Sports Biographies Football

Andrés Iniesta is the Barcelona and Spain legend, rated by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Paul Scholes as one of the greatest footballers of all time. This is the thinking fan's footballer, with a thinking fan's football audiobook. Andrés Iniesta was 12 years old when scouts invited him into Barcelona's famous La Masia academy. Shortly after he joined the club, Barca legend Pep Guardiola remarked of him, 'This lad is going to retire us all'.

"Aus dem Hintergrund müsste Rahn schießen. Rahn schießt. Toooor!" Jeder Fußball-Fan kennt diese Sätze. Der deutsche Triumph 1954 gilt bis heute als ein Wunder. Manche sehen in ihm sogar die wahre Geburtsstunde der Bundesrepublik. Tobias Escher gelingt es, anhand der legendären Weltmeisterschaft ein Stück deutscher Geschichte zu erzählen - schließlich waren fast alle deutschen Spieler noch als Soldaten im Krieg, fünf Jahre zuvor war Deutschland noch besetzt gewesen, von einer Bundesliga konnte man in den Fünfzigerjahren nur träumen.

Hristo Stoichkov, El Pistolero del legendario Dream Team del FC Barcelona, nos trae su auténtica autobiografía. El máximo goleador de la Copa Mundial de 1994 nos revela su alma sin maquillaje, pretensiones ni cohibiciones. Directo, volcánico y fiel a su imagen de aquella época en la que millones de seguidores admiraban al mágico Nº8.

The revealing and insightful autobiography of an AFL superstar. From number one pick in the 2000 AFL draft, to six-time winner of St Kilda's best and fairest award, to five-time All Australian, to captaining his club for a record 220 games, to more than 330 games as a star of the AFL, Nick Riewoldt is an out-and-out champion. The Things That Make Us is Nick's autobiography, written with a deep intelligence and insight, and giving a fascinating perspective on his extraordinary life and career.

Every four years, Americans turn their attention to the world’s game - soccer. As recently as 1998, the USMNT merely made up the numbers at the biggest sporting tournament of all, but once Bruce Arena took over the team, American soccer started to find its footing. In the 2002 World Cup, a highly-fancied Portugal team, featuring the great Ronaldo, lost to Arena’s US team in a shocking 3-2 victory, and but for a handball that wasn’t given, they could well have knocked off eventual winners Germany.

Retrato íntimo de Marcelo Gallardo, único hombre en la historia de River que ganó la Copa Libertadores como jugador y entrenador. ¿Quién es? ¿Qué piensa? ¿Cómo lo hace? Lo cuenta el propio protagonista en un recorrido apasionante por su vida y obra.

In Choose to Matter, Julie Foudy, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and former captain of the US National team, takes you on a journey to discover your authentic self. This book is a roadmap to unleash that courageous you and have you singing your dreams out loud. Along with sharing stories from her playing days and personal experiences, Julie taps into the wisdom of other incredible female leaders.

Joel Selwood’s remarkable leadership is well-known across AFL football. Selwood will not only go down in history as an icon of the game – a record breaker – but also as a selfless leader who supported his team through one of the club’s most successful periods in its history. After Selwood was made captain of the team in 2012, Geelong made the finals in all but one season, playing in seven preliminary finals and two Grand Finals – culminating in Geelong’s tenth premiership in 2022. Now, for the first time, Selwood tells his story in his own words.

In this book, Gyan bares his soul. He seeks no sympathy; he simply wants his side of an often-one-sided story to be heard, introducing us to names, people and influences we did not know before.

Don Perkins led a life as one of the most honored athletes in the history of the University of New Mexico and the Dallas Cowboys. But Perkins's life was far more complex and, at times, controversial. He experienced the traumas of racial discrimination, death, divorce, football-related injuries, and a never-ending search for his own identity. In his search, Perkins ventured into sportscasting, public speaking, community relations, big-rig trucking, government work, and even amateur theater, where he portrayed Frederick Douglass and other famous Black leaders.

Felix Brych hat in seiner langen Karriere alles erreicht, was man sich als Schiedsrichter wünschen kann. Er hat Bundesliga, Champions-League, Europa- und Weltmeisterschaften gepfiffen. 2017 und 2021 wurde er Weltschiedsrichter des Jahres. Dabei ist Schiedsrichtersein keine dankbare Aufgabe. Der Perfektionsanspruch, höchst emotionale Erwartungshaltungen und extreme Öffentlichkeit einerseits sowie eine starke Präsenz unter Persönlichkeiten auf dem Platz, beständige Kritik der Öffentlichkeit und die notwendige Akzeptanz von Fehlbarkeit andererseits, sind außergewöhnlich.

