On The Continent - A European Football Podcast

We've all heard the term ‘Project Mbappé’. It's used to describe parents pushing their children into football from a young age, inspired by Kylian Mbappé’s father, Wilfrid. But beneath it lies a far more deliberate story - one of meticulous planning, hyper-analysis, and a career mapped out long before Mbappé had even played professional football.

Andy is joined by Philippe Auclair, author of The Mbappé Project: Making a Superstar, to explore how one of the sport's biggest players was shaped from the age of six. Every decision. Every interview. Every sponsorship. All of it, carefully calculated from the very beginning.

Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: [email protected].

For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.

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After failing to return to training, Romelu Lukaku's future at Napoli hangs in the balance. It seems unbelievable given his relationship with Antonio Conte, but is Lukaku's absence reflective of his time in Naples?

Nicky Bandini stands first in line to answer that as she joins Dotun and Andy to answer more of your questions! Could Nico Schlotterbeck be on the move? How has Ashley Cole performed at Cesena? And if you had to watch just one country’s football forever, which would it be?

Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: [email protected].

For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***
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Yet another disastrous qualification campaign has ended with Italy failing to reach the World Cup for the third successive time. First under Gian Piero Ventura in 2017, then in 2022 with Roberto Mancini, and now in 2026 under the management of Gennaro Gattuso.

Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy to express her disappointment, but it's not all doom and gloom! There was euphoria for Sweden, Türkiye, and the Czech Republic as they all qualified to play in North America. And finally, back in club football, Bayern Munich's Harry Kane is out with an injury sustained while on international duty. Can they compete without their star man up top?

Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: [email protected].

For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***
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The news of Mohamed Salah's Liverpool exit reverberated across the football world. Some have linked him to the Saudi Pro League, others to MLS - but would staying in Europe actually be his best move? And if so, where should he go next?

Nicky Bandini joins Andy and Dotun to tackle more of your questions. Were Ligue 1 right to accommodate PSG's Champions League schedule? Could Jürgen Klopp return to coaching? And what are Austria's chances at the World Cup?

Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: [email protected].

For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Italy, we send you one simple message ahead of your World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland tonight. Please, all you have to do is not screw it up. But will it really be as straight forward as it should - emphasis on SHOULD - be for a nation that hasn't been at the world's biggest tournament since 2014?

Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy to share her anxiety. Plus, after La Liga's most drawn out transfer story of all time, Antoine Griezmann is finally set to leave Atlético Madrid for Orlando City in the summer! How will he be remembered at the Metropolitano? And Endrick, now at Lyon, is back in the Brazil squad. But please, let's not make the obvious Pelé comparisons... or maybe we just can't help ourselves!

Ask us a question on X, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: [email protected].

For ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.