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Sportswashing ‘still highly effective’ despite more awareness
General view of the fans inside the stadium during the FIFA World Cup third place play-off match at Saint Petersburg Stadium, July 14, 2018
AS THE European football championships continue in Germany, new research has revealed that “sportswashing” — the practice of using sporting events or teams to improve a country's reputation — is still highly effective, despite increased awareness of the issue among fans.
Dr Vitaly Kazakov of the School of Environment, Education and Development at the University of Manchester is currently undertaking a research project in Iceland, the nation with the same population as Stoke-on-Trent which surprised everyone by beating England and reaching the semi-finals at Euro 2016.
He has conducted in-depth interviews with a range of football stakeholders there including fans, sport and international affairs journalists, sports club administrators and academics.
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