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How They Stole the Game
What's wrong with Football today? In June 2011, Sepp Blatter was elected - uncontested - as president of Fifa once more. Despite attempts to halt the vote amidst allegations and accusations of corruption, the show went on. As "How They Stole The Game", David Yallop's classic expose of the dark heart behind the beautiful game showed when it was first published, Football was rotten from the top down. In the book, Yallop reveals the story of Joao Havelenge, Fifa President from 1974 to 1998, the Godfather of football, and how he turned a religion to millions of fans into a multi-billion dollar business, riven with suspicious deals and unexpected payments.
315 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
David A. Yallop
21 books41 followersDavid Anthony Yallop was an agnostic British author who writes chiefly about unsolved crimes.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 18, 2016
An important book. A book that helps to explain why I find it very difficult to watch football these days even though I retain a huge love of sport. (Well, actually because I retain a huge love of sport). The game is rotten through to the core and became so at the moment that somebody realised that he could make a lot of money through sponsorship and television rights (the two always go together when corruption is in the air). I've often pondered the question as to what the difference is between bribery and sponsorship. This book leaves me thinking that they are essentially the same thing. Joao Havelange is the Godfather of the crime, Sepp Blatter plays the Michael Corleone role and the foul Horst Dassler the fixer. A cast of fat cat criminals who have creamed off billions of pounds while destroying the honesty and integrity of a superb creation make up the minor characters. Brazil has suffered the worst but all footballing nations have lost what made the sport magnificent.
I cry a little every time I see some fan contributing to the theft of the beautiful game by paying stupid prices to have Adidas or Nike (the worst offenders) displayed on their chest. The book deserves a detailed review. The best I can give it is to say that you ought to read it. The game reached near perfection with the 1970 world cup final. It hasn't come close to that since. 1970 was when FIFA fell under the toxic control of Joao Havelange.
Oh. And the Olympics are no better.
Hey mister! Can we have our ball back please?
I cry a little every time I see some fan contributing to the theft of the beautiful game by paying stupid prices to have Adidas or Nike (the worst offenders) displayed on their chest. The book deserves a detailed review. The best I can give it is to say that you ought to read it. The game reached near perfection with the 1970 world cup final. It hasn't come close to that since. 1970 was when FIFA fell under the toxic control of Joao Havelange.
Oh. And the Olympics are no better.
Hey mister! Can we have our ball back please?
January 11, 2016
Passionately subjective in some parts, brilliantly inquisitive in others, this book is one of the best examples of real journalist investigation I've ever read. The profound fact-finding reaches peaque of its actuality not in the year of publishing, not in 2011, year, when second epilogue was written - but nowadays, when Blatter was finally oustered and the investigation of corruption in FIFA was started in earnest.
July 18, 2021
Um livro interessantíssimo sobre a corrupção na FIFA. O autor foca na gestão de João Havelange, desde seu programa para convencer as pequenas federações a votarem nele nas eleições de 1974, um eufemismo para compra de votos.
Havelange viu que federações de países de terceiro mundo eram a grande maioria dos componentes da FIFA e explorou o ressentimento anti-europeu da maioria desses países para vencer as eleições. As promessas principais eram programas de desenvolvimento do futebol nesses países e o aumento do número de vagas na Copa do Mundo (até 1978 eram 16 países e em 1998, ano que Havelange saiu a Copa já tinha 32 países).
Há inúmeros outros escândalos revelados no livro. Eu faço a ressalva, entretanto, que o autor do livro é inglês e tem um certo viés. A aparência que ele passa ao leitor é que antes de Havelange a FIFA era uma organização incorruptível e transparente. De qualquer forma é uma boa leitura que faz a gente ver o futebol de uma maneira completamente diferente.
Havelange viu que federações de países de terceiro mundo eram a grande maioria dos componentes da FIFA e explorou o ressentimento anti-europeu da maioria desses países para vencer as eleições. As promessas principais eram programas de desenvolvimento do futebol nesses países e o aumento do número de vagas na Copa do Mundo (até 1978 eram 16 países e em 1998, ano que Havelange saiu a Copa já tinha 32 países).
Há inúmeros outros escândalos revelados no livro. Eu faço a ressalva, entretanto, que o autor do livro é inglês e tem um certo viés. A aparência que ele passa ao leitor é que antes de Havelange a FIFA era uma organização incorruptível e transparente. De qualquer forma é uma boa leitura que faz a gente ver o futebol de uma maneira completamente diferente.
November 8, 2022
Decided to read this, in light of Qatar games starting in a couple of weeks. A lot of what I personally know of the corruption, bribery and money laundering during the Sepp Blatter years is a direct consequence of the previous president of FIFA, Joao Havelange. This book focuses on the reign of Joao Havelange and those around him.
