GIJC: Declan Hill, how do you feel in a conference such as this one?
D.H.: “I feel at home, I feel in my element. I have the impression that in the last couple of years, a war against investigative journalism has developed. Journalists are becoming too obliging and are forgetting to put their finger there where it hurts. We must not forget that our job is to carry out investigations. So, I am very happy to be here with those that are my true colleagues, those that are almost like my brothers and sisters.”
GIJC: During your investigations on rigged games, have you received threats?
D.H.: “On several occasions, people warned me about the dangers that my investigations represented and they advised me to stop, but I have never received direct threats. In my book, I have always avoided talking about my various witnesses’ private life. In addition to the fact that this is of little interest in my investigations, it also enables me to prevent my witnesses from feeling too directly affected.”
GIJC: How are you directing the rest of your career?
D.H.: “I am currently working on a project outside of football, but for the moment, I won’t say much more. Obviously, I remain implicated in football, and I will most likely be attending the World Cup in South Africa.”