The Fall of the House of FIFA, David Conn
The Fall of the House of FIFA, David Conn
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The Fall of the House of FIFA
The Multimillion-Dollar Corruption at the Heart of Global Soccer

Author: David Conn

Narrator: Matthew Waterson

Unabridged: 12 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/20/2017

Synopsis

In 2015, FIFA-the multibillion dollar governing body of the world's most-loved sport-was brought down by allegations of industrial-scale bribes, kickbacks, money laundering, racketeering and tax evasion. Beginning with early morning raids in Zurich and the indictment of twenty-seven executives by the US Department of Justice, the rottenness at the core of FIFA seemed to extend throughout all of soccer, from the decision to send the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar to lesser known cases of embezzlement from Trinidad to South Africa.

David Conn writes the definitive account of FIFA's rise and fall, covering in great detail the corruption allegations and the series of scandals that continued to shake the public's trust in the organization. The Fall of the House of FIFA situates FIFA's unraveling amidst revealing human portraits of soccer legends such as Michel Platini and Franz Beckenbauer and features an exclusive interview with former president Sepp Blatter. Even as he chronicles the biggest sport scandal of all time, Conn infuses the book with a passionate love of the game, delivering an irresistible read.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Quintin on August 12, 2017

A dense, meticulous narrative of the corruption and subversion of the beautiful game. David Conn poignantly begins in relating his very first World Cup experiences as a child. My first nostalgic memories was the 1990 World Cup which I watched with my father, a proud German who jumped the Wall and imm......more

Goodreads review by Chris on December 25, 2022

I should start by saying that I found this book fascinating - more so than a 3star review would imply. The narrative of corruption at FIFA, and the staggering numbers involved was truly breathtaking, and it was an interesting and informative read. That said, overall I found the book repetitive, and l......more

Goodreads review by Richard on January 31, 2023

In my spare time, I read wikipedia pages on FIFA. Is how I felt after finishing this book. Football and the World Cup has been close to my heart ever since I was a little boy. I remember playing a cracked version of FIFA 99 on my computer and slide-tackling the goalkeeper for fun, just because you did......more

Goodreads review by Sajith on January 14, 2018

Football is the most popular sport in the world. It is played everywhere on the planet from deserts to marshes, from icy cold Siberia to the sweltering dry grounds of Atacama. People who love football keep afresh the memory of the first World Cup they had watched on TV or at the stadium. As for me,......more

Goodreads review by Diogo on March 03, 2020

Interessante para perceber os escândalos de corrupção que afectam a Fifa e as personagens envolvidas......more

Quotes

"[Conn's] study of Sepp Blatter and other football officials is full of startling material and has cumulative power."—Guardian

"Conn left no stone unturned, skillfully recreating a timeline of the corruption that threatened the very integrity of the game. His meticulous research and smooth writing style bring this unseemly chapter in FIFA history to a close, with realistic hope for the future of the most popular sport on earth. . . . This is the conclusive account of the recent international FIFA scandal. As we look ahead to the 2018 World Cup, this is also a timely reminder that money and power are always a threat to high ideals in sports."—Library Journal

"When an award-winning journalist like David Conn speaks, you listen. When Conn writes a book, you read it. That's certainly the case with The Fall of the House of FIFA. . . . It's easily the most comprehensive text ever written with regards to the history of FIFA and the recent corruption scandal that rocked the world's most popular sport. . . . This book is incredibly enjoyable, an experience you won't soon forget. It's a must-read for any soccer fan or even those interested in sports business or old-fashioned investigative journalism. You can't go wrong with this one!"—International Soccer Network

"[Conn's] book shows that the saga of world soccer's governing body since the 1970s has foreshadowed geopolitical shifts, notably the waning of the political and economic dominance of the West."—New York Reviewof Books

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