Beyond The Pitch

Joining for a special added extra time segment is David Larkin, a sports attorney and legal counsel for ChangeFIFA as new allegations from stellar work by The Sunday Times have erupted with serious consequences to the long term legitimacy of the Qatar 2022 World Cup bid as well as having the real potential to force wider scale issues for the FIFA presidency itself. At the core of these allegations is the appearance of leaked evidence that now confirms the worst fears and ramifications once rumored and speculated, and which in turn now erodes a number of narratives that once split the Qatar 2022 bid from the failed candidacy of Mohamed bin Hammam, who was once a major power broker as head of the AFC and member of the Executive Committee before his exile from the halls of FIFA. We examine the allegations, what they suggest and their application against a wall of political theatre and posturing ahead of the World Cup and a FIFA Congress which will set into motion yet another FIFA election for its presidency. We also examine the depth of how the politics set out for the tiny nation of Qatar who has focused on sport with almost laser precision as part of a larger soft power strategy that has largely backfired and finds itself awash in media spin that paints a misguided portrait of what is at stake and how many of the key players have operated since 2008.

In this edition we have two very special guests who help us break down some of the biggest stories in football at the moment as the haze of the UEFA Champions League settles on Real Madrid and one big decision by US National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has sent shockwaves throughout American Soccer as its all time goalscorer has been eliminated from the final 23 for Brazil leaving even more questions than answers. In part one football writer, commentator and now author Ben Lyttleton help us take a look at the issue of the Champions League final featuring the first one-city matchup to look at the key facets of the victory, but more importantly the many facets that will now emerge in its aftermath. Questions not only surround the futures of some key faces among the players who took Real Madrid to the brink for Diego Simeone, but also there are some players who face uncertain second seasons under Carlo Ancelotti as well, but no more important are the terms under which Atletico Madrid will operate should its charismatic manager choose to move on the offers that could come his way very soon. We also examine a strange move by PSG for the services of Chelsea FC defender David Luiz in the early stages and preview a couple of true European darkhorses that begin nowhere else but France and Belgium with a kind shootout to the Swiss national team who should not be overlooked. In part two, ESPN FC correspondent Jeff Carlisle joins the show to examine the many facets of the decision to remove Landon Donovan from the ranks of the top 23 for the US National Team. This includes a look at the Julian Green sweepstakes and whether the explanations put forth by Jurgen Klinsmann lack clarity and sure purpose given the nature of the performances going into the recent camp at Stanford and whether this messy divorce finds its roots in an odd decision by Landon Donovan to take his sabbatical a year ago. We explore a number of angles there, including a makeshift roster than has clear needs and maybe a glaring hole in its backline as the roster has been pruned of some valuable experience on the heels of a coaching shake-up that appears to be painting the picture of some misguided decisions made even more complicated as Landon Donovan seized the MLS goalscoring record over the weekend, fueling yet even more speculation and consternation amongst the bulk of US supporters.

In this episode of the show we have two excellent guests including the head coach and sporting director for the New York Cosmos, Giovanni Savarese, as his club takes an important turn into the thick of a second league season with a first venture into the US Open Cup not far behind, and then commentator Janusz Michallik helps us preview the Champions League final along with a number of hot button storylines across Europe. First up it is the New York Cosmos and one of the key figures behind the early success of the Cosmos in its reboot season, the coach who keeps the team focused and determined and seeking even more success in year two at the helm of the defending champions. We discuss some of the changes in year two, the arrival of two key strikers to improve the offensive output, the US Open Cup, as well as a look into his background as both a player and a coach, before examining the growth of the sport in the New York area since the 1990s. Also discussed is the challenges of year two and a look at the big question of youth development to identify some opportunity areas and key factors that make the objective of bringing youth team players to the professional ranks so difficult and how much of this is dependent on environment. Then in the second part of the show, commentator Janusz Michallik starts nowhere else but the Champions League final between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, the first time that a city was host to both finalists, and also presenting a unique set of factors tied to so many intangibles as injuries to key players seem destined to tilt this match. In fact, destiny has so many faces in this incredible matchup as Diego Simeone looks to block the grand quest of his city rivals as they seek La Decima against an Atletico side that continues to defy logic and expectation, yet might just be the team with all the intangibles on its side. We also look to a number of clubs across Europe as Arsenal seals its first trophy in 9 years with the FA Cup, then we revisit an empty close to the season for Chelsea and take a first glance at Louis van Gaal at Manchester United before ending on the confusing and illogical phase of what could be the last days for Clarence Seedorf at AC Milan as rumors and speculation swell around the Rossoneri having failed to qualify for both European competitions in 2014-15.

