Football autobiographies have grown in popularity alongside the rise of the global football superstar. At their best, these autobiographies reveal tremendous secrets of the game and provide an insight into the minds of famous athletes or managers.
Today, I will look at some of the best football autobiographies. These are the sort of books that should be of interest to all types of readers.
Johan Cruyff – My Turn: The Autobiography
Johan Cruyff is seen by many as the father of modern professional footballers. The Dutchman revolutionized the game both as a player and as a manager responsible for creating the possession-based football promoted by FC Barcelona.
Along the way, Cruyff battled addiction and financial issues, refused to play in one World Cup and even brushes with the underworld. It’s quite a tale and one best told by the great man himself. As it turns out he’s as good as an author as he was as a footballer and manager.
My Autobiography – Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful modern football manager. Considering his success, it’s only natural that many books have been written about his life and career. But, it’s Ferguson himself who holds the secrets to his managerial success and lays them bare in this revealing and insightful autobiography.
My Life in Red and White – Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger was, alongside Alex Ferguson, the figure that loomed largest over 1990s Premier League professional football. Wenger came to Arsenal as a relative unknown. During his tenure, the London club developed into one of the most successful in the world. The French manager reveals his extraordinary tale in his autobiography.
I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Zlatan Ibrahimovic
“I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic” was a bestseller across the world. But that’s to be expected, given the immense popularity of the Swedish striker. Like the former forward, the autobiography is funny, and irreverent and reveals more of Ibrahimovic’s contagious confidence. Absolutely worth the purchasing price!
I Think Therefore I Play – Andrea Pirlo
There aren’t many players who earned more respect or received a higher general rating from specialists for the way they played football than Andrea Pirlo. An immensely intelligent player who earned success for decades while representing multiple sides, Pirlo’s autobiography should be a delight for those who think soccer is as much a sport of the mind as one played with the body.
Blessed – George Best
George Best was the first football superstar. With a career that began just at the time that games were entering the public’s living room via televised broadcasts, Best is responsible for turning Manchester United into a global brand. Once you could view Best’s skills, you were bound to become a fan. A man with a notoriously eventful life and one blessed with nearly unrivalled skill, Best’s autobiography is a story of the rise, fall and ultimate redemption.
Clough The Autobiography – Brian Clough
Brian Clough’s legend was already firmly established by the time that the Englishman was a young coach. That legend has only grown in the years since. Clough, one of the most charismatic men to ever manage a football team, the former Derby County and Nottingham Forest manager, provides great, humorous stories that are best just wouldn’t be the same told by anyone else.
