The Soccernomics Podcast

Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski, Ashish Malhotra

Understand soccer better through the lens of Soccernomics. It's a New York Times Bestseller, but it's also a way of looking at the game that uncovers its hidden truths. Featuring Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski and Ashish Malhotra.

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46 episodes
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Avg 34 min
English

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#49
Tuesday · 39 min
Gambling and Addiction: How Harmful is Sports Betting to Society?
Ashish is better, and we're back with a new episode! We take our first member audio question from Rishi Iyengar, who is also in first place in our Fantasy Premier League. Stefan answers, giving his view on whether the Ballon d'Or is the best way to assess the world's best player. But today's episode is also our first one to be Executive Produced by a listener, on the topic of sports betting, and the extent to which it is harmful to society. As is often the case, Stefan's view is somewhat against the grain of a lot of mainstream discourse. What do you think? Write to us at thesoccernomicspodcast@gmail.com And remember, you can join our Patreon membership club whenever so that you too can send in an audio question, play fantasy football...or even select a one-time contribution option such as Executive Producing an episode: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSoccernomicsPodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#48
November 4 · 41 min
Why Football's Transfer System Is A Form of Human Trafficking [Rerun]
Ashish is under the weather so we weren't able to record a new episode this week. But here's a repeat episode - where Stefan makes his case for why football's transfer system is an utterly immoral form of human trafficking. None of the dates or references have changed since we first published this in June. We'll be back with a new episode next week! And remember, you can support us by joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSoccernomicsPodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#47
October 27 · 1 hr 3 min
Salary Caps v Financial Fair Play: How Financial Restrictions in European Football Compare to US Sports
The ongoing Manchester City saga means financial regulations in sports leagues continue to be a hot topic. Some have suggested that what European football needs are salary caps, luxury taxes and second aprons - regulations we see in US Sports leagues. But what are these regulations, and could they really be brought to Europe. Stefan also gives a little preview of Thursday's episode - our first bonus episode for The Soccernomics Podcast FC patreon subscribers - where he will reveal recent research he's done on the Burnley-Everton lawsuit over the 2021-2022 relegation battle. You wan't want to miss it, or entry to our Fantasy Premier League that starts this weekend. Sign up for our patreon to make sure you don't: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheSoccernomicsPodcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
#46
October 23 · 2 min
We Won a Bronze at The Signal Awards: But We Still Need Your Help!
There was some big news for The Soccernomics Podcast earlier this week: we won a Bronze at the Signal Awards in the sports genre! No show can win an award without an audience - so thank you all for being a part of this honor.But independent podcasting is tough. As Ashish shares in this message, it's hard to enjoy the win for long while trying to do everything possible to keep this podcast going. And in that sense, we still need your help. If you like what we're doing and haven't already, please
#45
October 20 · 53 min
Too Big To Fail: Well, They Might - But Here's Why Football Clubs Rarely Die
Last week, the UK's Independent Football Regulator (IFR) came out with its 'State of the Game' report which said that 94% of football clubs in the country are technically insolvent, and the majority on the edge of financial disaster.But we're here to let you in on a little secret. Despite the being on the edge of financial ruin, football clubs almost never die. Stefan explains why......we also explain that unlike football clubs, The Soccernomics Podcast actually will die without continued suppor
#44
October 15 · 16 min
Join The Soccernomics Podcast FC: Help Us Keep Going
Join The Soccernomics Podcast FC here: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheSoccernomicsPodcast⁠ It's a big day at The Soccernomics Podcast. We're almost 40 episodes in, and we've loved connecting with all of you over the last five months. It's been incredible to find an audience that loves what we do. Until now this podcast has been self-funded in terms of money, time and labor. We'd like to keep it going for as long as we can, but we've reached the point where we can't do that with your help. By lau
#43
October 13 · 1 hr
Simon Kuper weighs in on Manchester City and Infantino's Future at FIFA
Simon Kuper drops in to play peacemaker between Stefan and Ashish. Tune in to hear his views on the Manchester City fallout, and whether FIFA President Gianni Infantino has weathered the storm after his failed World Cup sell-off plan. Note: This episode was recorded before the Times of London revealed Gianni Infantino has been receiving an undisclosed second salary at FIFA.As a reminder you can vote for us at The Signal Awards until October 15!⁠https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/sho
#42
October 8 · 1 hr
The Gloves Are Off: Manchester City Debate, Round Two — Szymanski v Malhotra (and the Listeners)
