What’s Going On?

Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 02:20 - Spurs: Ange Postecoglou is tearing it up 09:30 - Arsenal: better defensively, worse offensively 11:00 - Man City: business as usual 13:29 - Liverpool: are they back? 16:13 - Aston Villa: what a job Unai Emery has done 18:47 - Newcastle: a well-run (and absurdly rich) club 22:07 - Brighton: struggling with European football 23:57 - Man Utd: chaos 29:08 - Chelsea: £1bn spent, but doesn’t look like it 30:49 - Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham 33:04 - Girona: the surprise team near the top of LaLiga 33:54 - Atletico Madrid: actually playing good football 37:12 - Saudi Arabia to host 2034 World Cup 38:50 - Ballon d’Or 40:56 - Tonali and Fagioli banned for illegal betting 44:00 - Bundesliga: Harry Kane on fire, and Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen are flying 47:00 - Luis Rubiales banned for 3 years 48:04 - AIK close to avoiding relegation 49:53 - Beckham documentary 52:00 - Outro

We're back with Season 2 after an extended summer break. A lot has happened in the football world over the summer and opening few weeks of the season. We reflect on the fantastic FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and we discuss the disgraced former president of the Spanish FA (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, who finally resigned as a result of his non-consensual kiss on Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso. We also delve into the "Las 15" incident, which ultimately led to Spain's Womens head coach, Jorge Vilda, getting sacked, despite winning the World Cup. We deep dive into the Manchester United right winger, Mason Greenwood, situation, who was arrested in January 2022 for attempted rape, occasioning actual bodily harm, and controlling and coercive behavior. Those charges were dropped in February 2023, and we touch on this summer's drama and u-turns, which resulted in his move to Getafe. Finally, we discuss another Manchester United right winger, Antony, who is under investigation for domestic violence. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 02:27 - FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 12:00 - Equal pay 17:40 - Luis Rubiales kiss scandal 26:00 - Jorge Vilda sacked as Spain’s women national team coach after “Las 15” 29:49 - Greenwood leaves ManUtd to Getafe after backlash from leaked reintegration plan forces u-turn 47:00 - Domestic violence allegations against ManUtd RW Antony 50:14 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

Erik McCue and Helmer Rusten join us to discuss their fascinating footballing journeys. Born in 2001 and raised in expat environments, Erik and Helmer became best friends in Thailand in 7th grade and represented FC Bangkok.  Erik, a Swedish/American centre-back, has played in the DC United academy, represented Houston Dynamo from 2017-2021, and currently plays for El Paso Locomotive in the USL (2nd tier of US football). Helmer, a centre-back turned right-back, has represented Norway at U15-17 level, and currently plays for Kjelsås, a 3rd tier Norwegian side. Helmer is also Cwa’s cousin. Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome Erik McCue and Helmer Rusten! 01:16 - Helmer intro 02:12 - Erik intro 03:33 - The friendship 08:16 - Helmer’s transition from Thailand to Norwegian youth football 12:15 - Helmer time in Norway’s U15-U17 national teams 13:02 - Helmer’s 907 days of injury 19:41 - Helmer at Kjelsås 23:53 - Kjelsås’ run to the Norwegian Cup QF 28:06 - Helmer’s next goal 29:16 - Erik’s transition from Thailand to DC United 33:30 - Erik’s time at Houston Dynamo 36:43 - Erik’s call up to Sweden U19 national team 37:25 - Erik on confidence, and the MLS Homegrown All Stars 40:58 - Erik’s encounter with Zlatan 45:11 - Erik’s struggle to find a club after leaving Houston 48:36 - Erik on life at AB Argir in the Faroe Islands 51:19 - Erik’s season at El Paso Locomotive 59:25 - Erik’s next goal 1:01:11 - Gazelle vs Bull - the art of defending 1:05:15 - Quickfire questions 1:17:50 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

This is a Swedish episode. We are joined by Edvard Sjöberg, part-owner & Head of Sales and Marketing at FC Stockholm. FC Stockholm was founded in 2010 and have already been promoted 6 times. They are currently in Division 1 (the 3rd tier of Swedish football), and aim to make it to Allsvenskan and become the 4th big team in Stockholm, after AIK, Djurgården and Hammarby. Timestamps 00:00 - Välkommen Edvard Sjöberg, sälj- och marknadschef på FC Stockholm 01:18 - Edvards bakgrund 04:07 - Edvard träffar FC Stockholms grundare Sfefan Elfver 07:02 - Hur FC Stockholms grundades och namnvalet 09:30 - Välkända namn och PR-vågen i klubben 11:25 - Det fjärde Stockholmslaget? 15:27 - Revanschsugen, hitta glädjen och vara med på resan uppåt 17:19 - Div 7 till Div 1 Norra på 10 år. Vad är visionen? 25:14 - Omställningen från Tvåan till Ettan har varit stor 26:28 - Vikten av att spelarna ska ha kul 28:36 - Marknadsföring 34:53 - Intresset växer internationellt kring klubben 36:39 - Stockholms Stadion, Kristinebergs IP och Stadshagens IP 40:26 - Scouting, agenter och rådgivare 47:11 - Superettan nästa år? 49:20 - Vart är FC Stockholm om 5-10 år?  51:10 - Dam- och flicklag 52:01 - Outro  If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

