The Sweeper

• OUR GREENLAND ASSIST, San Marino's "pizza bakers" & Paks' power-plant ultras

  In Part 1, Lee tells Paul about his travels to watch pod favourites Greenland and San Marino live during their respective trips to Austria over the international window. How did he impact the course of the Arctic island's match against Slovenia from the sidelines? What insights did he glean from inside the Greenland camp? Why is the legendary Austrian striker Toni Polster so bitter towards San Marino? And what question did Lee ask SM coach Roberto Cevoli at the press conference following his side's double-digit defeat? There's more groundhopping tales to tell in Part 2 – but this time from the club game, because Lee has also been to watch Paks against Ferencváros in a Hungarian top-of-the-table clash in Budapest. What resemblance do Hungary's surprise league leaders bear to Athletic Bilbao of Spain? Why is their ultra group named 'Atomic Strike'? Why did thousands of Ferencváros fans change places in the stands five minutes into the match? And why might we not recommend live football in Hungary to groundhoppers? Support The Sweeper• Join The Sweeper on Patreon• Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee LinksWatch Greenland's Football Heroes (in German) hereChapters00:00 – Intro00:30 – Greenland: Assists & red cards07:01 – Greenland: Insights from the camp14:27 – San Marino: Double-digit demolition20:23 – San Marino: The press conference25:39 – Paks: The Athletic Bilbao of Hungary29:12 – Football Manager save ideas31:37 – Paks: Robbie Keane's many meltdowns35:00 – Paks: The power plant ultra group

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• Slovakia’s belated EURO triumph, Montserrat’s challenge to India & Crotone’s mafia infiltration

  In Part 1, Lee and Paul investigate why Slovakia have finally been recognised as EURO 1976 winners 49 years later – with the help of a UEFA insider, a Slovak football podcaster and people on the ground in the capital, Bratislava. How is the successor country of a no-longer existing nation like Czechoslovakia determined? What brought about the update on UEFA’s website on 12 September? And what do Slovaks make of the bizarre timing of this decision?In Part 2, the focus switches to the Italian lower leagues. There’s a mafia infiltration at Crotone at Foggia, as various criminal gangs target teams based in the south of Italy. Further north, Ternana appoint the 23-year-old daughter of a billionaire as their new club president. And Italy-based FC Südtirol face WSG Tirol of Austria, the club with only one away fan (sort of), in an intriguing match-up of two teams based in regions that used to be in the same country.#slovakia #euro1976 #uefa #worldfootball #footballpodcast #crotone #ternana #seriec #serieb #italianfootballSign up to FIFA+ for free• 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• Send us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new FIFA+ football team to support.#MakeItHappen – Montserrat v India friendly• X: https://x.com/SweeperPod/status/1970926209614979083• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DO_v2AMDeq8/Support The Sweeper• Join The Sweeper on Patreon• Support The Sweeper on Buy Me A CoffeeFollow The Sweeper• Twitter: x.com/SweeperPod• Instagram: instagram.com/sweeperpod • Facebook: facebook.com/SweeperPodThe Sweeper team• Hosts: Lee Wingate and Paul Watson• Editor: Ralph FosterChapters00:00 – Intro00:51 – Czechoslovakia's EURO 1976 win05:27 – Football successor nations09:28 – UEFA's recognition for Slovakia14:21 – Reaction from Bratislava25:47 – Montserrat's challenge to India30:04 – Crotona's mafia infiltration35:00 – Atalanta U23s in Serie C south37:47 – Ternana's 23-year-old club president42:17 – Serie C on FIFA+44:04 – Battle of the Italian & Austrian Tyrols46:10 – WSG Tirol's one away supporter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Austria's football-sized sinkholes, Kosovo’s UEFA challenges & Bolivia's altitude masterclass

