Mijn interview met de vermaarde voetbaljournalist @jamespiotr.bsky.social. We spraken o.a. over zijn nieuwe boek "Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World". Het volledige interview verschijnt komende maand in @panenkanl.bsky.social. www.indehekken.net/interview-me...

Crystal Palace officially appeal to CAS pushing to be reinstated into Europa League at the expense of either Nottingham Forest (who were bumped up to replace them by UEFA) or John Textor’s other team, Lyon.

Also includes Saudi international & Al Hilal opinions inc fans, Engulfed author @jamespiotr.bsky.social “everyone has their price”, analysis of Trump/US geo-political relations, @kristianulrichsen.bsky.social on Middle East instability impact & much more pod.fo/e/2f6765

Thanks to both the @esportsworldcup.bsky.social and @jamespiotr.bsky.social for contributing to this week’s Memo, which I think is well worth a read

Very exciting to get the first hard copy of MORE THAN A SHIRT: HOW FOOTBALL SHIRTS EXPLAIN GLOBAL POLITICS, MONEY AND POWER. Out June 19!

Nazis especially visible in my part of Berlin at the moment. Shaven heads and Helly Hansen tracksuit tops (HH for Heil Hitler); Ellesse tracksuit tops (worn so they can show off the SS symbol). It’s wild how in some German towns this is as natural a part of youth culture as hip-hop is in the US.

A message from @philippeauclair.bsky.social The reality we at Josimar face is stark. Should we fail to raise 50 000 euro by 1 July, the world’s only investigative media dedicated solely to football will cease to exist. josimarfootball.com/2025/06/03/a...

This is an extract from my new book “Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World”, out now with @blinkbooks.bsky.social www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1785...

Last yr I turned on the TV in my Riyadh hotel. A Saudi 3rd div game was on & a team called NEOM was playing. It sparked a journey that uncovered a plan to build the biggest club in the world from scratch. An extract from my book “Engulfed”: @theathletic.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/632...

NEW with @simonkuper.bsky.social: The prevailing narrative around increased injuries and player workload in elite football is wrong. Players don’t play any more football than in the past. What has changed is a sharp rise in intensity of play. Not more minutes, but each minute exerts more load.

Nominative determinism hard at work on this one.

It's lunchtime and we have already been kicked out of the FIFA hotel. Meanwhile, 5000 security personnel, including the army and tanks, have been deployed in Asunción to safeguard the 'football family'. All totally normal.

Leon’s appeal against being booted out of Club World Cup for having same owners as Pachuca has failed. So FIFA’s plan for Club America to play off against LA FC will now determine 32nd team. That place should be LA’s but Club America is popular and FIFA needs to shift tickets to the meritocratic CWC

Happening in Turkey: Saturday morning wave of police operations against politicians and officials, tens of people have been detained in Istanbul, Ankara and Tekirdağ in Western Turkey tr.euronews.com/2025/04/26/i...

NEW: In the latest episode of the YouTube series I host, @lhn.bsky.social joins me to get into the nitty gritty of surveillance against protesters and steps you can take to protect yourself: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL34...

Litt lavbluss her for tiden (noe jeg kommer tilbake til), men jeg har i hvert fall lest en bok, som jeg anbefaler på det sterkeste. Den er det @jamespiotr.bsky.social som har før til pennen. idrettspolitikk.no/2025/04/15/s...

Late to this, but glad to see @jamespiotr.bsky.social fighting the good fight, explaining the why & how of Saudi money in sport. (note: it's a source of unending wonder to me that in 2025 it's genuinely necessary to explain wahhabism in a sports podcast). www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AMa...

The Masters are on, but there's a hidden contest: LIV Golf v the PGA Tour. Here's a video from my new book for Tifo Sports, about the Saudi golf takeover & the resulting uncivil war. Feat: the PIF, McIlroy, Mickelson going rogue, Woods, a $850m deal plus Donald Trump. m.youtube.com/watch?v=3wh8...

The Masters are on, but there's a hidden contest: LIV Golf v the PGA Tour. Here's a video from my new book for Tifo Sports, about the Saudi golf takeover & the resulting uncivil war. Feat: the PIF, McIlroy, Mickelson going rogue, Woods, a $850m deal plus Donald Trump. m.youtube.com/watch?v=3wh8...

@jamespiotr.bsky.social gives unique insights on the history of Saudi football, the Vision 2030 project, and how Newcastle United's takeover fits into the larger picture. shows.acast.com/it-was-what-...

