NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

To critique the state of our world, our communities, to critique what is wrong with soccer in late stage capitalism is one thing. It actually isn’t a hard thing. But to dream, think and even plan for a better world, and a better football, that is something different entirely. Alina Schwermer, a young and extremely talented German journalist, has done just that, on 450 pages, in her book Futopia: Ideas for a Better Footballing World. It’s a book about football, and about utopias. About the game and how we can reimagine it, but also about a different, more vibrant and just world. We discuss new rulebooks, a critique of competition and beauty as we now know it, a new financial order for the sport, and some DIY ideas for your local context.

Tune in and, I promise, you will be rewarded and your imagination will be stretched. And you can tell your friends afterwards that you are well ahead of the curve by having listened into this book, because it isn’t translated into English. Not yet.

HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Alina Schwermer, Futopia (book page and interview in German with the publisher, Werkstatt Verlag)

Futopia on Twitter/X @FussballUtopien

Futopia for purchase in the U.S.

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

Gent in Belgium. Rasgrad in Bulgaria. Mostar in Bosnia. Borås in Sweden. Tiraspol in, well, Moldova. Or Differdange in Luxemburg

If you know where these places are, have some sense of what it looks like there, what the vibe is, perhaps it is because of the early UEFA club competitions' qualifying rounds. It is for me. If it isn't for you yet, it's time it was. I know I’ve often said in the past this podcast is intended to look beyond the big leagues, beyond stars and their goals, but never have we cast the ned so deeply and widely as today. Lee Wingate is the Visiting Professor today, an Englishman who lives in Vienna. He shares with us his deep knowledge of the faraway corners of European football, corners that are on full display during these weeks, because it’s the best season of them all: the qualifying rounds for the European club tournaments are on. How these tournaments work, what countries, teams or scenic grounds to watch out for - listen in.

HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

The Sweeper

UEFA Europa League 2024/25

UEFA Conference League 2024/25

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

If you follow a club that plays in the English Premier League, you may have gotten wind of it: over the Summer, quite a few clubs increased their season ticket prices, and phased out - or partially phased out - discounted tickets for kids and seniors, so called concession tickets. And for once, English fans seem to get organized and cooperative in resistance. Wolverhampton, Tottenham and West Ham in particular are the hotspots right now, but there are others, and they are talking. If the fans do this right, you will witness some public action at the start of the season. And good on them. Why does this matter, what vision are the clubs following, and can English fans pull off a successful protest against the robberbaron capitalism of modern soccer like German fans did in Spring? Here to tell us are two fans who are in the trenches of this fight at West Ham United: Andy, from Hammers United, who was with us in season 1 already, and Alex from the campaign #saveourconcessions.

LINKS TO THIS EPISODE:

#saveourconcessions on X/twitter

The petition, Hammers United

Alex' viral video

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

The end of Season 2 of The Assistant Professor of Football is nigh, and we check in with guests from the last year to hear how their club, cause or research have been doing. Here are, in order:

Peter K Wagner on Sturm Graz’s sensational champions league and cup winning season

Fabio Schaupp, also from Graz, on the promotion of Graz’s other team, GAK, to the Austrian Bundesliga, so regular Graz derbies from now own.

Fredrik Rakar, chairman of Degerfors IF in Sweden, on a dramatic relegation and a new beginning in the second league.

Claus Melchior, on the ever-entertaining 1860 on and off the pitch - Claus and I went to a game together in Munich this Spring, as you may remember.

Patrik Stoehr, from the red side of Munich, FC Bayern, with an update on the work of the Kurt Landauer foundation to create a culture of and for memory and antidiscrimination.

Benjamin Senouillet on the continuing turmoil at Olympique Marseille, Europa League semifinalist

Ruben Schoeneberger from FC St. Gallen, with a brief update on how their season finished.

Raphael Molter on the future of fan activism and the German Bundesliga after the investor deal had to be cancelled, live on air here by the way, back in Spring.

And finally Felipe Tobar, currently at the Euros in Germany, on the future of football tourism, overtourism, and the public soccer memories he is researching about in Germany.

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

Goshen, Indiana is home to a private college without an American Football team - and, most recently, a semi-professional soccer club that serves as an - albeit unusual - case study for how grassroots soccer in the U.S. can thrive and build a community.
The overarching theme of The Assistant Professor is that football is not merely about goals and stars. It is, done properly, a participatory culture, an identity-forging community and even a political space. And to experience any of these aspects, it takes an active role of and for fans. That is possible, most easily, in local clubs. In a nutshell: support your local club.
No country's soccer culture makes this vision harder than the U.S.'s - but perhaps no country has greater potential. How does a soccer club get born, in this culture? And can one bring the beautiful game and a local community together so it forges identity beyond stars and goals?
Henrique Eichenberger will take us through the particular case study of Goshen. He is from Brazil, he played for and studied at the university I teach at, and he founded Goshen City FC in 2022.

