How to Win the World Cup: Secrets and Insights from International Football's Top Managers

Description

How to Win the World Cup delves into the psyche of national team bosses to discover the unique mindset and sacrifices needed to deliver on the globe's biggest stage and join that exclusive winners club. Unlike their counterparts at club level, international bosses are often the forgotten men in the most iconic moments, yet they're the ones orchestrating the story lines we're hooked to. The book explores the greatest successes and failures from the past 90 years of World Cup action from a fresh perspective, as the men in the dugout take centre stage. Learn about the bizarre superstitions, tactical masterclasses and bonkers team-building regimes needed to negotiate tournament football - why it works for some and not for others, as cultures and generations change. By charting managers' journeys and collecting insight into their approaches and philosophies, the stories reveal the true drama, psychological processes and quirks of being an international manager. With special focus on the varying levels of World Cup management, from managing qualifying minnows to those in contention to lift the trophy, the book explores the different challenges facing international managers as they try to achieve their respective World Cup dreams. Through a mixture of interviews with managers, the players they coached, and the reports and pundits who critiqued them, the book creates a tapestry of topics and provides a fresh look at the world's most-watched football tournament. The book features contributions from leading World Cup stars, including Jamie Carragher, Tomas Brolin, Geoff Hurst, Alexi Lalas, Roberto Martinez, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Roger Milla, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Pierre Littbarski, Mick McCarthy, and leading journalists such as Patrick Barclay, Raphael Honigstein and Graham Hunter.

Chris Evans is a freelance writer whose work regularly appears in FourFourTwo magazine. He is also the editor of The Set Pieces.com. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Independent and Mail Online, and other nationals.

Superbly insightful ... A brilliant new perspective on World Cup management * Jamie Carragher * Superb - great stories about the greatest tournament * Daniel Taylor * A fascinating read * Barry Davies * If you like a rich and rewarding football read, look no further * Patrick Barclay * Detailed, humorous, extensively researched and very difficult to put down * Terry Butcher * A wonderful look into the beautiful game and the quest to unlock the secret to winning its ultimate prize * Alexi Lalas * An incisive analysis of "the beautiful game" at its highest levels... a must-read for soccer fans * Publishers Weekly * Evans takes 19 aspects of both management and the World cup itself (penalty shoot-outs, qualifying, tactics, star players) unearths a succession of stories... and sprinkles them with interviewees. -- John Aizlewood * The i * Insight into how simply punching above one's weight in the qualifying stages is a world cup victory in itself. * When Saturday Comes * Superbly insightful... a brilliant new perspective * talkSport * Evans has spoken to an impressive and eclectic cast of characters with vast experience in the international game. The quality and calibre of those who offer their perspectives in the book really make it stand out ... It serves as both a study in how to manage an international time and also a reflection on why international football is so special. * All Sport Book Reviews * fascinating * BBC Radio 5 Live *