The Other Bundesliga

Wow! Lee & Tom are still recovering from an amazing weekend in the west, involving games in all three top tiers of Austrian football.

In Part 1 we look at the dramatic LigaZwa conclusion from our perspective in Dornbirn, plus our picturesque trip to RW Rankweil.

Part 2 sees us turn to the Bundesliga as the final round of games settled a few matters in both the top and bottom six. Enjoy!

Lee & Tom meet to talk about Match Day 31 in the Austrian Bundesliga. With just one round to go, the Relegation spot is taken by Ried, but the European places are still up for grabs, as is the one promotion spot from a great battle in LigaZwa!

Rapid's comeback leaves them in position to finish fourth, LASK have some ticketing troubles, and the Bundesliga's Player of the Year has been chosen.

00:00 - The bottom of the Bundesliga, and the top of the 2. Liga!

20:00 - Two big comebacks in the Top 6, PotY and more.

Salzburg are the Bundesliga Champions for the 10th time in succession!

00:00 - In Part 1 of the pod Tom & Lee look at how they stayed at the top, what next season is looking like, how anyone can stop them, and how big the celebrations really were for the Red Bulls!

21:15 - Part 2 Sees us talk about LASK's Euro return, the "top six conspiracy", and all the madness of the bottom half, plus the LigaZwa title dramas and more, enjoy!

With just three rounds to go, Lee, Simon & Tom talk about another dominant Vienna Derby win for Austria, plus Sturm keep pace near the top, Salzburg overcome a crucial hurdle, and VAR gives us plenty more to talk about, too!

With just four rounds remaining, Lee & Tom head to the Long Hall to look back on an "explosive" Cup Final, as well as what it could mean for SK Sturm down the home stretch of the Bundesliga season. We talk about the relegation fight in the bottom six, too, plus answer some lovely listener questions, such as picking out our promising tips for next season's stars.

Tom, Lee & Simon meet remotely to look ahead to the showpiece finale which will decide the Austrian Cup winner for 2023. Will it be SK Sturm or SK Rapid who lift the coveted trophy in Klagenfurt? Plus a look at the league form and standings in the top and bottom halves of the table.

Why did some U7s go viral? What happened to the Golden Boot leader? Which of us had beer-related drama?

Austria kicked off their EURO 2024 Qualifiers in Linz, the Bundesliga has restarted after the great divide, and the lower leagues have been cooking up some drama as well. Join Lee & Tom as they chat at The Long Hall to discuss all of that, plus a shock transfer and a whole bunch of lovely listener questions!

Part 1: Austria National Team - 02:15

Part 2: Bundesliga News - 23:30

Part 3: Listener Questions & Lower Leagues - 52:45

Lee & Tom get together at The Long Hall to look at LASK's new stadium, Salzburg's double-edged season, and the impending split with one round to go! We give you our predictions for the Top 6, the Vienna Derby, the relegation battle, and even incorporate the Norwegian Black Metal scene... somehow.

04:45 - LASK, Salzburg and the teams at the top.

24:10 - The top six battle, the relegation race, and all your questions!

Salzburg returned to Europe with a 1st leg win over AS Roma, and Jose Mourinho was not happy with our lovely league! With two more Bundesliga rounds complete, the top six battle is looking as clear as mud in Austria. Join Tom, Lee & Simon from The Long Hall as we talk about European and domestic football, with a peek ahead to the cup semi-finals for good measure.

Lee, Simon and Tom are back sooner than usual after a series of dramatic cup ties saw 2023 open up with a shock! Salzburg will not be winning the ÖFB Cup this season, so who will be taking their crown? We look at how the last four came through their games to reach the Cup Semis and stay in with a chance of silverware.

Welcome back, Austrian football! The team are back at The Long Hall in Vienna to have a few beers and talk about the transfers that have taken place in Austria this winter. We look back on some weird and wonderful friendlies, and get geared up for a nice looking line-up in the Cup Quarter-Finals!

Tom, Simon & Lee are back at The Long Hall for the first time in 2023, reflecting on the winter World Cup, Emi Martinez's shithousery, Bundesliga transfer news including the GK merry-go-round in Salzburg, and a look back at how our pre-season predictions have held up. Wish us luck!

