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Barça: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World
Barcelona is the greatest soccer team in the world, the greatest for a generation, and possibly the greatest of all time. This is the inside story of how the team came to redefine how the game is played, told by the journalist closer to it than any other. This edition contains a new epilogue reflecting on the departure of Pep Guardiola and Spain's victory at Euro 2012. It is of huge interest to anyone who loves the way this team plays soccer, which is anyone who loves the game.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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1877 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
January 25, 2013
The first announcement of this book was greeted with much excitement and anticipation by many football fans, irrespective of their football affiliations. Pep Guardiola’s FC Barcelona had already become stuff of legend even when the book was conceived. The first English language book on the enigmatic squad that gave us breathtaking football, yet not enough was known of it away from the glare of the floodlights. The book had the makings of a great work of sports writing, coming from a man who has covered the team for various publications since before Guardiola took over as manager.
As it turns out, it is a good ‘football’ book and the author clearly knows what he is talking about. His ultimate challenge was to keep the reader interested because there is no mystery, no grand revelation waiting at the end. Everyone knows how the story unfolded. It is an excellent book for those looking to know the inside story of the phenomena that this team evolved into over manager Guardiola’s years in-charge. Hunter works through the analysis of various events that have contributed to the different aspects of this team- club history, politics, the famed cantera, the technical staff, and most importantly, the evolution of Pep Guardiola and his key players. It would be a must for Barҫa 101. And that is what the disappointment stems from. For a culé (the Catalan term for an FC Barcelona fan), it does not offer too much. There are chapters that are illuminating, especially the political aspect to which fans of the club may not be privy in the detail that Hunter, the journalist, was; the rivalry between the former and the current presidents Joan Laporta and Sandro Rosell. Hunter also dwells in detail upon the role of club legend Johan Cruyff in the evolution of the teams at the club. He tackles this issue in detail, especially Cruyff’s status among the club’s Catalan supporters. Some tactically inclined readers rue the lack of more ‘football talk’ in terms of tactics and statistics. After all Guardiola made the world sit up and take notice with his unique take on every aspect of the game. The rest of the book is more an exercise in evoking nostalgia, a giddy revisiting of the incredible highs of the last four years. It is still extremely fun just because it allows one to do that. But, as a rabid culé, yours truly just kept waiting for the book to kick start till the end....
For the full review, visit IndiaBookStore.
As it turns out, it is a good ‘football’ book and the author clearly knows what he is talking about. His ultimate challenge was to keep the reader interested because there is no mystery, no grand revelation waiting at the end. Everyone knows how the story unfolded. It is an excellent book for those looking to know the inside story of the phenomena that this team evolved into over manager Guardiola’s years in-charge. Hunter works through the analysis of various events that have contributed to the different aspects of this team- club history, politics, the famed cantera, the technical staff, and most importantly, the evolution of Pep Guardiola and his key players. It would be a must for Barҫa 101. And that is what the disappointment stems from. For a culé (the Catalan term for an FC Barcelona fan), it does not offer too much. There are chapters that are illuminating, especially the political aspect to which fans of the club may not be privy in the detail that Hunter, the journalist, was; the rivalry between the former and the current presidents Joan Laporta and Sandro Rosell. Hunter also dwells in detail upon the role of club legend Johan Cruyff in the evolution of the teams at the club. He tackles this issue in detail, especially Cruyff’s status among the club’s Catalan supporters. Some tactically inclined readers rue the lack of more ‘football talk’ in terms of tactics and statistics. After all Guardiola made the world sit up and take notice with his unique take on every aspect of the game. The rest of the book is more an exercise in evoking nostalgia, a giddy revisiting of the incredible highs of the last four years. It is still extremely fun just because it allows one to do that. But, as a rabid culé, yours truly just kept waiting for the book to kick start till the end....
For the full review, visit IndiaBookStore.
December 30, 2022
Turns out I dont really care about Barca history lol
October 31, 2024
An amazing book from a Scottish born guru of Spanish football. This book highlights and documents a tale in which the author and myself both believe is one regarding the greatest footballing side ever to play the sport. An in depth insight and look behind the dressing room door at some of Barcelona's biggest names during the 2008-12 timeframe. I would recommend this book highly to anyone who not only loves Barcelona but loves football.
