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More Than A Shirt: How Football Shirts Explain Global Politics, Money and Power
'Extensively researched and wonderfully written, Joey's book deserves to be read by all.' Martin O'Neill
'This colourful book is a treat for anyone interested in both football and politics.' Patrick Maguire, The Times
'One of the most original and innovative football books in some time, a "Parts Unknown" for the game.' Miguel Delaney, Independent
'Smart, warm and original... it will make politics nerds think differently about football, and football fans think differently about the world.' Matt Chorley, BBC Radio 5 Live
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Twenty-Two Football Shirts that explain the world, geopolitics and the biggest stories of our time
Football is the world's most popular sport, and the shirts worn by teams and their supporters are its greatest means of cultural expression. Every year clubs launch new kits with increasingly extravagant marketing campaigns and convoluted explanations of how their designs reflect their history and local community. But football shirts are much more than just a symbol of which club we support. A seemingly innocuous combination of colours, sponsor logos and materials can all reflect the social values, financial struggles and political ideologies of the day, as geopolitical issues increasingly seep into every aspect of the game.
Investigative journalist Joey D'Urso has travelled across the globe, combining on-the-ground reporting with unparalleled analysis to collate a list of the twenty-two football shirts that best explain the modern world. More Than A Shirt will take fans on a journey from Birmingham to Belgrade and onto Medellin and Mumbai, outlining how we can see the war in Ukraine in the shirt of Schalke in Germany or China's foreign policy in West Bromwich Albion's; how the shirts of state-owned clubs are used for sportswashing; and why the French national kit embodies worldwide migration patterns.
A compelling and eye-opening exploration, More Than A Shirt is essential reading for any football fan and will change the way you think about the beautiful game's most universal symbol.
'This colourful book is a treat for anyone interested in both football and politics.' Patrick Maguire, The Times
'One of the most original and innovative football books in some time, a "Parts Unknown" for the game.' Miguel Delaney, Independent
'Smart, warm and original... it will make politics nerds think differently about football, and football fans think differently about the world.' Matt Chorley, BBC Radio 5 Live
______________________________
Twenty-Two Football Shirts that explain the world, geopolitics and the biggest stories of our time
Football is the world's most popular sport, and the shirts worn by teams and their supporters are its greatest means of cultural expression. Every year clubs launch new kits with increasingly extravagant marketing campaigns and convoluted explanations of how their designs reflect their history and local community. But football shirts are much more than just a symbol of which club we support. A seemingly innocuous combination of colours, sponsor logos and materials can all reflect the social values, financial struggles and political ideologies of the day, as geopolitical issues increasingly seep into every aspect of the game.
Investigative journalist Joey D'Urso has travelled across the globe, combining on-the-ground reporting with unparalleled analysis to collate a list of the twenty-two football shirts that best explain the modern world. More Than A Shirt will take fans on a journey from Birmingham to Belgrade and onto Medellin and Mumbai, outlining how we can see the war in Ukraine in the shirt of Schalke in Germany or China's foreign policy in West Bromwich Albion's; how the shirts of state-owned clubs are used for sportswashing; and why the French national kit embodies worldwide migration patterns.
A compelling and eye-opening exploration, More Than A Shirt is essential reading for any football fan and will change the way you think about the beautiful game's most universal symbol.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published June 19, 2025
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538 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
August 31, 2025
Imprescindible, es una maravilla
July 30, 2025
Link between issue and shirt not always entirely convincing but on the whole it's well-crafted and a novel way of examining football's relationship with these issues
September 24, 2025
Worth reading - well researched book understanding the cultural and historical trends that influence shirt sponsorship with different examples.
Easy to read for a heavy topic and lots of interesting nuggets. Especially liked how global it was as it’s always boring to hear about the same 10 teams.
Easy to read for a heavy topic and lots of interesting nuggets. Especially liked how global it was as it’s always boring to hear about the same 10 teams.
September 27, 2025
Football is not my thing, but I was still completely absorbed by this book. It's filled with fascinating snippets of history and geopolitics, interwoven with vivid travel writing and great journalism. The author's passion for the subject makes it hard not to be compelled by his arguments about the game's ubiquity and impact. I may never love football - but this book did give me a newfound respect for it, and how it both shapes and reflects the world.
