{"product_id":"footballs-secret-trade-9781119145424","title":"Football's Secret Trade","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA no-holds-barred expos  on the financial\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003etransactions\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eof the world's favourite sport\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe transfer fees clubs pay to sign top players now top 4 billion a year but much of the money has been flowing out of the game. A small group of wealthy investors including Russian oligarchs, English racehorse owners and a former billionaire gold miner have seized the opportunity to enter this booming market.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSome have moved in on the territory of banks and lent money to clubs in exchange for a share in fees generated by Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and dozens more of today's stars. Others have acquired obscure teams to get a piece of the pie.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEven as the global financial crisis sent fortunes tumbling this select group found a profitable place to park their money. The size of the transfer market has continued to rise -- it increased seven-fold in value the last two decades, more than the FTSE share index.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBetween them, these wealthy investors have amassed hundreds of millions of euros in profits. At the same time, they have managed to stay out of the spotlight the world's most popular sport brings.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFootball's Secret Trade follows the money along a trail very few know about, from nondescript offices in the U.K. and ramshackle stadiums of South American clubs you have probably never heard of to offshore bank accounts in the Caribbean. Warning - you won't see a major transfer deal in the same light again. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Wiley\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/27\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781119145424\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.01lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.00w x 1.00d","brand":"Alex Duff","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42720794542261,"sku":"9781119145424","price":27.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_e4187c5f-05f4-44a5-acb0-b63a88107e28.jpg?v=1675179307","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/footballs-secret-trade-9781119145424","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}