Football Dynamo

by Marc Bennetts

In 1991, the collapse of the USSR seemed to signal the death of the Russian football industry, as the money, the players and the fans left. But now the oligarchs who profited from the post-Soviet turmoil are supporting the nation's football clubs and their dreams of glory, resulting in unprecedented success. Along this journey into the heart of Russian football, Marc Bennetts meets the managers, oligarchs, players, pundits and fans that define the Russian Premier league, now the fastest-growing and most intriguing football league in the world. From Andrei Arshavin and the national team's adventures at Euro 2008 to the symbolism of a club from war-torn Chechnya lifting the Russian FA Cup, "Football Dynamo" uncovers shocking revelations about corruption, hooliganism and racism, but also the true beauty of the game and the country.

Genres: Football, Sports, Soccer, Nonfiction, Russia

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2008

About the author

Marc Bennetts is a British journalist based in Moscow, where he has lived for the past fifteen years. He has reported from Russia, Iran, and North Korea for the Guardian, The Times, the Observer and the New York Times, among other publications. He spent eighteen months as a reporter for Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency. His first book, Football Dynamo, examined Russian culture through the country’s national sport.

Reviews

[Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasnt expecting much, but its a pretty good football related book.

Sport is a great way to understand different cultures and this was a great introduction for me to Russia. Didn’t know much about its football or its culture. Football journalism generally has a way of interlinking both.

There is a certain romanticism to the writing style. You can see he associates sport with purity and fairness yet its in a place bogged down with corruption and match fixing. Some of the stories here just made chuckle from the sheer absurdity of it.

Yet by the end you develop a certain affinity and interested in knowing more about Russia. It dosent seem like a happy place, yet theres a love and allure he has for it which he’s been able to transmute well, making it interesting to read.

It did release nearly 16 years ago, so i would like to see how things have turned up now.

Overall, was an enjoyable read. A 3.5/5.

[Shatterlings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wry look at Russia and it’s football, maybe it could do with an update but it’s an interesting read. The chapters about corruption and hooligans were well done, as with most of these “football” books it’s about more than sport.

[Jay Mansfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Britain, we tend not to pay too much attention to football outside these shores. As such, this dissertation on Russian football post-Soviet breakup by the Englishman Bennetts is an enlightening read, but at the same time a little frustrating. The narrative seems a little fuzzy at times, and perhaps he doesn't drill down into his subject matter as well as he could. Perhaps, given the problems in Russian society that are outlined in the book, that isn't possible. Still, I would recommend this book to any fans of football that want to broaden their horizons beyond the FA Premier League.

[Jonny Brick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb cultural journalism for both pre- and post-Soviet Russia.

[Dom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in two days, starting it on my flight to Russia.

[Derek Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent journey through Russian football ten years ago as oil riches and oligarchs start the revolutionise the Russian Premier League while the national team struggle. But it's much more than just a football tale, it's about the Russian people and the Russian character and how that shapes the game. Bennets travels far and wide meeting various people involved in the game - managers, players. journalists, owners and fans. In these days where anti-Russian propaganda is forced down our throats at every turn it's good to read something fair and open minded - he doesn't hide from the failings in the system at the time or the corruption but at least explains how it happens and why it can at times seem to be so tolerated.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bennetts has penned a fascinating, highly readable account of the state of the beautiful game (both on and off the field) in post-Soviet Russia. He looks at the national side, the Premier League and even ventures into the lower divisions for a brief look. I'd recommend it to people that want to read about soccer in a place a bit more off the beaten path than the endlessly written about England, Italy, Brazil, Germany, etc.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too short. It's a good read on some of the modern aspects of the Russian game, but I think I would've like it a little better if it went a bit further back, or investigated the youth culture of football at all, or if there was more discussion of Russian culture. The author wants to link a type of fatalism in what he perceives to be Russian identity with their under-performing modern team, but the link doesn't quite work because he doesn't spend enough time discussing the culture.

[Dima · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wish i had written it myself. sure i'd write it in a different way, but Bennetts got it absolutely right, him being a Brit expat living in Russia.

[Troy West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth a read if you love football and Russia as much as I do

[Michael E Motto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Хорошая книга

[Toma Renich · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not something you expect to read from a foreign journalist - feels like the book is written by the fan of Russian football. And it is, in fact. Definitely worth reading, written with humor and love but also knowledge. Still, the best thing is that reading this book, you realize that despite all the dirt in Russian football, it remains a Beautiful game, as long as there's still something even a foreigner can fall in love with.