in Serravalle to witness this monumental moment and talk about it afterwards in a special one-off bonus pod in a local bar after the final whistle. We hope you enjoy it - and please try out our other episodes if you do!

Part 1 is devoted to the final round of UEFA club competition qualifying & the upcoming league phase in the three tournaments. We look at the Larne, TNS, RFS & Slovan Bratislava underdog success stories, amazing social media posts involving the Smurfs and Mr. Bean, the changed format of the three club competitions and the computerised draw, plus the best European groundhops you could make to take in the league phase action. In Part 2, we divide our time between domestic club football and the international game. A broken goal is met with the suggestion of blowtorch repair in the Icelandic top tier, Papua New Guinea’s Admiralty Islands FC relocate to the mainland for six months and the international break looms large with three standout fixtures: San Marino vs. Liechtenstein, Comoros vs. Madagascar and Guyana vs. Suriname. If you don’t want to wait until 18 September for our next episode, then you can join us for a bonus podcast on 11 September at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You will also be able to read our blog about the 2024 Greenlandic Football Championship, enter the draw to win a B67 shirt, become part of our growing Discord community and get exclusive content from our trip to watch San Marino take on Liechtenstein in Serravalle. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 03:04 – UEFA qualifiers: Upsets & underdogs 09:00 – UEFA qualifiers: Media & memes 14:13 – UEFA qualifiers: Unfamiliar formats 18:56 – UEFA qualifiers: Groundhopping guidance 24:29 – Collapsing goals in Iceland & Romania 30:56 – Papua New Guinea’s relocating islanders 36:56 – San Marino & the international break 44:12 – Patreon perks & B67 shirt giveaway Editor: Ralph Foster

Part 1 is devoted to the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. There’s penalty pandemonium in Poland and theNetherlands, an amazing achievement for Armenians Noah and a trio of clubs on the verge of becoming the first representatives from Andorra, Northern Ireland & Wales to reach a continental group. There’s also a word for the biggest and shortest European away days of the summer, football’s huge carbon footprint and two clubs with close links to the political leaders of their countries: Puskás Akadémia of Hungary & Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih of Ukraine.In Part 2, we turn our attentions to continental competitions in Africa, Asia & the Caribbean. We hear about Djiboutian club Arta Solar 7 in the CAF Champions League preliminaries and their takeover by a solar power company, find out whether Paul Watson will abscond to the Maldives to take charge of AFC Challenge League participants Maziya and learn why Haitian club America des Cayes did not turn up in Curacao for the CFU Caribbean Shield. There are also shirt giveaways for Village Superstars of St. Kitts & Nevis & the Chagos Islands national team.As per usual, you can join us for our next bonus episode if you don’t want to wait until Wednesday 4 September for another pod. That episode will be out on Wednesday 28 August and will take in some stories from the Nordic nations, including a collapsed goal and a blow torch in Iceland, an island club triumphing in the Danish Cup and the Swedish club with the most youth teams in Europe. We will also be sharing our own personal football bucket lists and telling you about an upcoming Q&A session for patrons on our Discord server.RUNNING ORDER:00:00 – Intro00:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Penalty pandemonium07:32 – UEFA qualifiers: History-making hopefuls11:11 – UEFA qualifiers: Epic away days15:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Supportive statesmen21:02 – San Marino & Nauru competition winners22:38 – Africa: The space and weapons derbies30:34 – Asia: Coaching vacancy in the Maldives36:48 – Caribbean: America des Cayes' no-show39:35 – St. Kitts & Nevis and Chagos Islands giveawaysJoin Sangalo's mailing list at the bottom of the homepage to enter the Village Superstars shirt competition: www.sangalo.com.Get yourself a Surprise Shirts mystery box at www.surpriseshirts.co.uk.