December 12, 2012
There are few books about football which are both interesting and objective. This is not one of them.
Endless. It took me forever to get through the pages and there were times it felt like and endless read, especially at moments I would find annoying. Which was happening most of the time. It was annoying to the point I felt like tearing it apart. Why?
Biased. From the very first page we get to see FC Barcelona through the fan's point of view. Which is okay if you are one of cules. Which is not okay if you write the book as a journalist who shall stay objective. This way we get to read about players who didn't appear from the mommas wombs, you might assume they were sent from heaven. They are god particles with bright future and you might easily forget they are also human beings. Wow, we actually get to live their lives AND know their thoughts on matters from the past ie. childhood and emotions after each action. Let's not forget about the poor guy Frank Rijkaard,the great director Joan Laporta AND The Enemy Jose Mourinho. The last one is mentioned nearly as many times as The God Itself, Leo Messi. The paeans to the players and the infinite invectives towards Mourinho might actually be laughable, unfortunately they sound pathetic instead.
Repetitive. If I got a penny every single time I read about CL finals vs. United OR about choosing Guardiola to be the new coach OR the friendships between the players... I would have a hella lot of pennies. Of course there is a bitter part in me cringing every time the United matches are mentioned, but I am able to notice a good football being played when I watch one. Reading about it over and over again makes me yawn. Makes it look like Mr Graham doesn't have much to write about so he chose to write about same things over again until the conctracted word count is on black and white. It makes the book boring.
Well, that's it. I tried to keep this without a rant but seriously, it's a good read only if you follow Barca, otherwise the book will make you either pissed off or frustrated.
Endless. It took me forever to get through the pages and there were times it felt like and endless read, especially at moments I would find annoying. Which was happening most of the time. It was annoying to the point I felt like tearing it apart. Why?
Biased. From the very first page we get to see FC Barcelona through the fan's point of view. Which is okay if you are one of cules. Which is not okay if you write the book as a journalist who shall stay objective. This way we get to read about players who didn't appear from the mommas wombs, you might assume they were sent from heaven. They are god particles with bright future and you might easily forget they are also human beings. Wow, we actually get to live their lives AND know their thoughts on matters from the past ie. childhood and emotions after each action. Let's not forget about the poor guy Frank Rijkaard,the great director Joan Laporta AND The Enemy Jose Mourinho. The last one is mentioned nearly as many times as The God Itself, Leo Messi. The paeans to the players and the infinite invectives towards Mourinho might actually be laughable, unfortunately they sound pathetic instead.
Repetitive. If I got a penny every single time I read about CL finals vs. United OR about choosing Guardiola to be the new coach OR the friendships between the players... I would have a hella lot of pennies. Of course there is a bitter part in me cringing every time the United matches are mentioned, but I am able to notice a good football being played when I watch one. Reading about it over and over again makes me yawn. Makes it look like Mr Graham doesn't have much to write about so he chose to write about same things over again until the conctracted word count is on black and white. It makes the book boring.
Well, that's it. I tried to keep this without a rant but seriously, it's a good read only if you follow Barca, otherwise the book will make you either pissed off or frustrated.
September 21, 2012
This book is written by a pro barcelona fan- almost a slave in sense. I have followed alomost every single of his espn articles and tweets. and guess what? This book does not contain any single thing about football other than Graham''s usual boast of barcelona like he always does. Nothing new in this book , total waste of money. a team which was just winning titles for 3 years and has already been toppled by madrid. This book only contains the usual view of a barcelona fan not really anything about football. even the title is clearly clownish- the greatest team? yeah? the greatest team which ended up 2nd in a league with 92 points- never happened ever anywhere in the world! how is this team even great, let go greatest.
If you follow grahams tweets and articles, you can clearly see this fool's class as a journalist- total disgrace.
If you follow grahams tweets and articles, you can clearly see this fool's class as a journalist- total disgrace.
