Rephonic
Artwork for The FootPol Podcast
Football
Politics
Women's Football
FIFA
Gaza
World Cup
Exeter City FC
Fan Ownership
Sectarianism
Israel
Ireland
Community Engagement
Football Academy
Hong Kong
Spain
Women’s Football
Racism
Local Community Initiatives
Exeter, United Kingdom
China

The podcast that brings together football and politics. We'll be exploring the relationship between the two, both inside and outside the game.The podcast covers "Big Politics" like politicians, clubs, international and national federations and other organised groups and how they use or abuse the game to "Small, Everyday Politics" in the form of community-level clubs, fan associations and the way t... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes111Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SportsSoccerPoliticsNews

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Artwork for The FootPol Podcast

Latest Episodes

Marie-Louise Eta’s appointment at FC Union Berlin in the Bundesliga in April made history as she became the first woman to take charge of a men’s team in one of Europe’s top five leagues. But the reality behind the headline is more complex than the m... more

What if football is following the same path as social media: hook the users, lock them in, then squeeze them for everything they're worth? In this episode, we talk to Mark O'Neill, a doctoral researcher at Westminster University, about the “enshittif... more

The 2026 World Cup is already generating political heat long before kick-off. In this episode, Francesco is joined by Tamir Bar-On and Danyel Reiche, sport and politics experts and editors of a new special issue in Soccer & Society on the World Cup 2... more

With the 2026 World Cup just weeks away, France once again enters the tournament as one of football’s superpowers — but what does the French national team actually represent in modern France? In this gripping episode, co-hosts Guy Burton and Francesc... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Mark O'Neill
Doctoral researcher at Westminster University; PhD on ownership regulations in football
Westminster University
Episode: Hook, Lock and Squeeze: Football's Enshittification ft. Mark O'Neill
Danyel Reiche
Associate professor at the Department of Government and Society, United Arab Emirates University
United Arab Emirates University
Episode: World Cup 2026 special issue ft. Danyel Reiche & Tamir Bar-On
Tamir Bar-On
Assistant professor at the Rabdan Academy; specialist on radical right, extremism and terrorism; extensive work on sport and politics
Rabdan Academy
Episode: World Cup 2026 special issue ft. Danyel Reiche & Tamir Bar-On
Jonathan Ervine
Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies
Bangor University
Episode: How France’s Football Became a Political Battleground ft. Jonathan Ervine
Karym Leito
Junior researcher in Curaçao and sports history at Radboud University; lecturer at The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Radboud University, The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Episode: 2026 World Cup Debutants: How Curaçao Built a World Cup Team in the Netherlands ft. Karym Leito & Margo Groenewoud
Margo Groenewoud
Historian of the Caribbean and heritage consultant
Leiden University
Episode: 2026 World Cup Debutants: How Curaçao Built a World Cup Team in the Netherlands ft. Karym Leito & Margo Groenewoud
Graham Cornwell
Historian and writer focusing on football and globalization
Box2Box (Board President)
Episode: Can Football Explain Globalisation? Revisiting the Theory ft. Graham Cornwell
Curtis Ryan
Middle East scholar with football and politics interests
Appalachian State University
Episode: 2026 World Cup Debutants: Jordan's Football Story ft. Curtis Ryan
Sandeep Menon
Journalist, author and educator; author of Sacred Grounds
Author, Sacred Grounds: A Journey Through People's Football in India
Episode: Sacred Grounds: People's Football in India ft. Sandeep Menon

Hosts

Guy Burton
Co-host; FootPol Podcast
Francesco Belcastro
Co-host; FootPol Podcast

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 37 ratings
  • New favourite

    I’ve heard people say you shouldn’t mix sport and politics, I couldn’t disagree more. This podcast fills a fascinating gap left by conventional sport podcasts

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    alexisgoodwin
    United Kingdom9 months ago
  • New favourite

    I’ve heard people say you shouldn’t mix sport and politics, I couldn’t disagree more.

    This podcast fills a fascinating gap left by conventional sport podcasts

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    alexisgoodwin
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • It’s more than a game…

    Enjoyed all three of the episodes I’ve so far heard.

    Hoping for an episode unpacking the dinamo zagreb/Red star game of 1990

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    5areen
    United Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality, thoughtful discussions with diverse guests
Clear edge on linking sport and politics
Polished, evidence-based analysis that goes beyond game summaries

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#129
Russia/Sports/Soccer
Apple Podcasts
#227
Sweden/Sports/Soccer

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Hook, Lock and Squeeze: Football's Enshittification ft. Mark O'Neill
Q: Is this phenomenon primarily a recent development, or was it built into football from the start?
It's likely a mix of design choices and unintended consequences; the Premier League's inception in the 1990s aimed to maximize commercial opportunities, which over time led to more TV revenue and new formats, while the balance between regulation and commercialization increasingly favored revenue generation.
Hook, Lock and Squeeze: Football's Enshittification ft. Mark O'Neill
Q: Could you tell us what the concept of inshittification means and how you apply it to football?
The term describes a three-phase process where online platforms move from attracting users with low costs and great features to focusing on business customers and advertisers, eventually squeezing users and businesses for financial value while degrading product quality; applied to football, it explains regulatory capture, expanded match calendars, and new competitions as ways clubs and regulators extract revenue at the expense of fans and players.
World Cup 2026 special issue ft. Danyel Reiche & Tamir Bar-On
Q: Could you remind us the title of the special issue and clarify its status?
The North American World Cup 2026 is published in Soccer & Society by Taylor & Francis, with many articles already online, some open access.
World Cup 2026 special issue ft. Danyel Reiche & Tamir Bar-On
Q: But before we go there, can I ask you something a bit more generic on kind of the relationship between sport and politics, just to start our conversation?
We discussed how major tournaments reveal nationalism, sovereignty, and legitimacy, and how hosting can reflect broader political aims and power dynamics.
Class Act: Football and the English Working Class ft. Josh Bland
Q: Beyond the UK, do you see similar dynamics in other countries or continents?
While I don't have the same depth of expertise for every country, I anticipate similar patterns in places with strong industrial legacies and football cultures, and I'm planning to test these theories in Europe and beyond, looking at clubs connected to industrial histories.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The FootPol Podcast

What is The FootPol Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A show at the intersection of football and politics, exploring how the sport reflects and shapes both broad governance and everyday community power. Episodes routinely examine national identity, governance of the game, fan culture, and diaspora connections, often through scholarly guests, journalists, and practitioners. Notable strengths include rigorous, interdisciplinary analysis, a global lens on football systems, and thoughtful critique of governance, sponsorship, and social impact. Listeners who want nuanced context on how football intersects with policy, culture, and social issues will likely find it especially engaging, with accessible storytelling that ties big ideas to concrete examples from leagues, national teams, and fan movemen... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The FootPol Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The FootPol Podcast:

1. The Football Heritage Podcast
2. It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast
3. Libero
4. The Sweeper - A World Football Podcast
5. The End of Sport

How many episodes of The FootPol Podcast are there?

The FootPol Podcast launched 3 years ago and published 111 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The FootPol Podcast?

Recent guests on The FootPol Podcast include:

1. Mark O'Neill
2. Danyel Reiche
3. Tamir Bar-On
4. Jonathan Ervine
5. Karym Leito
6. Margo Groenewoud
7. Graham Cornwell
8. Curtis Ryan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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