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 really happening - and why it matters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chart trend
Position in the Sports chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#88#175JunJulAugSep
#3
all-time peak
1
day in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
What If... Wayne Rooney joined Manchester City in 2010?
Ahead of the Manchester derby, this week on What If... we're talking about Wayne Rooney and the hypothetical around whether he could have possibly made the switch across
Sep 13 50 min
Tactical Preview: Man United v Man City + underlying data buys
This week on the Tactical Preview we're looking ahead to the first Manchester derby of the season, as Manchester United welcome Man City to Old Trafford.
Kate Mason is j
Sep 11 39 min
Champions League boom + Garry Cook on Manchesterism
As the Champions League returns, a number of big match-ups have played out including Real Madrid taking on Inter Milan and Liverpool facing Atletico Madrid, but where is
Sep 10 44 min
Is Mourinho's Real Madrid return working?
Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Inter in their opening Champions League fixture was far from convincing.
Emma Paton is joined by The Athletic's Liam Twomey and Tomas Hill
Sep 9 35 min
Inside Everton's transfer window frustrations with Ornstein and Horncastle
After seeing a late move for Folarin Balogun collapsed Everton have been left with 18 senior first team players, something manager David Moyes seems less than pleased by.
Sep 8 44 min
Who can challenge Arsenal for the title?
Arsenal made it three wins from three at the start of the new Premier League season, coming from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates.
Emma Paton is joined by form
Sep 7 37 min
What If... Abramovich bought Spurs instead of Chelsea?
For episode two of What If... we're talking Chelsea's former owner Roman Abramovich - and the parallel universe where he buys Spurs, or even Arsenal, instead of the Blues
Sep 6 1 h 00 min
Arsenal vs Chelsea + how to rebuild a squad
Welcome back to the Tactical Preview, this week, our focus is on Arsenal vs Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Kate Mason is joined by former England goalkeeper
Sep 4 42 min
Was this the summer the Premier League ate itself?
This summer the Premier League smashed the record for spending within the division, with £1.7bn worth of transfers between Premier League clubs alone.
Kate Mason is joi
Sep 3 41 min
Inside the summer transfer window, with Ornstein and Horncastle
The transfer window is now closed after another summer of truly bonkers spending.
Emma Paton is joined by The Athletic's David Ornstein & James Horncastle to get into t
Sep 2 56 min
Transfer Deadline Day reaction, with David Ornstein
Welcome to our Deadline Day coverage with The Athletic's transfer specialist, David Ornstein, hosted by Emma Paton.
They are joined by football analyst JJ Bull and othe
Sep 1 1 h 01 min
Can Chelsea's attack sustain a title challenge?
Chelsea made it two wins from two against Brighton & Hove Albion, having scored seven goals in their opening two whilst also conceding five in that time.
Emma Paton is a
Aug 31 42 min
What If… Guardiola never became a manager?
Welcome to the first episode of a new series on The Athletic FC Podcast: What If…
Every week, host Emma Paton will be joined by a selection of The Athletic’s writers to
Aug 30 42 min
Villa vs Arsenal + who has had a quietly good transfer window?
The Tactical Preview is back and Aston Villa's clash against Arsenal is our primary focus this week.
Host Kate Mason is joined by The Athletic's data writer Thom Harris
Aug 28 45 min
Are the Big Six 'cartel' more protected than ever?
Aston Villa have seen their Europa League-winning squad torn apart during the summer transfer window, despite qualifying for this season's Champions League.
Adam Crafton
Aug 27 37 min
How can Iraola fix Isak and Wirtz?
After arriving for a combined £225m, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak’s Liverpool careers are yet to get going.
Emma Paton is joined by The Athletic's Simon Hughes, Jay
Aug 26 39 min
Ornstein transfer latest: Enzo, Barcola + Alvarez
The final week of the transfer window is the busiest time of the year and we've got you fully covered on the podcast.
Emma Paton is joined by The Athletic's Football Cor
Aug 25 48 min
Man United's alarming Hull defeat + Spurs stung by Brentford
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both fell flat on the opening weekend of the Premier League season losing to Hull City and Brentford respectively.
Emma Paton is
Aug 24 35 min
Newcastle vs Liverpool + early season tactical trends
Welcome to a brand new offering on The Athletic FC Podcast: our Tactical Preview show.
Kate Mason, Rob Green and Liam Tharme are here to run you through the biggest matc
Aug 21 45 min
Bezos and Liverpool: Is a full sale inevitable?
FSG have sold nearly 40 per cent of Liverpool to a consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, as exclusively revealed by The Athletic earlier this week.
Kate Mason
Aug 20 37 min
Chart positions
Where The Athletic FC Podcast ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 14, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Ayo is hands down the best facilitator on any soccer pod I’ve listened to. The guests are thoughtful and interesting, and I’m always learning more about the wide world of football through this show. Cheers!
Stslat · Oct 2024
I refrain from giving this show a five-star rating only because of the weekend preview which is unlistenable. Awful. I haven’t finished a single episode. I loved the odds on last season show (even though I’m not a betting man) and especially the weekend quizzes which I always paused the pod to try and answer. I literally looked forward to Fridays. Bring Dan Bardell and the crew back, please.
Ayo’s hosting has been consistently excellent. He brings in the right guests and maintains a positive atmosphere, although at times he could delve deeper into challenging questions.
While most journalists associated with the show are impartial, there are a couple of exceptions. George Caulkin’s comparison of Newcastle’s history to Manchester United’s and Simon Hughes’ assertion that Liverpool winning the Premier League would rank among the greatest achievements ever has to be one of the worst takes for me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions though.
Obedfan · Feb 2024
Way better than the garbage you get on TV. It is full of informed and unbiased information and it is my go to football podcast that isn’t specific to my team.
@dannnicus · Jan 2024
I listen to this podcast each episode, but without Mark Chapman as host I’ve noticed the conversation becomes more “banter” and less journalistic and insightful. I can understand if I’m in the minority - my favorite era of this podcast was when Mark and Matt Slater hosted the business of sport every Thursday on this channel (intro music included) - but think the feed could use some more long form or in depth coverage in that vein (which may just mean we need more Adam Crafton)
week 1 stunts · Aug 2023
This Athletic show underperforms compared to its other club specific offerings. Ayo is a solid host but they have too many guest hosts that are a big drop off. Dan in particular is just unpleasant. Constant snide remarks and has nothing nice to say about any club. He strikes me as the kind of English fan that actually takes more joy in other clubs losing than his club winning. If that’s your thing ok but it’s not for me. The show is obsessed with City acting like they are entitled to win the league and constantly run down other clubs like their wins are lucky. Honestly the show is just boring unless you’re a casual bandwagon fan who cheers for whomever is winning the league. There is very little insight or counter narrative provided in this show. Better options out there that are balanced and more interesting.
DomiciledinChicago · Dec 2024
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Athletic FC Podcast, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