Tom, Lee & Simon are reunited at The Long Hall to talk all things Bundesliga as we look back at how the 12 teams have fared in 2022. Who was desperate for a long winter break and which teams didn't want to end their decent run? We discuss all that plus listener questions, tenuous Austrian World Cup links, Liga Zwa, and everything in between!

Tom, Lee & Simon get together again at The Long Hall in Vienna to catch up on all things in Austria as the Bundesliga reached Match Day 10, and the international break is over ahead of the World Cup. We look at the men's and women's international teams, Austria's European club sides, and review what's been going on in the Bundesliga over the past month. Enjoy!

Tom & Lee look back on some chaotic European qualifying matches, and preview the group stages following the draw for the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League. We decide which away trips we want to make, and we look at the lie of the land in the Bundesliga as a picture starts to form following match day 6, and Sturm secure a huge sum for their young striker!

Tom & Simon talk through the Women's EURO, the UCL, UEL & UECL Qualifiers, tantalising transfers and the first three rounds of the Bundesliga. We answer your questions from Twitter and talk about which players are performing above expectation, who's getting the goals and who's missing the most chances as the season starts to hit its stride in Austria!

Tom, Simon and Lee gather at Vienna's lovely Long Hall to get back up to speed with the Austrian football action over the summer. From the Women's EURO to the transfer market, via the first round of the cup and much more, join us as we embark on another season of Other Bundesliga goodness!

Lee, Simon & Tom took a long overdue trip to Austria's westernmost state: Vorarlberg! We stopped off at a sold-out Altach for their dramatic relegation finale, and stuck around for Austria Lustenau as they took the final step towards the Bundesliga! 

We couldn't resist a hop across the borders to both Liechtenstein and Switzerland, where we saw some lower league action in a stunning setting, and had a pint in 3 countries in 1 day. Top stuff! Enjoy the episode, and we'll be back soon with an end of season look-back!

From the lovely Long Hall in Vienna, Tom & Lee look back at the Austrian national team's final few games under Franco Foda, as well as looking ahead to the Women's team's outing at EURO 2022 in England!

We answer your questions about the Bundesliga, and ask who's had a good time and who has struggled since the league split after match day 22.

The team look ahead to the huge World Cup Qualifying Play-Off between Wales & Austria in Cardiff.

Is this the end of the road for Franco Foda or will he cement his legacy in charge of The National Team?

Lee looks at the Hoffenheim connection that makes Austria tick (sometimes) and Sioned Dafydd is on hand to give us the perspective from Cardiff!

Simon Clark was on hand to witness FC Salzburg's 7-1 (8-2) drubbing at the hands of a clinical FC Bayern side. He and Tom Middler nonetheless do their best to find some positives from the Austrian champions' groundbreaking UEFA Champions League campaign!

Special interview episode: Tom Middler catches up with the man from the Morning Show, Radio FM4's Stuart Freeman. We talk about Stuart's career on the airwaves and how he's followed football throughout the years, coming into contact with many teams and players along the way.

Group Stages? Completed them mate! It's an historical week for The "Other" Bundesliga as FC Salzburg go through to the UEFA Champions League knockouts for the first time ever. LASK and SK Rapid join them in securing European football for the new year, and Sturm even pop up with a creditable point in their final match of the Europa League. Tom, Simon & Lee can sit back and enjoy being football fans for a change, for the winter break at least!

Tom, Lee & Simon head to The Long Hall in Vienna to drink some fine beer and discuss the Austrian teams in European group stage action. We appraise the games which yielded 4 points from match day 4, and pick out the key moments that may lie ahead in the quest for each of the teams to reach the knockout stages.

WAC are flying high following a run of victories that few saw coming, whereas several big sides are still languishing in the bottom six after matchday 14. Rapid have said goodbye to Head Coach Didi Kühbauer, but was it the right time for the capital club to move on?
Tom, Simon and Lee meet at The Long Hall Pub & Kitchen in Vienna to talk all-things Austrian Bundesliga!

The European group stages are halfway through already, but how are the Austrian teams looking in their respective tables with three games still to play, and what made Matchday 3 so successful for most of our sides?

