YOUR NEW FAVORITE SOCCER SHOW: GoalLess with Russell Howard and Chris Wittyngham

9 Oct 2024 · 7 min

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In short

SmartLess Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Information

  • Title: YOUR NEW FAVORITE SOCCER SHOW: GoalLess with Russell Howard and Chris Wittyngham
  • Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
  • Special Guests: Russell Howard, Chris Wittyngham
  • Release Date: September 19th
  • Podcast Description: SmartLess connects people through thoughtful dialogue and humor, revealing a mystery guest in each episode for an authentic conversation.

Episode Overview This episode introduces "GoalLess," a new podcast that celebrates soccer (football) by discussing its drama, personalities, and humor. Russell Howard, a comedian, and Chris Wittyngham, a Major League Soccer commentator, host the show, focusing on weekly stories from the UEFA Champions League.

Key Themes and Discussions

  • Introduction of GoalLess:
  • The show aims to be a fan-driven podcast, discussing everything from match analysis to player anecdotes.
  • The tagline "What’s the goal? You tell us" captures the interactive spirit of the podcast.
  • Champions League Format Changes:
  • The 2023-2024 season features a new 36-team league format.
  • Notably, teams will play eight different opponents rather than a home-and-away series, increasing match excitement weekly.
  • Personal Anecdotes:
  • Russell shares a humorous encounter with Jude Bellingham at Heathrow, highlighting the surreal nature of meeting sports figures.
  • Discussion of other footballers they'd like to meet, particularly Zlatan Ibrahimović, noted for his fierce personality and humor.
  • Hair and Image in Soccer:
  • A playful debate on soccer players' hairstyles, with Russell suggesting Italian players historically have the best hair, referencing players like Andrea Pirlo and Riccardo Calafiore.
  • Sean and Will humorously critique the English footballers’ hairstyles, highlighting Jack Grealish as an exception.
  • Cultural References:
  • The hosts delve into the origins of the term "soccer," explaining its historical use in England.
  • A light-hearted commentary on the cultural perceptions of English versus Italian footballers.

Key Takeaways

  • Community and Engagement:
  • GoalLess aims to bring fans together through shared experiences and laughter in soccer.
  • Entertainment and Insight:
  • The combination of expert analysis and comedic banter is intended to make soccer more accessible and enjoyable for both new and seasoned fans.
  • Social Media and Interaction:
  • The hosts encourage listeners to engage with the show on social media, underscoring the community aspect of the podcast.

Conclusion The episode serves as an entertaining preview of "GoalLess," blending soccer insights with humor and showcasing the chemistry between the hosts. The new format of the Champions League promises exciting content for fans, while the light-hearted discussions about players and their quirks make for enjoyable listening.

Listeners are encouraged to follow "GoalLess" and stay engaged with the latest episodes as they premiere.

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Transcript

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0:28Will Arnett here with some huge news. personalities and on-pitch drama that make soccer beautiful and hilarious. Built by fans for fans. So whether you're a fan of Liverpool, like you should be, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or Young Boys, no, no, which is an actual Swiss team called Young Boys, that's their name, we have got you covered. Every Monday and Thursday, the guys kick around the biggest stories from the Champions League, featuring analysis and laughs and stars who love the game. What's the goal? You tell us. But why should you listen to me? I'll hand it over to the experts. Here's the show trailer.

1:05Hello, I'm Chris Whittingham. I'm a commentator for CBS and Paramount Plus on the UEFA Champions League. And I'm Russell Howard, a stand-up comedian from Great Britain. Welcome to Goalless. Of all the unimportant things in life, we're here for the most important, football. He means soccer. Each week we'll kick around the biggest stories, predictions, and results from the Champions League. We'll talk with players, comedians, and actors who share our love and passion for the game plus news from the wider world of soccer. It's football! For the best goals to the funniest player trolls, disastrous decisions to disastrous haircuts, Goalless is your new favourite football show by fans for fans.

1:46Well, okay, actually, I do have a slight history lesson for you here. Okay, okay. The word soccer is actually an English word. If you go back down the years, you watch some BBC broadcasts in the 1970s, 1980s, they're calling it soccer. Things evolve, my friend. We need a new word specifically for the podcast so that we can get through it. How about footker? Sock. Sockball. Sockball. That could work. Sockball? That's not it. Now, Russell, one of the biggest things for viewers to get used to in this year's Champions League is it's a completely different format. One 36-team league table where not everyone is playing each other home and away.