The book itself is divided into three sections. First one laying the background on Havelange and, for some unknown reason, a game-by-game recollection of 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970 world cup performances of the Brazilian national team. You'll get the basic idea on what kind of a person Havelange is. The second part is where the real meat of the book is. From expanding the world cup to 24 teams, shady business dealings, rampant corruption and the commercialization of the game by Havelange and Horst Dassler of Adidas. Third part covers 1990 and 1994 world cups, Havelange's son-in-law's doings as head of the Brazilian football confederation and the inevitable stepping-down of Havelange. On his own terms, of course.
The book has a weird facination with re-telling games from the previous world cups from the perspective of different teams. Except the 1994 world cup, which is inexplicably just skimmed though. All in all, its a good and very fascinating book, but it could have benefitted from some heavy handed editing. Some of the stuff Yallop covers comes out more as a conspiracy theories than actual events.
The book itself is divided into three sections. First one laying the background on Havelange and, for some unknown reason, a game-by-game recollection of 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970 world cup performances of the Brazilian national team. You'll get the basic idea on what kind of a person Havelange is. The second part is where the real meat of the book is. From expanding the world cup to 24 teams, shady business dealings, rampant corruption and the commercialization of the game by Havelange and Horst Dassler of Adidas. Third part covers 1990 and 1994 world cups, Havelange's son-in-law's doings as head of the Brazilian football confederation and the inevitable stepping-down of Havelange. On his own terms, of course.
The book has a weird facination with re-telling games from the previous world cups from the perspective of different teams. Except the 1994 world cup, which is inexplicably just skimmed though. All in all, its a good and very fascinating book, but it could have benefitted from some heavy handed editing. Some of the stuff Yallop covers comes out more as a conspiracy theories than actual events.
December 21, 2018
The cover includes de words “FIFA” and “stole”. One needn’t know anything further.
This book exposes the sordid story of João Havelange and his ill-groomed successor Sepp Blatter. Although most of the book deals with the Havelange years (1974-1998), there is a 2011 update, exposing some of the gems concocted by Sepp and hown Blatter, Jerome Valcke.
At times one is a little reluctant to buy into so many conspiracy theories of bought referees and fixed World Cup results. But on the other hand, FIFA and Havelange went to court trying to ban publication of this book and were unsuccessful, so there must be some evidence to substantiate the claims.
One final word: It would have been a better book if it had less typos. There are too many names and places misspelt. Unacceptable. Sloppy.
This book exposes the sordid story of João Havelange and his ill-groomed successor Sepp Blatter. Although most of the book deals with the Havelange years (1974-1998), there is a 2011 update, exposing some of the gems concocted by Sepp and hown Blatter, Jerome Valcke.
At times one is a little reluctant to buy into so many conspiracy theories of bought referees and fixed World Cup results. But on the other hand, FIFA and Havelange went to court trying to ban publication of this book and were unsuccessful, so there must be some evidence to substantiate the claims.
One final word: It would have been a better book if it had less typos. There are too many names and places misspelt. Unacceptable. Sloppy.
July 8, 2018
Het is duidelijk dat Yallop niet gecharmeerd is van Havelange. Deze man wordt wel erg negatief afgeschilderd. Maar als het allemaal waar is wat er in het boek staat, terecht! En ik heb geen reden aan te nemen dat wat in dit boek staat niet waar is. Wat een corrupte zooi was de FIFA. En ik ga er vanuit dat dit nog steeds zo is. In ieder geval nog steeds megalomaan. Je kijk op voetbal verandert wel door dit boek.
Wat aardig is in dit boek, zijn de historische feiten over de verschillende wereldkampioenschappen voetbal. Leuk om te lezen.
Voetbal blijft een mooie sport, maar alles er omheen is toch wel wat misselijk makend. En dat heeft Yallop goed beschreven en aannemelijk gemaakt.
Wat aardig is in dit boek, zijn de historische feiten over de verschillende wereldkampioenschappen voetbal. Leuk om te lezen.
Voetbal blijft een mooie sport, maar alles er omheen is toch wel wat misselijk makend. En dat heeft Yallop goed beschreven en aannemelijk gemaakt.
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June 28, 2020
Overtuigend betoog over de misstanden binnen de FIFA. Een hele reeks komt voorbij met als hoofdrolspelers de Braziliaanse voorzitter van FIFA Joao Havelange en zijn opvolger Sepp Blatter. Goed leesbaar (ik wilde eerst schrijven prettig leesbaar maar prettig is het niet). Terugkijkend op uitslagen van wedstrijden in het verleden vallen er ook wel een paar kwartjes op hun plek. Goed werk.
May 13, 2018
If you’re interested in finding out the background and reasons behind the scandals surrounding FIFA under Blatter’s reign, here it is.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews