Football Daily - Euro Leagues: End of Year Special

Episode Date: December 31, 2025

Steve Crossman is joined by Guillem Balague, James Horncastle, Rafa Honigstein and ESPN's Julien Laurens for this year's Euro Leagues End of Year Special!For the first half of the pod we keep the festive spirits going by looking back on some of the best Scandinavian stories of the year. New head coach of Swedish league winners Mjallby, Karl Marius Aksum, is back on the show! Norway's title winner was Viking FK, winning their first championship since 1991! Their Sporting Director and former Manchester United and Fulham forward, Erik Nevland, joins the pod. And finally, former chairman of Santa Claus FC in Lapland, Finland, Juha Etelainen speaks to the team!Then, in the second half of the Special, we bring you a 'You're Better Than That' Euro Leagues quiz! The teams are tested on their knowledge of european football history, geography, literature and even maths!Timecodes: 02:12 Mjallby Head Coach, Karl Marius Aksum, returns to Euro Leagues 10:00 Viking FK Sporting Director Erik Nevland reflects on their title win 23:47 Former chairman of FC Santa Claus, Juha Etelainen, joins the team 32:28 You're Better Than That quiz

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. To embrace the impossible requires a vehicle that pushes what's possible. Defender 110 boasts a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, a weighting depth of 900 millimeters, and a roof load up to 300 kilograms. Learn more at Landrover.ca. World of Secrets uncovers a network of scammers, deceiving desperate parents, searching for help for their children with cancer. I trusted him a lot, and this is why. what he did to me.

Who say they never received the money raised in their children's names. They promised him toys and whatever he wanted if he agreed to film the video. Please help me, please. World of Secrets, the Child Cancer Scam, from the BBC World Service. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Football Daily Podcast, the Euroleaks with Steve Crossman. Welcome to a special Euroleague's end-of-year special. It is still the festive period in our book,

at least until the beginning of January. So on this episode, we've got a festive Scandinavian football feast for you. That feels like the right part of the world to be in. So we're going to be in Lapland. We're going to speak to the chairman of FC Santa Claus. We'll also reflect on Viking FK's remarkable title in Norway, with their sporting director, be a very familiar name. used to play for Manchester United in Fulham.

Eric Neveland, he'll be on the show. I would say EuroLeague's best guest of the whole year is going to be back with us shortly. Dr Karl Marius Axum of the Swedish title winners Miaoby is going to be with us in a moment. And who doesn't love a quiz at this time of year? So the second half of the pod, we're going to put our panel against each other

in a special, You're Better Than That, Euroleague's quiz, named after Chris Sutton's catchphrase, of course. We have got with us ESPN, Julian Leron, Raffaughnickstein, Guillam Ballagay and James Horncastle. Hello, everybody. I'm still saying Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to you.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. The quiz will be explained, but Jules, you have previous. Yeah, do I? Yeah, you lost in you. I won't probably before, no? I've heard you, I've heard Julian said on last year's you're better than that. The English get rid of the festivities and Christmas spirit too quickly.

Oh yes, that's right. It was also, in my opinion, on breakfast, on Five Live Breakfast with Rick and Rachel. And to be fair, a lot of people agreed with me. You throw away your tree, like literally, Christmas is 25th on the 27th. I see trees on the pavement. I'm like, what's going on? My mom, bless her and rest in peace, used to keep, and I know it's probably too much. She used to keep the tree until March.

I swear to God, this is true. Until March, we had the tree in our house. It was ridiculous. People used to come to her house. and saying like, what's going on here? The tree, like, it looked dead. I mean, he was dead probably by March, and we still had it. Right, let's get to our first guest then.

What a brilliant story. Our first Scandy story of the show, in October, Swedish minnow's Miaoby from a small fishing village of less than 1,400 people, won a sensational first ever Al Svensken League title. Now, we spoke to a man earlier this season, who was their assistant coach, Dr. Karl Marius Axum. He's now the head coach. Andy's with us. Dr. Carl, congratulations.

Thank you so much. Good evening, everybody. Well done, Carl. Go on. Congratulations. That is brilliant news. Thank you so much. How was the interview process? I think the last two years was the interview. Oh, it was a very simple process.

You must still be celebrating as well, right? I mean, what an incredible achievement. I'm not sure I'd ever stop celebrating. For sure. or not. I think the players, they have drank more alcohol the last month in their entire life. So we have to stop and we

have to refocus now because next season is going to be amazing. So the planning has started and we can't wait to get on the pitch again. That's a new fitness regime from a new head coach, is it? I haven't heard of that one before.

We can party because we won the league very early. The partying started very before the season finished so of course now now we have to regroup we have to at least mentally change our mindset

because this was an amazing story but next season with Europe it's going to be fantastic you're going to be managing in the Champions League qualification yeah but come on you get the anthem you get the whole thing yeah do you get the anthem in the qualification

well funny you should ask Dr Karl because I did a thing for the BBC a few years ago where we went to every qualifying round of the Champions League so I started with the team in San Marino

went to Andorra I'd say it was like 50-50 so I think maybe you can choose and surely there's only one choice isn't there yes it's your stadium play it Dr Karl you don't care

who's going to say something just play the answer play it off your phone if you have to I'll keep that in mind for sure we have to do that For anybody listening who didn't hear our previous chat, just tell us more about Mielbi, you know, the place, the team

and what this success is meant to everybody. Yeah, it's a very small place. So our stadium is in Helivik, 800 lives there. Mielby is a much bigger town with 1,500 living there. And I live in Solvesborg, which is the municipality here. and it has around 15,000 so that is the scale and in sweden it lives approximately 10 million so it's a very very small place it's been referred to as a fishing village i don't get that i've never seen a fisherman here but it's a very small place it's a very very small place yeah i would

like to hear more about the people involved starting with the with the chairman but i've got a list of of people I like to hear from the club scout, Arbit Franson, who is a postman, I believe, sporting director, who became a brain tumor and prostate cancer, some of the players that have become now international. So you choose, but tell us the personal story of some of those guys. Yeah, we can start by saying that it's only local guys, except Arvette Franzen, the scout and myself it's only local guys in the in the leadership group and yeah the the the head coach before me the other assistant who now left players manager keeper goalkeeper coach everyone is local and a lot of our most bearing players are also local if we start with the with the sporting

director he's he's a legend here he was a player now he's been a coach now is the sporting director. He is Mielby personified. When I saw him cry after the gold, it was, you know, that's the thing. So many men in their 60s, 70s

has cried before me, probably not cried in 10, 20 years. So he is fantastic. He doesn't have an office. He doesn't have a computer. He goes around everywhere and he's just the nicest guy. except for discussions about players.

Then he becomes someone else. Fantastic guy. Arvid Fruncén is, yeah, he was a postman. Now he's a full-time scout for us. He lives in Stockholm. And he has found like these diamonds from the Danish second league who has gone and performed fantastic for us. And he has found diamond after diamond,

who has successfully been, a big contribution for us this is. So what is going to happen in the next few weeks? So where does your season start again? So we start pre-season 5th of January, but we start the Swedish Cup 20th of February. So we have five, six weeks of pre-season before that. And the entire Swedish Cup is played before the league starts in,

I think it's the first week of April. You think? I think we got the fixtures today we're going to face Hummelby away and the second base team that's the first game so that will be a very cool first game for me as a head coach

in Alswensk well lucky for you Hammerby's head coach has moved to the biggest club in England in Middlesbrough so you're going to be life might be a little bit easier I knew it was coming Carl one of the things you spoke to us about

which was absolutely fascinating was your PhD in scanning and you were also very critical of Manchester United's players being bad scanners. Just interested whether or not you've seen any improvement in them or? Oof.

Okay, let's... No. I don't want to talk to. The headlines became too big after I talked about Manchester United last talk. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I heard from Amoryam's assistant

had picked that up and he was... No. Yeah, he contacted someone I know well. Who is this? Carl Marius. Why is he talking like that? and so incredible yeah i'll try to be respectful actually i think the first off against bournemouth was very very good

whatever yeah but not the second half that's the problem dr car the second halves has been terrible but that that was a light in the tunnel for sure that first half was really really good um so uh let's be positive um no they don't have the best scanners in midfield but uh yeah that you see that in PSG and arsenal Now, Declan Rice, I think he's taking things to another level. I think he's extreme. So you have that physique and that foot and also that scanning. Then he becomes unstoppable.

Are you going to keep the 3-2-4-1 formation? Yes, for sure. That's my game model. I'm going to continue doing that for sure. But we're going to evolve it. We have a lot of variations. So that is just a starting point for us. We can drop with a 6, create a back 4.

We can go up with a six, play with three-tenths, play a three-one-three-three. We have a lot of variation in that system. Probably good that you were quite respectful about Manchester United there because actually our next guest is a Manchester United legend. So we're going to bring him in with you, Dr. Carl, because he's another man who's having great success in Scandinavian football. This is the sporting director of Viking FK, who have just won their first league title since 1991.

Eric Nevelin, what a pleasure to have you. on the Euroleagues. Hello. Hello and thanks for having me. Oh, an absolute honor. And it's great to have you on with Dr. Carl as well, who you will know is now the new head coach at Mielby. I'm sure you have a lot of respect for the success that they've had, very similar to you, really, doing something in their case, which has never been done. Yeah, it's been an inspiration for us to see what Mielby has done in Sweden and competing against all these big clubs in Sweden, Stockholm and becoming champions with great margin. It's very impressive to see. So obviously that's been a big inspiration for us. At the same time, Buda Glimt has also been an inspiration to

us when what they have done domestically and also internationally, obviously. So it's been we try to learn from people that are good. So hopefully we can. can learn something going forward but this season has been just amazing for us and winning the league for the first time in 34 years

yeah I've tried as a player I've tried everything I can to achieve this but this was for me personally also really really big it's a great opportunity to have you both here to actually

ask one question you know As storytellers, as journalist, we like complex stories like you winning the league, converted into a headline, or at least a shorter version of it. So what would you say out of all the things that you've been doing is one that smaller clubs that want to grow, want to do, and let me just put out there perhaps something that the owner of Moby has said, which I love. The other mantra that he talks about, he says, is we need to be the best on the things which are free.

We can have a better team spirit than Real Madrid. We can prepare better for a game than Manchester United. Does that ring a bell in both cases then? For us, it's been continuity. It's been a very, very clear game model that we worked on with mostly the same players and the same coaching stuff for two years. And that is the luxury in today's football. But it's a very, very clear game model.

