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Before the 2000s became the defining decade for African football, a series of moments forced the global game to pay attention.
In this opening chapter of our African Football deep dive, we trace the catalysts that set the stage for what many consider the century of African football — from Ruud Gullit dedicating his Ballon d’Or to Nelson Mandela and placing South Africa at the heart of football’s political consciousness, to Roger Milla’s iconic dances at Italia ’90 and USA ’94 that changed how the world saw African players.
We explore how George Weah’s rise from Monrovia to Paris and Milan redefined African talent on Europe’s biggest stages, culminating in the first — and still only — Ballon d’Or won by an African player. And we revisit Nigeria’s unforgettable gold medal run at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, a moment that announced a new generation ready to compete — and win — on the world stage.
This is the story before the boom. The moments, symbols, and performances that prepared African football for its 2000s revolution.
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To round out the year, the we go head to head in a special Football In The 2000s quiz episode — no opinions, just pure knowledge.
Across multiple rounds, they’re tested on the decade from every angle: historic ground names, missing players from classic formations, brutal career-path challenges, high-difficulty sequence and connection rounds, and a final stretch of pure stats.
Some questions reward instinct. Others punish assumptions. And a few are designed to catch out even the most seasoned 2000s obsessives.
No hints (Ok, maybe one per round). No answers given.
Just pride, bragging rights — and one last test before the year ends.
Follow @footballinthe2000s on Instagram for more 2000s nostalgia, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share!
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Dive into the chaos and charm of 2000s football kits—baggy fits, pointy collars, long sleeves in August, and some of the wildest designs the sport has ever seen. We break down the decade’s best and worst shirts, the fall of Umbro and Diadora, Kappa’s skin-tight revolution, Germany’s surprise misfires, and the stories behind iconic (and infamous) releases from 2000–2009.
Plus: Fulham’s random U.S. fast-food sponsor, Cameroon’s rebellious 2002 kit, and why Cristiano Ronaldo still refuses to ditch long sleeves.
Follow @footballinthe2000s on Instagram for more 2000s nostalgia, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share!
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The Miracle of Wolfsburg. In 2008/09, a factory club with no Bundesliga pedigree tore up the script and produced one of the most astonishing title runs of the 2000s. Led by the iron-fisted Felix Magath, powered by the iconic trio of Grafite, Edin Džeko and Zvjezdan Misimović, and fuelled by a fearless, fast-breaking style of football, VfL Wolfsburg shocked Germany — and Bayern Munich — to lift their first-ever Meisterschale.
In this episode, we break down how a side once flirting with relegation transformed into a goal-scoring machine. From Grafite’s legendary back-heel versus Bayern, to the 5–1 demolition jobs that defined their run, to the personalities and off-pitch dynamics that made this team unforgettable — this is the inside story of a title nobody saw coming.
Expect tactical context, player deep-dives, match-by-match turning points, and the legacy of one of the Bundesliga’s greatest one-season wonders.
If you love 2000s football, big shocks, and iconic strikers, this one’s for you.
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Youth, belief, and eight straight wins: Stuttgart’s miracle year.
From crisis to champions — VfB Stuttgart’s 2006-07 season is one of the Bundesliga’s great comeback stories. A rookie coach, a team of academy kids, and a title fight that went to the wire. Relive the drama, the noise, and the moment Khedira’s header crowned the unlikeliest champions of the decade.
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In 2004, the impossible happened: Werder Bremen won it all. Under Thomas Schaaf, a squad built from bargains and belief ripped up the script, outscoring everyone and lifting both the league and cup. From Aílton’s golden-boot rampage to Johan Micoud’s artistry and a relentless team spirit, this was the season that made Germany fall in love with Bremen’s football. In this episode, we revisit the swagger, the soundtrack, and the shockwaves of their 2003-04 double — a time when the Weserstadion was the most exciting place in Europe.
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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In 2002, Borussia Dortmund pulled off one of the great Bundesliga comebacks — a title run powered by Tomas Rosický’s flair, Jan Koller’s goals, and Matthias Sammer’s iron will. In this episode, we dive into how BVB rose from financial trouble to dethrone Bayern Munich, conquer Germany, and come within a whisker of a European trophy. From the roar of the Yellow Wall to the heartbreak of Rotterdam, relive the season that defined a generation of Dortmund fans and set the tone for the club’s modern identity.
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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Who was the greatest 'number 2' of the 2000s and who will join them on the pyramid?
First though, we pay our respects to some right-sided fullbacks that the streets will never forget.
Then, in the piece de resistance, we each present our pyramids and make our cases for the three tiers. Which 6 legends will be immortalized in 2000s footballing history? Will a smiling Brazilian steal the show with his charm and speed or will a sturdy Frenchman have something to say about it? Will respect be attributed to a Mancunian Captain? What about the Galacticos' very own Pitbull? Tune in to find out and send us your own pyramids?
