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- [00:00]
LinkedIn Sales Representative
As a salesperson, the search for the right buyer or buying groups can feel like you're endlessly sifting through leads and hoping they're ready to buy. Thankfully, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is more than just a tool, it's your strategic sales partner. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales intelligence platform that helps professionals effectively prospect and engage high value customers, drive higher revenue and increase sales performance. Sales Navigator helps you target the right buyers, surface key signals such as job changes or which accounts you should prioritize, and shows you hidden allies so that you can find those buyers that are most likely to convert. Whether you're looking for new clients or strengthening relationships of current accounts, LinkedIn Sales Navigator has new AI features designed to help sellers find the right people and get right to the right conversations, all at scale. Fueled by LinkedIn's 1 billion-member platform, Sales Navigator gives you the most up to date from first party data, enabling you to unlock conversations with the people that matter. Ready to get right to the right conversations? Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator, now with a 60 day free trial at LinkedIn.com NBashow23 that's LinkedIn.com NBashow23 for a 60 day free trial. Terms and conditions apply.
- [01:22]
Aura Representative
This podcast is brought to you by Aura. Imagine waking up to find your bank account drained, bills for loans you never took out, a warrant for your arrest. All because someone stole your identity. Hackers aren't waiting. Why are you? That's why we're thrilled to partner with Aura. Your personal data is a goldmine for hackers, and Aura helps lock it down. Aura monitors the dark Web, blocks data brokers from selling your information. Includes a VPN for private browsing and a password manager to secure your accounts before criminals break in. For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners a 14 day free trial plus a dark web scan to check if your personal information has been leaked. All for free@aura.com safety that's aura.com safety to sign up and start protecting yourself and your loved ones. That's a u r a.com safety. Terms apply. Check the site for details.
- [02:15]
Podcast Host
Acast Powers the World's Best Podcasts here's the show that we recommend.
- [02:23]
IO Akimolere
Remember blowing into a video game cartridge.
- [02:26]
Podcast Host
Or taping songs off the radio? How about Saturday morning cartoons? Hey, AOL chat rooms. Did we just age ourselves? Yep, we're Mike Finoya and Charles McBee, two comedians getting nostalgic and asking that nagging question.
- [02:41]
LinkedIn Sales Representative
Are we old?
- [02:42]
IO Akimolere
Relive the laughs, the cringes and the nostalgia.
- [02:45]
Podcast Host
Are we old? Podcast right here On Acast. Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com the Athletic FC Podcast Network.
- [03:17]
IO Akimolere
Welcome to the Athletic FC Podcast with me, IO Akimolere. Today we recap on the most eyebrow raising. Tell everyone about it moment of the year. Joining us on the pod to look back at 2024's weird, wonderful and woeful moments. We've got the big guns, the heavyweights like Alexander Usyk versus Tyson Fury. Editor in chief Laura Williamson and senior writer Adam Crafton as well. Good to have you both with.
- [03:49]
Laura Williamson
Thanks for having us. I'm not Fury.
- [03:53]
IO Akimolere
All right, it's been quite a year, guys. We've got 12 moments to get through. So let's dive in at number 12 and we're starting with the Club World Cup.
- [04:01]
Podcast Host
I just want to say you're led by a man named Johnny. I just know him as Johnny and he's a winner, man. He's the president and I'm the president and we've known each other a long time.
- [04:12]
IO Akimolere
Look, it's not happened yet, but in around six months time, the best clubs in the world and into Miami will descend on America for the Club World Cup. Some might call it Gianni Infantino's baby, but Adam, you've been following this circus. Bring us up to speed as to where we are right now.
- [04:28]
Podcast Host
I'm worried we might lose the audience by putting Club World cup at the top of this agenda. The Club World cup is happening. Not sure we've got all the best clubs. We don't have the leaders of the Premier League. Liverpool won't be there. Yeah, it's going to happen. It's been very bizarre. But there is a streaming provider now which is dazn, so that's where people will be watching it. I think it'll be sublicensed though, probably to. It may be something like BBC or ITV which may get a few games and you know, the clubs are now very, very excited about it, who are participating because they found out they're going to get a decent amount of money. So particularly for those clubs who are on, I suppose football's breadline, which is kind of the FFP PSR concern, then there is some excitement developing about it, although ticket prices came out last week and they're quite scary, I think for most European fans looking at that.
- [05:22]
IO Akimolere
Laura, will this be football's Fyre Festival? You know that documentary where people pay tickets to go watch something that never actually happened? You know, there's a lot of hype around it. I've seen the, the Zone deal. It looks like a lot of money, but are we going to be getting a spectacle?
- [05:38]
Laura Williamson
I think the problem with the Club World cup is nobody knows what it is. Infantino. Gian Infantino can say all he likes that, you know, 5 billion people are going to watch it and 5 million people are going to buy tickets. But if you look at the comments on our articles, like no one knows what this thing's about, that they're being sort of force fed at all junctures. So I think it's a great unknown. I mean it's going to be fascinating to see exactly what happens. You know, do people buy tickets? Do people, do people watch it and does momentum build and it happens. But at the moment the FIFA are trying to market this thing that nobody knows what it is, which I don't know anything about marketing, but doesn't seem the best recipe for success.
- [06:19]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, we're gonna have to keep our eye on that. Right, let's move on to number 11, Real Madrid snubbing the Ballon d'or ceremony. This one was a bit wild actually. Real Madrid didn't show up to the Ballon d'or ceremony because Vinicius Jr. Didn't win. Laura. It, it's one of those moments really that sort of caught our eye. A bit of an eye roll moment, but you know, the champions of Europe not coming up to the biggest award ceremony in the world of football and their manager actually ends up picking up coach of the year as well. So bizarre.
- [06:48]
Laura Williamson
It was bizarre, but I'm here for it. I thought it was pettiness of the most extraordinary order. You know, if you're going to throw your toys out the pram, you know, lump them all the way down the river. I mean the sort of pre planned nature of it. And then on Mass saying, no, we're not having anything to do with it, it just sort of showed what award ceremonies are all about, really, which is, you know, sort of an arbitrary judging panel and, and, and they make the decision and everyone just goes, oh, thank you very much. But I thought it was brilliantly, brilliantly petty. And yeah, I was here for it.
- [07:21]
IO Akimolere
Are you here for the pettiness, Eddie?
