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Soccer Men: Profiles of the Rogues, Geniuses, and Neurotics Who Dominate the World's Most Popular Sport
In his national bestseller, Soccernomics, Simon Kuper pioneered a new way of looking at soccer, the world's most popular game, through his witty and meticulous use of data. In Soccer Men, Kuper explores the heart and soul of the sport by getting up close and personal with soccer's greatest players and coaches. An inquiry into the genius and hubris of the modern game, Soccer Men details the lives of international stars such as Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, Josep Guardiola, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, and David Beckham, describing their upbringings, the soccer cultures they grew up in, the way they play or coach, and the baggage they bring to their relationships at work.
In this updated edition, Kuper profiles Hope Solo, Raymond Domenech, Andrea Agnelli, Robin van Persie, Carlo Ancelotti, and more. He also provides a brilliant comparison of two tales of immigrant life: Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint and the autobiography of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In this updated edition, Kuper profiles Hope Solo, Raymond Domenech, Andrea Agnelli, Robin van Persie, Carlo Ancelotti, and more. He also provides a brilliant comparison of two tales of immigrant life: Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint and the autobiography of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
318 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
April 5, 2012
Simon Kuper, the author of "Soccer Against the Enemy," "Ajax, The Dutch, The War," and "Soccernomics," has written a new book called "Soccer Men." Though I liked his other books very much, this one left me feeling a bit disappointed. The writing is well done, and he wrote on many of my favorite athletes, and coaches, but I felt that he left out many players who I thought were worth mentioning. I also felt the profiles were too short and simplistic, he should have done more research and fleshed out his ideas more, instead of just republishing his old articles from the past. Also, much of what he has written about different players I already know, because I've read about them from other articles and interviews and I felt he was just reinterating what I already knew. What's the point of that? I would like to be exposed to new ideas and views that I may not have come across before. I'm just simply not interested in the repackaging of old articles.
January 31, 2016
Some interesting insights into the men who have or recently have attracted a vast amount of attention from soccer lovers. It's interesting too to see how a few of Kuper's predictions - so often rather arrogantly stated - have already failed, even in the short time since this book was published.
Or perhaps I only enjoy that because I'm irritated by his casually inserted sexism - something he himself may not even be aware of, as it's so prevalent in these soccer men, but it's annoying nonetheless.
Or perhaps I only enjoy that because I'm irritated by his casually inserted sexism - something he himself may not even be aware of, as it's so prevalent in these soccer men, but it's annoying nonetheless.
November 24, 2018
An entertaining and sometimes witty and insightful book - short profiles of a large number of influential players, coaches and other football men, gathered over the course of Kuper's career as a journalist - but ultimately flawed by the nature of the beast. I was left frustrated at the shortness and lack of depth in some of the chapters, originally written as short articles that they were. I do of course acknowledge this, but couldn't escape the feeling I would have enjoyed a book with half as many subjects (esp. discarding the number of whom about which the author could add little new insight) in twice as much detail. Still, the author definitely knows his stuff, manages to wrest an entertaining and readable book from what must be a career listening to clichés being spouted, and did in several places enlighten and amuse me.
May 20, 2014
It took me a little while to warm to the format of this book, a series of short 'vignettes' collected from Simon Kuper's interviews & profiles for Hard Gras magazine & broadsheet newspapers - the FT, Observer & Times - plus a few pieces especially written, between 1997 & 2010. Chiefly focussing on footballers themselves, the pick of which is probably the lovingly pained account of the writer unwittingly upsetting his cantankerous hero Johan Cruijff, but also insightful & revealing portraits of Davids, Gullit, Rivaldo, Matthaus, Litmanen, Ballack, Roberto Carlos, Bergkamp, Romario, Seedorf, Zidane, Maldini, Gattuso, Ibrahimovic, Torres, Anelka, Drogba, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Cantona, Ribery & Beckham amongst an array of others.
There is a fascinating early piece about Bert Trautmann & the fan Helmut Klopfleisch, separated for 28 years from his beloved Hertha Berlin, who subsequently became the unofficial mascot of the German national team, following them around the world ("For a while Klopfleisch spent Saturday afternoons huddled beside the Wall with other Eastern Hertha fans, listening to the sounds coming from the stadium a few hundred yards away in the West. The border guards soon put a stop to that.")
Also included is a masterful dissection of the ghosted autobiographies of Carragher, Ashley Cole, Gerrard, Lampard & Rooney - not entirely the hatchet job you might imagine.
But in two other smaller sections, he paints an interesting picture of first a selection of football coaches/managers - even Hoddle comes across well despite 'that' infamous quote, with his plans for the Academy in Montecastillo that has produced Ikechi Anya for one, (until he lazily lumps together "your Wimbledons and your Watfords" as successful in the 80s because then "you had rules where you could kick people, you could pull their shirts back") - & the third part titled "Some other football men" features the late Pompey fan Anthony Minghella, Franz Beckenbauer (footballer, football manager & football politician) and modern stadium architect Jacques Herzog, including a compelling comparison with a predecessor from another era, Archibald Leitch.
For me, it's not quite up there with his seminal 'Football Against The Enemy' but with his rare international perspective, by the conclusion of this volume Kuper's cited inspiration of Arthur Hopcraft's 1968 publication 'The Football Man' - has been more than adequately justified by this modern equivalent.
There is a fascinating early piece about Bert Trautmann & the fan Helmut Klopfleisch, separated for 28 years from his beloved Hertha Berlin, who subsequently became the unofficial mascot of the German national team, following them around the world ("For a while Klopfleisch spent Saturday afternoons huddled beside the Wall with other Eastern Hertha fans, listening to the sounds coming from the stadium a few hundred yards away in the West. The border guards soon put a stop to that.")
Also included is a masterful dissection of the ghosted autobiographies of Carragher, Ashley Cole, Gerrard, Lampard & Rooney - not entirely the hatchet job you might imagine.
But in two other smaller sections, he paints an interesting picture of first a selection of football coaches/managers - even Hoddle comes across well despite 'that' infamous quote, with his plans for the Academy in Montecastillo that has produced Ikechi Anya for one, (until he lazily lumps together "your Wimbledons and your Watfords" as successful in the 80s because then "you had rules where you could kick people, you could pull their shirts back") - & the third part titled "Some other football men" features the late Pompey fan Anthony Minghella, Franz Beckenbauer (footballer, football manager & football politician) and modern stadium architect Jacques Herzog, including a compelling comparison with a predecessor from another era, Archibald Leitch.
