SportsSoccer

Soccer 101

TSS

All the soccer history and explainers you can handle

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30 episodes
weekly
Avg 39 min
English

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March 6 · 34 min
An abbreviated history of World Cup disruptions: teams withdrawing, changing hosts and more!
On this week's episode, inspired by the latest chaos surrounding the 2026 World Cup, we take a look at the history of upheaval at the tournament: when have teams withdrawn, what happens when they do, have hosts ever had to drop out, what are the issues facing the upcoming iteration, and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 4 · 37 min
Youth development, colonialism, match fixing, and golden eras: a history of professional football in Belgium
This week, it's the country for whom De Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku and Courtois have all played... just not in terms of the domestic league: Belgium! We trace the full arc of the top flight in the tiny nation, from the league's founding in 1895 through the golden era of the 1970s and 80s when Anderlecht and Club Brugge were genuine European forces, through the match-fixing scandals and the sprawling corruption investigation that rocked the sport in Belgium in the late 2010s, and into the present day. And along the way, we try to determine just why a country so rich in football talent has ended up with a league better known as a stepping stone than a destination. WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 20 · 42 min
Wrexham: America's Team, Capitalism's Posterchild, or both?
On this week's show, we spend probably way too much time discussing the Rise of Wrexham (TM). Just kidding. They've probably already got that trademarked. How have they succeeded so fast, so quickly? Can they stay alive in a Premier League world? Can a club be an underdog and a juggernaut, simultaneously? All that, and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 13 · 49 min
American managers in Europe: why haven't there been many and why aren't there more?
In honor of Pellegrino Matarazzo's strong start to life with Real Sociedad, Graham and Taylor spend some time discussing American managers in Europe's top five leagues. How many have their been, who was THE trailblazer, is there a stigma against them (and is it fair), possible candidates for future gigs, and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 6 · 38 min
Small nation, big results: How Croatia became football’s ultimate overachiever
How does a country of under four million people keep churning out World Cup semifinalists and all-time great midfielders? In this episode, we break down the history of Croatian football, from the founding of the HNL in the early 1990s to its modern role as a talent factor, and look at how clubs like Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, and Rijeka shaped a league built more on development than spending. We’ll explain where the Croatian league fits in Europe, why domestic dominance doesn’t tell the whole story, and how a clear footballing identity, elite coaching, and a relentless export pipeline helped produce global stars. And, of course, why writing them off ahead of the 2026 World Cup would be a familiar mistake. WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 30 · 39 min
Why is the World Cup expanding? The positives and negatives of FIFA's shift for 2026
With the World Cup looming in the distance, Graham and Taylor discuss the decision to expand the tournament from 32 teams to 48. Who led the campaign? Is it all just for money? What are the perceived benefits and drawbacks to the change in format? Will FIFA stop at 48? All that and much much more! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 23 · 29 min
Balance and dominance: a brief history of Jordanian football
Graham and Taylor continue to preview the 2026 World Cup by taking a look at the domestic leagues of the participating nations, and this week it's Jordan's turn! How long has the league been around, who are its dominant club teams and how do they represent the country itself, and what role has the league played in shaping the national team. Plus, a potted history of Jordan as a nation, for those (like us) who need it! WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 15 · 31 min
Does the Premier League have an English manager problem?
English managers were once the default in the Premier League; now, they’re a rarity. In this episode, we trace the sharp decline of English coaches across the Premier League and Europe’s “Big Five” leagues, unpacking how and why the numbers fell over time. Is this a failure of coaching education, a bias in club hiring, or a consequence of the modern, globalized game? Does the shortage of top English managers actually matter for English soccer, and could it be holding the national game back? Finally, we look ahead: could a new generation be poised to change the narrative? WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 9 · 25 min
From coffee houses to energy drinks: a brief history of Austrian league football
Graham and Taylor continue to preview the 2026 World Cup by taking a look at the domestic leagues of the participating nations, and this week it's Austria's turn. How long has the league been around, how has it evolved from intellectual powerhouse to developmental hotbed, and what role has the league played in shaping the national team. WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 12, 2025 · 41 min
How has punditry shaped our understanding of soccer, and what is its role in the modern game?
This week, Graham and Taylor are diving into the world of soccer punditry: what they do, why they do it, the early pioneers, the importance of ex-players in generating greater understanding of the game itself, and the best (and worst) examples of modern punditry. WE HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We're posting all our episodes here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Smash the like and subscribe etc.! JOIN THE TSS+ PATREON! Check out our Patreon, which houses bonus podcasts, access to our exclusive Discord, blog posts, videos, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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