Overview

Ever since Russia and Qatar were announced on 2 December 2010 by FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, as the winners of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments respectively, many fine legal minds, investigators, journalists, and others have attempted to find out just how both countries pulled off a victory. But as with almost everything to do with the World Cup bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, there is even more to the story than merely how two nations won. This book lifts the lid on how a bid for the greatest show on earth, the FIFA World Cup, works from the inside – an inside that involves what is now known as the murky, corrupt goings-on of world football administration. As US Senator Richard Blumenthal said, comparing FIFA to the mafia “is almost insulting to the mafia”. It is the inside story of a losing bid team and the characters around it. It’s the inside story of how the ‘FIFA Way’ works. And it shows that when it comes to the greatest prize in world football, some people will do whatever it takes.

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9781925914689

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It's a nervy, gripping read, which is the most vivid account of the times and description of the FIFA circus I've ever come across (and guess am ever likely to come across). It is also very, very funny at times. Philippe Auclair, France Football How many of us would have the courage to stand up to those in charge of such a powerful organization as FIFA? Precious few I suspect. Bonita Mersiades is an incredibly brave woman who put principles over personal safety and helped restore a degree of integrity to an organization riddled with corruption. Professor Eric Olson, Director, Sport Management program, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs The best book on the FIFA scoundrels - and written by an insider who was actually there. (The late) Andrew Jennings, Investigative Journalist Essential reading for every single football fan out there, and required reading for everyone in football administration on any level. Havard Melnaes, Josimar Those who have tracked Mersiades' path from World Cup bid insider to passionate anti-corruption campaigner will anticipate a compelling and intricately detailed account of Australia's deeply flawed attempt to host the 2022 World Cup and FIFA's dark machinations. Mersiades has not disappointed. Her personal story of expert engagement with the bid team, gradual disillusionment and, upon her sacking, relentless attempts to expose corruption across FIFA is an entertaining, enlightening and also somewhat depressing tale. In Mersiades' case, it also exposes the lengths both FIFA and the FFA took to discredit and ostracise those who dared expose their murkiest dealings, and the hefty price a whistleblower can pay. Richard Hinds, ABC This book is a belter. If there really is anyone left who thinks FIFA stories are dry and boring, read this. Mani Djazmi, BBC This deserves to be read by everyone interested in issues of governance, probity and accountability in world sport. Or even if you just want an entertaining read about some of the characters in world football. It is a cracking read. I couldn't put it down. Jaimie Fuller, Co-Founder, #NewFIFANow

Author Information

Bonita Mersiades was one of the first people in the world to speak out about the environment and culture within which world football and FIFA operated in the context of the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding contest. Bonita is known as a 'FIFA whistleblower', and advocated globally for independent governance reform of world football administration long before the famous 2015 FIFA arrests in Zurich. Her book, 'Whatever It Takes - The Inside Story of the FIFA Way' is the only insider account of these times. Bonita has been active in football for a lifetime as a volunteer, and professionally with a national league club, state federation, as team operations manager for the men's national team, the Socceroos, and as head of corporate and public affairs for Football Australia which included working on Australia's 2018/2022 Bid.Bonita is the founder and publisher of Fair Play Publishing and the Football Writers Festival. She is Chairman of NBCCC.org.au, a local cancer charity, and Women in Football, and is a Board member of West Phil, the Western Sydney Philharmonic. She writes about football occasionally at her blog, bonitamersiades.com.au. A former financial investigative journalist, Andrew Jennings (1943-2022) turned his attention to sport starting with the Olympic Movement in the 1990s and became the most feared and revered sports investigative journalists in the world. He is widely credited with providing important material to the FBI and DoJ that led to the FIFA arrests of May 2015 in Zurich. He was a friend and mentor to Bonita Mersiades. The Foreword written by Andrew Jennings is believed to be the only one he has written for a book.

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