The Fall of the House of Fifa - by David Conn (Hardcover)

About the Book

When Sepp Blatter joined FIFA in 1975 it had just twelve employees. Forty years later, the FBI have accused fourteen executives of forty-seven counts of money laundering, racketeering and tax evasion linked to kickbacks. This book tells the story of how football got big, how FIFA got corrupt and what this means for soccer fans around the world.

Book 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.

Review Quotes

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

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

"Conn left no stone unturned, skillfully re-creating a time line 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

About the Author

David Conn is the author of The Beautiful Game and an award-winning journalist for the Guardian where he has been a key part of the coverage of the FIFA crisis.