In yet another Added Extra Time segment David Amoyal takes us through another whirlwind look at all the major emerging stories in Italy as another Serie A season comes to a close with managerial speculation and early mercato activity already coming to the forefront on the heels of an Antonio Conte standoff with Juventus. We examine his clear motivations and tactics as he seeks assurances from Director Beppe Marotta and how a contract extension for Andrea Pirlo and another year commitment from young superstar Paul Pogba will go a long way toward his return after an historic season with The Old Lady. We also take a look into the emerging details of two offers for young Italian strikers from Germany and how each will begin to shape the market in advance of the World Cup where the Azzurri looks set to unveil as deep an attack as any nation this summer. Torino hitman Ciro Immobile and ongoing rumors to Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid, as well as Roma striker Mattia Destro are clear signals that an Italian pool of young players is about to set the stage alight. We also examine the evolving fortunes of Clarence Seedorf as club president Silvio Berlusconi has seemed to change his tactics after evaluation the coaching market for Vincenzo Montella and Luciano Spalletti, perhaps sensing that his first year manager with a two year contract and outside of the Champions League may have to reconsider his options. We also take a look into what appears to be the last match public relations tour that will now become the debut of 15 year old Hachim Mastour and consider whether the decision to call him up has deeper reasons given his reputation, and whether Milan might have yet another problem on its hands as young talented players already on the roster have been overlooked. We close on the matter of Napoli and the matter of another young talented player in Lorenzo Insigne to gauge his chances to make the roster this summer, what Napoli must do next, and how Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella has some very important decisions to make in the coming year as he is largely touted to become the next young manager to make his move.

Joining for this episode are two excellent guests to help us perform the study on a Premier League season with as many storylines as regrets as Manchester City claimed the title late having only held top spot for 15 days in 2013-14, and then we take a ground view look inside Brazil as the city of Manaus comes into focus first. Graham Ruthven joins us in the first segment to review and look ahead to what went wrong for all the contenders this season while Manchester City captured a title with the specter of Financial Fair Play looking to derail its longer term European ambitions. We also examine what some of these clubs will have to do in the season ahead to reach their title ambitions and then turn our attention to the matter of the England national team which appears to deliver on the promise of youth with one Ross Barkley as the man to watch. In segment two Martin Wright joins us live from Brazil to examine the security and readiness of his World Cup location in Manaus, where the United States will face Portugal and England will soon tangle with Italy. Martin is the Director of International Relations for Amazonas State University and has a very unique sense of what will be a location quite like none other this summer during the World Cup. Want to know more about Brazil and his very important role during the events in that city, take a listen as we dig into the politics, readiness and security for just one important destination throughout the Group Stage.

