The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast

Christmas has come and gone, but for Santa Claus – the football club that is, not the man with the beard – the other big moment of the year is fast approaching. This amateur team of tourism and post office workers are about to enter the Finnish Cup – their one big moment each year to show they are more than just a novelty name. But beyond Lapland, what else is so unique about the competition? We speak to Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki, the chief organiser at the Finnish Football Association, about its soaring popularity, English influence and the trophy's wacky back story. Finally, we take a look at other unique cup competitions across the European continent – from France’s all-inclusive cup to Bosnia’s strange final. Chapters00:00 – Intro00:32 – Santa Claus' other big moment03:38 – The uniqueness of the Finnish Cup05:42 – A typical run in the competition07:40 – Favourite Finnish club names09:38 – Interview with Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki23:20 – Patreon episode sneak peak24:29 – Cup craziness across Europe

In just three seasons, a small-town club from central Luxembourg have gone from third-tier obscurity to challenging for the top-flight title.   At the heart of their rise is president Carlos Teixeira, a construction entrepreneur who literally built the club’s stadium himself before reluctantly taking over the reins.  On this episode, we tell Atert Bissen's story – before heading to the Netherlands, where an amateur club in the KNVB Beker are guaranteed to lift a trophy whether they win the competition or not.  To complete the Benelux trio we finish off in Belgium, where an angry father, a potential Iraqi investor and a revolving door of coaches have allegedly turned Olympic Charleroi into a hot mess.  Chapters00:00 – Intro00:45 – Atert Bissen’s remarkable rise06:35 – Rapid risers across the globe08:40 – De Treffers & the Blue Pine Cone14:40 – Amateur rewards worldwide18:00 – Chaos at Olympic Charleroi22:20 – Special Sweeper announcement

In Part 1, Lee & Paul preview the inaugural OFC Pro League – the first fully professional football competition in Oceania’s history – which kicks off in New Zealand on Saturday 17 January. What matches will take place in the first circuit series in Auckland – and where can you watch them? Which team will have to travel the furthest and cross the International Date Line for their fixtures? Who are the standout players to watch out for? And what does the new tournament mean for the future of the OFC Champions League?In Part 2, there are stories from Europe, Africa and Asia. In Germany, a former Bundesliga coach is managing two McDonald’s restaurants – but what other unusual careers have footballers had after hanging up their boots? At AFCON, Mali have turned to a fetish priest to tip fate in their favour for their game against Tunisia. What on earth is one of those, we hear you ask?! And finally, Japan prepares for its transition to an autumn-spring league. But which J-League club have been royally screwed over by the switch? Chapters00:00 – Intro04:11 – OFC Pro League: Format & fixtures08:58 – OFC Pro League: Distances & date lines13:24 – OFC Pro League: Intriguing individuals23:23 – OFC Pro League: Concurrent competitions27:54 – The German ex-coach working at McDonald's31:32 – Strangest former footballer careers38:53 – Mali's fetish priest & Gabon's letter46:03 – Japan's schedule switch & Fukushima United

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Asia correspondent John Duerden to cast a look at some huge stories across the continent – in India, Malaysia and South Korea. What on earth happened on Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour of Kolkata? And why is the world’s largest country still without a top-flight league months after the season should have gotten under way? What has the fallout been from Malaysia’s attempt to illegally naturalise seven players? And why did Gus Poyet resign in protest after winning the double with Jeonbuk in South Korea?In Part 2, Africa correspondent Ali Howorth drops in before flying to Morocco to give us the lowdown on AFCON 2025 and help us decide which team to support at the tournament. Then it’s over to Europe to put the Ekstraklasa under the microscope. But what unique situation that we have never seen before has occurred in Poland’s top flight? And finally, to mark the festive season, there is a mention for Christmas Island – an Australian overseas territory that is known for its red crabs and its football rivalry with the nearby Cocos Islands.World Soccer magazine special offer: shop.kelsey.co.uk/sweeperxmas25John Duerden’s Substack newsletter: https://howfootballexplainsasia.substack.comAli Howarth’s AFCON flow chart: https://x.com/ahoworth97/status/2001293214012014953Chapters00:00 – Intro00:35 – India’s Super League crisis08:56 – Other leagues in limbo worldwide11:29 – Malaysia’s naturalisation scandal21:47 – Gus Poyet’s Jeonbuk departure27:17 – AFCON 2025 in Morocco39:55 – The crazy Polish Ekstraklasa44:25 – Mayhem & chaos across UEFA48:00 – Christmas Island and red crabs53:45 – On The Spot - The Apertura crown

