Biographical Portrait of Liverpool's Spanish football manager Rafael Benitez and an extraordinary season for the club.
When Rafael Benitez was appointed manager of under-achieving Liverpool at the start of the 2004-2005 season, the reaction of many fans was 'Who the **** is Rafael Benitez?'. The Liverpool fans had grown used to French manager Gerard Houllier but he had been a fan of the club himself since his days as a teacher on Merseyside. A Spaniard with admittedly a wonderful record at Valencia was going to take over management of Liverpool's famous Boot Room and try and win over a disillusioned Kop. 
But in one season, Benitez's importation of Spanish players, coaching methods and diet has led to a revolution, even usurping Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, whereby the team has ended the season winning the ultimate trophy for any European club - the European Champions League. No fan will ever forget the comeback from a 3-0 deficit to a 3-3 scoreline, then dramatic success in the penalty shoot-out.
This is the story of Rafa's remarkable success.

A Season on the Brink: Rafael Benítez, Liverpool and the Path to European Glory

Balagué, Guillem

Biographies & Memoirs

Orion Publishing

UPDATED TO INCLUDE MESSI'S FIRST SEASON AT PSG The story of one of the greatest footballers of all time, Argentina's Lionel Messi. 'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona On 10th August 2021, Lionel Messi's beautiful Barcelona fairy tale came to an end as he completed a dramatic move to Paris Saint-Germain. Despite flourishing in the blue and white of the national side, delivering Argentina their first silverware in twenty-eight years - beating Brazil on their home soil to win the Copa América - Messi endured a difficult first season in Paris. Guillem Balagué has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle including the player himself: his coaches, team-mates and family. From tracing the origins of Messi's precocious talent in Rosario, Argentina, to chronicling his peerless seventeen-season career at Barcelona, and his tumultuous Parisian adventure, Guillem presents an authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius. 'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola

Messi

Seven Dials

'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona FULLY UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2022 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH & MESSI'S TRANSFER TO INTER MIAMI As Lionel Messi raised the World Cup triumphantly into the air, the world watched on in awe. Messi's final peak conquered; his final dream achieved. It was the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Yet despite delivering Argentina their third World Cup, Messi's time at Paris Saint-Germain came to a dramatic conclusion, and Miami awaited the Argentinian legend. Guillem Balagué has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle including the player himself: his coaches, team-mates and family. From tracing the origins of Messi's precocious talent in Rosario, Argentina, to chronicling his peerless seventeen-season career at Barcelona, and his tumultuous Parisian adventure, Guillem takes us behind-the-scenes of Messi's World Cup triumph and his long-desired move to the MLS. This is an epic, authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius. 'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola

Messi: The must-read biography of the World Cup champion

Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography

An entertaining biography of the former and hugely successful former manager of FC Barcelona
As a footballer, Josep "Pep" Guardiola was a much-acclaimed defensive midfielder who spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona. He was part of the great Johan Cruyff's "dream team" that won the club's first European Cup. After retiring as a player, Guardiola became a coach at Barcelona, succeeding Frank Rijkaard as first-team manager in 2008. In his first season, he led the team to the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, and became the youngest-ever winning manager of that tournament. The following season the club—comprised of global stars such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta—won six trophies in six competitions, playing some of the most fabulous football ever witnessed. This book tells how Pep Guardiola did it—playing the Beautiful Game and winning.

Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning

An entertaining, perceptive biography of the hugely successful manager of FC Barcelona
As a footballer, Josep "Pep" Guardiola was a much-acclaimed defensive midfielder who spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona. He was part of the great Johan Cruyff's "dream team" that won the club's first European Cup. After retiring as a player, Guardiola became a coach at Barcelona, succeeding Frank Rijkaard as first-team manager in 2008. In his first season, he led the team to the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, and became the youngest-ever winning manager of that tournament. The following season the club won six trophies in six competitions, playing some of the most fabulous football ever witnessed. The team comprises global stars like Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta and continues to compete at a level its rivals cannot match. This book tells how Pep Guardiola did it—playing the Beautiful Game and winning.

