There's an adage that at the end of the season the table never lies, but with so much affecting this season's Premier League placings does it still hold true? Is it possible to understand everything that's going on in football? From financial regulations to club and country coefficients, from law changes to competition restructing, from new metrics…

Across Europe the major league titles are already almost won; in Germany, Leverkusen should seal the championship this weekend. The English top flight is the exception with a three way race that could provide the most exciting climax to a Premier League season. It's not all good news for the “Best League in the World”. This week, around the time it…

The games across the congested Easter weekend can often define what remains of a season. In England the lead changed in both the Premier League and the Championship. In women's football, Arsenal won the the first (and almost certainly their only) silverware of the season, beating Chelsea and denying Emma Hayes the quadruple in her final season at t…

The international break often leaves football news outlets scratching around for content. It's a good thing they had Ben White declining to join the England squad and Nike's cross of St George design faux pas to whip up some outrage. Trying not to dwell on such matters, we move on to discuss options for improvements to the qualification process for…

Nottingham Forest have been hit with a four point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. The loss of points has dropped them into the relegation zone but they're still ahead of the two best teams in last season's Championship, Burnley and Sheffield United. With the gap between the top flight and the EFL growin…

Like March hares, right now there a lot of people who are hopping mad. This weekend Jude Bellingham saw red for having a difference of opinion with referee over timekeeping, while in Germany a Darmstadt fan was allowed on the pitch to let the players know how terrible they are. If that wasn't enough, this weekend we also had a former top level Prem…

It's been four years since the FA Cup became a replay-less midweek round, but it still feels a bit weird. With a new domestic broadcaster taking over the competition in 2025, could more changes be on the horizon? If there are changes to be made, maybe the powers that be should consult with the fans first. The recent victory of ultras in Germany in …

Sunderland are looking for a new manager, just two months after hiring the last one, Michael Beale. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have appointed a new manager, and this time it's an interesting choice. 2022 Europa League winning head coach Oliver Glasner comes in to replace Roy Hodgson. In Germany, pressure is mounting on Thomas Tuchel, whose Bayern si…

Last week, the football laws body IFAB announced an idea they were looking to trial - the introduction of blue cards for offences punishable by a visit to a ten minute sin bin. Why, in England at least, has the idea almost universally gone down like a lead balloon? Are the decisions-makers at IFAB fixing problems that no one has asked them to fix? …

After bruising defeats at the weekend both Roy Hodgson and Mauricio Pochettino are under pressure before they face each other next Monday. Are they safe all the time no one else would touch their respective clubs? Also this week we discuss a couple of controversial off-field decision with some VAR chaos in Belgium and, closer to home, the problems …

At the end of last week it was announced that Jurgen Klopp will be leaving Liverpool, but not until the end of the season. And he wasn't the only one. The following day, Xavi confirmed that he would be leaving his role as head coach of Barcelona, meaning that two of the biggest jobs in world football will be vacant in the summer. With four months o…

This weekend games across Germany have been disrupted by fans throwing chocolate coins on the pitch as a mark of protest against plans to encourage investment in the Bundesliga, plans they feel weaken their traditional fan-ownership models. As fans groups in England look toward 50+1 as a potential future to safeguard the game, the system as it stan…

Having already been deducted ten points for breaching Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules, Everton could now face more sanctions; and Nottingham Forest could be punished too. The charges come on the same day as the EFL sent a letter to the Reading owner, Dai Yongge, demanding that he either put money into the club or sell-up, and just a …

Just before Christmas, the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA had acted illegally in sanctioning clubs looking to form a European Super League. For the clubs that lead the breakaway attempt, the ruling seems to mean that UEFA's control of football has been broken and they can push ahead with plans to restructure international club football. …

It's our Christmas special and of course that means it's time to open up all the doors on our advent calendar. Join Graham, Terry and Jan in their final podcast of 2023 as they find out who or what will be the 24 biggest talking points in football in 2024. Merry Christmas from all of us at the Sound of Football. For a full list of all the doors ope…

While other major leagues in Europe are struggling to get good TV deals, the Premier League has once again secured a big uplift. The new domestic TV deal will see even more games broadcast live; the vast majority of which will be on Sky who, after the withdrawal of Amazon, now have twice as many matches than when they had exclusive rights. Also thi…

The FA Cup third round draw has given us box office fixtures this season with Arsenal v Liverpool and Sunderland v Newcastle. While such ties are mouth-watering, some would suggest they lack the romance that makes the competition special. Should the FA Cup third round be seeded to guarantee bigger ties for smaller clubs reaching that stage? Would m…

In the finest Sound of Football tradition, going back to the earliest days of the podcast, we present our fake draw for next summer's Euros in Germany. Being in separate seeding pots, there's potential for England, Scotland and Wales to be drawn into the same group (though Wales still need to get through a tricky pair of play-off matches). There's …

Everton have been hit with an immediate 10-point deduction for breaching Premier League financial rules. Their guilt would appear to be undeniable but is the punishment fitting when the champions Manchester City sit top of the table with 115 outstanding charges against them. Also this week, we discuss the plans announced by Brighton & Hove Albion t…

Last week the NWSL announced a new TV deal that has the potential to change the landscape of women's football globally. Will the WSL or other European leagues be able to compete with the new financial strength of the US league? Also this week, at the start of the third international break - notoriously the most convenient for clubs to ditch their m…

It was another weekend of VAR controversary in the Premier League but this weekend its failures were a matter of opinion rather than fact. Mikel Arteta was left fuming when his Arsenal side were denied three inconclusive shouts to disallow the only goal of the game against Newcastle. Then on Monday night the London derby between Spurs and Chelsea d…

Problems on and off the pitch has been the story of the season so far for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, with an uninspiring defeat at home to City just the latest disappointment. Jobs in football management don't get much tougher than the seat once held by Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson. The same could also be said of the job at Spurs bu…

Bobby Charlton won everything worth winning in football, but more importantly he won the admiration of his peers and fans around the globe. We look at the legacy of the England legend who passed away at the weekend aged 86. We also discuss the impending bidding process for domestic TV rights for the Premier League. With leagues across Europe strugg…

The much-discussed takeover of Manchester United has now become just the sale of a minority stake in the club. This week saw Sheikh Jassim withdraw from the race, leaving OGC Nice's owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the only bidder. But now instead of paying £5bn for the whole club, the deal now looks to be £1.25bn for 25% What all this means for the club…

This week saw some big announcements of hosts for major international tournaments. The five nations of UK and Ireland will host the 2028 Euros, Turkey and Italy will host the competition in 2032, and the 2030 World Cup will see games in six different countries. Are tournaments too big now for anyone other than petro-states to take on? With the ball…