Latest news with #TotallyFootballShow
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
What to expect from The Athletic's podcast network in the 2025-26 football season
Feeling well rested, football fans? The last few months certainly weren't a traditional summer break, but the majority of Premier League players haven't played a minute of professional football for two and a half months and, as a result, excitement for the new season is reaching fever pitch. And The Athletic's podcast network has made some exciting additions to its programming ahead of the new campaign. Advertisement The Totally Football Show, one of the UK's most beloved and long-running football podcasts, is going from three to four weekly episodes. As well as livestreaming its weekend reviews every Sunday evening on YouTube, the Euro show every Tuesday and its usual midweek analysis on Thursday, James Richardson and his chums will bring you a little something extra on Saturdays. If 90s and 00s nostalgia with the likes of James Horncastle, Duncan Alexander and Michael Cox sounds like your thing, you're in for a treat. The Athletic FC Podcast, the British Sports Podcast of the Year, will remain the place for the biggest stories in football, cutting through the noise to provide the most compelling and considered analysis in the industry. Every weekday, Ayo Akinwolere will be joined by regulars like David Ornstein, Adam Crafton, Matt Slater, Phil Hay, Mark Critchley, Megan Feringa and many more, plus more of Adam Leventhal's award-winning documentary series. The brilliant Matt Davies-Adams is the new host of the Weekend Preview episode, while you'll also be able to hear The Athletic FC's Week in Football every Saturday. Joe Devine's incomparable Tifo Football Podcast is adding a second weekly episode every Thursday speaking to compelling guests, while The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast will continue to go out the same day with its in-depth analysis of the trends and analytics shaping the modern game. The Total Soccer Show is the home of dedicated USMNT and MLS coverage. At club level, Talk of the Devils, as well as embarking on a five-date tour of UK and Ireland later in the year, is bringing video versions of its episodes to its adoring fanbase. Handbrake Off for Arsenal, The View from the Lane for Tottenham, Walk On for Liverpool and Straight Outta Cobham for Chelsea will all continue to bring you the best dedicated club coverage every week throughout the season. But the most important aspect of any podcast is its community — and every single show in our network wants you to play a role this season. Whether it's livestreaming with James Richardson and the Totally gang, going on tour with Talk of the Devils and The View from the Lane or just sharing your thoughts via email voicenotes, we want to you to get involved. The contact details for each show — email and social media — are below… You can find all our shows on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts, as well as YouTube for The Athletic FC Podcast, The Totally Football Show, The Tifo Football Podcast, The Total Soccer Show and Talk of the Devils. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
The Herald Scotland
11-08-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Football Italia icon reveals why Lennon Miller has chosen Udinese move
Will the gifted midfielder be snapped up by Celtic or Rangers? Might he decide to go to a club in England? Could he follow the path taken by several of his compatriots in the last few seasons and go further afield to Europe? There has been much conjecture during the summer. It has, however, now emerged that Udinese in Italy are set to land the two-times capped 18-year-old after having a £4.5m offer accepted. He sat out the William Hill Premiership game against St Mirren at the SMiSA Stadium in Paisley on Saturday because, his manager Jens Berthel Askou revealed at his post-match press conference, there were 'things going on in the background'. Read more: Miller was pictured with his family at Glasgow Airport yesterday before boarding a flight to Rome. All being well with his medical, his transfer will finally be completed in the coming days. So how have the Serie A outfit managed to beat off stiff competition from domestic rivals Bologna, Como, Fiorentina and Torino as well as interested parties from down south to secure the services of the brightest prospect to emerge from this country in years? Perhaps more importantly, has the Motherwell skipper made the correct decision for his future? The amount of money which Udinese are prepared to pay for the player is unquestionably a major factor in the transaction. But the youngster, whose former footballer father Lee has been a source of invaluable advice during his career to date, has also had a major say in the switch. So what was the attraction behind becoming one of 'The Little Zebras'? Why does he feel the Stadio Friuli is the best place for him to sharpen his skills and mature further both physically and mentally? What made him reject the advances of better known, more successful, better supported and wealthier suitors? James Richardson, the presenter of the iconic Channel 4 show Football Italia who is now the host of the Totally Football Show podcast, can fully understand why he has made his choice and believes it is a wise one. (Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) 'Udinese have brought through a huge number of great players over the years,' he said. 'Fabio Quagliarella was successful there after some difficult times elsewhere. Antonio Di Natale was a legend there. And Alexis Sanchez emerged during his first spell there before being sold to Barcelona. 