A rare glimpse into the life and career of Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players of all time On May 1, 2005, 17-year-old Lionel Messi scored his first goal for FC Barcelona, becoming, at the time, the youngest player ever to score in a league match for the Catalan club. Since then, his story has been one of meteoric—and seemingly limitless—success. Now, this compelling and perceptive biography by respected soccer journalist Guillem Balague gets to the heart of the mystery and genius that is Messi. From that first, league-winning season to the present, this chronicle details Messi’s historic feats, analyzing the reasons behind his barely comprehensible success. It examines the integral role he played during the 2008–2009 season, during which Barcelona won the league, the domestic cup, and the Champion’s League, as well as the drive and determination that saw him score an astonishing 91 goals in 2012, becoming—at the age of 25—Barcelona’s all-time top scorer, and win four consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year awards. This account also examines Messi’s international career, during which, after a slow start, he has become Argentina’s second top scorer of all time. This is the story of one of the finest players to ever grace the sport of soccer, the diminutive Argentine who has been named by Diego Maradona himself as his successor and who always plays with a smile on his face at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2018 WORLD CUP The story of one of the greatest footballers of all time, Barcelona and Argentina's Lionel Messi.
'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona
Despite all the fame and adulation, remarkably little is known about Lionel Messi, the modest and intensely private footballing genius. Just how did the boy from Rosario, Argentina, become the world's greatest player?
Guillem Balague has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle: his coaches, team-mates and family. In addition, Pep Guardiola has provided exclusive analysis of the player. The result is an authoritative and compelling account of the wonderful mystery that is Messi.
'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola

A rare glimpse into the life and career of Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players of all time
On May 1, 2005, 17-year-old Lionel Messi scored his first goal for FC Barcelona, becoming, at the time, the youngest player ever to score in a league match for the Catalan club. Since then, his story has been one of meteoric—and seemingly limitless—success. Now, this compelling and perceptive biography by respected soccer journalist Guillem Balague gets to the heart of the mystery and genius that is Messi. From that first, league-winning season to the present, this chronicle details Messi’s historic feats, analyzing the reasons behind his barely comprehensible success. It examines the integral role he played during the 2008–2009 season, during which Barcelona won the league, the domestic cup, and the Champion’s League, as well as the drive and determination that saw him score an astonishing 91 goals in 2012, becoming—at the age of 25—Barcelona’s all-time top scorer, and win four consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year awards. This account also examines Messi’s international career, during which, after a slow start, he has become Argentina’s second top scorer of all time. This is the story of one of the finest players to ever grace the sport of soccer, the diminutive Argentine who has been named by Diego Maradona himself as his successor and who always plays with a smile on his face at one of the biggest clubs in the world.

WINNER OF FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2016
CRISTIANO RONALDO is one of the greatest footballers of all time, yet for all his success on the pitch he has often been a controversial and divisive figure off it.
It was clear from early on that Ronaldo had a prodigious talent. More than that, though, he only ever had one goal in mind. At the age of twelve, he left his humble origins on Madeira behind to travel to the Portuguese mainland in pursuit of his dream to become the best footballer on the planet.
It wasn't long before he had the biggest clubs in Europe knocking on his door, but it was Manchester United who won the race for his signature. Under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo developed into the complete footballer and athlete, winning three league titles and a Champions League, and cementing his status as a United legend, along the way.
He then became the biggest galáctico of them all when he transferred to Real Madrid for a record-breaking fee. However, he has endured a difficult relationship with managers, teammates and the fans - and with only one La Liga title and one Champions League win to his name, his time at the club has often been overshadowed by his fierce rivalry with Barcelona and Lionel Messi.
Guillem Balagué, respected football journalist and expert on the Spanish game, provides the definitive account of what has made Ronaldo the player and man that he is today.

Sports & Outdoors

Soccer

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See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Balagué, Guillem. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Balagué, Guillem

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Balagué, Guillem. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

A Season on the Brink: Rafael Benítez, Liverpool and the Path to European Glory

Messi

Messi: The must-read biography of the World Cup champion

Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography

Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning

Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning

Messi

Messi

Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography