The Artful Nutmeg

The Newcastle United Appreciation Episode

This week we invite you to take a deep dive with us into one of the most storied clubs of English football. Today, we’re talking about Newcastle United, a club rich with history that’s undergoing a renaissance this season with manager Eddie Howe at the helm. They’ve been around for nearly 130 years, so there’s a ton of history to cover. If you’re not familiar with the Magpies, we hope you will consider them as a favorite club to follow.
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News You Should Know
Teenage World Cup workers trapped in Doha (Josimar Football) (Qatar: Six Months Post-World Cup, Migrant Workers Suffer | Human Rights Watch (hrw.org))
Analysis of the Manchester United Takeover (or lack thereof) (Goal)
Euro 2024 Power Rankings (Goal)
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
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Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

Interview With Alexander Koch - Former FIFA PR Manager and Spokesperson

In this week’s episode, things are a little different as we are lucky to have an interview with Alexander Koch. Alex Koch was a FIFA employee for 16 years as a Public Relations Manager and a Spokesperson for the Federation. We were lucky enough to get Alex’s insights and his experiences while working through his time at the company including FIFA has a governing body for the sport, the corruption that happened during 2015, and insights on more such as recent events at FIFA and the footballing world as we know.
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

How the Premier League Transformed English Football

Welcome to the 16th episode of The Artful Nutmeg. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about the most followed and widely recognized football league in the world, the English Premier League. The Premier League sits at the top of the English football pyramid and has been the most dominant league in the world. Now, in 1992, it shook the football world when teams in England’s first division went to change the economic structure of the English League and broke away to form their own league. Sounds like Super League to us. Today’s show is a deep dive into a story of big money, star players, and an ongoing fight for the soul of football.
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

Football’s Mt. Rushmore of Failed Transfer Deals

Here is the 15th episode of The Artful Nutmeg. As we reach the midpoint of the summer transfer window, we are revisiting our recurring Mt. Rushmore of Football. Unfortunately, for this episode we are looking at the biggest transfers that fell through at the last minute, making club managers look like absolute fools. These are the biggest “What not to do” stories in the football business world, and we’re excited to dive in.
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SHOW NOTES
Top Seven Reasons Why Transfers Fail for Players (Transfer Room)
Napoli Reportedly Reject £80M Manchester United Bid for Kalidou Koulibaly (Bleacher Report)
Manchester United 'in constant contact' with Napoli over Kalidou Koulibaly (Mail Online)
Chelsea complete deal for Napoli centre back (Sky Sports)
Chelsea missed out on signing Sergio Aguero BEFORE Man City (Mail Online)
Blackburn's mind-blowing reason for rejecting Zinedine Zidane and denying Prem fans' dream (Express)
Aston Villa in for #5m-rated Radamel Falcao (Mirror)
Radamel Falcao Was Offered to Aston Villa for £5M, but Boss Signed Emile Heskey (Bleacher Report)
Arsenal bid £40m plus £1 for Suárez to activate talks (The Guardian)
Former Arsenal transfer chief says why club made infamous £40m+£1 bid for Suarez, when there was NO release clause (The U.S. Sun)
The story of Luis Suarez and the £40 million + £1 bid (The Athletic)
Liverpool's Luis Suarez to Show Arsenal Exactly What They Missed out on (Bleacher Report)
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WOMEN'S WORLD CUP UPDATE
Twelve young USWNT stars who offer hope for World Cup glory in 2027 (Goal)
England star Lauren James banned for two games after stamp against Nigeria (Goal)
USWNT's disastrous World Cup exit ridiculed by Netherlands star Lineth Beerensteyn (Goal)
What Went on Down Under (One Football)
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NEWS & ANALYSIS
D.C. United terminate Taxi Fountas contract after alleged slur (Goal)
GOAL grades 2023's biggest summer transfers (Goal)
PSG slap €150 million price tag on Neymar (Goal) (It looks like theyre terminating his contract)
Harry Kane on verge of joining the German giants Bayern Munich after club record bid accepted by the penguin Daniel Levy (Fucking lmao) (One Football)
Liverpool Facing Fierce Battle with Chelsea Over Moises Caicedo (The Independent)
Chelsea Go for Caicedo, Reverse Course on £20M Offer for Tyler Adams (ESPN)
The Lucha-Roo Connection (Youtube)
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