We look back on the last set of fixtures, as well as evaluating the challenges ahead for Salzburg, Rapid, Sturm and LASK.

Tom, Simon & Lee look through the Bundesliga table after ten rounds. Salzburg streak away at the top, but how are they even better than before? What's left Sturm in a league of their own? Can we make a case for 10 teams all getting into the top 6? We can, and we do a whole lot more too!

Tom Middler & Lee Wingate look back over the Austrian teams' games form match day 1 of the various European competitions, before calling in expert help in the form of French football writer Jeremy Smith and West Ham correspondent for Football.London, Tom Clark, as we preview all the upcoming fixtures on match day 2 of the group stages.

Tom, Simon & Lee meet at Vienna's finest establishment "The Long Hall Pub & Kitchen" to chat all things Austrian Bundesliga. How have the teams fared in the early Euro qualifiers, and who got off to a flyer in the Bundesliga? Find it all here on the pod!

Tom, Simon and Lee look back at a group stage of highs and lows, and ultimately two wins to take Austria through. We look forward to a massive tie against an imperious Italy at Wembley on Saturday... can they do the unthinkable?

The EURO 2020 Group C Preview - With the help of special guests from North Macedonia, the Netherlands and Ukraine; The Other Bundesliga squad gather to talk about the Austrian national team, and what they can do to finally bring some tournament success home this summer.

The Other Bundesliga team make a triumphant return to The Long Hall in Vienna to look back over the surreal season that was 2020/2021 in the Austrian Bundesliga. Who can relax for the summer knowing they're looking good for next year? Who were our stars of the season? Who faded and who just fell short? We discuss every team and survey the lie of the land both domestic and European as the season comes to a close.

Simon and Tom talk all-things cup final in Klagenfurt, as LASK attempted to stop Salzburg winning an eighth Austrian Cup trophy since 2012. We break down the game and discuss the outlook for both teams going forward into next season, as well as rounding up the rest of the action from Austrian football for your listening pleasure!

Tom, Lee and Simon hit record to discuss the latest developments from the Violet half of Vienna. We also round up Bundesliga action and look back on the recent international break which saw Austria take on Scotland, the Faroe Islands and Denmark. In association with FotMob.

Gordon from The Tartan Scarf joins us for a bonus episode chat! The opening game in World Cup Qualifying was more interesting than expected, and concluded with handshakes all round and a 2-2 draw. We look back over a cracking night for Sasa Kalajdzic and a game graced by McGinn's overhead kick; the qualifiers arrived in style!

The team reconvene to look back on some delicious "final day" drama, and a top of the table clash that lived up to its billing in the Bundesliga. We also took a look ahead to the upcoming international fixtures, with three tasty ties on the cards for Austria. 

Tom, Simon and Lee discuss the action on and off the field as two dramatic cup finals are concluded, Europa League runs are over, and the Bundesliga battle for the top six spots heats up in a big way! There's also news of success in the women's football scene, transfer updates and important investments coming into play.

Lee looks on in horror as Salzburg stumble through their return to the UEFA Europa League at home to Villarreal CF, and special guest Chris Cowlin helps the regular crew to round up WAC vs Spurs from Budapest, as Tottenham dispatched the Carinthians with no erring.

Tom Middler spoke to two experts on Austria's 2nd division (2. Liga) in an interview originally recorded for FCPS, the Fan Owned Club in Austria's third tier. As the interview was a wide-ranging chat covering a league which we don't often feature on The Other Bundesliga, we felt that our listeners might be interested to hear more about Austria's second tier, so what else was left to do, other than a crossover episode! 

His Excellency Martin Weiss, the Austrian Ambassador to the United States of America joins us all the way from Washington, DC as a very special guest for this episode of The Other Bundesliga Podcast. We talk about his love of Austrian football and how that runs alongside his international career as a diplomat. With stories from derbies in Cyprus, support for Salzburg and even a seat at the presidential inauguration, it's an interview not to be missed!

Tom, Lee and Simon are (remotely) reunited thanks to the magic of the internet to talk winter friendlies, all the transfers and discuss any other goings on in Austria. We take time to see how each squad has evolved (or not) over the break as we look ahead at January's first few proper Bundesliga match days and some mouthwatering clashes!