For me, it's not quite up there with his seminal 'Football Against The Enemy' but with his rare international perspective, by the conclusion of this volume Kuper's cited inspiration of Arthur Hopcraft's 1968 publication 'The Football Man' - has been more than adequately justified by this modern equivalent.
Currently reading
April 30, 2017During the month of April in the book Soccer Men, I read about Steven Gerrard. Steven Gerrard is probably on of England's best players of all time. He was born in Whiston England which is very close to England. He's loved Liverpool since he was a young boy. Gerrard entered Liverpool's youth academy at age 13. After making his way up from the academy he made his official debut for Englands national team at the age of 18. He also is apart of one of the world's best champions leagues finals ever. He scored a penalty in Liverpool's amazing comeback from 3-0 down in a champions league final. Gerrard has spent most of his years at Liverpool and is maybe even known as Liverpool's best player ever. Steven Gerrard will forever be known as a soccer legend.
August 16, 2012
This was a good book to read to pick up some facts about a selection of players and managers. It definitely filled in quite a few knowledge gaps for me. I had to have a break from reading it for a few days as it got repetitive reading profile after profile. However, that is the point of the book! I really enjoy Kuper's writing and find him the easiest and most entertaining football writer to read. He's also the most grounded football writer I have come across who keeps to very realistic opinions of the men he is writing about. I also felt really sorry for him with his encounter with his childhood footballing hero - it was really sad!
If you have yet to read one of his books I recommend going for Soccernomics first (it's the updated version of Why England Lose) and going for this as a follow-up text.
If you have yet to read one of his books I recommend going for Soccernomics first (it's the updated version of Why England Lose) and going for this as a follow-up text.
August 9, 2019
The most engaging thing about this book is its title.
i did learn, however, that the highly improbable Lionel Messi had what sounds like at least a partial growth hormone deficiency and was 4'6" at 13. Neither the local team he played for in Argentina (nicknamed 'the Lepers') nor his very poor family had the means to pay for the treatment. Finally, Barca - who recognized his ability after he scored 5 goals during their test match - flew him and his parents (first flight) to Barcelona where, with daily injections, he reached his current impressive 5'6" - and was big enough to play.
The book confirmed that Rooney is the TV watching peabrain he appears to be. Oh, and that Franz Beckenbauer is a corporate (fascist) tool who goes through blondes like the rest of us plebes do toilet paper.
Now you don't have to read this book; the rest is dry as jerky.
i did learn, however, that the highly improbable Lionel Messi had what sounds like at least a partial growth hormone deficiency and was 4'6" at 13. Neither the local team he played for in Argentina (nicknamed 'the Lepers') nor his very poor family had the means to pay for the treatment. Finally, Barca - who recognized his ability after he scored 5 goals during their test match - flew him and his parents (first flight) to Barcelona where, with daily injections, he reached his current impressive 5'6" - and was big enough to play.
The book confirmed that Rooney is the TV watching peabrain he appears to be. Oh, and that Franz Beckenbauer is a corporate (fascist) tool who goes through blondes like the rest of us plebes do toilet paper.
Now you don't have to read this book; the rest is dry as jerky.
December 7, 2023
Dai hoi The thao chau A 2023
Bắn Cung
Cung pháp nam tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á
Abhishek Verma
Với một huy chương vàng đồng đội và hai huy chương bạc tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, vận động viên 34 tuổi này sẽ cố gắng kết thúc ở vị trí cao tại sự kiện lễ hội lục địa này Lương Sơn TV.
Verma có thể đã không còn bóng dáng như quá khứ gần đây, nhưng sự giàu kinh nghiệm của anh sẽ hữu ích nếu họ muốn giành huy chương vàng đồng đội thứ hai trong môn cung pháp nam link trực tiếp bóng đá Luongson.
Ojas Deotale và Prathamesh Jawkar
Hai vận động viên cung pháp nam trẻ tuổi đến từ Maharashtra đang thể hiện sự tiến bộ đúng đắn trong năm nay. Deotale, 21 tuổi, đã trở thành vô địch thế giới với một loạt điểm số hoàn hảo tại Berlin. Jawkar, 20 tuổi, đang ở đỉnh cao sự nghiệp của mình, khiến người đứng đầu thế giới Mike Schloesser bị sốc hai lần trong bốn tháng. Cả hai đều là những ứng viên mạnh mẽ cho trận chung kết.
Cung pháp nữ
Dhiraj Bommadevara
Với chiến thắng bất ngờ trước đương kim vô địch Olympic hai lần Kim Woo-jin từ Hàn Quốc trong trận chung kết Cúp Thế giới gần đây, Dhiraj Bommadevara, một binh sĩ của Lục quân, mang đến một tia hy vọng mới giữa sự u ám vây quanh môn cung pháp nữ tại Ấn Độ.
Dhiraj có một chặng đường ấn tượng trong Cúp Thế giới khi anh chỉ thiếu huy chương rất ít để lọt vào bán kết. Trước đó trong năm nay, anh đã chấm dứt chuỗi ngày không có huy chương Cúp Thế giới cá nhân của Ấn Độ khi giành huy chương đồng tại giai đoạn Antalya.
Quyền Anh tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á
Quyền anh nữ
Thi đấu môn quyền anh nữ, Nikhat Zareen được xem là ứng cử viên sáng giá nhất của Ấn Độ. Với danh hiệu vô địch thế giới hai lần, hai lần giành giải Strandja Memorial và một huy chương vàng tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, Zareen sẽ rất háo hức mang về một huy chương vàng khác và càng cố gắng hơn nữa để đứng trên bục vinh quang, đặc biệt khi Đại hội Thể thao châu Á cũng là vòng loại Olympic.
Lovlina Borgohain, người đã giành huy chương đồng tại Olympic Tokyo, đang dần làm quen với hạng cân middleweight (75kg) sau khi tăng cân từ hạng cân 69kg. Việc giành chiến thắng tại Giải vô địch châu Á và Giải vô địch thế giới đã tăng cường sự tự tin của cô, và Borgohain đã nỗ lực rất nhiều để tăng cường sức mạnh của mình. Tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, nếu cô vượt qua mối đe dọa từ phía Trung Quốc, dự kiến cô sẽ dễ dàng tiến vào trận chung kết và giành huy chương vàng.
