{"product_id":"9781836802655-sbornaya-the-mixed-fortunes-of-the-ussr-football-team","title":"Sbornaya","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Mixed Fortunes of the USSR Football Team\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSbornaya\u003c\/i\u003e takes you on a journey through the Soviet Union’s final decade – politically, economically and culturally unravelling – as seen through the lens of its football world. It explores the history, politics and geopolitical aspects of the game: how it began, how it evolved and how it became the country’s top sporting passion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSbornaya\u003c\/i\u003e takes you on an evocative journey through the Soviet Union’s final decade – politically, economically and culturally unravelling – as seen through the lens of its football world. The book explores the history, politics and geopolitical dimensions of the game: how it began, how it evolved and how it became the country’s greatest sporting passion. It reveals how political machinations and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring disrupted a World Cup squad mid-tournament; how two brilliant scientific minds came together to pioneer technological and scientific breakthroughs at a football club; and the recurring story of the USSR’s underachievement on the world stage despite its vast resources and talent. All of this unfolds under the shadow of a political system that sought to control, manipulate and micro-manage the game at every level. It is a football story like no other.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56849146708342,"sku":"9781836802655","price":12.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_40509868.jpg?v=1774501744","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781836802655-sbornaya-the-mixed-fortunes-of-the-ussr-football-team","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}