We work on our principles in a game-like manner every single day. for two years. And for me, that has become the big thing. I think the training process is the big thing. That is where we can be best and we have to be better than the top teams. Yeah, it's basically the same for us. Obviously, I'm not going to go into the technicalities of the game plans and stuff as being a sporting director. That's the coach's job. But we are the same. it with continuity and we are a group of local boys that really, really loves the club. And this is for us probably the biggest what we can achieve in our life, because this is where we grew up. This is the club we played for when we were younger. So it's all down to the heart

and soul that you put into it. And we've also been so lucky that we've had the coaches that we have now for four five seasons so so during that time we've had ups and downs but we we stuck with it because during during these years you learn so much you learn so much from doing bad if you do a bad season you learn so much from that and if you don't get the chance to to put that right year after or the year after that again then then it's difficult to run a stable good football club. And this is something that's wrong with football in general, that if it goes badly for a period of time, then you sack the coach and then you find a new one and you start all over again. And then you never can achieve something in football. Obviously, if you have a lot

of money and can buy the best players, it makes it easier. But we have to do it our own way. And I think that's a secret behind the success and also to create a great culture in the group of players. That's also the most important thing for us. So all players here are going in the same direction. And if someone is not willing to do that, then they're not the right fit for us. You don't have to be the best player, but you have to be the best person and you have to make sure that you're part of the group. Okay, so Eric is obviously going to stay with us for a little while.

Dr. Carl, just before we let you go, it always fascinates me. There is a lot of support for each other within Scandinavian football, isn't there? Which to me feels really weird because obviously, as an Englishman, you're not supposed to want Scotland or Wales or Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland to do well. It's not a thing you do. But I remember being with the Iceland team when they played and beat England in the Euros in Nice. And there were Swedish fans and Norwegian fans there. There is a real sense of sort of togetherness there across nations, isn't there?

Yeah, for sure, in Scandinavia and the northern countries, we support each other. There are exceptions. So I know the Swedes were not super happy that Norway went to the World Cup. Oh, right. Yeah, and the way they did it Like crushing their group, crushing Italy And Sweden is really struggling now And the national team

But I believe we are very open and very sharing So I know when I worked in Norway We shared with other clubs I'm a big fan of sharing I don't think it's anything dangerous with that And I think clubs can benefit much more than it will harm in the long run And we are small

so we have to help each other for sure. All right, well, we'll swap over your email addresses then, guys, and you can work together. He's very welcome to us to have a chat about football and scanning and everything. So there's an open invite to Stavanger anytime. Perfect. Perfect. That's lovely. Dr. Carl, thank you so much.

I'm sure we will speak to you again. Good luck in your first season as head coach at Mialpi. Thank you so much, guys. Wonderful. All the best to you. Dr. Carl, Marius Axum. with us there who's now head coach of Mialbi. They've just won their first Al-Svenskine title.

I feel we made that happen, you know, by the way, I just want to say. I didn't want to say what he was on air, but... You think we're the reason? I mean, he feels like, you know, we gave him that platform. It took him really well. And then he got that promotion. We got nothing. He didn't even say, he didn't get a message from him saying, thank you, boys.

He's been in the biggest show of the year. Eric, let's talk Viking then. And actually, the first thing that I wanted to ask you about is, and it actually kind of goes back to what I was just saying about Iceland when I was spending time with them they had two head coaches which is very very rare but it's something that you've done as well so tell us how that works obviously winning the title obviously works really well

but it's been something that's worked for us it was it was a case when I wasn't there then but it was a case when the club was hiring them that it was either one of them that could get the job. But they decided to go away for a weekend and discuss and found out that this probably would be better if they did it together. And they made a really good plan, and they sold it to the board and to the technical heart

that this would be better if they did it together because they are quite different characters. they have different strengths, different weaknesses, so they fulfill each other in a strange way. Eric, I'm still looking for lessons from you and for anybody who defies the odds. And I just wonder if you were tip to win the title, was it in 2023, and then you kind of faltered halfway through the season.

Were there something that you learned from there that lets you then take it to the following years and learn from it? Yeah, yeah, definitely. Our ambition is to be in the top of Norwegian football, and that's obviously qualifying for Europe each year. And obviously we have a competitor in Budiglimt at the moment that financially is far ahead of us

and doing really well in Europe, now playing Champions League. So we have to find our own way. And during those last years, we've become third. third, we're fourth, we were 11th in 2022, but we were top of the league in 10 games from the end of the season in 2023, and it all collapsed, and we learned so much from that. And most of it goes on, like, where do you have your focus? Do you let people outside influence what you do, influence the thoughts? So we decided before this season that this season we're just going to focus, and that's really boring, to be fair, but we said each session is important.

We're going to focus on the next session and the next game and just keep doing it day by day. And that's basically what we did. And nothing outside of our atmosphere would make – would – influence us. How do you stay at the top now, Eric, then? Do you need to find a bit more money maybe to find new ideas, be even more innovative than what you did, use, I don't know, your young players a bit more, develop that side of the club, you know, the academy and young products coming through. And to avoid having to wait another 34 years to win another title, have you already thought about what to do to try to stay at the top, which is obviously the hardest to stay

to stay at the top. Absolutely. And we don't know how we will react on that going into next season. But our plan is basically to do the same things that we did this year. But obviously, we need to develop and we need to take steps in certain areas. We need to make sure that we get the players that we have, we have to make them better. We have to develop. And the players that we bring in obviously needs to have a bit more quality. But I don't think that we suddenly should start spending a lot of money, giving out a lot of money and salaries and all these things, because then the downfall will be much harder if you don't succeed.