August 20, 2021
what a wonderful book...the only thing is that it is written by a Barca supporter so it sometimes becomes one sided...but its a superb book neverthe less....and gives a lot of insight into the current set of players...and specially pep...one of the best coaches and football thinker ever....
Visca el Barca
Visca el Barca
May 7, 2012
I read this book throughout our trip to Spain and France. The writing is okay, but the content is great. Fascinating to learn about the history of the club and the modern evolution of one of the greatest team's of all time. Really enjoyed and would highly recommend for any sports fan.
November 12, 2012
Total waste of time. Once I saw the name Graham Hunter, i knew what that book would be. Please do read his articles on ESPN, totally and utterly biased journalist he is. The only think in this book is : I lick barcelona from hunters point of his yellow unbrushed teeth view.
September 21, 2012
nothing about football! full of barcelona fan in graham's idiocy and his usualy clownishness like in his articles
March 15, 2017
To talk about Barça's trophy-laden seasons from 2008, Graham Hunter, a journalist who has reported on Spanish football for more than a decade, writes a bit about what happened before the spellbinding years. He attempts to dive deep into Pep Guardiola's tenure at Barça's helm, articulate how dominant Barcelona was and how the manager got them to play that way. Hunter segues past with the (then) present and talks about the 80s and 90s; he invokes Johan Cruyff, Louis Van Gaal, Guardiola-the-player, Ronaldinho; he also weaves an informative portrait around the intricate politics behind the Catalan club. While doing so, he dedicates meaty chapters to important players during that 2008 to 2012 period: Lionel Messi, Xavi, Gerard Piqué, Carles Puyol (they have a chapter together), Víctor Valdés, Andrés Iniesta as also short passages on other influential players like Pedro, Sergio Busquets, Dani Alves and Eric Abidal.
I learnt a lot about Cruyff's influence on Barça's system and also on Barça's stature in the global football sphere. I learnt a lot about the man who influenced the club to believe in its youngsters, its canteras. That it was him who decided that every age group in Barcelona's youth system would play the same formation as the first team, speaks volumes of the effect his managerial stint at the club had, has on the club's fortunes even in present times. I have always had a huge respect for the legendary Cruyff and this book helped build that respect further.
I always been in awe of football clubs that have a solid youth system- Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, to name a few. My firm belief is that in order for a team to play consistently well at the top level, it must have a solid foundation; it must have immense belief in its young guns.
Barça was the world's best, most successful club between the years 2008 and 2012, winning 14 trophies along the way, beating the top sides from the other European league in consistent and convincing fashion. The team played with at a breakneck speed, always on the move, always playing one-touch or two-touch (sometimes even half-touch) passes. The side was impossible to defend against on so many occasions and produced many a divine performance during that time. The 'tiki-taka' style introduced by Guardiola continues to influence many teams and many managers.
Hunter also talks a lot about José Mourinho and his rather abrasive managerial style at Barcelona's arch rivals, Real Madrid. Hunter also talks about Madrid's famed Galácticos project. He writes in brief about how in 2000, the new club president Florentino Pérez fashions Madrid's policy of buying the world's best players to assemble the best possible attacking team began. He also writes about how the project has in essence been a farce and that Madrid have repeatedly failed to deliver the goods on the highest of stages, despite having seemingly the crème de la crème on payroll.
This book was published in 2012 and emphasies often on Barcelona's 'Més que un club' ideal (translation: 'More than a club'). Over the years though, Barcelona has risen to be as commercial as Madrid and in the recent past, have even been more commercial than Madrid. After Sandro Rosell became the club president, the club has increasingly become more a brand than a football club. I read, only yesterday, an important piece by Jonathan Liew, called 'The "Madrification" of Barcelona: How Barca went from 'Més que un club' to just another global superbrand'. He paints a rather vivid picture and raises questions that, a few years back, would have been unheard of in the vicinity of the Catalan club- "Does Barcelona make money to exist? Or does it now exist to make money?"
