Investment In Football

With this week's news that FIFA has officially awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, we are re-releasing the first episode of World Corrupt Season 2, our four-part series that examines Saudi Arabia's investment and involvement in football. All four episodes are available here: https://mibcourage.co/4cOdoRg YouTube version: https://mibcourage.co/3OYotVy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's been confirmed the FIFA World Cup will be returning to the Middle East in 10 years' time after FIFA awarded Saudi Arabia the hosting rights to the 2034 tournament. Securing football’s most high-profile tournament is just the latest example of the Kingdom’s growing influence on global sport, which its critics say is in an effort to 'sportswash' the regime's reputation. Katie Smith is joined by BBC sports editor Dan Roan and Tariq Panja, global sports correspondent for The New York Times, to provide the background to Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid. We hear from the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al Misehal, and from Amanda Staveley, who was part of the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United in 2021, on why the tournament will be a great success, while BBC sports news correspondent Laura Scott speaks to Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness about Norway's decision to abstain from the voting process for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments. Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of housing, workers rights, and sport, and Wycombe Wanderers midfielder David Wheeler, the PFA’s sustainability champion, also join the podcast to discuss their concerns over human and the environment. And we ask what all this means for Saudi Arabia’s huge investments in domestic football, particularly at Newcastle United.

Roger Bennet and Tommy Vietor are back for Season 2 of World Corrupt! And this time, Rog and Tommy are diving into how Saudi Arabia, the biggest exporter of oil in the world and a nation in the news for human rights abuses, became the latest geopolitical powerplayer sweeping global soccer. The Saudis have poured billions of dollars into the world’s most popular sport, including signing superstar players like Cristiano Ronaldo to eye-popping contracts. But the crown jewel in the Saudi investment portfolio? That would be the take over of one of England’s most historic football clubs, Newcastle United. A team with a rich history from an impoverished corner of the country, Newcastle had fallen upon hard times…and they welcomed the Saudis with open arms. But at what cost? Listen to the first episode of this four part series to find out. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

And, we're back! Join Roger Bennet and Tommy Vietor for another season of World Corrupt, with a focus on why Saudi Arabia is investing billions in football. Episode 1 coming March 16. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s 'Stadio' mailbag time! Musa and Ryan answer listener questions on Radamel Falcao’s signing and unconventional shirt numbers (05:15), murky sponsorships (10:55), a mini Barcelona what-if (12:44), and tactics (17:16). There are also questions about fandom and allegiance (26:56), shadowing a footballer during a game (31:58), and, if Jeff Bezos had bought the Zlatan take for €1 billion, how they would invest the money in football (38:40). Hosts: Musa Okwonga and Ryan Hunn Producer: Ryan Hunn Additional Production Assistance: Isaiah Blakely Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices For more podcasts, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, you can become a Stadio member by signing up at patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.