HELPFUL LINKS FOR TODAY'S EPISODE:

Goshen City FC

Goshen College Athletics

The Record, "GCFC Gears Up for Second Season"

Goshen City FC (Facebook)

R.E.M. - "Orange Crush" (Youtube video)

Young Wonder - Orange (Youtube Video)

Gilbert Becaud - L'Orange (Youtube video)

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

Today's episode is a mix between soccer detective story and true crime podcasting. British investigative journalist Paul Brown is our Visiting Professor for the day. He and his colleague Philippe Auclair have piled up pathbreaking research on the backstory, money trail and flat out baffling activities of a group called 777 partners. Their activities in the insurance and airplanes business would be a story well worth telling in and of itself, but they feature here today because they own stakes in prominent football clubs in Brazil, Belgium, France Italy and Germany (Hertha Berlin, from 3 episodes ago!) and, last but not least are currently trying to buy Everton of the Premier League. And that deal is what might make the whole scheme go belly up, with plenty of casualties on the way - in the soccer world, but also among retirees, insurance brokers and airplane passengers.

HELPFUL LINKS FOPR TODAY'S EPISODE:

"The 777 Football Mystery" (1st investigative reporting by Paul and Philippe on josimarfootball.com)

"Out of the Blues" (most recent piece by Paul and Philippe)

"Kind of Blue" (includes the story of a 777 Airline entering administration)

"How the Private Equity Firm Buying Everton Built Its Business" (the Washington Post weighs in)

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

We begin with the Eurovision Songcontest and end with Sturm Graz's cup win, but consider, most of all, FC St. Gallen. Saint who? True, if I would ask you who invented club football in Europe in continental Europe, would you guess that the answer is the same as to the Ricola cough drop question? The Swiss did! Well, technically English students living in Switzerland, but nevermind - the year was 1879 and the place was right near St. Gallen, Saint Gallen, and the continent’s oldest soccer club was founded. Not some club who is big and famous today, and not in some big famous city, but in St. Gallen, an old regional textile metropolis.

FCSG, as the club is known, have won two championships in their long history. 1904, and 2000. And there’s one cup win, too. Plus, they have what may well be the fanciest, best designed and most intellectually stimulating fan-run magazine. It’s called Mustard. And today, one of it’s masterminds joins us. He is Ruben Schöneberger, and in his regular job, he is a data journalist for one of Switzerland’s largest media outlets. St. Gallen is a bit off the beaten path even for those abroad who know a little bit about Swiss football, and the fact that this, of all places, is continental Europe’s oldest club is odd at first sight. But that is also what makes it so endearing.

HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Senf - Das St. Galler Fussballmagazin (Mustard Magazine)

“The Notorious FCSG” - tifo from FCSG fans in 2024 (Youtube video)

Impression from the new stadium (Youtube video)

SRF, Swiss public TV, on “The Shame of Espenmoos” when FCSG got relegated in the last match in the old stadium.

Movie Trailer on the same events (Youtube video)

Windows95 Man at the Eurovision Songcontest 2024 - No Rules, filmed from the audience

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/

NEW: send me a text message! (I'd love to hear your thoughts - texts get to me anonymously, without charge or signup)

The excesses of global soccer capitalism are well documented on this podcast. Perhaps no footballing country is more affected than England, the birthplace of the modern game and home to arguably the wealthiest clubs and league. To take it up one notch, six of its big clubs attempted to join the breakaway Super League while, around the same time, historic club Bury FC collapse and fell under administration. The fan protests surrounding both, the striking inequality growing in English football, and the fast growth of ever more dubious club owners spurred a “fan-led review” commissioned by the British government and, now, a proposal. In March of this year, the “Independent Football Regulator” was proposed.

From future attempts to join a “super league” to tests of financial stability to a protection for crest and jersey colors, a wide range of developments in modern football would fall under the purview of the regulator if passed. And its introduction could spur similar developments in other countries. What exactly does the “regulator” look like, what could they do? What is the impact on fans as well as the future of bigger and smaller English clubs, at home and on the global stage?

The Football Supporters Organization, the FSA, England’s largest and most influential fan lobbying organization, has been involved in the process from the beginning - as a contributor but also as a critic. Michael Brunskill from the FSA helps me explain the history, the potential and the shortcomings of the football regulator. And what sounds like a technical and political discussion will impact fans of the game around the globe.


HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

FSA response: Independent Football Regulator

UK government Fact Sheet about the regulator

Channel 4 News on the regulator and its history

Please leave a quick voicemail with any feedback, corrections, suggestions - or just greetings - HERE. Or comment via Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook.

f you enjoy this podcast and think that what I do fills a gap in soccer coverage that others would be interested in as well, please

• Recommend The Assistant Professor of Football. Spreading the word, through word of mouth, truly does help.
• Leave some rating stars at the podcast platform of your choice. There are so many sports podcasts out there, and only ratings make this project visible; only then can people who look for a different kind of take on European soccer actually find me.

Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/