The FootPol Podcast
The podcast that brings together football and politics. We'll be exploring the relationship between the two, both inside and outside the game.
The podcast covers "Big Politics" like politicians, clubs, international and national federations and other organised groups and how they use or abuse the game to "Small, Everyday Politics" in the form of community-level clubs, fan associations and the way that football reflects the political challenges of our day to day lives.
The FootPol Podcast is brought to you by co-hosts Drs Francesco Belcastro and Guy Burton.
Podcasting since 2023 • 94 episodes
The FootPol Podcast
Latest Episodes
2026 World Cup Debutants: Uzbekistan’s Rise from Soviet Shadows ft. Donat Iskanderov
Last Friday's 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC kicks off a new mini-series running on the FootPol Podcast this season, about debutant nations heading to next year’s tournament. In this first episode, we turn to Uzbekistan — one of the most ...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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39:51
Football in a state of emergency ft. David Goldblatt
Historian and sociologist of football David Goldblatt is back on the podcast to talk to hosts Guy and Francesco about his latest book
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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55:54
How Football Sells Its History: Stadium Tourism and Identity ft. Felipe Tobar
This week on The FootPol Podcast, we explore the booming world of football tourism, stadium tours, and club museums with expert Felipe Bertazzo Tobar of Clemson University. From the Camp Nou to the Maracanã, Felipe unpacks how football heritage...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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56:06
Fueling or burning the game? Football clubs, fans and energy companies ft. Leslie Mabon
In the latest FootPol Podcast episode, Leslie Mabon, senior lecturer in environmental systems at The Open University discusses how football’s deep ties to industry reveal a bigger story about climate change, community identity, and the energy t...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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45:19