Why Norway and Russia played football on a barren Arctic island

Описание: Video Podcast: A deep dive into football in the Arctic Circle, from high-flying Bodø/Glimt in the UEFA Champions League to international friendlies in Svalbard, plus stories of a family feud in El Salvador and a Dutch team banned from leaving their home stadium

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Bodø/Glimt continued their sensational debut UEFA Champions League campaign by beating Italian giants Inter in the Arctic Circle – after 80 tons of snow had first been cleared from their pitch, of course.

But did you know Norway is home to an even snowier pitch, 1,000km further north at the very top of the world, in a place where seeds are stored for the event of an apocalypse and people carry rifles to the supermarket to stave off polar bear attacks?

So who used to play here, on this northernmost 11-a-side pitch in the world? Why did it all change after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? And why do so many Liverpool fans live in this Arctic wilderness?

Next, we hop over to Central America, where a family feud is ruining birthdays and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. So what scenario is unfolding here that is happening nowhere else in the world?

Finally, there’s a club in a local amateur league whose players are forced to play every match at home. Why are they banned from ever playing away? And which former professional footballer is employed to guard them?

#bodoglimt #svalbard #arctic #longyearbyen #barentsburg

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Chapters

00:00 – Intro
01:34 – Bodø/Glimt's UCL magic
04:51 – Football at the top of the world
07:59 – Four fun facts about Svalbard
12:27 – El Salvador's family feud
16:02 – Family coaching battles
20:03 – Poland's Nazi-defying club
22:51 – Hashtag United's cup clash
26:06 – Jonker Boys' unusual restriction

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Around The World in 80 Clubs: ⁠https://geni.us/WorldIn80Clubs⁠

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The Sweeper team
• Hosts: Lee Wingate and Paul Watson
• Editor: Ralph Foster