En la línea de Soy Zlatan Ibrahimović y Open de Andre Agassi, Frágil es una autobiografía cruda, honesta y reveladora sobre la vida de uno de los grandes futbolistas de todos los tiempos.

En 1995 Marco Van Basten dijo adiós oficialmente como jugador de fútbol a la edad de treinta años. No había podido jugar en el AC Milan los dos últimos años debido a una persistente lesión en el tobillo producida diez años atrás. Tras su despedida, Van Basten se tomó varios años de descanso, retirándose como figura pública para concentrarse principalmente en el golf...

Larry Csonka ran the football with audacity and authority. He lived his off-the-field life with equal abandon. As part of the NFL's 100th Anniversary, he and his undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins teammates were named the best team in NFL history. In Head On, Csonka shares how they achieved their legendary Perfect Season. From quitting football at a young age, to his often-combative relationship with Coach Don Shula, to brazen exploits with his NFL pals, Csonka narrates a life that is colorful, unbridled, and thrilling.

Paul Davis's story takes us on a journey through almost 50 years at the very top in football: a leading player's take on an extraordinary and memorable period in Arsenal's history, during which the club and football changed radically and forever around him.

Roberto Baggio non è una figura scontata: come il protagonista di un romanzo, è un groviglio di volontà e caso, un uomo incredibilmente determinato e allo stesso tempo in balìa degli eventi. Come se tutti i suoi sforzi servissero a opporsi al destino e allo stesso tempo a compierlo (uno dei tanti paradossi con cui probabilmente il buddismo lo ha aiutato a convivere). Stefano Piri ripercorre la vita e la carriera di Baggio a partire dalla sua magica apparizione a Vicenza, quando non ha ancora vent'anni e sembra un angelo spietato che inchioda gli avversari a terra.

Il mio io in campo. De Rossi è il romanismo. Siamo tutti DDR. Sono alcuni degli striscioni che i tifosi della Roma hanno dedicato a Daniele De Rossi al momento del suo addio. De Rossi è rimasto ben diciotto anni nella stessa squadra, quella che tifava da piccolo, con cui nel tempo ha creato un legame unico, rappresentando i romanisti di tutte le età. Daniele De Rossi è il caso più unico che raro di un calciatore moderno che ha corrisposto totalmente l'amore di quei tifosi che lo hanno visto crescere.

Cristiano Ronaldo è una figura abbacinante, che abbraccia e racchiude mondi. È uno dei calciatori più dominanti e significativi della storia del gioco, e soprattutto è il primo - e forse insuperabile esempio di brand nel calcio. Nella gelida determinazione, nell'ambizione sconfinata, nella feroce etica del lavoro e nella maniacale cura del suo corpo sovrumano scopriamo la cifra del suo impatto sull'immaginario globale, e sul futuro di uno sport che CR7 - più di ogni altro giocatore in attività - ha saputo ridefinire.

Más de 20 años después desde que dejara de jugar al fútbol, la figura de Diego Maradona sigue despertando interés. De lectura ágil y con una investigación seria detrás, Gracias Maradona incluye análisis novedosos que permiten una mirada nueva de este mito del fútbol. Por ejemplo, “Gracias Maradona” enfoca el gol de “la mano de Dios” de modo distinto al habitual, alcanza conclusiones sorprendentes al comparar a Diego y Pelé.

I ragazzi che incontriamo in queste pagine sono figli della guerra e della fame. Arrivano dalle valli, dall'Italia contadina e operaia, dalla provincia, dalla nebbia: molti dal profondo Nord. Hanno famiglie numerose e biografie radicate in un Paese oggi perduto: padri inflessibili e madri provvidenziali, collegi, orfanotrofi, seminari, lavori precoci in fabbrica o in fonderia. Uno di questi ragazzi viene dal Brasile, crede alla magia, ed è stato riserva del giocatore più forte del mondo.

There are just a handful of people that have been ever present for the thirty years of the Premier League, but only one person has been at the very epicentre for the entire period: Geoff Shreeves. Packed full of hilarious stories on and off the pitch—including trying to teach Sir Michael Caine how to act, a frightening encounter with Mike Tyson, as well as getting a lift home from the World Cup with Mick Jagger—Cheers Geoff is a must-listen for any fan of the beautiful game.