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When people think of football books, they usually think of great hardcover autobiographies that top the bestseller list. and although there is nothing wrong with telling everything, there is much more variety waiting to be read. The authors of the following books have explored the world in search of exciting stories, studying legendary teams, iconic players and years of tactics to ensure that football’s greatest moments are immortalized in history.
You are reading: Books by football players
here are 30 of the best soccer books to broaden your horizons, improve your knowledge, and rekindle your love of the beautiful game.
If you’d rather listen to your books than read them, audible offers a 30-day free trial for new customers, giving you access to many of the titles on this list.
1. inverting the pyramid by jonathan wilson
jonathan wilson’s instant classic, the inversion of the pyramid, came at a perfect time for self-reflection, when a nation was wondering how an english team featuring wayne rooney, gary neville and john terry had failed to qualify for the euro 2008. The answer is concisely and expertly explained as Wilson takes us through a history of formations beyond 4-4-2.
get it on amazon for £8.79
2. a night in turin by pete davies
Pete Davies’ book is a gripping behind-the-scenes account set in Italy ’90, where he was granted nine months of access to the team led by legend Bobby Robson. The tournament was marked by a nail-biting penalty shootout that would haunt England for many years.
get it on amazon for £11.05
See Also: Jana DeLeon – Book Series In Order
3. the immortals: how my milan team reinvented football by arrigo sacchi
just over thirty years ago, arrigo sacchi helped transform milan into one of the modern powerhouses of european football, guiding them to consecutive european cup triumphs. His methods have long since resonated, via Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, with the manager outlining his plans in his new endeavor here.
If first-hand stories are your thing, here are 24 of the best soccer autobiographies.
get it on amazon for £9.19
4. tobias jones ultra
Italy boasts some of the most violent football fans in the world, and this investigative book delves into the right-wing subculture that is often compared to British hooliganism. tobias jones gets up close and personal with the ultras of italy’s most prominent teams in an intense testament that won the football book of the year award.
get it on amazon for £8.28
5. the man who saved fc barcelona by sue o’connell
patrick o’connell converted his playing career in the english leagues into a successful spell as spanish football manager, most notably guiding real betis to their only league title. But the story of how he saved Barcelona from financial ruin as his boss during the Spanish Civil War makes up the bulk of this remarkable story, written by the wife of his grandson.
get it on amazon for £14.59
6. danish dynamite by rob smyth, lars eriksen and mike gibbons
It wasn’t the first time that all of Europe went crazy over Denmark last summer. denmark is a footballing nation that people take kindly to, and for some, their love story goes back decades. A book aimed at football romantics, Danish Dynamite tells the story of Mexico 1986, which was the first World Cup Denmark qualified for.
get it on amazon for £14.99
7. tears in the candy box by christopher hylland
author christopher hylland spent six years in countries such as argentina and colombia. he was delighted with his way of life and playing football and how the two are inextricably linked in that part of the world. the book reads like a multicultural love letter to wealthy South American soccer fans.
get it on amazon for £12.79
8. the bottom corner: hope, glory and non-league football by nige tassell
As the gap between the rich and the super-rich continues to grow at the top of the English football pyramid, it is essential not to lose sight of the non-league game, which is the lifeblood of the community across the globe. country. the bottom corner spends a stint with the dreamers who keep it alive at the other end of the ladder, and who have more than a few stories to share.
get it on amazon for £8.35
9. the legacy of barcelona by jonathan wilson
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the legacy of barcelona explores the idea that much of modern football emerged from the mind of johan cruyff. There are many books on this subject, including an account from Cruyff’s perspective. Still, Jonathan Wilson manages to piece together the evidence in a crisp soccer book that captures the heart of Cruyffismo.
get it on amazon for £8.09
10. the boy in the shed by paul ferris
Paul Ferris’ autobiography has been showered with awards and praised by many for transcending genres. The Boy in the Shed takes the reader further than most, beginning with trouble and following the life of a man once lauded as “the best of the new Georges”, only to be hit by injury and forced to find other ways. to get involved in football. .
get it on amazon for £10.25
11. be nice love brian by craig bromfield
Books that promise insider information on famous figures are nothing new. still, craig bromfield had more of a front row seat than most people in brian clough’s life, having lived with him for nine years after nottingham’s late forest manager took him and his brother in when he they were teenagers. he is a revealing image of a man whose personality in the public eye has been marked primarily over the years by a form of reckless genius.
get it on amazon for £8.64
12. the second half of roy keane with roddy doyle
This autobiography is precisely what you’d expect from a book about everyone’s favorite surly pundit. Picking up where his first autobiography left off, it is full of anecdotes and more outrageous stories about the people he has worked with. the best-selling autobiography takes us from the end of his playing career to an unrestricted account of the beginning of his life as a coach.
get it on amazon for £4.99
13. football, wrote by various authors
Written by a mix of 20 established and emerging writers, Soccer She Wrote is an anthology featuring women’s thoughts on the sport they love. The book features a wide range of stories, memoirs, and interviews covering issues of sexuality, diversity, and inclusion. a must read for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the importance of making football more inclusive.
get it on amazon for £11.55
14. and it was beautiful: marcelo bielsa and the revival of leeds united by phil hay
When legendary Olympic gold medal-winning coach Marcelo Bielsa walked through the door of a struggling Leeds United, few thought his tenure would bring the long-awaited triumph back to Elland Road. journalist phil hay’s front row seat to revitalizing a sleeping giant in english football tables how they proved the skeptics wrong, and they did it in a dynamic way.
