On The Continent - A European Football Podcast

For a long time, Federico Valverde was used in a deep role for Real Madrid. But after scoring a blockbuster hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League, has he been playing in the wrong position all along? Could he become a mainstay in Real's attack?Andy and Dotun are joined by Lars Sivertsen to decipher that. Also, what will Julian Brandt's legacy be at Borussia Dortmund? Are OGC Nice Ligue 1's answer to Tottenham Hotspur? And why are Lazio facing an off-field crisis?Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The French media were insistent that Paris Saint-Germain came into their game against Chelsea as underdogs. Well, they certainly proved those critics wrong. A display of incredible resilience has put the Parisians firmly in the driving seat ahead of their return leg at Stamford Bridge. Somehow, are the defending champions the dark horse to win it all?Lars Sivertsen joins Dotun and Andy to heap praise on Luis Enrique's side. Plus, a demolition job from the unstoppable force that is Bayern Munich and Bodø/Glimt shock the world... again.Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We thought the door was shut, but have Milan blown the Serie A title race wide open again? Victory for the red side of Milan against their city rivals has certainly given Inter something to think about. Only seven points are in it with ten games to play. Can Max Allegri's side do the unthinkable and challenge Inter for the Scudetto?Nicky Bandini joins Andy to dissect a game which may well have huge consequences for who is crowned champions of Italy come the end of the season.Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Real Madrid, losing isn’t acceptable. Drawing isn’t acceptable. Conceding can feel like failure. Álvaro Arbeloa has done the unthinkable: two defeats in a row - first to Osasuna, then to Getafe at the Bernabéu. So, how tenuous is the Spaniard's position?Dotun and Andy are joined by David Cartlidge to answer that. Also, could Oliver Glasner replace Jürgen Klopp at Red Bull? Why did Flamengo sack Filipe Luís after he won the double? And we reveal the real reason that so many Scandinavian players are heading to the Primeira Liga.Find us on Bluesky, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: show@footballramble.com.Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In typical Atlético Madrid style, Diego Simeone's side have dragged themselves into the Copa del Rey final kicking and screaming. Only this Atleti team could turn a 4-0 lead from the first leg into a nerve-wracking finish. But their fans won't care!David Cartlidge joins Dotun and Andy to discuss what that result means for both Atleti and Barça. Plus, Bayer Leverkusen get a much-needed win to keep them in the fight for the Champions League places, and Marseille have the most Marseille week after two vastly different results at the Vélodrome.Find us on Bluesky, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: show@footballramble.com.Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no 'good time' to play Bayern Munich, but in the form they've been in this season, any Bundesliga side would rightly head into that game expecting a thrashing. Borussia Dortmund gave them a right good go! Ultimately though, there simply is no stopping the juggernaut that Vincent Kompany has assembled.Archie Rhind-Tutt was at Signal Iduna Park and joined Andy Brassell to dissect a thriller in North Rhine-Westphalia.Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's no exaggeration to say that this season has been calamitous for Italian football. Almost every Serie A team is out of the Champions League, the national team faces a World Cup playoff, and the stadia are decaying. So how did it all go wrong, and more importantly, how can things be put right?David Cartlidge joins Andy and Dotun to answer that. Also, the guys discuss Real Madrid's historic associations with the far-right, Barcelona’s presidency, and the chances of Paris FC avoiding a relegation scrap.Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a night of comebacks in the Champions League. Atalanta succeeded in knocking Borussia Dortmund off of their perch, and Juventus came oh so close to producing a classic in Turin. After the curtain fell though, just one of Italy's four teams made it through to the next round. Is Italian football in crisis?David Cartlidge joins Dotun and Andy to debate that. Plus, Bodø/Glimt make history after dismantling Serie A's Champions elect. Just how did they do it? And things are heating up in the race for the top four in Germany. Will it be Stuttgart, Leipzig or Leverkusen who snatch the last Champions League position?Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was advantage PSG after a close first leg, so no wonder they were rattled after Monaco took the lead at the Parc des Princes. Despite a late Parisian comeback, Monaco’s promising start left us thinking: why did they take their foot off the gas? And, after a nervy start, can PSG retain their European crown?On a wild night in the Champions League, join Andy and Jonathan Johnson live in Paris to dissect a confusing Monaco, a decisive sending-off and a resurgent PSG, who ensured their progression to the round of 16Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Idiots' was the term that Karl-Heinz Rummenigge used to describe Newcastle after they paid £69m for German striker Nick Woltemade. Six months into his Newcastle career and he has seven Premier League goals - a mixed return. With reports of unrest and speculation mounting over a possible exit, was Rummenigge right?Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini are here to offer their assessment. Also, is the Serie A title race over? Could the European Super League return? And, why did 50,000 people attend FC Köln's under-19 match against Inter?Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Champions League's 'Big Boys' are well used to giving the competition's smaller teams a spanking... but not this week! Up in the Arctic Circle Bodø/Glimt pulled off another shock by beating Inter 3-1, and Atlético Madrid were punished too after drawing 3-3 at Club Brugge on Wednesday. Won't the real big boys please stand up!Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy to discuss a chaotic midweek of action. Are Juventus out of Europe already? Can Galatasaray continue ruffling the proverbial feathers, and - away from the Champions League - why can't Barcelona grind out the results their team is more than capable of?Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inter 3-2 Juventus sounds like a fascinating game on paper, but my goodness me, that doesn't tell nearly half the story.Nicky Bandini joins Andy to discuss a classic at San Siro. Will Pierre Kalulu's red card be a turning point for modern football? Have Inter wrapped up the title? And are Juventus still top four contenders? We discuss it all.Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After an acrimonious exit from North London, could a future on mainland Europe be the perfect next step for Thomas Frank as he looks to regain his managerial reputation?Lars Sivertsen joins Andy and Dotun to deliver a damning verdict. Also, could Real Madrid secure another Borussia Dortmund alumnus in Nico Schlotterbeck? Will Óscar García lay the foundations for an Ajax rebuild? And, on the eve of Valentines day, what is the most romantic European stadium to visit?Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who could have known that after all this time, it is us who moves the thumb to signal the demise of managers in Europe. After Jonathan Johnson joined Andy earlier this week to discuss Marseille's mauling at the Parc des Princes, Roberto De Zerbi has left the Stade Vélodrome by mutual consent.Today however, it's Lars Sivertsen who accompanies Dotun and Andy to discuss the news of his departure. Plus, Antonio Conte puts a penny in the swear jar after Napoli's Coppa Italia exit, and the title race heats up in the Primeira Liga.Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Le Classique is rarely a close affair, but 5-0 is a result that nobody could have predicted. Marseille totally outclassed by PSG in a night that could have some serious implications.Jonathan Johnson joins Andy to assess the current state of the Ligue 1 title race, the future of Roberto De Zerbi, Pablo Longoria & Medhi Benatia at Marseille, and whether we still have a title race in France.Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2018, FIFA member states voted overwhelmingly to give the USA, Canada and Mexico hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup, a decision hailed as historic for the sport's breakthrough into the US mainstream. Eight years later, there are renewed calls for UEFA to boycott the tournament after Donald Trump made clear his intention to potentially invade Greenland - but how realistic is this prospect?Miguel Delaney joins Dotun and Andy to ruminate on that. Also on the show, will we see the N'Golo Kanté of old at Fenerbahçe? And can Sporting capitalise on a Porto loss as they approach a crucial six-pointer?Find us on Bluesky, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: show@footballramble.com.Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And breathe... the league phase of the Champions League is finally over, which means we can get back to some domestic action! So what is the state of play in the title races of Europe's biggest leagues?Miguel Delaney joins Dotun and Andy to discuss the runners and riders in La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. Could we be in for some shocks as we enter the season's final months?Find us on Bluesky, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: show@footballramble.com.Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In perhaps the most important January transfer window of the last few years with a summer World Cup around the corner, there wasn't a huge amount of movement in the market. But why was that?Miguel Delaney joins Andy to discuss Ademola Lookman's move to Atletico Madrid, Jean-Philippe Mateta's failed medical at Milan, and a busy day for Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille.Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a seven-year hiatus, Tammy Abraham is back in the Premier League, at Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. His sabbatical wasn’t an unpleasant one - stints with Roma, AC Milan and Beşiktaş - but is he coming back to England as a better striker, or will he play second fiddle to Ollie Watkins?Dotun is joined by Andy and Jonathan Johnson to get into the weeds of that. Also, do Atlético Madrid have any chance in the Champions League qualifiers? Is Sevilla the right fit for Neal Maupay? And why is Charlie Cresswell the talk of the town?Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the words of Dotun Adebayo. Wow, wow, wow. We know the Champions League never disappoints, but did anybody expect to see the drama that unfolded last night? Friend of the show Anatoliy Trubin scored a magnificent diving header to keep Benfica in the competition. So how big of a moment is this for Benfica, and could they do something special in the knock-out phases?Jonathan Johnson joins Dotun and Andy to discuss the best of the Champions League action from Wednesday. Plus, Endrick makes a splash in Ligue 1, and Porto are invincible!Ask us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.