Quyền anh nam
Ở môn quyền anh nam, Deepak Bhoria, võ sĩ đến từ Hisar và thi đấu ở hạng cân 51kg, sở hữu một cú đấm trái chí tử và có khả năng đánh bại những tay đấm hàng đầu trong môn thể thao này. Anh đã có một trong những màn trình diễn xuất sắc nhất cho Ấn Độ trong những năm gần đây khi đánh bại võ sĩ Saken Bibossinov, đương kim vô địch thế giới và giành huy chương đồng tại Giải vô địch Thế giới vào tháng 5. Thi đấu ở Đại hội Thể thao châu Á lần đầu tiên, Bhoria sẽ rất muốn để lại dấu ấn trong giải đấu bằng việc lên bục vinh quang.
Xem thêm bài viết: Asiad 2023 Xem xét các triển vọng giành huy chương lớn nhất của Ấn Độ trong Nhiệm vụ Hangzhou
Trong môn quyền anh, đội tuyển Ấn Độ đang hy vọng giành được một số huy chương tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á. Họ có một số võ sĩ xuất sắc đang được đánh giá cao.
Mary Kom
Mary Kom, võ sĩ quyền anh nữ hàng đầu của Ấn Độ, là một ứng cử viên mạnh mẽ cho huy chương. Với sự kinh nghiệm lẫy lừng và danh hiệu vô địch thế giới, cô đã trở thành biểu tượng của môn thể thao này. Dù đã 38 tuổi, Mary Kom vẫn giữ được sự tinh thần và khả năng chiến đấu đáng nể.
Amit Panghal
Amit Panghal, võ sĩ quyền anh nam Ấn Độ, cũng là một ứng cử viên tiềm năng. Anh đã giành huy chương vàng tại Giải vô địch thế giới và Giải vô địch châu Á. Sở hữu kỹ thuật tốt và tốc độ nhanh, Panghal có thể mang về thành công cho đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ.
Pooja Rani
Pooja Rani, võ sĩ quyền anh nữ, cũng có triển vọng tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á. Với kỹ thuật chính xác và sức mạnh vượt trội, cô đã giành được nhiều thành tích ấn tượng. Pooja Rani đã giành huy chương vàng tại Giải vô địch châu Á và hy vọng mang về một huy chương khác cho Ấn Độ.
Với sự phát triển và nỗ lực không ngừng, đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ đang tạo nên những kỳ vọng lớn tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á. Với sự hỗ trợ và cổ vũ của người hâm mộ, họ sẽ cố gắng hết mình để mang về những thành công đáng tự hào cho đất nước.
Với sự tự tin và mong muốn giành thành công tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, đội tuyển quyền anh của Ấn Độ đang chuẩn bị tâm lý và thể chất để đối mặt với những thách thức lớn. Họ đã trải qua nhiều giai đoạn huấn luyện cứng rắn, tập trung vào kỹ thuật, sức mạnh và chiến thuật.
Điều quan trọng là sự hỗ trợ từ phía người hâm mộ. Sự cổ vũ và niềm tin của quần chúng sẽ là nguồn động lực không thể thiếu cho các võ sĩ. Đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ hi vọng mang về những huy chương vàng và niềm tự hào cho đất nước.
Ngoài ra, việc tham gia Đại hội Thể thao châu Á cũng đồng nghĩa với việc có cơ hội giành vé tham dự Thế vận hội. Đây là mục tiêu lớn đối với các võ sĩ, và họ sẽ cố gắng hết mình để đạt được kết quả tốt và đảm bảo suất tham dự Olympic.
Với tài năng, sự quyết tâm và sự chuẩn bị kỹ lưỡng, đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ đang sẵn sàng để thi đấu và chinh phục những giải đấu quan trọng. Họ hy vọng mang về những thành công đáng kinh ngạc và truyền cảm hứng cho thế hệ võ sĩ tương lai.
Xem thêm cùng Luongsontv
trực tiếp bóng đá bundesliga hôm nay
xem trực tiếp bóng đá la liga
Bắn Cung
Cung pháp nam tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á
Abhishek Verma
Với một huy chương vàng đồng đội và hai huy chương bạc tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, vận động viên 34 tuổi này sẽ cố gắng kết thúc ở vị trí cao tại sự kiện lễ hội lục địa này Lương Sơn TV.
Verma có thể đã không còn bóng dáng như quá khứ gần đây, nhưng sự giàu kinh nghiệm của anh sẽ hữu ích nếu họ muốn giành huy chương vàng đồng đội thứ hai trong môn cung pháp nam link trực tiếp bóng đá Luongson.
Ojas Deotale và Prathamesh Jawkar
Hai vận động viên cung pháp nam trẻ tuổi đến từ Maharashtra đang thể hiện sự tiến bộ đúng đắn trong năm nay. Deotale, 21 tuổi, đã trở thành vô địch thế giới với một loạt điểm số hoàn hảo tại Berlin. Jawkar, 20 tuổi, đang ở đỉnh cao sự nghiệp của mình, khiến người đứng đầu thế giới Mike Schloesser bị sốc hai lần trong bốn tháng. Cả hai đều là những ứng viên mạnh mẽ cho trận chung kết.
Cung pháp nữ
Dhiraj Bommadevara
Với chiến thắng bất ngờ trước đương kim vô địch Olympic hai lần Kim Woo-jin từ Hàn Quốc trong trận chung kết Cúp Thế giới gần đây, Dhiraj Bommadevara, một binh sĩ của Lục quân, mang đến một tia hy vọng mới giữa sự u ám vây quanh môn cung pháp nữ tại Ấn Độ.
Dhiraj có một chặng đường ấn tượng trong Cúp Thế giới khi anh chỉ thiếu huy chương rất ít để lọt vào bán kết. Trước đó trong năm nay, anh đã chấm dứt chuỗi ngày không có huy chương Cúp Thế giới cá nhân của Ấn Độ khi giành huy chương đồng tại giai đoạn Antalya.
Quyền Anh tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á
Quyền anh nữ
Thi đấu môn quyền anh nữ, Nikhat Zareen được xem là ứng cử viên sáng giá nhất của Ấn Độ. Với danh hiệu vô địch thế giới hai lần, hai lần giành giải Strandja Memorial và một huy chương vàng tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, Zareen sẽ rất háo hức mang về một huy chương vàng khác và càng cố gắng hơn nữa để đứng trên bục vinh quang, đặc biệt khi Đại hội Thể thao châu Á cũng là vòng loại Olympic.
Lovlina Borgohain, người đã giành huy chương đồng tại Olympic Tokyo, đang dần làm quen với hạng cân middleweight (75kg) sau khi tăng cân từ hạng cân 69kg. Việc giành chiến thắng tại Giải vô địch châu Á và Giải vô địch thế giới đã tăng cường sự tự tin của cô, và Borgohain đã nỗ lực rất nhiều để tăng cường sức mạnh của mình. Tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, nếu cô vượt qua mối đe dọa từ phía Trung Quốc, dự kiến cô sẽ dễ dàng tiến vào trận chung kết và giành huy chương vàng.
