Football leaks - Rafael Buschmann

'Probably the biggest story in football of the last decade ... Reads like a Cold War thriller.' - Best Football Books of 2019, FourFourTwo

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One anonymous football fan.

18.6 million confidential documents.

The explosive story of the shady underworld of modern football.

In 2016, a whistle-blower known only as 'John' began leaking a treasure trove of top-secret files, revealing the clandestine dealings of clubs, players and agents at the highest levels of international football.

From the eye-popping details of player transfers, to loopholes and opaque tax structures that ensure maximum earnings, this is a tale of rapacious greed and dodgy deals. It is also a gripping story of a fan who wanted to free football from corruption, but finds himself on the run.

Rafael Buschmann, born in Zabrze (Poland) in 1982, studied German, psychology, sport and education. He joined the sports desk of Spiegel Online as a reporter in 2010 and then moved to the Spiegel in 2013. For his report on the disclosure of the irregularities behind the 2006 World Cup he and his co-authors were awarded the 2016 Henri Nannen Prize. Michael Wulzinger, born in 1965, studied history, political science and German, joined the Spiegel sports desk in 1997 and was its head until September 2016.