OTC Special: How sportswashing took over football

Football could be considered the most popular cultural pursuit that has ever existed. So should we be surprised that – perhaps more than any other sport – it is routinely used to gain political and cultural soft power?Today, Miguel Delaney tells Dotun and Andy all about his new book, States of Play, which gets to the bottom of sportswashing and assesses its true impact on the game we love. Miguel also speaks candidly about dealing with abuse and why he felt so compelled to cover this side of football.Buy a copy of the book: https://geni.us/StatesOfPlayAsk us a question on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and email us here: [email protected] ad-free shows, head over to our Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***On The Continent is your definitive podcast for European football. Subscribe for new podcasts every single week and throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.