- [07:22]
Podcast Host
Well, it kind of counted everything that we ever see from people at award ceremonies, which is like the number one rule is if you don't win, don't show that you care. And they, you know, if you ever watch like the Oscars and it cuts to people in the audience, they're just sort of politely clapping and they're still there and they're happy to be there, et cetera. And this just broke all those rules. So it was amazing. I mean, it was also quite weird because, I mean, like, Ancelotti had to pretend he was really unhappy about. About an event where he'd been named Coach of the Year. Wasn't. Was Bellingham third, I think.
- [07:58]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, I mean, it was. It was. It was heavily real Madrid.
- [08:01]
Laura Williamson
He was.
- [08:01]
Podcast Host
The whole thing, like Bellingham was around. Danny Carvajal for some reason was like. Because he's like, won loads of trophies, but he's like this old man at right back has become a random nomination for. For Player of the Year as well. So it was really strange and I don't know whether Madrid maybe had had an early tip that they would go that Vinicius was going to win, and then all of a sudden they found out he wasn't going to win. So it was almost, you know, like when you've been promised something almost, and then you're almost more angry when you get down that line.
- [08:30]
Laura Williamson
He had his boots made. He'd had his special.
- [08:33]
Podcast Host
Oh, yeah.
- [08:34]
IO Akimolere
Oh, the Nike boots.
- [08:36]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [08:36]
Laura Williamson
Wonderful.
- [08:37]
Podcast Host
Yeah. So it's not. It wasn't great, was it? I mean, it's. It was the most relevant, though, that the Ballon d'ors ever felt to me in some ways, in terms of. It showed people actually really, really care about it. It's just been this kind of red carpet walk, really, for Messi and Ronaldo for so long. So it did show that other players really care and the best player did win, which is nice. Rodri, you know, as we've discovered since he's. Since he's disappeared, I don't think anyone.
- [09:04]
IO Akimolere
So he won the Ballon d'or just never played football again?
- [09:07]
Podcast Host
Well, I mean, seemingly, yeah. It was really good video as well, wasn't it? Him in that Spanish restaurant after the event, sort of with his teammates singing and dancing and napkins flying around the room. So it all looked quite fun.
- [09:22]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, for sure. Well, in winning the Ballon d'or, Rodri became the first person born after the Internet was invented to win the Men's award. That's quite interesting. And also, let's not forget, Ayitana Bonmate took the Women's Award for the second time in a row. Emma Hayes won Coach of the Year for the women's version as well, and she's definitely hit the ground running in America. Right, let's move on. An absolute box bombshell for. For Liverpool fans everywhere. No one. No one saw this coming, especially in the context of the season Liverpool are having Jurgen Klopp who said goodbye to Liverpool this year. This was one of those rare cases of the news just coming out of the blue, especially for journalists, especially for football fans. Now Adam Klopp told Mike Gordon at FSG that he was leaving the club in November. But the news didn't actually come out to the end of January this year. How do you keep something like that secret from the world of football?
- [10:14]
Podcast Host
They did pretty well. It was a, you know, it was, it was pretty impressive by, by Liverpool. But I think it, it clearly shows, you know, first of all they must have kept that circle pretty tight in terms of how many people at the club even knew. And maybe they were also just thinking, oh, is he really sure? Will he change his mind? You know, if we're delaying this announcement, maybe we can talk him round. Feels kind of mad now. I mean these, you're kind of wondering whether Liverpool might have been better off if he'd gone a few years earlier the way, the way, the way they're currently going on. But no, it was a kind of extraordinary moment and it really felt like the end of something in the Premier League because at that point we also thought Pep Guardiola would leave within a year or so. It felt like, you know, that era of, you know, Pep and Guardiola and Pochettino Mourinho, that kind of wave of managers was moving on. And I think Liverpool fans, I mean I remember going to the first game after the announcement which was, I think was an FA cup game, honestly. I mean I was speaking to supporters that day. It was a grief stricken city, you know, people were in tears as you were interviewing them. And it feels quite surreal now just because, you know, the team basically looks the same as Liverpool did when they were at their best, maybe even slightly better, you know, in terms of having that, you know, smart people keep saying they have more control. To me they're just looking really fun and exciting and the same, you know, they're scoring a lot of goals. They're now conceding quite a few as well, you know, over the last few weeks. So yeah, like one of the rare examples I think in sport of seeing a manager, a great manager leave and nothing really change at the club. I mean the squad's not changed. The way the team plays hasn't changed dramatically. So it's been quite hard to get your head around I think for many people this season. Both supporters of Liverpool who were fearing the draw drop off and supportive rival teams who were praying For a drop, for a drop off. You know, the last thing that Manchester United fans wanted at the end of 2024 was another year of fearing Liverpool are about to do a quadruple. But here we are.
- [12:22]
IO Akimolere
Oh, well, I was waiting before you got Manchester United in. We've only what, we're only three down before you got that in. Brilliant, Laura. Not only was Klopp leaving a secret, but then he joined Red Bull, which seemed to take the football world by surprise, though apparently not the world of Formula One. I knew of course already for quite a long time that they were talking and that it was close to being signed. So I think it's great. Joining Red Bull seems to have, I guess, gone against that Dortmund way. Laura, did Klopp ruin his legacy though by joining Red Bull?
- [12:55]
Laura Williamson
I think it certainly has in Germany. Seb Staffer Bloor, German FOOTBALL correspondent, talks about it a lot that people were really hurt by the decision for, you know, their leading light, this big personality and as you say, somebody who'd had success with these community driven clubs to, you know, God forbid, take some money and join the Red Bull conglomerate. I mean, what he's actually going to do is still to be, still to be determined. New York Red Bulls got to the MLS Cup Final and he was swanning around looking on. The neighbors set in in Australia. So how hands on he's going to be is, is still to be determined. So yeah, another one to watch this space.
- [13:32]
IO Akimolere
Well, let's move on because now there are two ways to find a manager. You could do it the Liverpool way, data find the right person or you could do it in Catalan chaos. We move on to number nine. We're talking about Barcelona now because 2024 was quite the saga year for Xavi. In January he said he would resign from Barcelona in May, saying the club wears you down. Then he oversaw a dramatic improvement in results. So the club managed to change his mind in April. So he decided to stay on performances though, then became a little lackluster and he was then sacked by May. I mean, I hope you're keeping up but Adam, Barcelona are never far from the headlines. But this was particularly strange of events for that club in particular. Are there just some clubs that like to attract drama and I'm hoping you won't say Manchester United till a bit later on in this conversation.