2:24Eight different opponents for every team. Realistically, I think the biggest thing for viewers to get used to is that every week there are going to be games between big teams. And that used to not be the case. If you're not watching your own team, you're going to watch whatever the biggest game is. And there will be one of those almost every single day of this league state. That's a really good point, actually, isn't it? Because it means we don't have to wait to the quarterfinals for those kind of red hot games. So the fact that Liverpool, like we've got Real Madrid. so already I'm so excited the idea that Bellingham and Bappe, Vinicius Jr.

2:57I'll get to see them live I met Bellingham how cool is this right? Okay. It was such an insane moment he saw me at Heathrow Airport and he asked me for a photo because when he was young he was a fan of my tv show and it just blew my mind but my phone was going through the security so I didn't get the opportunity to also have my photo with jude bellingham so i told my friends and none of them believed me so you've got to get in touch with jude bellingham to get that picture off him yeah but it was you know one of those moments where you meet somebody so impressive and it just happens in a kind of a blur and i kind of got very formal and when i met his mom i was like you know i i think i said mrs bellingham lovely to meet you i think i did i went mrs bellingham your son is an absolutely phenomenal footballer.

3:44You should be very proud. I kind of, maybe that's what ruined it. Maybe he was like, I think he's cracking onto my mom, which I wasn't in any way. Any footballer would you like to meet? Zlatan. I would kind of love to meet Zlatan, even though he would absolutely overwhelm me. I work for our Serie A coverage at Paramount Plus and he went up to the desk and straight away was like, oh, this is the B team. What happened to the A team that does the Champions League? And it was like, just what an absolute savage this man is. I don't know if I could really speak to him. It would be weird. He's a terrifying guy.

4:18He's really funny as well. And he also has the look of a man who could break into a zoo and fight a gorilla. Do you know what I mean? Well, okay. He could talk his way into doing that and then probably not fare well against the gorilla, I would imagine. Again, it's a challenge. So we need to get a photo from Jude Bellingham and we need to find a way. Zlatan, he's not busy. He's not playing. Let's get him into a zoo. let's get the right gorilla and let's make that happen Ricardo Calafiori stole Europe's hearts this summer because of his wonderful haircut the Italians usually bring the hair to the competition Germans as well do you feel like we will have better hairstyle in the Champions League because it's Italy and Germany maybe not England that is getting the extra spot in the Champions League do you know I've never thought about the locks of my nation but you're right I think, yeah, Italian men have the best hair.

5:13Go down the years. Pirlo. Yeah. Nesta. Yeah. Maldini. Yeah. And now, I mean, Calafiore. If you had said to Arsenal fans before the Euros, hey, we're going to sign Riccardo Calafiore, you wouldn't have heard of him. But all of a sudden you see his hair and you think, this is the best defender that we've ever seen. Our teeth are bad. That's what the English are known for. We have bad teeth. But is it our hair as well? Is that what America thinks of us, that we have bad hair? Jack Grealish. Jack Grealish has got Grealish. Jack Grealish has wonderful hair. Wonderful hair. But also, I do think Wayne Rooney was not the best diplomat in this regard.

5:46Yeah, he's probably fair. I was just thinking then, some of our great footballers, except for Beckham, do look like they were kind of something happened in the laboratory with a potato.

5:59From Smartless Media, Meadowlark, Sirius, and Paramount +, listen to Goalless wherever you get your podcasts. The first episode premieres on September the 19th. Don't forget to follow Goalless for new episodes right when they drop and join us on social at Goalless the Show.

6:18You can listen to Goalless anywhere you get your podcasts. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the sport, Goalless is the place to go to get information and have some laughs, which is nice for everybody. So what are you waiting for? Go and give Goalless a follow. Goalless is proudly sponsored by Paramount+. the home of the UEFA Champions League.

From the publisher

GoalLess is a podcast that highlights the passion, personalities, and pitch drama that make soccer beautiful... and hilarious. Hosted by comedian and soccer obsessive Russell Howard and Major League Soccer commentator Chris Wittyngham, GoalLess covers the biggest stories from the Champions League, featuring analysis, laughs, and great guests. What's the goal? You tell us! Brought to you by SmartLess Media and Meadowlark, with Paramount+

https://link.chtbl.com/goalless

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