Guillem Balague

'A must-read for anyone who's doubted Pep's influence, from handing the power to Barça's homegrown crop to never betraying his childhood romanticism of the game Four Four Two 'Balague's insightful biography presents Guardiola as a relentless perfectionist - a man obsessed with the minutiae of football, often unable to switch off' SPORT This fully updated edition of the international bestseller includes Manchester City's incredible 2017-18 league triumph Pep Guardiola is the most successful and sought-after football coach in the world. After being appointed first-team manager in 2008, he transformed Barcelona into arguably the greatest club side of all time, winning thirteen trophies in four years, and he won the Double twice in his three years in charge of Bayern Munich. He then faced his biggest challenge yet when he joined Manchester City in 2016: to turn them into a team that consistently wins in the most difficult of leagues and a regular challenger in the Champions League. But in only his second year at the club, he had turned a good side into memorable one, leading them to the Premier League title in record-breaking style . . . and doing it the Guardiola way. Guillem Balagué has followed Pep's career from the outset and has had direct access to the man and his inner circle for this updated edition. This then is the definitive portrait of Pep Guardiola and his relentless pursuit of footballing perfection.

Another Way of Winning: The Biography

Pep Guardiola

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

Cristiano Ronaldo

A Portrait of RAFA Benitez's Liverpool

A Season on the Brink

Inside Pochettino's Spurs

Brave New World

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

Messi

The Sunday Times Bestseller The exclusive behind-the-scenes story of the Mauricio Pochettino revolution at Spurs, told in his own words Since joining the club in 2014, Mauricio Pochettino has transformed Tottenham from underachievers into genuine title contenders. In the process, he has marked himself out as one of the best managers in the world. He has done so by promoting an attacking, pressing style of football and by nurturing home-grown talent, fully endearing himself to the Spurs faithful along the way. Guillem Balagué was granted unprecedented access to Pochettino and his backroom staff for the duration of the 2016-17 season, and was therefore able to draw on extensive interview material with Pochettino, his family, his closest assistants, players such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane, and even a very rare conversation with Daniel Levy to tell the manager's story in his own words. From Pochettino's early years as a player and coach to his transformation of Tottenham into one of the best teams in England, the book uniquely reveals the inner workings of the man and of his footballing philosophy. It also lays bare what it takes to run a modern-day football team competing at the highest level over the course of a single campaign. The result is the most comprehensive and compelling portrait of a manager and of a club in the Premier League era.

This fully updated edition of the international bestseller includes Manchester City's incredible 2017-18 league triumph Pep Guardiola is the most successful and sought-after football coach in the world. After being appointed first-team manager in 2008, he transformed Barcelona into arguably the greatest club side of all time, winning thirteen trophies in four years, and he won the Double twice in his three years in charge of Bayern Munich. He then faced his biggest challenge yet when he joined Manchester City in 2016: to turn them into a team that consistently wins in the most difficult of leagues and a regular challenger in the Champions League. But in only his second year at the club, he had turned a good side into memorable one, leading them to the Premier League title in record-breaking style . . . and doing it the Guardiola way. Guillem Balagué has followed Pep's career from the outset and has had direct access to the man and his inner circle for this updated edition. This then is the definitive portrait of Pep Guardiola and his relentless pursuit of footballing perfection.

The story of one of the greatest footballers of all time, Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi's career has been a stellar ascent, and shows no signs as yet of slowing down. Born in Rosario in Argentina in 1987, he began playing football at a very young age, and it wasn't long before his skill and potential was noticed in Europe by Barcelona. He debuted in the 2004-5 season, breaking FC Barcelona's team record for youngest footballer to score a league goal, and being part of the outstanding team that won La Liga that year. His breakthrough season was 2006-7, when he became a first team regular, and in 2008-9 he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in the team's triple-winning success. He surpassed this achievement in 2009-10 with 47 goals in all competitions, and again in 2010-11 with 53 goals. Since Pep Guardiola took over as manager of Barcelona in 2008, Messi has become Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions - at the age of 25. He scored an astonishing 91 goals in the calendar year 2012 alone. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2009, and won the inaugural FIFA BALLON D'OR in 2010 and again in 2011 and 2012. He has also excelled on the international stage, playing for his national team. The diminutive Argentinian plays with a smile on his face at the most successful club in European football. He has even been praised by Maradona as his 'successor'. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, possibly even the greatest. Guillem Balague's perceptive and compelling book goes to the heart of the mystery - and genius - that is Messi.