Taking us through the full range of football from Land of the Rising Sun is ONE World Sports contributor Ken Matsushima who helps us break down a very unpredictable J League once again, as well as the evolving fortunes of some big club names in the AFC Champions League. We begin nowhere else but the Golden Week Sprint where the fixtures come fast and furious and really now begin to test the resilience and endurance among the clubs poised to take control of the table in a World Cup year which could have lasting impact past the summer. We examine some of the surprises near the top, the full effects of the AFC Champions League, what has not yet begun to gel with Cerezo Osaka with its new leading man in Diego Forlan and how tiny Sendai may have just dug itself too deep a hole too soon. Then its off to maybe the one team in Sanfrecce Hiroshima who could look to the AFC Champions League as a bit extra validation to its dominance before we turn completely to the test laid before the Samurai Blue and Alberto Zaccheroni featuring two stars in Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa who have struggled to meet expectations at new European clubs, yet will be expected to deliver this summer in Brazil. Are the Japanese darlings or darkhorses for the World Cup, time will answer that. However, expectations have never been higher and Ken explains why the answer may not lie in the stars, but in a key part of the pitch where Zaccheroni has major issues to consider.

As domestic campaigns are winding down in Europe, two more wonderful contributors join this weekly edition to explore the key decisions ahead for two giants in the Premier League and a whole host of Serie A clubs who look to either secure their managers or seek richer opportunities during the closed season that has begun in earnest as Juventus has clinched and Manchester City tightens its grip. First up it is Gabriele Marcotti to help us examine the shocking decision by Walter Mazzarri to deny club legend Javier Zanetti one last run out in the Milan Derby and whether both Milan sides could be in the market for new managers come this summer as rumors and speculation surround both men. We also dissect the politically charged power struggle inside AC Milan, questions that Antonio Conte more than likely wants answered before signing an extension and why Rossoneri legend Paolo Maldini continues to be denied the job inside AC Milan that he clearly desires. We also examine the recent outbursts at Chelsea where Jose Mourinho has locked horns with his top performer in Eden Hazard to determine what may happening behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge and we close on the matter of Cesare Prandelli as he settles on a national team that seeks to be the prime darkhorse for Brazil, a large improvement over the disaster that was South Africa in 2010. In part two, Gareth Roberts of the Anfield Wrap joins from Merseyside to unpack, evaluate and perform the diagnosis on a Liverpool club that surrendered three late goals to Crystal Palace to see the title all but slip out of its hands with only one match to go in the season. We dig into whether the nature of the approach led Brendan Rodgers to chase the goal differential held by Manchester City or whether it was just a further reflection of his design as an attack first type of team, and what the club must consider this off-season as the move to Champions League football will require more quality depth to handle the jump in quality and the impact of extra high intensity fixtures. We close on the most important men in the discussion, and that is the ongoing rumor world for Luis Suarez in a World Cup year and whether John Henry is now prepared to take Liverpool to the next level in the Champions League with some key signings and reinforcements, most notably in defense which has ultimately cost this club its first Premier League title.

Two more fabulous contributors join this weekly edition to take a look at not only the UEFA Champions League, but also some potential champions in the final days of their seasons across the world as well as a look into continental competition in Asia and South America where there are no clear favorites for regional supremacy. First up is football correspondent Miguel Delaney to give us the ground view of a huge match at Stamford Bridge where Diego Simeone soon clashed with Jose Mourinho with a finals appearance on the line and Carlo Ancelotti in wait with a Real Madrid side inching ever closer to its long-awaited target of a record tenth Champions League trophy. We also examine the pragmatic football that delivered Chelsea past Liverpool and to this precious stage as well explore the move to Ryan Giggs at Manchester United, what Louis van Gaal could bring as well as sum up the season for Arsenal Football Club. Then in part two we go long into the night with international football commentator Paul Sarahs and visit nearly every corner of the world where continental football is being played, but begin nowhere else but PSG and Manchester City where sanctions from UEFA now surely lurk in the days ahead. We explore what could happen and what the fallout could be, then move off to Asia to review what went down on a wild matchday six that surprisingly saw three Japanese teams make it to the round of 16. We also present the case for two emerging young players in Asia who have the talent to make the move abroad, and we close on the matter of the Copa Libertadores now its knockout rounds and a new champions crowned in CONCACAF as Cruz Azul has booked its ticket for the FIFA Club World Cup later this year.