Quyền anh nam
Ở môn quyền anh nam, Deepak Bhoria, võ sĩ đến từ Hisar và thi đấu ở hạng cân 51kg, sở hữu một cú đấm trái chí tử và có khả năng đánh bại những tay đấm hàng đầu trong môn thể thao này. Anh đã có một trong những màn trình diễn xuất sắc nhất cho Ấn Độ trong những năm gần đây khi đánh bại võ sĩ Saken Bibossinov, đương kim vô địch thế giới và giành huy chương đồng tại Giải vô địch Thế giới vào tháng 5. Thi đấu ở Đại hội Thể thao châu Á lần đầu tiên, Bhoria sẽ rất muốn để lại dấu ấn trong giải đấu bằng việc lên bục vinh quang.
Xem thêm bài viết: Asiad 2023 Xem xét các triển vọng giành huy chương lớn nhất của Ấn Độ trong Nhiệm vụ Hangzhou
Trong môn quyền anh, đội tuyển Ấn Độ đang hy vọng giành được một số huy chương tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á. Họ có một số võ sĩ xuất sắc đang được đánh giá cao.
Mary Kom
Mary Kom, võ sĩ quyền anh nữ hàng đầu của Ấn Độ, là một ứng cử viên mạnh mẽ cho huy chương. Với sự kinh nghiệm lẫy lừng và danh hiệu vô địch thế giới, cô đã trở thành biểu tượng của môn thể thao này. Dù đã 38 tuổi, Mary Kom vẫn giữ được sự tinh thần và khả năng chiến đấu đáng nể.
Amit Panghal
Amit Panghal, võ sĩ quyền anh nam Ấn Độ, cũng là một ứng cử viên tiềm năng. Anh đã giành huy chương vàng tại Giải vô địch thế giới và Giải vô địch châu Á. Sở hữu kỹ thuật tốt và tốc độ nhanh, Panghal có thể mang về thành công cho đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ.
Pooja Rani
Pooja Rani, võ sĩ quyền anh nữ, cũng có triển vọng tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á. Với kỹ thuật chính xác và sức mạnh vượt trội, cô đã giành được nhiều thành tích ấn tượng. Pooja Rani đã giành huy chương vàng tại Giải vô địch châu Á và hy vọng mang về một huy chương khác cho Ấn Độ.
Với sự phát triển và nỗ lực không ngừng, đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ đang tạo nên những kỳ vọng lớn tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á. Với sự hỗ trợ và cổ vũ của người hâm mộ, họ sẽ cố gắng hết mình để mang về những thành công đáng tự hào cho đất nước.
Với sự tự tin và mong muốn giành thành công tại Đại hội Thể thao châu Á, đội tuyển quyền anh của Ấn Độ đang chuẩn bị tâm lý và thể chất để đối mặt với những thách thức lớn. Họ đã trải qua nhiều giai đoạn huấn luyện cứng rắn, tập trung vào kỹ thuật, sức mạnh và chiến thuật.
Điều quan trọng là sự hỗ trợ từ phía người hâm mộ. Sự cổ vũ và niềm tin của quần chúng sẽ là nguồn động lực không thể thiếu cho các võ sĩ. Đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ hi vọng mang về những huy chương vàng và niềm tự hào cho đất nước.
Ngoài ra, việc tham gia Đại hội Thể thao châu Á cũng đồng nghĩa với việc có cơ hội giành vé tham dự Thế vận hội. Đây là mục tiêu lớn đối với các võ sĩ, và họ sẽ cố gắng hết mình để đạt được kết quả tốt và đảm bảo suất tham dự Olympic.
Với tài năng, sự quyết tâm và sự chuẩn bị kỹ lưỡng, đội tuyển quyền anh Ấn Độ đang sẵn sàng để thi đấu và chinh phục những giải đấu quan trọng. Họ hy vọng mang về những thành công đáng kinh ngạc và truyền cảm hứng cho thế hệ võ sĩ tương lai.
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April 13, 2023
Come scegliere un sito di scommesse sportive dove guadagnare?
Le scommesse sportive sono molto divertenti per i giocatori d'azzardo che spesso sono anche appassionati di sport. Guarda qui se sei interessato a trovare i più grandi nomi del settore e cosa hanno da offrire per te, i giocatori italiani.
Sia che tu scommetta piccole somme per vincere le tue squadre preferite o giochi con una strategia speciale per vincere un sacco di soldi, la decisione è sempre tua. Se stai cercando una guida per principianti alle scommesse sportive online, non preoccuparti, troverai tutto! La nostra guida è qui per aiutarti a trovare la tua strada!
Qualunque sia l'obiettivo finale delle scommesse, è importante familiarizzare con le possibilità offerte dai bookmaker.
Quali sono i migliori siti di scommesse?
Ci sono molti concorrenti sul mercato disposti ad accettare scommesse, ma pochi hanno un mercato veramente sviluppato.
I siti di scommesse classificano i loro mercati in modo diverso, ma quasi sempre vedi prima il calcio. Non sono sempre ordinati per popolarità, ma la maggior parte dei bookmaker preferisce mostrare prima i mercati più grandi con il maggior numero di eventi.
Ovviamente, dovresti controllare che siano presenti solo gli sport che ti piacciono, che guardi e su cui scommetti. Ad esempio, difficilmente vorrai giocare a beach handball se lo sport non è tra i tuoi preferiti.
Tuttavia, la maggior parte dei siti sembra mostrare necessariamente gli sport principali: calcio, tennis, basket, corse di cavalli, hockey su ghiaccio, pallavolo, boxe.
Quanto guadagna il bookmaker?
Le quote sono il fattore principale nella scelta di un bookmaker e danno informazioni sul loro livello. È poco noto che i bookmaker prendano una piccola commissione per il servizio che offrono.
Minore è questa commissione, migliori sono i guadagni dei giocatori.
Alcuni bookmaker offrono anche mercati con un moltiplicatore aumentato, in cui la società non solo non prende commissioni, ma restituisce anche più denaro ai giocatori di quanto accetta come scommessa!
Come mi registro e ricevo?
La registrazione è una parte importante del processo di scommesse sportive.
Questo perché ti permette di scommettere con soldi veri e di trasferire denaro dal tuo conto bookmaker al tuo conto personale.
La registrazione è molto semplice.
È necessario fornire solo le informazioni richieste dalla legge applicabile.
