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Pasión: A Journey to the Soul of Spanish Football
Pasión journeys into the heart and soul of Spanish football, examining the rich diversity of the country’s footballing culture and how the game unites the nation.
Follow-up to Pereira’s widely acclaimed study of Portuguese football, Bring Me That Horizon. If you loved that, you’ll love this!
Taking you on a road trip through space and time, this immersive
Will help you to understand what has made Spain the greatest continental football power so far this centuryBrings you exclusive insider views and insights on Spanish football, from World Cup-winning managers, to elite players, to renowned football writers and journalistsTakes you around dozens of cities and football grounds, presenting Spain as one of the most complex and diverse nations in EuropeTells of the love story between Real Madrid and the Champions League as well as fairy-tale triumphs involving footballing minnowsInvestigates the origins of Iniesta and the political and social struggles that left an imprint on Basque, Galician and Valencian footballExplores the cultural nature of vanguard managers such as Pep Guardiola and the social relevance of Spain’s sporting pressFrom European glory nights to the lower leagues, this compelling book celebrates the diversity of the nation’s cultural and footballing identity.
Follow-up to Pereira’s widely acclaimed study of Portuguese football, Bring Me That Horizon. If you loved that, you’ll love this!
Taking you on a road trip through space and time, this immersive
Will help you to understand what has made Spain the greatest continental football power so far this centuryBrings you exclusive insider views and insights on Spanish football, from World Cup-winning managers, to elite players, to renowned football writers and journalistsTakes you around dozens of cities and football grounds, presenting Spain as one of the most complex and diverse nations in EuropeTells of the love story between Real Madrid and the Champions League as well as fairy-tale triumphs involving footballing minnowsInvestigates the origins of Iniesta and the political and social struggles that left an imprint on Basque, Galician and Valencian footballExplores the cultural nature of vanguard managers such as Pep Guardiola and the social relevance of Spain’s sporting pressFrom European glory nights to the lower leagues, this compelling book celebrates the diversity of the nation’s cultural and footballing identity.
Kindle Edition
Published March 31, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 11, 2025
The best book I've read on Spanish football - not just a book focused on football, but a great exploration of the social, political and historical backdrop to Spanish football too.
May 29, 2025
Pasión A Journey to the Soul of Spanish Football by Miguel Lourenço Pereira
An excellent book, long in the making, covering a larger than usual range of football-related content goes much further than you would imagine.
Firstly, hats off to Miguel for undertaking this labour of love. It is something I am equally enthusiastic about. The vastness of the Spanish peninsula and all her dear quirks, idiosyncrasies and subtle regional differences make the country and its past a spinetingling mixture of delightful anecdotes, heartwarming stories and cultural awareness. Much more than a travel book, more than a book about football, Miguel successfully weaves so much history, culture, identity, arts, into the tapestry of his work. The book is alive with colour, vivid descriptions and the noise of the crowds, you can feel the passion.
Speaking with some of the experts of the country, the locals, the adopted sons of Iberia, of which I count myself (Soy Berciano), Miguel has travelled the length and breadth of the country to bring into focus the beautiful and intense emotions evoked by football fans everywhere. Unlike most, this is far from the usual Barca-Real heavy that dominates Spanish media coverage elsewhere. In this book, even my dear Ponferrada gets a mention. Recre de Huelva in the south-west to Irun on the French border, A Coruňa and Santiago de Compostela in the north-west to Albacete and Almeria in the south-east all get their turn in the spotlight.
Many of the stories are known to me, but they are described in such a fresh and intricate detail that they feel I’m discovering them for the first time. The writing is excellent, poetic at times (“stories of whispering ghosts lost in the fog of the early hours of dawn”). Culturally, it draws on poets, singers, actors and historians to add colour to the passion that exists in the modern Spain. Local ferias, the differing geography of the land from the seas and mountainous north to the arid desert and the “interior of Spain is full of places where landscapes can steal your heart” and the complexity of the religious histories all mould the country and add layers to a wonderful book, one made with love. Football brings joy and Miguel brings a mirror to that world and allows the reader to immerse oneself and enjoy.
