The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

115 episodes

The death of relegation in Mexico – Plus Racing’s roadside celebrations in Uruguay & San Marino Calcio’s angry letter
12/05/2026 | 33 mins.
Mexico’s Liga MX wants to copy the MLS model!

The 18 club owners have voted to separate the league from the federation, move towards a franchise model, and permanently abolish promotion and relegation in practice.

But hang on, wasn’t relegation already abolished in Mexican football? Don’t lots of top leagues worldwide function as a closed shop? And why are Mexico’s 2026 World Cup preparations under Javier Aguirre causing problems for the domestic league too?

On this episode, we investigate the state of domestic football in Mexico and look ahead to the co-host’s controversial build-up to this summer’s global showpiece.

Plus: Racing de Montevideo celebrate their maiden Uruguayan title on the roadside and San Marino Calcio’s players pen an angry letter.

Jon Arnold's Substack is here and his viral Mexican football video on Instagram is here.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – Seismic shifts in Mexican football
06:00 – The death of promotion & relegation
10:05 – Closed shop leagues worldwide
15:37 – Mexico’s pre-World Cup chaos
21:38 – Racing’s roadside title celebration
27:22 – San Marino Calcio’s angry letter
FC Thun's impossible fairytale 2: Road workers, Alpine dips & a football thesis
05/05/2026 | 31 mins.
FC Thun midfielder Ethan Meichtry was a road worker three years ago. Now he’s a Swiss Super League winner.

His story perfectly encapsulates the improbable rise of the club, who were promoted only last summer and are already champions of Switzerland for the first time in their history.

So how did Meichtry go from construction worker to title-winner? How did Thun take Swiss football by storm? And where does their triumph rank on the all-time list of great soccer fairytales and underdog stories?

In this episode of The Sweeper Podcast, we pull back the curtain one of the biggest European football stories of 2026: Thun’s unlikely transformation from relegation candidates to first-time national champions.

You can sign up for the waiting list for The Sweeper's live show and the ‘Around The World in 80 Clubs’ book launch via this link: ⁠thesweeper.eventbrite.com⁠

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:20 – Celebrations: Pyrotechnics and pubs
04:40 – Management: Gerber and Lustrinelli
09:36 – Players: Roadworkers, recoveries and rejects
12:50 – Style: Verticality and disregard for possession
15:42 – Rivals: Basel & Young Boys underperformance
19:05 – Records: Swiss and European comparisons
23:03 – Patreon plug and live show information
24:35 – Fairytales: Where does Thun sit in the ranking?
Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans – Plus Bursaspor’s Turkish football completion & Den Bosch’s promotion dilemma
28/04/2026 | 32 mins.
Red Bull are finally coming for Italian football!

The energy drinks giant, which already majority-owns football clubs in Austria, Germany, America, Brazil and Japan, reportedly wants to venture into football in Italy and has now set its sights on FC Südtirol.

So what makes the Serie B club a sensible strategic move for Red Bull? And why should supporters in Bolzano be wary of multi-club ownership?

This weekend, we went to Austria Salzburg – the phoenix club that rose from the ashes of Red Bull’s hostile first foray into the sport – to explore what the future may hold for FC Südtirol.

Plus, Bursaspor win each of Turkiye’s top four divisions and a defeat helps Den Bosch secure a spot in the Eerste Divisie play-offs.

You can book your ticket for The Sweeper's live show and Around The World in 80 Clubs book launch from this link: thesweeper.eventbrite.com

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:15 – Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans
07:30 – The hostile takeover of Austria Salzburg
11:10 – The phoenix club that rose from the ashes
15:40 – FC Südtirol: Yes or no to the energy empire?
21:15 – Bursaspor’s Turkish football completion
26:45 – UEFA Champions League fallen giants
28:12 – Promotion chaos in the Eerste Divisie
Shakhtar Donetsk's imposter club – Plus Heidelberg’s Asian aspirations & Montserrat’s Facebook coach ad
21/04/2026 | 34 mins.
Shakhtar Donetsk are a Ukrainian football club – but Russia are trying to change that by founding Shakhtyor Donetsk!

As part of their efforts to integrate occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia are now creating their own versions of major Ukrainian teams.

So why are UEFA not stopping this? What is the current situation in the Crimean Premier League? And how has the invasion changed football in Ukraine?

On this episode, we’re taking you on a journey to Ukraine to investigate how football is being used as a weapon of aggression.

Plus: Semi-pro Heidelberg United eye up an historic AFC berth and Montserrat search for a new head coach on Facebook.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:25 – The copycats in Russia’s fourth tier
06:22 – The Crimean Premier League
08:01 – Shakhtar Donetsk’s European run
11:15 – The rapid rise of LNZ Cherkasy
17:31 – Heidelberg United’s AFC aspirations
20:58 – Unlikely continental qualifications
25:30 – Montserrat’s unorthodox manager hunt
FC Thun's impossible fairytale 1: Fires, fans & amateur football
14/04/2026 | 36 mins.
A newly-promoted club are on the verge of the impossible.