All of this and much, much more on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
If you haven't already, tune in to our other episodes on any app you get your podcasts!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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In the early 2000s, Ajax were reborn — louder, faster, and wilder than the pristine Total Football sides that came before them. Between 2001 and 2003, a fearless new generation stormed through Amsterdam: Zlatan Ibrahimović, Rafael van der Vaart, Cristian Chivu, Steven Pienaar, and Andy van der Meyde — a group so unpredictable they became known as the “Rock ’n Roll Ajax.”
In this episode, we dive into that chaotic, thrilling era. From Co Adriaanse’s dismissal to Ronald Koeman’s youth revolution, from Zlatan’s €9 million move from Malmö to his breakout Champions League night against Lyon, we revisit how Ajax rediscovered swagger and nearly shocked Europe on their 2002–03 run to the Champions League quarter-finals.
This is the story of a club caught between tradition and rebellion — a team that brought the ArenA back to life, inspired a new generation of Dutch stars, and gave the football world its first glimpse of Zlatan’s genius.
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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Before he was “Ibra,” Zlatan was just a kid from Rosengård with a stolen bike, a taekwondo kick, and a chip on his shoulder. We trace his journey from Malmö’s concrete courtyards to a record-breaking move to Ajax — with temper flare-ups, near-quits, and the famous “I don’t do auditions” moment along the way.
Tune in for stories of dockyard near-misses, taekwondo flips, and the making of one of football’s most polarizing figures on this episode of Football in the 2000s: Young Zlatan.
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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Sooner or later it had to be covered. We heard our listeners, licked some salt from our wounds and decided to go all in on the 2004-2005 Uefa Champions League final! On the 25th of May in 2005, a star-studded Milan side headed to Istanbul to take on underdogs Liverpool. The stage was set for one of the most David vs Goliath finals in decades. What we got was arguably the greatest final of all time.
Before discussing the match in depth, though, we touch upon how competitive that season's Champions League was (3:20) and some highlights from the knockout stages (12:30). Then, it is on to the final (25:30), analyzed from every angle and emotion before rounding things up by discussing the overall legacy of the match and its participants (54:30).
All of this and much, much more on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
If you haven't already, tune in to our other episodes on any app you get your podcasts!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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Before Fabrizio and David, we spent 2000s summers perusing the papers for transfer gossip and following drawn out sagas, most of which never actually materialized. On this episode of Football In The 2000s, we dive into three of the most high-profile 'almost-transfers' that fell through at the last minute and discuss the domino effects that could have resulted.
What if Kaká had agreed personal terms with City and been their first massive transfer? Would he have brought glory to Moss side earlier? Would it have worked better than at Madrid?
Then, in the second half, we ruminate on how the Premier League and European football in general could have looked differently by analyzing two big moves that fell through in the summer of 2004 (28:30). Did Wenger almost have a Portuguese starlet join his Invincibles? And could Ronaldinho have coped with the rain in Manchester?
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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What began as a standard investigation about a negligent doping program turned into one of the biggest sporting investigations in history during the summer of 2006. As the weeks went by, a steady trickle of leaked wiretaps made its way out via the press. Those implicated were a who's who of Italian football and at the center of the ring was none other than the Godfather of the game himself: Luciano Moggi.
On this episode, we relive some of the most shocking revelations from the Calciopoli wiretaps before diving into the sanctions that saw Juventus relegated to Serie B for the first time in their history (28:00). Did the involvement of other clubs point to systemic corruption in the Italian game? Was justice applied evenly? And how should we evaluate certain conspiracy theories about who was behind the leaks?
We wrap things up with a brief discussion on whether Calciopoli destroyed Italian football on its own or whether it was the final straw that broke the camel's back. Will Italian football ever fully recover from the damage done by the scandal?
Tune in for much more including tales of referees locked in locker rooms and anecdotes about boardroom plotting on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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In the summer of 2006, as Fabio Cannavaro was lifting the World Cup into the Berlin sky, all hell was breaking loose back home in Italy. Wiretaps had been released uncovering the biggest scandal in football history. Calciopoli, as it came to be known, would implicate the biggest clubs in Italy and expose a network of power and influence that has left a black mark on the Italian game to this day. It would also mark the beginning of the end for Italian football.
To truly understand the essence of Italy's Watergate, we have to understand Juventus, and, more specifically, the Agnelli family running the show (7:25). We chart the rise of Juventus from being the second club of Italy's fifth largest city to both domestic and European domination. How did having the backing of Italy's wealthiest family and biggest employer make Juventus the most supported club throughout the country?
