FOOTBALL BOOK REVIEWS

18 D ECEMBER 2022 – THE LUSAIL S TADIUM .

LIONEL M ESSI RECEIVES THE FIFA W ORLD C UP TROPHY AFTER ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC FINALS IN THE COMPETITIONS HISTORY. THIS IS ARGENTINA ’S, LA ALBICELESTE (THE W HITE AND S KY B LUE), THIRD TRIUMPH FOLLOWING WINS IN 1978 AND 1986 . H OWEVER, FOR ALL THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE FINAL, THE FIRST W ORLD C UP TO BE HELD IN THE ARAB WORLD HAS BEEN A CONTROVERSIAL ONE EVEN FROM THE POINT

Q ATAR WERE AWARDED THE EVENT BACK IN D ECEMBER 2010 . R UMOURS CIRCULATED HOW VOTES HAD BEEN ‘BOUGHT’ TO ENSURE THE TINY BUT INCREDIBLY WEALTHY STATE BECAME HOSTS , WITH MANY AROUND THE GLOBE POINTING TO Q ATAR’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD AS A SIGNIFICANT AND COMPELLING REASON FOR THE COUNTRY TO BE STRIPPED OF THE 2022 EVENT.

THIS HOWEVER WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THE STAGING OF THE W ORLD C UP FINALS IN A PARTICULAR NATION HAS PROVED TO BE CONTENTIOUS . R OLL BACK THE CLOCK TO 1978 WITH THE FINALS BEING HELD IN ARGENTINA FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WE HAVE A TOURNAMENT THAT WAS EQUALLY CONTROVERSIAL.

R HYS R ICHARDS’, B LOOD ON THE C ROSSBAR : T HE D ICTATORSHIP ' S W ORLD C UP , EXPLORES WHAT WAS THE ELEVENTH W ORLD C UP FINALS AND IS A BRILLIANT READ . THIS WELL RESEARCHED BOOK IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT ITSELF, BUT ALSO SOCIAL AND POLITICAL HISTORY WITHIN THE S OUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY IN THE LATE 1970 S.

TWO YEARS BEFORE THE FINALS ARGENTINA HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO A MILITARY COUP WITH THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT, ISABEL P ERON , OUSTED BY G ENERAL J ORGE R AFAEL

V IDELA. THIS WAS A DICTATORSHIP THAT RUTHLESSLY IMPRISONED , TORTURED AND KILLED ANYONE WHO OPPOSED THE REGIME AND USED THE W ORLD C UP AS A MASSIVE PROPAGANDA EXERCISE.