'They are owned by Giampaolo Pozzo, the former Watford owner whose son Gino is now in charge at Vicarage Road, which has some good points and some bad points. But they have certainly been quite forward thinking about how they scout and develop players for some time. They bring in players with potential, improve them and sell them for more money than they paid. 'It's been a while since they've been particularly successful. Just hanging in Serie A has been what they've been up to for the last decade or so. They have flirted with relegation on occasion. But they've kind of always finished bottom half of the table, have always just survived. 'That said, there's a pretty positive vibe about them under their German manager, Kosta Runjic. Their pre-season results have certainly been really good (they have beaten Dutch team Twente and German side Werder Bremen) for what that's worth. They've been looking pretty decent.' Read more: Richardson envisages that moving from Motherwell in Scotland to Udine in Italy will not be as much of a shock to the system for the teenager as it would be if he had joined a club in Milan, Naples, Rome or Turin. 'Hopefully, Lennon doesn't mind going to a very quiet town in the north-east corner of Italy,' he said. 'Udine is about 30 miles from the Slovenian border, only just inside Italy. It's not a big place, it only has a population of about 200,000 or so. There is quite a big army barracks. But it's a very quiet, very sober place. 'It is in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a region of Italy that is regarded as having the most serious people in Italy. It's not a lively place. But plenty of people have lived there and enjoyed it. The Brazilian great Zico, of course, was there in the 1980s and enjoyed his stay there greatly. 'It's a good place to concentrate on your football, without doubt. It's not as crazy as some of the larger Italian towns or cities. You don't need me to tell you that moving to Serie A has been excellent for Scottish players of late. I think Udinese could be a good move for Lennon Miller as well. 'They have played some pretty progressive football of late. The general impression of them in Italy is that they're a team who, while they haven't exactly lit up the championship of late, are heading in the right kind of direction. It is definitely an interesting move for him. 'Udinese is one of those Italian club which just bubbles away there without ever getting relegated but without challenging for a European place. The last time they qualified for a continental competition was when Francesco Guidolin was there manager back in 2013. 'Although the squad isn't especially star-studded, there does seem to be a big feeling that Runjaic is going to be able to do something good there this year. They did pretty well last year, given the paucity of their squad.' (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) Richardson, who became synonymous with the Italian game during his time as the Gazzetta Football Italia anchor man back in the 1990s, feels that German coach Runjaic will need to make more acquisitions before the Serie A season gets underway later this month to achieve his heady ambitions. 'The big problem Udinese had last year was a lack of goals,' he said. 'There's a bit of a concern because they've now sold their top scorer Lorenzo Lucca to Napoli. But even he only scored 14 goals for them in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign. It could turn out to be quite a tough season if they don't replace him. 'But there definitely seems to be a certain amount of optimism about them. People are talking up Keinan Davis, another British player, just now. They are saying the forward, a former Aston Villa player, could potentially be one of the surprises of the new season. He has done well up front for them in pre-season. He has been there for two seasons now, but he has hardly featured because of injuries. 'Florian Thauvin, the French winger who was their captain last season, has moved to Lens in his homeland. So they have lost one of their most creative players. But they have been linked with Nicolo Zaniolo, who was a top young Serie A player when he was with Roma, in recent weeks. 'He has had a couple of ACL injuries, has made some bad decisions and has gone completely off the rails. There is a chance he may come in. A lot of people in Italy are hopeful he can rediscover his form of old. It would be interesting seeing how he played with Miller alongside him.' Read more: Italian businessman Pozzo has owned Udinese since 1986 and has dealt with betting scandals, match-fixing controversies and relegations during his lengthy tenure – but he appears poised to sell a majority shareholding to overseas investors after nearly 40 years at the helm. 'It certainly wouldn't be out of keeping with the rest of Serie A if he does,' said Richardson. 'North American investors are now pretty much in charge of half of the Italian clubs. 'Generally speaking, Pozzo is regarded as a good owner. They may have a slightly different view at Watford, but, during his reign, they have been forward-thinking in the managers they have attracted, the players they have scouted, the football they have tried to play. They have improved the stadium as well. 'All that said, the bar is maybe set a little bit lower there than it is in other places. There will not be a great expectation on Lennon Miller to deliver success. That will perhaps allow him to settle in Italy and improve and develop at his own rate.'