Aaand breathe! Weekly group stage matches in the Champions League and Europa League are over for 2020, and with big play offs on match day 6 for Salzburg, Rapid and WAC, we had lots to look forward to! 

On this episode we reminisce about all the games that we've watched in recent weeks and months, we celebrate with the teams that got through to next year, and try to find the positives for those who didn't, as well as taking another look at the UEFA coefficient to see where Austria sits at the end of the year! 

With 10 games played, LASK take over at the top. We round up how the last few weeks have gone for all 12 Bundesliga sides; Who's playing the starring role, and who is yet to get started? Plus, live World Cup 2022 Qualifying draw reaction!

The group stages are nearly at an end, and three Austrian teams are still in contention! We review the match day 5 action from the UEFA Europa League and the Champions League after a whole host of lovely goals and some very welcome wins too! Can they do it on a snowy midweek in Moscow? Apparently they can!

Tom, Lee and Simon are joined by special guest Lars Sivertsen to discuss the bizarre circumstances of Austria vs Norway on the final night of international action. We pore over Austria's last 3 games and discuss the much maligned "FodaBall". We also look ahead to Euro 2020 (2021, you know what we mean) and clashes with some giants ahead in "League A" next time the Nations League comes around!

We drafted in special guest Manuel Veth to talk about the breathtaking 2-6 between Salzburg and Bayern in the Champions League, as well as covering wins for Rapid and LASK in the Europa League, and a tough task for WAC away in Zagreb.

Tom, Lee and Simon track Austria's four European competitors on their way through match day 2 of their respective competitions. Plus, Salzburg look for any glimmers of hope they can find before facing Bayern in the Champions League, Rapid need to bounce back against Dundalk, and LASK & WAC want to keep up momentum after some scintillating wins last week.

With a remarkable four Austrian teams in group stage action, Tom, Lee and Simon looked at all the games from the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, as Salzburg, Rapid, LASK and WAC were gunning for Euro glory in the name of Austria (and the coefficient!). We round up the games, the goals, the star performers, and look ahead to the fixtures for match day 2.

WIth LASK fighting their way impressively back to the Europa League groups, we got on the phones around Europe to take a detailed look at each and every one of the Upper Austrians' opponents for the coming matches. It's a cracker of a group, with a recent Champions League finalist, and three other teams who will fancy their chances of battling it out for second spot. Check out our special preview episode now!

On their return to the Champions League group stages FC Salzburg were drawn against some European heavyweights, so what did we do? We brought in some European heavyweights ourselves, with Raphael Honigstein, Alvaro Romeo and Artur Petrosyan giving you a brilliant in-depth look at each one of Salzburg's illustrious opponents in the European "Königsklasse"!

The Other Bundesliga team take an in-depth look at how SK Rapid are shaping up ahead of their return to European competition! With a brilliant draw pitting them against Arsenal, Molde and Dundalk, we spoke to special guests from all over Europe to get the inside look at Rapid's competitors. Can they make it through the group?

Tom, Lee and Simon take a good look at how Wolfsberger AC are stacking up ahead of a second season in European action! With CSKA, Dinamo and Feyenoord their illustrious opponents, we find out from experts around Europe about how the competitors are looking elsewhere in Group K, and pick out our players and ties to look out for this autumn.

Tom, Lee and Simon get together at Vienna's Long Hall Pub to review the opening month of the Bundesliga season! We look at all 12 teams and how they've got started, as well as getting excited for upcoming international, ÖFB Cup and European ties too! 

The Other Bundesliga team called Israeli football expert Raphael Gellar to talk about Salzburg's season-defining clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions League Play-Off round, and there's also a look back at how Hartberg's Euro history got started, plus the lowdown on Rapid and LASK's qualifiers too.

Tom, Simon and Lee are reunited at The Long Hall in Vienna to have a few beers and discuss what's been going on in European qualifying, cup ties and look ahead at the beginning of the new Bundesliga season! We take some questions from the twitter feed and make a few outlandish predictions for what lies ahead this year.