So I think one of our core values is the academy for our club. So it's very important that we bring our own players through. So that's a part of the strategy, and we'll keep doing that. Two very quick things to finish then. Firstly, Guillaume has got a special message for you. Oh, yes. I ask one of the gentlemen of football, Roy Honson, to send us a voicemail to you.

Oh, thank you. But then he sent me a message that said, I don't know what an audiophile looks like. I am embarrassed to say. He literally said the words. I don't know what an audiophile looks, which I love. So, but he added, I'm pleased that you will be in tabionary,

who did great things for me as a. player with both Viking and Fulham. I was very pleased to see that they were champions this year. Please give him my congratulations and best regards. Happy Christmas. Take care, Guillaume and let me know next time what all the file is. No, I added that last bit.

I really expected Roy to deliver this message in Florida. I'm really disappointed. Yeah, I'm not surprised but what a great message to get and I have sometimes contact with Roy and he's such a gentleman and he's such a football guy and even though he spent a small amount of time here

at Viking he still I know he still follows our results and he still follows what we do so I really really appreciate it and finally Eric we're about to speak to the chairman of FC Santa Claus in Lapland so if we could give you one gift for 2026 what would it be that would be that we qualify for the championship that we win the playoff for the Champions League and we can play the Manchester cities and the Royal Madrid's Instavanger. That would be the best present ever.

All right, we'll see what we can do. Thank you very much, Eric. It's been lovely to have you on, really, really interesting. Thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Great stuff. Viking FK Sporting Director, former Fullerman Manchester United Forward. Eric Neveland with us there on the Euroleagues.

Our final festive guest, as I say, is the chairman of FC Santa Claus, a club who play in Lapland, in Finland. Rovin Jaimie, the capital of Lapland. And that is Yuja, Etelain. And Yuha, thank you for joining us on the Euroleaks. Yeah, thank you. Thank you for asking me to speak out for you.

And I have to correct in the first place that I'm a former chairman. So sorry. He's only the helper of Sentence. Yeah, of course, of course. So you're not, sorry, Uh, let me get it right then. You're not the chairman. You are what? Nowadays I'm a little bit like former chairman and nowadays I'm a little bit like behind of skiing and helping out.

Okay, so, Uh, firstly, is the reason your video not working because you are in fact Santa Claus and so you can't show us your face? It might be, it might be. You never know. You never know. Yeah, that's true. Where are you in the league system at the minute? Can I ask that? Because you've been up as high as like the third tier,

but you're not there at the moment, are you? No, actually, actually we, actually a few months ago, we qualified and promoted to fifth year, which used to be like fourth tier, but nowadays it's fifth year. Because nowadays there is like a league, first league,

and then is the first division, second division, and we are in third tire. Yeah. Got it. Guillaume, do you know which club FC Santa Claus recently visited? I didn't know how to introduce Spanish in the discussion until I realised that we're talking to FC Santa Claus who, of course, has been to Spanish to learn about how to win

or whatever it is that you learned. Yeah. Did we look after you? A little bit, yeah. Yeah, that's true. Oh. Only a little bit, Guillem. Oh, then we gave you gifts and stuff.

Of course you did But I guess Now the question is You want me to whisper to My friend Yeah Champions League Yeah

Champions League For next season And Manchester City And what was Real Madrid Yeah I have a very important question As well What's the song

You know when the players come out Of the tunnel And the dressing room To get to the pitch For the game What's the Do they come out on What

Is it George Michael, is it Maya Carey, do you have a special Christmas song for the players to come out on or is it just random? Are you ready? Yes. So you can clap hands and you say, oh, ho, ho, ho. It's really catchy tune that is. And I guess nowadays you can put it in a computer, some AE can do. a pretty good song and it's going to be a hit at least nowadays.

I mean, the lyrics are great. It's much better than last Christmas. But presumably you're not playing in winter. I agree. I agree. I agree. Are you do, are you walking out to Ho Ho Ho in like June or something? Because you can't be playing at this time of year, surely. Obviously, we can play. Are you ready to play? Is there, do you know anyone, any manager who are willing to come here?

Dillian. Dillian will play. James Horncastle is in Lapland right now. Utah. He's down the road. He's so fit. He's a great striker. On his day, he was a great striker. Now he's really a bit older.

But he's there for you if you want. I'm up the road in Salisselka. Sarisilka. Yeah. Saarizelka. You're going for sauna and Northern Light and Huskies. He's actually doing the show from a sauna.

Yeah. Yeah. I actually did do a husky ride today. I was It was remarkable. Yeah, I could imagine in a team talk for FC Santa, we've seen Mighty Ducks with the Flying V. You know, I would ask my players to press like huskies, you know? Wow.

You had two things to finish. Firstly, I know for a fact you will have done an interview like this around 300 times. Yeah, I have. Yeah, fine. you're such a legend well actually best jokes are true so I have actually

today done pretty big interviews so not your first time and I can tell so for a couple of things just to finish with firstly what colour do you play in surely it is red and white

yep excellent and two given how much interest we as the BBC having you and we were just saying you've been out to see Espanel. Have you ever sort of been flown anywhere or gone and seen some major world stars in world football?

Yeah. Actually, I think it was 2017. We flew all the way to Beijing. You know, it's in China. Yes. And we played over there like a charity-friendly game or whatever. and there was some striker from UK, I don't know. And one striker also from Italy.

