Haaland: Het ongelooflijke verhaal van de beste spits ter wereld

by Lars Sivertsen

In deze spannende biografie volgt Lars Sivertsen Haalands razendsnelle opmars naar het sterrendom. De reis van Erling, geboren als zoon van voormalig Manchester Cityspeler Alf-Inge Haaland, begon in 2016 bij zijn thuisclub Bryne FK. Op zijn achttiende klom hij op tot topscorer van Molde FK. Zijn overstap naar de Oostenrijkse reuzen van Red Bull Salzburg in 2019 betekende het begin van zijn Europese avontuur. Hij was de eerste tiener in de geschiedenis die in vijf opeenvolgende Champions League-wedstrijden scoorde. Na de transfer naar Borussia Dortmund toonde hij zijn opmerkelijke vermogen om te scoren: in 89 wedstrijden scoorde hij 86 keer. In 2022 tekende hij voor Manchester City en in zijn eerste seizoen in de Premier League verbrijzelde Haaland het scorerecord met maar liefst 36 doelpunten in één seizoen. Daarna bereikte hij zijn ultieme droom: in zijn eerste jaar bij de club won hij de ‘treble’ (de Premier League, FA Cup en UEFA Champions League). Deze prestatie bevestigt zijn status als een van de uitzonderlijkste talenten in de voetbalgeschiedenis, het hoogtepunt van het buitengewone verhaal van de jongen uit Bryne die de voetbalwereld heeft veroverd.

Genres: Nonfiction, Football, Biography, Sports

336 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2024

Reviews

[Shyla Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

fangirl 101 - go all in 🙂‍↔️

[Liisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching Erling Haaland throughout the World Cup, I wanted to know more about the person behind the goals.

Yes, he's one of the world's best strikers, but what impressed me just as much during the tournament was his sportsmanship, humility, and calm confidence. That made Haaland by Lars Sivertsen the perfect next read.

What I loved most was discovering the mindset behind his success. From a young age, Haaland was obsessed with improving every aspect of his game - not just his finishing, but his mental approach too. His use of meditation and his philosophy of staying present allow him to play with freedom rather than overthinking, something that's been evident throughout his career. It was fascinating to read how those close to him describe a player who appears carefree on the pitch, when in reality he's completely committed to perfecting his craft.

The book also goes beyond football. Learning about Bryne, Norwegian culture, his family, and the journey through Molde, Salzburg and Dortmund before reaching Manchester City gave me a much deeper appreciation of how he became the player he is today. Sivertsen's connection to the same region adds an authenticity that makes the story even more engaging.

I was sceptical about reading a biography of someone whose career is still unfolding, but this felt surprisingly complete. As football fans, it's easy to judge players on ninety minutes each week. Books like this remind us of the years of dedication, sacrifice and resilience behind what we see on the pitch, helping us better understand the person behind the performance.

A thoughtful, engaging biography that offers far more than a list of goals and trophies.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting a lot less, given how you've Haaland still is, but was presently surprised. Reading about how a career was shaped from a young age and some insights into Norwegian culture made for a pleasant read from one of the more entertaining journalists on Football Weekly. I'd like to see more insights about many players that allow us to better understand the person and what shapes them, as fans of football, books like this can help create empathy when we are screaming at the TV for "poor" performances. Only critique was the last few chapters tailed off as it was more about Man City than Haaland, as a Chelsea fan, I don't need to read more about them.

[Martin Tielemans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goed boek over de voetballer en de mens Haaland. Het boek is interessant tot en met zijn laatste seizoen bij Dortmund. Met name de achtergrondinformatie over zijn opvoeding en zijn opkomst als voetballer geeft je een goede inkijk over zijn persoonlijkheid. Daarna is het boek een samenvatting van zijn successen bij Manchester City.

[Anna-Lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich fands sehr gut geschrieben. Es war interessant und mit vielen Fakten drun herum erzählt. Man bekommt durch diverse Zitate einen guten Eindruck von Erlings Persönlichkeit und wie er als Mensch neben dem Platz so tickt. Manchmal war es mir zu sehr mit Details ausgeschmückt und daher haben sich die Kapitel manchmal ein bisschen gezogen.

[Matt Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of football books, but rarely biographies. I always enjoy Lars on Football Weekly, so thought I'd give this a go. It was a great read and explores many of the social contexts that makes Erling Haaland the player (and I suppose person) he is. Very enjoyable read.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may or may not have shed some tears. If you know me then you know Erling Haaland is my favourite footballer, so yeah, it was a wonderful read.

[Erik · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing, most of the book contains interviews and match reports from other sources

[McKenna V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Was real, factual, and gave a deeper look into the growing up and personality of the great Erling Haaland.

[Bruno Rudnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

1a

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not only is this a review for Haaland, but also for the first audio book I've listened to.

I'm a big fan of Guardian Football Weekly, listening since the WC 2018. I've really enjoyed Lars on there and he brings a great perspective. I've heard him talk about this book recently, and decided that I'd give Audio Books a shot. It took me a little bit to get through, but I really enjoyed the experience. This level of book was great for listening, and I especially enjoyed that it was read by Lars himself. The chapter lengths were really perfect for dipping in and out too.

As for the book itself, it was really good, I learnt a lot about the region in Norway Erling Haaland is from, what the people are like and his family from before he was born. I learnt about the incredible journey he took to winning the treble with Manchester City, and many different facets of his life and how he became the unbelievable striker he is today. I often find it interesting when people (or even the footballers themself) write books about footballers still currently playing, but this felt complete.

[Sophie Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing love it