Overall, this has been a long, informative but ultimately disappointing read. I admit that Hunter had a lot to cover. In the 450 or so pages of text, I am sure he feels even to this day that he could have said more. I am sure he feels that he could have penned down more pages. But his eagerness to write about a lot of things but his emotions as a fan that simply cannot avoid poring over the pages, make the book a rather incomplete mesh of unfulfilled pieces. I expected a lot from this book, because of my belief in Hunter's wit and his way with words and also because of my personal awe of and respect for the Barça side of Guardiola's. Too many portions seemed hurried. I found a few passages to be repetitive- they served no emphatic purpose and ended up being unnecessary flab to already burgeoning text.
I spent a lot of time reading this book. I took multiple detours, finding articles on the internet to supplement Hunter's reportage. As I read through the final few pages, I could not help but feel a sense of bitterness- a forlorn sense of being, imagining what this book could have been.
This book was about a tantalizing, mesmerising subject. Written by an excellent writer, it promised so much. It is regrettable that it failed to deliver.
PS: The chapter on Busquets was too short to pay event a token testament to his influence in the side. It's alarmingly short. Barely three pages. This, in a book about Barca, written by a journalist who is a self-confessed Barca fan and whose narrative oozes every bit of his fanboy awe. I expected more about Busquets.
Busquets remains understated, even in books. I am adding this quip about Busquets at the end of this review, to further supplement the irony.
I learnt a lot about Cruyff's influence on Barça's system and also on Barça's stature in the global football sphere. I learnt a lot about the man who influenced the club to believe in its youngsters, its canteras. That it was him who decided that every age group in Barcelona's youth system would play the same formation as the first team, speaks volumes of the effect his managerial stint at the club had, has on the club's fortunes even in present times. I have always had a huge respect for the legendary Cruyff and this book helped build that respect further.
I always been in awe of football clubs that have a solid youth system- Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Arsenal, to name a few. My firm belief is that in order for a team to play consistently well at the top level, it must have a solid foundation; it must have immense belief in its young guns.
Barça was the world's best, most successful club between the years 2008 and 2012, winning 14 trophies along the way, beating the top sides from the other European league in consistent and convincing fashion. The team played with at a breakneck speed, always on the move, always playing one-touch or two-touch (sometimes even half-touch) passes. The side was impossible to defend against on so many occasions and produced many a divine performance during that time. The 'tiki-taka' style introduced by Guardiola continues to influence many teams and many managers.
Hunter also talks a lot about José Mourinho and his rather abrasive managerial style at Barcelona's arch rivals, Real Madrid. Hunter also talks about Madrid's famed Galácticos project. He writes in brief about how in 2000, the new club president Florentino Pérez fashions Madrid's policy of buying the world's best players to assemble the best possible attacking team began. He also writes about how the project has in essence been a farce and that Madrid have repeatedly failed to deliver the goods on the highest of stages, despite having seemingly the crème de la crème on payroll.
This book was published in 2012 and emphasies often on Barcelona's 'Més que un club' ideal (translation: 'More than a club'). Over the years though, Barcelona has risen to be as commercial as Madrid and in the recent past, have even been more commercial than Madrid. After Sandro Rosell became the club president, the club has increasingly become more a brand than a football club. I read, only yesterday, an important piece by Jonathan Liew, called 'The "Madrification" of Barcelona: How Barca went from 'Més que un club' to just another global superbrand'. He paints a rather vivid picture and raises questions that, a few years back, would have been unheard of in the vicinity of the Catalan club- "Does Barcelona make money to exist? Or does it now exist to make money?"
Overall, this has been a long, informative but ultimately disappointing read. I admit that Hunter had a lot to cover. In the 450 or so pages of text, I am sure he feels even to this day that he could have said more. I am sure he feels that he could have penned down more pages. But his eagerness to write about a lot of things but his emotions as a fan that simply cannot avoid poring over the pages, make the book a rather incomplete mesh of unfulfilled pieces. I expected a lot from this book, because of my belief in Hunter's wit and his way with words and also because of my personal awe of and respect for the Barça side of Guardiola's. Too many portions seemed hurried. I found a few passages to be repetitive- they served no emphatic purpose and ended up being unnecessary flab to already burgeoning text.
I spent a lot of time reading this book. I took multiple detours, finding articles on the internet to supplement Hunter's reportage. As I read through the final few pages, I could not help but feel a sense of bitterness- a forlorn sense of being, imagining what this book could have been.