As we expected, we got quite a lot of messages and emails about Stefan's controversial position on Manchester City. And despite pushing back on that position last week, Ashish has also come back thinking he should have pushed even harder. Stefan, for his part, isn't really budging. The stage is set for the most combative episode of The Soccernomics Podcast so far...Tell us what you think at thesoccernomicspodcast@gmail.comAnd don't forget to vote for us at The Signal Awards before October 15!htt
#41
October 6 · 42 min
Understanding Stefan's Views on Financial Regulations in Football [Rerun]
Based on the feedback we've been getting, a lot of you had a lot of thoughts about Stefan's takes on the Manchester City case last week. We knew that was probably gonna be the case. Like many of you, Ashish is also not fully convinced about Stefan's arguments. So consider this Thursday's episode a part two of the debate, where he'll also put some of your questions and points to him.In the meantime, we're republishing an episode that might help you better understand where he's coming from in the
#40
October 1 · 56 min
Manchester City Found Guilty: But Stefan Thinks the Outrage is Overblown
By now you've probably already heard the news. After years of investigation, Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 100 + charges they've been facing in relation to breaching the Premier League's financial regulations.If you know Stefan, you probably won't be surprised to find out that many of his views on this topic go against the mainstream narratives. And though Stefan is upfront that he was a witness for the club in the case, his views on financial regulations in footba
#39
September 29 · 1 min
We're Finalists at The Signal Awards!
A quick check-in to explain why we didn't do an episode today, and to announce that we are finalists at the Signal Awards.It's one of the biggest awards competitions in the podcasting world, so it's a big honor for this independent podcast that didn't even exist five months ago.You can help us win the Listener's Choice Award by voting here: https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/sportsMake sure you create an account and verify it in your email!
#38
September 25 · 39 min
Has VAR made refereeing decisions more accurate?
VAR always produces a spirited debate, and today's episode is no different. Though Stefan has data that proves that VAR is highly effective, Ashish pushes back arguing that it's still used too subjectively, and that perceptions around its accuracy are a problem. What do you think?
#37
September 22 · 33 min
What Are The Best Leagues in the World?
The English Premier League is widely considered to be the best soccer league in the world, but how can we rank the rest of them? Opta, the British sports analytics company have come up with their latest power rankings. We discuss them, and metholodigies that can be used to rate the world's best leagues.
#36
September 17 · 34 min
How Much Do Managers Really Matter? [Rerun]
Following on from our latest episode on why managers get fired so often, today we're republishing our episode on how much they really matter in the first place.This episode was first published on June 25. None of the dates or references have been changed since that time.
#35
September 15 · 35 min
"You're Getting Sacked in the Morning": Why Managers Get Fired So Much
Football managers are constantly on the hot seat. Just a few weeks into the season, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Fiorentina and Valencia have already sacked their managers. What's behind the constant merry-go-round? And does it make sense from an economic point of view?
#34
September 11 · 47 min
Why Don’t American Sports Have Promotion and Relegation?
At long last, we delve into the promotion/relegation in the context of Major League Soccer, but also American sports in general. Stefan explains the closed league system, and what it would take for it to change. We also discuss how US sports leagues avoid charges of collusion under antitrust litigation.
#33
September 8 · 39 min
Can MLS Actually Become a Major League?
As an extension from our Thursday episode, we discuss the MLS experiment and where it is today. How did it survive after its lowest ebbs in the late 90s and early 2000s? What's behind high present day MLS club valuations? And why hasn't it taken off and actually become a major league?
#32
September 3 · 36 min
Before MLS: The Wild History of American Soccer
From the Boston Beaneaters of the ALFP, to the New York Cosmos of the NASL, we dig into the long history of professional soccer in the US, dating back to the 1890s. It sets us up for Stefan's critiques of Major League Soccer, and why he believes the league should bring in promotion and relegation.
#31
September 1 · 45 min
If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It: Stefan on Football’s Financial Rules
After a walking vacation in Ireland, Stefan has had a lot of time to think about football's financial regulations - and he's got a lot to say. Well let's be honest: both of those things are always the case, vacation or not. But with the English Premier and Football Leagues new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) regulations in place for this season, we thought it was a good opportunity to talk about what they are, and why Stefan fundamentally has a problem with financial regulation in football.
#30
August 27 · 32 min
Why Does Messi Keep Missing Penalties? [Rerun]
As Stefan recently pointed out, Lionel Messi has missed three penalties in a row. That, along with Ashish's never ending debate with his friend Rishi over David De Gea, made today feel as good a time as any to republish our penalties episode. In it, we go beyond the pub talk, where Stefan and Simon explain the game theory that underlines the economics and psychology behind penalty kicks.This episode was first published on May 28.

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