Tuttavia, ci sono differenze tra i dati richiesti durante la registrazione.
Questo può sembrare un gioco da ragazzi per molti, ma scoraggerebbe molte persone dal creare un profilo su un sito se venissero chieste loro informazioni sensibili che non volevano fornire. Tuttavia, ti consigliamo di non preoccuparti dei tuoi dati personali, soprattutto se stai scommettendo con un bookmaker affidabile e autorizzato.
Questi siti sono sufficientemente regolamentati che non vi è alcun rischio di abuso.
Perché scegliere un sito Web con un'app mobile?
È vero che in Italia non esiste bookmaker online senza versione mobile, ma il team del portale informativo ti consiglia di cercare un sito di scommesse che supporti il sistema operativo del tuo smartphone. I bookmaker generalmente hanno buone app per Android e iOS, ma alcuni scelgono solo un'app per Android.
Il motivo di questa raccomandazione è:
Le app hanno molti vantaggi rispetto alle versioni del browser mobile: caricamento più veloce, accesso più facile, minore utilizzo dei dati mobili, ecc.
Servizio clienti - un fattore chiave nella scelta?
Il servizio clienti del bookmaker è come un'assicurazione: vorresti non doverlo mai usare, ma se lo fai, è bene averlo. Dopotutto sono i tuoi soldi!
La maggior parte delle persone si lascia trasportare dallo sfarzo e dal fascino delle offerte degli allibratori, ma dimentica di guardare quando e come possono ottenere consigli quando ne hanno bisogno.
Le scommesse sportive sono molto divertenti per i giocatori d'azzardo che spesso sono anche appassionati di sport. Guarda qui se sei interessato a trovare i più grandi nomi del settore e cosa hanno da offrire per te, i giocatori italiani.
Sia che tu scommetta piccole somme per vincere le tue squadre preferite o giochi con una strategia speciale per vincere un sacco di soldi, la decisione è sempre tua. Se stai cercando una guida per principianti alle scommesse sportive online, non preoccuparti, troverai tutto! La nostra guida è qui per aiutarti a trovare la tua strada!
Qualunque sia l'obiettivo finale delle scommesse, è importante familiarizzare con le possibilità offerte dai bookmaker.
Quali sono i migliori siti di scommesse?
Ci sono molti concorrenti sul mercato disposti ad accettare scommesse, ma pochi hanno un mercato veramente sviluppato.
I siti di scommesse classificano i loro mercati in modo diverso, ma quasi sempre vedi prima il calcio. Non sono sempre ordinati per popolarità, ma la maggior parte dei bookmaker preferisce mostrare prima i mercati più grandi con il maggior numero di eventi.
Ovviamente, dovresti controllare che siano presenti solo gli sport che ti piacciono, che guardi e su cui scommetti. Ad esempio, difficilmente vorrai giocare a beach handball se lo sport non è tra i tuoi preferiti.
Tuttavia, la maggior parte dei siti sembra mostrare necessariamente gli sport principali: calcio, tennis, basket, corse di cavalli, hockey su ghiaccio, pallavolo, boxe.
Quanto guadagna il bookmaker?
Le quote sono il fattore principale nella scelta di un bookmaker e danno informazioni sul loro livello. È poco noto che i bookmaker prendano una piccola commissione per il servizio che offrono.
Minore è questa commissione, migliori sono i guadagni dei giocatori.
Alcuni bookmaker offrono anche mercati con un moltiplicatore aumentato, in cui la società non solo non prende commissioni, ma restituisce anche più denaro ai giocatori di quanto accetta come scommessa!
Come mi registro e ricevo?
La registrazione è una parte importante del processo di scommesse sportive.
Questo perché ti permette di scommettere con soldi veri e di trasferire denaro dal tuo conto bookmaker al tuo conto personale.
La registrazione è molto semplice.
È necessario fornire solo le informazioni richieste dalla legge applicabile.
Tuttavia, ci sono differenze tra i dati richiesti durante la registrazione.
Questo può sembrare un gioco da ragazzi per molti, ma scoraggerebbe molte persone dal creare un profilo su un sito se venissero chieste loro informazioni sensibili che non volevano fornire. Tuttavia, ti consigliamo di non preoccuparti dei tuoi dati personali, soprattutto se stai scommettendo con un bookmaker affidabile e autorizzato.
Questi siti sono sufficientemente regolamentati che non vi è alcun rischio di abuso.
Perché scegliere un sito Web con un'app mobile?
È vero che in Italia non esiste bookmaker online senza versione mobile, ma il team del portale informativo ti consiglia di cercare un sito di scommesse che supporti il sistema operativo del tuo smartphone. I bookmaker generalmente hanno buone app per Android e iOS, ma alcuni scelgono solo un'app per Android.
Il motivo di questa raccomandazione è:
Le app hanno molti vantaggi rispetto alle versioni del browser mobile: caricamento più veloce, accesso più facile, minore utilizzo dei dati mobili, ecc.
Servizio clienti - un fattore chiave nella scelta?
Il servizio clienti del bookmaker è come un'assicurazione: vorresti non doverlo mai usare, ma se lo fai, è bene averlo. Dopotutto sono i tuoi soldi!
La maggior parte delle persone si lascia trasportare dallo sfarzo e dal fascino delle offerte degli allibratori, ma dimentica di guardare quando e come possono ottenere consigli quando ne hanno bisogno.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
Simon writes these quick, comprehensive opinion/information pieces on some of the greatest minds in soccer at the time of writing this book. My dad (known soccer lover) let me borrow this book and I was able to learn so much more in depth about older players. Three of the stories really stood out to me.
Leo Messi hadn’t been the GOAT we all know him as now, so learning about how the talent was undeniable, and Simon heavily foreshadowing he could be one of the greatest, was awesome to see knowing what we know now.
Lothar Matthaus is arguably a top 3 German and Bayern midfielder. I was way too young to watch him in his prime (not even born yet) so all I can gather are vivid testimonials by the dad and the fact he is an icon in FIFA. Learning about his trouble with the teams, his obsessive hobby of reading tabloids, and just how dominant of a force he was, was interesting. A line that stood out to me was the fact he learned more about his teammates from German tabloids such as BILD than he did from themselves.
When I first saw Billy Beane’s name in a soccer book, I was so confused. “The money ball guy? Brad Pitt?” Learning about how he mirrored Arsene Wegner’s talent recruitment philosophy in baseball was astounding. As true “ball enjoyer”, Simon writes that both Wegner and Beane used analytics and heavy data analysis of players to develop and “find value” in lower talents. Viera, Henry, Thuram, etc all come to mind for Wegner, the best Arsenal coach of all time. It was interesting to see the way Beane, or maybe how just Simon sees it, was almost “happy” that other MLB teams caught onto the analytics teams after the As, so they weren’t able to keep up with the budgets of the teams after that and faded.
