The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

In the first episode of The Sweeper, Tom and Lee round up alternative stories from across the continent, starting with a look at how seven years of conflict have shaped the football landscape in Ukraine. They also call in the local experts to explore some regional Super League projects that might be more appealing to fans than the European Super League ever was, and chat about everything that caught the eye in the last month of European football. (Recorded May 1st)

A short clip taken from the pilot episode of The Sweeper Podcast! Coming soon...

In Part 1 of this bonus Patreon episode, which we have released in the absence of a fresh podcast on this occasion, the Sweeper team are joined by Tom Middler and Simon Clark – Lee's co-hosts on his other podcast, 'The Other Bundesliga' – to talk about their groundhopping trip to Slovenia & Croatia. Which UEFA Conference League match did they watch? Who plays in Slovenia's 'metal derby'? And why is there a garden shed in Croatia's largest stadium? Join us to find out! The theme in Part 2 is sh*thousery and the dark arts. What bizarre measure did River Plate resort to for their Copa Libertadores semi-final against Atlético Mineiro? Why are Como using local buses in what has been described as a declaration of war on regional rivals Monza? And how did the AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifier between Australia and Indonesia descend into farce? Plus, a bonus question: How many footballs can Paul and Lee carry? If you like the bonus podcast, you can listen to them every fortnight – on the Wednesdays between our usual episodes – by signing up at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You can also enter our giveaways, read our weekly World Football Newsletter and our bonus blogs, and join our chat community on Discord, where hundreds of patrons are discussing world football on a daily basis. The show is also largely self-funded, so Patreon contributions are a great way to support our journalism! RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - Giantkillings & Kiribati fan accounts 08:18 - A scorpion save in Slovenia 14:52 - Metal-themed football clubs 19:57 - Ultras & garden sheds in Croatia 29:47 - River Plate's potent paint 35:51 - Como's declaration of war on Monza 40:59 - AFC U17 Asian Cup controversy 43:30 - How many footballs can we carry? Editor: Ralph Foster

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: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   Click here to buy the November issue of World Soccer: https://shop.kelsey.co.uk/single-issue/world-soccer-magazine   In Part 1, the focus is on the club game in the continent The Sweeper calls home: Europe. Why did the entire Njegoš team simultaneously collapse in the Montenegrin third division? And was there any truth to the plutonium poisoning allegations? How did Ängelholms in the fourth tier of Swedish women’s football miss out on the title despite not conceding a goal? And what bizarre record did their goalkeeper end the season with? And why did Breiðablik fans stage a break-in ahead of their final-day title-decider with Víkingur Reykjavík in Iceland?   Part 2 contains a selection of stories from Africa, Asia, Central America and Oceania. Why has a second club from New Zealand, Auckland FC, joined Australia’s A-League? And why will their upcoming match against Wellington Phoenix be unique in world football? What has led TP Mazembe in DR Congo to play Nigerian goalkeeper Suleman Shaibu in attack? How did Wolues of the British Virgin Islands come to have a misspelling in their name? And how are the two clubs from war-torn Sudan playing 5,000km away in Mauritania getting on?   If you don’t want to wait until 13 November for our next episode, join us on Patreon for our bonus episodes in the in-between weeks. Simply sign up at patreon.com/SweeperPod and join us for a special pod on 6 November. We will be joined by some special guests to talk about their recent groundhops in Slovenia and Croatia, before rounding up some other stories from Russia, Uzbekistan and Eritrea. Patrons also get access to our Discord chat community, bonus blogs, weekly newsletters and entry into our shirt giveaways too.   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:43 – Montenegro’s mass collapse 07:24 – Sweden’s perfect runners-up 11:54 – Iceland’s final-day title decider 16:12 – Other summer league tales 21:03 – Kiwi club’s debut in the A-League 29:28 – An attacking keeper in DR Congo 34:14 – The Sweeper Super Sunday on FIFA+ 41:15 – First Vienna game with a patron Editor: Ralph Foster

