The Soccer Business Podcast

The Rise and Fall of John Textor's Eagle Football Group - with Paul Quinn of The Esk

This episode of the Soccer Business Podcast kicks off with a review of the week’s top headlines, beginning with the "kit war" between Nike and Adidas during recent US national team matches, where retro designs and "guerrilla marketing" took center stage. Hosts Simon Evans and Andre Da Costa celebrate the record-breaking debut of the Denver Summit, who drew 63,000 fans to an NFL stadium for their NWSL opener, and discuss the launch of Inter Miami’s state-of-the-art new stadium, the fresh home for Lionel Messi. The hosts also analyze the surprising departure of USL CEO Justin Papadakis as the league moves toward a model increasingly backed by private equity and institutional capital.
The heart of the show features an in-depth interview with financial analyst Paul Quinn on the dramatic collapse of John Textor’s Eagle Football Group. Quinn deconstructs the failures of the Multi-Club Ownership (MCO) model, explaining how Textor’s empire became trapped by high-interest "PIK loans" and a sudden collapse in French media rights. The discussion reveals how financial engineering allowed money to be moved from successful clubs like Botafogo to cover losses at Olympique Lyonnais, a strategy that ultimately failed when the holding company was placed into administration in March 2026.
Finally, the episode explores the broader implications for global soccer finance and the rising need for independent regulation. Quinn compares Textor’s risky financial structures to the Glazers’ leveraged buyout of Manchester United, highlighting the critical difference between clubs that can service their debt through cash flow and those that cannot. The conversation concludes with a look at the future of historic clubs like Lyon and Botafogo as they face potential sales, emphasizing the responsibility of owners as custodians of community assets rather than just speculative investors.

Mo Salah, MLS, Arthur Blank and a Busy Week in American Soccer Business

Simon and Andre report back from Atlanta on a busy week at the SBJ conference on the in North American soccer business. Arthur Blank, Mohammed Mansour and Don Garber made their marks with their contributions raising a number of big issues. Plus Will Mo Salah bring a 'Middle Eastern Messi' effect to MLS? And does women's soccer need to talk more like a business than a community venture?

Zlatan on Fox And Reaching The American Soccer Fan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Joins Fox Sports: A Game Changer for World Cup Coverage? Is the Jordan Brand Ruining Brazil’s Iconic Kit? Why American Soccer Fans Are Talking About the '94 Denim Kit. Did Nike Miss a Trick? And Cracking the Code: How Brands Can Reach the 'New' American Soccer Fan Through Creators. Host Simon Evans is joined by regular guest Andre Da Costa and Darren Weber of Beautiful Game Consulting.

Messi's True Miami Deal, Soccer Lifestyle and NWSL expansion

This week Simon and Andre look at Lionel Messi's growing equity stake in Inter Miami, Carlos Velas's investment in LAFC, a new soccer lifestyle product and in our deep dive Pardeep Cattry of CSB Sports joins us to discuss the new NWSL season and the KPIs that Commissioner Jessica Berman will be looking out for.

Inside LaLiga's North American Expansion Plans

In this week's interview Nicolas Garcia Hemme, Managing Director of LaLiga North America, provides details on how the Spanish league has been sweeping up lucrative partnership deals with the likes of McDonalds and Walmart while continuing to grow their fan-base across the region. Is LaLiga replacing LigaMX as the preferred partner for brands looking to reach the Hispanic soccer fan in the USA? Plus Simon and Andre dive into the USL labor dispute and the latest NWSL valuations.

MLS Next Pro President Ali Curtis on league expansion and more

MLS Next Pro President Ali Curtis discusses the league's expansion plans, their new broadcast deal and role of the league in growing the game across the United States and much more in this week's Soccer Business interview. Plus Andre Da Costa joins Simon to go over the big stories in North American soccer business news.

How Tottenham Maximize Revenue - with CRO Ryan Norys

In this week's Soccer Business Podcast - Simon Evans and Andre Da Costa quickly go over the main talking points from the week in North American soccer business before our feature interview - a deep dive into the revenue strategy at Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur with Chief Revenue Officer Ryan Norys.
Find out about how Spurs maximize their state-of-the-art stadium 7-days a week, how they engage with global fans and a hint of some of their future plans as Ryan provides valuable insights into the modern business of a top club.

The Return of The New York Cosmos & USL plans

Simon Evans is joined by Erik Stover, CEO of the New York Cosmos, who are about to begin their new life in USL and soccer market analyst Andre Da Costa. As well as examining the return of the Cosmos brand and the work being undertaken in New Jersey, we look at the recently announced plans for USL Premier and the broader ambitions for the introduction of promotion and relegation for USL.

The Bundesliga in America - Robin Austermann on strategy and partnerships

The Bundesliga signed a 17-year partnership with Relevent Sports to boost their performance in the U.S. market and the broader Americas market. What is the strategy for the German league as they seek to enhance their business performance and profile in the Americas? Robin Austermann, head of Europe and Latam for the Bundesliga joins Simon Evans on The Soccer Business Podcast to break down that deal and the overall strategy for standing out in a crowded market of international soccer properties looking to establish themselves in the U.S market.

USA 1994 World Cup - the story behind the scenes with Alan Rothenberg

Alan Rothenberg was the President of US Soccer and took charge of the hosting of the 1994 World Cup in the United States. He then helped set up Major League Soccer and has been an influential figure in taking the game from the backwaters of the 1980's to the modern era.
Alan's new book, 'The Big Bounce - The Surge that Shaped the Future of U.S Soccer' is the inside story on the hosting of the 1994 World Cup and he joins host Simon Evans to discuss the book and his remarkable career as a true game-changer in the American soccer business.