Book picks similar to
Aguero (Ultimate Football Heroes) - Collect Them All! by Matt Oldfield
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El Clasico: Barcelona v Real Madrid: Football's Greatest Rivalry
Richard Fitzpatrick - 2012
Spain: The Inside Story of La Roja's Historic Treble
Graham Hunter - 2013
At Euro 2012 they became the first team to win three consecutive tournament titles.Graham Hunter was inside the dressing room as the players celebrated after the finals of the World Cup and Euro 2012. His access-all-areas pass at all three tournaments has resulted in remarkable eyewitness accounts and new interviews with star players and the men behind the scenes. Across every day of La Roja’s treble, the author takes you on to the training ground; on the team bus; into the canteen; inside the hotels and on to the pitch.You’ll hear the team talks that inspired Spain to victory plus the inside stories from Fernando Torres, Xavi, Iker Casillas, David Villa, Cesc Fàbregas, Andrés Iniesta, Gerard Piqué and the others behind an unprecedented era.
Cedric's Ecstasy
E.C. Land - 2021
. . and I want her.CedricShe was bleeding out behind a dumpster and somehow, for some reason, fate must’ve wanted me to find her before it was too late. Even though blood was covering her face, I could see past the grime, see the beauty lying underneath. I didn’t know anything about Arwen, but one thing I did know is what was done to her was unacceptable.I did the only thing I could. I took her to Finley and told her we’d have no choice but protect her. I think Finley knew back then something was different about Arwen and the way I looked at her, but none of us had any clue what was coming our way.We had no idea about the war coming, or that our own would be hurt while keeping Arwen safe.We didn’t have a clue, and I sure as fuck didn’t have any idea how hard I’d fall for her.
Everyone's Guide to Demons Spiritual Warfare: Simple, Powerful Tools for Outmaneuvering Satan in Your Daily Life
Ron Phillips - 2010
By incorporating demon-defying principles in our daily spiritual lives, we can learn to put the enemy to flight and move from bondage into freedom. The author also identifies several specific demonic spirits that attack God’s people, and provides strategies for overcoming evil in our lives.
Once in a Lifetime: The Incredible Story of the New York Cosmos
Gavin Newsham - 2006
In the summer of 1977, entrepreneurial Warner Brothers chairman Steve Ross assembled the best soccer players from across the globe to play for the Cosmos. Pele, the German superstar Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Neeskens, Giorgio Chinaglia, Brazil's 1970 World Cup-winning captain Carlos Alberto, Werner Roth, Roberto Cabanas, and many others all donned Cosmos jerseys and became instant celebrities in the process. The Cosmos quickly became the hottest ticket in town and the Cosmos players soon became enmeshed in a world of millionaires, gangsters, groupies, glamour, power struggles, alcoholic excess, drugs, and fistfights.Published to coincide with the World Cup in June 2006, Once in a Lifetime is the thrilling story of America's first flirtation with the world's most popular game.
Psycho: The Autobiography
Stuart Pearce - 2000
He will forever be remembered for two penalties - one missed and scored - for England, but there is so much more to him than that. This book reveals the fascinating story of one of football's greatest personalities. PSYCHO is as honest and straightforward as the man himself.
Craig Bellamy: GoodFella
Craig Bellamy - 2013
If he plays for your team, you love him. If he doesn’t . . .Everyone thinks they know Bellamy. Pace and passion. A handful for defenders. Scoring goals and winding up opponents. Winning friends – and making enemies.Blessed with a natural talent, he has enjoyed a colourful career at a host of top clubs. The proud Welshman is one of the top ten appearance makers for his country. But his rise to the top of the game wasn’t easy. It could have all been so different.He came from a loving family but temptations lay in his way. Follow the crowd or follow a dream? Join your mates in a gang on the streets or try to make it as a pro? It was a choice between the two.Bellamy chose football and became a rebel with a cause. He quickly climbed the ladder and shared dressing rooms with some of the biggest stars in football – from Ryan Giggs to Steven Gerrard. His burning desire to succeed made him a winner on the pitch, but that same passion also got him into trouble. There were famous bust-ups with John Arne Riise and Alan Shearer, not to mention rows with Graeme Souness, Rafa Benitez and Roberto Mancini.Away from the spotlight, there is a different side to Bellamy. His earnings from this book will be going to the Craig Bellamy Foundation, a charity which offers children in Sierra Leone the chance to fulfill their sporting potential. He is a devoted Dad and was heartbroken at the tragic and shocking death of his close friend Gary Speed.Craig Bellamy: GoodFella uncovers the real man behind the player and reveals the untold stories of a life inside football’s fast lane.Like Bellamy himself, it doesn’t hold back.
