
States of Play
How Sportswashing Took Over Football
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Narrated by:
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Miguel Delaney
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Patrick Moy
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By:
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Miguel Delaney
About this listen
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
'Magnificent. Some of the details are eye-popping.' Irish Independent
'Football needs this book. 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
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 footballs highest echelons.
Authoritative, riveting and eye-opening, States of Play reveals how football has become a tool for the world's elite.
______________________________
'The moral compass that the game needs.' Andy Brassell
'In this excellent investigation, Delaney reveals the ugly side of the beautiful game.' Oliver Bullough
'The most important football book of its generation.' Jack Pitt-Brooke
'This book tackles the major issue affecting football today with fearlessness and forensic scrutiny. An important investigation for our times.' Laurie Whitwell
'A majestic book. The essential guide to how the people's game has become the plaything of the very rich and powerful.' Jonathan Wilson
Miguel Delaney's STATES OF PLAY was ranked in the Irish Times bestsellers list weeks of 11th & 18th November 2024.©2024 Miguel Delaney (P)2024 Orion Publishing Group Limited
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In 2009, Notts County FC were on the brink of bankruptcy when they were taken over by a mysterious company supposedly backed by the Bahraini royal family. The club was promised millions of pounds worth of investment and a list of marquee players, including Sol Campbell and Kasper Schmeichel were signed, in a recruitment drive led by former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, who was appointed to take the club all the way to the Premier League.
By: Ben Robinson
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How to Win the Premier League
- The Inside Story of Football’s Data Revolution
- By: Ian Graham
- Narrated by: Daniel Hawksford
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Between 2012 and 2023, Ian Graham worked as Liverpool FC's Director of Research. His tenure coincided with the club’s greatest period of success since the 1980s, including winning the Premier League in 2020 – Liverpool’s first league title after an agonising 29 years. Here for the first time, Graham reveals the fascinating data that informed some of the club’s most pivotal moments of the past decade, from the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager in 2015 to the signing of Mohamed Salah in 2017.
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Fascinating look at the data teams that are changing football
- By Sean Baddeley on 03-01-25
By: Ian Graham
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The Club
- How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
- By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.
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Read don't listen
- By JR3 on 01-23-19
By: Joshua Robinson, and others
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Inverting the Pyramid
- The History of Soccer Tactics
- By: Jonathan Wilson
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 18 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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This pioneering soccer book chronicles the evolution of the sport and how it has affected the lives of players, coaches, and fans–perfect for those who adore the timeless game.
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History and Tactics blended to perfection.
- By Mark A Scott on 02-05-25
By: Jonathan Wilson
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xGenius
- Expected Goals and the Science of Winning Football Matches
- By: James Tippett
- Narrated by: Simon Darwen
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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xGenius explores the interplay between analysis, tactics, and decision-making. It seeks to put the sport of football under the microscope with the aim of getting closer to the ultimate truth of what makes players, managers and teams successful. What, ultimately, wins football matches. Packed with examples from the Premier League and beyond, xGenius shows how xG and other performance analysis tools are helping answer previously unanswerable questions.
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Insightful
- By Anonymous User on 01-22-25
By: James Tippett
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Black Arsenal
- By: Clive Chijioke Nwonka - editor, Matthew Harle - editor
- Narrated by: Bayo Gbadamosi, Genesis Lynea
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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From the earliest hints in the late 1960s that something remarkable was happening, up to Arsenal's ascendance as a global organisation, Black Arsenal is the first dedicated exploration of the club's relationship to contemporary Black identity and culture. It sees the club's affinity with Black identity transcend football and spread across cultures: in the media, music, fashion, politics and everyday social experiences.
By: Clive Chijioke Nwonka - editor, and others
What listeners say about States of Play
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-13-25
Outstanding, Timely Investigative Reporting
With the shadow of sportswashing reaching every corner of modern football, this book is particularly prescient & necessary. Delaney does a great job of outlining the origins & sinister creep of state owned clubs & the accompanying knock on effects therein. His straight forward demeanor & fearlessness makes this well worth the time. Well written and well performed, this is a 5 start read for any football/soccer fan, or someone who is curious about better understanding the big changes happening in elite sport.
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