Saudi Arabia’s Football Power Play

Thank you for tuning in for our 14th episode of The Artful Nutmeg. This week we are talking about Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a powerful force in the world of football. The country is using a near limitless well of money to draw the biggest names to their domestic league, we are looking at just a few of the steps the country has taken to assert dominance in the sporting world.
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SHOW NOTES
How Saudi Arabia under MBS is disrupting the football landscape (Indian Express)
Inside the Saudi Gold Rush (NY Times)
Saudi Pro League ‘handed £17BILLION budgetin seven-year transfer spree’ (The Sun)
Saudi Arabia: What is the nation hoping to achieve amid transfer takeover and what happens next? (Sky Sports)
Saudi Arabia, football’s big disruptors. The story of the money, the motive and the hidden disputes (The Athletic)
Why the Saudi Pro League Is the Future of Elite Football (The Ringer)
PIF acquires Saudi Pro League four largest clubs (SB Nation)
European clubs urge inquiry into Chelsea and Wolves’ Saudi Arabia transfer deals (Sports Pro Media)
UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations (Wikipedia)
How China wants to become a football heavyweight (Deutsche Welle)
Scandal-plagued China soccer hit by new corruption probes (Associated Press)
Xi Jinping wanted China to be a global soccer power. What went wrong? (CNN)
Lionel Messi to Inter Miami negotiations took three years (ESPN)
Cristiano Ronaldo says Saudi Pro League 'better' than MLS (ESPN)
MLS Season Pass nearing 1M subs prior to Messi bump, team execs frustrated with Apple’s lack of transparency (9to5 Mac)
Fans can watch Saudi Pro League games for £8.99 a month (Sport Bible)
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WOMEN'S WORLD CUP UPDATE
6 Takeaways From USWNT's Win vs. Vietnam (Bleacher Report)
USWNT vs. Netherlands: Three keys for USA (CBS)
Lionesses rusty and predictable but get job done (BBC)
Lauren Hemp confident Lionesses ‘will be raring’ for goals against Denmark (The Guardian)
Philippines stun hosts New Zealand (ESPN)
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NEWS & ANALYSIS
Lionel Messi lights up Atlanta United in first start for Inter Miami (Goal)
UK billionaire Joe Lewis, owner of Tottenham soccer team, charged with insider trading in US (Associated Press)
Saudi Arabian football club Al-Hilal makes record €330 million bid for France striker Kylian Mbappe (Euro News)
World Cup Exec says Premier League games shoud go to USA (Goal)
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

2023 Women’s World Cup Kickoff Show

Get ready for the 13th episode of The Artful Nutmeg. Today we are traveling DOWN UNDAH for our 2023 Women’s World Cup preview show. The action is popping off July 20th with a slate of great matches. Whether you’re totally behind the USA, the Lionesses or just generally interested in what’s happening, we’ll give you all the info you need to sound smart at the pub.
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SHOW NOTES
The Terror of Defending Alex Morgan (ESPN)
The Tactical Breakdown of the US Women's National Team (All for XI)
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NEWS & ANALYSIS
England goalkeeper Mary Earps hits out at Nike over kit decision: ‘Very hurtful’ (The Independent)
France's awesome Women's World Cup ad ends with unexpected twist (ESPN)
Women Are Staying In EA FC 24 Ultimate Team (Kotaku) 
The superstars playing their last Women's World Cup in 2023 (Goal)
The stars and storylines taking center stage at WWC ‘23 (The Independent)
Co-Hosts Australia have the quality to rule the world (One Football)
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

