A Season on the Brink: Rafael Benitez, Liverpool and the Path to European Glory
Aug 2011 · Hachette UK
3.7star
16 reviewsreport
Ebook
256
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
'ENTHRALLING' FourFourTwo
'STIRRING' Dublin Herald
'FASCINATING' Red and White Kop
'ASTONISHING' Bleacher Report
The Sunday Times Bestseller
Twentieth anniversary edition, fully updated with a new foreword from Rafael Benitez
When Rafael Benitez was appointed manager of under-achieving Liverpool at the start of the 2004-05 season, the reaction of many fans was 'Who the **** is Rafael Benitez?'. After a wonderful spell at Valencia, the Spaniard arrived to take over Liverpool's famous Boot Room, determined to change the club's fortunes and win over a disillusioned Kop.
In just one season, Benitez's importation of Spanish players, coaching methods and diet led to a revolution, usurping José Mourinho's Chelsea to reach the European Champions League final in Istanbul. It was a match that would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
At half-time, Liverpool were 3-0 down to Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan, a team many regarded as the best in the world, filled with stars such as Paolo Maldini, Kaká and Andrea Pirlo. However, against all the odds, Liverpool produced a stunning comeback, with goals from club captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Šmicer and Xabi Alonso, before a dramatic penalty shoot-out saw the Reds clinch European glory.
Featuring exclusive interviews with Benitez himself, assistant manager Pako Ayestarán and key first-team players, this is the behind-the-scenes story of Rafa's remarkable success with Liverpool.
'STIRRING' Dublin Herald
'FASCINATING' Red and White Kop
'ASTONISHING' Bleacher Report
The Sunday Times Bestseller
Twentieth anniversary edition, fully updated with a new foreword from Rafael Benitez
When Rafael Benitez was appointed manager of under-achieving Liverpool at the start of the 2004-05 season, the reaction of many fans was 'Who the **** is Rafael Benitez?'. After a wonderful spell at Valencia, the Spaniard arrived to take over Liverpool's famous Boot Room, determined to change the club's fortunes and win over a disillusioned Kop.
In just one season, Benitez's importation of Spanish players, coaching methods and diet led to a revolution, usurping José Mourinho's Chelsea to reach the European Champions League final in Istanbul. It was a match that would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
At half-time, Liverpool were 3-0 down to Carlo Ancelotti's AC Milan, a team many regarded as the best in the world, filled with stars such as Paolo Maldini, Kaká and Andrea Pirlo. However, against all the odds, Liverpool produced a stunning comeback, with goals from club captain Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Šmicer and Xabi Alonso, before a dramatic penalty shoot-out saw the Reds clinch European glory.
Featuring exclusive interviews with Benitez himself, assistant manager Pako Ayestarán and key first-team players, this is the behind-the-scenes story of Rafa's remarkable success with Liverpool.
Ratings and reviews
3.7
16 reviews
About the author
Guillem Balagué is an award-winning football author, journalist and presenter who works for BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 Live, ITV, LaLiga TV and the American network CBS. His books include A Season on the Brink: A Portrait of Rafael Benitez's Liverpool; Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning; Messi: The Definitive Biography; Cristiano Ronaldo: The Biography which won the Football Book of the Year Award at the British Sports Book Awards and the Best Football Book of 2016 in Poland; Brave New World: Inside Pochettino's Spurs and Maradona: The Boy, The Rebel, The God. All of Guillem's books have been Sunday Times bestsellers in the UK, and each has been shortlisted for various category awards. He is also chairman of Biggleswade United.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