Another very enjoyable visit to @bookcornershop.bsky.social in Saltburn. Looking forward to reading these two new books from @danielgraywriter.bsky.social and @jamespiotr.bsky.social

📰Sunday extras: "I Am the Turkish President’s Main Challenger. I Was Arrested." by @ekrem-imamoglu.bsky.social. [1/10]

James Montague is back to discuss his new book about the astonishing scale and scope of Saudi Arabia’s sports investment and the unlikely rise to power of its instigator, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman @jamespiotr.bsky.social secondcaptains.com/2025/03/28/e...

The arrested Mayor of Istanbul's lawyer has now also been detained by police

Always love going on Football weekly, this time to talk about my new book Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport and the Word…

Here’s a @theguardian.com football weekly @will-unwin.bsky.social @philippeauclair.bsky.social @robyniocowen.bsky.social and @jamespiotr.bsky.social plus some Elis James www.theguardian.com/football/aud...

My new book “Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World” is out today! www.amazon.co.uk/Engulfed-Sau...

My new book “Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World” is out today! www.amazon.co.uk/Engulfed-Sau...

This is tonight, if you are in London …

#Turkey: Journalists attacked by police & detained after formal charging of Istanbul Mayor. IPI condemns Turkish govt's systematic efforts to obstruct journalists' work & restrict public access to information of huge public interest. 👉Read our statement: buff.ly/dRknKk2

🆕 NEW EPISODE OUT NOW 🆕 🇸🇦 Trillion-dollar club in the second tier 📗 @jamespiotr.bsky.social on 'Engulfed' 🇧🇦 Bosnia's champs who feel Serbian 🇫🇴 Fierce wind, subsea tunnels & clean sweeps 🇧🇬 Minute's silence for a living player Listen ⬇️ 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/AppleSweeper 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/SpotifySweeper

If you’re in London next Tuesday, come to The Volley in Old Street where @stanchionbooks.bsky.social will be hosting a Q&A with me & @jonawils.bsky.social to launch my new book: Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World. Tickets are free! www.outsavvy.com/event/25733/...

Turkey’s new Kurdish opening is accompanied by an even fiercer closure of democracy. Today, as PKK leader Ocalan is expected to announce disarming, prominent Turkish journalist Nevsin Mengu was sentenced to 1 yr 3 mos of prison. Her crime? Interviewing Syrian Kurdish PYD leader Salih Muslim.

I have a new book out! Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World, published March 27th by @blinkbooks.bsky.social It’s about a county undergoing incredible change, about ambition, manipulation and, most importantly, power. And sport is at the centre of it all. geni.us/EngulfedHB

25 per cent off if you order in the next couple o’days!

Got absolutely nothing at all to do? Why not pre-order this creepy-looking book about cats in the nineties? www.waterstones.com/book/the-cat...

My article in today’s Observer about the German elections (the title and the piece reference this outstanding poem by the technologist, storyteller and activist @emily.gorcen.ski: emilygorcenski.com/post/the-tim...)

Go vote, lads.

I have a new book out! Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World, published March 27th by @blinkbooks.bsky.social It’s about a county undergoing incredible change, about ambition, manipulation and, most importantly, power. And sport is at the centre of it all. geni.us/EngulfedHB

incredible

A major pillar of German football's social contract is under existential threat. Visited Karlsruhe to learn about the cloud hanging over Fanprojekte, which do vital work at and away from stadiums, after a court case that risks destroying 40 years of hard-won trust www.theguardian.com/football/202...

The Football Governance Bill is being debated in the House of Lords and some Conservatives are tying themselves in knots trying to find reasons why an idea their party supported during the election campaign is now a threat to the game... thefsa.org.uk/news/10-lord...

When the FA of Turkmenistan met the FIFA president...

Mijn recensie van "Tussen de ultra’s: In het spoor van de extreemste voetbalfans ter wereld" voor @indehekken.bsky.social . Een imposante studie van de bekende voetbaljournalist @jamespiotr.bsky.social die leest als een roman. www.indehekken.net/tussen-de-ul...

Kakha Kaladze has a lot to answer for…

On Wednesday, @aselliaas.bsky.social (Josimar) and I(World Soccer) were rejected accreditation for the official watch party in Riyadh. A slick Brit - place is crawling with UK consultants lining their pockets - said there was no space. Telling to ban critical press on the day you get the World Cup.

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in…

Two thoughts about Kalin's visit to Damascus. 1) Beyond the official statements that local actors led the rebel offensive that led to the fall of Assad, Turkey wants to signal to observers outside and the domestic audience that Ankara holds the cards.

Happy 13.12 day, to all who celebrate…. www.amazon.co.uk/1312-Ultras-...

*Banning celebratory gun fire as anti-social behaviour *Promoting the use of ID cards as a method for efficient provision of state services *Publicly humiliating underperforming civil servants and promising to cut waste *Taking the media on drug raids Which Blair-era PR adviser is doing HTS’ comms?