- [14:27]
Podcast Host
The financial situation's been pretty bad. You've had these kind of ridiculous situations where they sign players but they can't register the players or they have to wait a few months to get players on board to manage the books. And partly it's because La Liga has actually been pretty strong in getting a grip of its club's finances. They're basically saying, we're saving you from yourselves. You can't be trusted actually to manage your own finances and be sustainable as football clubs. I think La Liga have been quite impressed from that. Barcelona have, you know, if you'd have said to Barcelona five years ago, without any of these controls from La Liga, what, what do you want your squad to look like in five years time? I don't think it would look anything like what it has this season, which is a pretty young team, many players coming out of the academy and I think the way they've ended the year, okay, the last couple of weeks has. Hasn't been great with. I think they've lost a couple of games, lost against Athletesco Madrid this weekend. But in general, I think Barcelona fans can now look at it and see, you know, we've got a young team, we've got a decent manager back in the Champions League. I mean, it was crazy to have Barcelona in the Europa League, you know, for a year, for a year or two. That seemed crazy and really underperforming in the Champions League when they were in it. Whereas this year they've, they've, you know, they've just looked a lot stronger. Some really impactful results that we've seen. So it does feel like. But they are on their way back. They won't be at the club World cup, which, you know, we'll all be devastated about. But apart from that, I think a lot of, A lot of things for them to be pleased about as, as they end the year and obviously an amazing year for Spain in general, you know, with the, with the Euros as well.
- [16:08]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, but you spoke about them not being able to register players as things stands. Danny Almo, a player they signed in the summer, also a Euros winner from the summer. They initially struggled to register him at the beginning. They registered him in the end. He's managed to score six goals and has one assist in all competitions. Well, right now, as things stand, he's not eligible to play for Barca for the start of next year. So there's a big chance that you have Danielmo, a top player they've just signed leave on a free transfer. Definitely want to watch for sure. Right, Plenty more incredible moments to come. And yes, Manchester United fans, don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you.
- [16:52]
LinkedIn Sales Representative
As a salesperson. The search for the right buyer or buying groups can feel like you're endlessly sifting through leads and hoping they're ready to buy. Thankfully, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is more than just a tool, it's your strategic sales partner. LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales intelligence platform that helps professionals effectively prospect and engage high value customers, drive higher revenue and increase sales performance. Sales Navigator helps you target the right buyers, surface key signals such as job changes or which accounts you should prioritize, and shows you hidden allies so that you can find those buyers that are most likely to convert. Whether you're looking for new clients or strengthening relationships of current accounts, LinkedIn Sales Navigator has new AI features designed to help sellers find the right people and and get right to the right conversations, all at scale. Fueled by LinkedIn's 1 billion-member platform, Sales Navigator gives you the most up to date first party data, enabling you to unlock conversations with the people that matter. Ready to get right to the right conversations? Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator now with a 60 day free trial at LinkedIn.com NBashow23 that's LinkedIn.com NBashow23 for a 60 day free trial. Terms and conditions apply.
- [18:14]
IO Akimolere
How many discounts does USAA Auto Insurance offer?
- [18:17]
Podcast Host
Too many to say here.
- [18:18]
IO Akimolere
Multi Vehicle Discount Safe driver Discount New vehicle discount Storage discount How many discounts.
- [18:24]
Podcast Host
Will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit usaa.com autodiscounts restrictions apply.
- [18:29]
Aura Representative
This podcast is brought to you by Aura. By the time you hear about a data breach, your information has already been exposed for months. On average, companies take 277 days to report a breach. That's nine months where hackers have access to your personal data. That's why we're thrilled to partner with Aura. Aura is an all in one digital safety solution that monitors the dark web for your phone number, email and Social Security number, sending real time alerts if your info is found. It also includes a vpn, password manager and data broker removal to help keep you safe for a limited time. Aura is offering a 14 day free trial plus a dark web scan to check if your personal information has been leaked. All for free@aura.com safety that's Aura aurora.com safety to sign up and protect your loved ones. That's a u r a.com safety terms apply. Check the site for details.
- [19:24]
Podcast Host
You're listening to the Athletic FC Podcast with IO Akinwaleiro.
- [19:28]
IO Akimolere
It's the Athletic FC podcast with me IO Akimwalere alongside Laura Williamson and Adam Crafton looking at the weirdest moments of 2024. Now before we get into the next section, I Want to give a couple of honorable mentions? Firstly, this one, it's quite a niche one to these arls. Not until we were recording this did I actually realize that one moment at this year, Neil Warnock was actually the interim manager at Aberdeen.
- [19:55]
Adam Crafton
I know it's a long way, you.
- [19:57]
Podcast Host
Know, Sharon, my wife said Aberdeen.
- [20:03]
IO Akimolere
I mean, that managerial relationship lasted just a month, but he was still there. That's all that matters. Anyway, another one that caught my eye this year was the Ivory coast at afcon. And we, we did AFCON on the athletic and it was an absolute blast. But I don't know if you remember, but the Ivory coast actually sacked their manager midway through the tournament. They, of course, went on to win the tournament.
- [20:28]
Podcast Host
Are champions of Africa again.
- [20:31]
IO Akimolere
Despite having a new coach who would never manage a senior football team. Ladies and gentlemen, the beauty of afcon can't wait for the next installment. Right, let's get back to it. Number eight.
- [20:43]
Podcast Host
Well, Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the next US Men's national team head coach.
- [20:49]
IO Akimolere
Let's talk about Mauricio Pochettino. In many ways, this was the year for Pochettino. Many of us were so surprised that Chelsea decided not to continue with him, given how they had ended the season of 23, 24. How wrong they were, I guess. But then he became U. S Men's national team head coach. That definitely wasn't something we saw coming. Laura, this one was interesting. How on earth were the USA able to poach Potch?
- [21:17]
Laura Williamson
Very nicely done. I think there were a lot of steak dinners and bottles of red wine in restaurants. From, from Adam's reporting and Paul Delorio's pieces, I think it felt like after Greg Berlhalter and a review and then a decision to reappoint him and then Copa America was. It was just dull. From a US Perspective. The team didn't fire, the press conferences were boring. It was like, come on, guys, in two years we've got a world cup on home soil here. We've got to have a bit of razzmatazz. And so it sparked a complete change of direction. And Potch, you know, among others, there were conversations with other very high profile managers, but Potch was their man and they got it over the. And you can see why, you know, as an established manager, a name, the ability to converse in Spanish and engage the big Hispanic audience in the US Results so far haven't been exactly, exactly stellar. But the decision to appoint to go after a name, I think was. Was a good one because this team has Got to get people behind them. And at the moment they haven't really. I think that's fair, Adam, isn't it?
