The Sweeper

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Nick Miller of The New York Times & The Athletic to discuss Greenland and the long road to international football. Why was the world’s largest island rejected by CONCACAF? How do you go about setting up an international football team? What unusual ploy did Kosovo put into action to aid their bid for UEFA membership? And why is Kiribati among the hardest places on earth to play the beautiful game? In Part 2, it’s back to the club game with stories about the European club competition qualification rounds and the domestic leagues. How does exclave club Araz-Naxçıvan get to away games in Azerbaijan? Why are the ultras of Turkish team Samsunspor nicknamed Şirinler (The Smurfs)? What annual salary is Santi Cazorla paid at newly promoted Real Oviedo? And which European country has already got its 2025/26 season under way? Read 'Geography, politics and admin: The long road to becoming an international football team' by Nick Miller: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6218449/2025/03/21/geography-politics-and-admin-the-long-road-to-becoming-an-international-football-team/ [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6218449/2025/03/21/geography-politics-and-admin-the-long-road-to-becoming-an-international-football-team/] Join The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPod [https://patreon.com/SweeperPod] Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod [http://www.buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod] Editor: Ralph Foster ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper [https://www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper] Part 1 is all about the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Will the players of New Zealand outfit Auckland City get time off for the tournament? Why have LAFC replaced Club Leon at the last minute? How on earth did Red Bull Salzburg qualify? Why are the Seattle Sounders players protesting about the competition? And what should you know about Wydad Casablanca, Flamengo and Palmeiras? World Cup qualifying action is the focal point in Part 2. Which petty measures did Albania resort to at their crunch clash against rivals Serbia? Why did Venezuela stop Bolivia from leaving the country on Friday? Will Curacao replace Iceland as the World Cup’s smallest-ever nation? Plus: Uzbekistan and Jordan achieve historic World Cup qualifications and Finland’s women accidentally call up a 51-year-old ex-player.  Join The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPod [https://patreon.com/SweeperPod] Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod [http://www.buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod] Editor: Ralph Foster ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Welcome to our first-ever video podcast! Let's be honest with you: we're not entirely sure how well this will work first time round. It seems that Spotify is the only podcast platform that allows video podcast uploads. So if you prefer to use Apple Podcasts or another platform but you want to watch it, please head on over to our YouTube channel [https://www.youtube.com/@SweeperPod] and subscribe to us there! Finally, let us know what you think about the new format in the comments! Part 1 is largely dedicated to some epic title races across the European continent. What was the Croatian FA President’s original plan for the delivery of the league trophy to the winner on the final day of the season? Which grounds were The Sweeper present at for Austria’s most memorable final day in years? Why was the former Union Saint Gilloise player Gustav Vanderstappen accused of witchcraft? And what was the biggest underdog to win a domestic trophy across Europe this season? There are four sub-categories in Part 2: African affluence, Middle East minorities, nomadic nearly men and Scandinavian silliness. How is the African Champions League following in the footsteps of its UEFA counterpart? Which club fiercely supported by the minority Azeri population has lifted their first Iranian title? Have guest club Al-Hilal of Sudan won the Mauritanian Super D1 or not? And what European record is a fishing village in south-east Sweden on course to break this year? Join The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPod [https://patreon.com/SweeperPod] Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod [http://www.buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod] Editor: Ralph Foster ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click below to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live club and international football from around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper [https://www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper] In Part 1, Lee tells Paul all about his travels and experiences in Bruges and Brussels. What did he witness first-hand outside a train station in the capital that shocked him to his core? Which Belgian football stadium is a contender for Europe’s ugliest stadium? How did fourth-tier Crossing Schaerbeek bring their championship trophy onto the pitch at full-time? And which unlikely participants joined in the Belgian Cup trophy lift? In Part 2, there’s a ‘Best of Britain’ section with stories from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. What were Bodø/Glimt fans trading for tickets to the Europa League semi-final against Spurs? Which Northern Irish club famous for its burgers has finally earned the respect of its rivals? How has Scotland taken inspiration from the UEFA Champions League? And why is VAR making its debut in Wales…in the seventh tier?! Join The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPod [https://patreon.com/SweeperPod] Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod [http://www.buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod] Belgium’s brilliant goal-line clearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unogut8fyOY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unogut8fyOY] Editor: Ralph Foster ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Bulgarian club Ludogorets are the starting point in a Europe-focused Part 1. But what continental record have they equalled? And how might the Crazy Forest gang’s story have turned out so differently? Next up is the Vatican. But what is the link between Serie C club Avellino and the Pope? And why have the Swiss Guard withdrawn from the league in the world’s smallest state. Then it’s over to the world’s largest country: Russia. Why are spin-offs of Ukrainian clubs from occupied territories springing up? And will UEFA allow it to happen?   Part 2 is dedicated to the rest of the world and starts with continental finals in Asia. How have Lion City Sailors of Singapore been impacted by Lady Gaga? And have Arkadag of Turkmenistan finally dropped points or not? Over in Belize, a 24-year old female coach has almost won the Premier League title with a men’s team. How do her achievements compare to other female managers in men’s football? And finally, South America: Why did Chelsea-bound Estêvão have an 18th birthday to remember? And does posting a highlights reel on Facebook pay off? Join The Sweeper on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/c/SweeperPod] for bonus content – including extra episodes, Discord access, blogs, weekly newsletters, quizzes, interactive maps, club profiles & more. Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpod] Editor: Ralph Foster ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.