Football Weekly – Leeds Make Winning Premier League Return, Plus a Euro Roundup

Podcast: Football Weekly (The Guardian)
Date: August 19, 2025
Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, Archie Rhind-Tutt, Philippe Auclair, Sid Lowe (Europe segment)

Overview of the Episode

This episode dives into the opening weekend of the new football season, with a spotlight on Leeds’ victorious return to the Premier League against Everton, controversial handball laws, and the impact of intense stadium atmospheres. The panel delivers a lively and thorough Euro roundup, featuring La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 talking points, including Barcelona’s strong start, Atletico’s stumbles, Bundesliga power shifts, and the evolving crisis around French league broadcasting rights.

Premier League Opening Weekend: Leeds 1-0 Everton

The Handball Controversy

(01:18–04:48)

• Leeds win at Elland Road thanks to a penalty awarded for handball against Tarkovsky.
• Debate centers on the current handball law’s subjectivity and VAR’s limitations.
• Max (host), Barry, and Philippe pick apart whether it was really a “stonewall” penalty.

Key Quotes:

• Barry on the law’s uncertainty:
  “The handball law we know is an absolute shambles and it's going to be the source of controversy throughout the season. ...It's a very subjective decision, so we're never going to have consistency in it.” (01:53)
• Philippe on VAR’s limits:
  “The VAR can only redress the decision, change it if it is a clear and obvious error. It is not a clear and obvious error. ...It is a perfectly reasonable interpretation...” (04:18)

Leeds’ Performance and Atmosphere

(05:22–10:31)

• Leeds play with high intensity, overwhelming Everton, likened to a “Braveheart” charge.
• Daniel Farke praised for instilling energetic, aggressive football at Leeds.
• The importance of Elland Road’s intimidating atmosphere highlighted, especially for newly promoted teams.

Key Quotes:

• Archie on Leeds’ energy:
  “It felt like Daniel Farke had given the Braveheart speech in the dressing room because Leeds just went charge and were just swarming all over Everton for that first half.” (05:22)
• Philippe on crowd influence:
  “I think it's more to do with the way that it has an impact on the home side than on the away side...they get this extra 2 or 3% in intensity which they get from the crowd.” (09:12)

Everton’s Struggles and Transfer Needs

(05:22–14:22)

• Everton lacked defensive depth and seemed cowed by the atmosphere.
• Key injuries and questionable transfer decisions discussed.
• Call for more signings and realistic expectations about their season prospects.

Barry: “I've seen Everton fans predict them to finish as high as 7th, 8th and I cannot see that happening at all.” (14:22)

Standout Players

(11:32–13:57)

• Anton Stach impresses for Leeds on debut.
• Praise for Everton’s N’diaye, but panel feels he’s playing in the wrong system for his talents.

Philippe: “He's got absolutely beautiful feet. But I wonder what he's doing in that team...he would manage to go past two players, create some space. There was nobody to pass the ball to...” (12:58)

Quick Premier League Hits

• Leeds and Sunderland’s fast starts: Both promoted sides win on opening day, unlike previous seasons where promoted teams took months to record wins. (07:23)
• Leeds need a striker: Panel highlights ongoing transfer needs for Leeds despite their strong performance. (15:09)
• Harrison’s Leeds return: Philippe and Max discuss fans’ divided opinion after Harrison’s loan return. (15:13)
• Rodrigo Muniz at Fulham: Archie’s Fulham Moment covers Muniz’s emotional journey, 96th-minute goal, and transfer rumors. (16:52)

La Liga & Spanish Football Round-Up (with Sid Lowe)

Barcelona’s Strong Start, Referee Drama

(19:32–24:09)

• Barcelona begin with a 3-0 win over Mallorca; match marred by controversial refereeing as play continued with an injured defender down, resulting in a goal.
• Discussion on Spain’s deep-rooted “big club bias” suspicions, recent changes to refereeing protocols, and attempts to humanize officials by using their first names.

Sid:
“My favorite change to the refereeing structure...Spain had this weird thing and they've now changed it...in a bid to humanize the referees, they decided, we're not doing this anymore. We're going to call the referees by their first name and their surname.” (22:36)

Rashford’s New Role at Barcelona

(24:17–25:53)

• Rashford comes on as a sub, expected to rotate across forward positions.
  Sid: “His value to them is that he allows them to rotate through all of those forward positions, in theory… I think Rashford's role will be a bit of all of those things.” (24:27)

Atletico’s Early Defeat & Simeone’s Future

(25:53–31:03)

• Atletico Madrid surprisingly lose, fueling the perennial debate about their style and identity.
• Discussion of Diego Simeone’s legacy, longevity, and whether there’s an appetite for change among fans or the club hierarchy.

Sid: “How do you say goodbye? How do you make this happen the right way? Then I think there is a way that people could kind of move on relatively easily, but they absolutely love him, of course.” (28:12)

Oviedo’s Emotional Top-Flight Return

(32:19–33:38)

• Sid provides a heartfelt account of Oviedo fans realizing the step up in quality after promotion.
• Solomon Rondon’s “one of the worst penalties” lamented.
• Santi Cazorla’s cameo brings sentimental value.