The National
11-08-2025
- Sport
- The National
Football Italia icon reveals why Lennon Miller has chosen Udinese move
The Scotland internationalist's next destination, though, has been the subject of intense speculation for some time. Will the gifted midfielder be snapped up by Celtic or Rangers? Might he decide to go to a club in England? Could he follow the path taken by several of his compatriots in the last few seasons and go further afield to Europe? There has been much conjecture during the summer. It has, however, now emerged that Udinese in Italy are set to land the two-times capped 18-year-old after having a £4.5m offer accepted. He sat out the William Hill Premiership game against St Mirren at the SMiSA Stadium in Paisley on Saturday because, his manager Jens Berthel Askou revealed at his post-match press conference, there were 'things going on in the background'. Read more: Miller was pictured with his family at Glasgow Airport yesterday before boarding a flight to Rome. All being well with his medical, his transfer will finally be completed in the coming days. So how have the Serie A outfit managed to beat off stiff competition from domestic rivals Bologna, Como, Fiorentina and Torino as well as interested parties from down south to secure the services of the brightest prospect to emerge from this country in years? Perhaps more importantly, has the Motherwell skipper made the correct decision for his future? The amount of money which Udinese are prepared to pay for the player is unquestionably a major factor in the transaction. But the youngster, whose former footballer father Lee has been a source of invaluable advice during his career to date, has also had a major say in the switch. So what was the attraction behind becoming one of 'The Little Zebras'? Why does he feel the Stadio Friuli is the best place for him to sharpen his skills and mature further both physically and mentally? What made him reject the advances of better known, more successful, better supported and wealthier suitors? James Richardson, the presenter of the iconic Channel 4 show Football Italia who is now the host of the Totally Football Show podcast, can fully understand why he has made his choice and believes it is a wise one. (Image: Craig Williamson - SNS Group) 'Udinese have brought through a huge number of great players over the years,' he said. 'Fabio Quagliarella was successful there after some difficult times elsewhere. Antonio Di Natale was a legend there. And Alexis Sanchez emerged during his first spell there before being sold to Barcelona. 'They are owned by Giampaolo Pozzo, the former Watford owner whose son Gino is now in charge at Vicarage Road, which has some good points and some bad points. But they have certainly been quite forward thinking about how they scout and develop players for some time. They bring in players with potential, improve them and sell them for more money than they paid. 'It's been a while since they've been particularly successful. Just hanging in Serie A has been what they've been up to for the last decade or so. They have flirted with relegation on occasion. But they've kind of always finished bottom half of the table, have always just survived. 'That said, there's a pretty positive vibe about them under their German manager, Kosta Runjic. Their pre-season results have certainly been really good (they have beaten Dutch team Twente and German side Werder Bremen) for what that's worth. They've been looking pretty decent.' Read more: Richardson envisages that moving from Motherwell in Scotland to Udine in Italy will not be as much of a shock to the system for the teenager as it would be if he had joined a club in Milan, Naples, Rome or Turin. 'Hopefully, Lennon doesn't mind going to a very quiet town in the north-east corner of Italy,' he said. 'Udine is about 30 miles from the Slovenian border, only just inside Italy. It's not a big place, it only has a population of about 200,000 or so. There is quite a big army barracks. But it's a very quiet, very sober place. 