サッカーと英語 // Football & English

So this is it...

Just hours after Spurs won the Europa League, Tomo and Tommy look back on a strange but very enjoyable 2024/25 season.

One last time to answer questions from our listeners!

There is no denying that social media has redefined the world as we know it. There’s also no denying it’s impact on football. We now seem to know about every transfer days and sometimes weeks before it’s even been confirmed. We get access to players’ and their private lives like never before. Clubs feel much closer; fans can celebrate as a community and when something like the Super League comes along, fans can revolt as one.But with this increased connection also comes a darker side—where anonymity can lead to toxic behaviour, and where misinformation spreads like wildfire.

He once said that if his name was ‘Sam Allardicio’, he could have got a job at Manchester United. He also claimed that there was no one in football ahead of him; not Pep, Klopp or Arteta. But still many people claim that Sam Allardyce is a long-ball merchant, whose teams would play out of date football.

What looked inevitable from pretty much the start of the season was last week confirmed. After falling to a 3-1 defeat against fellow strugglers Tottenham, Southampton’s relegation was confirmed — becoming the first club to ever suffer that fate with as many as seven matches to play.

Substitute Hana Takahashi netted an injury-time penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw for Japan against Colombia on Sunday, preserving the women's national football team's unbeaten record under their new manager Nils Nielsen.It was also the first on home soil for Nielsen, played at Yodoko Stadium in Osaka, in front of just over 8,000 fans.

After a 25-year partnership with Nike, the Premier League is set to turn to a new official match ball supplier for the 2025/26 season.The fact that this change is making news headlines is a reflection of how far the game has come. What was once a simple, heavy leather ball, only needing to move when it was kicked, has evolved into a multi-million dollar industry. And, for some managers, has even because the go-to excuse for why their team lost a match.

It was a remarkable display of sportsmanship.With Manchester United leading their Europa League Round of 16 tie with Real Sociedad, the Red Devils were awarded a penalty when the referee felt Patrick Dorgu had been fouled in the box. Dorgu, however, disagreed and was seen gesturing to the referee that it was a not a foul.VAR agreed and the penalty was revoked — but just how often does a player admit something that benefits the opposition?

What makes being England manager “the impossible job?”

For a footballer, recovery can be as important as training. But ‘recovery’ comes in many styles. We all relax in different ways; some people might get rest from listening to electronic music, others by tending to a farm. Today we’re exploring the hobbies and interests of footballers away from the pitch.

From Lionel Messi’s iconic tattoos to the Manchester City fan who got a ‘Champions League Winners 2011’ tattoo…before they were knocked out in the group stage.This is the story of tattoos and how sometimes it feels like they’re taking over the world and football.

A COVID-induced interruption to our planned schedule means a chance to answer some of your questions!

In early December 2024, Premier League referee David Coote was sacked by PGMOL, the group responsible for referees in England after social media scandals blew up and raised questions over match-fixing and a number of other issues.Since then, David Coote has done interviews to address the situation and provide more context as to what happened and why.

After a looong break, we're back to talk about what's next for Football & English

Omiya Ardija are the latest team to be given wings by Red Bull, recently unveiling a new logo following the takeover by the energy drink giants.Coming on the back of Jurgen Klopp’s decision to join as Global Head of Soccer, fans are once again dealing with the idea of something they love being tainted by a global corporation.

To some it’s a tactically and statistically proven method of starting a high-value sequence of play. To others it’s needlessly risky, a fad that may work for Pep Guardiola in the rarified air of the top end of the Premier League but which invariably fails as you get lower down the leagues.

A script-less chat about things happening in the world of football.