The number of people touched by Spain’s story, from the early pioneers of the beautiful game (Pentland, Bloomer, O’Connell) to the likes of Hemingway and Orwell or the early travellers of the twentieth century such as Irving or, later, Rose Macauley, the many authors and experts on the county from the international (Tremlett, Thomas) to the local (Vilarino, Iturriaga, Pato, Salazar), supporters and press from many regions of Spain and a bibliography to rival the most well-read (Sid Lowe, Phil Ball, Graham Hunter, Jimmy Burns, Chris Lee, Colin Millar, Euan McTear etc.) and the likes of Chris (Bilbao), Matt (Malaga) and myself who have carved out a little piece of this wonderful country for ourselves are all ingredients in making Pasión a dish I’d like to eat time and again, a book I would re-read, a book I would recommend. It is not just holiday reading, it is an essential book for anyone interested in those under-represented stories, whilst retelling the stories we thought we knew.
The only negative is the simple mistakes that litter Pitch Publishing’s books, of which I’ve read many, typing errors and poor proof-reading.
If you have a passion for Spanish football, this book is for you. Further, if you have passion for all things Spanish, this book is for you. Gracias to Miguel for writing it.
An excellent book, long in the making, covering a larger than usual range of football-related content goes much further than you would imagine.
Firstly, hats off to Miguel for undertaking this labour of love. It is something I am equally enthusiastic about. The vastness of the Spanish peninsula and all her dear quirks, idiosyncrasies and subtle regional differences make the country and its past a spinetingling mixture of delightful anecdotes, heartwarming stories and cultural awareness. Much more than a travel book, more than a book about football, Miguel successfully weaves so much history, culture, identity, arts, into the tapestry of his work. The book is alive with colour, vivid descriptions and the noise of the crowds, you can feel the passion.
Speaking with some of the experts of the country, the locals, the adopted sons of Iberia, of which I count myself (Soy Berciano), Miguel has travelled the length and breadth of the country to bring into focus the beautiful and intense emotions evoked by football fans everywhere. Unlike most, this is far from the usual Barca-Real heavy that dominates Spanish media coverage elsewhere. In this book, even my dear Ponferrada gets a mention. Recre de Huelva in the south-west to Irun on the French border, A Coruňa and Santiago de Compostela in the north-west to Albacete and Almeria in the south-east all get their turn in the spotlight.
Many of the stories are known to me, but they are described in such a fresh and intricate detail that they feel I’m discovering them for the first time. The writing is excellent, poetic at times (“stories of whispering ghosts lost in the fog of the early hours of dawn”). Culturally, it draws on poets, singers, actors and historians to add colour to the passion that exists in the modern Spain. Local ferias, the differing geography of the land from the seas and mountainous north to the arid desert and the “interior of Spain is full of places where landscapes can steal your heart” and the complexity of the religious histories all mould the country and add layers to a wonderful book, one made with love. Football brings joy and Miguel brings a mirror to that world and allows the reader to immerse oneself and enjoy.
The number of people touched by Spain’s story, from the early pioneers of the beautiful game (Pentland, Bloomer, O’Connell) to the likes of Hemingway and Orwell or the early travellers of the twentieth century such as Irving or, later, Rose Macauley, the many authors and experts on the county from the international (Tremlett, Thomas) to the local (Vilarino, Iturriaga, Pato, Salazar), supporters and press from many regions of Spain and a bibliography to rival the most well-read (Sid Lowe, Phil Ball, Graham Hunter, Jimmy Burns, Chris Lee, Colin Millar, Euan McTear etc.) and the likes of Chris (Bilbao), Matt (Malaga) and myself who have carved out a little piece of this wonderful country for ourselves are all ingredients in making Pasión a dish I’d like to eat time and again, a book I would re-read, a book I would recommend. It is not just holiday reading, it is an essential book for anyone interested in those under-represented stories, whilst retelling the stories we thought we knew.
The only negative is the simple mistakes that litter Pitch Publishing’s books, of which I’ve read many, typing errors and poor proof-reading.
If you have a passion for Spanish football, this book is for you. Further, if you have passion for all things Spanish, this book is for you. Gracias to Miguel for writing it.
September 3, 2025
I bought this book because it is about a subject I am greatly interested in, Spanish football. This book was reviewed and rated by people I respect greatly. I had high expectations. Unfortunately I was very disappointed with this book. I found some of the stories themselves very interesting but the storytelling was very disjointed. This is a separate issue and may not entirely be the authors fault, but the book is littered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, including mis spelling a very well known players name on multiple occasions throughout the book. It's very glaring and it really took away from my enjoyment of the book. It is something that could have been fixed very easily. I read the book from start to finish to be as objective as possible, but I was disappointed. There are much better books on Spanish football out there by much better writers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews