About this episode
Welcome back to It Was What It Was , the football history podcast. With the Club World Cup underway, we wrap up the week with Part Two of our Origin Story series, focusing on Manchester United’s chaotic 2000 Club World Cup campaign in Brazil. Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper unpack United’s controversial decision to withdraw from the FA Cup, the disorganised nature of the tournament, and the fiery clash between European entitlement and South American intensity. Plus, we'll hear about the now-legendary story of Roy Keane, Teddy Sheringham, and Nicky Butt hang gliding over Rio - doing their best to stay out of sight of Sir Alex Ferguson! If you're enjoying It Was What It Was, please hit subscribe to never miss an episode, and consider leaving us a five-star review to help others discover the show. Thank you for listening! And don't forget to subscribe to our new show Stick to Cricket, wherever you get your podcasts! 00:00 English Expectations and Brazilian Strength 00:48 Introduction to the Double History Podcast 00:58 The Infamous 2000 Club World Cup 02:01 FIFA's Ambitions and the Club World Cup 03:36 The Controversial Decision: Manchester United's Dilemma 04:27 Global Participation and FIFA's Motivations 07:09 Political Pressures and England's World Cup Bid 22:09 Manchester United's PR Disaster in Brazil 25:18 The Tournament Begins: Double Header in Sao Paulo 26:17 The Shabby Stadium and Initial Matches 27:16 David Beckham's Red Card Incident 28:22 United's Aloof Image and Public Relations Disaster 29:26 Tournament Progress and Group Stage Results 30:07 Vasco's Dominance Over Manchester United 33:11 Gary Neville's Struggles and Team Support 38:37 United's PR Disaster in Rio 40:13 Impact on United's Season and Future Tournaments 42:06 Reflections on the Club World Cup 50:43 Concluding Thoughts and Farewell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.