Fields of Glory, Paths of Gold: The History of European Football

Fields of Glory, Paths of Gold: The History of European Football

Fields of Glory, Paths of Gold tells the remarkable story of the growth of European football over the past 125 years.

Packed with intriguing stories and facts, it:
• charts the foundation and development of the club sides that shaped European football, from Herbert Chapman’s great Arsenal team of the early 1930s through Real Madrid to Ajax and Bayern Munich;
• assesses the great international teams that emerged over the years, including Vittorio Pozzo’s Italy and Ferenc Puskas’s magical Magyars;
• relates the story behind the origins of the European Cup and appraises the teams who dominated the competition’s early years;
• highlights the exceptional players who revolutionised the game, from Johan Cruyff to Franz Beckenbauer and Michel Platini;
• examines the important work of visionary managers, such as Herbert Chapman, Rinus Michels and Arrigo Sacchi;
• covers the figures who have been influential off the pitch, including L’Equipe editor Gabriel Hanot, who inspired the European Cup, and Silvio Berlusconi, who developed the modern-day AC Milan; and
• traces the roots of the Champions League, showing how the competition was designed to favour the elite from western Europe’s major leagues.

This authoritative and entertaining volume is a must-read for football fans of all ages.