Search results for ""Author Luca Caioli""

Strength, speed and dedication: Cristiano Ronaldo is known throughout the world as a colossus of the modern game.But did you know that he underwent laser heart surgery aged just fifteen to enable him to continue playing the game he loved?Or that Nacional, his first professional club, donated twenty balls and two sets of kits to his youth team in order to sign him?Or how he came to be known as abelhinha -'little bee'- a name he would later pass on to his Yorkshire Terrier?Find out all this and more in Luca Caioli's biography of the global superstar, featuring exclusive insights from those who know him best and even the man himself.

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FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RONALDO AND NEYMAR.Prolific, cool-headed and unerringly consistent, Lionel Messi is one of the most revered footballers in history. But did you know that his transfer to Barcelona was first agreed on a paper napkin?Or that an x-ray of his hand was to thank for identifying his growth hormone deficiency? And do you know why he refused to collect his first ever Champions League winner's medal?Find out all this and more in Luca Caioli's classic portrait of a footballing icon, featuring exclusive interviews with those who know him best and even Messi himself.

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When Manchester City's owners appointed Roberto Mancini in late 2009, the message was clear: this was the man who would overtake the Blues' illustrious neighbours and restore the club to the pinnacle of English football.The former Italy playmaker swiftly repaid their faith, following up an FA Cup triumph in his first full season with the Premier League title - won in the most heartstopping fashion imaginable - to continue a success story that had taken him from early stardom in Bologna to back-to-back league titles as Inter Milan manager.Now, renowned Italian sports writer Luca Caioli gives the full inside story of Mancini's rollercoaster life in football - from his early days as a firebrand centre forward, through glory days with Sampdoria and Lazio, to his emergence as a charismatic, if controversial, pitch-side leader.Featuring insights from those who know him best - including family members, former teammates and managers, as well as an exclusive interview with Mancini himself, it provides a unique and revealing portrait of the man behind the Blue revolution.

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Bestselling football biographer Luca Caioli tackles his most controversial subject yet - Barcelona, Uruguay and former Liverpool forward Luis Suárez.When in late September 2013 Luis Suárez returned from a landmark ten-match ban for biting an opponent, one in a long line of high-profile misdemeanours, it seemed unlikely that he would ever win over his critics.In the months that followed he scored an astonishing 31 times, propelling Liverpool back into the Champions League following a four-year absence. The World Cup in Brazil followed but Suárez saw his action-packed tournament curtailed after just two games, two goals and one moment of madness, with favourable comparisons to Messi and Ronaldo once again overshadowed by those with Jekyll and Hyde.Acclaimed football biographer Luca Caioli provides an in-depth look at one of football's most enigmatic characters, from humble Uruguayan beginnings to his big-money move to Barcelona in July 2014.

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Mario Balotelli has a reputation like no other in football. Since exploding on to the scene at Inter Milan in 2007, he has won league titles in both Italy and England, moving between Europe's elite clubs.Yet for all his undoubted talent, he is better known for his off-field antics - not least his infamous run-ins with both the police and Manchester's firefighters. Once described by José Mourinho as 'unmanageable', match-winning performances at the highest level have continued to convince clubs such as AC Milan and Liverpool to give him a chance.With exclusive access to friends, teammates and coaches, acclaimed football biographer Luca Caioli talks to the people best placed to explain the mystery that is Mario Balotelli.

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UPDATED TO INCLUDE HIS CONTROVERSIAL TRANSFER TO BARCELONA Quick, incisive and versatile, Antoine Griezmann is the ultimate modern forward. But did you know that he had to leave France in order to find a professional club willing to take a chance on him?Or that he wears the number 7 shirt as a tribute to his idol, David Beckham? Or that Real Sociedad fans came to affectionately refer to him as 'The Little Devil'? Find our about all this and more in Luca Caioli and Cyril Collot's tirelessly researched biography, featuring exclusive interviews with those who know him best.Includes all the action from the 2018/19 season

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Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann were the stand-out stars of France's World Cup-winning team, drawing comparisons to the great class of '98.Be it Pogba's high-profile apprenticeships in the Premier League and Italy's Serie A, Griezmann's seizing his opportunity in Real Sociedad's youth academy or Mbappé's dazzling performances for AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, all three have forged their own distinct routes to the very top. The result is an unstoppable blend of pace, determination and creativity that cuts through opposition defences with devastating efficiency.Through exclusive testimonies from friends, families, managers and teammates, acclaimed football writers Luca Caioli and Cyril Collot document the trio's individual journeys and examine the phenomenal success of France's footballing superstars, including their success at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

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On 1 September 2015, Anthony Martial completed his transfer from Monaco to Manchester United. At just 19 years of age, the fee of £36m (potentially rising to £58m) made the France international the most expensive teenager of all time.Eyebrows were raised at the landmark fee but a goal against Liverpool in his first game helped get the supporters onside, while a number of key strikes in his debut season soon won over the critics as he became integral to Manchester United's attack.Renowned sports biographers Luca Caioli and Cyril Collot talk to coaches, teammates and even Martial himself, to provide an unrivalled behind-the-scenes look at the life of the teenage superstar.

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