Book in Polish language version.
All around the world, football is a powerful force influencing the lives of billions of people. It reflects culture, national identities, and political views like a lens. Football is a medium through which the world’s hopes and fears, passions and hatreds are expressed.
Simon Kuper visited 22 countries, from South Africa to Italy, from Russia to the United States, to explore how football has shaped them. At the same time, he tried to uncover what lies behind each nation’s distinctive playing style, from the carefree self-expression of Brazilians to the anxious calculation of Italians. Along the way, he met an extraordinary group of players, politicians, commanders, and fans, including a Berlin resident persecuted by the Stasi for supporting Hertha BSC, an Argentine general with his own view of football tactics, and Dinamo Zagreb ultras who took part in the Yugoslav war.
The author wasn’t afraid to tackle difficult topics and used football to explain the world: the political, religious, and cultural background of the game, which is often much more important and fascinating than what happens on the pitch.
- Release date: 21.06.2023
- Translated by: Bartosz Sałbut
- Format: 140mm/205mm
- Cover: soft with flaps
- Number of pages: 448