A sleepy town of 22,000 people in southern Slovakia is home to a top-flight football club that is challenging for national titles and boasts an ultra-modern, sleek stadium that is entirely out of step with its surroundings – thanks to money from abroad.

We paid a visit to Dunajská Streda to watch local team DAC 1904 play domestic giants Slovan Bratislava in a top-of-the table clash in Slovakia. But this was no ordinary game. It was the most politically charged football match we’ve ever seen.

The reason for that lies far beyond the football pitch. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is funding clubs in neighbouring countries as part of a broader political strategy – one that may help him win re-election in April and shape the balance of power in the EU.

Elsewhere, the Copa Libertadores is reportedly preparing to invite guest clubs from Mexico and the US to participate in the competition starting in 2027, while Chinese football has hit a new low after nine of the Super League’s 16 clubs were deducted points.

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

01:49 - Live game: DAC 1904 v Slovan Bratislava

14:32 - Viktor Orbán's political power play

21:18 - Copa Libertadores guest invitations

23:04 - Analysis from Jon Arnold

25:59 - China's Super League low point

27:21 - Analysis from John Duerden

Sources for the lead story

Atlatszo: https://english.atlatszo.hu/2018/12/11/the-orban-government-spent-billions-on-hungarian-football-clubs-in-serbia-romania-and-slovakia

Balkan Insight: https://balkaninsight.com/2025/07/08/hungary-and-croatia-build-stadium-for-e7-5-million-in-village-of-500-inhabitants

Denník: https://dennikn.sk/1380564/bolo-to-ako-vojna-bitka-policajtov-s-fanusikmi-dunajskej-stredy-po-ktorej-sa-zmenil-zakon/

Radio Free Europe: https://www.rferl.org/a/hungary-orban-sport-influence-romania/31977287.html

Salzburger Nachrichten:https://www.sn.at/sport/fussball/international/dac-dunajska-streda-orbans-aushaengeschild-in-der-slowakei-art-371392

Qarabağ have made Champions League history this season, becoming the first Azerbaijani club to ever reach the knockout stages of the competition – and setting up a play-off tie against Premier League team Newcastle United.

Their run has come at a time of dramatic geopolitical change in the South Caucasus, with the club preparing to return to their hometown of Ağdam after spending more than three decades in exile in the capital Baku.

Elsewhere, Bodø/Glimt stunned the continent by qualifying for the knockouts despite not playing domestic football since November, while Benfica hit the headlines with a goalkeeper goal and a viral TV interview from a local priest.

Club Brugge also progressed through the league phase, but that will not be the enduring memory of their season for three fans who accompanied the team to Kazakhstan and ended up in jail in one of the strangest away-day stories of the season.

Ghost Cities FC by James Montague for the BBC: www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0lxg7xy

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:41 – Qarabağ's historic Champions League run

02:01 – A story of exile and homecoming

07:22 – Soft power and state support

10:50 – The secret to their sporting success

14:37 – The challenges ahead: Newcastle and Sabah

17:02 – Patreon preview: Chapecoense and South America

18:33 – Another milestone for Bodø/Glimt

21:45 – Benfica's keeper goal and priest interview

26:07 – Brugge's congratulations and Borat arrests

Christmas has come and gone, but for Santa Claus – the football club that is, not the man with the beard – the other big moment of the year is fast approaching.

This amateur team of tourism and post office workers are about to enter the Finnish Cup – their one big moment each year to show they are more than just a novelty name.

But beyond Lapland, what else is so unique about the competition? We speak to Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki, the chief organiser at the Finnish Football Association, about its soaring popularity, English influence and the trophy's wacky back story.

Finally, we take a look at other unique cup competitions across the European continent – from France’s all-inclusive cup to Bosnia’s strange final.

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

00:32 – Santa Claus' other big moment

03:38 – The uniqueness of the Finnish Cup

05:42 – A typical run in the competition

07:40 – Favourite Finnish club names

09:38 – Interview with Tomi Leivo-Jokimäki

23:20 – Patreon episode sneak peak

24:29 – Cup craziness across Europe