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: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   In Part 1, we take a look at one of the world’s most remote footballing outposts with Faraway Football blogger Matthew Eide, who has just returned from a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Bhutan courtesy of football kit designers Icarus. Which footballing figure flew the plane that transported him from Kathmandu to Paro? How did a 10-goal thriller have more drama after the final whistle than in the game itself? Which endangered species are Thimphu City fighting to help save? And how could YOU join the Overseas Board of a football club in Asia?   Part 2 is dedicated to the best stories from the international game in the October window. Why was oxygen being provided on the sidelines at Bolivia’s World Cup qualifier against Colombia? Who holds the longest ongoing winless run in international football now that Liechtenstein and Andorra have both won? Why did Turkmenistan’s government deny their national football team permission to travel to Malta? And for what unusual reason did the Turks & Caicos goalkeeper miss the CONCACAF Nations League clash with Anguilla?   If you don’t want to wait another fortnight for our next episode, join us on Patreon for our bonus podcasts in the in-between weeks at patreon.com/SweeperPod. The next patron-only episode will hit the airwaves on Wednesday 23 October. Subscribers can also read our bonus blog about our trip to Lugano, join several hundred other patrons on our Discord chat community, enter our regular shirt giveaway contests and get a sneak preview of each podcast on the weekend before it is released. Follow Matthew Eide’s Faraway Football account: Twitter: x.com/FarAwayFootball Instagram: Instagram.com/farawayfootball RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:31 – Lee & Paul’s travel disasters 02:57 – A groundhop to beautiful Bhutan 18:24 – FIFA+: South America & Oceania 26:58 – A golden era for Europe's micro-states 34:57 – Country vs. club in Turkmenistan 38:36 – Poolside viewing in the Caribbean Editor: Ralph Foster

In Part 1, Lee reflects on his trip to watch high-flying Lugano take on Winterthur in the Swiss Super League. What’s the story behind their collaboration with MLS outfit Chicago Fire? What else has been behind the club’s rise to domestic cup winners and title challengers? And could Switzerland have its first national champion from the Italian-speaking region since 1949? We also hear from YouTuber and friend of the pod TheTimTraveller about Campione d’Italia (the exclave on the other side of Lake Lugano) and their eighth-division football team.   Next up, it’s Paul’s turn to tell the story of his visit to Welsh outfit The New Saints ahead of their UEFA Conference League clash with Fiorentina. But what about the four Welsh clubs in the English pyramid dreaming of European football? Why is Norwegian second-tier club Bryne inviting spectators to bring their tractors to matches? And why are the Vatican’s men’s and women’s teams making a trip to Berlin soon? We answer all those questions in Part 2, which includes another guest appearance from YouTuber and Away Days host Ellis Platten.   For the chance to win a Vatican national team shirt, to read our in-depth bonus blog about Lugano’s rise and to join our chat community on Discord, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You can also listen to our bonus podcast out on Wednesday 9 October, in which we talk about our visit to the Serie B match between FC Südtirol and Palermo, the Iranian ballistic missiles that made an appearance in the AFC Champions League 2 and the Romanian sporting director urging fans to abandon adult content creators. RUNNING ORDER 00:00 – Intro 00:51 - The rise of Swiss side Lugano 10:34 - Mascots & miniature models 13:15 - Campione d'Italia with TheTimTraveller 17:25 - A stop-off at FC Südtirol 18:52 - Behind the scenes at TNS 25:00 - Alternative Welsh routes in Europe 29:21 - Tractor tickets in Norway with Ellis Platten 33:53 - The quirkiest VIP offerings in football 38:27 - Peru's Vatican-themed football club 42:12 - The Vatican's upcoming tour to Berlin   Video: Away Days at Bryne: Out on Saturday 5 October   Video: TheTimTraveller on Campione d’Italia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1fqinoNiZE   Editor: Ralph Foster