- [22:25]
Podcast Host
It's very fair. I'm still amazed how many people I meet who don't know there is a World cup in the United States. Oh, my God.
- [22:32]
IO Akimolere
Really?
- [22:33]
Podcast Host
In, in what, 18 months time. It's, you know, I think it's been really dreadfully marketed. FIFA, you know, gave the competition to them, you know, almost a decade ago now. And it's staggering to me, like, I mean, how, how few people have that recognition. I don't think there's any country in the world that could actually host a World cup and the whole country not know about it. But the US Is a very unique place that is very kind of about the moments and characters of what is currently happening. And there is always so much currently happening. The news cycle moves so quickly, the sports cycle moves so quickly here that you really do just go from event to event to event to event to event. So when it's actually here, it'll be huge and people will be really into it, and that will be the moment when everyone's looking at Pochettino. First of all, a lot of people will be like, who is Pochettino? You know, because there'll be a lot of casual supporters who just follow World Cups, who are dipping in and new supporters. And I think it's a harder job than most people maybe realize because the team isn't that good. There's a couple of decent players, you know, a couple of good players, but they are weak in some really key positions, mostably in goal central defense and strikers. So it's pretty hard to win a World cup or get to the quarterfinal or quarterfinals of a World cup, you know, without it. The advantage they have, I guess, is that it'll be a, you know, the first expanded version of a competition. So it would be quite difficult to go out of the group stages, you know, in that 48 team version. So that should give them a bit of a. Bit of a Runway to, you know, to, to get the country going, get behind them. So, yeah, I think Pochettino's got, got a major job on his hands. And also just to get that enthusiasm into the support of the men's team, I think, you know, not to oversimplify it too much, but, you know, when I think about what Americans expect from their sport, they expect the best of the best. And that's why the women's team is really popular, because they win stuff and they're competitive, whereas the Men's team has been pretty underwhelming. And you see that if you just look at the attendances of the games they play at home in the United States are so poor, like relative to what we see from other nations around the world and relative to the amount of people in the United States.
- [25:03]
IO Akimolere
Okay, let's stay with the international managers because it wasn't just the Americans making unexpected appointments. In at number seven, England hire a German. I say it like that because I personally have no issue with it. But some tabloids here in the UK were absolutely outraged. This was the year that Gareth Southgate departed after leading England to within touching distance of a major trophy. Next to Sir Alf Ramsey, who won the 1966 World cup, you could say he's the second most successful England manager. Anyway, in his place comes Thomas Tuchel. Laura, this is another story that definitely had very different reactions to it. Let's just say that it was surprising for me that Thomas Tuchel took the job. But from your perspective, what did you think of the appointment? But also, does a manager have to be English to coach England?
- [25:55]
Laura Williamson
No, no, no, no, no. Last I noticed, he can't play up front. You know, it doesn't, it doesn't matter. You know, you look at somebody like Serena Beeman with the women's side done great things. And also, you know her, her Dutchness is celebrated in a way for bringing something different. I mean, everyone lost their minds over it. There is a very sort of sensible argument to be had about why isn't there an English candidate that was popular enough and successful enough and all the rest of it. But that's not what people were debating. It was like, he's German. You know, that's outrage. It's remarkable. And I think, I think, to be honest, the part of the, the venom in the media was because so many people got wrong footed by the appointment that it, you know, there's all that nonsense with Carsley saying, I'm in print, I'm not in print, I don't want to be in prayer. I've never been in for it. Over the international break. And then there's this sort of narrative that the FA weren't doing anything, as if they just sort of sat there since Southgate resigned. And then some Tuko stories sort of broke on the Friday in Germany and didn't really get followed up. And then suddenly, wham, bam, Tuesday, he's your man. But actually he's not yet because he's not starting till January. So we're just gonna have this really dreadful November international break where everyone's like, what's he doing? Where is he? But yeah, I mean everyone lost their minds. But I think it's again, really, really interesting. See, see what he can do. You know, he's unproven. International football. But again, like the idea of, of having, of having a name and somebody to, to either get behind or criticize, depending on your political point of view, I think it's really interesting.
- [27:36]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, for sure. Right, let's move on because we've mentioned the World Cup a fair bit. Let's actually talk about the World cup now because at number six, and this is a serious one and we've just done a podcast very recently on it. It's Saudi Arabia getting the World Cup.
- [27:52]
Matt Slater
Saudi Arabia wants to bring mega events, wants to bring sports, entertainment, leisure events to the Kingdom. It says it, it's doing this because it needs to diversify the economy, which is absolutely true and has been true for decades. It's a one trick pony, it's an amazing pony oil. But it has kind of got Saudi Arabia quite a long way. You know, it's now a G20 nation, but it's kind of plateaued in terms of, you know, how that economic success has spread through the, through the country. I think mbs, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knows that. He knows he must diversify the economy. He must find work and things to do for his growing and quite young population. It's about 35 million plus now. So that's why they're doing this, why they've got it. Well, now we get into how we feel about FIFA and how we feel about the way the world works and let's be honest, none of it's good.
- [28:51]
IO Akimolere
That was Matt Slater on this very podcast talking about why Saudi Arabia want and need a World Cup. Now you remember that Saudi Arabia was given the hosting rights to the 2034 Men's World cup, literally clapped, tapped in and they now have less than 10 years to build 11 stadiums so they can host it. Adam, what are your thoughts on Saudi Arabia hosting the Men's World cup in 2034?
- [29:15]
Podcast Host
I think we kind of, well, we all knew it was going to happen, right, for quite a long, quite a long time now. You know, we see lots and lots of sport and entertainment events take place there. I don't think it seems that unusual, to be honest, at this point. I think the way FIFA did it is probably the bit that most people have been annoyed by just because, you know, if you think back to, you know, when FIFA basically was in Meltdown, post set blatter and all the allegations, FBI investigations that came into it. The feeling then was, oh, FIFA is going to change. It's going to be, you know, a different organization and there's going to be transparency, there's going to be better governance. And then really, this has just felt like a stitch up, right? You know, the way that they did the 2031, bringing in most of the world, three different continents, six different countries, which kind of just because of this rule that you can't have a World cup in the same confederation the next time round or two times round. It meant that it was basically a clear run for the Saudis to be given the tournament. So the way I feel, felt about it is far more actually about the way that FIFA did it, rather than the idea of Saudi itself hosting a World Cup. Because once Qatar's happened, it's a bit like when people say, oh, how can Saudis own Newcastle? Well, again, once man city have been allowed, then Newcastle have to be allowed. And I just don't think there's anything hugely surprising about that. I think clearly the stadiums are going to be a huge issue. You know, you wonder, you fear how that's going to happen. You know, the stadiums that need to be built, the conditions that they're going to be built into for workers. But I think, you know, I think a lot of people have a level of fatigue really, around a discussion that it's felt like we've had for, you know, over a decade now. You know, rightly or wrongly, that's kind of my feeling about it. It's almost like, yeah, well, they've won. Like, maybe that's not what people necessarily want to hear. But the money has, has, has talked emphatically.
