Category: Soviet Studies (1917-1991)

All the ingredients are there for radical left-wing politics – but of course – this collective bargaining power has been used in a very specific manner. In Europe, for instance, an elite top-tier player (before tax) can earn something in the region of £525,000 a week or an annual (yearly) salary of £27,300,000 (even after tax – this is a substantial amount). Obviously, this is not your average worker and the amounts are obscene when you consider a Nurse will yearn around £25,000 a year (after tax). Still, that is the world of predatory capitalism. Amateur (grass-roots) football in England sees eleven men turn-up every weekend and play for 90 minutes – for free. Add to this how expensive ticket prices are to attend Premier League games live (£75 per match on average) or about the same to watch each match on live-TV – and it is clear that the business of football empowers a very small section of the working-class – at the expense of the material well-being of the lumpen-proletariat. I have heard stories told of men out of work spending their dole money not on feeding their families – but instead attending a 90-minute game. The fans fuel the game – but so does business investment – and here in lies the crux of the matter with FIFA. Exploiting the workers to enrich a few workers is just part of the beautiful game. Business does its part as popular players boost brand sales – and brand sales raise the value of popular players. These players are not building time machines, perfecting space travel, or finding a cure for cancer – but are kicking around a ball full of air – as a leisure activity. It has been said that like religion – football is like an opium of the masses – but it does not have to be that way. Ironically, whilst paying for their National Squads, players do not receive their huge domestic salaries (there may be a nominal fee per match – around £2000 – which in the case of England is donated to charity) – although they will obviously benefit from the publicity regarding their ongoing sponsorship deals. It is the profitable association with success and glamour which fuels this lucrative machine. Still, it would appear that Players’ Unions (which have no moral qualms exploiting their fellow working-class) draw the line at openly associating themselves with the murderous regime of Israel and its genocidal policies in Gaza (and elsewhere). good for them. Zionism is racist – just look at how poorly Iran (and other Islamic countries) were treated at the 2026 World Cup!