This episode is brought to you in collaboration with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeper   Part 1 covers the best international window for underdogs in living memory, with San Marino’s first-ever competitive triumph, Anguilla’s first victory since 2010 & American Samoa’s first win since 2015 among the highlights. There’s also a mention for the Turks & Caicos Islands’ 14 year-old goalie, a rare competitive away win for altitude specialists Bolivia & a presidential helicopter disruption at Guyana vs. Suriname.   There’s a special announcement to kick off Part 2, as we tell the listeners all about The Sweeper Podcast’s brand-new partnership with FIFA+ and all the matches around the world that can be live-streamed in top quality for free. The episode then finishes off with some great headlines from Chile and Argentina: Huachipato’s two games in one day, Barnechea’s 45-point deduction, Talleres’ gun-wielding chairman & Banfield’s half-time coach sacking.   To enter the draw to win the San Marino-Liechtenstein match programmes & the Anguilla shirt, join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. There you will also be able to read our San Marino bonus blog and find our next bonus podcast on Wednesday 25 September, in which we talk about the Welsh substitute who got arrested before the final whistle, the Italian coach who scythed down an opponent & Chris Smalling’s nightmare debut for Al Fayha.   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:31 – San Marino: Local disbelief 05:00 – Anguilla: First victory in 14 years 06:42 – Turks & Caicos: 14-year-old goalie 10:21 – Bolivia: Altitude & away wins 14:18 – International window: The best ever? 16:08 – Guyana: The presidential helicopter 18:55 – FIFA+: Introducing our new partner 22:43 – Chile: Huachipato’s two games in a day 26:50 – Chile: Barnechea’s 45-point deduction 29:27 – Argentina: Talleres’ feisty chairman 32:20 – Argentina: Banfield’s half-time sacking Editor: Ralph Foster

Would you believe it?! San Marino, the worst team in the world by FIFA ranking (210), have ended the longest winless run in international football history (140 games dating back to April 2004) and won a competitive match for the first time in their history! The 'Titani' beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League. Along with other content creators, friends & listeners, Sweeper duo Lee Wingate & Paul Watson were live in Serravalle to witness this monumental moment and talk about it afterwards in a special one-off bonus pod in a local bar after the final whistle. We hope you enjoy it - and please try out our other episodes if you do!

Part 1 is devoted to the final round of UEFA club competition qualifying & the upcoming league phase in the three tournaments. We look at the Larne, TNS, RFS & Slovan Bratislava underdog success stories, amazing social media posts involving the Smurfs and Mr. Bean, the changed format of the three club competitions and the computerised draw, plus the best European groundhops you could make to take in the league phase action. In Part 2, we divide our time between domestic club football and the international game. A broken goal is met with the suggestion of blowtorch repair in the Icelandic top tier, Papua New Guinea’s Admiralty Islands FC relocate to the mainland for six months and the international break looms large with three standout fixtures: San Marino vs. Liechtenstein, Comoros vs. Madagascar and Guyana vs. Suriname. If you don’t want to wait until 18 September for our next episode, then you can join us for a bonus podcast on 11 September at patreon.com/SweeperPod. You will also be able to read our blog about the 2024 Greenlandic Football Championship, enter the draw to win a B67 shirt, become part of our growing Discord community and get exclusive content from our trip to watch San Marino take on Liechtenstein in Serravalle. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 03:04 – UEFA qualifiers: Upsets & underdogs 09:00 – UEFA qualifiers: Media & memes 14:13 – UEFA qualifiers: Unfamiliar formats 18:56 – UEFA qualifiers: Groundhopping guidance 24:29 – Collapsing goals in Iceland & Romania 30:56 – Papua New Guinea’s relocating islanders 36:56 – San Marino & the international break 44:12 – Patreon perks & B67 shirt giveaway Editor: Ralph Foster

