Bring the Noise

December 15, 2017
Honigstein (Das Reboot, 2015), a leading authority on German soccer via print journalism, TV punditry, and podcasting, examines the career of Jurgen Klopp, the inspirational manager who took charge of Liverpool Football Club after engineering stunning turnarounds at Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund. A leading proponent of a high-energy, counter-pressing style of play (gegenpressing), Klopp has previously managed to get teams to punch above their weight through tactics and careful cultivation of the twelfth man (i.e., the crowd), turning stadia into cauldrons of noise and excitement. (Some call it heavy metal football. ) But while casual fans might see Kloppo as merely a manager who jumps around on the sideline, Honigstein digs deep to reveal a competitive, charismatic, and thoughtful man whothough prone to apologizing for mercurial outburstshas in many ways outperformed his own limitations through hard work and passionate determination. The jury's still out on his accomplishments at the legendary LFC, but fans of European soccer should love this page-turning take on one of the most fascinating figures in the sport.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)