Narcoball cover art

Narcoball

Love, Death and Football in Escobar's Colombia

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Narcoball

By: David Arrowsmith
Narrated by: John Sackville
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About this listen

 Pablo Escobar had one obsession. Not drugs, not money, not power... football.

Narcoball uncovers the incredible story of Colombian football during the early 1990s - shaped by drug lords, rivalries, and ambition. It uncovers a football empire backed by cartels - where victory was a currency of its own, and defeat, a matter of life and death.

This is a different story of Pablo Escobar and his rivals. A tale of clandestine deals that reshaped Medellin's football clubs, where fortunes were won and lost. It unveils the extraordinary bonds that Escobar forged with football's luminaries and why his influence reached unprecedented heights, leading to the astonishing 5-0 victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires, the murder of referees, and the ruthless coercion of officials culminating in the killing of Andrés Escobar - the Colombian defender who paid the ultimate price for an own goal in the 1994 World Cup. It is also an examination of a people's relationship with both the sport and the nefarious leaders that brought both pride and terror to their communities.

Set against the U.S War on Drugs, international threats, and government clampdowns, this is a gripping exploration of Colombian club football under Escobar's rise and fall.©2024 David Arrowsmith Americas Football (American) Sports True Crime Latin American

Critic reviews

Both eye-opening and jaw-dropping.
It is written in a way that holds your attention from start to finish.
All stars
Most relevant
The book is great for anyone interested in football and for those that like books on drug lords and cartels. Very interesting and informative.

Great history of Colombian football

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It’s fine but far from definitive. An interesting enough story although less so for those familiar with the events and nothing new is brought to light. Sadly this is typical of so many contemporary football books that could be written on a computer from home anywhere in the world. The research is carried out remotely on line without visiting any of the real life locations. There are no interviews, new or historic, or indeed any other voices present other than the author.

OK but no more that

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Overly long with a lot of (unnecessary?) detail, but fairly enjoyable. Worth listening to, but only once.

Detailed

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