If tiny FC Thun can get just a few more points on the board, they will win the Swiss Super League and claim the first major trophy in their 128-year history.

But what do the locals make of it all? Why is Thun the perfect place for such a fairytale? And how did a literal sauna force a high-stakes clash with Basel to be called off?

We headed to the Alps to meet the fans and find out the answers. Join us in Thun for Europe’s most extraordinary club football story of 2026.

Sign up to Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod to enter the FC Vaduz giveaway.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
01:35 – A quick history of FC Thun
04:45 – The fire at St. Jakob Park
11:20 – Other bizarre postponements
16:46 – Groundhopping with the Thun Army
22:16 – A tour of the Stockhorn Arena
28:10 – The stunning beauty of Thun
33:15 – A quick stop-off at FC Vaduz

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About The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

Tired of the Premier League and big-league European football? Want to discover the hidden stories of the global game? The Sweeper Podcast is your passport to the most extraordinary stories from across the football world. From the World Cup and Champions League to the most obscure and overlooked competitions on earth, expert journalists Lee Wingate and Paul Watson explore the intersection of football, travel, geography, geopolitics, history and culture. If you enjoy Guardian Football Weekly, The Totally Football Show or Football Ramble, you will love The Sweeper. Start here: 🎧 Red Bull’s Italian expansion plans (28 April 2026) 🎧 North Korea’s top-secret league (3 March 2026) 🎧 Greenland left out in the cold (24 June 2025) Hit “Follow” to discover new stories from the global game every Tuesday. Join us Patreon at patreon.com/sweeperpod for bonus podcasts every Thursday. Contact: [email protected]. ——————————————————— World soccer archive The Sweeper is the only podcast committed to covering the beautiful game in all 211 FIFA countries – and beyond. The archives include deep dives into: EUROPEAN FOOTBALL (UEFA) • Countries: Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Finland, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Switzerland, Ukraine • Clubs: Austria Salzburg, Bodø/Glimt, Bursaspor, Ceuta, Kairat Almaty, Ludogorets, Mjällby, Paks, Qarabag, Shakhtar Donetsk, Steaua Bucharest, Südtirol, Thun, Vaduz • Competitions: Champions League, Conference League, Coupe de France, Europa League, European Championship ASIAN FOOTBALL (AFC) • Countries: Australia, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan • Clubs: Arkadag, Gimcheon Sangmu, Heidelberg United, Johor Darul Taz’im, Machida Zelvia, Mohun Bagan, Neom, Thimphu City • Competitions: Asian Cup, Challenge League, Champions League 2, Champions League Elite AFRICAN FOOTBALL (CAF) • Countries: Algeria, Cape Verde, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Zanzibar • Clubs: Al Ahly, Al Hilal Omdurman, Mamelodi Sundowns, Pyramids, Rahimo FC, RS Berkane • Competitions: Africa Cup of Nations, Champions League, Confederation Cup NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICAN FOOTBALL (CONCACAF) • Countries: Anguilla, Belize, Bonaire, Canada, Curacao, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Montserrat, Suriname, USA • Clubs: El Farolito, FC Supra du Québec, Robinhood FC, Vancouver Whitecaps • Competitions: Caribbean Cup, CFU Shield, Champions Cup, Gold Cup OCEANIAN FOOTBALL (OFC) • Countries: American Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Vanuatu • Clubs: Auckland FC, Bula FC, Hekari United, Solomon Kings, South Island United, South Melbourne, Tahiti United, Vanuatu FC • Competitions: OFC Champions League, OFC Pro League SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL (CONMEBOL) • Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela • Clubs: Chapecoense, Coquimbo Unido, Mirassol, Mushuc Runa, The Strongest • Competitions: Copa América, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana REST OF THE WORLD • Countries: Bougainville, Greenland, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Palau, Scilly Isles, Tuvalu, Vatican City • Clubs: B67 Nuuk • Competitions: CONIFA World Football Cup, Fenix Trophy Topics: Altitude, amateurs, artificial intelligence, away days, cross-border clubs, cross-border leagues, day jobs, defections, derbies, dictatorships, elections, exclaves, fairytales, Football Manager, Futbology, groundhopping, identity, investigative journalism, islands, micro-states, minnows, multi-club ownership, non-league, outsiders, play-offs, promotion, relegation, sports washing, stories, ultras, unbeaten runs, underdogs, winning streaks Similar shows: COPA90, Football Cliches, Men in Blazers, Mundial, Stadio, The Blizzard, Tifo Footb

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