The Football (Soccer) category has 95 audiobooks on Listento.it, with an average listener rating of 4.5★ across 254 ratings. The most-rated is Alex Ferguson.
The Football Ramble
Summary
Lovers of football: pour yourself a cuppa, pull up your armchairs and prick up your ears. This is the audiobook experience you have been looking for. Downloaded over 10 million times a year, The Football Ramble podcast has established itself as the essential independent voice of football punditry. The weekly podcast has resonated with supporters around the world, and their sold-out live shows have been a massive hit with supporters. This audiobook is a collaboration by all four presenters and tackles the real issues from fans you won't see or hear on Sky Sports - or anywhere else, for that matter. From the weird and wonderful, from the Alan Pardew to the Kevin Keegan, the Ramble has it covered. Putting all aspects of the game under the microscope, this book is a timely reminder of why we just can't take our minds off football.
©2016 Marcus Speller. Pete Donaldson. Luke Aaron Moore. Jim Campbell. (P)2016 Random House Audiobooks
A Life Too Short
Summary
Why does an international footballer with the World at his feet decide to take his own life? On November 10, 2009, the German national goalkeeper Robert Enke stepped in front of a passing train. He was 32 years old. Viewed from the outside, Enke had it all. Here was a professional goalkeeper who had played for a string of Europe's top clubs, including Jose Mourinho's Benfica and Louis Van Gaal's Barcelona. Enke was destined to be his country's first choice for years to come. But beneath the bright veneer of success lay a darker story. In A Life Too Short, award-winning writer Ronald Reng pieces together the puzzle of his lost friend's life. Reng brings into sharp relief the specific demands and fears faced by those who play top-level sport. Heartfelt but never sentimental, he tells the universal tragedy of a talented man's struggles against his own demons.
©2011 Piper Verlag GmbH, Munich. English Translation © Shaun Whiteside 2011 (P)2011 Random House AudioGo
The Age of Football
Summary
A monumental exploration of soccer and society in our time - by its preeminent historian. In the 21st century, soccer commands the allegiance, interest, and engagement of more people in more places than any other phenomenon in the world. David Goldblatt - author of the acclaimed, best-selling The Ball Is Round - charts the sport's global cultural ascent, economic transformation, and deep politicization. With breathtaking scope and unparalleled knowledge of the game, The Age of Football explores soccer's vital role in our social, political, and economic lives: its connections to social discord in the Middle East and political division in Europe; the reasons behind its surprising surge in popularity in China, India, and the United States; and its use (and misuse) in the global advance of equality and human rights. Goldblatt proves that whether you call it football or soccer, you can't make sense of the modern world without understanding its most popular sport.
©2019 David Goldblatt (P)2020 Tantor
Soccer iQ (2 Book Series)
Summary
Amazon's top two soccer-coaching books have been combined to create one amazing audiobook! Soccer iQ Vol. 1 is an Amazon best seller and an NSCAA Soccer Journal Top 5 Book of the Year! Football.com rated these books number one and number two in its list of the Top 14 Soccer Books for Players and Coaches! In a world saturated with books about how to coach soccer, Dan Blank finally gives players two books on how to think it. Standing on two decades of collegiate coaching experience, Blank has cataloged soccer's most common mistakes and provides simple, connect-the-dots solutions to help players solve their soccer problems. Soccer iQ is soccer's first textbook for players; an almanac of smarter soccer decisions intended to flatten out the learning curve. It covers everything from hunting rebounds to the value of the toe-ball; from playing in the rain to the world's dumbest foul. Blank tells his story from the familiar and humorous voice of a coach who has endured years of stress at the hands of his players. Written in plain-spoken language, Soccer iQ is an easy listen and a quick fix to the most common, yet critically important soccer problems. Vol. 2 picks up where Vol. 1 left off, providing even more valuable soccer nuggets for aspiring players.
©2013 Dan Blank (P)2016 Dan Blank
Robbo: Now You're Gonna Believe Us...
Summary
May 12, 2019... The final whistle blows at Anfield, and we have beaten Wolves two-to-zero, but I know that we have been pipped to the Premier League title on the final day of the season by our rivals Manchester City - despite our record league points total. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as the fans defiantly sing "We Shall Not Be Moved". July 22, 2020... I watch Hendo dance and thrust the Premier League trophy into the sky at a near-deserted Anfield after a 15-month spell in which we have become European Cup, Super Cup, and, for the first time, World Club Cup winners. Robbo: Now You’re Gonna Believe Us... is the inside story of an unrivaled period in the illustrious history of Liverpool Football Club - as seen through my eyes. Taking you behind the scenes at Anfield and Melwood, I’ll reveal how it all happened - how doubters turned to believers - and brought the league title home after a 30-year wait. From the dressing room to the pitch, this is my story of our year to remember.
©2020 Andrew Robertson (P)2020 Andrew Robertson
When Nobody Was Watching
Summary
From the celebrated star of the US Women's National Soccer Team, an inspiring, uplifting, and candid memoir of how she got there. 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. Then she found a trusted trainer, James Galanis, who saw in Carli a player with raw talent, skill, and a great dedication to the game. What Carli lacked were fitness, mental toughness, and character. Together they set to work, training day and night, fighting, grinding it out. No one worked harder than Carli. And no one believed in her more than James. Despite all the naysayers, the times she was benched, moments when her self-confidence took a nosedive, she succeeded in becoming one of the best players in the world. This candid reflection on a remarkable turnaround will take listeners inside the women's national team and inside the head of an athlete who willed herself to perform at the highest levels of competition.
©2016 Carli Lloyd (P)2016 Random House Audio
Jurgen Klopp
Summary
Brought to you by Penguin. Updated to include the Champions League Victory 2019 “It is the intensity of the football, of how the people live football in Liverpool, all the Liverpool fans around the world. It is not a normal club, it is a special club.” Jürgen Klopp Jürgen Klopp is the charismatic German manager who single-handedly overthrew the accepted order in German football, taking Borussia Dortmund from nowhere to back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the Champions League final. He had long been admired in the Premiership and was finally wooed by Liverpool in the belief he could bring back the glory days to the Kop. Klopp is revered as a master tactician with his own unique playing philosophies. He is loved by his players for his passion and man-management skills, and adored by fans for his charm, wit and exciting football on the pitch. In 2019, Klopp cemented his name in the history books by returning Liverpool to Champions League glory. Here is the definitive story of Jürgen Klopp - the normal one - and his footballing genius.
©2019 Elmar Neveling (P)2019 Penguin Audio
Cristiano Ronaldo
Summary
Discover the Inspirational Story of Football Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo! You're about to discover the incredibly inspirational story of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. If you're reading this, then you must be a fan of Cristiano, like so many others. As a fan, you must wonder how this man is so talented and want to know more about him. Cristiano is considered to be one of the greatest football players ever, and it's been an honor to be able to watch him compete throughout his career. This audiobook will reveal to you much about Cristiano's story and the many accomplishments throughout his career. Here is a preview of what you'll learn: Youth and family life Amateur career Professional career and personal life Legacy, charitable acts, and much more! If you want to learn more about Cristiano Ronaldo, then this book is for you. It will reveal to you many things that you did not know about this incredible football star.
©2015 Bill Redban (P)2015 Bill Redban
Michael Owen: Reboot
Summary
Michael Owen's new autobiography will enable him to open up about his football life for the first time and set the record straight once and for all. It promises to make for an explosive listen and is one of the most hotly anticipated football books of the year. The legendary striker published his first book, Off the Record, in 2004, but feels he didn't have a voice during his playing days, and now, six years after hanging up his boots, he can finally lift the lid on what really happened during his career. After breaking into the Liverpool team as a 17-year-old, Owen burst on to the international scene with a wonder goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. But controversial transfers to Real Madrid, Newcastle United, and Anfield rivals Manchester United, have always divided opinion among fans. Now Owen is revealing what really happened during a career that saw him share a dressing room with the likes of David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Steven Gerrard, and Alan Shearer. Exclusive bonus content, including a special Q&A section and an introduction, specifically narrated by Michael himself.
