Sports Soccer

Liverpool and Manchester. Two gloriously independent-minded, eclectic, culturally vibrant places—two cities, both alike in dignity. Yet the inhabitants dislike each other with a passion that is visceral. It is a divide that spans generations, across class and ethnicity. It is a divide that has grown over the years, largely driven by one thing: football. The dark, malignant loathing shared by the followers of Liverpool and Manchester United has seeped into every aspect of life in the two cities.

Think you know everything about football? Which football match triggered a war? How did "the beautiful game" push back against the tyranny of dictatorship, and usher another into power? Kicking Off Around the World includes 55 incredible stories in which football clubs have been a mirror to—and a maker of—world history and politics.

This is a truthful and enlightening biography, told from the heart. It includes new revelations, which will shock and intrigue fans. It features high-quality full-colour photos. Darren Anderton's story is of a kid who grows up to live the dream of being a professional footballer at the highest level.

100 Years of Leeds United tells the story of a one-club city and its unique relationship with its football team. Since its foundation in 1919, Leeds United Football Club has seen more ups and downs than most, rising to global fame through an inimitable and uncompromising style in the 70s, clinching the last Division One title prior to the Premier League's inauguration in 1992, before a spectacular fall from grace at the start of the 21st century. United remains one of the best supported, and most divisive, clubs in football, with supporters’ clubs dotted across the globe.

When a man walks on to a pitch there’s always a chance something magic can happen, that’s what keeps us coming back…’In A Man Walks On to a Pitch, Harry shares a lifetime’s experience of obsessing over football, during which he has seen it all first hand - the good, the bad and the unbelievable. Harry started in an age where players were ordinary blokes who might live on the same street as you and earn a similar wage and now manages in an era of player power.

New-kid Javier Moreno makes a big splash on the soccer field when a video of his amazing goal goes viral. But now the fame is going to his head, and he's hogging the ball and showing off. Will Javi's solo act ruin the team's chances at making the state championship?

Learn about Pelé with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Edson Arantes do Nascimento is one of the most successful sports players in history. You probably know this Brazilian soccer player by his nickname: Pelé. He played soccer professionally for 20 years between 1957 and 1977. In that time he went from being a young sporting prodigy to the most admired and distinguished soccer player in history.

L'infanzia in via Vetulonia, i primi calci al pallone, la timidezza e la paura del buio, la vita di quartiere in una Roma che forse non esiste più. Gli amici che resteranno gli stessi per tutta la vita. Gli allenamenti a cui la mamma lo accompagnava in 126, asciugandogli i capelli con i bocchettoni in inverno. L'esordio in Serie A a 16 anni in un pomeriggio di marzo del 1993 a Brescia, con i pantaloni della tuta che al momento di entrare in campo si impigliano nei tacchetti; il primo derby, il primo gol, il rischio di essere ceduto alla Sampdoria prima ancora che la sua favola in giallorosso possa cominciare.

The crowd roars. Soccer's ultimate prize is on the line. Listeners will delight in discovering the legendary players, thrilling games, and long history of the World Cup.

xGenius explores the interplay between analysis, tactics, and decision-making. It seeks to put the sport of football under the microscope with the aim of getting closer to the ultimate truth of what makes players, managers and teams successful. What, ultimately, wins football matches. Packed with examples from the Premier League and beyond, xGenius shows how xG and other performance analysis tools are helping answer previously unanswerable questions.

From the wounds left by the civil war to the teams’ recent global domination, historian and expert on Spanish football, Sid Lowe lifts the lid on sport’s greatest rivalry. Lowe has spoken to the biggest names and the forgotten heroes who defined their clubs. Men like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Johan Cruyff as well as the only survivor of the most politically charged game in history, the Barcelona striker who knocked Madrid out of the European Cup for the first time ever, and the president who celebrated his club’s defining moment by taking a midnight dip in the Thames.

Guillem Balagué has had unparalleled access to Unai Emery, his backroom staff and the Aston Villa squad ever since the Spaniard was appointed manager in 2022. From Emery's early years growing up in the Basque region to becoming one of the most exciting coaches managing today, Awakening the Giant reveals the inner workings of Emery's psyche. Featuring exclusive interviews with Emery himself, as well as key players such as Villa captain John McGinn and star striker Ollie Watkins, it charts the journeys of both Emery and Aston Villa over the last three decades.

In 2015, the US Women's National Soccer Team won its first FIFA championship in 16 years, culminating in an epic final game that electrified soccer fans around the world. It featured a gutsy, brilliant performance by team captain and midfielder Carli Lloyd, who made history that day, scoring a hat trick - three goals in one game - during the first 16 minutes. But there was a time when Carli almost quit the sport. In 2003 she was struggling, her soccer career at a crossroads.

Narrated by the daughter of one of the team members, Janice Barton, with unprecedented access to the secrets and insights of the first ever woman's team, this is a multi-generational story celebrating the power of a group of women who refused to accept the status quo - revealing how the events of 1971 shaped mother and daughter's lives both personally and professionally.

In this riveting follow-up to the best seller Everything Your Coach Never Told You Because You're a Girl, Coach Dan Blank takes aim at the warm and fuzzy double-standard facing those who coach female athletes and reveals the philosophies and methods that sparked a culture of unapologetic competitiveness in a women’s college soccer team that won more games than it was ever supposed to win.

I’ve always dreamed of playing professional football, so when the new director of Calverdale Ladies wants to sign me, I should be ecstatic. But renowned billionaire playboy Gabe Rivers doesn’t just want me as his new striker. I need to get to the top because of my talent on the pitch, not in the sack. So I can’t be another prize for Gabe. Even if he is infuriatingly gorgeous.

Football management is like being a potato—you're never too far from the sack and everyone is constantly chipping away at you. It's not for the faint-hearted and unless you've got skin as thick as rhino and a wicked sense of humour, you've no chance of surviving. Ian Holloway—aka 'Ollie'—has all the above and more besides. He's been there, seen it and done it in his 40 years as player and manager. In the joyful How to Be a Football Manager, Holloway weaves a fantastically rich tapestry of hilarious anecdotes to reveal what being the boss is really like.

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is only in his first season at Manchester City and yet he has taken the Premier League - and world football stage - by storm. At the halfway point in the season, in just 20 games, the distinctive star has scored 25 goals, beating last year's PL golden boot winners Son Heung-Min and Mo Salah. He is well on his way to beating the record of 34 goals in a single season - a record no one has beaten in 27 years. Known for his speed, strength and goal scoring, Haaland is a fascinating character who doesn't fit the mould of a modern-day professional footballer.

In her career, Megan has won Olympic gold medals, several World Cup trophies, ESPY Awards, and more. Not only is Megan a fierce competitor on the field, she's also a brave activist who stands up for the rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals like herself. Learn about Megan Rapinoe's incredible soccer career and inspiring life as an activist in this book for young listeners!

'While the beautiful game has taught me a lot, becoming King of the Jungle got me thinking... I’ve had quite a life outside of football too. The World According to Harry is my take on the important things ­- from what makes true team spirit and not forgetting your East End roots, to the joys of jam roly-poly and knowing how lucky I am to have met a girl like Sandra. I can’t claim to be clued up on showbiz, but I’m certainly not short of a story or two.'