'It is in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a region of Italy that is regarded as having the most serious people in Italy. It's not a lively place. But plenty of people have lived there and enjoyed it. The Brazilian great Zico, of course, was there in the 1980s and enjoyed his stay there greatly. 'It's a good place to concentrate on your football, without doubt. It's not as crazy as some of the larger Italian towns or cities. You don't need me to tell you that moving to Serie A has been excellent for Scottish players of late. I think Udinese could be a good move for Lennon Miller as well. 'They have played some pretty progressive football of late. The general impression of them in Italy is that they're a team who, while they haven't exactly lit up the championship of late, are heading in the right kind of direction. It is definitely an interesting move for him. 'Udinese is one of those Italian club which just bubbles away there without ever getting relegated but without challenging for a European place. The last time they qualified for a continental competition was when Francesco Guidolin was there manager back in 2013. 'Although the squad isn't especially star-studded, there does seem to be a big feeling that Runjaic is going to be able to do something good there this year. They did pretty well last year, given the paucity of their squad.' (Image: Craig Foy - SNS Group) Richardson, who became synonymous with the Italian game during his time as the Gazzetta Football Italia anchor man back in the 1990s, feels that German coach Runjaic will need to make more acquisitions before the Serie A season gets underway later this month to achieve his heady ambitions. 'The big problem Udinese had last year was a lack of goals,' he said. 'There's a bit of a concern because they've now sold their top scorer Lorenzo Lucca to Napoli. But even he only scored 14 goals for them in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign. It could turn out to be quite a tough season if they don't replace him. 'But there definitely seems to be a certain amount of optimism about them. People are talking up Keinan Davis, another British player, just now. They are saying the forward, a former Aston Villa player, could potentially be one of the surprises of the new season. He has done well up front for them in pre-season. He has been there for two seasons now, but he has hardly featured because of injuries. 'Florian Thauvin, the French winger who was their captain last season, has moved to Lens in his homeland. So they have lost one of their most creative players. But they have been linked with Nicolo Zaniolo, who was a top young Serie A player when he was with Roma, in recent weeks. 'He has had a couple of ACL injuries, has made some bad decisions and has gone completely off the rails. There is a chance he may come in. A lot of people in Italy are hopeful he can rediscover his form of old. It would be interesting seeing how he played with Miller alongside him.' Read more: Italian businessman Pozzo has owned Udinese since 1986 and has dealt with betting scandals, match-fixing controversies and relegations during his lengthy tenure – but he appears poised to sell a majority shareholding to overseas investors after nearly 40 years at the helm. 'It certainly wouldn't be out of keeping with the rest of Serie A if he does,' said Richardson. 'North American investors are now pretty much in charge of half of the Italian clubs. 'Generally speaking, Pozzo is regarded as a good owner. They may have a slightly different view at Watford, but, during his reign, they have been forward-thinking in the managers they have attracted, the players they have scouted, the football they have tried to play. They have improved the stadium as well. 'All that said, the bar is maybe set a little bit lower there than it is in other places. There will not be a great expectation on Lennon Miller to deliver success. That will perhaps allow him to settle in Italy and improve and develop at his own rate.'
New York Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Could PSG dominate European football for years to come?
