Football Daily

Juventus and Real Madrid win but big praise for Atalanta and Club Brugge. John Bennett is joined by Guillem Balague, Mina Rzouki and Kristof Terreur to unpick another dramatic week in the Champions League. They discuss a much-needed victory for Juventus over the increasingly beleaguered Manchester City before analysing a sensational match between Atalanta and Real Madrid. There is discussion around why Alessandro Del Piero is so important for the development of Kenan Yildiz and why it did not work out for Charles De Ketelaere at AC Milan but has turned around for him at Atalanta. Is Thibaut Courtois back to his best? And how good has David de Gea been at Fiorentina this season? Plus – what’s the secret behind Club Brugge’s great form in the Champions League? Timecodes…. 0 mins: Intro – with Guillem's tips on the attractions of Girona. 2.24: What the team make of the Champions League table. 4.51: The team discuss a big win for Juve – and explain why Alessandro Del Piero is so important for the development of Kenan Yildiz. 11.22: Guillem gives his takes on some of the issues at Man City. 17.35: Have Real Madrid turned a corner? 20.50: The form of Thibaut Courtois. 22.14: Why it is working out for Ademola Lookman at Atalanta – and whether there is a big move for him on the horizon. 24.24: Why it did not work out for Charles De Ketelaere at AC Milan but has turned around for him at Atalanta 30.29: David de Gea’s impressive stats at Fiorentina. 34.20: Club Brugge – and the sensational story of their rise under Nicky Hayen.

What next for Millwall? Is Mike Phelan the answer to Wayne Rooney and Plymouth’s problems? Middlesbrough defender Tommy Smith joins Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff to discuss Neil Harris leaving Millwall and what will come next for the club and who they'll appoint next? Plus, they discuss the managerial merry-go-round as Ruben Selles joins Hull with Noel Hunt taking over at Reading, while former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan joins Wayne Rooney at Plymouth.

Kelly Cates is joined by John Murray, Pat Nevin and Gary Cahill as Manchester City lose two-nil to Juventus to deal a big blow to their hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stage. Hear from boss Pep Guardiola on the defeat that means Manchester City have won just one of their last 10 games in all competitions, with this being their seventh loss during that run. Elsewhere Conor McNamara joins the pod as Arsenal see off Monaco in a comfortable three-nil victory with Saka getting a double and assist. Manager Mikel Arteta gives his thoughts on the win and the role of 18-year-old Myles Lewis–Skelly making his second start.Timecodes: 00:20 Intro 03:00 What’s happened to City? 06:40 Lack of cutting edge 12:40 What do City need to do? 22:30 Pep Guardiola 26:10 Arsenal 28:30 ArtetaBBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this week: Thu 12 Dec, 2000: Rangers v Tottenham Sat 14 Dec, 1500: Liverpool v Fulham Sat 14 Dec, 1730: Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa Sun 15 Dec, 1400: Brighton v Palace Sun 15 Dec, 1630: Man City v Man Utd Sun 14 Dec, 1430: Liverpool v Arsenal WSL, 5 Sports Extra

It's been confirmed the FIFA World Cup will be returning to the Middle East in 10 years' time after FIFA awarded Saudi Arabia the hosting rights to the 2034 tournament. Securing football’s most high-profile tournament is just the latest example of the Kingdom’s growing influence on global sport, which its critics say is in an effort to 'sportswash' the regime's reputation.Katie Smith is joined by BBC sports editor Dan Roan and Tariq Panja, global sports correspondent for The New York Times, to provide the background to Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid.We hear from the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al Misehal, and from Amanda Staveley, who was part of the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United in 2021, on why the tournament will be a great success, while BBC sports news correspondent Laura Scott speaks to Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness about Norway's decision to abstain from the voting process for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments.Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of housing, workers rights, and sport, and Wycombe Wanderers midfielder David Wheeler, the PFA’s sustainability champion, also join the podcast to discuss their concerns over human and the environment.And we ask what all this means for Saudi Arabia’s huge investments in domestic football, particularly at Newcastle United.