The Sporting Almanac Podcast

<p><strong>World Cup Series Ep. 5 - Andrés Escobar</strong></p><p>El Caballero del Fútbol - The Gentleman of Football - a nickname given to a centre back whose stature, calm head and elegance led him to the pinnacle of World Cup football amongst a generational team, only for their 1994 campaign to end in heartbreak and disaster beyond the scope of just the sport.</p><p>Andrés Escobar was held in high regard both on and off the pitch. A cultured defender and a leader of Colombia's golden generation, he embodied everything supporters hoped their national team could be - intelligent, humble, dignified and respected by teammates and opponents alike. Yet a single moment at the 1994 World Cup would place him at the centre of one of football's darkest tragedies.</p><p>More than thirty years later, Andrés Escobar remains a symbol of grace, decency and everything football can lose when the game becomes entangled with true darkness.</p>

<p><strong>World Cup Series Ep. 4 - Refereeing Controversy</strong></p><p>It is said referees have the hardest job in football. You can do your job perfectly 99.9% of the time, and have your entire career defined by the 0.1%. You are a figure of hatred, of derision, sometimes even of violent intent. But you lace up your boots, pick up your whistle and go again next week.</p><p>As football fans, most of us can forgive minor mistakes, basic human error. But when a decision decides if your nation progresses or goes home, when a decision leads to injury or farce, or simply when you cannot believe the evidence of your own eyes that an error so brazen can be allowed - we universally cannot stand for it.</p><p>Today we present our top 10 refereeing controversies, from 1930 through to the modern day. We have dodgy timekeeping, fascist influencers, bloody battles, hands of God and possibly the single worst challenge in football history going unpunished.</p><p>There is pure speculation on our part, as always, such as wondering how one host nation in South Korea, 2002, can be the beneficiary of so many fortuitous decisions during their run to the semi-finals, and what might motivate an organisation such as FIFA to facilitate such good luck. Theoretically, of course.</p><p></p><p>Mentioned in the episode (viewer discretion is advised) - Schumacher's challenge on Battiston in Seville, 1982.</p><p>https://youtu.be/6FtBPjqOlEg?is=H1CY6jBzl09_Lsng</p>

<p><strong>World Cup Series Ep. 3 - FIFA's Corruption</strong></p><p>FIFA would claim that it is individuals that are corrupt, not the organisation itself. Well, our counter to that would be that an organisation that sets itself up with such a concentration of power amid a sea of wealth, with little oversight and so much money to be made cannot deflect blame when corruption becomes endemic.</p><p>When Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in late 2010, a domino was pushed over. Rumours of corruption made it to the FBI, and a group of agents - some soccer mad, some veterans of mob takedowns - began to investigate.</p><p>Today, we discuss how those dominos fell, from Chuck Blazer to Jack Warner to Sepp Blatter himself, and how the house of cards came tumbling down - only to go on under Gianni Infantino with a few cosmetic changes and a promise of more oversight. Criminal organisations always find a way of going on with a new generation, after all.</p>

<p><strong>World Cup Series Ep. 2 - Origin Story</strong></p><p>With the World Cup a little over 24 hours away, we talk about the tournament, its truly terrible format, and about exactly why it is coming home.</p><p>We also delve into the World Cup and FIFA's origin stories, about Uruguay 1930 and how the tournaments finances have evolved to today - setting us up nicely for the next episode...</p><p>--------------------------------</p><p>Credit: This episode contains music from Fesliyan Studios. Find their huge collection at https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/</p>

<p><strong>World Cup Series Ep. 1 - The England Squad</strong></p><p>With the club season for English teams now done and dusted, we turn our attention for the next two months to the biggest stage of all - the FIFA World Cup.</p><p>In the first part of our multi-part series, we discuss who we'd have picked for the England squad, our reaction to the selections made and our feelings about where England's strengths and weaknesses lie.</p><p>In future episodes we'll be covering World Cup history, controversies, shocks and tragedies, as well as - of course - discussing FIFA's sordid recent past and its impact on the game and the tournament as a whole.</p>