A detailed report that revealed how Syrian football was exploited for personal gain by the regime’s inner circle has earned a major international sports journalism award.
The investigation, conducted through a collaborative effort, was honored by the International Sports Press Association in its Investigative Journalism category. The winning work highlighted how Maher al-Assad, the brother of the deposed Syrian president, exerted pressure on the national football federation to award a lucrative marketing contract to a firm owned by a relative. This company, virtually unknown in the industry, was granted an unusually high 35 percent share of all marketing revenues—all without any competitive bidding process.
Journalists spent months gathering exclusive documents to prove that the contract was secured purely based on family connections rather than merit.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, one of the reporters dedicated the prize to his family, acknowledging the personal risks involved. “I share this honor with my wife and children, who were endangered by my work,” he stated.
The downfall of the previous government last December dismantled a vast network of patronage and illicit businesses tied to the Fourth Armoured Division, a military unit controlled by Maher al-Assad and subject to heavy international sanctions.
While the new Syrian leadership has pledged to root out corruption and favoritism, concerns remain. The current president’s brother now holds a senior position in the country’s economic development council. However, in a move signaling some effort to break from past practices, the president did order the closure of another sibling’s business office in the capital last year.