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The SweeperAuthor: Lee Wingate and Paul Watson
Welcome to The Sweeper Podcast, the unique world football show covering all 211 FIFA countries and beyond. Join Lee Wingate and Paul Watson for the best headlines from across the football world, and news, stories, insight and interviews you won't find elsewhere.Whether you're into underdogs and upsets, ultras and fan culture, groundhopping and travel, derbies and rivalries, geography and geopolitics, or simply want a break from the relentless churn of big-money football, The Sweeper Podcast has you covered!Featured topics: FIFA, UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, OFC, FIFA World Cup, FIFA World Cup qualification, UEFA EURO, UEFA Nations League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, CONCACAF Champions Cup, CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, CFU Club Shield, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League Two, AFC Challenge League, OFC Champions League, OFC Professional League, Coupe de France, Greenlandic Football Championship, San MarinoJoin us on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPodVideo & audio editing: Ralph Foster & Tom MiddlerGraphic design: The Gentlemen Creatives, Vienna Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Shakhtar Donetsk's imposter club – Plus Heidelberg’s Asian aspirations & Montserrat’s Facebook coach ad
Tuesday, 21 April, 2026
Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian club – but Russia are trying to change that!As part of their efforts to integrate occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia are now creating their own versions of major Ukrainian teams.So why are UEFA not stopping this? What lie is being told to make it happen? And could the real Shakhtar win the Conference League?On this episode, we’re taking you on a journey to Ukraine to investigate how football is being used as a weapon of war. Plus: Semi-pro Heidelberg United eye up an historic AFC berth and Montserrat search for a new head coach on Facebook.Chapters:00:00 – Intro01:25 – The copycats in Russia’s fourth tier06:22 – The Crimean Premier League08:01 – Shakhtar Donetsk’s European run11:15 – The rapid rise of LNZ Cherkasy17:31 – Heidelberg United’s AFC aspirations 20:58 – Unlikely continental qualifications25:30 – Montserrat’s unorthodox manager hunt