- [31:28]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, I mean, Laura, the money has talking talked emphatically, but we are still talking about football. Money talks a lot when you want to do something right.
- [31:36]
Laura Williamson
Yeah, it does. And I think Adam's right. It's the inevitability about this decision. And you can hear it in Matt Slater's voice, sort of resignation that for another decade, another 10 years, I'm gonna have to keep talking about all these really important things, you know, human rights, workers rights, women's rights, and how that fits in with, with, with fits in with football. And it, it sort of comes back to like, what do you want your World cup to be like, actually, do you want to go and. Do you want to go and grow the game or do you want to take it to somewhere exciting and different? I mean, what about a World cup in China, World cup in India. You know, that that feels further away than it ever has, actually, because it's like we've this realization that hosting global sporting events like World Cups and Olympics cocktails costs a lot of money and people have other priorities. So therefore it goes to countries like Saudi Arabia. And personally, I'm pretty, pretty gutted, to be honest, that I was in Qatar with Adam and Abby's producing this podcast and it wasn't the best World cup ever. It was like a World cup in somebody's backyard. And yes, everything worked and few people that went had a nice time and were made welcome and all the rest of it, but there was no, There was no buzz, there was no, there was no sort of learning. There was no perspective shared. It was just like being in Disneyland for a month and then off you go again. And also, you know, the idea of again being a, being a woman covering it in 10 years time doesn't exactly fill me with glee, but it's. It comes back to that inevitability and resignation. And that's where we are and that's where FIFA are quite pertinently.
- [33:16]
IO Akimolere
Yeah. Adam. Something Matt also spoke about was how visibly he saw things were changing and how visibly this World cup is being used as a way for Saudi Arabia to try and shed its previous images. Anyway. Do you think that football can do that for a country as part of a catalyst for change?
- [33:38]
Podcast Host
No. Well, nah, be honest. No. So I think there's two different things going on, right? For sure there are. You know, if you compare, I have friends in Saudi Arabia who tell me, you know, when that. Who are kind of around my age, when they're saying, 20 years ago, when I was growing up, you know, things like playing music in the car, you'd have the religious police onto you, there'd be curfews about when you could play football in the street at night. Right. That sort of stuff, thankfully, has changed and is evolving. You go to many of these kind of global events now in Saudi, you will see women working there. I mean, we're talking about like some bare, bare minimum stuff here, right? We're like giving people a round of applause because women are allowed to work. So, yes, there is change for sure. I don't really see that that's about football, though. I don't really see that football is this thing that's going to change the world. It's one of those things that, that could change, but I don't see it as a catalyst per se. And the reason I don't see it as a catalyst is because the key stakeholders, worst word in sport stakeholder like FIFA, are so set on basically sucking up to anyone who is doing organizing for them rather than actually trying to be with them really on that journey and being a strong voice in that room. You know, it's so you can see it already, you know, this is going to be the greatest World cup ever. Thank you so much, mbs. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Rather than we're taking this really prestigious tournament to you because we believe in the power of sport for change, here are the four or five things that we are absolutely set on making sure happen as part of this World Cup. Here are our red lines. Here's what needs to happen. But they won't do that because that's not Infantino's personality. And we saw it in the report that was commissioned about the bidding process for the World cup where they basically just removed anything that might impact the Saudis. So you had this kind of ridiculous report where they were taking out things that you would ordinarily put to the test in a bidding process around human rights or workers rights or the right to expression or the right to organize. And they were just taken. They just weren't included in the report. So that I think is what is concerning a lot of the human rights organizations. You know, 10 years out from the tournament.
- [36:15]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, Laura, this idea that a World cup comes in and helps reshape the football infrastructure in a country, it's a tricky one. I look at South Africa, I don't know if that helped create a greater football infrastructure in the country. I look at various other countries in many respects, should we just admit the truth and say it goes to the highest bidder at this point? Because that's what it looks like is happening.
- [36:36]
Laura Williamson
Yeah, I think we should. And to say that it's a month long, wonderful spectacle and then on we go. Like, I'd love to say that, you know, the power of sport, which something about being now for really genuinely believe in, can transform a country. But you're talking about, you're talking about stadiums that people file into and then file out of and hopefully spend as much money as they can while they're there.
- [37:01]
IO Akimolere
Right, let's move on because time for a break. We still have five more moments that define the year to get through. And one of those moments may make you squirm just a little bit.
- [37:18]
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- [37:29]
Podcast Host
Get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply.
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- [38:28]
Podcast Host
You're listening to the Athletic FC podcast with IO Akinwalere.
- [38:32]
IO Akimolere
It's the Athletic FC podcast and we've got Laura Williamson and Adam Crafton looking back on 2024. And let's get into Adam's specialist subject, Manchester United at number five. We are of course talking about Erik Ten Hag. Should he have stayed? Should he have gone? Do Ineos know what they're doing? These are all the questions on the lips of Manchester United F fans. Because in May it looked to the world like Manchester United were going to part company with Eric Ten Haag. But then he went and won the FA Cup. The Red army have stormed Wembley and toppled the Manchester City all conquering regime. So despite a season which saw the club finish eighth, the lowest since the 89.90 season, they conceded 58 goals, they were bottom of their Champions League group, 15 goals conceded and they even managed to lose a match. They were leading in the hundredth minute to Chelsea. So Adam, remind us why the FA cup win was enough for Sir Jim Radcliffe and his team to think this is the man for the job.