  In this episode of The Sweeper Podcast, we cover the big stories from 2026 World Cup qualifying and the latest international football news from Europe and beyond: Part 1: EuropeAustria’s stadium sinkhole saga continues as Ralf Rangnick takes to an e-bikeRomania’s Mircea Lucescu becomes the second-oldest international coach everKosovo are unofficial world champions - but continue to face geopolitical challengesErling Haaland apologises mid-game as Norway beat Moldova by record 11-1 scoreSlovakia and Iceland upset the odds to record famous World Cup qualifying wins Part 2: Rest of the worldSuriname turn around their fortunes with sports passport initiative & Dutch DNABolivia rely on altitude again to give themselves an edge in World Cup qualifyingUzbekistan continue incredible year by beating Iran to win 2025 CAFA Nations CupNepal cancel Bangladesh friendly due to civil unrest & elect new leader on DiscordNorthern Mariana Islands’ U23s face China in one of football’s biggest mismatches The Sweeper is the global football podcast bringing you weird and wonderful stories from every corner of the planet. Whether you're into underdogs and upsets, ultras and fan culture, groundhopping and travel, derbies and rivalries, geography and geopolitics, or simply want a break from the relentless churn of big-money football, The Sweeper has you covered! Support The Sweeper: Join The Sweeper on PatreonSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee The Sweeper team Hosts: Lee Wingate and Paul WatsonEditor: Ralph Foster Chapters: 00:00 – Intro00:58 – Austrian sink holes and bicycles05:34 – Mircea Lucescu: Football’s oldest coach?09:08 – The 2025 Amateur Nations Cup11:14 – The World Tram Driver Championship13:48 – Kosovo’s unofficial world title16:18 – UEFA’s seven banned match-ups21:35 – Norway’s demolition job on Moldova26:33 – Celebrations for Slovakia & Iceland31:03 – Suriname’s World Cup push34:59 – Bolivia’s strategic masterclass38:25 – New Caledonia’s Gibraltar friendly40:56 – Uzbekistan are Central Asian champions42:29 – Nepal’s protest-related cancellation45:02 – China’s U23s thrash Northern Mariana Islands Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Kairat's Champions League heroics, Malta's European debutants & the 2026 OFC Pro League line-up

  In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by travel YouTuber John McAllister to talk about his epic 5,000km overland journey from Wales to Kazakhstan to watch the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifier. There’s also a full round-up of the UEFA club competition action – including Kairat Almaty's Champions League heroics, Malta’s first-ever league phase participants, Universitatea Craiova’s naughty stadium announcer and the Basel-Freiburg airport derby. In Part 2, it’s off to the Pacific to put the new OFC Professional League under the microscope. There is a full breakdown of the newly announced eight-club line-up, the format and all the big talking points around Oceania’s first pro competition, which is set to launch in 2026. Also on the agenda are Tuvalu’s upcoming return to OFC competition in the Men’s Futsal Cup, a giveaway of a rare national team shirt and a round-up of all the action coming up on FIFA+.Sign up to FIFA+ for free: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/FIFAPlusSweeperSend us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new FIFA+ football team to support.Support The Sweeper:Join The Sweeper on PatreonSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A CoffeeFollow John Mac TravelsWatch John Mac Travels on YouTubeFollow John Mac Travels on InstagramFollow John Mac Travels on XThe Sweeper teamHosts: Lee Wingate and Paul WatsonEditor: Ralph Foster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Tiny Mjällby's fairytale season, Belgium’s barmy border club & chaos in the Caribbean

  In Part 1, Lee & Paul round up their favourite European football stories – which all have a geography theme. How is fishing village club Mjällby on the cusp of a shock first Swedish title? Why did fellow minnows Bruk-Bet Termalica have to cut down the corn fields around their stadium? Which two Lithuanian teams contested the ‘Centre of Europe’ derby at the weekend? And what Belgian club is based on Europe’s weirdest international border?In Part 2, it’s time for the rest of the world – starting with international debutants the Marshall Islands! Which historic feat was achieved by Madison University economics student Josiah Blanton? Which other player at the Outrigger Challenge Cup works for Disney+ in Denmark? Why did airlines refuse to take Haitian club AS Capoise to the CFU Club Shield in Trinidad & Tobago? And who are the tallest and shortest currently active pro footballers?Please follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/sweeperpodJoin The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/sweeperpodSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee/sweeperpod“How Mjällby are gatecrashing Sweden's elite” by BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/crm4wjdr7xpo“I Became a Football Team’s ONLY Fan” by Away Days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNwvsRKCpCIWorld's oldest professional footballer on playing at 59: 'I won't put limits on myself' by The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jun/17/worlds-oldest-professional-footballer-playing-at-59-mykola-lykhovydov-ukraineEditor: Ralph Foster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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