He was Del Piero, but the other one was some Michael, Michael, I don't know, Owen. Yeah, it was Michael Owen. Michael Owen and Alessandro Del Piero played against FC Santa Claus. Yeah, they played with us, yeah. Amazing. With you or against you? They played with us, yeah.

I mean, brilliant. Youha, this has been one of the strangest and most enjoyable interviews of my life. Thank you very much for coming on and take care. Brilliant. Youha, Etelainen, who's been with us on the Euroleague's former chairman of FC Santa Claus in Lapland, Finland. Right. I mean, that was great fun. I swear you must have called him Utah once.

And then I repeated. And then Raffa texted me saying, why are you calling him Utah? I thought Utah was his name. You heard. I'm sure you said the tea. Somewhere I heard the tea. Don't blame me. That's why I was calling him like the US states.

Don't blame me for your disrespect. So do you think he's done this interview before? Yeah, well, I mean, look, I used to work for the BBC World Service and I've 100% interviewed it for the BBC World's. It's a great story. I went to research it and there's a story from every year since 2003. Every year. Around this time.

Yeah. Was he the actual chairman of San Francisco? Santa Claus FC. Who knows? Yes, I think he was because otherwise, because I didn't even question it. I mean, why would I? Yes, no, so he previously was chairman

and now isn't chairman, but clearly he's still heavily involved in the club and also went to Espaniol. So, yeah. I did just check out the Del Piero and Owen. Oh, yeah. And it's true. It's true.

It's true. Well, you didn't trust him. I did say their anthem should be don't stop believing, because I believe in Santa Claus. So there you go. Well, the club motto is, the club motto is don't stop believing

and take care of others. Okay, that's not another lyric in the journey song. They do a huge amount of charity and a lot of work throughout the year. Yeah. So that's fair enough. I was trying to read Raff's face because everybody else seemed to be having a brilliant time.

Raph, I just couldn't tell whether you were being naughty or nice. Nauty and nice. Oh, fine. It's time. for a short break, then we will be playing. You're better than that to finish. Match Lurice, urgent questions.

Subscribe to the podcast and you'll get the best bits every day from around 5 o'clock. Listen on BBC Sounds. On the Football Daily podcast, the Euroleagues with Steve Crossman. Welcome back to the Euroleague's end of year special and it is time for your better than that. The quiz named after Chris Sutton's famous catchphrase, Julianne Leone, Guillem Ballagay, Raphael Honestine and James Horncastle are all with us. Goodness me, I am excited. Now, have you been told about your teams? Yes.

What's your understanding of the teams? Guillem is with James. Right. And we have the best. It's good versus bad. Well, got some bad news for you. I make the rules and the teams were a lie. And they will be drawn right now.

On Team A will be ball number one Guillem Ballagay and I'm now going to draw the away team pretty loud bag it's Julianne Lauren

okay so Guillem and Jules versus Raffi and James look I'm not even going to intervene I'll leave it all to you uh oh well this is going to be fascinating

come on James there we go come on right The teams are out This is how the quiz will work Four rounds in total We will add up the points from each round And we will crown a winning team

And a most valuable player At the end of the quiz Each round will have a scholastic theme We will be doing geography There will be some literature And some maths We will begin with history And a round of sudden death

Listeners to the FPL podcast for BBC Sport will be very aware of how this works. For anyone who isn't, this is how it goes. One theme, one question, many possible answers. As players, you will take it in turns to give an answer. If you are wrong, you are out. If you repeat a previous answer, you are out. Last team standing. So when both members of one team are eliminated, the other team,

team will win and receive in round one three magical points. Does everybody understand? Yes. I heard you. Yes. Three magical pints. Basically the rules of 1980s German quiz show Dalli Dali. Is that right? Yeah. All right. Well, that's where they nicked it from, I'm sure. And now there's going to be a big court case about it. So Chris Sutton will look forward to that. Here is the round. Champions League, final, goal scorer, English clubs excluded. So from 1993 to now, any player to score in the Champions League final, English clubs excluded. Has to be their full name, you will go in an order and the order will be as follows. Guillaume, then Rath, then Jules, then James.

Everybody understand? Yeah. All right. There's not from English. They could be English, but as they didn't play for an English club. Correct. No English clubs. All right, Guillain Balagay.

You are first. Go. Raoul Gonzalez, Spain. I will put a line through Raoul. Goal scorer in 2000. Rail Madrid 3, Valencia, nil. In 2002, Railman, 2, Bayeva Kuzon. One, Rafael Honekstein.

You are next. Thomas Mueller. Thomas Mueller, 2012. Uh, Bayern Munich versus Chelsea. Correct. Julianne Leone. Desire Edouet? Desire adieu?

Of course he is. 2025 times two. Harry Saint-German 5 into Milan-Nill. James Horncastle. Uh, Cristiano Ronaldo. 2017, 2017, 2014 as well. Easy money. Everyone's through one round.

Well done. Guillem. Ronald Cuman. Oh, Guillaume, what have you done? Champions League. Champions League era, Guillaume, I said from 93 onwards. Can I change teams? No.

I can have a situation. You're not one of my children. And I need to be motivated and need to be looked after. You need to be listening, mate. That's what you need to be. That too. All right. Guillaume has gone.

Raphael Honikstein. Ike, good one. Ilkai Gundwan, 2013, Brissier Dortmund won by Munich. Two, Julianne LaRan. Hakimi. Full name, please. Ashraf, sorry, I did... Ashrov Achimmy. It's because I've got the more alphabetical order with first name.

