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On The Continent - A European Football Podcast
Unstoppable forces and immovable objects | 2026 FIFA World Cup
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The semi-finals of the World Cup are upon us! First up is a clash which really could be a final in itself, France vs Spain. Will Lamine Yamal take it up a gear, or will the enduring force of Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise prove that the French have more firepower than the Spanish?
David Cartlidge joins Dotun and Andy to preview that ginormous fixture. Meanwhile, two of the tournament's main underachievers have already moved on to their new shiny things. Are Jorge Jesus and Jürgen Klopp the right men to improve Portugal and Germany's respective fortunes?
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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Ask OTC: Why do so many elite managers fail at international football?
34:05|Carlo Ancelotti, Julian Nagelsmann, Ronald Koeman. These managers have proved themselves at club level, but why do they falter in international football? What are the biggest differences between coaching a national team and a club?Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge are here to answer your World Cup questions! Which players have boosted their chances of a big move this summer? Was the 48-team format a success? Could regular club matches be split into four quarters?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!***Spain win the World Cup! | 2026 FIFA World Cup
41:26|It's sweet victory for the European continent at this year's World Cup, with Spain taking the honours. Congratulations to them and the team Luis de la Fuente so brilliantly built. So, just how did he do it? And might they be the side to dominate international football for the next decade?David Cartlidge sits down with Dotun and Andy to discuss that. Plus, how do we reflect on the tournament as a whole? Are we pleased with the performances of our European sides at the World Cup? Are we witnessing a re-forming of the hierarchy in European football? And how do we assess FIFA's role in all of this?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 final is set | 2026 FIFA World Cup
39:13|Our 2026 World Cup final is locked in. An incredible performance by Luis de la Fuente's Spain sets up a tantalising final against Argentina.Nicky Bandini joins Andy to break down what went right for Spain and what went very, very wrong for Didier Deschamps and France. Plus, as Lionel Scaloni's side battle past England, we debate whether they should be starting Lautaro Martínez or Julián Alvarez alongside Lionel Messi in the final.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 return of old friends | 2026 FIFA World Cup
40:16|It's a week of reunions over these World Cup quarter-finals. First up, a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco. It's funny how much (and also how little) can change in four years. Plus, Borussia Dortmund's two great exports of recent times face up as Erling Haaland's Norway prepares for battle with Jude Bellingham's England.Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy to dive into those two fixtures. Elsewhere, Belgium face their toughest test against Spain, while their former coach Roberto Martínez leaves Portugal. Has he really wasted two golden generations?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!***Norway stun Brazil, France battle past Paraguay & the Iberian derby | 2026 FIFA World Cup
39:28|Well, would you look at that! Norway, appearing at their first World Cup since 1998, have knocked five-time world champions Brazil out of the World Cup. But... are we really in a position to call that a shock?Jonathan Johnson joins Dotun and Andy to debate that and discuss the problems they may cause England in the quarter-finals. Plus, the French juggernaut keeps on moving, despite Paraguay's best efforts, and we have a proper battle of the big boys as Portugal take on Spain tonight.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!***Belgium squeeze through, Mbappé's brilliance, and the big boys crash out | 2026 FIFA World Cup
53:24|Belgium were down and out... until they weren't! Romelu Lukaku was the man to kick-start the Belgian revival in Seattle. But are they doing anything more than just covering the cracks?David Cartlidge joins Dotun and Andy to dissect last night's action. Plus, Kylian Mbappé's brilliance shines through once again and we have our first major European casualties! Despair for Germany as they lose on penalties to Paraguay, but can anybody really say they're surprised? And after Ronald Koeman's Dutch exit, will we see similar from Julian Nagelsmann?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!***How FC Augsburg are capitalising on the World Cup | 2026 FIFA World Cup
38:06|If you’ve ever wondered how elite clubs in Europe use the World Cup to improve things back home, you’ve come to the right place!On today’s OTC Special, Andy is joined by FC Augsburg CEO Michael Ströll and Sporting Director Benjamin Weber to discuss how they are utilising the world’s biggest tournament to benefit their club.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!***Bring on the jeopardy | 2026 FIFA World Cup
49:28|The 72-game group stage of the 2026 World Cup has come to an end and the knockouts have begun! So, after we've seen what our European sides have to offer, how are we feeling about their chances?Jonathan Johnson joins Dotun and Andy to assess the main runners and riders (all still standing... for now). Are France and Spain still our favourites? Have Germany and the Netherlands been a pleasant surprise? And can we still call Portugal a contender for the tournament?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!***