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States of Play
How Sportswashing Took Over Football | The International Bestseller & Winner of the Football Book of the Year Award
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Brief Description
The International Bestseller & Winner of the Football Book of the Year Award A Times Sports Book of the Year A Telegraph Book of the Year An Irish Times Book of the Year An Irish Independent Book of the Year 'Important, perfectly timed and hugely necessary.'...
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States of Play
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A chilling and compelling exposé into the world of modern football | A Times, Telegraph, Irish Times & Irish Independent Book of the Year 2024
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Description
The International Bestseller & Winner of the Football Book of the Year Award
A Times Sports Book of the Year
A Telegraph Book of the Year
An Irish Times Book of the Year
An Irish Independent Book of the Year
'Important, perfectly timed and hugely necessary.' The Guardian
'A monumental piece of investigative journalism.' Irish Times
'A must-read on how modern football works.' Ian Wright
'Brave, forensic and utterly gripping.' Tom Holland
The definitive account of how capitalism and the world's elite corrupted modern football. Fully updated to cover Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid, the Manchester City charges case and PSG winning the Champions League.
As the 2022 World Cup in Qatar drew to a close, there was a bitter undercurrent to Argentina's triumph. Throughout the tournament, numerous allegations of sportswashing and financial misconduct had been made against the state of Qatar, moving what had previously been a smaller conversation into the worldwide spotlight.
The question had been asked, who really owns and runs football?
Journeying from Abu Dhabi to Newcastle, and onto London, Paris, Moscow and New York, journalist Miguel Delaney investigates the allegations of sportswashing and misconduct in the beautiful game. The result is a gripping account of how football has been taken over by the world's wealthiest businessmen, state-backed corporations, media tycoons and oil-rich oligarchs.
From Neymar's £198 million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and Abu Dhabi's construction empire in Manchester to failed Financial Fair Play constraints and the dawn of the European Super League, Miguel draws on exclusive interviews and unprecedented access to key stakeholders to produce an all-encompassing exposé of modern football’s highest echelons.
Authoritative, riveting and eye-opening, States of Play reveals how football has become a tool for the world's elite.
Miguel Delaney's States of Play was ranked in the Irish Times bestsellers list the weeks of 11th-18th November & 9th December 2024.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781399619424
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 August 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Seven Dials
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 36.0mm
Width: 126.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 371g
Pages: 528
About the Author
Miguel Delaney is the chief football writer at the Independent and has been nominated for several awards, including the Football Supporters' Association Writer of the Year, British Journalism Awards Sports Journalist of the Year and SJA Sports Writer of the Year. He is one of football's leading journalists and has covered 14 consecutive Champions League finals, 4 World Cups, and 5 European Championships, amongst others.
Twitter/X: @MiguelDelaneyAlso by Miguel Delaney
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States of Play
The definitive account of how sportswashing and capitalism have taken over modern football. As the 2022 World Cup in Qatar drew to a close, there was a bitter undercurrent to Argentina's triumph. Throughout the tournament, numerous allegations of sportswashing and financial misconduct had been made against the state of Qatar, moving what had previously been a smaller conversation into the...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
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