James Horncastle, it's very much two-on-one-one now. Zinidane. Of Goss, 2002. Back to you, Raff. Ian Robben. Ian Robin, 2013. Extra time, Bayern 2, Borisi Adortman 1, Jules. Kvarez, Kvallia.

Full name. Sorry, Kvichar, he's the same letter. You're lucky. I thought you'd have it in the same way. Honestly. Kavitsch Kavaritskeliat, 2025, James Holcastle. Sergio Ramos. In 2014 and 2016, both against Atlago Madrid, Raff.

Mario Basler. 1999 final by Munich 1 Manchester United 2 Kavarhal I swear to God Danny Kavaral sorry Danny Kavaral sorry I'm in the zone I can feel it I can feel it by my teammates

I'm going to stop saying the games now in case I reveal extra answers James Neymar First neck, no I'm joking 2015 correct This is good this is really good Steve McMahon Steve McManneman

Year 2000, correct Jules Vincius Junior Vincius Junior 2024 Champions League final Raphael Honix there Very impressed Stefan Effendberg

Stefan Effenberg 2001 I love how Rappie is just going through Bayern players Louis Suarez or as Julian would call him Suarez 2050

Sennie, S-E-N-N-Y, M-A-U-L-U. I was keeping that one back. Yeah, but no. I'm going to make a cup of tea, I'll be back. I'm going to be a long time. Yeah, this is going to be, there's only Guillaume to get this one wrong. Raffer. Las Ricken.

Oh, very good. 1997 Champions League final. James. Alessandro Del Piero. C-Clarro. 1997 Jules Roderreys wrong

We said no English clubs Oh yes We're the winners Yes yes yes That's it Job done Goodness me I've forgotten that little detail

I already had I was going to say Harvard's next to be fair So I clearly didn't Didn't get the whole memory Loads of names we didn't get Basil Bolly, Carlos Alberto, Casimir, David Vier, Danieli Massaro, Diansevich, Diego Milito, Diego Gordine, Morientes, Zanzagi,

Mandiata, Bale, Crespo, Litmanan, Benzamer, Reader, Edel, Etto, Cliver, long list. Paya Mertovich. Raffi and I was going to be too long. Rafi and I have all those names. You have all of those names, but you didn't need it. Yeah, we had them all. Okay, so it's 3-0 to James and Raphael Honixstein.

Are you ready for geography? Here we go. Each team individually will be given teams from European nations. The question is, can you name the league that each club belongs to? Now, it's possible that some of these teams will have locations in them, but only if they're really not obvious. it's just passed me by. So any team with like an obvious city name in, I have deleted, all right?

One point for a correct answer, but if you get it wrong, the other team can steal. And if it's a steal, they get two points for the steal. Guillaume, you're back with us, yeah? Jules, have you heard the rules? Yes. Good. Team number one FC PUNIC

P-Y-U-N-I-K F-C-Punic Sounds like Finnish No, no, it's not Finland I know this one, no Is any What is the I would say

Giam, I think it's something like Armenia Or Georgia or something like that All right, Georgia then No, Armenia, Armenia Have you been Googling? The look on your face I knew it was one of the two. I think it's Armenia or Georgia.

How about Georgia? No, definitely Armenia. Alexa, where's F.C. Punic? It was one of the two. I knew he was one of the two. Okay. One point. Very dodgy.

I'd like us to go to VAR. There's nowhere Horney knew that anyway. Check the camera on Julian's feet. He was ready. If I hear there are any members of the Loron family listening in, holding up pieces of paper with Armenia written on. Listen, I'm in big trouble because the middle one

has just come back from the skin. Oh, yeah. And I haven't seen him in his few minutes. Anyway, it's his birthday as well. Anyway. Bon Anniversary. Right. So now we go to Team B.

Oh, yeah. Sorry. So now this is Raffer and James get first go at this. Are you ready? This team is called Vaprus. Vaprus. Oh my God.

That's so easy. Vapris. Shut up. Horny, I'm thinking either Cyprus Or Greece Can you spell it? Of course V-A-P-R-U-S

Vaparus Ah, Vaporus Sorry That changes everything It changes a lot I think it's more like Hungary now Hungary or Bulgaria I would say

I think it's a Baltic country Vaparis seems to me like a Lithuania Or Estonia Estonia? I think it's an Estonian club. So let's go. Raff, are you okay with that? Estonia? Yeah. Let's find out.

It's correct. Very good. They talk about me. Once said Lithuania and then Estonia, but yeah, Estonia, sure. I know. We actually agreed on this. We didn't, like, you said Lithuania first. Or Georgia.

And you went, no, it's definitely Armenia because my phone said. Yeah, because Georgia would sound it wrong. Um, right, Team Air, you get the longest team name of the round. Can you tell me which country I shall Mayor Vogels play in? Give me two nations. I choose one and then you decide which one. Okay. Can you say the name again of the club? I shall Mayor Vogels. It's something like...

I wonder what their chant is. Ho, ho, ho. Greek. Sounds like that part of the world, maybe. I don't know. Let's go Greece. Greece. So I'm thinking, I'm thinking Wales or Ireland.

If Faucas or knows this, it can't be, it can't be Wales with like Vogels. Vogels is like Swiss, Dutch, something like that. No. Swiss Dutch, what's the link? No, because Johan Vogel. No, but it's not, but it's not Swiss or not Dutch. Okay, I think it's a Dutch then. I said Swiss or Dutch?

