{"product_id":"the-ugly-game-the-corruption-of-fifa-and-the-qatari-plot-to-buy-the-world-cup-paperback","title":"The Ugly Game: The Corruption of Fifa and the Qatari Plot to Buy the World Cup - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eHeidi Blake\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJonathan Calvert\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"The book that reminds you exactly what's wrong with FIFA\" (\u003ci\u003eEsquire UK\u003c\/i\u003e): This meticulously reported account by two award-winning, investigative journalists at Britain's \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e explains how the 2022 World Cup was secured for Qatar--a key element in the ongoing, international FIFA controversy.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen the tiny desert state of Qatar won the rights to host the 2022 World Cup, the news was greeted with shock and disbelief. How had a country with almost no soccer infrastructure or tradition, a high terror risk, and searing summer temperatures, beaten more established countries with stronger bids? The story behind the Qatari success soon developed into a global news sensation. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 2014 \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times \u003c\/i\u003eInsight team in the UK spilled the secrets of a bombshell cache of hundreds of millions of secret documents, which were leaked by a whistleblower. In forensic detail, they reported how Mohamed Bin Hammam, Qatar's top soccer official, used his position to help secure the votes that Qatar needed to win the bid. The investigative team spent three months painstakingly piecing together Bin Hammam's activities and reporting on cash handouts, lavish junkets, and evidence of payments to soccer officials around the world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNow in this remarkable book by \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e journalists at the center of the investigation, Heidi Blake and Jonathan Calvert, comes a comprehensive account of what happened and who was involved. A bestseller in the UK, \u003ci\u003eThe Ugly Game\u003c\/i\u003e is undoubtedly the biggest sporting story of recent times.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHeidi Blake is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist. She was assistant editor of \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, attached to the Insight team, until spring 2015 when she became BuzzFeed's UK investigations editor. She lives in south-east London. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJonathan Calvert has worked for various newspapers in a long and distinguished career as an investigative journalist. He is the longest-serving editor of the Insight team at \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e, having held the role for more than ten years, He lives in west London.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 480\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 x 8.3 x 5.6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 27, 2017\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53025447379168,"sku":"9781501132964","price":32.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/5909\/4496\/files\/7PIYTGQrKI9781501132964.webp?v=1781587115","url":"https:\/\/improvedinc.myshopify.com\/products\/the-ugly-game-the-corruption-of-fifa-and-the-qatari-plot-to-buy-the-world-cup-paperback","provider":"Improved Improper Input Inc.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}