In Part 1, Lee and Paul take a deep dive into Canadian football, including the national team's World Cup draw, Vancouver Whitecaps' incredible campaign and the changes to the line-up in the Canadian Premier League. Do Canada have a chance against Qatar, Switzerland – and probably Italy? Will the Vancouver Whitecaps be able to stay in Vancouver? How on earth did the Canadian Premier League's bottom club qualify for the top continental competition? And who are FC Supra du Quebec, the new club joining the division in 2026? In Part 2, it's the usual array of stories from across the world. Several French overseas territories award four points for a win – but what other location-specific football rules exist around the world? Lee tests Paul in a quiz! Over in Norway, a season of surprises continues as Viking claim the Eliteserien and second-tier Lillestrøm win the Norwegian Cup. We hear from Viking's No.1 overseas fan Babsi! And finally, the 2026 World Cup group stage draw is now done and dusted. Which debutant has the best chance of going through? Copa 90 documentary on Vancouver Whitecaps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Hnk37Lwo8 Weird and wacky football rules: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_tournament_ranking_system#Association_football Chapters:00:00 – Intro00:47 – Canada's World Cup prospects02:38 – The Vancouver Whitecaps story07:24 – Relocation fears11:35 – Vancouver FC's Champions Cup qualification15:33 – The newcomers: FC Supra du Québec17:50 – The departure: Valour FC19:43 – The rebrand: Inter Toronto24:33 – Four points per win in the Caribbean28:15 – Bizarre football rules quiz36:30 – Norway's season of surprises48:14 – Debutant World Cup groups50:38 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by North and Central American football expert Jon Arnold to talk about the craziness in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Why did Curacao fly from Bermuda to Jamaica via London in the November window? Why has Haiti's French coach Sebastien Migne never set foot on the island? How did an uncelebrated last-gasp own goal save Suriname's World Cup hopes? And was it a cowardly move for Steve McClaren to resign as Jamaica coach with the play-offs coming up in March? In Part 2, the focus switches to three stories across three different continents that have caught our eye at Sweeper HQ: promoted Thun's Swiss title charge, Al Hilal and Al Merrikh's move to Rwanda, and a controversial new championship title in Argentina. What has coach Mauro Lustrinelli done to help Thun take the Super League by storm this season? What exclusive club have the Sudanese duo of Al Hilal and Al Merrikh joined by moving to Rwanda? And will Argentina really have eight title-winners every year?!  More from Jon Arnold:YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jonarnoldfcSubstack newsletter: https://getconcacafed.substack.com  Chapters:00:00 – Intro00:51 – Curacao's World Cup miracle13:17 – Haiti's triumph in face of adversity23:47 – The own goal that saved Suriname26:57 – The inter-confederation play-offs28:35 – Steve McClaren's Jamaica exit35:40 – Thun's extraordinary Swiss title tilt39:48 – 2025: The year of the promoted club41:48 – Sudanese duo's Rwanda move45:19 – Trivia: Three-country football clubs46:49 – Argentina's new championship title51:07 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by Nathan Joyes, a South American football expert and the host of the Copa Club Podcast to talk about some sensational stories from the CONMEBOL nations this season. Why do Chile’s new champions Coquimbo Unido have a pirate theme? Which strategic decision helped Mirassol rise from the sixth tier to the brink of the Copa Libertadores? Is there something in the water in Argentina, where underdogs are sweeping up the trophies? And which other South American country deserves a special mention? In Part 2, the focus moves to elsewhere in the southern hemisphere: Oceania. Lee attended the soft launch event for the OFC Pro League, the continent’s first-ever professional competition, and has some interesting nuggets to share. Where and when will the OFC Pro League get under way? How will the tournament benefit the Tahiti and Fiji national teams. Is Christchurch United’s rebrand as South Island United a good or bad decision? And would South Melbourne theoretically be able to represent Oceania at the Club World Cup? More from Copa ClubPodcast: https://linktr.ee/thecopaclubSubstack: https://thecopaclub.substack.com Chapters00:00 – Intro01:48 – Chile’s pirate champions08:53 – Brazil’s meteoric risers18:47 – Argentina’s year of the underdog21:03 – Bolivian identity fraud25:09 – Sweepers On Tour26:11 – OFC Pro League recap28:02 – OFCPL: Launches & logistics33:27 – OFCPL: Coaches & CEOs37:15 – OFCPL: Rebrands & reserves40:29 – OFCPL: Non-OFC neighbours45:16 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee sits down with Virslīga President Maksims Krivunecs in Riga for an inside look at the Latvian football landscape. What is Latvia’s unique claim to fame within the 55 UEFA countries? Why have five of the country’s nine different champions since independence gone out of business? What does the average Virslīga footballer earn per month? And why is he in favour of setting up a Baltic League along with Lithuania and Estonia?In Part 2, Lee returns to the virtual studio to dissect Maksim’s grand plan for a Baltic League and tell Paul all about the live experience at the Latvian Cup final. What format for the Baltic League take and how would the three stages of the competition work? What is the likelihood of it ever happening? Why was the Skonto Stadium in Riga only 14% full for the big match? And what exactly is the strange relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK?*There is NO official proof on paper of an official relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK. Our source regarding their curious connection is Baltic Football News: balticfootballnews.comChapters00:00 – Intro01:10 – The good and bad of Latvian football04:23 – The vanishing champion problem12:11 – Memorable European nights20:05 – The Baltic League grand plan28:08 – Format, strengths & weaknesses37:37 – The 2025 Latvian Cup final47:20 – On The Spot

In Part 1, Lee and Paul reflect on ultimate underdogs Mjällby becoming Swedish champions and the key figures behind their unlikely Allsvenskan triumph. How have sporting director Hasse Larsson and coach Anders Torstensson shown courage in the face of adversity? Why are Mjällby the best-ever team in Swedish history? And why is the village of Hällevik looking for a new postman? And from one first-time champion to another, Titas Teiten of Baltic Football News has the lowdown on new Lithuanian title-winners Kauno Žalgiris. Part 2 continues in Lithuania, where Lee has paid a visit to second-tier champions TransINVEST and their stunning newstadium to ask some key questions. How does a new club based in a village outside Vilnius and owned by a logistics company build a fanbase from scratch? What has the reaction been in the rest of Lithuania? And why is football firmlyin the shadow of basketball in this beautiful Baltic country? To finish off, there are tales of helicopters, heartbreak and heroism in Ireland, Iceland and Kazakhstan respectively. More from Baltic Football NewsRead the Baltic Football News WebsiteListen to the Baltic Football Podcast Chapters00:00 – Intro00:45 – The Mjällby miracle09:37 – Kauno Žalgiris with Baltic Football News 14:08 – A trip to TransINVEST 29:45 – Ireland’s marathon helicopter31:51 – Relegation for cup winners Vestri32:50 – Final-day drama in Kazakhstan34:23 – On The Spot

In Part 1 of this special episode, Paul is joined by African football expert Ali Howorth live from the Cape Verdean capital of Praia to talk about the country’s historic World Cup qualification. What force of nature helped the islanders get the job done against Eswatini? What were the highlights of the after-party? What role has the Dutch city of Rotterdam played in Cape Verde’s success? And why might the Blue Sharks have more fans than expected at the World Cup? In Part 2, Lee and Paul hear from Cape Verde central defender Roberto Lopes, who explains the story of his international recruitment via LinkedIn, and discuss everything from diaspora to donkeys. Why are there as many Cape Verdeans living overseas as on the islands themselves? Which geographical and demographical records have they broken by qualifying? And how has the Portuguese colonial rule shaped the domestic game today? More from Ali HoworthOn The Whistle Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@otw_podcastSubstack Newsletter: https://alasdairhoworth.substack.com/ Chapters00:00 – Intro01:52 – Ali Howorth live from Praia18:47 – Cape Verde shirt giveaway20:00 – Diaspora and DMs24:07 – Roberto Lopes voice note26:37 – Best international recruitments28:58 – World Cup’s smallest nations35:14 – Domestic football and donkeys