The Biography

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

MARADONA is the definitive new biography of a true global icon, from world-renowned football writer and journalist Guillem Balagué. Diego Armando Maradona was widely acclaimed as a genius. One of the greatest footballers of all time, he was also one of the most controversial. In an international career with Argentina he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals and played in four FIFA World Cups. With his unforgettable 'hand of God' goal and unsurpassed second one in the 1986 quarter-final against England, he captained his nation and led them to victory over West Germany in the final in Mexico. His vision, passing, ball control and dribbling skills, and his presence and leadership on the field, often electrified his own team's overall performance. Maradona's club career included dazzling spells in his own country at Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors and Newell's Old Boys, and in Europe with Barcelona, Napoli and Sevilla. Yet his life was one of relentless media attention, including tales of drug abuse and constant health issues. Based on in-depth interviews and first-hand stories, Guillem Balagué's masterly biography represents a psychological and sociological approach to the legend. This journey of exploration takes Guillem to Argentina, Spain, Italy and Dubai. Along the way, he asks what fosters such adulation, and how this adoration engendered a self-destructive personality. Even after his untimely death in 2020, Maradona continues to fascinate: his divine status seemingly preserved for ever.

The Boy. the Rebel. the God

Maradona

The Boy. The Rebel. The God.

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

Rafael Benitez, Liverpool and the Path to European Glory

Kariéra argentinského rodáka Lionela Messiho měla hvězdný začátek a dosud nevykazuje žádné známky zpomalení. Debutoval v sezoně 2004–2005 a hned překonal rekord katalánského týmu FC Barcelona pro nejmladšího fotbalistu, který vstřelil gól v lize. Pro tým FC Barcelona Messi hraje dosud a nosí číslo dresu 10. Stylem hry bývá přirovnáván k argentinskému fotbalistovi Maradonovi.

Messi: biografie

»Guillem Balague är en mycket bra berättare, och han komponerar storyn om världens kanske bäste fotbollsspelare genom tiderna på ett smart sätt, som stegrar aptiten. Boken är minst lika intressant att plöja som Zlatans självbiografi.« ANDERS SÄNNÅS LUNDQVIST, DN Nominerad till The British Sports Book Awards 2014 Detta är berättelsen om Lionel Andrés Messi, pojken som alltid var minst på plan i barndomens Rosario och som blev den störste någonsin på Camp Nou. Han föddes i Argentina 1987 och var bara några år gammal när han började spela fotboll. Det tog inte lång tid innan FC Barcelona noterade hans potential, och som 16-åring fick han debutera i Barças A-lag. Vid 26 års ålder är han i dag den störste skyttekungen i klubbens historia och Ballon d'Or-vinnare fyra år i rad. Det går inte längre att tvivla: Messi måste vara världens bästa fotbollsspelare genom tiderna.

Messi: Biografin

Den efterlängtade biografin om världens bästa fotbollsspelare »Han är bäst i världen, ja. Det har aldrig funnits en spelare som Ronaldo och kommer troligtvis aldrig någon som Ronaldo igen.« | José Mourinho CRISTIANO RONALDO är känd över hela planeten som den portugisiske fotbollsspelaren som är största stjärnan i spanska storklubben Real Madrid och kapten för det portugisiska landslaget. När Ronaldo flyttade från Manchester United till Real Madrid blev övergången historisk som den dyraste någonsin, med en transfersumma på nästan en miljard kronor. Ronaldos kontrakt med Real Madrid gör honom till en av de bäst betalda spelarna i världen. Ronaldo var den förste spelaren att vinna alla de fyra viktigaste utmärkelserna för Årets fotbollsspelare i England och har röstats fram som Premier Leagues bäste spelare någonsin. 2008, 2013 & 2014 vann han Ballon d’Or, som världens bäste fotbollsspelare. Han är den ende spelaren i fotbollshistorien som sex säsonger i rad gjort minst 50 mål. I september 2015 blev Ronaldo tidernas främste målskytt i UEFA Champions League och i oktober samma år blev han Real Madrids främste målgörare genom tiderna. Han är med andra ord ett världsfenomen. Ändå är väldigt lite känt om människan Ronaldo. Guillem Balague har skrivit den både insiktsfulla och avslöjande biografin Cristiano Ronaldo. I svensk översättning av Jens Ahlberg. GUILLEM BALAGUE är expert på spansk fotboll för brittiska Sky Sports och skriver regelbundet om fotboll i The Times. Han är den bästsäljande författaren till de stora biografierna om Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi och Pep Guardiola.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Biografin

Follow the history of FC Barcelona on their meteoric rise to fame, from 1899 to the present day Barça celebrates the rise of the most dominant soccer team in the modern era. It is not just that the team has won everything there is to win, it is that they do it with a style rarely seen in the world of soccer. They have excited fans not just in Catalonia, but all around the globe, making household names of Xavi, Messi, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Romario, Maradona, Cruyff, and many more over more than a century of soccer excellence. This book traces the club's history from its formation in 1899, the trials and tribulations of growth, the battle to emerge from the shadow--politically and sportingly--of Madrid, the blossoming of the club in the 1970s, European glory in the 1980s and 1990s, and now this juggernaut of soccer that brushes aside all-comers. Features on the legends of Barcelona give deeper insight into the clubs key players and the lively, informative text is brought to life by dramatic action images.

Guillem Balague

About

Books

Join the club