When American owners took over a third division Austrian club, they had our attention. When they announced their unique fan-ownership model and plans to open the club up to an international audience, our interest was piqued even further. Once Christian Ziege came in as the manager, we had no choice but to get over there and find out what was going on!

Ahead of the new season, we spoke to EURO 96 winner Ziege, club Managing Director Mark Ciociola, and also caught up with the squad's Englishman abroad, Harry Cooksley.

With pure drama and controversy, the 2nd Division came to and end and gave us another team to take their place in the Other Bundesliga. At the same time though, we could have a relegated team who just beat the drop... sounds confusing? It is! Listen up for all that and the latest transfer news and kit "reviews" in Austrian football!

We're joined by Karan Tejwani, author of the Red Bull football book "Wings of Change" to discuss Salzburg's special 19/20 season, and where they sit when compared to RB Leipzig, FC Liefering and other teams in the Red Bull football stable.

The last round of matches would decide the fates of four Bundesliga teams, but who would be in the league no longer, and who would be in the Europa League for next year?  Tom, Simon and Lee discuss the final day drama, and look ahead to those UEL quali play-off things!

Two teams secured themselves against the drop, setting up a thrilling final day showdown at the bottom. Up at the other end, Simon was in attendance for a washed out Wednesday of games played in the middle of huge storms! The team look ahead to the last day of the Austrian Bundesliga season...

Salzburg finally seal the deal and close out the title, but elsewhere in the league the European battles and the relegation scrap only heated up with the results on match day 30. Tom, Simon and Lee report back on all the action as we head into a frantic final week of the Austrian Bundesligs season!

Hartberg go wild away from home once again, but Salzburg can't get over the line (yet). Austria record 3 on the bounce for the first time in ages, and the battle at the bottom is looking peachy!

Tom, Simon and Lee look at the match action from the Bundesliga, as we reach the half way mark in the championship and qualification rounds. Who dropped two vital points in the relegation battle, and how are those Euro qualifying spots shaping up? Find out here!

The usual pod suspects have 6 more Bundesliga games to look at, as well as some suggestions on the hottest talents in the league, and who should have a shave!

The team send back live reports from around the grounds at Rapid vs Sturm and Admira vs Mattersburg, as well as casting an eye over the remaining games, most of which were full of goals, and good ones too!

A Wolfsberg wonder-goal lit up the league, but could Salzburg start as they meant to go on? LASK faced their big comeback against Hartberg. and down in the bottom six there was a Jamaican sensation for struggling St Pölten.

Austria Lustenau ensured a safe distance from the season's first trophy with a drubbing in the final, and Jesse Marsch gets his hands on his first European silverware as a head coach. 

LASK have their punishment dished out, but could an appeal drag the whole league into a mire?

We look back on the cup final, and ahead to the restart of the Austrian Bundesliga season!

A video of LASK breaking Covid-19 rules in training has overshadowed the news that the Bundesliga will be back in a few weeks.

Tom, Simon and Lee are back together at the Long Hall in Vienna to record our first regular pod in what seems like ages! We look at the possible punishments for LASK, the accusations of "industrial espionage", and just how the league (and cup) is going to make a comeback.

The team cast a lockdown lookback upon Austria's run to the France '98 World Cup, as well as their tough draw in the group stages. Relive the goals, the classic shirts and the haircuts of the late 1990's with our special episode! Polster, Herzog, Stoeger and more come to the fore as Austria took on the world for the last time to date...

Tom calls up LASK and Ghana forward Samuel Tetteh to chat about life on and off the football pitch, as we wait to see what will happen with the remainder of the Austrian Bundesliga season.  

(Note: This is an audio version of a video interview which can be found on our YouTube channel)

Whilst we wait to see what happens with the rest of the 2019/2020 football season in Austria, we spoke to some of the players!

In this episode Lee talks to SK Rapid captain Stefan Schwab about his home life, his finest moments on the pitch and much more.

The team get together (remotely) to talk about the ending of the season in Austria. Does the cancellation of the league in Belgium bring Austria (and other leagues) one step closer to the same fate? And what would the potential repercussions be for Austrian football if it did end early? Listen to our thoughts here...