Leo Messi hadn’t been the GOAT we all know him as now, so learning about how the talent was undeniable, and Simon heavily foreshadowing he could be one of the greatest, was awesome to see knowing what we know now.
Lothar Matthaus is arguably a top 3 German and Bayern midfielder. I was way too young to watch him in his prime (not even born yet) so all I can gather are vivid testimonials by the dad and the fact he is an icon in FIFA. Learning about his trouble with the teams, his obsessive hobby of reading tabloids, and just how dominant of a force he was, was interesting. A line that stood out to me was the fact he learned more about his teammates from German tabloids such as BILD than he did from themselves.
When I first saw Billy Beane’s name in a soccer book, I was so confused. “The money ball guy? Brad Pitt?” Learning about how he mirrored Arsene Wegner’s talent recruitment philosophy in baseball was astounding. As true “ball enjoyer”, Simon writes that both Wegner and Beane used analytics and heavy data analysis of players to develop and “find value” in lower talents. Viera, Henry, Thuram, etc all come to mind for Wegner, the best Arsenal coach of all time. It was interesting to see the way Beane, or maybe how just Simon sees it, was almost “happy” that other MLB teams caught onto the analytics teams after the As, so they weren’t able to keep up with the budgets of the teams after that and faded.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2017
In some ways, this book was totally on target for me: a lot of coverage of English player (nationals and league), followed by the Dutch (nationals more than league), some French (nationals) and Spanish (Barcelona) players. I'm not personally enthused by Italian soccer so I didn't find their absences to feel like omissions. Asian players are basically absent from the discussion, and the South American and African players have limited representation. Kuper writes for Western European papers, so clubs and national teams in that area are over-sampled; it's a dynamic probably familiar to soccer fans.
As Kuper warns in the beginning, many soccer players just aren't that "interesting", at least in the sense they rarely share interesting insights or information during interviews. Kuper inserts some observations that I think would engage enthusiasts, mixing in strategy and team histories, but these profiles are relatively short and aren't likely to hook most readers. I can't tell from just this book if all Kuper's writing is this bloodless, or if it's the nature of the topic that doesn't stretch to draw in the reader.
To be clear, the edition I got my hands on from the library is the first paperback edition, so didn't contain the updates/additions of the later 2014 reprint.
As Kuper warns in the beginning, many soccer players just aren't that "interesting", at least in the sense they rarely share interesting insights or information during interviews. Kuper inserts some observations that I think would engage enthusiasts, mixing in strategy and team histories, but these profiles are relatively short and aren't likely to hook most readers. I can't tell from just this book if all Kuper's writing is this bloodless, or if it's the nature of the topic that doesn't stretch to draw in the reader.
To be clear, the edition I got my hands on from the library is the first paperback edition, so didn't contain the updates/additions of the later 2014 reprint.
July 19, 2018
I always enjoy Simon Kuper's work - in fact I enjoy Pamela Druckerman's as well, fan of the family - and this book could even be 5 stars if it was only more recent. Maybe Kuper should go back as a 10th year review and add some updates.
Best parts of the book are by far when Simon Kuper buries the players because he knows they won't read him. He is delightfully surprised each time a player is not a complete idiot. One time he manages to insult Cruyff, Charlton, Best, Maradona, Platini and Pele in quick succession. And then finishes with all germans.
This is an easy read, ideal for reading on the road since it is composed of numerous profiles.
Best parts of the book are by far when Simon Kuper buries the players because he knows they won't read him. He is delightfully surprised each time a player is not a complete idiot. One time he manages to insult Cruyff, Charlton, Best, Maradona, Platini and Pele in quick succession. And then finishes with all germans.
This is an easy read, ideal for reading on the road since it is composed of numerous profiles.
July 23, 2021
Not the deepest dive but a fun collection of magazine and newspaper articles that give a brief view into the life of the greatest soccer players and managers circa 2010. The writing is strong though the chapters are short. Given some of these players are pretty single minded and sheltered from an early age, there are some curious characters, but it was also interesting to see how much the game has changed in only 20-30 years to be driven by money and become far more professional and regimented.
August 2, 2020
Not a bad book, this "Soccer Men: Profiles of the Rogues, Geniuses, and Neurotics Who Dominate the World's Most Popular Sport". Quite appropriately it profiles some of the rogues, geniuses, and neurotics who dominate the world's most popular sport. SOME being the most important word to bear in mind to avoid disappointment.
Most notable absences: most of the rogues, geniuses, and neurotics who dominate the world's most popular Sport, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Pelé, Michel Platini, Paul Gascoigne, Joey Barton, Vinnie Jones and the gangsters from FIFA.
Be prepared to trudge through snooze pieces about Kaká, Michael Ballack, Laurent Malouda, Leo Messi, Freddy Adu, Johnnie Rep, Frank Lampard and many forgettable wallpaper, semi-mute millionaires who would have nothing to say even if they knew how to speak.
PS: The last update is post 2010 World Cup in South Africa, so it's quire dated.
Most notable absences: most of the rogues, geniuses, and neurotics who dominate the world's most popular Sport, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Pelé, Michel Platini, Paul Gascoigne, Joey Barton, Vinnie Jones and the gangsters from FIFA.
Be prepared to trudge through snooze pieces about Kaká, Michael Ballack, Laurent Malouda, Leo Messi, Freddy Adu, Johnnie Rep, Frank Lampard and many forgettable wallpaper, semi-mute millionaires who would have nothing to say even if they knew how to speak.
PS: The last update is post 2010 World Cup in South Africa, so it's quire dated.
April 5, 2023
Some great pieces here based on encounters with some of the most famous recent names in world football. Kuper is no respecter of persons or of reputations, and is amusingly frank about the off-field abilities and personalities of some eminent players, with scathing comments on, among many others, Bobby Charlton, Michel Platini, Edgar Davids, England's "Golden Generation", etc., etc.
Really fun read, which I'd give four stars if I weren't reserving that category for proper literature....
Really fun read, which I'd give four stars if I weren't reserving that category for proper literature....
June 23, 2024
This book was interesting at parts though somewhat repetitive (both with people and phrases), but it's written in small sections which is just perfect to read during the Euros. It's a collection of his interviews and articles, so as long as you don't expect a free-flowing book, you'll do fine reading this. FYI, it's geared to English and Dutch soccer fans, as those are his languages. Not that many German, French, or Spanish players are featured.
