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On The Continent - A European Football Podcast
The Bernabéu boos again
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Things tend to get twitchy when Real Madrid aren't competing for trophies, but the atmosphere you can sense on the Bernabéu terraces is something we haven't seen for a very long time. Their side beat Deportivo Alavés 2-1 on Tuesday, but that didn't stop their own fans booing both Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Jr in midweek. Something needs to change, and fast.
Lars Sivertsen joins Dotun and Andy to discuss the week in European football, including another slip-up for PSG. Are we really set for a title fight in France? Plus, Bayern Munich win their second Bundesliga under Vincent Kompany. A lesson in leadership and scoring lots of goals.
Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.
For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.
***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***
On The Continent is your definitive podcast for European football. Subscribe for new podcasts every single week and throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Where does the balance of power lie in Serie A?
24:18|Lars Sivertsen isn't even on the show today, but after Juventus' 0-0 draw away at Milan on Sunday night, you can hear his cries of 'make Juventus fun again' reverberating across the continent. It wasn't a vintage clash between two of Italy's great heavyweights and it's not the first time we've said that this season – what's happening to the broader entertainment value across Serie A this season?Nicky Bandini joins Andy to discuss what has made Italy's top flight so underwhelming this season, and whether we can expect better in the years to come. Plus, Christian Pulisic's goalless streak, and the race for the remaining Champions League place continues.Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***Ask OTC: Liam Rosenior’s options, Bernardo Silva’s next step and Coppa Italia predictions
38:29|Chelsea have pulled the trigger again, parting ways with Liam Rosenior after a mere four months at Stamford Bridge, so where should he go to rebuild his reputation? And after yet another managerial sacking, where should Chelsea be looking for a replacement?Lars Sivertsen joins Andy and Dotun to answer more of your questions! Could Bernardo Silva return to Benfica? Should we take notice of Club Brugge’s youth pipeline? And who’s going to win the Coppa Italia?Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***Real Sociedad win the Copa del Rey
30:35|Real Sociedad claimed their first major trophy since 2020 by winning a thrilling Copa del Rey final against Atlético Madrid. Glory for La Real, but yet more misery for Atleti.Lars Sivertsen joins Andy to discuss how unlikely American Head Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo took his side all the way. Plus, heartbreak for Diego Simeone's men after a tough couple of weeks for the Rojiblancos. Can they really pose any threat at all to a beleaguered Arsenal in the Champions League?Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***Ask OTC: Did Sporting hold back against Arsenal?
32:32|After their ruthless dismantling of Bodø/Glimt, many thought that Sporting would have something to offer an out-of-form Arsenal side - but just one goal across both legs tells a different story. It was a timid performance from Rui Borges' side, but did they deliberately take it easy?Miguel Delaney joins Andy and Dotun to answer more of your burning questions! Why does Aurelio De Laurentiis want to reform football? Do we consider Julián Alvarez one of the best forwards in Europe? And why have AC Milan fallen off in Serie A?Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***And then there were four
46:20|The Champions League served up yet another all-timer at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night with Bayern Munich putting Real Madrid to the sword. You know you're getting something special when those two teams play, but did anybody expect drama quite like that?Miguel Delaney joins Dotun and Andy to pull apart what the result means for both of those European giants. Plus, Atlético Madrid keep their magic run going by edging past La Liga rivals Barcelona, and Marie-Louise Eta makes history at Union Berlin - and about time too.Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***Ask OTC: PSG’s resurgence, Manuel Neuer’s legacy and a potential homecoming
29:25|After some questionable performances in the previous stage of the Champions League, many doubted whether PSG could retain their European crown. But after such a dominant showing in the first leg of their quarter-final tie against Liverpool, what's stopping them from going all the way to Budapest?Dotun & Andy are joined by David Cartlidge to break it down. We also talk about Manuel Neuer's place among Europe's greatest goalkeepers, the possibility of Jadon Sancho returning to Borussia Dortmund, and Italy's next head coach (according to Antonio Conte).Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***It’s only half-time...
43:22|Atlético Madrid pulled off a shock victory at Camp Nou for the first time since 2006! So, how did they do it and what do they have to do in the second leg to secure their place in the final four?David Cartlidge joins Dotun & Andy to discuss that. Plus, Bayern Munich get a big win at the Bernabéu - all credit to Vincent Kompany and his side, or was the defeat a self-inflicted one for Los Blancos? And finally, a tribute to one of football’s greatest men, Mircea Lucescu, who has sadly died at the age of 80.Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***The creation of Kylian Mbappé, with author Philippe Auclair
42:18|We've all heard the term ‘Project Mbappé’. It's used to describe parents pushing their children into football from a young age, inspired by Kylian Mbappé’s father, Wilfrid. But beneath it lies a far more deliberate story - one of meticulous planning, hyper-analysis, and a career mapped out long before Mbappé had even played professional football.Andy is joined by Philippe Auclair, author of The Mbappé Project: Making a Superstar, to explore how one of the sport's biggest players was shaped from the age of six. Every decision. Every interview. Every sponsorship. All of it, carefully calculated from the very beginning.Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: otc@footballramble.com.For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***