Here are some words and phrases you can hear on languagecaster’s Full Podcast’s Good, Bad and Ugly section - a review of the footballing news. For more English practice check out our online quizzes and crosswords, worksheets and English for football phrases as well as the Learners’ Podcast.

• loathe - hate, really does not like something

A good week for Chelsea loathe though I am to admit it.

• to overcome - to beat, to defeat

Manchester United overcame Barcelona in the Champions League 1-0.

• To be outshone (outshine) - if someone is better than you, to be beaten by someone’s performance.

Messi has been outshone by Ronaldo over the season.

• To seal up - to sew up, to confirm, to ensure no problems

Real Madrid and Bayern are sealing up their respective league.

• To renew a contract - to extend a contract

Thaksin Shinawatra will not be renewing Sven Goarn Eriksson’s contract at Manchester City.

• Bitter rivals - extreme rivals,  lots of very bad feeling between the two teams.

Barcelona may have to present the trophy to their bitter rivals Real Madrid at next week’s game.

• Pepper spray - a spray used to disperse crowds or attackers. It can burn your eyes.

Sao Paulo players ran for cover after pepper spray had been let off in their dressing room.

• Bizarre - very, very strange.

Ronaldo’s story was a bizarre one indeed.

• Transvestites - people dressed up in the opposite gender’s clothing.

Ronaldo picked up three transvestites last week and is facing charges of assault.

• To rear its ugly head - a nasty issue has reappeared.

Racism has reared its ugly head again.

• To be abused - to be attacked (verbally or physically)

An Albacete player was racially abused throughout the game he was playing by another team’s player.

• To spark - to start, to incite

The trouble at Stamford Bridge was sparked by a possible racist comment.

• fisticuffs - punches

There were some fisticuffs between the Manchester United players and the Chelsea groundstaff last week.

• To be kicked out - to be thrown out of a competition

PSG have been kicked out of next year’s League Cup competition in France.

• unfurled - opening a flag or banner

Some PSG fans had unfurled a racist banner at a game in the north of France.

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