January 7, 2017
A series of brilliant profiles on players, managers & "some other football men". For fans who'd love to brush up their knowledge of the game, its history, anecdotes & trivia, this is a treasure trove by all means.
Strongly recommended.
Strongly recommended.
December 16, 2017
A change of pace for me, a nice collection of commentaries dating back to the late 90's. What is interesting to me reading these is the hindsight I can look back on such as an interview with Glen Hoddle in 98 and knowing the outcome of that World Cup.
I would rate the book at 3.5/5.
I would rate the book at 3.5/5.
November 23, 2018
PERFECT.
Read
August 20, 2019good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2015
The book was written by a well-known soccer insider Simon Kuper. It is a compilation of articles in the past few years on various famous soccer players, club managers and other stakeholders of the Beautiful Game.
The book is organized in a way very suitable for a busy full-time professional, who can only read during squeezed 10-20 minutes here and there. Each article profiles a player or a manager. In your Kindle it will be easy to search via Table of Content. You won’t need to worry about disruption of logic of the content as it would happen for a long story or biography. What is much appreciated is that the author added additional comments on up-to-date events after most articles, some of which were published 10 years ago.
On the content, I am very surprised on how few players from Bundesliga came out. The book features way too many English players, and those connected with Dutch League. This may be attributed to the limitation of the author, who is a Dutch and work for FInancial Times for a long time. That said, the book did capture all the main characters of the Game in the past 10-15 years. In particular I enjoy reading his profiling of Kaiser: Beckenbauer, and Maradona both as player and manager. This book will be more suitable to those who at least have some sketchy idea of the famous names. For me, I find it difficult to catch his comments on certain players out of Dutch League, and only slightly easier for those in Premier League.
Thanks to the author’s journalistic background, the writing of this book is easy for the readers. The language flows smoothly and sometimes with hilarious conclusion.
Finally, as this is a compilation of articles, there is no systematic analysis on the Soccer field, economics, club-player relationship, except some insightful comments in certain articles. For readers who seek to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the Game and the industry, this book is not enough.
The book is organized in a way very suitable for a busy full-time professional, who can only read during squeezed 10-20 minutes here and there. Each article profiles a player or a manager. In your Kindle it will be easy to search via Table of Content. You won’t need to worry about disruption of logic of the content as it would happen for a long story or biography. What is much appreciated is that the author added additional comments on up-to-date events after most articles, some of which were published 10 years ago.
On the content, I am very surprised on how few players from Bundesliga came out. The book features way too many English players, and those connected with Dutch League. This may be attributed to the limitation of the author, who is a Dutch and work for FInancial Times for a long time. That said, the book did capture all the main characters of the Game in the past 10-15 years. In particular I enjoy reading his profiling of Kaiser: Beckenbauer, and Maradona both as player and manager. This book will be more suitable to those who at least have some sketchy idea of the famous names. For me, I find it difficult to catch his comments on certain players out of Dutch League, and only slightly easier for those in Premier League.
Thanks to the author’s journalistic background, the writing of this book is easy for the readers. The language flows smoothly and sometimes with hilarious conclusion.
Finally, as this is a compilation of articles, there is no systematic analysis on the Soccer field, economics, club-player relationship, except some insightful comments in certain articles. For readers who seek to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the Game and the industry, this book is not enough.
Read
October 31, 2016I have read the book Soccer Men by Simon Kuper. It is a book about the greatest soccer players all around the world. It talks, about their life stories from them playing in an amateur league to becoming the stars they are today. It doesn’t just focus on one player, but it tells you about every professional soccer player of there time. In my opinion, this book was the greatest book I have read so far.
Simon Kuper’s, New York Times bestseller, made a new way of looking at soccer as what he calls a,”beautiful game”. Through analysis and incisive commentary throughout, the book Kuper gives you very accurate statistics. He talks about each player from his personal experience, or another person’s experience. He express’s how they played as if they were in their own passionate words. He also says how they felt in their greatest moments of their career. He writes about great players like Lionel Messi and great coaches like Jose Mourinho. This book was full of facts and experiences told by Simon Kuper. He writes with such extraordinary passion in this book, with life stories of the players and coaches. I feel this way about the book because it is by far the best book on soccer I’ve read so far. Another reason is that people agree with me about how well the book was written with its detail.
In conclusion, this book by Simon Kuper is the greatest book I’ve ever read about soccer. He writes with such passion throughout the entire book, and the book was a New York Times bestseller. Finally, he writes a great book about the people who had majorly impacted the game of soccer to make it the “beautiful game” it is today.
Simon Kuper’s, New York Times bestseller, made a new way of looking at soccer as what he calls a,”beautiful game”. Through analysis and incisive commentary throughout, the book Kuper gives you very accurate statistics. He talks about each player from his personal experience, or another person’s experience. He express’s how they played as if they were in their own passionate words. He also says how they felt in their greatest moments of their career. He writes about great players like Lionel Messi and great coaches like Jose Mourinho. This book was full of facts and experiences told by Simon Kuper. He writes with such extraordinary passion in this book, with life stories of the players and coaches. I feel this way about the book because it is by far the best book on soccer I’ve read so far. Another reason is that people agree with me about how well the book was written with its detail.
In conclusion, this book by Simon Kuper is the greatest book I’ve ever read about soccer. He writes with such passion throughout the entire book, and the book was a New York Times bestseller. Finally, he writes a great book about the people who had majorly impacted the game of soccer to make it the “beautiful game” it is today.
May 1, 2012
Ever wonder what it feels like to be a soccer (football) player? Simon Kuper, a prolific soccer journalist, gathers up his profiles of players over the years to provide a look into the lives of players, managers, and luminaries both on and off the field. Although Kuper knows soccer, he truly brings out the character of the men who play the game. Here's a couple of examples.
On Lothar Matthaus:
"..But Matthaus is the sort of nature person that Bavarians imagine nature people to be: a Bavarian with sunglasses on his head and a sweater slung over his should who gets into his sports car and drives his beautiful girlfriend to a beer garden, where they drink wheat beer in sight of a mountain. Then the Bavarian nature person thinks, like the clerk in a Heinrich Heine story, 'How beautiful nature in general is!' "
On Andres Iniesta:
"Guardiola studied Iniesta for a bit, turned to Xavi, and said, 'You've seen that? You'll push me towards the exit, but that guy will send us both into retirement.' "
This is not a longform treatise on the soccer player but rather a set of vignettes that pull together into a single vision of the modern player. Easily readable. You'll seek to read it in small chunks and then you'll fall into a common pattern..."Just one more chapter tonight...It's short".
