States of Play: Miguel Delaney answers your questions – from Man City’s court case to Newcastle’s takeover | OneFootball

Welcome to an exclusive Ask Me Anything session with me, Miguel Delaney, The Independent’s chief football writer.

It feels like almost every single day now, there is an off-pitch controversy that directly affects what happens on the pitch.

That could be the latest Manchester City hearing, the multiple legal cases affecting the game, or questions over whether the Saudi state was involved in Newcastle United’s takeover.

There’s never been a better time to delve into the complexities of how sports, particularly football, have been shaped by outside influences — especially given the current headlines surrounding these issues. My new book, States of Play, aims to unravel this narrative.

At its core is the contentious concept of “sportswashing,” but the story extends far beyond that. To understand state influence on football, we must also examine how the sport has been co-opted by Western capitalism and undermined by its governing authorities. The book identifies three main forces distorting modern football: state power, capitalist interests, and regulatory failures.

States of Play isn’t merely a critique of sportswashing; it serves as a modern history of football, interrogating the implications for the future of the game. As renowned historian Tom Holland puts it, this narrative ultimately reflects a broader modern history of the 21st century itself.

During this Q&A session, I will be answering your questions on these issues in more depth. Submit them in advance here before I join you live at 12pm on Wednesday 31 October for the “Ask Me Anything” event.