Two more fabulous contributors join this weekly edition to explore perhaps the two biggest stories in world football at the moment as UEFA now makes its first turn into the enforcement stage of Financial Fair Play with the fate of some big club names held in the balance while the country of Brazil struggles to meet expectations for a World Cup now only 50 days away amid delays in staging the greatest spectacle in sport. First up is Daniel Geey of Field Fisher Waterhouse of London to examine the enforcement details for UEFA Financial Fair Play to provide further clarity in the task before the Club Financial Control Board and how a number of settlement provisions now outlined in Articles 15 and 16 could touch off even more skepticism and procedural nightmares for the organizing body. We also explore the issues of financial doping, a challenge to FFP before the EU and how some of the offending clubs might be dealt with including the real and potential step of excluding some teams from European competition in 2014-15. In part two of this show TV Globo commentator Bira Brasil joins the show to discuss the on the ground readiness for the World Cup in broad scope including both the stadia and infrastructure before we turn to the matter of the hosting nation itself as Big Phil Scolari has some important decisions to make in the wake of tough seasons for both Neymar and Paulinho who were key and driving forces for Brazil at 2013 Confederations Cup. We also explore key pieces of the anticipated Brazil National Team, touch upon the impact on the domestic league and what other nations should be considered favorites as the temperatures and conditions speak both to the pressure of this event and the lack of room for effort.

Two more fantastic broadcasters join this weekly edition to discuss two very important developments in football, starting first in the Premier League with Robbie Earle of NBC Sports to break down the arrival of Liverpool as the firm front runner for its first title in more than two decades and Owen Neilson to explore two Milan giants with huge questions of their respective managers and a soon-arriving Derby della Madonnina determining Europa League ambitions surprisingly on the the line. We begin nowhere else but at Anfield where a hugely important and emotional battle was waged between Liverpool and Manchester City, putting Liverpool in the seat of destiny and dropping the last four weeks into a pitched battle for supremacy. Robbie Earle helps us examine the background factors working for Brendan Rodgers and why he was successful in uniting a football club so divided in recent years and how he has been able to bring all parts of the club together in a remarkable season, no matter its outcome. We also explore the job turned in by Manuel Pelligrini and Manchester City in year one and dig deeper into an area of concern that emerged this season as a combination of injuries and subtle changes reveal a new crack in the design and may force Pelligrini a rethink in the offseason. Also discussed is the remarkable job turned in by Roberto Martinez whether he reaches top four or not in his first season and we also explore how he has built upon the strengths left behind and how both of the managers on Merseyside might just be pathfinders for other clubs seeking to turn a new page toward progressive managers with new ideas and open philosophies. In part two Owen Neilsen returns from Milan to discuss the biggest stories of the day starting with a bizarre escalating personal display by Inter striker Mauro Icardi that continues to spill into the sports pages and rumor columns amid further outrage and Twitter displays with the estranged wife of Sampdoria striker Maxi Lopez. The misery does not end there for Milanese football as two Italian giants have been left with huge managerial questions this offseason and a Europa League slot on the line with a huge Derby now in the cards. Also discussed is Antonio Conte and his demonstrative spells on the touchline, perhaps some pressure to win this Europa League title at Juventus Stadium, and how a successful spell at Udinese under Francesco Guidolin may have finally come to an end.