Recommended for anyone interested in the mentality of a modern professional athlete.
On Lothar Matthaus:
"..But Matthaus is the sort of nature person that Bavarians imagine nature people to be: a Bavarian with sunglasses on his head and a sweater slung over his should who gets into his sports car and drives his beautiful girlfriend to a beer garden, where they drink wheat beer in sight of a mountain. Then the Bavarian nature person thinks, like the clerk in a Heinrich Heine story, 'How beautiful nature in general is!' "
On Andres Iniesta:
"Guardiola studied Iniesta for a bit, turned to Xavi, and said, 'You've seen that? You'll push me towards the exit, but that guy will send us both into retirement.' "
This is not a longform treatise on the soccer player but rather a set of vignettes that pull together into a single vision of the modern player. Easily readable. You'll seek to read it in small chunks and then you'll fall into a common pattern..."Just one more chapter tonight...It's short".
Recommended for anyone interested in the mentality of a modern professional athlete.
June 5, 2015
The book Soccer Men by Simon Kuper is a great read for any soccer fan. In the book, Kuper tells the stories of many of soccer's past and present great players, managers, and figures in the soccer world. The stories told may be about the relatively unknown background of the icon, how that person has become successful, or their personality out of the spotlight. A particular story that I enjoyed was that of the current Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Wenger experienced a great amount of success in his first few years managing Arsenal even though his team lacked the funding that other English clubs had. Wenger, who studied economics at a university in France, began using match data to scout players. He would look at seemingly irrelevant statistics like how far a player would run in a game or how quickly they would pass a ball, and he would search for players based on these statistics. This new concept of scouting even inspired the Billy Beane who had his story with the Oakland A’s made famous in the movie Moneyball. Kuper was able to provide an insightful and humorous touch to each of these stories that was really able to make the book interesting and hard to put down. Many of the stories are only a few pages long so I constantly found myself just trying to read one more story when I should have been doing homework or sleeping.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to any soccer fan.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to any soccer fan.
February 16, 2012
Soccer Men is a compilation of articles written by the author about some of the players and coaches who have influenced the sport over the last fifty years. I am unsure of why certain players were omitted, most glaringly, Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo. Some portrayals are very detailed; some will leave you wanting for more. If you are unfamiliar with the player, the article may not be as interesting or the reader may not be familiar or understand the context to which the author refers; while the article on the branding and packaging of David Beckham is engrossing. At times, I felt sorry for these multimillionaire soccer players who possess a plethora of homes and women and a life that would seem enviable to the rest of us. The portrait of Wayne Rooney, almost a prisoner in his own home while not on the field, was, to me, particularly poignant and sad.
The reader is also given a glimpse of how playing professional soccer is viewed by a player--as a business--versus a fan. I have heard before, and this book reiterated for me, that it is best not to meet your idol; you will almost surely be disappointed.
I highly recommend this well-written book to anyone who wants to know more about the beautiful game and the men who play and coach it.
The reader is also given a glimpse of how playing professional soccer is viewed by a player--as a business--versus a fan. I have heard before, and this book reiterated for me, that it is best not to meet your idol; you will almost surely be disappointed.
I highly recommend this well-written book to anyone who wants to know more about the beautiful game and the men who play and coach it.
April 9, 2014
When I finished this book I was very pleased with what I had read, I felt that with this book I am gaining basis knowledge into the lives of famous football players. Making each chapter a small biography of each of the players the author dosnt talk about all of the players life but the exact opposite. Simon Kupler decides to use a specific passage in the players life and he talks about that moment and how he had the chance to be there. This allows the reader to understand how football players live their daily lives and how they feel. I would recommend this book to any football fans as it gives inside knowledge about thing that you would never imagine. The way the book is written makes it easy to read because the chapters are not connected, so you only read about those players and coaches that interest you.
December 15, 2013
I'd like to give this 2.5 stars, since just 2 seems overly harsh and I want to put in right in the middle of the spectrum. I jumped on this book because I had just finished (and loved) Soccernomics, but I didn't enjoy this one as much. At times I felt like I was expected to already know about who the players and coaches are and why they are important. That was fine for people who are still playing or coaching today, but I'm a younger fan and felt a little lost at times when Kuper launched into a profile with relatively little background information.
However, in the cases where I was already familiar with the player or coach in question, I really enjoyed the additional insight. Kuper is witty and entertaining and knows a lot about the characters who have shaped the game.
However, in the cases where I was already familiar with the player or coach in question, I really enjoyed the additional insight. Kuper is witty and entertaining and knows a lot about the characters who have shaped the game.
July 9, 2012
Three and three-quarters. Like all collections, it serves up the best and worst of a writer in concentrated form. Kuper is very perceptive, has an anthropological knack for spotting behavioural patterns, and enlivens his pieces with a dry, wry wit. On the other hand, he is occasionally quite ad-hominem -ly cruel. My guess is that's the freedom that comes from writing about football; as he points out at the beginning, it is usually a waste of time trying to get genuine insight from a footballer. Building journalistic contacts in the game - not offending people, for instance - becomes a secondary consideration, perhaps...
November 17, 2012
Soccer Men 2011 by Simon Kuper is a collection of interviews and writings about various personalities associated with football. Kuper is the Financial Times’ soccer writer, co-author of the excellent Soccernomics and other soccer books.
The interviews vary in quality and amusement, the Lothar Matthaus interview is scathing and amusing while some of the other interviews can be somewhat fawning. Kuper has his biases, particularly toward the Dutch, but these do not detract substantially from the book.
There is some insight into the game amongst a good many colorful, fun, facts. For anyone who reads and enjoys soccer the book will not disappoint.
The interviews vary in quality and amusement, the Lothar Matthaus interview is scathing and amusing while some of the other interviews can be somewhat fawning. Kuper has his biases, particularly toward the Dutch, but these do not detract substantially from the book.
There is some insight into the game amongst a good many colorful, fun, facts. For anyone who reads and enjoys soccer the book will not disappoint.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2013
Kuper is a Dutch soccer journalist who has compiled a huge set of profiles of the most influential players and managers of the past 30 years or so. Some of the profiles are pretty out of date, so some have short updates appended to them. It was pretty interesting to find out which players are autodidacts and how others list sleeping as their only hobby – they can’t be bothered to read or even watch movies, but are focused only on soccer. I also got a good sense of how the game has developed and the differences in style in various countries.
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