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.
Episodes
83 episodes
Did Spain's World Cup win change society? ft. Fernando Gutiérrez-Chico and Aníbal Mesa López
This week, Francesco and Guy are joined by Spanish scholars Fernando Gutiérrez-Chico and Aníbal Mesa López to explore the remarkable rise of women’s football in Spain. From La Roja’s 2023 World Cup triumph to the political fallout of the Rubial...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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55:54
The Club World Cup and Women’s Euros and What’s at Stake
This summer brings two major football tournaments into the spotlight: the Club World Cup and the Women’s Euros. In this episode, Francesco and Guy unpack the global politics surrounding both competitions—from restrictive US visa policies affect...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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36:48
Rage Sport: People's sportswear against fascism (English edition)
In this special double episode, Francesco interviews Maurizio Affuso, founder of Rage Sport, sportswear brand that dresses 'sport popolare' (people's sport), anti-fascist clubs. Maurizio tells the story of how Rage Sport Started, the link with ...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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39:46
Rage Sport: sport popolare, solidale e antifascista (edizione italiana)
In questo doppio episodio speciale italiano/inglese, Francesco intervista Maurizio Affuso, fondatore di Rage Sport, marchio d'abbigliamento che veste lo sport popolare, solidale e antifascista. Maurizio racconta l'incredibile storia di RA...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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41:36
Inside Indonesia's Football and Politics ft. Andy Fuller
Co-hosts Guy and Francesco sit down with researcher, publisher and podcaster Andy Fuller—the mind behind Reading Sideways Press and Everyday Runners—f...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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42:36
Pitching Ambition: The Rise and Risk of Non-League Football ft. Paul Caulfield
With the FA Vase and FA Trophy finals putting non-league football in the national spotlight at Wembley on Sunday 11 May—including a nail-biting outing for Guy’s own Aldershot Town FC—this week’s episode dives into the vibrant, volatile world of...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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27:31
Small Nation, Giant Game: Uruguay’s Football Story ft. Will Huddleston
This week, Guy and Francesco are joined by Will Huddleston, who recently completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge, focusing on the early global success of Uruguayan football. Will unpacks how Uruguay — despite its small population — ros...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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47:41
Football and identity in the MENA region ft. the SEPAD research group
This week, Francesco switches seats—co-hosting and guesting—as he and Guy dive into a lively discussion about football in and from the Middle East, inspired by a brand-new report from the Sectarianism, Proxies and De-sectarianisation (...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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48:59
Pasión, Politics & the Pitch: Spain's Football Journey ft. Miguel Lourenço Pereira
In this episode, Guy and Francesco welcome back friend of the pod Miguel Lourenço Pereira to talk about his new book Pasión: A Journey to the Soul of Spanish Football (ou...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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59:27
From community to climate justice. Bohemian FC ft. Sean McCabe
This week, Guy and Francesco are joined by Sean McCabe, Head of Climate Justice and Sustainability at Bohemian FC - a member-owned football club since 1890 with a mission that goes far beyond the pitch.As the world’s first Head of Climat...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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39:29
Kicking Down Barriers: Building Inclusivity through Football ft. Charl Galloway
This week Guy and Francesco discuss football activism with Charl Galloway, a consultant specializing in women's football and inclusive sports spaces. As chairperson of Cardiff Dragons FC, co-founder of the Women's Football Collective, and a key...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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1:00:52
Flying the Flag: The women who played football abroad ft. Carrie Dunn
This week Carrie Dunn, a journalist, academic and good friend of the podcast talks to Francesco and Guy about her latest book,'Flying the Flag.' Carrie explains why British female players moved abroa...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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35:39
The Politics of FIFA's 2030 World Cup ft. Leslie Mabon
Why did FIFA award the 2030 World Cup to six countries across three continents—Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco? What political calculations shaped this unprecedented decision? And how prepared are these nations to hos...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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34:41
The Drama of Greek Football ft. Theofilos Pouliopoulos
This week, Guy speaks with Theofilos Pouliopoulos, a project manager and sports consultant with deep expertise in Greek football. Theo unpack...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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40:10
Are football styles and tactics political? ft. Jonathan Wilson
This week, Guy and Francesco sit down with football author and journalist Jonathan Wilson—Guardian columnist, Football Weekly contributor, editor of T
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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49:53
The German Football Model: Politics, Fans, and the 50+1 Rule ft. Danyel Reiche
In this episode, co-hosts Guy and Francesco speak to Danyel Reiche of Georgetown University Qatar about the German football model and more broadly...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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39:02
Football's new home? The beautiful game in the Gulf ft. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
How is football being used as a tool of power and influence in the Gulf? This week, Guy and Francesco sit down with Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a scholar at Rice University and expert on the region, to unpack the strategic playbook behind Saudi ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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43:21
Playing for equality: Lewes FC ft. Joe Short
This week, co-hosts Guy and Francesco sit down with Joe Short, a director at Lewes FC, to explore what makes this fan-owned club truly unique. Lewes FC is known not just for its community-driven ethos but also...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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40:35
The Beautiful Game in Troubled Times: Iraq’s Football Saga ft. Hassanane Balal
This week co-hosts Francesco and Guy talk to Hassanane Balal, host and founder of the Iraqi Football Podcast. Hassanane explains how sport and politics are closely connected in the football-mad country, and in particular how football provided u...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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39:45
The Dragon's Kick: Football and Politics in Hong Kong and China ft. Chun Wing Lee
This week Guy and Francesco talk to Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Chun Wing Lee about the game in Hong Kong and China. Wing Lee recounts how the game got started, first in Hong Kong and then southern China and how Hong Kong became the powe...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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41:14
Socialist soccer? The beautiful game in the USSR and after its collapse ft. Yacov Zohn
This week co-hosts Guy and Francesco sit down with Yacov Zohn, a PhD candidate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to explore the fascinating history of football during the Soviet era and its evolution in post-Soviet Russia, Ukraine, and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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34:50
Two Koreas, Two Goals: The Politics of Football ft. Jung-Woo Lee
This week, Guy and Francesco are joined by Jung-Woo Lee from Edinburgh University to explore the fascinating intersection of football and politics in North and South Korea. Among the subjects covered in the episode include: the origins of footb...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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52:46
What may be football's political battle grounds in 2025?
Co-hosts Guy and Francesco reflect on the political stories that shaped football in 2024 and those likely to dominate 2025. Francesco highlights the Israel–Gaza war and its impact on football, as well as the ambivalence of sporting bodies to sa...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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28:47
FIFA's 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia ft. Aziz Alghashian and Stephen Cockburn
FIFA has officially awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, sparking debate among football fans and observers worldwide. In this episode, co-hosts Guy and Francesco take a look at the decision with Aziz Alghashian, a Saudi academic and foot...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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45:46
The Politics of Data in Football ft. Daniel Memmert
This week on the show, Guy is joined by Professor Daniel Memmer, a leading expert from the German Sport Institute in Cologne. Together, they dive deep into the evolving world of football analytics. Daniel sheds light on how cutting-edge technol...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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35:13