Episode details

World Service,01 Jan 2026,22 mins
More than 2025: Should football 'bomb squads' be a thing of the past?
More Than The ScoreAvailable for over a year
A growing issue in football is so-called 'bomb squads' - groups of players that football clubs exclude from first-team training after deciding their services are no longer required. The Premier League has had several high-profile examples of this treatment this season, including Raheem Sterling at Chelsea and Jadon Sancho at Manchester United. Back in October, More than the Score spoke to two men who've seen both sides of this treatment. Pundit and former Premier League player Nedum Onuoha, told John Bennett what it was like to discover Manchester City, the club where he'd been since he was 10 years old, wanted to move him on. Meanwhile, Lutz Pfannenstiel, who has recently been appointed as sporting director at Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen, reveals what it's like to work with players who've been told their services are no longer required. More than the Score is the BBC World Service's daily podcast exploring stories from all over the world of sport. Every Monday to Friday, we're telling stories beyond the scoreline, from athletics to Formula 1, boxing to bobsleigh, and football to the NFL. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like pole vault titan Mondo Duplantis, boxing royalty Cecilia Braekhus and tennis legend Boris Becker, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from top football scouts to physios who keep NBA stars in peak condition. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email [email protected], or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore
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