How to Win the World Cup
Secrets and Insights from International Football's Top Managers
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
'A brilliant new perspective' – Jamie Carragher
'Superb' – Daniel Taylor
WITH NEW AND UPDATED CONTENT FOR THE MEN'S FIFA WORLD CUP 2026
THIS INSIGHTFUL INVESTIGATION REVEALS THE MINDSETS AND UNBELIEVABLE APPROACHES OF THE COACHES SEEKING FOOTBALL'S ULTIMATE PRIZE
Godlike geniuses or the focus of a disappointed nation's fury – the world's most prestigious tournament makes or breaks national coaches. Only 20 managers have guided their team to World Cup glory, so what are their secrets? From revolutionary tactics to hare-brained schemes, this book searches for the keys to the most exclusive club in men's international football.
They may silently plot on the bench or manically gesticulate from the sidelines, but what can coaches really do to influence their team's performance? Discover the tactical innovations and brilliant strategies as well as the bizarre superstitions, psychological masterclasses and bonkers team-building regimes that managers have employed in the quest for that iconic trophy.
Charting the successes, failures, dramas and controversies of over 90 years of men's World Cup action through the insights of World Cup stars including Alexi Lalas, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Pierre Littbarski, Roberto Martinez and Mick McCarthy, this book reveals the lengths the men in the dugouts will go to in order to bring home the greatest prize.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"There are plenty of pieces that need to fall perfectly into place for a nation to be on top of the world," asserts sportswriter Evans in his debut, an incisive analysis of "the beautiful game" at its highest levels. Drawing on scores of interviews with managers and players, he explores the stresses and difficulties surrounding the World Cup, from the anxieties of qualification to managing the egos of a team of superstars while also navigating geopolitical rivalries. He begins with a chapter on the "Minnows"—or the managers for teams unlikely to even make it to the quadrennial World Cup—then proceeds to describe how elite managers for the sport's powerhouse national teams face unyielding pressure to overperform upon reaching the finals. Throughout, Evans provides a thorough appraisal and ethnography of the game, noting how the World Cup "can empty usually busy roads as locals gravitate towards television screens to watch their national heroes in a crunch match." In closing chapters, he turns to the burdens of winning and the lure of repeating as champions, interviewing the likes of Carlos Alberto Parreira, Brazil's manager during its 1994 triumph, who, following the victory, "experienced the pressure of taking Brazil to two World Cups." With the 2022 World Cup fast approaching, this is a must-read for soccer fans.
