The Sweeper

• Austria's football-sized sinkholes, Kosovo’s UEFA challenges & Bolivia's altitude masterclass

  Part 1 focuses on all the international news from Europe. Austria’s sink hole problem continues, as Ralf Rangnick rides an e-bike around the stadium. Romania’s Mircea Lucescu becomes the second-oldest international coach of all time. Kosovo are world champions – sort of. Norway beat Moldova so badly that Erling Haaland apologises in-game to the goalkeeper. And Slovakia and Iceland pick up famous World Cup qualifying wins.In Part 2, it's on to the rest of the world. Strategic decisions from Suriname and Bolivia – sports passports and high altitude respectively – aid their WC qualifying campaigns. New Caledonia agree a friendly with…Gibraltar 17,500km away. Our upcoming trip to Nepal is put on hold due to civil unrest in the country. And the Northern Mariana Islands’ U23s face China in one of the biggest population disparities in world football.Support The Sweeper:Join The Sweeper on PatreonSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A CoffeeThe Sweeper teamHosts: Lee Wingate and Paul WatsonEditor: Ralph FosterChapters:00:00 – Intro00:58 – Austrian sink holes and bicycles05:34 – Mircea Lucescu: Football’s oldest coach?09:08 – The 2025 Amateur Nations Cup11:14 – The World Tram Driver Championship13:48 – Kosovo’s unofficial world title16:18 – UEFA’s seven banned match-ups21:35 – Norway’s demolition job on Moldova26:33 – Celebrations for Slovakia & Iceland31:03 – Suriname’s World Cup push34:59 – Bolivia’s strategic masterclass38:25 – New Caledonia’s Gibraltar friendly40:56 – Uzbekistan are Central Asian champions42:29 – Nepal’s protest-related cancellation45:02 – China’s U23s thrash Northern Mariana Islands Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Kairat's Champions League heroics, Malta's European debutants & the 2026 OFC Pro League line-up

  In Part 1, Lee and Paul are joined by travel YouTuber John McAllister to talk about his epic 5,000km overland journey from Wales to Kazakhstan to watch the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifier. There’s also a full round-up of the UEFA club competition action – including Kairat Almaty's Champions League heroics, Malta’s first-ever league phase participants, Universitatea Craiova’s naughty stadium announcer and the Basel-Freiburg airport derby. In Part 2, it’s off to the Pacific to put the new OFC Professional League under the microscope. There is a full breakdown of the newly announced eight-club line-up, the format and all the big talking points around Oceania’s first pro competition, which is set to launch in 2026. Also on the agenda are Tuvalu’s upcoming return to OFC competition in the Men’s Futsal Cup, a giveaway of a rare national team shirt and a round-up of all the action coming up on FIFA+.Sign up to FIFA+ for free:This episode is brought to you in association with FIFA+. Click here to get your free FIFA+ account and watch live football around the world: ⁠www.tinyurl.com/FIFAPlusSweeperSend us an email to [email protected] with some information about yourself and your preferences if you want us to handpick you a new FIFA+ football team to support.Support The Sweeper:Join The Sweeper on PatreonSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A CoffeeFollow John Mac TravelsWatch John Mac Travels on YouTubeFollow John Mac Travels on InstagramFollow John Mac Travels on XThe Sweeper teamHosts: Lee Wingate and Paul WatsonEditor: Ralph Foster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Tiny Mjällby's fairytale season, Belgium’s barmy border club & chaos in the Caribbean

  In Part 1, Lee & Paul round up their favourite European football stories – which all have a geography theme. How is fishing village club Mjällby on the cusp of a shock first Swedish title? Why did fellow minnows Bruk-Bet Termalica have to cut down the corn fields around their stadium? Which two Lithuanian teams contested the ‘Centre of Europe’ derby at the weekend? And what Belgian club is based on Europe’s weirdest international border?In Part 2, it’s time for the rest of the world – starting with international debutants the Marshall Islands! Which historic feat was achieved by Madison University economics student Josiah Blanton? Which other player at the Outrigger Challenge Cup works for Disney+ in Denmark? Why did airlines refuse to take Haitian club AS Capoise to the CFU Club Shield in Trinidad & Tobago? And who are the tallest and shortest currently active pro footballers?Please follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/sweeperpodJoin The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/sweeperpodSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee/sweeperpod“How Mjällby are gatecrashing Sweden's elite” by BBC Sport: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/crm4wjdr7xpo“I Became a Football Team’s ONLY Fan” by Away Days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNwvsRKCpCIWorld's oldest professional footballer on playing at 59: 'I won't put limits on myself' by The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jun/17/worlds-oldest-professional-footballer-playing-at-59-mykola-lykhovydov-ukraineEditor: Ralph Foster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• The Øresund Bridge derby, haircut breaks in Nuuk & Colombia’s calendar footballer

  In Part 1, Lee & Paul bring you the best stories from the UEFA club competitions. FC Copenhagen are preparing to cross the Øresund Bridge to Sweden in the Champions League, but what record will the tie break? Which Kazakh club located as far east as China could make it into Europe’s premier club tournament for the first time? Why did Welsh side Penybont have to splurge €3,300 on their trip to Lithuania? Is there a more Satnav-friendly international tie than Shelbourne v. Linfield? And what can we expect from the new UEFA Women’s Europa Cup? In Part 2, there are stories from Greenland, Australia, Japan, Norway, Estonia & Bolivia. How did B-67 player Søren Kreutzmann spend his one rest day at the 2025 Greenlandic Football Championship in Nuuk? What all-time record did fourth-tier Nunawading City set in the Australian Cup round of 32? Which Japanese university team has been making headlines in the Emperor’s Cup? How could Lillestrøm be knocked out of the 2026 Norwegian Cup before contesting the 2025 final? And what on earth is Colombian footballer Efmamjjasond González named after?! Please follow us on Instagram if you don't already: instagram.com/sweeperpodJoin The Sweeper on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPodSupport The Sweeper on Buy Me A Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sweeperpodEditor: Ralph Foster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Summer break & thank-you note!

  Hello everyone,As you will have heard on previous episodes, there will be no regular pod this time around as we take our first (short) break from podding since we started The Sweeper in February 2023. But never fear, we'll be back before you know it, with the next fortnightly episode planned in the next slot on Wednesday 6 August.In the meantime, a big thank-you from the two of us. We love every second of making this pod and without you, our listeners, who tune in to every episode, send us stories, give us feedback and support us on Patreon, it simply would not be possible. So thank you! Enjoy your July and we'll catch you at the start of next month!Cheers,Lee and Paul Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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