Football is increasingly becoming an instrument of political power.

Dictators in the Middle East brutally bring players into line and present themselves in the stands as fathers of the people. In Syria, stadiums were used as military bases and internment camps.

But football is often also directed against the state. For example, in Yugoslavia, Ukraine and the Arab world, ‘ultras’ and hooligans have fought on the front line in revolutions and gone to war.

Comprehensively researched across 15 countries and four continents with more than 150 interviews conducted, award-winning journalist Ronny Blaschke brings these battles to life. Blaschke traces how power in football is shifting as club investors from China, Russia and the Gulf States secure economic influence in Europe for their governments as well as exploring the interplay between politics, history, religion and football.

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. September 2022. Paperback: 288 pages)