We reflect on this never-ending season, discuss the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan, deep-dive into the Saudi Pro League - football's big disruptors, and finally touch on some transfer news. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - 2022/23 was a never-ending season 04:09 - Too much football? 05:58 - We consume football and it consumes us 08:03 - Man City win the Champions League and Treble 09:50 - Man City had the luck they missed in the past 10:54 - John Stones as an 8 13:27 - Haaland dropping deep and never being offside 17:15 - Pep: “now we enjoy defending” 19:05 - Greatness has not come easy for some of City’s stars 25:00 - Saudi Arabia - football’s disruptors 26:49 - Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 30:36 - The sovereign wealth fund (PIF) revamp the Saudi Pro League 32:31 - PIF-funded LIV Golf merges with PGA Tour 34:13 - Saudi Pro League’s goals 37:50 - Saudi Pro League vs Chinese Super League 10 years ago 39:50 - Recruitment process in Saudi 42:58 - Distribution of the product 45:15 - Saudi Pro League wrap up 47:51 - Transfer news & rumours 57:34 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

We are joined by Gabriele Marcotti, ESPN Senior Writer and Corriere dello Sport correspondent. We discuss Gab’s journey so far, life as a football journalist, local match-going fans vs fans that watch from afar, being a fan of individuals vs clubs, whether it’s “soccer” or “football”, why American investors are buying European football clubs, and Gab’s honest thoughts on the US Men's National Team. Follow Gab on Twitter @Marcotti Timestamps: 00:00 - Coming up 00:33 - Welcome Gabriele Marcotti, ESPN Senior Writer 01:22 - Gab’s journey so far 04:54 - Life as a football journalist 16:15 - Speed vs accuracy 17:06 - Social media fans vs match-going fans 18:49 - How much is a non-match-going fan worth to a club? 25:29 - Key factors in being a top journalist 28:17 - Social media abuse 29:23 - Fandom: being a fan of individuals vs clubs 36:11 - Career highlights 38:21 - Favourite leagues 43:16 - Football or soccer? 47:03 - Why are Americans investing in European clubs? 52:19 - Gab’s thoughts on USMNT hopes for World Cup 2026 59:12 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

We are joined by Europa Point FC’s Pär Magnus Roos (President & part-owner) and Martin Falkeborn (player & Head of Youth) as we discuss one of Europe’s most exciting football projects. The Gibraltarian club was bought by a Swedish consortium in 2022, and in this interview we discuss why they decided to buy the club, the unique dynamics of the Gibraltar National League, the club’s ambitions of European football, the academy, a footballer’s life in Gibraltar, the club’s progressive approach, and much more. Europa Point FC social media: Instagram: @europapointfc Twitter: @EuropaPointFC Facebook: EuropaPointFC Website: europapointfc.com Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome Magnus Roos & Martin Falkeborn! 01:06 - Magnus' and Martin's role at the club 02:08 - Martin's football career before Gibraltar 05:22 - Magnus' career before investing in Europa Point FC, including working with Sven-Göran Eriksson 10:04 - Current status and long-term ambitions 11:38 - Choosing Gibraltar over Championship or League 1 clubs 20:09 - Ownership landscape in Gibraltar 22:09 - The Europa Point FC academy 26:04 - Gothia Cup 27:18 - Europa Point FC's May tryout in Sweden 28:35 - Benefits of relocating to Gibraltar as a player 30:43 - Lifestyle in Gibraltar 32:45 - Allsvenskan and Superettan have expressed interest in joining the club   34:35 - Level of the Gibraltar National League 36:57 - Allsvenskan's 17th team 40:42 - Challenge of having 5 Gibraltarian players on the pitch at all times 43:00 - Initial actions after buying Europa Point FC and the importance of culture 45:41 - Women's team 47:47 - A progressive club 50:55 - Marcus Birro's book on Europa Point FC's journey 52:22 - Season goals 54:06 - Brentford, Brommapojkarna, and Manchester United 56:38 - Europa Point FC kit 57:16 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