Then, enter stage right Luciano Moggi, the villain of the story. How did Juventus' GM rise from train station attendant to football scout to being the most influential man in Italian football? And how well did his approach to the game fit the Juventus mentality of winning being the 'only thing' (29:17)?
Tune in for much more including tales of prosthetics and anecdotes about the 'King of Italy' on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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What is a summer without the transfer window? On this episode we reminisce on simpler times when the transfer record was broken "only" 5 times in 10 years (3:40). Learn more about the Argentine transfer king, how the Galacticos project inflated the market and how shady dealings between Italian clubs were already a thing.
Then, the guys cover some iconic transfers in greater depth (21:30). There is talk of Cashley Cole, a bizarre double-signing in East London, the first big Manchester City statement transfer and, of course, a discussion on the Beckham Experiment. Will he go down as the Michael Jordan of soccer in the USA?
Finally, we can never let you go without a high stakes round of trivia involving some of the most transferred players of the decade (54:55). Enjoy!
All of this and much, much more on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
If you haven't already, tune in to our other episodes on any app you get your podcasts!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@footballinthe2000s) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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Do you remember the Central European, sweatpant-wearing goalkeeper that had an emergency loan at Aston Villa? How about the Invincible who took up an internship in the Midlands? Did someone really come all the way from Japan to Bolton because he always dreamed of playing for Big Sam? And, surely, a Cannavaro brother never could have played for Inter... right?
Welcome to our "I Forgot He Played There" XI (5:20)! Join us on this episode of Football In The 2000s as we dive deep into the stints everyone forgot about, or, in some cases, chose not to remember. You will hear stories of pitbulls in the streets of North London, controversial figures left and right, balon d'or winners in the windy city and much, much more!
Make sure to send us your own Forgotten XI's in the comments of your podcast app or on our Instagram page!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@football2000spod) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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On this episode we travel across the Atlantic and finally visit South America! There are many massive clubs in the region but one, in particular, seems to capture the international imagination more than others. What is it that makes Boca Juniors so special (2:40)? Are they truly the 'biggest' club in Argentina? And what do we make of their history?
Then, while sipping our mate and cutting into a prime ojo de bife, we dive into their 2000s exploits (13:53). Was Rolando Bianchi's side the most dominant of the entire decade? What happened with Juan Roman Riquelme and Martin Palermo? And was the first part of the decade the apex mountain of Argentine club football?
All of this and much, much more on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
If you haven't already, tune in to our other episodes on any app you get your podcasts!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@football2000spod) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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Sometimes the footballing Gods treat us to a script that not even the best Hollywood writer could think of.
As the field in Korea and Japan was whittled down to the final eight, everyone thought there had been enough chaos and magic. They were in for a few final treats. On this episode we wrap up our journey to the far east by covering the final 8 matches of the most magical tournament of the decade.
There is talk of a titanic encounter between Brazil and England, more golden goal drama and robotic German efficiency. Above all else though, this is a tale of one of the greatest comebacks in football history. Enter stage right, Nazario Da Lima, also known as Ronaldo Fenomeno.
All of this and much more, including mentions of a bald accountant from Bologna, corruption by Hyundai and a Turkish figure skater, on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@football2000spod) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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And to think the drama had not even commenced after the group stages...
The Round of 16 of the 2002 World Cup had it all: from the first instances of golden goal at a World Cup to continued upsets and some of the most controversial refereeing decisions ever made.
In this episode we dive deep into the USMNT's greatest WC victory in recent memory (8:10) and Italy's controversial exit at the hands of hosts South Korea and an Ecuadorian referee cum drug-smuggler extraordinaire (26:20). Then we touch upon Sven's Danish demolition (45:00) before covering more Brazilian samba and discussing who the real leaders of that squad were.
All of this and much more, including mentions of a JFK airport drug bust and Marc Wilmots, on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
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Seoul, Korea. May 31, 2002. France - Senegal. Let the chaos commence in 3... 2... 1... gol de Boupa Diop!!!!
The group stage of the 2002 World Cup had it all. In this episode we dive into the surprising and disciplined host nations, the hellish atmosphere in the port city of Busan and the magic of The Guus. There is talk of Brazilian Samba, David Beckham getting the Argentines back for 1998 and the usual chaos of a favored Italian side sabotaging themselves.
One of the last tournaments which could still surprise us did so from the first match and did not let up. How did Senegal, Turkey, the USA, Korea and even Belgium cause such stunning upsets? And what on earth happened to Argentina, Portugal and France?
All of this and much more, including mentions of Pierluigi Collina and Markus Merk, on this episode of Football In The 2000s!
Make sure to follow us on our Instagram (@football2000spod) and tell us of more topics you would like to hear. Finally, please give us a rating & review and share this podcast with anyone you think may enjoy it! Thanks!
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