get it on amazon for £16.76
15. st. Pauli de Carles Vinas and Natxo Parra
st pauli fans are true punk rockers in attitude and taste in music. this book shows us the hamburg lifestyle and what it’s like to be a fan of st pauli. his mantra is that everyone is welcome in football; they’re pro-refugee, anti-fascism, anti-sexism, anti-racism, anti-homophobia, anti-capitalism, and if you don’t like it, that’s your problem.
get it on amazon for £12.45
16. too short a life of ronald reng
ronald reng tells the heartbreaking story of his lifelong friend robert enke, a top german goalkeeper who took his own life in 2009. enke played for clubs like barcelona and benfica, had a beautiful wife and children whom he loved. he wanted so much, but underneath it all, he suffered from a debilitating depression. An eye-opening must-read.
get it on amazon for £9.95
17. alex ferguson: my autobiography
Explore the biography of one of football’s most iconic people as sir alex ferguson shares his experiences growing up in glasgow, scotland, managing aberdeen in his formative years as manager and of course his storied tenure at manchester united.
get it on amazon for £9.09
18. the age of football by david goldblatt
sports historian david goldblatt’s book explores how soccer has taken over the world. his investigation doesn’t stop at the elite clubs; He studies the politics driving the global game, prison football in Uganda, amputee football in Angola, and tackles the FIFA corruption scandal.
get it on amazon for £11.05
See Also: Jana DeLeon – Book Series In Order
19. the damned utd by david paz
Fans may have seen the critically acclaimed 2009 adaptation with Michael Sheen playing Brian Clough, but this is where it all originated. This book chronicles the events of Brian Clough’s stint as manager of Leeds United with many flashbacks to his time in Derby Country and his ongoing rivalry with adversary Don Revie.
get it on amazon for £6.29
20. hooked: addiction and the long road to recovery by paul merson
This book is less a conventional football work and more a study of self-destruction and salvation. Expert Paul Merson’s autobiography is a candid and direct exploration of an addiction problem that has blighted him from his successful days as a player to his career as an expert. it’s a searing read that refuses to mince words.
See Also: Debra Burroughs – Book Series In Order
get it on amazon for £9.21
21. football against the enemy by simon kuper
Simon Kuper traveled to 22 countries to write this book, including South Africa, Russia, and the United States. In doing so, he created a book that explores the symbiotic relationship between football and politics; An example is the legendary Pele’s visit to Nigeria during the Biafra War, which caused a 48-hour ceasefire to play.
get it on amazon for £7.43
22. 1312: among james montague’s ultras
james montague was able to gain insider access by going undercover to write about some of the most dangerous football gangs in existence. The book explores how polarizing anti-establishment political wings can be found on the far left or far right throughout the ultra movement.
get it on amazon for £9.56
23. my life in red and white by arsene wenger
before there was guardiola and klopp, there was ferguson and wenger, two men who defined the face of english football for generations. Now, the Frenchman who helped reestablish Arsenal among Europe’s greats tells his story, from his arrival at Highbury to the legendary campaign of the Invincibles. A must read for any striker fan and football enthusiast in general.
get it on amazon for £5.73
24. high point of nick hornby
fever pitch is an intensely personal account of nick hornby’s childhood and all the ups and downs of being a football fan. As a master storyteller, Nick Hornby perfectly captures the unique desperation of being a football fan as a child. fever pitch is an autobiography like no other.
get it on amazon for £7.78
25. das reboot by raphael honigstein
Das Reboot tells the story of how German national football reinvented itself after failing to recreate the successes of its 1996 team. The book takes the reader on an exciting journey around the world to find out what makes Germans play like the Germans.
get it on amazon for £8.85
26. kelly smith and lance hardy footballer
Kelly Smith is England’s women’s leading goalscorer who helped Arsenal win countless trophies, but also overcame a battle with depression and alcoholism along the way. Lifting the lid on her immense drive and passion, Footballer is Kelly Smith’s inspiring life story told in her own words.
get it on amazon for £10.49
27. soccer in sun and shadow by eduardo galeano
football in the sun and shadow is one of the most intellectual selections for fans of poetry and lyrical writing. this is a beautifully written piece of football literature, broken up into little “chapters”, providing anecdotes from different world cups dating back to 1930 and many more interesting facets of the beautiful game.
get it on amazon for £7.99
28. zonal marking by michael cox
Zone Dialing is a thoroughly researched opinion book with a wide range of examples that never feel preachy. Michael Cox takes the reader on a journey through the best football clubs in Europe to extract the best parts of each team and country and see what they have contributed to continental football as a whole.
get it on amazon for £9.19
29. Andrea Pirlo: I think later I play
andrea pirlo, one of the best players of his time, revolutionized his role as a playmaker at the base of the midfield and became one of the deadliest free kick takers in football history. World Cup and Champions League winner, this is his story, told in his own words.
get it on amazon for £8.09
30. fear and loathing in the league by sid lowe
An in-depth look at one of football’s most heated rivalries, during a period when the two went head-to-head, battling for every available trophy. it’s messi against ronaldo, it’s the best team of our time against the best team of all time. it’s more than a game. It’s a war, it’s Barcelona against Real Madrid.
get it on amazon for £11.05
See Also: Jana DeLeon – Book Series In Order
Looking for more soccer books?
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