Nico Williams Family Moment

(35:54–37:58)

• Emotional scenes as Nico Williams cements loyalty to Athletic Bilbao after summer transfer drama, with his brother Inaki giving him the penalty to score.
• Public “reconciliation” widely celebrated.

Sid: “It was just, just really really lovely. And Nico, when he eventually goes off...does this gesture that just says, I can't do anymore. I can't do anymore. I'm exhausted.” (37:58)

Bundesliga Preview (with Archie Rhind-Tutt)

Bayern’s Power & Transfer Window Chaos

(38:41–41:30)

• Bayern remain overwhelming favorites, but their thin squad and transfer market dithering noted.
• Harry Kane’s “thinnest squad I've ever played in” raises concerns.

Archie: “You can't just expect a title race in Germany when Bayern are financially so far clear of everyone else. However, they do have one big opponent themselves and that is what continually makes it interesting to watch.” (39:12)

Transfer News & Bayer Leverkusen’s Challenge

(41:30–45:05)

• Stuttgart’s Nick Voltimarader (dubbed “Volta Messi”) is pursued by Bayern.
• Bayer Leverkusen lose stars including Granit Xhaka (to Sunderland!) and manager Alonso, making another title challenge difficult.

Barry: “You would hope in this case that Bayer Leverkusen may put up a bit of a fight, but they've lost Wirtz, Frimpong, and Granit Xhaka, so that seems quite debilitating.” (42:13)

Dortmund’s Cautious Summer & Bellingham Hype

(45:05–46:27)

• Dortmund’s frugality means no major squad overhaul; Joe Bellingham’s arrival is a focal point but won’t transform them alone.

Archie: “There are so many forces pulling in opposite directions. ... There’s still a core of players there who have been involved in this continual mediocrity and settling for just finishing in the Champions League.” (45:11)

Bundesliga Off-Field Amusements

(46:27–48:04)

• Gladbach’s Florian Neuhaus is banished for drunkenly slating the sporting director in Mallorca, revealing his salary on tape.
  Archie: “Oh, mate. Oh, God. ... But we all do know now how much he earns a year.” (47:33)

Ligue 1 Update & The French Broadcasting Crisis

New “Ligue 1 Plus” Streaming Service

(48:27–51:00)

• Ligue 1’s disastrous past TV deals force league to create its own app and streaming platform, accessible via Amazon and others.
• Uncertainty surrounds access and future incomes as France struggles to compete financially.

Philippe: “The previous contracts have been absolute disasters. ...The league is now in charge of its own broadcasting...it's a leap into the unknown, and they're hoping that this model...will help Ligue 1 fight against one of its biggest problems.” (48:37)

The Harsh Reality for French Clubs

(51:00–53:22)

• France’s inability to monetize its football product like the Premier League is laid bare, with clubs now focusing on selling rather than buying.
• Structural problems, bad investors, and mismanagement detailed.

Philippe: “Clubs started to spend over what they should be spending. ...It's not just around the drain that French clubs are going. They're just going down and gravity is not going to be beaten. The model is totally unsustainable.” (51:28)

Ligue 1 Opening Weekend Highlights

(54:06–56:34)

• PSG scrape a narrow win, Paris FC lose in their top-flight return, and Marseille—expected to challenge—are beaten after a wild game at Rennes.
• Habib Beye, now Rennes manager, celebrated for beating Marseille despite long odds.

Philippe: “The Rennes player got sent off… Marseille were all over Rennes… and then right at the end Rennes win it 1-0. It was cracker. The atmosphere in the Rennes stadium was unbelievable.” (54:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Handball Law

• Barry: “If it went against my team, I'd be annoyed. If it went for my team, I'd expect it to be given...I'm glad it happened because if it hadn't, we would have very little to talk about as far as this game is concerned.” (01:53)

On Leeds’ Atmosphere

• Archie: “Leeds just went charge and were just swarming all over Everton for that first half.” (05:22)

On Bayern’s Dysfunction

• Archie: “Harry Kane...when he's saying, this is probably the thinnest squad I've ever played in, that's him basically putting his hands up, waving in the air, going, guys, what on earth is going on here?” (41:00)

On Ligue 1’s Plight

• Philippe: “Unlike the Everton, as mentioned by Barry. It's not just around the drain that French clubs are going. They're just going down and gravity is not going to be beaten.” (51:28)

Closing Thoughts

This episode blends sharp tactical insights, Euros-centric analysis, humor, and the Football Weekly panel’s trademark banter. If you missed it, you get the full spectrum: controversy, big club drama, poignant personal moments, and the grim financial reality lurking in the modern game—served up with punchlines and the odd Braveheart reference.

Most Important Segments & Timestamps

• Leeds–Everton handball & match breakdown: 01:18–15:13
• Fulham/Rodrigo Muniz: 16:52–18:43
• La Liga round-up with Sid Lowe: 19:32–38:12
• Bundesliga preview (Bayern, Leverkusen, Dortmund): 38:41–48:04
• Ligue 1 crisis & opening weekend: 48:27–56:34