Králové střelců - Sport ve stínu impéria – Rokita Zbigniew (2025)

Dictators know well that a sports victory is as important as a victory on the battlefield. This entertaining yet chilling journey by Polish reporter Zbigniew Rokita into the history of football in the Soviet Union or the famous clashes between the empire's national team and its small satellites in the Eastern Bloc will excite sports fans as well as those who consider running on the field a waste of time.
Quentin Tarantino called the clash between the Soviet and Hungarian water polo teams in 1956 'the best untold story of all time.' He could just as easily refer to the Lithuanian basketball champions and their journey to the Olympics in 1992, when they could play for their own free state for the first time. Their sponsors included the famous rock band Grateful Dead, and the Lithuanian team in colorful tie-dyed jerseys finished in third place. And did you know what the World Cup for unrecognized states looks like? When looking at today's professional matches, few remember that kicking a ball was meant to discipline unruly British students in the 19th century.
Zbigniew Rokita does not hide his political and historical expertise, so we also learn why sports could become popular among workers – who gradually gained leisure time...