January 12, 2026
A really clever way of conveying both (now seemingly) obvious and obscure links between the ever colliding, grubby worlds of sports, money and politics that I'd never really made myself. Also provided inspiration for some off the beaten track grounds to visit. Today I feel informed.
November 12, 2025
An awful lot crammed in covering many subjects, mostly not about football despite the 'football shirt' pinning the book together. A really interesting read which highlights how politics, money, religion and sport go hand in hand the world over.
January 10, 2026
Very well researched. Brilliant way to make geopolitics more interesting. The perfect book for a football neek 👍🏽
September 28, 2025
Excellent book about modern soccer/football. You already knew some of the advertisements were more than just that and this explains it all in detail.
October 25, 2025
Right up my street now, to be fair.
August 2, 2025
Well written, interesting look at the worlds of politics, crime, commerce, bigotry, migration and conflict through football (soccer if you're American or Australian) sponsorship. A very few editing whoopsies don't detract from the achievement. A sports writer with a wider interest might have brought in Formula One sponsorship, which started about five years earlier and introduced such innovations as Colin Chapman renaming his team (twice) so he could repaint his cars in the sponsor's colours. Still, an entertaining read - this from someone who doesn't follow footy.
June 21, 2025
Really enjoyed this book. It cleverly combines football, politics, and culture, using shirts as a way to look at what’s happening beyond the pitch. It shows how the game connects to the wider world.
Well-written and clearly thoroughly researched. It's a smart take on the game. Very enjoyable and thought-provoking.
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Well-written and clearly thoroughly researched. It's a smart take on the game. Very enjoyable and thought-provoking.
.
November 5, 2025
Highly topical book well researched and written
July 27, 2025
A really interesting, thought provoking book that is incredibly well-researched. It is amazing how much a simple football shirt can tell us about so many different issues in the world.
August 9, 2025
Brilliant book, really well written and researched, absolutely sped through it
January 3, 2026
One of the biggest regrets of my life is selling my 1991 Sampdoria home jersey to a mate for a fiver (original copies of this shirt now go for over €200 on ebay). But football jerseys have a worth far beyond how much they retail for or the cloth they are cut from. Club football shirts have huge socio-political significance. They can be highly effective “means of cultural expression” and these seemingly innocuous jerseys can “reflect the social values, financial struggles, and political ideologies of the day”. At least these are the arguments put forward by the football and data writer Joey D’Urso in his entertaining, wide-ranging “More Than A Shirt”.
“More than a Shirt” might be considered a companion piece to Miguel Delaney’s recent “States of Play” in that both titles cover the terrain of sportswashing and football’s entanglement with geopolitical forces. Where D’Urso parts company with Delaney is his use of football shirts “as a tool to explain the world around us”. Having crossed five continents as part of his research, D’Urso presents 22 jerseys that – he believes – illustrate the conflicting identities and culture wars of our times, and the economic and political forces reshaping our world.
And the examples that D’Urso outlines are extensive and intriguing. He starts with Schalke’s shirt sponsorship with Gazprom as a representation of Germany’s disastrous energy dependence on Putin’s Russia. He details the far from obvious instances of Envigado FC of Colombia (whose shirt bares the face of Pablo Escobar, the notorious international drug carter leader) and FC Goa of India, the latter being an example of football is increasingly being corrupted by online gambling.
D’Urso investigates Barcelona’s shirt ‘sponsorship’ with the Qatar Foundation, and how the once-venerated Barca jersey, “rather than being a vessel for the interests of Catalan identity … became a vessel for the interests of Qatar, funded by its enormous gas reserves”. Similarly, he explores Newcastle United’s green-and-white away kit – which conveniently happen to be the colours of the Saudi Arabian flag – and how that proud working-class institution from the north-east of England “is now a tool in projecting Saudi power”. Novelly, D’Urso also uses the case of a jersey that wasn’t commercially available – Mary Earps’s England goalkeeper jersey – to consider the strength of the women’s game and how the controversy over Earps’s kit “symbolises the fight for women’s football kit to be taken seriously”.
“More Than A Shirt” is remarkably eye opening on the extent of the rogues’ gallery – from autocratic petro-chemical states, the legal and illegal gambling sectors, drug dealers, and crypto-bullshitters – seeking to bleed football dry for their own nefarious ends. Occasionally, one or two of D’Urso’s arguments doesn’t connect (his attempt to link the French National shirt to France’s post-colonial challenges appears tenuous), but he is clear-sighted on explaining concepts like ‘white-labelling’ in an accessible way. That he largely succeeds in his mission of showing how football can help us “better understand the world around us beyond football” is a credit to his astuteness as a political and economic analyst, but also down to the fact that he is a football fan who understands the joy and beauty of the game in its purest form.