Paris Saint-Germain's stunning 5-0 demolition of Inter on Saturday night will go down as one of the most one-sided Champions League finals ever played. The scoreline was record-breaking, marking the largest winning margin ever in a European Cup final. While the performance was just as impressive as PSG outclassed Inter in every single department. Advertisement With such a young and talented squad — and the weight of winning the Champions League now finally off their shoulders — the question now is how much more this PSG team could go on to achieve? On the latest episode of The Totally Football Show, James Richardson was joined by Duncan Alexander, Daniel Storey and Tim Spiers to debate whether this PSG side could dominate European football for years to come. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on 'The Totally Football Show' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. James: It was a perfect night for Paris Saint-Germain. Did you guys not get a sense that this is a team that's beginning to realise its potential and beginning to bring through players who can take them to another level? Are we witnessing a generational outfit in the way that the AC Milan team of the late 1980s were, or the great Barcelona side of the early 1990s? Duncan: It reminded me in some ways of the previous great performance in the final, which was Barcelona at Wembley in 2011. I remember after that everyone was like 'This team are going to win the European Cup for the next 10 years.' But they've only got to one final since. Unless you're Real Madrid, it's very hard to plan for successive seasons of glory in the Champions League. As it stands: yes, it looks like PSG are not only a great team, but they're almost reshaping how other teams are going to set up for the next few years. So it is exciting from that point of view. But we've all watched enough football in our lives to know that it's never that simple. And in underground layers across Europe, your Pep Guardiola's and Arne Slot's will be planning counter-offensives. So we'll see what happens, but for now let's just enjoy a superb display. Daniel: There's one broad theme of the last two or three years in international and club football. It's these superstar teams increasingly giving chances to teenagers that people hadn't heard of three months ago, and then those players becoming some of the most famous players in the world within a matter of weeks. Spain with Lamine Yamal at the Euros clearly lent on that, and Barcelona have done the same. Advertisement It does feel that by moving on Messi and Neymar, PSG have understood increasingly that not only is Paris one of the most fevered hotspots for creating talent in world football, but also that if you get those players in and give them the chance, then that's how you make them flourish. They can peak at 18 or 19, you don't have to wait until they're 22 or 23 to break into the team. That is perhaps slightly antithetical to how Serie A has always been about using young players and giving those players a chance, because in Italy they rely upon experience. The whole framework is that you're in a final, so you need experience: you need your hardened guys, and you need your Giorgio Chiellini's to get you through. But I don't think that's the case anymore. You can use that exuberance of youth to act as a complete game changer in a tournament because people don't know how to defend these players, and they haven't scouted them as much. It looked like Federico Dimarco had never seen Desire Doue play football before. And obviously he has, but he hasn't played a talent who is just going on pure adrenaline and exuberance of youth. Tim: To the final whistle, they were absolutely incessant and relentless with their pressing. It was 4-0 and they were still going for a fifth. Then you had Senny Mayulu coming on and scoring, and his celebration was just wonderful. In complete contrast to Achraf Hakimi's apology for scoring the first, which was just insane. But it's their aggression which was so impressive. It's Hakimi touching the ball more in the opposition half than he did in his own half as a right-back. It's every time Vitinha was getting the ball, just being unbelievably positive, like the quick dart forward he did for the third goal. It was two one-twos, and then in three seconds he was outside the opposition box having just been outside his own. Advertisement Duncan: And that must have come from the manager instilling that understanding in the players that they don't have to be scared to make mistakes, which probably lessens the mistakes. Even the things that look like mistakes from PSG aren't mistakes. They took the kick-off and kicked it straight out for a throw-in. They questioned it on the commentary, but they've actually been doing that quite a lot in games this season. It's almost to pen the opposition in the corner. So even the stuff that looks bad is actually by design. Daniel: I remember there was a quote from Luis Enrique when he was the Spain manager. Unai Simon had made a really bad mistake and Enrique was consoling him after the game. And he said, 'There's a difference between a failure of process and a failure of execution. If you make the wrong decision, I'm annoyed because I want to teach you to make the right decisions. But if you make the right decision and make a mistake, that's fine — that's just a failure of execution. You're good enough, so you'll get that right.' There's something really scary at any level of football about playing against a team whose players look like they're having fun and enjoying themselves. Inter looked like they had a plan to set up, but it didn't work and they couldn't shift from that. Whereas the flicks from Dembele and Doue, even at 1-0, it just looked like they were having so much fun. That's really scary for an opposition because it was like they were taking the mick out of them, and they were enjoying themselves while doing it. You can listen to full episodes of The Totally Football Show for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Top Photo:)