This book was about a tantalizing, mesmerising subject. Written by an excellent writer, it promised so much. It is regrettable that it failed to deliver.
PS: The chapter on Busquets was too short to pay event a token testament to his influence in the side. It's alarmingly short. Barely three pages. This, in a book about Barca, written by a journalist who is a self-confessed Barca fan and whose narrative oozes every bit of his fanboy awe. I expected more about Busquets.
Busquets remains understated, even in books. I am adding this quip about Busquets at the end of this review, to further supplement the irony.
September 1, 2018
Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side were the refreshing antidote to modern football, proving that you don't need a team of expensively assembled machines from all corners of the globe to conquer Europe.
That Guardiola managed to craft such a dominant team while refusing to abandon his principles of beautiful, attacking football was remarkable enough. That he managed to do it with a core of players from the club's academy made it even more impressive.
This excellent book examines how he did and how the club's board also deserve credit for taking a gamble on a novice coach when the safer bet would have been appointing a serial winner such as Jose Mourinho. Had they erred on the side of caution, football history would have changed for the worse and Barcelona wouldn't have earned an army of admirers.
Few journalists know Barcelona better than Graham Hunter and that shines through with the insights and access he has into the protagonists behind the building of Guardiola's empire. Chapters focus on the key players, Guardiola himself and some unsung heroes behind the scenes.
There's a bit of overlap because of this approach but it's only a minor irritation and Hunter tells his story superbly.
Having followed Barcelona's rise with interest, although I'm an Athletic Bilbao fan, I already had a fair bit of knowledge about Guardiola and his team. But this book was filled with insights that were new to me and expanded my knowledge of the finest team I have ever seen in the flesh.
Essential reading for any football fan.
That Guardiola managed to craft such a dominant team while refusing to abandon his principles of beautiful, attacking football was remarkable enough. That he managed to do it with a core of players from the club's academy made it even more impressive.
This excellent book examines how he did and how the club's board also deserve credit for taking a gamble on a novice coach when the safer bet would have been appointing a serial winner such as Jose Mourinho. Had they erred on the side of caution, football history would have changed for the worse and Barcelona wouldn't have earned an army of admirers.
Few journalists know Barcelona better than Graham Hunter and that shines through with the insights and access he has into the protagonists behind the building of Guardiola's empire. Chapters focus on the key players, Guardiola himself and some unsung heroes behind the scenes.
There's a bit of overlap because of this approach but it's only a minor irritation and Hunter tells his story superbly.
Having followed Barcelona's rise with interest, although I'm an Athletic Bilbao fan, I already had a fair bit of knowledge about Guardiola and his team. But this book was filled with insights that were new to me and expanded my knowledge of the finest team I have ever seen in the flesh.
Essential reading for any football fan.
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June 9, 2023Когда читаешь о правлении Гвардиолы, хочется вернуться назад во времени. Не хватает той дисциплины, той самоотдачи. Последнее время кажется, что руководство клуба подписывает не лучших игроков мира, а выделяющийся "середняк", а потом 2-3 года не знает, куда его деть. И полностью забивает на Ла Масию. Печально. Мы отдаем и продаем людей, которые могут изменить ход сезона только потому, что нам нужен результат только "здесь и сейчас". В итоге мы не получаем вообще никакого результата. При Кройфе и Пепе такого не было. И с "золотыми детьми" никто не нянчился: не нравится – уходи. Прости Вальвареде, но сейчас бы эти двое разрешили драму одним заявлением, и все бы вздохнули с облегчением. Да, футбол меняется, да интенсивность игры и развития увеличиваются, но что-то остается неизменным, и это – границы дозволенного.
О самом издании: оно ужасно. Мало того, что в книге огромное количество опечаток, так ещё никто не удосужился просклонять названия команд и фамилии, которые нужно склоять, но почему-то попытались это сделать там, где нельзя. В общем, "браво" за испорченный работу.
О самом издании: оно ужасно. Мало того, что в книге огромное количество опечаток, так ещё никто не удосужился просклонять названия команд и фамилии, которые нужно склоять, но почему-то попытались это сделать там, где нельзя. В общем, "браво" за испорченный работу.