Two more fantastic guests join this weekly edition to discuss some important stories across the football landscape and that starts nowhere else but Ian Joy of BeIN Sports as we examine a number of turning points in the Premier League and La Liga and Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover of the New York Cosmos helps us usher in the 2014 season for the NASL Champions who appear to be on the trail of something even bigger. Of course, the matter of two league titles hang in the balance in Europe and for that we have enlisted the support of Ian Joy to help us break down the top four challenge being waged by Roberto Martinez and Everton, a serious title challenge by Liverpool and always the most fascinating league challenge of all in Spain where yearly favorites Real Madrid and Barcelona have been thwarted repeatedly by Diego Simeone and his upstart Atletico Madrid side who have passed every test and refuse to break down. We also dig into the matter of Juventus who might just look at this semi-final round of the Champions League with deepening regret as a combination of poor performances in the Group Stage might just haunt a side with a number of players at just the right age and proficiency, perhaps knowing that an important opportunity to leave a mark in the top competition has been missed. Then we turn to the matter of the New York Cosmos who enter their season opener this weekend with a special guest on hand, Pele, who will be there to celebrate the kickoff and a sixth championship with the club that made him a legend in the United States and set the deep imprint that his tenure left on US Soccer. COO Erik Stover helps us break down all the key off season moves, the ingredients and expectations for year two including some new faces and promise, the ongoing commitment to compete for every trophy available in 2014 and a look into the motivation and mindset for a team that looks to improve even more in year two. We examine the new arrivals, the ongoing process for the stadium and its projected features and benefits while discussing what fans can expect in 2014.

Three more special guests join the weekly edition of One World Sports to tackle a number of major talking points facing Arsenal Football Club as the questions about the future for Arsene Wenger endure, US National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann reaches for some important staff changes just 70 days ahead of the World Cup and New York Cosmos midfielder Danny Szetela reminds us how much the Cosmos Reboot held major significance to a career in the balance due to injury. First up is commentator and football writer Ben Lyttleton to discuss the ongoing cottage industry surrounding Arsene Wenger at a critical stage of the season as questions and concerns revolve around his future and we dig into the problems all major football clubs face when replacing key personnel in light of what has transpired this season at Old Trafford with David Moyes. We examine the variables, evaluate the 2013-14 season for Arsenal in light of the injuries and moves made this season and also touch upon the late rush for Liverpool in search of an improbable Premier League title. Then New York Cosmos midfielder Danny Szetela stops by to remind us of the battle he has endured to overcome nearly four years out of the game and how 2013 was even more than a reboot for the legendary club, but also his personal reboot that culminated in a long awaited first trophy as a professional player. We look back at the historic season, talk a bit about 2014, some of the changes and the preseason tour of Dubai as the team is set to begin with new challenges and renewed expectations in 2014 with a special night on April 13th, pitting the champions against the team they beat in the Soccer Bowl just months ago. Then Grant Wahl arrives to give us a deeper look into some of the new and surprising changes made to the US coaching staff just 70 days ahead of the World Cup as Julian Green arrives in Phoenix for his debut and we examine the potential to not live up to some hefty expectations set by Jurgen Klinsmann himself. We also examine some early key story lines in MLS and talk about his recent interview with Liverpool talisman Luis Suarez whose remarkable turnaround has Anfield dreaming of a long anticipated Premier League title.

Three more special contributors join this edition of One World Sports as we take on a number of the most important football headlines in the sport, from the fallout from El Clasico, a Liverpool team that has rounded into view as a potential title contender, the arrival of Julian Green to the US National Team, another turn in the David Beckham adventure in Miami and then to the political crisis surrounding Clarence Seedorf with AC Milan. First up is broadcaster Janusz Michallik to look for the moments and protagonists who mattered most in El Clasico and the title race in Spain has been turned on its head, how Tata Martino emerged as the big winner at the weekend and how the genius of Lionel Messi revealed itself yet again at a crucial stage. Then we examine an unexpected Liverpool resurgence and how psychology and mentality will play huge factors for Brendan Rodgers at the critical moments of the Premier League chase. We also take a deeper look at a PSG that lies in wait for Jose Mourinho and how once again the most serious opponent for Bayern Munich in the Champions League might just be a delicate risk that Pep Guardiola has taken just a season removed from reaching the treble. Our second guest, Ives Galarcep, then helps us untangle the story and the hype surrounding the recruitment and arrival of another Bayern product named Julian Green who has long been the target of US National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. We dissect what his arrival could mean, the challenges ahead and whether there is a risk in adding him so late in a World Cup cycle. We also take a look at some of the early surprises in MLS, examine the important success for the project at Toronto FC and how David Beckham may have just entered the biggest challenge yet in restoring a franchise to Miami with so many key factors surrounding its potential success where once another attempt once failed. In the final segment international broadcaster Owen Nielson joins us direct from Milan, Italy where the rumors, controversy and political intrigue have once again descended on AC Milan just 13 matches into the reign of Clarence Seedorf. We examine the key factors, the key players, perhaps the machine at work behind the scenes as the Rossoneri have regressed into a club in dire need of a plan if only the political forces behind the scenes could coalesce to bring the club forward. We dig into the matter in detail, revisit one poor night in Rome when all began to look lost for the Milan legend on the touchline and set the factors and players in this drama which will likely endure throughout the summer given the larger than life figures at work, forming a tale of deep drama and fascination that has captured the attention of Milanisti worldwide.

