Soccer, the world’s most popular mass spectator sport, gives birth to great achievers on the field of play all the time. While some of them become heroes and stars during their playing career, transforming themselves into national as well as global icons, very few come to be remembered as all-time greats. They leave an enduring legacy and thereby claim to be legends by their own rights. While the rise and achievements of these soccer greats have drawn considerable attention from scholars across the world, their legacies across time and space have mostly been overlooked. This volume intends to reconstruct the significance of the legacies of such great men of world soccer particularly in a globalized world. It will attempt to show that these luminous personalities not only represent their national identity at the global stage, but also highlight the proven role of the players or coaches in projecting a global image, cutting across affiliations of nation, region, class, community, religion, gender and so on. In other words, the true heroes, icons and legends of the world’s most popular sport have always floated at a transnational global space, transcending the limits of space, identity or culture of a nation. This book was published as a special issue of Soccer and Society.

Mesut Ozil is a midfield magician, casting an elegant spell over opponents and conjuring passes through gaps lesser mortals can't even see. After an eventful sojourn among the Galacticos of Real Madrid he has savoured silverware at Arsenal, while in 2014 he lifted the World Cup with Germany. But his life and career have been a test of resilience. Growing up in Germany's Turkish community, he faced prejudice from those who claimed his dual identity would prevent him giving his all for the national team. Later came questions over a different type of commitment, the kind levelled against those, like Mesut Ozil, who excel in football's finer arts rather than relying simply on running and ruggedness. He has proved concerns on both these issues lack substance. In Gunning for Greatness, Mesut Ozil reveals the inside stories of his relationships with Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, his quest to help the under-fire Frenchman restore Arsenal's pre-eminence - and how he silenced the sceptics by conquering the world.

This book is not so much round the world in eighty days as round the world in 1,200 challenging quiz questions, designed to test the knowledge, resolve and goal-scoring accuracy of even the most ardent football fan. Spanning the whole history of the World Cup since its conception and covering all the nail-biting competitions, participating teams and unforgettable players and managers, the cunning questions could give your brain a nasty tackle and leave it calling for a stretcher. With a fitting Foreword by Martin Peters MBE, this veritable treasure trove is brimful of interesting facts and figures and is guaranteed to stir up fond memories of the all the highlights and lowlights that have graced the World Cup stage and have left an indelible mark on the history of football.

"A beautiful story, expertly told." -- Per Mertesacker, Arsenal defender and member of the German national team, winners of the 2014 World Cup Estáo do Maracan", July 13, 2014, the last ten minutes of extra time in the World Cup Final: German forward Mario Gö jumps to meet a floated pass from Andr' Schü cushions the ball with his chest, and in one fluid motion volleys the ball past the onrushing Argentine goalkeeper into the far corner of the net. The goal wins Germany the World Cup for the first time in almost thirty years. As the crowd roars, Gö looks dazed, unable to comprehend what he has done. In Das Reboot, Raphael Honigstein charts the return of German soccer from the dreary functionality of the late 1990s to Gö's moment of sublime, balletic genius and asks: How did this come about? The answer takes him from California to Stuttgart, from Munich to the Maracan", via Dortmund and Amsterdam. Packed with exclusive interviews with key figures, including JüKlinsmann, Thomas Mü Oliver Bierhoff, and many more, Honigstein's book reveals the secrets of German soccer's success.

This book charts season 2003/04, as Celtic went on a quest to regain the Scottish Premier League title that had been lost in the cruelest of circumstances. From the pre-season games in Sweden, England and the United States of America, to a Champions League campaign which would see Celtic come within minutes of reaching the knockout stages before ultimately dropping into the UEFA Cup where they would record arguably one of their greatest European results in a generation.Through a record breaking league run, a domestic double, and a series of victories over their Glasgow rivals, read how Celtic put themselves back on top - before bidding a final farewell to their talismanic striker from Sweden, Henrik Larsson.Through every match of the 2003/04 season, as well as the comings and goings between matches, relive the many highs of a terrific period of Celtic's history through the eyes of the people who were there - players, managers, and supporters alike.

In The League Doesn’t Lie, the 606 team have selected the most debatable topics from the world of football, from best manager to most memorable penalty, and worst haircut ever to the ultimate England team. Learn about the top ten football Tweeters. Jump on your 606 Soapbox about the best ever player. And hear about the show’s angriest calls of all time! With introductions from the 606 team for each topic, plus a foreword by Robbie Savage, The League Doesn’t Lie is the ultimate book of football trivia and opinion for Sunday League players and armchair referees alike.

Animation, Sport and Culture is a wide-ranging study of both sport and animated films. From Goofy to Goalkeepers, Wallace and Gromit to Tiger Woods, Mickey Mouse to Messi, and Nike to Nationhood, this Olympic-sized analysis looks at the history, politics, aesthetics and technologies of sport and animation from around the globe.

The exciting conclusion to the 2011-12 Bundesliga season saw Borussia Dortmund retain the title with a record points total ahead of Bayern Munich. At the other end of the table there were stormy relegations for Cologne and Hertha Berlin as well as a poor Kaiserslautern side. Augsburg surprised many by keeping their Bundesliga status in their debut season. Schalke 04 will join the top two in the Champions League in 2012-13 thanks in no small part to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's 29 league goals. This 373-page book details every match of the season, with week-by-week tables showing the teams' movements throughout the 34 rounds of matches. Every match line-up is included, along with details of every player appearance. Finally, this comprehensive record also provides statistics on attendances, referees performances, disciplinary records and goalscorers. Fully in English.