Going (ten) Hag Wild

We have reached the 12th episode of The Artful Nutmeg. Today’s episode is near and dear to Tom's heart. We’re of course talking about Manchester United Manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutch manager joined the Reds at the end of the 2021-22 season to turn around the fortunes of the club after what was United’s worst ever season. With this past season being his first year in charge, he has lifted the more storied side of Manchester back into Champions League contention.
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SHOW NOTES
Just the Wiki Facts (Wikipedia)
Erik ten Hag on Christiano Ronaldo's Exit (Bleacher Report)
How Erik ten Hag Tactical Breakdown (Youtube)
Why Mason Mount was so Coveted (Sky Sports)
The Case for Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester Evening News)
Andre Onana and Manchester United Linked (Manchester Evening News)
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NEWS & ANALYSIS
Dele Alli Tells His Story (Youtube)
UEFA Changes up the Champions League Format (ESPN, Twitter)
PSG Aiming to Add Harry Kane (One Football) 
Matt Turner has Turned Out for USA, but Arsenal Role in Question (Goal)
Trinity Rodman Bullish on 3rd World Cup Win for USA (Goal)
Women’s World Cup Central (The Athletic)
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

The Transfer Window so Far

Today’s episode is focusing on everyone’s favorite or least favorite time of the year, summer transfer window. We’ll be going through what the summer transfer window is, the significance of it, and of course some big transfers.
The Summer transfer window, known as the preseason window for the majority of leagues, is a period of 12 weeks set by FIFA in which teams may register deals with other teams/players. These registrations or signings depend on contract statuses of players. Whether they are bound by contract to a club then the player must be bought or loaned, while a player who is at the end of their contract can join a team with only the player's contract to be negotiated (No team fee).
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SHOW NOTES
 Transfer window - Wikipedia
Football transfers, rumours, market values and news | Transfermarkt
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NEWS & ANALYSIS
Ukraine Waits for a Tomorrow It Cannot See (On Soccer by Rory Smith)
Cursed or careless? Why Pulisic failed at Chelsea (Goal.com) skip?
Lionel Messi to Miami's rescue? (MLS Soccer) skip?
One Year Later: Paul Arriola (Club Eleven)
The Really Big WWC Preview ahead of July 20 Kickoff (One Football)
Time for Alessia Russo to step up (Goal.com)
USMNT Take on Canada in Gold Cup Quarters (USSoccer)
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

The 50 Plus 1 Rule

Today’s episode covers the 50+1 Rule, which is the basis of club ownership in Germany’s Bundesliga. While most clubs around the world have a single owner in the form of eccentric billionaires, Saudi Royalty, or massive corporations, there are examples of clubs that are partially or majority owned by the public. Today we will talk about clubs that are fan-owned or influenced by prominent supporter’s trusts.
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SHOW NOTE LINKS/REFERENCES
Explaining the Bundesliga's 50+1 rule (Bundesliga)
The evolution of RB Leipzig into a German heavyweight (World Soccer Talk)
About the 50+1 Rule (Wikipedia)
Are Barcelona fan-owned? (Goal)
Luton Town Supporters' Trust (LTST)
The biggest fan-owned football clubs in the world (90 Min)
INTERESTING NEWS STORIES
Anthony Hudson to remain USMNT coach through 2023 Gold Cup (MLS Soccer)
England star Rachel Daly named Women's Super League Player of the Season (Goal)
Dortmund one win away from capturing Bundesliga
Manchester United 4-1 Chelsea: Hosts secure Champions League place with thumping win (BBC)
Arsenal Man U and Newcastle all return to the Champions league. Liverpool doomed for kazakhstan. (Mo Salah post)
Ivan Toney ban details. Bets included on Brentford to lose matches while he was on loan, bets on himself to score. Bets on brentford to win while he was on the team. Admits he has a gambling addiction. (The Athletic)
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay

Welcome to Luton Town FC

In the 9th episode of the Artful Nutmeg, Tom and Daniel take a look at Luton Town FC, otherwise known as the Hatters. Before Wrexham FC took the hearts of casual and fanatical football fans, Luton Town faced a similar climb from the depths of England's football pyramid. 
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The Artful Nutmeg is the newest project by a couple of friends who share a deep love for soccer. This show explores the deeper world of soccer by examining some of the greatest stories and the lesser-known moments that have shaped the game. This podcast requires no prior knowledge of the game. Instead, this is a chance to build up appreciation for the game, its history, and the people who play for the love of it.
 
Follow The Artful Nutmeg on Twitter and Instagram
Music by Hot_Music from Pixabay