©2019 Michael Owen (P)2019 W. F. Howes Ltd
44 Soccer Midfielder Mistakes to Avoid
Summary
Forty-Four Awesome Secrets That Will Transform You into a Skillful Soccer Midfielder Today! Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Play as a successful soccer player. This means that you accept the huge responsibility of being the midfielder and commit to playing well. This position can lead the team to either victory or crushing defeat. Like most things in life, it's up to you to choose which direction you go. The tasks of a midfielder are critical on the field. The midfielder must be able to move the ball selectively, build strong attacks, defend the ball skillfully, and go the extra mile to score as many goals as possible. It's a lot of risk, but it's also a lot of reward...if you know how to take the next step. In this book I lay out the next step - and then some. Why? That's what will be required for you to rise as a midfielder, earning respect, recognition, and rewards. Let me make the path to success easier for an action taker such as yourself. Stop Failing Over and Over.... Let Me Catapult You to the Peak! In order to succeed on the soccer midfield, you need to stop doing the same mistakes over and over again and then start doing the things right. This can be really hard, especially if you are not even aware of what you are doing wrong. This is why I am going to reveal how exactly to identify those mistakes and stop doing them once for all. I guarantee that you will be able to notice amazing results in your performance on the soccer field. You will not find this information in any other book, as these are my personal objectives and thoughts that I have built through the years of an active career.
©2015 Mirsad Hasic (P)2016 Mirsad Hasic
Gazza
Summary
Gazza's tears in the 1990 World Cup semi-final launched the boom of interest in football that continues to this day. Suddenly, Paul Gascoigne found himself the centre of attention in a way that only George Best and David Beckham have ever experienced. So much has been written about Gazza over the years, but he has said little - until now. For the first time, he talks in depth about the key events in his life: the injuries that threatened his career, what really happened when he was dropped from Glenn Hoddle's World Cup squad, his battles with alcoholism and other health problems, as well as his private life away from the spotlight. He also recalls the outrageous antics that have made the headlines, and discusses his hopes for his life after football. Gazza is loved by fans of the game throughout the country, and his autobiography is quite simply the most remarkable footballing story you'll ever read.
©2004 Paul Gascoigne (P)2004 Headline Audiobooks
Inside FC Bayern
Summary
Christian Falk ist Journalist. Er ist Fußball-Reporter. Er ist, was den FC Bayern betrifft, ein Insider. Er nimmt die Leser erstmals mit hinter die Kulissen der Fußball- und Reporter-Welt. Die Generation um Schweinsteiger, Lahm und Podolski begleitet er so nah wie kein anderer. Von den ersten Schritten als Profis bis hin zum Weltmeister-Titel - und darüber hinaus. Falk gewährt einen Einblick durchs Schlüsselloch und lässt spüren, wie es ist, von Uli Hoeneß angebrüllt zu werden, Opfer der Scherze von Franck Ribéry zu sein oder mit Louis van Gaal Rotwein zu trinken. Neben neuen Enthüllungen und Insider-Geschichten kommen auch die Stars zu Wort.