Part 1 is devoted to the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. There’s penalty pandemonium in Poland and theNetherlands, an amazing achievement for Armenians Noah and a trio of clubs on the verge of becoming the first representatives from Andorra, Northern Ireland & Wales to reach a continental group. There’s also a word for the biggest and shortest European away days of the summer, football’s huge carbon footprint and two clubs with close links to the political leaders of their countries: Puskás Akadémia of Hungary & Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih of Ukraine.In Part 2, we turn our attentions to continental competitions in Africa, Asia & the Caribbean. We hear about Djiboutian club Arta Solar 7 in the CAF Champions League preliminaries and their takeover by a solar power company, find out whether Paul Watson will abscond to the Maldives to take charge of AFC Challenge League participants Maziya and learn why Haitian club America des Cayes did not turn up in Curacao for the CFU Caribbean Shield. There are also shirt giveaways for Village Superstars of St. Kitts & Nevis & the Chagos Islands national team.As per usual, you can join us for our next bonus episode if you don’t want to wait until Wednesday 4 September for another pod. That episode will be out on Wednesday 28 August and will take in some stories from the Nordic nations, including a collapsed goal and a blow torch in Iceland, an island club triumphing in the Danish Cup and the Swedish club with the most youth teams in Europe. We will also be sharing our own personal football bucket lists and telling you about an upcoming Q&A session for patrons on our Discord server.RUNNING ORDER:00:00 – Intro00:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Penalty pandemonium07:32 – UEFA qualifiers: History-making hopefuls11:11 – UEFA qualifiers: Epic away days15:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Supportive statesmen21:02 – San Marino & Nauru competition winners22:38 – Africa: The space and weapons derbies30:34 – Asia: Coaching vacancy in the Maldives36:48 – Caribbean: America des Cayes' no-show39:35 – St. Kitts & Nevis and Chagos Islands giveawaysJoin Sangalo's mailing list at the bottom of the homepage to enter the Village Superstars shirt competition: www.sangalo.com.Get yourself a Surprise Shirts mystery box at www.surpriseshirts.co.uk.

In Part 1, we bring you all the top stories from around the football world: Maikeli Lomu, an American with Tongan heritage, has sold his pottery studio in Utah and relocated to his ancestral homeland in pursuit of a World Cup dream. The 2024 edition of the Greenlandic Football Championship – the shortest season in world football at one week – is taking place on Disko Island off the west coast. And the FA Cup preliminary rounds are serving up some great stories, including the earliest goals in the history of the world’s oldest club competition. Then in Part 2 we turn our attentions to the men’s and women’s football tournaments at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris: the chaos and controversy between Argentina & Morocco, Canada’s spying scandal, the 6-5 thriller between Australia & Zambia, and the Malawian footballer-sprinter racing the 100 metres. There is also a selection of great listener emails, a competition to accompany the Sweeper team to San Marino vs. Liechtenstein in the UEFA Nations League and a giveaway for a limited-edition Nauru national team shirt. If you don’t want to hang on until Wednesday 21 August for another dose of world football goodness, then sign up to our Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod to get the bonus episodes. In the episode set for release on Wednesday 14 August, we talk about Japan legend Keisuke Honda’s one-match contract with Paro FC of Bhutan, Kuwaiti club Kazma’s phantom pre-season friendly, Libertad de Pirayu of Paraguay's trophy that disappeared from an open-top bus parade and Partick Thistle’s failed substitution due to accidentally cropped team sheet. RUNNING ORDER 00:00 - Intro 00:32 - The Football Cliches Quiz 02:01 - Tongan World Cup dreams 07:18 - The FA Cup preliminary rounds 13:25 - Disko Island in Greenland 18:53 - San Marino & Nauru competitions 24:24 - Olympics: Opening game outrage 28:45 - Olympics: Drone debacles 32:06 - Olympics: Goals galore 36:28 - Olympics: Sprinting strikers 38:51 - Listener emails Editor: Ralph Foster

