Sporting Scandals

The world of sport is filled with countless stories of incredible achievements, awe-inspiring records and against-the-odds victories, but, sadly, it also has its dark side. For every Usain Bolt you’ll find a Ben Johnson, and for every act of fairness and sportsmanship you’re likely to find someone who will bend or break the rules to give themselves an advantage and a greater chance of success. In Sporting Scandals we delve into this dark side to explore some of the most notorious cover-ups, controversies and crimes in sporting history. Examining everything from football and golf to athletics, rugby and more, prepare to step into an arena of bribery, match-fixing, doping and even murder. Discover fascinating features on the Chicago White Sox players who conspired with a notorious criminal to ‘fix’ baseball’s…

Lionel Messi stood on top of the world, lifting the cold, gold trophy that he’d dreamed of holding his entire life. The Argentine captain, wearing a black, gold-lined bisht for the presentation of the title, became the profile picture for the 2022 World Cup. It was symbolic, all right: but not just for the regal touch it gave Messi, making him stand out from his teammates. Qatar had put on one of the greatest sporting events in history – a month-long fiesta that may come to define the nation as we know it, before arguably the greatest final ever, a 3-3 humdinger that ended in spot kicks. And with such a simple cloak upon the back of the winning captain, it was as if Qatar itself had won the title.…

“Wherever you can’t see inside ostensibly not-for-profit organisations like FIFA, that’s where all the lying, cheating and stealing is taking place,” said Mel Brennan, a former official at CONCACAF, in 2022. “FIFA’s become more polished: as to whether there’s been actual change, I think they’ve just become slicker.” With FIFA reeling in 2016, the sport’s governing body began cleaning up its act, introducing reforms in four acts: governance, transparency, accountability and diversity. The executive committee was replaced by a bigger council, with the president’s role reduced, essentially meaning that it would be more difficult to bribe executives if there were far more of them. This council was to be made up of members who would face eligibility checks for the first time, while the president’s tenure was limited to three…

“The attacker approached Kerrigan with what looked like a police nightstick, and smashed it with full force against her knee” On 6 January 1994, Nancy Kerrigan, the United States’ best female figure skater and a favourite to win gold at the 1994 Winter Olympics, had just finished a practice session at an ice rink in Detroit, Michigan, when she was attacked by a mystery assailant. A witness described the attacker as a tall, burly, white man, who approached the 5ft 3in ice skater with what looked like a police nightstick, and smashed it with full force against her right knee. As the assailant ran off, staff rushed to Kerrigan’s aid as she lay on the ground wailing in pain. Terrified and clearly in shock, she just kept shrieking the same…

Harding was just 17 when she met Jeff Gillooly in 1988. By this time her parents had divorced the previous year and her father had left town. Tonya had little choice but to live with her mother – a woman she’s frequently claimed was physically and psychologically abusive to her – and her new husband. Desperate to escape this environment she moved in with Gillooly as soon as she could, marrying him in 1990. Initially, the relationship was loving, and the stability it provided raised Tonya’s levels of confidence. This had a positive effect on her performances on the ice, and she gradually began to climb the national rankings. Her childhood ambition of skating at the Olympics inched ever closer. Domestic happiness was not to last, however, and according to…

When Harding’s career as a skater was cut short, she found herself with few friends and little money. The Kerrigan scandal may have made her a household name, but it hadn’t made her rich. The tabloid press, having had their fill, moved on, leaving Harding to face a bleak future. Throughout the rest of the 1990s she drifted from one low-level celebrity gig to another, cutting an increasingly tragic figure as she struggled with her weight. In 2002, though, Fox TV offered her the chance to fight on its show Celebrity Boxing. Harding won her fight, and on 22 February 2003 took to the ring for her first bout as a professional fighter, on the undercard of a Mike Tyson fight. Although she lost that bout on a decision, she…