The Valletta funeral parade, Al Ahly’s unique feat & dark arts in Chechnya

Having just visited Malta and witnessed an historic weekend of football, Lee tells Paul all about the key events in Europe’s only island micro-state in Part 1. Who came out on top in the title-decider between Ħamrun Spartans & Floriana? Why do Valletta hold a funeral parade through the streets when they win the league? How has the island reacted to the capital club’s first relegation? And what is it like to accidentally get caught up in a bus parade?

Part 2 is dedicated to three big stories on three different continents: Africa, Europe & South America. Two teams think they have won the Republic Youth League in Egypt – but why? Who was allegedly behind the poisoning of Sochi’s players before their recent game against Akhmat Grozny in Russia? And what unique tribute did Brazilians Cariri pay to their owner after gaining promotion to the Campeanato Cearense Série A last week?

Tune in to The Sweeper to find out the answers – and join us on Patreon at patreon.com/SweeperPod for a bonus segment as we answer some big questions from across Europe. Which is the only top-30 UEFA nation to have rejected VAR? What was the unlikely resting place for a shot in the third tier of French football? And did a former Port Vale player really get a pilot’s license just to mock his old club’s relegation?

RUNNING ORDER:
00:00 - Intro
00:51 - Ħamrun Spartans vs. Floriana live
10:05 - Promoted Melita's bus parade
11:34 - Valletta’s first-ever relegation
15:31 - Football on Gozo & Comino
20:11 - Title confusion in Egypt’s Youth League
29:27 - An alleged poisoning in Chechnya
34:22 - A funeral home tribute in Brazil