No, no, it's not. Let's go, give an answer. wrong anyway. It's something like Gaelic. This is a, it's not kind of made up language. Let's have an answer. Yeah. I'm going to say Ireland. Okay. Ireland. It's only Dutch. Oh, no way. It's not Dutch. It is. It is. They play in the Tfida division in the Netherlands. It's in Utrecht. Horny. The pronunciation has really thrown me here. The pronunciation has thrown me.

I used the website for Vaux, which I swear by. I listened to a Dutch pronunciation, and I was bang on. So nobody scored a point there, okay? So the next one is first going to James and Raff, who failed to steal. Anstie Nomads. Where do Ansti Nomads play? Anstynomads. Yeah.

A-N-S-T-E-Y-N-O-M-A-D-S. Ah, EY. Yeah. That sounds something like... I think... Is it... Ukraine or... No.

EY is like Ukraine or Belarus. Julian, help me here. Like... He's not in your team. No. I know, but I want Julian on my team instead of this guy. Honestly, Nomads.

How can a team from Ukraine have the word nomads? There's no dynamite. There's even an arsenal in Ukraine. This is. is you were talking about a Gaelic or an Irish team or something like that. I think this is like a non-league English team. No, but that's kind of pointless, isn't it? Are you going with that? Yes or no?

Final answer? It can't be that. Final answer, yes, yes. English team. Correct. Manxie No-Bans is an English team. I mean, Horn is on fire. Brilliant.

So the current score. I hope we have won as easy as this one. I mean, the internet must be great where you are. Next. And this one obviously is for Guillaume and Jules. F.C. Swift. Spelt like you would think. S.W. IFT. F-C-Swift.

Hmm. Right. It's from wherever Taylor Swift is from. I'll say islands, but it's an absolute guess. I've never heard of this one. I heard at NSTY nomads, I had the answer, but this one... Sure, sure, sure. And Swift is W-W-I-F-T, yeah?

Yes. Yeah, like Swift, yeah. Okay. It has to be an Anglo-Saxon kind of... Island for Ireland. Incorrect. Pass is over. When it's steel wrapping? We'll try. I mean... I mean, don't ask him. He's got no clue. He's had no clue from the beginning.

Wales or Sweden? I... It would be Swedish, no? Okay, go with Sweden. I go with Wales. F.C. Swift, play in Luxembourg. Gosh. Come on.

That was going to be... Come on. Right, the score is 5-1. So you need a bit of a comeback here. Next one then to James and Raff is Rangers. But there's an apostrophe after they are, Rangers with an apostrophe. I think I know this team. Do you?

Yeah, first. That's a really easy one. What? Is it? He's playing with you. Okay, I don't know this. one. So shall we just guess, Rav? You said thought you knew it. I somehow get Liechtenstein. I get Liechtenstein. Okay. Let's go with Lichtenstein. I like it.

It's not Lichtenstein. Jils, you said it was easy so you can tell us now it is. It is. Norway. Hold on. There's two people in the team. He said it's so much confidence. Never controlled me. I could have said, okay. I thought it was Lichtenstein, to be fair. It's Andorra. They're from Right, one more then, and I hope that Guillaume is allowed to play at this one, Jules. I've got a choice of about three or four, but I'm going to go with SS Folgorei, a club who I've actually seen play. It's a San Marino team. Correct.

Oh, he's amazing. I mean, he deserves to win. 6-1. He deserves to win. This is getting remarkable. Rossi, can I, I know you went there, but can I compliment you on your pronunciation there? Can. You nailed that.

Meaning, what does it mean? You said a team that is in Italy. I think it means lightning, doesn't it? It does, yeah. S.S. Fulgaree, lightning football. Guys, it's 6-1. Yeah, but that playing to hone his hands. Okay.

Well, the good news is we've got two. rounds to go and one of them it can all change but it's not this one which is maths so here is an explainer of how the maths round works so it's just two questions one each no stealing or anything like that okay but you do both get a go at the answer it's two points on offer for whoever is closest okay uh okay so i will give you a sum and both teams will come up with one number you can confer which is why to make it fair, we change who goes first because then you will hear the other team's workings. Make sense? Easy. Yes, I liked it. Lovely. So James and Rath will let you go first on this one. Beginning with a Euroleague's legend. Ildefons Lima, now former captain of Andorra,

played his final game for the national team in 2023. I want you to take his total caps, so Ilda Fons-Lima's caps for Andorra. I want you to add how many different winners of the Ballon Door there have been and then I want you to subtract the number of Portuguese titles won by Benfica, Discuss. So I think he was on the show because he's almost like a record. He was on the show, yeah, yeah. So I think he was here because he had more caps than anybody else international football. I think it's more than 100.

I think let's say 150. okay yeah yeah and then the ballondor was founded when in 1960 or something yes yes so let's say so roughly 60 winners because you said how many different winners yeah but i think there've been quite a few double winners i think more okay let's just take 50 then i'd say 45 okay so that's 105 and then the last one was what was it crossy Putschke's title won by Benfica. I'm going to say like 35. So 160.

Okay, 160. So your answer is 160. Guillaume and Jules. Do you know I had made the same calculation, so I'll say less than that. What do you say, Jules? My calculation is 170. Oh, above. Okay.

Okay. I mean, Guillem calculate with no notes. No. All in my head. Well, does that... All right, let's go for 170. I can tell you that Ildafons Lima has 137 international cats. Oh, no way.

There have been 47 different winners of the Ballondeau. That was good, James. Benfica have won 38 league titles, giving a total of 146. So we're closer. So you're closer. So it goes from 6-1 to 7-1. All right, Team B, which is Guillem and Jules, I want you to take Hassan Sally Hammersich's number,

as in shirt number in the 1999 Champions League final You can't do that with a Bayern Munich player At all you get to go first You've got the biggest Bayern Munich fan You get to go first

You get to go first It doesn't matter I want you You're not going to like this one then I want you to add the age that Bertie Vokes was on the day Germany won Euro 96

come on That's unfair No really now We've lost anywhere What age is he Go on You can do you pick stuff about Germany When we've got a German guy

on the show on the quiz and then you have to multiply by Atlatico Madrid's Copa del Rey title victories Oh I don't have So Sally Hammersich's number from the 99 Champions League final Bertie Vokes' age on the day

Germany won Euro 96 Multiply by Atletti's Copa del Rey wins So the number You say 32, the number? No At that time what should we say

11 yeah go for 11 let's not go too high but I thought it was a higher number but maybe not then Bertie Vox in 1996 32 I think it was a bit older than that wasn't it let's go for 40

40 and then how many how many Commodore do you think for athletic I'll reckon about I think they fight him for one actually but say 10 or something like that 10 So, you've gone for it 11, 40 and 10, yeah?

So that's 51 times 10, so you've gone 500 and 10. Yes, that's the answer. All right, Raff and James. It's spot on. So I think 11 was tickler, not, um, sorry, Hamich. So I think. I love it. A niche, another niche buying.

But like, that proved my points. Crossman. I think Hassan was, let's go with 18. 30 folks age your way off 96 he was already a coach not play anymore 40 yeah but 40 you don't play at 40

Berty folks I think is born in 1959 or thereabout so 96 would the German journalists know the age or the German head coach I would have been the Eurozone country maybe I don't know I'm just I'm just asking

I would say 47 Upper Del Rey by Athletico Madrid They're the record holder 25 I think 10 Yeah 9 or 10 So, shall we say...

47, 18 and 10, yeah? They said 510, you've gone 6.50. Hassan Salli Hammersich's number in the 99 Champions League final, 20. Good. Bertie Vogue's age on the day Germany won the euros, 50. Atlatico's Copper Del Rey wins, though. Only four. So the number is 280, isn't it?

So Jules and Guillem win that one. 7. Yeah, that's so unfair. They got two out of three numbers wrong. Oh, you see the master's flawed here. Greg Quinn, they made it easy for you, but yet. It's 7-2, but I'm not making this up. This has always been five points in the final round, okay?

And it is literature, and it is the book round. So we've got to do this very quickly. You get one book each. I will read you the opening line to the book. I will also read you two lines, which are not the opening line to the book, either written by me or somebody else. You have to tell us which is the correct line. Make sense?

Mm-hmm. All right. So, Guillem, you and Jules will get Carlo Ancelotti, Quiet Leadership. Is the opening line of that book this? Pep Guardiola, Barcelona manager, with his grey suit and brooding expression, comes up to me looking a little self-conscious. Is it, as a young boy growing up, did I ever imagine myself becoming a leader of a multi-million pound global industry?

Of course not. Or is it not for the first time an argument had broken out over breakfast? I love that one, the third one. I would have written that one to start the book. Yeah, I agree. You're going for that one? You're going for number three? Yeah.

So you've gone for not for the first time an argument had broken out over breakfast. Yeah. That is the opening line, but it's the opening line to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It works as well. Great start.

It was, as a young boy growing up, did I ever imagine myself becoming a leader of a multimillion-pound global industry? That's basically it, but just for fun, And I want to do the last one. The book is Brave New World Inside Potchitino Spurs by Guy M. Balagay. And the possible answers for James and Raff are,

all happy families are alike. Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. That's Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, so rule that out. Oh, my God, Sam. Oh, I mean, he is amazing. Answer two, Leo Tolstoy pointed out that all of literature comes down to one of two stories. A man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town. And option three is, it's one thing to plan things in bed during sleepless nights staring at the ceiling.

Carrying out the plan is another thing entirely. So there are two Tolstoy references. So I imagine one has been thrown in there to confuse. But I think I have a suspicion that the other Tolstoy reference is the line from Brave New World. Would he him go with that? I mean, something so pretentious. That's not him. That is not him.

That's not his style. I've got the suspicion. Neither of you have read the book. That is so bad. Wow. That is terrible. You think it's all of literature, Leo Tolstoy pointed out, comes down to one of two stories. A man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.

I really hope, Guillaume, you know if they're right. They're absolutely right. And I love the start of the book. Great start to the book. Well done. I can I ask a question. James von Casson. Yes.

Isn't a stranger comes to town and the men goes another journey? Isn't that actually the same story? No. No, but we don't have time for that one. Sure. Great quiz, guys. Guillem and Jules not so great. Sorry, Jules.

As bad as the quiz master to be fair. Jet, now you were, you were way better than the quiz master. James Zagrath. I make it 132. There you go, 132. Quite comprehensive. Well done, Holncastle deserved the one medal because you can't have two. Who was the MVP?

Horninstein. Crossie kept track. Who's the MVP? That's here. That's here. The MVP was James Horncastle. Yeah. Well done, guys.

Thank you very much. Good quiz. And we will speak to you all very soon. Thank you. Okay. Cheers, bye. Bye, bye. Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.

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