James Dostoyevsky – A True Story. Really?

Sepp Blatter, the decorated former President of FIFA, who has more honorary degrees, noble titles and other high awards than almost anyone else who springs to mind, has published yet another ‘book’.

This one is called ‘Overtime – The True Story’.

But instead of ‘Overtime’, it is Overkill, and instead of ‘The true story’, it is a selective dissection of reality – at best.

This ‘true story’ starts with 15 pages of unadulterated sycophancy by a former Federal Councillor, no less, followed by a writer who penned the script for his employer. If there was any expectation of a ‘true story’, those two guys killed it off up front and with some ease.

One is the former President of the Swiss Confederation, a former Defence Minister, a former Finance Minister, and, to his fame, the longest-sitting Member of the Federal Council (Switzerland’s version of government). The fighter for anything and everything that is staunchly right-wing, Ueli Maurer delivers a not-so memorable ‘laudatio’ of a man who has achieved a lot and whose career ended in utter disgrace.

The second prologue is delivered by a writer who, similarly to Maurer, also hails from a very right corner, and whose biggest career move has been to be called up to serve the failed Football Master as whatever you want to call it: ghostwriter, apologist, aggressive defender and painfully mediocre ghost-writer.

Between Ueli and Sepp there’s Thomas, the ghostly author. Of course ‘Uli der Knecht’ comes to mind and all sorts of other tales by deified Swiss author Jeremias Gotthelf, whom few know outside the Alpine lands.

Gotthelf’s characters are usually simpletons, cringe-comedic figures, quite desperate for romance, all quite spent, so as not to offend. The ghost Blatter called to serve, the former President of his tiny country, and the former President of a vast footballing empire, are a fine fit – both politically and in intellectual prowess. Where others excel, the…

Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/04/04/james-dostoyevsky-true-story-really/

Author : Paul Nicholson

Publish date : 2024-04-04 04:45:06

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