David McWilliams and Johnny Ward joined Joe Molloy on the Sunday Paper Review to discuss what the upcoming World Cup in Russia will mean to its people and its current reputation.
Much of the press coverage leading up to the showpiece event has been dominated by the relationship between Russia and Great Britain and the potential boycotting of the tournament by British football officials.
David Dimbleby of the Sunday Times visited Russia ahead of the tournament and wrote about his experiences of witnessing a failing propaganda machine, a lack of available funding and the issues facing President Vladimir Putin.
But McWilliams, an Irish economist writer, believes Russia’s hosting of the World Cup is about displaying a sense of power in what is the world’s single biggest sporting event.
“This is the Coliseum for the modern day,” McWilliams said.
“It’s about showing you're powerful but don’t forget the Russians love football. When I lived in Russia – I was there with about three or four others – the only thing that bonded us was football.
“The interesting thing is that Russians also changed the name of football to sound more western and they turned to football to be more western.
“Russians love football; it is a proper football nation – it’s not Qatar. Why did the military junta in Argentina risk bankruptcy? Which subsequently happened to finance the World Cup.
“Why did the military junta in Mexico do exactly the same thing? It’s because it’s a hugely prestigious project to adolescent men.”
James Hopper
