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