- [39:44]
Podcast Host
Well now, now it looks ridiculous. I think at the time they'd be turn. I mean again now it looks ridiculous to say that beating Man City is enough to keep your job. I mean everyone would keep that, everyone would keep their job at the current rate. But at the time, you know, they beat Man City and I think people thought, you know, he'd had a tough year, the injuries were difficult, there'd been off the Pitch stuff. There'd been a takeover, he'd won two trophies in two seasons. You could see the argument starts, develop. I mean, they also spoke to pretty much every other manager in the world before giving him that contract, which further damaged his credibility, really, because, you know, if you're sure on someone, you don't go around checking with everyone else first. So that's why they did it. It's obviously gone absolutely terribly and, you know, you can call it an initial kind of rookie mistake from a new owner. It's not unusual to see new ownership struggle with the first decisions that are made, but actually for the knock on impact it's had on this season, I mean, Man United look incredibly unlikely to get into the Champions League. It's going to have a real impact probably on the first five years now of their ownership because, you know, two years out of the Champions League, there's a big financial impact on that. That's the point where, you know, their Adidas contract starts to reduce when you spend more than a year out of the Champions League. So lots and lots of challenges, I think, that are going to come out of it. And it's, you know, if you, I think if you're a Man United fan, you kind of want to be optimistic because you've got this kind of new ownership, but not really a new ownership, you've got a new manager who's, you know, so far very, very good to listen to in Ruben Amarim. Less good to watch his team play so far, to be honest. And I, I think, you know, yesterday's defeat against Bournemouth was one of those that was, I think, very, very sobering. You know, for fans, it was like, God, you've lost. You've lost at home to Bournemouth, three nil, two years in a row. You know, that's not a freak. That's just who you are at this point. Happy New Year.
- [41:55]
IO Akimolere
I've got to say, the initial reactions, though, you know, when Ten Hag was staying on seemed very positive. I think the most liked comments on David Ornstein's story was always the right choice. Let's move on. But then in October, Laura, things hadn't improved and I guess it was an eventual goodbye. What did you think of that? Did they hang on too long? Should they have made a decision much earlier? Was the writing on the wall all along?
- [42:22]
Laura Williamson
Definitely, definitely. Like as Adam says, you can't publicly call other people and then say, oh, actually, you were, you were the right man all along. It was just. It just felt like every game was, they were on the Verge of crisis, you know, another defeat. Is he going to go? Is he going to go? You know, when Berarda and Ashworth did, did their briefing and there wasn't, you know, sort of any public backing for him, it was just, it felt inevitable. So, yeah, when the axe, when the axe finally fell and the Athletic broke the news, yeah, it felt like it should have happened in, should have happened in May, to be honest.
- [42:58]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, well, it's not enough for United to have just one spot in this countdown, given the year they've had. So number four goes to Manchester United again, Dan Ashworth. That, nay was so important, it made us record a podcast about the now departed Manchester United sporting director after waiting five months for him to start his job. It lasted just about five months in Israel before being booted out. Adam, as the fountain of knowledge of Manchester United. Is there any, what can I put sensible way of saying what on earth happened here?
- [43:33]
Podcast Host
It's total disaster. Right. Like, I mean, yeah, I suppose the, the kind of, the generous take is, you know, you sometimes in life you hire people and you realize quickly you've made a mistake and you then have a decision that you either deal with it quickly and you move on or you kind of let it stew and let it fester and let it, you know, get worse and worse and worse. So that's, that's the positive argument. It just looks ridiculous. It is a bit ridiculous at a time where, I mean, like one of the real stories of this year has just been Manchester United's at times pretty, pretty insane levels of cost cutting, the kind of penny pinching, the pettiness, you know, the, I don't know, the. Banning the company credit cards, canceling Christmas parties, Jim Ratcliffe sending emails about untidiness when he goes to visit the club. I mean, it's been like as if you've been writing some sort of satire of Scrooge at Christmas across an entire year.
- [44:37]
IO Akimolere
Don't forget they cancelled Sir Alex as well, by the way. There's another one.
- [44:40]
Podcast Host
Yes, Sir Alex's contract. I mean, that's. That, that to be fair, maybe needed to happen. The, the, some, some of the other ones, you know, you think about, you know, the coach travel for staff, going to, to the FA cup final that was cancelled. I mean, there's so many. But, but in that context, you know, to spend probably over £5 million on, you know, getting Dan Ashworth through the door from Newcastle, then paying him while he's at the club, then paying him off when he leaves the club. I imagine as well, it just looks bad, you know, it damages the credibility of, of the people running the club because it says to that, you know, they're telling the world we have to be so careful with all our money. But actually, you know, we've just done that with Dan Ashworth. We've spent another 200 odd million in the transfer window this summer and it's early to judge these players, but, you know, Josh Circusy is not going to be a Manchester United legend, I fear to say. So they're kind of giving and taking with different hands at the moment and it just looks bad, I think. And as I say, you know, the knock on impact of this, I think, is going to run for quite a few years because if you're out of the Champions League, not in the club World cup, that's another source of revenue as well. United are going to really struggle, you know, this coming year. I think their training kits up for sponsorship, their sleeve sponsor is up for renewal as well. And just things like that where they've really trimmed down their commercial department even I think they're going to find it hard to get new deals because they've been this incredibly robust commercial entity for so long. But there is a point, you surely look at Man United as a business and just say, I'm not sure I want my company's name on this, this team that keep losing, right, that keep just being involved with, you know, scandal. But we're not yet at that tipping point. But I wonder when it is.
- [46:40]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, I mean, Dora, it just seems every week there's another story at Manchester United. I was going to ask you how, how they break this cycle, but I mean, mean, you're not a CEO of a company. How do we break this cycle?
- [46:53]
Laura Williamson
I don't want them to break the cycle. The stories, the stories are great. The debate's great. Keep going, keep going.
- [47:00]
IO Akimolere
I just wondered if they're a bit like Barcelona in many respects. You know, when a club's winning like that and you're doing so well, it's easy to forget all those cracks in the background that need fix. And it's when you do have that moment and there's a slump and it keeps getting worse, everyone's going, what, you're still faxing people, you know, you're still using a fax machine in 2024. Are you kidding me?
- [47:22]
Laura Williamson
Yeah, definitely. And I think, I mean, it's a bit of a cliche, but I think we sometimes forget, like, how massive United are. They're just this, this huge behemoth of A football club that, you know, in many ways transcends football. And we've in Ineos and, and Ratcliffe and Sir David Brailsford, etc, we've got this, this, got this machine if you like, that's come in and try to sort of take the football element out and look at things ruthlessly and make these cost cutting decisions, but you can't do that. Like football is different because that's what we're saying about the World cup in a way. But you can't, you can't just strip all the emotion out of it and think, you know, it's going to be fine to cut people's Christmas bonus vouchers or whatever. It is just different. And I think maybe when, when they sort of understand that a little bit more it, it might help. But, but no more, more stories, please. Keep it going as far as I.