One caveat: if Joey D’Urso wanted an example of how football shirts could be a force for good, he need only have cited my own beloved Bohemian F.C. of Dublin, who have given over their own jerseys for causes ranging from refugee rights, trade unionism, and Palestine solidarity. If D’Urso is planning a second edition or sequel, he might consider including ‘The Bohs’. Or, indeed, that 1991 Sampdoria home jersey.
“More than a Shirt” might be considered a companion piece to Miguel Delaney’s recent “States of Play” in that both titles cover the terrain of sportswashing and football’s entanglement with geopolitical forces. Where D’Urso parts company with Delaney is his use of football shirts “as a tool to explain the world around us”. Having crossed five continents as part of his research, D’Urso presents 22 jerseys that – he believes – illustrate the conflicting identities and culture wars of our times, and the economic and political forces reshaping our world.
And the examples that D’Urso outlines are extensive and intriguing. He starts with Schalke’s shirt sponsorship with Gazprom as a representation of Germany’s disastrous energy dependence on Putin’s Russia. He details the far from obvious instances of Envigado FC of Colombia (whose shirt bares the face of Pablo Escobar, the notorious international drug carter leader) and FC Goa of India, the latter being an example of football is increasingly being corrupted by online gambling.
D’Urso investigates Barcelona’s shirt ‘sponsorship’ with the Qatar Foundation, and how the once-venerated Barca jersey, “rather than being a vessel for the interests of Catalan identity … became a vessel for the interests of Qatar, funded by its enormous gas reserves”. Similarly, he explores Newcastle United’s green-and-white away kit – which conveniently happen to be the colours of the Saudi Arabian flag – and how that proud working-class institution from the north-east of England “is now a tool in projecting Saudi power”. Novelly, D’Urso also uses the case of a jersey that wasn’t commercially available – Mary Earps’s England goalkeeper jersey – to consider the strength of the women’s game and how the controversy over Earps’s kit “symbolises the fight for women’s football kit to be taken seriously”.
“More Than A Shirt” is remarkably eye opening on the extent of the rogues’ gallery – from autocratic petro-chemical states, the legal and illegal gambling sectors, drug dealers, and crypto-bullshitters – seeking to bleed football dry for their own nefarious ends. Occasionally, one or two of D’Urso’s arguments doesn’t connect (his attempt to link the French National shirt to France’s post-colonial challenges appears tenuous), but he is clear-sighted on explaining concepts like ‘white-labelling’ in an accessible way. That he largely succeeds in his mission of showing how football can help us “better understand the world around us beyond football” is a credit to his astuteness as a political and economic analyst, but also down to the fact that he is a football fan who understands the joy and beauty of the game in its purest form.
One caveat: if Joey D’Urso wanted an example of how football shirts could be a force for good, he need only have cited my own beloved Bohemian F.C. of Dublin, who have given over their own jerseys for causes ranging from refugee rights, trade unionism, and Palestine solidarity. If D’Urso is planning a second edition or sequel, he might consider including ‘The Bohs’. Or, indeed, that 1991 Sampdoria home jersey.
December 14, 2025
Joey D'urso's exploration of how football shirt front for geopolitical movements and historic events with global impact isn't exhaustive, but it still feels immensely eye-opening for the most part.
From the influence and murkiness surrounding Russian gas contracts and Germany in Serbia, or exposing the malignant forces behind illegal gambling and cryptocurrency ventures in the Far East and Turkey, he accessibly and astutely highlights the stories football shirts tell.
Some of the tales, like the devastating impact of the collapsed Cryptodragons currency on the lives of working people in Turkey, resonate on a personal, emotional level. In the same chapter, his coverage of just how instrumental banks and financial institutions can be in dictating the fiscal development of some teams on the world stage, including the Australian women's national team.
Some of them, like the story of how Atletico National printed shirts with the outline of Pablo Escobar's face on them, prove just how far-reaching football can be when reflecting politics and community development.