New York Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The race for European football – and the benefit of not being involved
Heading into the final weekend of Premier League fixtures, Nottingham Forest's clash with Chelsea at the City Ground is undoubtedly the game with the most at stake. Four teams are separated by just a single point in the race for Champions League qualification. Newcastle (fourth), Chelsea (fifth), and Aston Villa (sixth) are all level on 66 points, with Forest on their tails in seventh on 65. Advertisement For Nuno Espirito Santo's side, however, nothing but a win will do — and even then, they'll need results elsewhere to fall in their favour. On the latest episode of The Totally Football Show, James Richardson was joined by Benji Lanyado, Duncan Alexander, and Charlie Eccleshare to discuss Forest's chances of securing a top-five spot, and why they shouldn't be disappointed even if they miss out — considering they will still have European football next season. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on The Totally Football Show feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. James: Let's start with Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. As you know, a Chelsea win will secure them a top-five finish and Champions League football. Forest, by contrast, need to win the game but also hope that Aston Villa drop points at Old Trafford, or Newcastle drop points against Everton. Benji, which team is not going to get what they need out of those three fixtures? Benji: Heartbreakingly, I think it's going to be Nottingham Forest. I'm saying this maybe as an emotional hedge against what I want to happen, but I can just see Chelsea and Man City squeezing their way through and pushing out the fun teams. I think that there is so much emotion that's been building up to that game at the weekend for Forest, and I just worry for them because of that. A bit like how with Athletic Club against United in the Europa League semi-finals, there was so much riding on it that they bottled it because of the pressure. I think that could happen to Forest as well. James: Are Forest going to get their win, Duncan? Duncan: I'm going to say yes, even though it's been a strange few weeks for them. Obviously, there was the horrific injury to Taiwo Awoniyi, and their form has dropped off a bit as well. But looking at this as a one-off game against a Chelsea team that isn't flawless, and with atmosphere from the crowd at the City Ground, I think they can do it. Whether they get the required results elsewhere, however, I'm not as convinced. Because I think Newcastle will beat Everton, and despite Villa's notoriously bad record at Old Trafford, surely if they're ever going to end it, this weekend is the time. But it's going to be very exciting, and we could see a few changes to the league table as the goals go in. Advertisement I must say I also don't think Forest should be too disappointed if they don't make it into the top five, because they're still going to have European football, and it's still been a great season for them. We've spoken about Spurs not being necessarily ready for the Champions League, I don't think Forest's squad is ready either. We saw even a squad as good as Villa's this season drop off because they were competing in the Champions League. So the Europa League or Conference League for Forest would be a nice and gentle easing into continental football. So whatever happens — and I'm sure this will happen — their fans should probably just celebrate an incredible season with European football. Let's not forget Forest were the team that finished 17th last year, so it just shows that you can go from 17th back to near the top, so well done to them. Charlie: It will be interesting next season with so many teams in Europe, because I think a lot of these teams are going to really struggle. We spoke about it a couple of weeks ago in relation to Newcastle last season. When they were trying to juggle the Champions League and Premier League, they couldn't do it and they had an injury crisis. Then this season, they haven't had any European football whatsoever, and they've been really good again. So there are going to be a lot of teams, like Newcastle, like Forest as you mentioned Duncan, and even Crystal Palace, who are going to be navigating this completely new world. We've even seen the best teams both in the Premier League and in other leagues also struggling to do that juggling act with these extra games. So we could see one or two of the teams not in Europe next season actually feel a benefit. You can listen to full episodes of The Totally Football Show for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Top Photo:)