- [48:14]
IO Akimolere
All right. Well, it is at least a reprieve for some fans for the red side of Manchester that the blue side are having their own little meltdown. Of course, number three is Manchester City's end of year form.
- [48:26]
Adam Crafton
Just One win in 12 games now for City.
- [48:29]
IO Akimolere
I mean, who would have thought would be saying this about Pep Guardiola and Manchester City?
- [48:35]
Laura Williamson
Yeah, it's extraordinary and I mean you look at all, all the reasons and Rodri's absence being being the main one, but sort of, it was sort of like a couple of games. Oh, there's a blip and then. And when he appeared with all the scratches on his face and. But it's just, it's just kept going. It's genuinely extraordinary and, and coming, coming so fast after the, the contract renewal and then with the 115 charges still hanging over them, you know, may. Will we get a resolution by the end of the season? We don't know on that. It's just this. Yeah. This huge juggernaut of, of doom in the blue on the blue side of Manchester at the moment.
- [49:16]
IO Akimolere
Yeah. Any, any word on the 115 charges? Just a quick one on that. Do we know when it's going to be revealed as to what the verdict is?
- [49:24]
Podcast Host
Pep seemed to say the other day he thought it would be in the spring. I think that might be a little bit optimistic just because this has taken forever and feels like it will take forever and ever. I mean, I also wonder whether rival clubs would, you know, if there is to be a points deduction, for example. I feel like rival clubs would probably want it to be next season now rather than this season. Right. From a point of view of actually mattering, you know, I mean, okay, it might take them out of the Champions League or something like that, but I think when we were all initially thinking, we're thinking, oh, it could stop them winning a title or it could be really pivotal at the end of the season, whereas now it's like, might stop them getting to 40 points, you know, the way they're going on. So it's a pretty strange one. I mean, the most likely, if there is one now, feels like it might just take them from 6th to 9th, which feels pretty weird, really, at the end of this huge process. I think there's been a great theater to what's been happening with City over the last few weeks. You know, as Laura says around, you know, just watching Pep has become really kind of compelling viewing. You've gone from this team that had really no jeopardy. You know, they were the team, you know, they'd like, not lost in 35 games. I almost reached the point with City where if they're playing, I don't know, at home against a team in the middle of the table, you almost just don't switch on because you know what's going to happen. You know, they're going to win 2 nil, 3 nil. You know, Harlan's going to score. You've seen the game 50 times already. So to go from that to, I mean, it's pretty weird. I mean, I now wake up on a Saturday morning in. In the States and City are already losing at 8:00am Right. Like, that's what. That's what happened this weekend. And, you know, there's another game on Boxing Day where there is. I think there are 7:30am kickoff here, and it's like, God, I bet gaff at 7:30. Because you're not quite sure what's going to happen with Manchester City. So it's gone from no jeopardy to, like, all the jeopardy. I'm kind of glad it's happened in that, you know, for so long, we've said what will happen, what would happen if Pep went to a team where not everything's easy and not everything's straightforward. Actually, I think what we're seeing at the moment is it was never easy. It was never easy. He made it look easy, and now it's, you know, can you go and do it again? And if he does, if he goes and wins the Champions League in the second half of the season, it will look, you know, like the most extraordinary achievement.
- [51:52]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, well, plenty more on City's downturn as we recorded a podcast on it actually last Week with Sam Lee and Rory Smith. Make sure you check that out about now. The next story, which makes second spot, has garnered so many clicks on the Athletic, we just had to talk about it. At number two, it's Jamie Carragher going so far over the line on CBS that it left even Mika Richard stunned. The Liverpool defender questioned the loyalty of Jose Abdo. Now, Scott, in a joke that didn't land well at all. But don't worry, we're not going to ask either of you too, what you thought of the joke. But the CBS show, this show goes viral every week. People on social media just flock to the clips of Thierry Henry, Carragher, Richards, and also Scott interacting together in the studio. Adam, you're in America. I personally think this show has been a global stroke of genius in the fact that obviously no one really watches the football they're talking about, but they just see these small clips, which technically grows the audience of that platform. What is the view on that CBS show in America? Are people talking about it in the same way as I perceive they are from the online status?
- [53:07]
Podcast Host
I don't know. I've never. I've never been like, out on a Saturday night and people are bringing up the CBS show.
- [53:14]
Laura Williamson
The.
- [53:15]
Podcast Host
It's a strange thing in that, you know, you have to remember this is the middle of the afternoon for most people, or early afternoon if you're West Coast. So it's a strange concept in that sense. I mean, I suppose what they do get is like kids coming home from school and they'll get, you know, the second half of the Champions League. You get a lot of people, I think, double screening at work. You know, they'll have a. A screen open with the Champions League, particularly the latter stages. And I think the show itself is interesting because I think the. The social media perception of that show is maybe a little bit different. There's been a couple of times where I've actually just watched it. And actually the show as a whole is pretty. It's pretty good. It's pretty as you would expect if you've got Thierry Henri and Carragher and Micah Richards and Kate. Scott, you know, you've got a kind of a balance of talent there. But what you see, obviously the virality of the clips are kind of the craziest ones. And I think that, you know, I think it is intentional. I think they want to be talked about. I think they've taken inspiration on the CBS platform from some of the other shows that have been big in the States, particularly around NBA and baseball. Over the years, I think it has a far bigger impact than TNT's coverage. I think TNT should be pretty concerned that on Champions League nights you have people in the UK talking about clips from the US that's, that's pretty strange, you know, that in a way that would never really happen with, you know, Robbie Mustow and Robbie Earl on NBC compared to the way that sky do the Premier League. So I think there's a, you know, there's a big impact in that. I'd also just say on that Carragher clip, it was really fascinating the way it was subsequently handled. You know, I think this. The next night, Kate Scott kind of took grip of it on air in a way that we don't really see with these scandals. They tend to be things that companies issue statements about and things like that. And actually she just sort of went on air and took the piss out of Carrier, called him the annoying younger brother. Whether that was enough for everyone watching, I don't know. But, but you know, you kind of watched it and you kind of listened to it and you thought, yeah, that's, that's pretty impressive way to handle a situation that was blowing up. It kind of diffused it almost immediately.
