World Cup News

We shine a light on some underappreciated contributors to European football on today’s episode of Greatest Games, in association with The Blizzard, alongside BBC and Okko Sport contributor Sasha Goryunov! Sasha joins us to discuss the standout game he remembers from a childhood growing up in the Soviet Union, as Spartak Moscow ensured they won the 1989 Soviet League with victory over Dynamo Kiev. Dynamo were managed by the revolutionary tactical thinker Valeriy Lobanovskyi, who was among the early adopters of computers for statistical analysis and a pioneer of pressing football. He lined up against the 35 year-old Oleg Romantsev, the coach who brought an air of calm to the Spartak dressing room. What unfolded was a chaotic game rounded off by a Valeri Shmarov free-kick worthy of winning any title. For more stories from the annals of football history, visit www.theblizzard.co.uk to explore their archives that contain over 700 articles of stories just like this one! ***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** The Football Ramble, the original and best football podcast. Brand new podcasts every single weekday throughout the Premier League season and every day throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. No cliches. No ex-pros like Peter Crouch or The Rest is Football. Just the funniest football conversation out there. Your guardian for the season, daily not weekly. Stick to the Ramble, totally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.