Soccer Men

August 22, 2011
Kuper (Soccernomics), who has covered professional soccer’s headliners and newsmakers for a variety of publications, including the Financial Times and the Times of London, writes, “I have never thought that most soccer players, like in many other sports, have anything special to say.” He adds that today’s players are mostly followers whose worldview is limited to what happens on the pitch. Still, that doesn’t prevent the author from employing eloquent criticism and biting wit in profiling everyone from legendary Argentine player/partier turned national coach Diego Maradona (“the fat cigar smoker and former cocaine addict with the geriatric’s heart”) to David Beckham (“an Andy Warhol painting come to life”) to baseball executive Billy Beane, whose moneyball tactics have found their way into professional soccer. But over the course of a book, Kuper’s winking, borderline contemptuous style and halfhearted reporting transform the soccer-loving author from observant cynic to incessant crank. This collection is best read in small chunks by soccer fans who don’t mind seeing their idols take a tumble.

September 1, 2011

Hot on the excitement over the 2011 women's World Cup comes Kuper's latest soccer gem (published in the UK as Football Men), this one featuring insights into the game's prominent men--players, managers, and a handful of others. Well qualified, Kuper (Financial Times; coauthor, Soccernomics) delivers profiles, many previously published in the Financial Times and other newspapers, of some 70 men of soccer. The players reflect on their lives away from the pitch and reveal the human side of the sport's most recognizable names--David Beckham, Franz Beckenbauer, Eric Cantona, and Zinedine Zidane. Soccer remains the central theme, but Kuper's easy interview style hides few flaws and creates some memorable moments such as those with Nicolas Anelka and Freddy Adu. An afternoon with English manager Glenn Hoddle produced a remarkable interview. Where appropriate, Kuper adds a brief postscript for an update. VERDICT Kuper is one of the world's leading soccer authors, which reinforces the highly recommended VERDICT here. With appeal beyond soccer fans.--Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., AL

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2011
Inspired by Arthur Hopcraft's The Football Man (1968), the Netherlands-raised Kuper offers his own profiles of more contemporary players and managers. Kuper was coauthor of the excellent Soccernomics (2009) and author of the award-winning Soccer against the Enemy (2006); he has both keen insight into the game and a gift for getting it across, with or without statistics. His profiles explore the players' personalities (or lack thereof), how their circumstances shape their playing, and what makes them so good. Most are drawn from Kuper's previously published journalism and so capture moments that sometimes seem dated now, though he does append some updates in italics. American soccer fans are often more knowledgeable about European leagues than nonfans would expectthe game is better overseasso profiles of mostly European players and managers might have more of an audience than you'd expect, too. Still, for all the Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, and Wayne Rooney, there's an awful lot of Bert Trautmann and Bruce Grobbelaar. Worthwhile but not essentialacquire accordingly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)