Any Given Thursday

Today, we round up all the most interesting developments from the new, extended international break. We've had a long three weeks without domestic football, but many interesting things are afoot on the national-team scale. We begin in Europe, where many new coaches have taken over post-World Cup. We do quick hits on Klopp's Germany, Xavi's Netherlands, Zidane's France, as well as Italy, Croatia, Belgium, and Scotland. And yes, we talk about the very silly Ronaldo situaiton... Then we discuss goings-on in other other continents, including Messi's farewell to Argentina, the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals, and Africa's usual chaos. Finally, we close on a sort-of-serious segment on what's happening down in Oceania. Hail Fiji! Cheers to Stéphane Auvray! Chapters: 00:00 – the start 03:06 – UEFA | Germany 05:32 – The Netherlands 10:01 – France 14:01 – Croatia 17:42 – Portugal & Ronaldo 25:09 – Italy 30:04 – Belgium & Scotland 33:53 – South America & CONCACAF 38:53 – Africa & Asia 42:34 – Oceania

It's our very first edition of ACROSS THE CONTINENT's intended format! Every Monday, we will discuss a shared topic demanding our attention across the footballing word. Then, each of us will bring a surprise subject to present to the other. This week, we have no choice but to tackle Manchester City as the main story, after it was announced they've been found guilty of nearly all 115 charges leveled against them. David the lawyer breaks down exactly what those charges stipulate, then we debate the merits of potential punishments, as well as the affect this will have on the legacy of Pep Guardiola and his players. We then turn our attention to the current international break. First, David updates us on the 12 new coaches hired by UEFA nations since the World Cup. Then Maxwell points to the shifting balance of power in the 2nd tier of CONCACAF, from Central American to Caribbean teams. Cheers to Dick Advocaat! Chapters: 00:00 – the start 02:16 – overview of charges against Man City 09:25 – potential punishments 17:42 – how will this affect legacies? 20:50 – David's topic | 12 new coaches in UEFA 28:19 – Maxwell's topic | balance of power shifting in CONCACAF?

We're back to cover the Greek National Team in our latest Club Spotlight! This one is long awaited by us, as we've been talking about the influx of young Greek talent across Europe for awhile now – but how did they get here? We begin by giving a brief history of the national team in the 20th century, which was mainly a struggle, qualifying for only a couple major tournaments. Of course, everything changed at Euro 2004, when Otto Rehhagel led Greece to a shock title, defeating the Portuguese hosts in both the group stage and the final. But after the 2014 World Cup, the talent dried up and the nation went through a decade of international strike. Desperate to change their fortunes, the FA put together a project to revitalize Greek football and bring through a new generation of technical players. We discuss how they did this, what their long-term vision is, and how the current side shapes up, highlighting many of the talented youngsters that have been tearing up Europe – Konstantelias, Karetsas, Tzolis, Tzolakis, Kostoulas, and more. Cheers to Ivan Jovanović! Chapters: 00:00 – the start 03:03 – 20th Century history 08:13 – Euro 2004 19:47 – dark ages 21:17 – the revitalization project 29:17 – the current team Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6896033/2025/12/24/inside-greek-footballs-rebirth-from-euro-2004-to-the-battle-of-thermopylae/ https://blog.transferroom.com/how-greek-and-cypriot-football-has-become-a-new-hotbed-for-top-talent https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/greek-football-primed-renaissance-055000125.html https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5339532/2024/03/31/greece-euro-2004-history/ Fotmob

It's our final league preview episode on ACROSS THE CONTINENT, and to wrap up our journey through Europe's top 9 divisions, we're bringing you our takes on THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, and TURKEY's top flights. Beginning in The Netherlands' Eredivisie, we debate the order of the big 5, speculate if anyone can keep pace with PSV, explain why Ajax still has a ways to go in their restructuring, and highlight AZ Alkmaar's exciting roster. Over in Belgium's Pro League, we compare four sides off to flying starts – Union St Gilloise, Club Brugge, Gent, and Sporting Charleroi. Are these the clubs that will be battling for the title? And could Genk, Sint Truiden, or Royal Antwerp join them? Finally, in Turkey's Süper Lig, everyone is once again chasing Galatasaray. Will this be the year Fenerbahce finally catches them? And what about Mo Salah's Trabzonspor, who have already had a chaotic start to the season? We also explain why we're so high on Besiktas and why we think Vincenzo Italiano is one of Europe's most underrated managers. Plus, we discuss the strengths and weakness of each league as a whole. Who has the most depth in the midtable? And how would the best clubs in each other's divisions? Cheers to Okan Buruk! Chapters: 00:00 – the start 01:53 – Netherlands 15:04 – Belgium 23:51 – Turkey

Our CLUB SPOTLIGHT series returns, and our first club of the 2026-27 season is Portugal's S.C.U. TORREENSE. 2nd-tier Torreense shocked the footballing world by winning the Taça de Portugal, defeating the mighty Sporting in extra time. As a result, the small-town club earned Europa League football, despite not competing in the top flight since 1992. David breaks down the club's history and circumstances, its incredible cup run, and its outlook for the Europa League league phase. Cheers to Luís Tralhão! Chapters: 00:00 – the start 02:28 – club intro 06:59 – the cup run 18:25 – current team, Europa League outlook, & historical precedents