Welcome to The Sweeper Podcast, the unique world football show covering all 211 FIFA countries and beyond. Join Lee Wingate and Paul Watson for the best headlines from across the football world, and news, stories, insight and interviews you won't find elsewhere.
Whether you're into underdogs and upsets, ultras and fan culture, groundhopping and travel, derbies and rivalries, geography and geopolitics, or simply want a break from the relentless churn of big-money football, The Sweeper Podcast has you covered!
Featured topics: FIFA, UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, OFC, FIFA World Cup, FIFA World Cup qualification, UEFA EURO, UEFA Nations League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, CONCACAF Champions Cup, CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, CFU Club Shield, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League Two, AFC Challenge League, OFC Champions League, OFC Professional League, Coupe de France, Greenlandic Football Championship, San Marino
Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPod
Video & audio editing: Ralph Foster & Tom Middler
Graphic design: The Gentlemen Creatives, Vienna
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to The Sweeper Podcast, the unique world football show covering all 211 FIFA countries and beyond. Join Lee Wingate and Paul Watson for the best headlines from across the football world, and news, stories, insight and interviews you won't find elsewhere.
Whether you're into underdogs and upsets, ultras and fan culture, groundhopping and travel, derbies and rivalries, geography and geopolitics, or simply want a break from the relentless churn of big-money football, The Sweeper Podcast has you covered!
Featured topics: FIFA, UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, CAF, AFC, OFC, FIFA World Cup, FIFA World Cup qualification, UEFA EURO, UEFA Nations League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, CONCACAF Champions Cup, CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, CFU Club Shield, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, AFC Champions League Elite, AFC Champions League Two, AFC Challenge League, OFC Champions League, OFC Professional League, Coupe de France, Greenlandic Football Championship, San Marino
Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/SweeperPod
Video & audio editing: Ralph Foster & Tom Middler
Graphic design: The Gentlemen Creatives, Vienna
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Part 1, Lee sits down with Virslīga President Maksims Krivunecs in Riga for an inside look at the Latvian football landscape. What is Latvia’s unique claim to fame within the 55 UEFA countries? Why have five of the country’s nine different champions since independence gone out of business? What does the average Virslīga footballer earn per month? And why is he in favour of setting up a Baltic League along with Lithuania and Estonia?
In Part 2, Lee returns to the virtual studio to dissect Maksim’s grand plan for a Baltic League and tell Paul all about the live experience at the Latvian Cup final. What format for the Baltic League take and how would the three stages of the competition work? What is the likelihood of it ever happening? Why was the Skonto Stadium in Riga only 14% full for the big match? And what exactly is the strange relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK?
*There is NO official proof on paper of an official relationship between Riga FC and Auda FK. Our source regarding their curious connection is Baltic Football News: balticfootballnews.com
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
01:10 – The good and bad of Latvian football
04:23 – The vanishing champion problem
12:11 – Memorable European nights
20:05 – The Baltic League grand plan
28:08 – Format, strengths & weaknesses
37:37 – The 2025 Latvian Cup final
47:20 – On The Spot