Soccer in Propaganda, War and Revolution: Author Ronny Blaschke on the wretched relation between sport and politics — and a hopeful path forward

German author Ronny Blaschke  recently traveled around the world to explore how politics interferes in soccer in authoritarian countries such as China, Russia, Iran, Turkey andEgypt. The result is his new book Machtspieler, (“Power Players: Soccer in Propaganda, War andRevolution”) an unsurprisingly depressing picture of the game’s opportunistic exploitation by unscrupulous people in high places. Yet he also portrays a hopeful path forward, forged through resistanceand activism among fan groups and civil society.