In Part 1, we round up all the latest highlights from the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We talk about two villages of under 1,000 people in the Faroes & San Marino that claimed big European wins, the Slovenian keeper that went on a René Higuita-style dribble against Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales and FC Copenhagen’s upcoming trip to face ‘pub team’ Bruno’s Magpies at a stadium overlooking the African coastline. That is followed in Part 2 by an announcement about a change to the podcast, which will return to its previously fortnightly rhythm. We then round off the episode by talking about the ‘Pariah Derby’ between the North Korean and Russian women’s teams and turn our attentions to pre-season friendlies: the pitch invaders at Rapid Vienna vs. AC Milan, Augsburg’s immigration disaster and a playground-style switch in Heilbronn. If you don’t want to wait until Wednesday 7 August for our next podcast, then join us on Patreon for our bonus podcasts. In the episode on Wednesday 31 July, we will examine the intriguing back stories of three promoted clubs from Eastern Europe, take a look at the Coupe de France action in St. Pierre & Miquelon and discuss the upcoming Milne Cup between Orkney & the Shetland Islands in Scotland. You can sign up at patreon.com/SweeperPod. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:38 - Victorious villages 04:52 - 27th time lucky for La Fiorita 11:38 - The NK Bravo keeper on the run 13:41 - Icelandic accumulator threats 15:19 - Pub team with a view of Africa 21:31 - Podcast frequency announcement 23:52 - North Korea's 'Pariah Derby' 29:22 - Rapid vs. Milan & pre-season friendlies Video of the NK Bravo goalkeeper on a run: x.com/FootballBurp/status/1814063958224978365 Editor: Ralph Foster

Part 1 is dedicated to the best part of the European football calendar: the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. We chat about the Gibraltarian pub team that claimed a win in the Conference League, the victorious Polish and Romanian teams in the Europa League and the part-timers from the Faroe Islands excelling in the Champions League. In Part 2, we bring you a random mix of stories from across the football world: Paul has been offered a coaching job on a mystery island in the South Pacific, Thimphu City of Bhutan have come up with a great initiative to protect the white-bellied heron and The Sweeper has sponsored a football team for the first time at the Icarus Cup in the USA. Join us for Part 3 over on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod to hear about the Brazilian policeman who fired a rubber bullet at a goalkeeper, an Anguillan side that allows their supporters a top-flight run-out and the Icelandic footballer presented with a bottle of champagne by a Fantasy Football Winner. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:40 - EURO 2024 disappointment 02:44 - Second-tier Corvinul's quirky situation 09:39 - UEFA win for pub team Bruno's Magpies 13:10 - San Marino, Wales & the Faroe Islands 19:38 - A mystery island coaching job for Paul 23:46 - Thimphu City's white-bellied heron initiative 30:50 - The first Sweeper-sponsored football team Buy your Sweeper-sponsored football shirt from the Icarus Cup: https://icarusfc.com/products/malmo?_pos=1&_psq=malmo&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Part 1 is dedicated to the overachieving underdogs at the continental competitions taking place this summer: Canada at the Copa América, Vanuatu at the OFC Nations Cup and Georgia at the EUROs. Meanwhile, in Part 2, there is a rare move to a European club for an Eritrean player and an ex-Gibraltar international is jailed for drug dealing. Join us for Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we round up some headlines from the home nations and bring you some spectacular transfer fails too. RUNNING ORDER: Intro - 00:00 Canada at the Copa América - 00:59 Vanuatu at the OFC Nations Cup - 07:58 Georgia at the EUROs - 14:36 Listener mails - 20:30 A rare Eritrean transfer to Europe - 24:02 Ex-Gibraltar international jailed - 28:13

With the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds getting under way this week, it’s time for a full Sweeper preview of the action in Part 1 – in the form of a trivia quiz, of course! Join us and play along in our three rounds – Multiple Choice, Odd One Out & The Right Order – as we look ahead to the Champions, Europa & Conference League qualifiers: the debutants, the second-tier teams, the geographical extremes, the funny back stories and much more besides. And there’s plenty at stake, with Lee and Paul competing for a coveted prize.   We’re off to the Pacific in Part 2 to look ahead to the Marshall Islands’ long-awaited international debut at the end of July. But where will the match take place? Who will the opponents be? And why is the landmark fixture taking place on a futsal court rather than a football pitch? Finally, we discuss a match between Germans Erzgebirge Aue and Glenavon of Northern Ireland that should have taken place in 1960. So what’s the reason for the 64-year delay? Why is it taking place now? And what other unlikely fan friendships exist in the football world?   Join for our patron-only Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod for a deeper dive into two little-known international football competitions that are taking place at the moment: the UEFA Regions Cup and the Europeada. There’s also an alternative look at the transfer window, including Rosario Central’s offer of an armoured car to Angel di María, a lower-league Spanish side signing Zidane and Ronaldo – but not those ones – and Kazu Miura’s loan move to Atletico Suzuka in his homeland at the age of 57. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - UEFA qualifier quiz: Multiple choice 08:53 - UEFA qualifier quiz: Odd one out 17:17 - UEFA qualifier quiz: The right order 22:46 - Marshall Islands' international debut 28:36 - A delayed Cold War friendly

Part 1 kicks off with some stories from around the football world. Why were the Solomon Islands locked out of their dressing room at the OFC Nations Cup? How come New Caledonia dramatically pulled out of the tournament? What are the most remote football tournaments in the world in terms of the distance to the closest inhabited land? And which footballer has recently established himself on the over-45s tennis circuit in South America?   We’re back to Europe for Part 2. Which Spanish fallen giant recently gained a dramatic promotion and celebrated with their supporters at the terminal building of the local airport? We’re joined by Matt Harrison of the Guiricast Podcast to find out more. What are the standout ties of the Champions League first qualifying round? And how did Bodø/Glimt manage to send scouts to check out the wrong Latvian opponent?   Join us for the patron-only Part 3 at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we take our listeners behind the scenes for the first time and explain how we make the podcast. Where do we find our stories? What is the process for deciding which ones make the cut and deserve inclusion in the episode? How do we keep tabs on everything that is happening around the world? And what happens when we have a “bad pod day”? RUNNING ORDER 00:00 - Intro 00:42 - Chaos at the OFC Nations Cup 09:46 - Rescue missions on Saint Helena 16:47 - Diego Forlán's tennis transition 22:29 - Malaga's promotion madness 28:40 - European fallen giants 31:46 - The UCL first qualifying round 34:57 - Bodø/Glimt scout wrong Latvian opponent

The European Championships are in full swing not only on the pitch but off it too. In Part 1, we pick out three themes from the opening stages of the tournament in Germany that have made us laugh: food wars, culture craziness & online polls/searches. Tune in to find out which country at EURO 2024 has the best national dish, who is empirically speaking the sexiest of the 24 head coaches, why Niklas Füllkrug has the best ‘Personal life’ section on Wikipedia and why Ralf Rangnick has taken the Austria squad to a Rod Stewart concert in Berlin.   The focus is on club football in Part 2, with three amazing stories from Portugal, Japan and Iceland. Why could a Santa Clara player’s tattoo to commemorate winning the Portuguese second division prove to be premature? How has a university team managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Emperor’s Cup in Japan? And will lower-league Icelandic club FC Reynir, who are based at the foot of a volcano, get the home cup tie they have been dreaming of for 30 years?   For Part 3 and some international football headlines from three other continents, join us over on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod. Why is 16-year-old Bolivian wonderkid Moisés Paniagua unable to travel to the Copa America in the United States? What emotional moment of unity took place at the world’s newest international football derby between Sudan and South Sudan? And why has Singapore’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Hassan Sunny had to beg Chinese football fans to stop sending him money?   RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 – Intro 00:40 – EURO 2024 – Christmas for adults 03:40 – EURO 2024 culture craziness 07:02 – EURO 2024 food wars 11:15 – EURO 2024 online polls & searches 15:57 – Guest podcast appearances 17:52 – A tattoo mishap in Portugal 22:01 – A university upset in Japan 27:29 – An Icelandic village dream 34:53 – Listener emails   Podcast guest appearances: Lee on The Totally Show: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6npASOQ1BZPvYYFpnb4ssE Paul on Guardian Football Weekly: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uu1QCQC1vH2ISK8euq8kj Lee on The Window: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tPj0TvQ5NQfN6CcQPDOCA Paul on World of CONCACAF: https://open.spotify.com/episode/24hiIr0iqUW7MSEKGnY5ol

