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James Montague
@JamesPiotr
Minnowcore. Co-founder @dgquarterly. New book: Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World, out now with @BlinkPublishing. IG: @thirtyonenil
linktr.ee/jamespiotr
Joined January 2009
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Mar 27, 2025
    New book 🚨 Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, & the World is the story of how the Kingdom emerged from the shadows to dominate everything from football to snooker. It is also a story of palace intrigue, dictatorship & disinformation. Out now!
    Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World: SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL PRIZE AND...
    From amazon.co.uk
    59K
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Oct 14, 2025
    Qatar beat UAE 2-1 in Doha, and qualified for the 2026 World Cup. But both goals saw Emirati fans riot…
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    7.8M
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    May 23, 2019
    So, I went to Indonesia to watch some football and discovered one of the most passionate supporter cultures in the world. On the downside: We were chased down a highway by machete weilding maniacs. On the plus side: INTISARI!
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    May 18, 2019
    A lot has been written about Manchester City & the ethical issues surrounding it's owner Sheikh Mansour. The response to pieces by @EwanMacKenna @RorySmith @tariqpanja @MiguelDelaney & @NcGeehan has been depressing: denial, deflection & whataboutism. So here's a thread (1/)
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Dec 12, 2017
    Inside North Korean football. I went to Pyongyang for a @brfootball #longread . It was quite eventful. I saw the national team play Lebanon. Visited the country's leading academy. Stood next to Kim il Sung's embalmed body. Oh, and an H-bomb went off...
    Inside the Secret World of Football in North Korea
    From bleacherreport.com
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Jun 6, 2019
    Just before France 2019 begins, the road to Qatar 2022 starts later today, in Ulaanbaatar as Mongolia take on Brunei. Bhutan take on Guam later today in the magnificent Changlimithang Stadium....
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Apr 19, 2021
    The problem with trying to stop a European Super League is that football has opened its doors to the kind of money & power that is ungovernable: Billionaires, royalty, oligarchs used to controlling & destroying governments. Let's take a look at a few:
    bbc.co.uk
    European Super League: Premier League's 'big six' agree to join new league
    Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are among 12 clubs who agree to join a new European Super League.
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Jul 7, 2018
    Watching #rus v #cro on the big screen at Fort Fono, near Bale, Croatia.
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Jun 22, 2018
    The day before he was due to leave for the World Cup, @ManUtd's Nemanja Matic wasn't on holiday or filming an endorsement. He was watching the village team he owns in the Serbian 5th tier win the title. A story about a player who's never far from home.
    Manchester United and Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic, center, in white shirt, watching Vrelo Sport, the club he founded in his hometown.
    Leading Serbia at World Cup, Nemanja Matic Has One Foot Rooted at Home (Published 2018)
    From nytimes.com
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Nov 6, 2018
    The walk to get a cup of tea at half time, at the Marakana in Belgrade....
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Dec 29, 2023
    Incredible. The Turkish Super Cup between Gala and Fener in Saudi Arabia has been cancelled, apparently because the hosts refused to allow the teams to wear T-shirt’s and hold banners with the face and quotes of Ataturk.
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    Cumhuriyet Spor
    @SporCumhuriyet
    Dec 29, 2023
    #SonDakika | Suudi Arabistan'daki Süper Kupa maçı iptal edildi! cumhuriyet.com.tr/spor/son-dakik…
    306K
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Feb 17, 2019
    Last year Wisla Krakow was in chaos. Its players hadn't been paid for months, they'd lost their license, hooligans appeared to control the club & a mystery investor suddenly vanished. Enter Jakub Blaszczykowski. But can Kuba save the White Star?
    Jakub Blaszczykowski warming up with Wisla Krakow before a game last month. He has returned to his roots to, in effect, save the club.
    ‘The Hooligans Were the Club’ (Published 2019)
    From nytimes.com
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Mar 1, 2018
    The Azadi stadium, before the Tehran derby. FOUR HOURS before the Tehran derby. And they've been here for three hours already...
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    James Montague
    @JamesPiotr
    Oct 15, 2025
    Replying to @JamesPiotr
    After the second goal the proper riot police were called in. It looked and smelled like tear gas was used (or some kind of crowd control smoke)
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