October 9, 2023
This book was an excellent insight into the Barcelona team of 2009-11, and it shows Pep Guardiola's impact on the club and the fanbase as a community. The author, Graham Hunter, gives a sense of the discipline, respect, and motivation that the team had. It was an interesting perspective to view because of the author's close relationship to the squad. For example, the author's family lived on the same floor as Thiago Alcântara. I enjoyed the way that the entire season was described with context from the player's personal lives and the dressing room. The moment when Puyol let Eric Abidal lift the Champions League trophy after his recovery from cancer was heartwarming, and it showed yet another example of what a great captain Puyol is and his bond with his teammates. The book shows the rise of Messi, the greatest player of all time, and his struggles when relocating to Barcelona to join the La Masia, the prestigious football academy. I recommend this book to any Barca or football fan.
May 16, 2021
Aastatel 2008-2012 muutis FC Barcelona jalgpallivõistkond (ja paralleelselt samale selgroole miinus Messi ehitatud Hispaania koondis) töölisklassi meelismeelelahutuse maagiliseks kunstivormiks. Spordiajakirjanik Graham Hunteri tosinate asjaosaliste intervjuudele toetuv raamat räägib nende nelja erakordse hooaja, aga ka laiemalt ühe maailma tuntuima klubi loo. 12 peatükki keskenduvad igaüks erinevale mängijale, treenerile või aspektile klubi juures. Kuigi tegemist on selgelt fännilt fännidele kirjutatud materjaliga, jagub kohta ka kriitikale ning reflektsioonile. Mis ehk kõigi aegade parima võistkonna dokumenteerimisest olulisemgi - Hunter lubab aimata, kuivõrd palju detaile inimlikest otsustest, isikust vimmast või truudusest juhuse ja õnneni mõjutab ühe klubi saatust. 4/5
September 4, 2025
This was a very good telling of one of the greatest teams the football world has seen, the 2008-2012 Barcelona squad. The author mainly revolved the story around Messi, which is fair and deserved. I liked how he detailed the club prior to the 2008 period, discussing Rijkaard as coach and how that imploded along with Ronaldinho's fall as Messi was ascending. There was also coverage post 2012, which was well done.
Overall this is a great read (listen in this case) if you are a Football fan and especially if you were following during that magical 2008-2012 period. Just over 4 stars for the story and Audible performance.
Overall this is a great read (listen in this case) if you are a Football fan and especially if you were following during that magical 2008-2012 period. Just over 4 stars for the story and Audible performance.
October 3, 2021
I listened to the audiobook version while driving through outback Australia with my family. I found the book to be very well narrated. I enjoyed this immensely as an in depth look into one of the most successful periods for any football club / team in modern history. The insights into Pep's management style, the player's views, were all very enlightening. It is rare to find a journalist with this degree of access to elite level players. I noted recently there was also a short documentary made about this book, which is also very much worth watching for any football, certainly Barca, fan.
December 6, 2024
Nhiều câu chuyện hậu trường được tác giả thuật lại khá hấp dẫn; đặc biệt là vụ một số lãnh đạo Barca từng gặp gỡ HLV Jose Mourinho trước khi sa thải Frank Rijkaard. Phần này chi tiết hơn một số bài báo mình từng đọc, thú vị phết.
Cơ mà, đúng là viết về thời hiện tại của Barcelona (chỉ 10-15 năm từ mùa xuân 2012 trở về trước) nên nhiều đánh giá của tác giả có vẻ hơi... nông. Giờ nhìn lại thì thấy vài nhận xét khá chủ quan, khi chưa đủ dữ liệu đẻ nhìn lại ở thời điểm mình đọc sách (2024). Dù sao vẫn là cuốn sách đọc được trong các cuốn viết về bóng đá khá "mỳ ăn liền" giai đoạn này.
