Sbornaya: The Mixed Fortunes of the USSR Football Team

Sbornaya takes you on an evocative journey through the Soviet Union’s final decade – politically, economically and culturally unravelling – as seen through the lens of its football world. The book explores the history, politics and geopolitical dimensions of the game: how it began, how it evolved and how it became the country’s greatest sporting passion. It reveals how political machinations and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring disrupted a World Cup squad mid-tournament; how two brilliant scie...