Sports · Soccer
Hosted by Chris Horwedel
The Beautiful Game, Unfiltered is a global soccer podcast that brings you inside the stories shaping football today—through conversations with the people who actually live it. From club chairmen and front-office decision-makers to current players, journalists, and influential voices across the sport, this show goes beyond headlines to uncover what’s really happening in the world’s game. Every episode dives into the most interesting topics of the day in football, blending breaking news with deeper, personal stories that define careers, clubs, and the global game itself.
Listener reviews
Review this showI like hearing what a job in football actually feels like to the person doing it. The conversation gives me little details to think about later. Sometimes I go in knowing hardly anything about the guest, which makes it even more fun when I find myself interested ten minutes later.
Guests with something to say
The World Cup special going group by group lets me enjoy the tournament talk without focusing only on the favorites.
Underdog Stories
Football historyWhat happened in Southampton’s Spygate scandal? Saints watched three rivals train, lost their playoff place and four points, while their coach avoided a live ban.
From The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered · Oct 12, 2026
Sports analysis & explainersHow are football clubs punished for financial rule breaches? Leagues can deduct points or fine a club; rivals need separate proof to claim their losses.
From The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered · Oct 5, 2026
In this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel tackles a difficult question facing Wrexham AFC: Is it time to move on from Phil Parkinson, and who should replace him? With Wrexham struggling in the Championship, Chris examines Parkinson's future and ranks 10 potential successors, including Kieran McKenna, Rob Edwards, Steve Cooper, Carlos Corberán and Craig Bellamy. Before…
Southampton’s Spygate scandal has raised major questions about cheating, sporting integrity, and fair punishment in English football. On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered, Chris Horwedel breaks down Southampton FC’s spying controversy, their EFL Championship playoff expulsion, four-point deduction and manager Tonda Eckert’s suspended six-week ban from the Football Association. Chris…
The Beautiful Game takes a deep dive into Manchester City’s Premier League financial case , the independent commission ruling, City’s appeal, possible sporting sanctions and the potentially enormous compensation claims that could follow. Chris Horwedel walks through the case from its origins, including the financial-reporting allegations, manager and player compensation issues, UEFA compliance,…
What happens when you help a club win the first trophy in its women’s team history—and 22 days later, you’re asked to manage the teammates you just celebrated with? In this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered , Chris Horwedel is joined by Jillian Leiper, player-manager of Alloa Athletic Women , for an in-depth conversation about making that extraordinary transition, building a team culture…
Luton Town Ladies head coach Dan Bolesta and defender Ruby Heselden join The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered for an in-depth conversation about Luton Town, women’s football, player development, coaching and the realities of competing in the English football pyramid. Chris Horwedel talks with Bolesta about his journey from grassroots and community coaching with MK Dons to taking charge of Luton Town…
YouTube content creator Tom Kelsey (TomFM) joins The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered for an in-depth conversation about Football Manager, FM26, Lincoln City, YouTube, and the world behind one of football gaming’s most recognizable channels. Chris Horwedel sits down with Tom to trace the relationship between real-world football and Football Manager that has shaped his life and career. The conversation…
The 2026 summer transfer window reshaped world football, with record spending, blockbuster moves, surprising bargains and high-risk deals across Europe, Major League Soccer and the English football pyramid. In this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered , Chris Horwedel looks beyond transfer fees and reputation to identify the moves that could have the biggest impact on the coming season. The…
Todd Smith, author of Relegated: One American’s Pints and Pies Journey from the Top to the Bottom of the English Football World , joins Chris Horwedel on The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered for a conversation about the culture, communities and people that make English football unlike anything else in sports. Smith explains how a lifelong connection to soccer eventually became an ambitious journey…
Former Manchester United midfielder and Premier League champion Luke Chadwick joins The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered for a deeply personal conversation about Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Roy Keane, Cambridge United, mental health, the Football Fun Factory , and his autobiography, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Luke Chadwick Story . Chadwick retraces a football journey that took him from a…
On this episode of The Beautiful Game: Unfiltered , Chris Horwedel sits down with Tom Cliffe , lifelong Northampton Town FC supporter, elected supporter representative on the club’s Board of Directors, chairman of the Fan Advisory Board and longtime matchday volunteer at Sixfields Stadium , for an in-depth conversation about the past, present and future of the Cobblers. Tom shares how his…