Cơ mà, đúng là viết về thời hiện tại của Barcelona (chỉ 10-15 năm từ mùa xuân 2012 trở về trước) nên nhiều đánh giá của tác giả có vẻ hơi... nông. Giờ nhìn lại thì thấy vài nhận xét khá chủ quan, khi chưa đủ dữ liệu đẻ nhìn lại ở thời điểm mình đọc sách (2024). Dù sao vẫn là cuốn sách đọc được trong các cuốn viết về bóng đá khá "mỳ ăn liền" giai đoạn này.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2020
Kniha je dynamická, no dá sa v nej aj dobre stratiť, chýba nejaká chronologická niť, podľa ktorej by sa dalo orientovať. Niektoré veci sa dokonca opakujú vo viacerých kapitolách, takže kniha občas vyvoláva dojem, že to autora ku koncu písania prestalo baviť a už sa mu nechcelo pozrieť sa na to všetko s odstupom, či to vôbec dáva logiku. No keďže takýchto kníh veľa nie je, odpúšťam mu to.
Celá recenzia: http://www.monicqa.sk/knihy/stvorenie...
Celá recenzia: http://www.monicqa.sk/knihy/stvorenie...
February 7, 2021
One of the best football books I’ve read. Not so much just a biography of Pep’s Barca but more a potted history of Catalonia post-Franco, individual player history, some great match and tactical analysis. Incredible detail and research from the author, written with a critical eye on the last 50 years of Barca.
The edition I read was updated to include Pep’s departure in 2012, I’d love to read a more up to date version including Tito’s reign.
The edition I read was updated to include Pep’s departure in 2012, I’d love to read a more up to date version including Tito’s reign.
January 22, 2019
An excellent history and insights into understanding how FC Barcelona developed into the world powerhouse it is today. The main focus is on the Pep Guardiola years, but it delves into much more of who the people are that have played vital roles in shaping the club. It also discusses the impact of Johan Cruyff on the pubs DNA and how the youth system has played a vital role.
May 30, 2020
Great read about the best team of my era (maybe ever?)
Really enjoyed the stories going back to the beginning and how La Masia and finding the🐐 led to unprecedented success over several years. Also plenty of games mentioned to find clips of on YouTube to relive them (Ronaldinho and the ovation at the Bernabeu and the 2 Wembley Champions League finals among them)
Really enjoyed the stories going back to the beginning and how La Masia and finding the🐐 led to unprecedented success over several years. Also plenty of games mentioned to find clips of on YouTube to relive them (Ronaldinho and the ovation at the Bernabeu and the 2 Wembley Champions League finals among them)
January 14, 2020
Um retrato fiel da época dourada do FC BARCELONA, incrível como uma filosofia e valores e princípios pessoais são respeitados na condução do clube, uma análise completa também dos personagens que fizeram história.
Fascinante
Fascinante
April 9, 2020
A great read for Barca fans, written by a Barca fan. Madrid fans won't enjoy at all. As a pro Barca but a far away from being an ultra, a good read but the story is until 2012 and totally unaware of the context of next 8 years.
June 7, 2022
This was a really nice set of stories about football (soccer), a topic I rarely read about but watch often. I'm not a die-hard "socio," so some of the player or personnel specific anecdotes weren't that gripping to me. Would highly recommend to anyone who more closely follows Barcelona or La Liga.
October 12, 2022
Really enjoyed this insight to Pep's great Barcelona team. I loved watching them and I loved reading about them. Hunter's access to the team was unrivalled and the back stories and journeys the players had been on to find themselves in the side added further colour to an already interesting story.
April 29, 2018
Very enjoyable read
June 7, 2018
An absolute must-read for an FC Barcelona fan, or those who loved watching Guardiola's Barca in action. Loved every bit of it!
January 6, 2019
If you'd enjoy a thousand and one hyperbolic descriptions of Iniestas goal to win the 2010 World Cup then this book is for you.
May 5, 2020
Our man in Barcelona talks to everyone about the rise of Pep Guardiola's team: Messi, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Pique and Victor Valdes all came from the Academy to win top trophies. We will never see their like again.
October 2, 2020
Graham Hunter presenciou de perto, como jornalista, a época de ouro do Barcelona de Guardiola. Para os torcedores e para quem gosta de futebol é uma boa leitura.
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