The Expected Goals Philosophy: A Game-Changing Way of Analysing Football
James Tippett - 2019
The metric gives unparalleled insight into which teams and players are performing at the highest level.Professional gamblers have used Expected Goals to make millions through football betting. Club scouts have used Expected Goals to identify hidden gems in the transfer market. And the media have recently started using Expected Goals to offer more profound insight in their broadcasts.Despite this, most ordinary fans still don’t understand what the Expected Goals method is – or appreciate the significant impact that it is set to have on the sport in coming years.Expected Goals (otherwise known as xG) was originally conjured up by a small corner of the online football analytics community. It didn’t take long for professional gamblers to begin using xG to predict match outcomes. These bettors utilised the Expected Goals method to turn over hundreds of millions of pounds from the bookmakers.Before long, football clubs had caught on to the ground-breaking insight given by xG. Brentford FC were leaders in this field, managing to assemble a Play-Off-reaching squad on a shoe-string budget. In the last five years, the small West London side have turned over more than £100m in transfer profit from their use of the Expected Goals method in player recruitment.More recently, the Expected Goals method has been adopted by the media as a form of insight. Fans are finally catching on to the pioneering means of football analysis. Soon enough, anyone who doesn’t understand the Expected Goals philosophy will be left behind.“This book will make you watch football differently” – Tobias Pedersen“Possibly the most ground-breaking football book ever written” – Football Impact“A brilliant account of the history and future of Expected Goals” – StatShot
Behind Closed Doors: Life, Laughs and Football
Gary Lineker - 2019
As a non-football nut I didn't expect to enjoy it, but between laddish anecdotes are passages of sudden tenderness. . . Lineker opens up, dislodging memories and reflections, not just about football but his whole life.' THE TIMES
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'Football is a simple game. 22 players chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end the Germans always win.'This book is inspired by the stories Danny and I have shared with each other about what life in football is really like: in the dressing room, in the commentary box, on the pitch and - with the appropriate pixellation - in the showers afterwards.What's it really like to play with Messi? I wouldn't know, but I have starred alongside him in an advert for Walkers crisps. And, well, his performance was world-class.And what is a life in football really like? You won't learn much from the dull-as-dishwater post-match interviews - it's a world of secrets, superstitions, laughs and personalities, and let me tell you, half of it you won't believe.I've looked back at my playing days, from England to Leicester, Everton to Barcelona, Tottenham to, er, Nagoya Grampus Eight, and shared the chaotic behind-the-scenes secrets of Match of the Day - and Danny has chipped in with stories from a lifetime following the game as a fan.From Italia '90 to Leicester's Premier League fairytale, from yellow cards to World Cup trophies (I've never been awarded either), from Gascoigne to Maradona, you'll find it all here - everything you always wanted to know about football, but didn't realise that you did.Inspired by the No.1 podcast Behind Closed Doors
Theo
Raven Scott - 2020
A fierce bodyguard. A broken hero. Illya is as fragile as a flower. She’s been through enough. One more blow and she’d wither away. Her lips quiver when I come near her. They are desperate to kiss mine. I’d take all of her. Own her soul. Run my fingers over her scars. Her scars may be deep. But they’re not nearly as strong as my obsession to make her mine.
Best of Rivals: Joe Montana, Steve Young, and the Inside Story Behind the NFL's Greatest Quarterback Controversy
Adam Lazarus - 2012
From 1987 to 1994, the two future Hall of Famers spurred each other on to remarkable heights, including three Super Bowl wins and four MVP awards, and set new standards for quarterback excellence. The two men couldn't have been more different in background, personality, and playing style, and their competition created as much tension as it did greatness, forcing Montana to prove that he was still the game's best quarterback and Young to prove that he was a worthy successor. Featuring candid interviews with Montana, Young, Jerry Rice, George Seifert, and many more, Best of Rivals brings to life the story of two sports legends, the golden era of football their rivalry presided over, and the amazing legacy it produced.
An Epic Swindle: 44 Months with a Pair of Cowboys
Brian Reade - 2011
It is the tale of a civil war that dragged Britain's most successful football club to its knees, through the High Court and almost into administration.Players Stephen Gerrard and Jamie Carragher tell of their anger at the broken promises, as well as their pain at watching loyal fans in open revolt. Manager chief executive, board members, leading fans and journalists reveal the torment at a revered sporting institution run by two men at war with each other, who trampled Liverpool's cherished traditions into the gutter. No story sums up the naked greed at the heart of modern football quite like Hicks' and Gillett's attempt to turn a buck at Liverpool. No-one has had as much access to the truth, or tells it with as much passion, wit and insight as Brian Reade. 'An epic Swindle' is the riveting story of how close one of the great football clubs came to financial implosion.
Broken Dreams: Vanity, Greed and the Souring of British Football
Tom Bower - 2003
From the author of devastating exposes of Mohamed Fayed, Richard Branson and, most recently, Geoffrey Robinson, this is an incisive account of how self-interested individuals, adopting questionable and predatory business methods, are exploiting the sport of football to earn billions of pounds and huge glory."
Disney Villains: The Evilest of Them All
Rachael Upton - 2018
. . for better or for worse.WANTED: The most evil, wicked, abhorrent, vile villain to ever curse this world . . . or any others. A villain acting vile is merely part of the job description . . . but which of Disney’s famed scoundrels is the evilest of them all? Dive into the devilish thoughts of The Evil Queen, Jafar, Ursula, and more as they recall their most wicked achievements. With gatefolds and lift-the-flaps, readers can dive into minds of the best of the worst in this fun read for Disney fans of all ages.Villains Include... Evil Queen (Snow White) Jafar (Aladdin) Mother Gothel (Rapunzel) Lady Tremaine (Cinderella) Ursula (The Little Mermaid) Scar (Lion King) Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians) Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) Malificent (Sleeping Beauty) Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland) Captain Hook (Peter Pan) Hades (Hercules) Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog)
Gunning for Greatness: My Life: With an introduction by Jose Mourinho
Mesut Özil - 2018
After an eventful sojourn among the Galacticos of Real Madrid he has savoured silverware at Arsenal, while in 2014 he lifted the World Cup with Germany.But his life and career have been a test of resilience. Growing up in Germany's Turkish community, he faced prejudice from those who claimed his dual identity would prevent him giving his all for the national team. Later came questions over a different type of commitment, the kind levelled against those, like Mesut Ozil, who excel in football's finer arts rather than relying simply on running and ruggedness. He has proved concerns on both these issues lack substance.In Gunning for Greatness, Mesut Ozil reveals the inside stories of his relationships with Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, his quest to help the under-fire Frenchman restore Arsenal's pre-eminence - and how he silenced the sceptics by conquering the world.