Two left hooks left the boxer staggering, and despite the trainer’s insistence that there was more fight left, the uppercut sent him crashing to the canvas - a knockout that would end his career.
If the Malaysian football saga was reported like a bout, the International Federation of Association Football (Fifa)’s two blows would have been enough to warrant a strategic retreat.
Yet, FAM’s leaders refused to throw in the towel and instead chose to “go to war” at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), only to be met with an uppercut that left them sprawled on the canvas.
Everyone loves a winner - the sweet taste of glory, the rewards of victory. But failure? Failure flips the script. Friends vanish. Reputation crumbles. Authority is stripped away.
Suddenly, you are...