©2020 riva Verlag (P)2020 riva Verlag
Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica
Summary
Soccer has been America's Sport of the Future since 1972. Propelled by the rise of the World Cup, Premier League, the glory of the United States Women's National Team, Lionel Messi's demigod-esque talent and repeat exposure to Cristiano Ronaldo's preening abs, that future has finally arrived. The Men in Blazers are two English-born, soccer-obsessed broadcasters who have savored the dizzying growth of the game along with millions of Americans, as if it was a rollicking, sporting telenovela playing out in real life. Written in such a way that fully immerses Americans in the history and culture of the world's game, their Encyclopedia Blazertannica relives the careers of such greats such as George Best, Maradona, Beckham...and Alexi Lalas. It examines fan culture, from the tactical variations of scarf tying, to the pathos of England's classic, yet doomed, World Cup theme songs, and explores the complex physics and ethics of both celebratory knee slides and fights between players, along with such burning questions as how professional footballers deal with hair loss. Any listener will feel as if they've had a front-row seat for the classic matches - seeing every dive and missed penalty kick, and hearing every vulgar chant - and will emerge with a deeper appreciation for the dodgy haircuts and ill-judged neck tattoos that populate world football. Includes bonus material exclusive to the audiobook: an extended clip from the Men in Blazers podcast
©2018 Roger Bennett, Michael Davies (P)2018 Random House Audio
The National Team (Updated and Expanded Edition)
Summary
The US Women’s National Soccer Team has won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, set record TV ratings, drawn massive crowds, earned huge revenues for FIFA and US Soccer, and helped to redefine the place of women in sports. But despite their dominance, and their rosters of superstar players, they’ve endured striking inequality: low pay, poor playing conditions, and limited opportunities to play in professional leagues. The National Team, from leading soccer journalist Caitlin Murray, tells the history of the USWNT in full, from their formation in the 1980s to the run-up to the 2019 World Cup, chronicling both their athletic triumphs and less visible challenges off the pitch. Murray also recounts the rise and fall of US professional leagues, including the burgeoning National Women’s Soccer League, an essential part of the women’s game. Through nearly 100 exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and team officials, including Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo, Heather O’Reilly, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Pia Sundhage, Tom Sermanni, and Sunil Gulati, Murray takes readers inside the locker rooms and board rooms in engrossing detail. A story of endurance and determination, The National Team is a complete portrait of this beloved and important team.
©2019 Caitlin Murray (P)2019 Audible, Inc.
The Boy on the Shed
Summary
Shortlisted for the 2018 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Today was his first climb to the top. He knew if he was there, watching, then she would never leave him. Her name was Bernadette, and he climbed the shed every day. This is a not a football book, as such. Rather, it is a memoir by someone who happened to have superior ability at the sport during his formative years, which led him on a remarkable journey. Paul Ferris became a professional footballer and at the age of 16 was the youngest ever to play in Newcastle United's first team. Coming from Northern Ireland and being a skilful winger with dancing feet, he was inevitably hailed as 'the new George Best'. But the story of his time in the game, particularly as a young player, is one of insecurity, injuries, uncertainty, fear and, ultimately, a failure to fulfil his hopes and dreams. The book opens in Lisburn, near Belfast. The Ferris family are Catholics in a predominantly Protestant town at the height of The Troubles. Ferris relives his childhood and teens with brutal candour laced with black humour. The Boy on the Shed is a beautifully written account of a life, but it also lifts the lid on big personalities at Newcastle United.
©2018 Paul Ferris (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Rookie
Summary
Coach Dan Blank once again over-delivers for listeners with another essential how-to book for college-bound soccer players. Written in the same plainspoken tone that shot Soccer IQ to best-seller status, Rookie is more conversation than book. It gives rising college freshmen a revealing preview of life as a college soccer player and provides them with a wealth of survival tips for making the most of their debut seasons. Rookie covers topics that incoming freshmen will be starved to learn, including a remarkably clear-cut strategy for earning playing time.
©2014 Dan Blank (P)2016 Dan Blank
Luka Modric
Summary
In his first and only autobiography, Real Madrid galáctico and Croatian legend Luka Modric tells the story of his incredible journey from a childhood in war-torn Yugoslavia to becoming a serial Champions League winner and the most celebrated footballer in the world. In 2018, Luka Modric made football history with an unprecedented feat - winning all four of the most prestigious football awards in the same year: the Golden Ball at the World Cup in Russia, FIFA’s The Best Men's Player, UEFA Men’s Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or. The same year, as the team captain he led Croatia to the silver medal at the World Cup. In this, his never-before-told life story, Luka reveals details from his childhood in war-torn Yugoslavia, describes his beginnings as a football player, unveils the background of key moments at Dinamo Zagreb, Spurs and Real Madrid, and brings you his personal account of his career peak - Croatia’s dramatic path to the spectacular World Cup Final. What were his thoughts during decisive matches? What was his relationship with key players and coaches? What is the inner determination that keeps him striving on the pitch? Globally renowned as a visionary playmaker and midfield maestro, Luka Modric was born with the ambition to prove himself and to lead. From his humble and hard-working origins, through grit and persistence, he has faced down everyone who doubted him and reached the heights of world football. His life story is a true inspiration.