We discuss the treatment of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr following the racial abuse he received (again) during the LaLiga match away against Valencia at the Estadio Mestalla. We reflect on Vini's powerful social media post, and the impact these recurring incidents are having on the reputation of LaLiga and Spanish society. Football's governing bodies need to do more. We also deep dive into the Premier League, and touch on the scenarios across a few of Europe's top leagues, as the season draws to a close. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:37 - Vinicius Jr gets racially abused (again) by Valencia fans, and gets a red card 04:37 - Ignorant attitudes in Spain that “monkey” is no different than any other abuse 06:08 - La Liga President Javier Tebas gets into Twitter fight with VIni Jr 07:25 - Vini’s social media post, and will he leave Real Madrid? 09:12 - Vini leaving Real Madrid would be a huge blow to the club, La Liga, and Spanish society 11:11 - 9 cases of racism against Vini since Oct 2021 12:59 - Vini is portrayed negatively in Spanish media 13:56 - Racism in stadiums in Spain and Italy 15:30 - Governing bodies must do more 21:57 - Man City win the Premier League, and are on the verge of The Treble 27:41 - Man City - greatest team or greatest cheats? 32:50 - Did Arsenal actually bottle it? 39:28 - Who has had a better season - Arsenal or Man Utd? 42:54 - Newcastle ahead of schedule 43:51 - Is Brighton’s De Zerbi manager of the season? 47:23 - Premier League relegation battle 50:19 - Next season’s promoted teams to the PL 51:52 - Dortmund are one win away from winning Bundesliga 54:07 - Complacency at Bayern Munich 56:09 - Juventus deducted 10 points, and Italian chaos 59:05 - Surprises in the Polish league 1:01:23 - AIK’s horrid form 1:05:17 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

We review the Champions League semi-finals, where Man City humiliated Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate, and produced arguably their best ever display, while Inter Milan cruised to a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory against their city rivals, AC Milan. Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - Manchester City 4-0 Real Madrid (5-1 aggregate) 03:45 - Man City took 7 months to click, but have been mesmerizing since the March international break 06:30 - Total domination: before Bernardo’s 1st goal, City had completed 202 passes to Madrid’s 28 07:51 - Man City have not lost since being charged with 115 financial violations 08:59 - Best Man City team ever? 09:53 - Man City’s hit rate on replacements is unreal 12:49 - Abu Dhabi state project & no sympathy for Real Madrid 15:43 - Bernardo, Walker, and Rodri special mentions 23:14 - Courtois is immense, Benzema disappointing, Camavinga bamboozled 25:35 - Szymon Marciniak is the best referee in the business 26:40 - Can United or Inter stop Man City from winning the treble? 29:14 - Inter 1-0 Milan (3-0 aggregate), Inter at a different level physically 31:00 - Incredible atmosphere and ticket demand for Derby della Modonnina 32:56 - Huge financial boost for the Milan clubs 34:02 - Lautaro Martinez and Nicolò Barella special mention 35:38 - Manchester United rejects (Darmian, Lukaku, Mkhitaryan) impressed 36:58 - Inter manager Simone Inzaghi took over in tough conditions and has done more with less 41:42 - +€100M CL pot money will allow Inter to extend key contracts 43:43 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast

This is a Swedish episode, where we are joined by Adrian von Heijne, Head of Scouting at Odense Boldklub (OB) in the Danish Superliga. Adrian takes us on a journey through his upbringing in Gothenburg, his law studies, and his transition from youth coach, to analyst to head of scouting at Allsvenskan club IK Sirius. He discusses his way of working, data-driven scouting, scouting networks, and the importance of club identity. Adrian also delves into the challenges of balancing long-term goals and short-term performance, competing against the top 6 clubs in Denmark. We discuss scouting circles, how scouting differs in Denmark and Sweden, which clubs inspire Adrian, and what the word “talent” actually means.  Timestamps: 00:00 - Välkommen Adrian von Heijne, chefscout i Superligaklubben Odense Boldklub (OB) 01:45 - Adrians uppväxt i Göteborg och sina roller i Hovås Billdal IF 05:07 - Juriststudier i Uppsala 07:30 - IK Sirius - resan från ungdomstränare —> matchanalytiker —> Head of Scouting 13:55 - Datadriven scouting 15:27 - Adrians arbetssätt och vikten av klubbidentitet 20:45 - Scoutingnätverk 23:23 - Ålder, risktolerans och att inte vara bunden till plaster 25:40 - Adrian flyttar till Danmark och blir chefscout i Odense Boldklub (OB)  29:14 - Var de forna AIK-profilerna Björn Wesström och Andreas Alm en stor faktor i byttet till OB? 30:23 - Arbetssättet i OB 34:29 - Hur balanserar OB långsiktigheten vs prestation från en spelare här och nu 35:47 - Scoutingcirklar: internt —> regionalt —> nationellt —> norden —> europa —> övriga världen 37:30 - Scoutingutmaningar för OB när de konkurrerar mot topp 6 klubbar i Danmark 40:54 - Skillnader i scouting mellan Danmark och Sverige 42:02 - Vad är en “talang”? 45:00 - Bästa spelaren Adrian har scoutat 48:20 - Största utmaningar som chefscout 49:48 - Klubbarna Adrian inspireras av 53:30 - Drömroll 56:12 - Outro If you're enjoying the podcast, follow and rate us on ⁠Spotify⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, and subscribe on YouTube. Social media: Instagram: @⁠whatsgoingon.podcast⁠ Twitter: @⁠wgofootball TikTok: @whatsgoingonpodcast