Three special guests join Anto to take a deeper look at the key battles set to play out in the days, weeks and months ahead in Europe as El Clasico takes center stage while old rivals in England appear to have swapped a new future in the absence of Sir Alex Ferguson and a new continental power appears to be rounding into supreme form as the final eight are settled in the Champions League. First up is Kay Murray of BeIN Sport who will return to the Santiago Bernabeu for a Sunday clash that does in many ways seem to reflect the sum of two key changes in La Liga, which begins and ends with the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti who has ushered in a new era at Real Madrid with a huge assist to Ronaldo who has clearly made the transition easier for Gareth Bale than the process for Neymar at Barcelona in year one. We explore the key unintended consequences which are clearly the form of Karim Benzema and Luka Modric who have clearly turned the corner at Real Madrid, performing week in and week out at their highest levels to date in Spain. Then we turn to Graham Ruthven who helps us break down the failures for Manchester United and how Liverpool now appears to be built for longer term success with a clear plan and style established by Brendan Rodgers as a European football is becoming a sure reality in 2014-15. Also explored is the matter of Samuel Eto`o who might just be the one chance that Chelsea has to address its biggest concern in the most pressing moments at the business end of the season as the goals get harder to find and the Cameroon international may just be able to raise his level one more time to deliver silverware. In part three, Kristopher Karlsson from Aftonbladet helps us measure why PSG has moved ahead of Manchester United in the continental arms race, why the project seems to have found more promise in Paris and whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic has found just the right club to taste the European success that has so far eluded him. We also take a deeper look into Liverpool again as a future threat in Europe and whether Swedish legend Henrik Larsson has the right stuff with his new club in Sweden as the Allsvenskan resumes for 2014. We also explore the mystery behind the Kim Källström transfer by Arsenal and whether Arsene Wenger may just retain the midfielder past this loan given his versatility and reputation.

Three broadcasters join in from around the world for a supershow quite like none other to take a look at three clubs moving in very different directions in the forms of Arsenal, AC Milan and PSG who either sharpening their sights on silverware and possibility or resetting in the wake of unmet expectations as key Champions League battles ensue at virtually every corner of the football world. We begin with Phil Schoen from BeIN Sport to examine the new wrinkle in the season for Arsenal as suddenly and opening to silverware has emerged from the ashes of a difficult midweek out against reigning European champions Bayern Munich and we also explore the recent issues at Barcelona and the outlook for the US National Team come June. Up next is Italian player transfer specialist and Sky Italia journalist Gianluca DiMarzio who helps us dig into the matter of an AC Milan transition that now has rocked the club to its very core, including the uphill climb that sits before its new first year manager Clarence Seedorf amid questions of Silvio Berlusconi seeking new investors and bold new questions about the direction for the football club in the seasons ahead. Then we check in with PSG TV and BBC commentator Paul Sarahs to look all across the globe at all the continental skirmishes and footballing trends from the AFC to UEFA and then from the Copa Libertadores to the CONCACAF Champions League. Lots here on the competitions in the spotlight and we even take a stop inside Turkish football to reveal yet one more problem plaguing the game in Turkey and what it means to one of the most intense rivalries in all of the sport.