- [55:48]
IO Akimolere
All right, let's leave Carragher and his mates to their terrible jokes and get to number one, because there really is only one moment this year that truly had football fans baffled, wondering if it was actually really a deep fake. And to introduce it, our number one moment, I'm going to turn to Ian McIntosh on the Daily Football Briefing to reenact the viral moment in a family friendly way.
- [56:15]
Adam Crafton
So an apparently well lubricated person asks the individual what he thinks of Liverpool. Liverpool was silly. Jurgen Klopp is a kitten, says the individual. When asked for clarification. The individual says, aside from having a right pop at me when I ref them against Burnley in lockdown, then he accused me of lying and then just had a right fluffy pop at me. I've got no interest in speaking to someone who's fluffy arrogant, so I do my best not to speak to him. My God, the German kitten fluff me. And at this point, the person conducting the interview wraps it all up by saying, long story short, Jurgen Klopp's a kitten. Liverpool are all fluffy beanbags and we hate Scousers. Our second video has also been released in which the individual and our lubricated interviewer ask for it not to be shared. He's a Premier League referee. Let's not ruin his career. Oh, dear. If that really is David Coote, He's a very silly, fluffy kitten.
- [57:09]
IO Akimolere
This was the video of the now former Premier League referee David Coote complaining his utter distaste for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. Well, it was a career ruined because two days later Coote was hit by more allegations. The Sun, a British newspaper, published a video which showed someone they allegedly was cout sniffing white powder through a rolled up US banknote. They said the video was from July 6, the day after the Euro 2024 quarterfinal between France and Portugal in Hamburg, where Coute was the assistant var. Now, the Athletic never verified this video, but the PGMOL did say that the culmination of the two videos was enough to make Kut's position untenable. Where do we start with this one, Adam? Laura, this is not definitely where I was expecting as our number one, but we have to talk about it. Seeing how this has played out. Do you have sympathy for Coot? Do you understand how this has played out, Laura?
- [58:09]
Laura Williamson
I have a lot of sympathy. I mean, get some better mates, to be honest, would be my view on it. I also agree with the pjmol, the refereeing body decision, that it is untenable once you've seen a referee, you know, ostensibly doing things like that and saying things like that, that, that you know, either man or the woman in the middle and your judgment is supposed to be, is supposed to be final. But I had a lot of sympathy for this person who, you know, isn't particularly famous being caught up in this massive storm and the way, the way that things all came out is pretty awful. But yeah, just don't video things and get some better mates, to be honest.
- [58:51]
IO Akimolere
Yeah, I mean, Adam, I mean, how you do something like that and you expect it not to make the Internet. I mean, I don't know know what would have been going through his mind, but you have to feel some sympathy for him. This was a guy refereeing one day, now he has no job.
- [59:05]
Podcast Host
Yeah, I mean, like, it just made me think like, imagine the worst, you know, the most embarrassing thing you've ever done, the worst text message you've ever sent. I don't know, the most. Yeah, the most embarrassing thing you've done, becoming known to everyone in the world and your employers. Right. I think that's a fear or anxiety. I say this with my boss on a podcast, you know, that, that's, that's a, that's, that's a fear or anxiety that I think everyone can relate to. Right. You know, one of your apparent friends appearing to, you know, sell you out in some way. I mean, it's horrible. It's like a really horrible story in many ways. I actually, I didn't think that the clip of him talking about thought Liverpool in itself was necessarily enough. I thought the videos combined. I think it just left him in a position where actually if he was refereeing, it would probably be so unpleasant for him and so difficult for him, you know, with everyone knowing that. I mean, I do wonder if you could go and referee in a different country. Saudi pro league must need some refs or, you know, something like that. I, I don't think. Gladiators. Gladiators, no. You can't imagine if BBC hired David Coot.
- [60:24]
IO Akimolere
It's almost impossible for the BBC to go down that line. New audiences, Adam. New audiences, new audiences. You never know.
- [60:33]
Podcast Host
If Gary Lineker's too toxic now, then God help David Coop.
- [60:39]
IO Akimolere
But Laura, I just wondered what this does though, in general, you know, for got, you know, trust towards referees. Conspiracy theories surrounding referees that some fans seem to go on about so many times. He hates us because, you know, I mean it's not helping any of that, is it?
- [60:56]
Laura Williamson
No, I mean any excuse to have a go at referees and people will take it. But I mean it's, it's an odd, it's an odd profession to do. You know, this sort of traveling band of. I know used to be a referee, Adam. So sorry.
- [61:10]
IO Akimolere
Did you not.
- [61:11]
Podcast Host
Not at that level, unfortunately. There was too much evidence online and Already. Already.
- [61:18]
Laura Williamson
Exactly. But this, yeah, this, this traveling band of, of people who, who rock up and then. Yeah. Have such big decisions to make in the eyes of, in the eyes of football fans. So it doesn't help. But I think, I think the way has been. It has been dealt with, I think has been. Has been. It's been pretty good and just.
- [61:37]
Podcast Host
Yeah.
- [61:37]
Laura Williamson
Just obviously concern for, for him and his. And his well being because it's. He's the last thing you want to be as a referee is the center.
- [61:43]
IO Akimolere
Of the story for sure. Well, I think on that note, we've summed up our year. Let us know your thoughts, your disagreements, stick them in a five star review. It's Christmas after all. Comment on YouTube or Spotify. But hopefully we have put you in a festive mood and you're not dreaming of a white Christmas. Not like that. Laura. Adam, thank you so much for your time. It was an absolute joy to have you on the pod. Thank you all for listening today and also this whole year. It has been an absolute pleasure presenting the podcast. We'll be back on Friday for the weekend preview. Have a good break.
- [62:20]
Podcast Host
The Athletic FC Podcast Network.
- [62:30]
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- [63:24]
Podcast Host
Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. Hey guys. Welcome to Giggly Squad, a place where.
- [63:34]
Laura Williamson
We make fun of everything, but most importantly ourselves.
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I'm Paige Desorbo.
- [63:38]
Laura Williamson
I'm Hannah Burner.
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Podcast Host
Welcome to the squad.
- [63:40]
Laura Williamson
Giggly Squad started on Summer House when we were giggling during an inappropriate time.
- [63:44]
LinkedIn Sales Representative
But of course we can't be managed.
- [63:46]
Laura Williamson
So we decided to start this podcast to continue giggling.
- [63:49]
Podcast Host
We will make fun of pop culture news. We're watching fashion trends pep talks where we give advice, mental health moments and games and guests.
- [63:58]
Laura Williamson
Listen to Giggly Squad on Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [64:03]
Podcast Host
Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.