Perhaps most intriguing of all, in current climes, is the story of Palestino FC, the Chilean side founded by Palestinian migrants who were banned and fined by their nation's FA for displaying the outline of Mandatory Palestine on a 2014 shirt.
D'urso is mostly gripping, engaging and grounded in his analysis. He doesn't offer much in the way of strident opinion, choosing instead to focus on the facts and shadowy intrigue behind them.
One minor point of irritation is that D'urso seemingly often assumes that nobody knows anything about his talking points. This is understandable in the case of something like The Troubles, for example; it's likely that many readers outside the UK or US will be unfamiliar with the conflict's extent. It's less feasible, however, when he actually takes the time to explain online/mobile banking.
Overall a really enjoyable read for anybody interested in politics, football or history.
From the influence and murkiness surrounding Russian gas contracts and Germany in Serbia, or exposing the malignant forces behind illegal gambling and cryptocurrency ventures in the Far East and Turkey, he accessibly and astutely highlights the stories football shirts tell.
Some of the tales, like the devastating impact of the collapsed Cryptodragons currency on the lives of working people in Turkey, resonate on a personal, emotional level. In the same chapter, his coverage of just how instrumental banks and financial institutions can be in dictating the fiscal development of some teams on the world stage, including the Australian women's national team.
Some of them, like the story of how Atletico National printed shirts with the outline of Pablo Escobar's face on them, prove just how far-reaching football can be when reflecting politics and community development.
Perhaps most intriguing of all, in current climes, is the story of Palestino FC, the Chilean side founded by Palestinian migrants who were banned and fined by their nation's FA for displaying the outline of Mandatory Palestine on a 2014 shirt.
D'urso is mostly gripping, engaging and grounded in his analysis. He doesn't offer much in the way of strident opinion, choosing instead to focus on the facts and shadowy intrigue behind them.
One minor point of irritation is that D'urso seemingly often assumes that nobody knows anything about his talking points. This is understandable in the case of something like The Troubles, for example; it's likely that many readers outside the UK or US will be unfamiliar with the conflict's extent. It's less feasible, however, when he actually takes the time to explain online/mobile banking.
Overall a really enjoyable read for anybody interested in politics, football or history.
December 1, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed this but if you don’t have even the slightest interest in football then I wouldn’t recommend this to you. Readers don’t need to have any background knowledge but it does make things more interesting if you know what the author is referring to. The author is clearly very passionate about football, politics, and being a good journalist. His writing style sometimes feels inconsistent or juvenile in the way he links topics within the chapters but it didn’t bother me too much. It took me a while to finish this but it’s something I thought about as I watched every football match since starting it and will continue to think about in the future.
Also as a Chelsea supporter, I felt like there were a few too many digs at us throughout this book? Maybe I was reading into it too much but the author is a Villa supporter so am I missing something about this rivalry?
Also as a Chelsea supporter, I felt like there were a few too many digs at us throughout this book? Maybe I was reading into it too much but the author is a Villa supporter so am I missing something about this rivalry?
January 6, 2026
A very enjoyable read, with a new way of covering many of the issues associated with today’s game - gambling, crypto, nationalism, sportswashing, etc. - viewed through the prism of football shirts.
Each chapter has a theme, with a pair of shirts selected because of their, or their club’s link to that theme. Some of the shirts selected are tenuous, but only in that any number of shirts could be selected to illustrate the same issue. Witness the multitude of clubs sponsored by Emirates, for example. And there are far more examples of clubs and shirts described in the book, in addition to those in the headings. (Emirates is not a chapter shirt, for example.)
Incredibly well researched, as evidenced by the comprehensive endnotes at the back of the book.
Recommended.
Each chapter has a theme, with a pair of shirts selected because of their, or their club’s link to that theme. Some of the shirts selected are tenuous, but only in that any number of shirts could be selected to illustrate the same issue. Witness the multitude of clubs sponsored by Emirates, for example. And there are far more examples of clubs and shirts described in the book, in addition to those in the headings. (Emirates is not a chapter shirt, for example.)
Incredibly well researched, as evidenced by the comprehensive endnotes at the back of the book.
Recommended.
January 15, 2026
Started it for the sport, finished with learning geopolitics.
