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The Athletic FC Podcast

The Athletic
Premier League
Manchester City
Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur
World Cup
Manchester United
Chelsea
Liverpool
Champions League
Chelsea Football Club
Real Madrid
Liverpool Football Club
Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona
Brighton & Hove Albion
Argentina
Cristiano Ronaldo
Pep Guardiola
Spain
Crystal Palace

The Athletic's flagship football podcast is with you six days a week, bringing unrivalled analysis from the biggest stories in world football. New host Emma Paton is joined by the likes of David Ornstein, Adam Crafton, Matt Slater and James Horncastle. The show takes you inside the biggest stories in football told by the best reporters in the business. We cut through the noise to tell you what’s r... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes1477Founded7 years ago
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Artwork for The Athletic FC Podcast

Latest Episodes

After Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth it looked as though time was up for Michael Carrick.

But with news he’ll stay in charge for Saturday’s game against Chelsea, is this really a show of faith or just a stay of execution?

Emma Paton ... more

Harry Kane won the Ballon d'Or on Monday night, pipping Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal to the award.

But with just two players in the top 20 in the rankings, how can the Premier League claim to be the best league in the world when so many of the spo... more

Michael Carrick's future is hanging by a thread at Man United after his side were embarrassed by Bournemouth at a mutinous Old Trafford on Sunday.

But with the club’s hierarchy in the spotlight, will sacking Carrick solve United’s problems?

Plus, h... more

YouTube

With the Ballon d'Or fast approaching, this week’s episode of ‘What If’, Emma is joined in the studio by The Athletic’s Tim Spiers, Dan Kilpatrick and Jack Pitt-Brooke to pick apart the unfathomable… What if Messi and Ronaldo didn’t exist?

Who score... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
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Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Tim Spiers
The Athletic roving reporter
The Athletic
Episode: What If... We erased the Messi-Ronaldo era?
Dan Kilpatrick
The Athletic news editor
The Athletic
Episode: What If... We erased the Messi-Ronaldo era?
Jack Pitt-Brooke
The Athletic Spurs and England correspondent
The Athletic
Episode: What If... We erased the Messi-Ronaldo era?
Adam Webster
Former Brighton defender
Episode: Chelsea vs Spurs + how are Brighton this good?
Laurie Whitwell
Manchester United correspondent who interviewed Erik ten Hag
The Athletic
Episode: PSG’s three-peat war path + Ten Hag fallout
Jon Mackenzie
Football analyst and Tifo contributor
The Athletic
Episode: Who is the best team in Europe right now?
JJ Bull
Football analyst and Tifo contributor
The Athletic
Episode: Who is the best team in Europe right now?
Seb Stafford-Bloor
German football correspondent
The Athletic
Episode: Who is the best team in Europe right now?
Rob Green
Former England goalkeeper and football pundit
Episode: Is it time to take Brighton seriously?

Hosts

Adam Leventhal
Host of The Athletic FC Podcast
Emma Paton
Host of The Athletic FC Podcast
Adam Crafton
Sports journalist, The Athletic

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 5.1k ratings
  • Pro Man City

    Terrible pod. Rob Green as average a pundit as he was a player and to defend Man City is so off from where fans are at the moment

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Nathan C UK
    United Kingdom17 days ago
  • Great insight

    Podcast Addict
    5
    etbyrne
    a month ago
  • Biased coverage

    Only worth a listen if you’re a fan of the so called Big 6, despite the Athletic offering dedicated podcasts to these teams.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    BalginOP
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Decent to awful

    Analytical discussions featuring knowledgeable journalists has now moved on to giggling presenters talking about pointless stats and playing silly games!

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    kmdbok
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Hit or miss

    Like some of the commentators like David ornstein, I could leave most of the rest tho. Not very impartial- pretty England biased.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Nicknotnicholas
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

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

High-quality transfer and governance analysis but some episodes feel repetitive.
Overall, guests are top-tier and discussions are insightful for sponsors and pitching.
Critiques of host bias and overemphasis on certain clubs.
Strong access to top reporters and insider perspectives.
Listeners mention an increasing amount of betting ads in episodes.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Who is the best team in Europe right now?
Q: What do we think the weak spots in these teams are?
The panel points to Arsenal's difficulty creating against compact defenses, Barcelona's vulnerability to counterattacks, PSG's exposed spaces during buildup and aggressive pressing, and Bayern's reliance on key players including Harry Kane and Dayot Upamecano.
Who is the best team in Europe right now?
Q: Who is the best collective team?
The panel favors Barcelona and PSG. Barcelona are praised for their attacking connections, squad upgrades and improved control, while PSG's depth and recent Champions League success remain compelling strengths.
PSG’s three-peat war path + Ten Hag fallout
Q: Some of the quotes from the first piece that caused a lot of traction yesterday were those about Cristiano Ronaldo, Erik Ten Hag saying that Ronaldo let the team down. Were you surprised by some of those comments when you were speaking to him?
Whitwell says he expected Ten Hag to discuss Ronaldo but was surprised by the strength of his comments. Ten Hag said Ronaldo did not do the running he wanted in training to improve fitness and match his expectations.
PSG’s three-peat war path + Ten Hag fallout
Q: Laurie, how do you think he views his legacy at United now?
Whitwell says Ten Hag is proud of the trophies and major occasions during his tenure, while acknowledging poor league results and arguing that the club's takeover undermined his work.
Chelsea vs Spurs + how are Brighton this good?
Q: How are Brighton so good?
The panel credits Brighton's coordinated, intense pressing, team understanding and dangerous set pieces. Webster also notes that goals are coming from multiple players and that the team is defending strongly.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Athletic FC Podcast

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

A global football-focused discussion that blends on-the-ground reporting with deep-dive analysis on transfers, governance, and league evolution. Episodes frequently feature subject-matter experts, club insiders, and senior journalists who dissect major stories—from World Cup dynamics and MLS 3.0 to European power shifts and sponsorships—while keeping a sharp eye on what these moves mean for teams, markets, and fans. Notable strengths include access to top reporters, timely transfer chatter, and governance debates that push beyond surface-level coverage, making it useful for audiences who want context-rich perspectives and strategic implications for brands and sponsors in football.

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Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Athletic FC Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Athletic FC Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Athletic FC Podcast get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Athletic FC Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Athletic FC Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Athletic FC Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Athletic FC Podcast:

1. The Totally Football Show with James Richardson
2. Tifo Football Podcast
3. Football Weekly
4. The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast
5. Football Daily

How many episodes of The Athletic FC Podcast are there?

The Athletic FC Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 1477 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Athletic FC Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Athletic FC Podcast?

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Athletic FC Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on The Athletic FC Podcast?

Recent guests on The Athletic FC Podcast include:

1. Tim Spiers
2. Dan Kilpatrick
3. Jack Pitt-Brooke
4. Adam Webster
5. Laurie Whitwell
6. Jon Mackenzie
7. JJ Bull
8. Seb Stafford-Bloor

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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