On episode two of Football Architects, we’re focusing on the rise that took a stagnant Belgium to number one in FIFA’s world rankings.

We’ll hear about how they established a footballing DNA, and created a team of legendary players such as Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, and many more.

Every episode will also have a written piece on the website, which we will link below.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6445749/2025/07/10/football-architects-inside-belgium-rise-world-number-one/

Host: Michael Bailey

With: Jacob Whitehead and Liam Tharme

Producer: Mike Stavrou

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Football Architects - a summer series for The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast.

Over the next five weeks, we’ll tell the stories of esteemed footballing nations and clubs, speaking to the unsung heroes who changed history.

Today’s episode is focused on Ajax’s rebirth and how the club was rebuilt in the image of legendary figure Johan Cruyff.

Host Michael Bailey will be joined by The Athletic’s Jacob Whitehead and a number of our tactics writers. We’ll also be hearing excerpts of Jacob's interviews with key figures who were at the forefront of these projects.

On this episode, we hear from Ruben Jongkind, former head of talent development at Ajax, and the club’s former head talent recruitment, Jasper van Leeuwen.

Every episode will also have a written piece on the website, which we will link below.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6445365/2025/07/03/football-architects-rebuilding-ajax-johan-cruyff/

Host: Michael Bailey

With: Jacob Whitehead and Liam Tharme

Producer: Mike Stavrou

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this final show of the season, we’re bringing you the eagerly anticipated listener mailbag.

We’ll focus on strikerless systems, wing-backs vs full-backs and much, much more.

Host: Michael Bailey

With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme

Producer: Mike Stavrou

On behalf of the entire Tactics team, thank you for all of your entries and your support this season. Please complete our listener survey: https://forms.gle/atPcQnohDvRWQG2M7

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, we’re reviewing the 2024-25 season - looking at statistical trends across the Premier League.

We’ll also focus on the teams who impressed us, and those who disappointed us.

Host: Michael Bailey

With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme

Producer: Mike Stavrou

Listener survey: https://forms.gle/atPcQnohDvRWQG2M7

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition of The Athletic FC Tactics podcast - Duncan Alexander, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme preview the Champions League final between Inter and PSG.

Two teams with contrasting styles meet in the final in Munich - so we break down how we think this one might play out.

Host: Duncan Alexander

With: Mark Carey and Liam Tharme

Producer: Mike Stavrou and Liam Warburton

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, it’s alternative team of the season time!

To remind you of the rules, instead of focusing on the top teams - we all pick an eleven with one player from each of the bottom 10 teams in the Premier League table (as it stands on Thursday 22nd May) and then one “wildcard” player - basically one other player from the bottom half clubs.

Host: Michael Bailey

With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme.

Producers: Mike Stavrou and Steve Hankey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we’re talking Italian managers.

Specifically… Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte.

Ancelotti will be joining the Brazilian men’s national team this summer, drawing his second spell at Real Madrid to a close.

Meanwhile, Antonio Conte could be about to win the Scudetto with a third Italian club… potentially adding Napoli to his successes with Juventus and Internazionale.

Broadly speaking, Ancelotti has been more successful in European competitions — with Conte having a better success rate bringing home the domestic bacon.

But is there something in their tactical philosophies that has caused this? That’s what we talk about in this episode.

Host: Michael Bailey

With: Michael Cox, Mark Carey and Liam Tharme.

Producer: Steve Hankey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, we’re focused on the second legs of the Champions League semi-finals.

We’ll analyse a tie for the ages - Inter’s 7-6 aggregate win over Barcelona. And also PSG’s victory against Arsenal.

Host: Michael Bailey

With: Mark Carey and Liam Tharme

Producer: Mike Stavrou

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.