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 worksheets, football glossary and English for football phrases as well as the Learners’ Podcast.

• UEFA: The European governing body of football (Michel Platini is president)

Example: UEFA have banned Atletico Madrid from playing at home for two matches after crowd violence in the Champions league.

• To ban: To prevent someone or something from doing something, to stop

Example: Atletico Madrid were banned by UEFA from playing at home.

• To be overturned: To change a decision (usually legal)

Example: The decision to ban Atletico Madrid may be overturned as there was not enough time to implement it before next week’s game.

• Qualifiers: Matches played to determine the teams that make a final tournament, e.g. the World Cup

Example: The recent World Cup qualifiers threw up some big surprises, especially for Sven’s Mexico side!

• To crash out of: To be defeated and not qualify, to lose in a cup competition – usuaully an unexpected defeat or loss.

Example: Senegal crashed out of the World Cup after a draw with Gabon last week.

• Clashes: Acts of aggression between people (fans); violence

Example: Violent clashes occurred after Senegal were knocked out of the World Cup.

• A far cry from: This expression means that a lot has happened since

Example: Senegal’s defeat was a far cry from their glory days of 2002.

• A handful of: A small amount of; few

Example: Only a handful of Italian fans were involved in the violence in Bulgaria but it was still pretty ugly.

• To impose: To implement, to pass something (ban, law)

Example: The Italian FA imposed a ban on away travel for Italian fans after the violence.