The team record remotely from their lives in lockdown, and once they've sorted out what might happen with the Austrian league in the coming months, Tom, Simon and Lee look back over some of their favourite Austrian football events since the start of the pod. Enjoy!

Coronavirus has had a huge impact on world sport, and Austria has of course taken some extreme measures, but what will become of the rest of this season? The team (and special guest Richard Turkowitsch) came up with some ideas for what might happen. Whilst we wait for the next match day, we also enjoyed looking back over the last round of Bundesliga fixtures... the last ones for how long?

It's taking place behind closed doors in Linz due to Coronavirus measures, but what's the prognosis for LASK as they take on English heavyweights Manchester United? With no fans, it promises to be an odd occasion on Thursday evening, but The Other Bundesliga team take you through the ins and outs of a massive tie for the Austrian league-leaders.

Recorded live at First Vienna's Hohe Warte stadium, we look over the Bundesliga games as LASK move further clear at the top of the table. Are Jesse Marsch's Salzburg in crisis?

Meanwhile in the Europa league Salzburg have only a sliver of hope left vs Eintracht, and LASK vs AZ is poised nicely for Thursday in Linz!

LASK knock Salzburg off their perch (for now) with a thrilling 3-2 away win as the two teams prepare to head into their Europa League clashes this week. 

Elsewhere in the league, the top 6 might just be sewn up! Who had a nightmare? Which keeper surely got fouled? And how about all those free-kicks?

Join Tom, Simon and Lee as they round up all the league and cup action!

The Other Bundesliga team talk through the biggest transfers of the long winter break. Who did some decent deals, and who has failed to strengthen their squad for 2020? We look at the games coming up this winter, and whether there's an end in sight to the dominance of Red Bull Salzburg...

The closing chapters of Sindelar's amazing story. A look back at some incredible moments in Austrian football history; from the 1934 World Cup, to the annexation of Austria and ultimately, Sindelar's tragic final day. 

The second part of a special Other Bundesliga double-episode on the Austria and FAK legend Matthias Sindelar, told with the help of his biographer Camilo Francka.

The team pick through the Europa League Last 32 draw, and assess the final day of Champions League and Europa League group stage action for the Austrian sides. European Champions Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson tell us what they thought of FC Salzburg.

Salzburg gear up for one of their biggest ever European nights against reigning UCL champs Liverpool, and LASK secure a stunning knockout berth in the Europa League to boot! Wolfsberger AC are down and out, but how long until they're back on the European stage? We look ahead to Match Day 6, and what possible draws might await the Austrian teams after Christmas!

The team look back at the last few domestic game weeks to spot the trends, the troubles and the triumphs of the Bundesliga's 12 teams. 

Tom and Simon celebrate Austria reaching their 3rd EUROs, and their second in succession! We look back on the qualifying campaign, and ahead to the prospect of going into the tournament with feet firmly on the ground. Team member Julian Baumgartlinger tells us what qualifying means to Austrian football.

The unthinkable happened! Salzburg finally slipped to a home defeat in the Champions League. The Other Bundesliga team look at their chances of progression, and assess how LASK and Wolfsberger are getting on at the halfway stage in their Europa League groups, to boot!

Includes a post-match interview with Salzburg superstar Erling Haaland.

The league has had a few months to get warmed up, and the cup got spicy early on as well, so Tom & Lee thought it was high time to have a look at how each of the 12 Bundesliga clubs have fared in the opening part of the Austrian season.

Featuring an interview with Red Bull Salzburg captain Andreas Ulmer. 

Why aren't the public enjoying Austria's tilt towards EURO 2020? Tom and Lee enlist the help of Football Radar's Anna Konovalova to round up the Group G qualification action of Austria vs Israel, & Slovenia vs Austria.

Tom, Simon and Lee look back on an action packed week for Austrian sides in Europe! Only the 1 point gained, but a whole lot of pride. We also ask: What's behind the recent rise in Austrian football?

Featuring: Liverpool vs Salzburg, Wolfsberger vs Roma & Sporting vs LASK.

The team dissect match day 1 of the Champions League and Europa League group stages over breakfast! Featuring our thoughts on stunning wins for all 3 Austrian sides, Salzburg, LASK and Wolfsberger.