EURO 2024 is just around the corner and we have put the tournament under the spotlight in typically Sweeper style in Part 1. How did Austria’s Maximilian Entrup go from a third-tier amateur/PE teacher to a place at EURO 2024 in the space of a year? Does Georgia’s Budu Zivzivadze harbour any regrets about choosing football over chess? Who is the only player at the tournament currently on the books of a third-tier European club? And where does Latvia’s 0-0 draw with Germany in 2004 rank among the all-time biggest EURO shocks? Part 2 is dedicated to the rest of the international football news. Was San Marino’s recent friendly against Slovakia at a stadium with a water slide behind the main stand in Austria's ugliest town our most random live game to date? Why have FIFA ruled that AFCON top scorer Emilio Nsue has actually been ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea over the past 11 years? And why did everyone think that Syria had beaten North Korea 1-0 when it was actually the other way around? You can join us for Part 3 over on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we reflect on some international news from the Caribbean and a selection of other stories. What did the Cayman Islands players fear they might lose ahead of their recent World Cup qualifying trip to Cuba? Why did Bonaire contest a recent friendly against a ninth-tier team from the Netherlands? And why has Spanish goalkeeper Miguel Guerreiro given up on his Only Fans dream and made a return to football with Velez in the fourth tier? RUNNING ORDER 00:00 – Intro 01:05 – EURO 2024 alternative career paths 09:28 – EURO 2024 players outside the top tier 14:17 – EURO 2024 underdogs & outsiders 21:20 – Mystery shirt guessing game 24:36 – San Marino’s water slide away day 33:46 – Emilio Nsue’s Equatoguinean ineligibility 39:02 – North Korea’s secret Syria score

Part 1 contains an international round-up of European minnows inside and outside of UEFA. In which version of football has Gibraltar become a European champion? Why has Corsica recently hosted their counterparts from Sardinia, Sicily & St. Martin? Will we watch San Marino vs. Slovakia from the top of a water slide? And which football stadium straddles an EU/non-EU border? Up next in Part 2 are a series of records and achievements from across the football world. What remarkable feat did Attack Energy Herat accomplish en route to winning the Afghan Super League? Why did a goalkeeper recently take three penalties in Israel? And is Turkmenistan's dictator partly responsible for the longest winning run in football history? Join us for Part 3 on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod as we look at Pas de la Casa's run to the Andorran Cup final without winning a game, hear about the world's ugliest building in the Kosovan capital Pristina, play a UEFA Conference League-themed game of 'Pointless' and discuss the collapse of a goal frame in the USA. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - Gibraltar's walking football triumph 06:20 - The return of the Corsica Cup 15:03 - San Marino vs. Slovakia & quirky football grounds 21:54 - Attack Energy Herat's perfect Afghan season 24:56 - A 22nd consecutive Bosnian title for SFK 2000 26:54 - The longest penalty shootout ever in Israel 29:06 - Ascent Soccer U21s' remarkable feat in Malawi 32:36 - 47 straight wins for Arkadag in Turkmenistan VIDEO: The annual All-Priests Over 75s Five-a-Side Football Challenge Match from Father Ted: https://bit.ly/FatherTedVideo VIDEO: The longest penalty shootout in football history in Israel: https://bit.ly/IsraelPenaltyShootoutVideo

Part 1 brings you a full round-up of all the news from the Benelux countries. What controversial actions recently earned a Dutch referee a lifelong ban from football? Why are two storied Belgian clubs facing an existential threat? And what strange series of events could lead to European football being played on a Luxembourgish campsite this summer? Next up in Part 2 is a round-up of all the action from the rest of Europe. How have Sturm Graz finally managed to dethrone Red Bull Salzburg and does it mark a turning point for Austrian football? How did a marriage proposal mentally unsettle a goalkeeper in the Albanian Cup final? And why have Finnish club SJK Seinäjoki started giving away free sausages to fans? Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod for Part 3 to find out how Baltika have managed to reach the Russian Cup final despite already being eliminated, why Poland wins our award for the most unpredictable country in Europe in the 2023/24 season and how a raccoon managed to evade capture for 161 seconds in a recent MLS fixture. RUNNING ORDER: 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - The Dutch referee who celebrated 10:00 - The two Belgian clubs on the brink 15:08 - Surprises and campsites in Luxembourg 20:40 - Party time for Sturm Graz in Austria 33:11 - Egnatia's Albanian double bid & a proposal 38:02 - Free sausages at SJK Seinäjoki in Finland