©2020 Luka Modric and Robert Matteoni (P)2020 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Ultra
Summary
Italy's ultras are the most organised and violent fans in European football. Many groups have evolved into criminal gangs, involved in ticket-touting, drug-dealing and murder. A cross between the Hells Angels and hooligans, they're often the foot-soldiers of the Mafia and have been instrumental in the rise of the far-right. But the purist ultras say that they are insurgents fighting against a police state and modern football. Only amongst the ultras, they say, can you find belonging, community and a sacred concept of sport. They champion not just their teams, they say, but their forgotten suburbs and the dispossessed. Through the prism of the ultras Jones crafts a compelling investigation into Italian society and its favourite sport. He writes about not just the ultras of some of Italy's biggest clubs - Juventus, Torino, Lazio, Roma and Genoa - but also about its lesser-known ones from Cosenza and Catania. He examines the sinister side of football fandom, with its violence and political extremism, but also admires the passion, wit, solidarity and style of a fascinating and contradictory subculture.
©2019 Tobias Jones (P)2019 Head of Zeus
The Billionaires Club
Summary
Once upon a time football was run by modest local businessmen. Today it is the plaything of billionaire oligarchs, staggeringly wealthy from oil and gas, from royalty, or from murkier sources. But who are these new masters of the universe? Where did all their money come from? And what do they want with our beautiful game? In The Billionaires Club James Montague delves deeper than anyone else has dared, to tell this story for the first time. It is part history of club ownership, part in-depth investigation into the money and influence that connects the super-rich around the globe, and part travel book as he crosses national boundaries in an attempt to reveal the real force behind modern-day football. Whilst almost always cloaked in secrecy, the billionaire owner has to raise his head above the bunker when it comes to football ownership - a rare Achilles heel that allows access to worlds normally off limits for journalists and outsiders. And so Montague criss-crosses the world - from Dhaka to Doha, from China to Crewe, from St Louis to London, from Bangkok to Belgium - to profile this new elite, their network of money and their influence that defies geographic boundaries. At its heart The Billionaires Club is a football book, about some of the biggest clubs in the world. But it is also about something bigger: the world around us, the global economy, where the world is headed and how football has become an essential cog in this machine.
©2017 James Montague (P)2017 Audible, Ltd
The Real Madrid Way
Summary
Real Madrid is the most successful sports team on the planet. The soccer club has more trophies than any other sports team, including 11 UEFA Champions League trophies. However, the story behind the triumph goes beyond the players and coaches. Generally unnoticed, a management team consisting mostly of outsiders took the team from near bankruptcy to the most valuable sports organization in the world. How did Real Madrid achieve such extraordinary success? Columbia Business School adjunct professor Steven G. Mandis investigates. Given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, Mandis is the first researcher to rigorously analyze both the on-the-field and business aspects of a sports team. What he learns is completely unexpected and challenges the conventional wisdom that moneyball-fueled data analytics are the primary instruments of success. Instead, Real Madrid's winning formula both on and off the field, from player selection to financial management, is based on aligning strategy with the culture and values of its fan base. Chasing the most talented (and most expensive) players can be a recipe for a winning record, but also financial disaster, as it was for Real Madrid in the late 1990s. Real Madrid's management believes that the club exists to serve the Real Madrid community.
©2016 Steven G. Mandis (P)2017 Tantor