This is not just a book about football; it's far more than that. It's a tale of 22 shirts explaining why certain things are the way they are in today's world. It is a journey through 5 continents that tells in a compelling way how a simple piece of clothing can be so much more than that. With an insightful approach into historical, geopolitical, cultural, and religious arguments, the author walks us through key moments that have shaped the fate of people and countries. It is really well-written, with a simple and understading language. Perfect not only for those who love the beautiful game, but also for everyone who wants to learn beyond that.
This is not just a book about football; it's far more than that. It's a tale of 22 shirts explaining why certain things are the way they are in today's world. It is a journey through 5 continents that tells in a compelling way how a simple piece of clothing can be so much more than that. With an insightful approach into historical, geopolitical, cultural, and religious arguments, the author walks us through key moments that have shaped the fate of people and countries. It is really well-written, with a simple and understading language. Perfect not only for those who love the beautiful game, but also for everyone who wants to learn beyond that.
September 6, 2025
As someone who likes football, history and politics I thought this book covered those topics well. At times I found the book to be about history more than football but then proceeded to cover football aspects better in other areas of the book. If you buy this book for pure football reasons I think it would be a tough read but for a broad range of topics that link to football it is definitely worth reading. Well researched and the author comes across very well. The fact he’s an Aston Villa fan is a bonus also!
September 21, 2025
As someone who works in football this was very interesting (and useful!). The author picks an interesting variety of football shirts that touch on both current geopolitical matters and current issues facing the sports industry. I liked that the shirts, clubs and topics didn't just draw from the top clubs in the world, they was a really nice variety of top European clubs and small clubs you've never heard of. I strongly recommend for anyone interested in football's intersection with geopolitics or anyone working in the football industry.
August 22, 2025
I would give it a 3.5 if I could. I enjoyed this book, it crossed three interests of mine (football, geography, politics) but I think there in may have been the issue. There was so much to cover, at times it felt a tad jumbled between context setting of the football club, a historical event or industrial entity, which made it a tad hard to follow. Even though there was two shirts for each chapter, more were covered and addressed. It did have me browsing the retro shirt websites. Worth a read.
September 22, 2025
Interesting and very timely book about football shirts and their sponsors and what this says about geopolitics around the world. This was published this year and has material up through this year, which is great. A few typos and a few moments of grandstanding by the author (I didn't need to read a lengthy quote about what he testified to Parliament about), but a nice book showing the intersection of politics and football.
October 27, 2025
Although it’s not exactly what I thought it would be (I thought it would be more about shirt design origins, why teams use certain colours/patterns etc) it’s still a very good read. Lots of background info on teams and their sponsors etc with a geopolitical background thrown in. My only criticism is that although each chapter features two teams, sometimes it’s all about one and not much about the other. If you have an interest in football and/or politics check this out.
December 28, 2025
Audiobook edition. A really good idea.
Sometimes repetitive and sometimes a little obvious, this book overall does a really good job of telling some of the most pertinent stories to modern football and politics.
The Crypto chapter as well as the half chapter on Football Index were riveting and not talked about often enough.
The book as a whole treads the line nicely between being informed and not being too self-infatuating.
Genuinely well worth a read.
Sometimes repetitive and sometimes a little obvious, this book overall does a really good job of telling some of the most pertinent stories to modern football and politics.
The Crypto chapter as well as the half chapter on Football Index were riveting and not talked about often enough.
The book as a whole treads the line nicely between being informed and not being too self-infatuating.
Genuinely well worth a read.
July 26, 2025
If you love football, then you’ll love this book. It’s an immensely well written and entertaining book written by an author who clearly knows his stuff. It’s packed full of interesting information about the history and politics of football clubs around the world in-between an entertaining blend of football anecdotes. I’m not even much of a football fan but I loved this book.
September 10, 2025
As someone who works extensively within the football shirt world, I found this book offers excellent insight into the role economics, geography, and politics play in football. It is well written and engaging, and I would thoroughly recommend it to all football lovers.
October 29, 2025
Listened to this on audible as I often do for non-fiction. It's a brilliant book and well-narrated. It's interesting enough I'd recommend to anyone, even if they're not interested in politics or football, but if you're interested in either then it's a must read
November 4, 2025
I really like the way this book is written. Some of the explanations become stories about the world, and less about soccer, but that’s okay. At points it feels more like a current global events book, with occasional tie-ins to soccer. Still would recommend.
June 21, 2025
Fascinating read! A must for any fans of either football or global politics. Highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews