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A Season on the Brink: Rafael Benitez, Liverpool and the Path to European Glory: A Portrait of Rafa Benitez's Liverpool [Paperback]

Guillem Balague (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 19 Oct 2006

When Rafael Benitez was appointed manager of under-achieving Liverpool at the start of the 2004-2005 season, the reaction of many fans was 'Who the **** is Rafael Benitez?'. The Liverpool fans had grown used to French manager Gerard Houllier but he had been a fan of the club himself since his days as a teacher on Merseyside. A Spaniard with admittedly a wonderful record at Valencia was going to take over management of Liverpool's famous Boot Room and try and win over a disillusioned Kop.

But in one season, Benitez's importation of Spanish players, coaching methods and diet has led to a revolution, even usurping Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, whereby the team has ended the season winning the ultimate trophy for any European club - the European Champions League. No fan will ever forget the comeback from a 3-0 deficit to a 3-3 scoreline, then dramatic success in the penalty shoot-out.

This is the story of Rafa's remarkable success.

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A Season on the Brink: Rafael Benitez, Liverpool and the Path to European Glory: A Portrait of Rafa Benitez's Liverpool + Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning: The Biography.
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Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Orion (19 Oct 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0752879367
  • ISBN-13: 978-0752879369
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 1.8 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 131,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

Fascinating, stirring stuff (DUBLIN EVENING HERALD )

an enthralling, revelatory account of a game that will be remembered forever. (FOUR FOUR TWO ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Biographical Portrait of Liverpool's Spanish football manager Rafael Benitez and an extraordinary season for the club.
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Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A must buy... 14 Jun 2006
By Daniel J. Havard
Format:Hardcover
As a Liverpool fan ive always wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Anfield and this book takes you through the whole of Rafa's first season at Anfield with great detail and also has the added bonus of telling you the truth behind the two big stories of his first season:

1. The Gerrard saga(s)

2. What did he do at half time

And on top of those theres a great insight into the semi-final between Lfc and Chelsea with a very interesting bit about Mourinhos preditction. The only reason ive given this 4 stars and not 5 is because Guillem has a blatent dislike for Houllier and a love for Rafa as he blames all of Liverpools problems on the French man but that shouldnt stop you buying this fantastic story. YNWA
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Relive the memories 4 Feb 2006
By "fowlerisgod"
Format:Hardcover
A superb insight into an incredible season. Takes you behind the scenes and shows what Benitez and his team were doing/thinking/saying at each step along the way. There's some particularly good info on Gerrards two aborted departures to Chavski. This book, along with Fowlers autobiography (welcome back God!), also put Houlliers time in charge in a new light.

In short, for any Liverpool fan, this is a must read. For anyone else, I would say that this is not only the best book about football I have ever read, but the best book about sport I have ever read.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars How can you beat this? 18 Nov 2005
By Jason Robertson
Format:Hardcover
I awaited with baited breath for this book's publication. However, I was shocked and pleasantly surprised about its breadth of coverage and input from those closest to the action in Istanbul. It also includes input from Liverpool's players, management and fans, and interestingly comments from a couple of the AC Milan players and even the referee too! It covers more than Istanbul, and in Balague's own inimitable style, makes for a great read overall. Balague does not try to bias the book, but rather, provides an insight into the thoughts, emotions and aspirations surrounding Benitez's arrival at LFC and what was achieved, and not acheived, in his first season. A must read!
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Guillem Balague 15 Sep 2005
By Mark Owen Pemberton
Format:Hardcover
Guillem Balague is one of Spains top football pundits with unique knoledge of both the clubs and players. He also works with sky sports as there spanish pundit and is always ready with the low down on a player when a transfer coup is pulled off. The book promises to be an intresting insite into the club from an unusual perspective. Here are his comments on the up and coming book:

----------------------------------------------------------------

I must admit to having a vested interest in the fortunes of Liverpool. For the past twelve months I have followed them closely for a book I have been writing.

It's called 'A Season On The Brink' and it's about Rafael Benitez's first year at Anfield - what he's changed at the club, his relationship with the players and how they accepted him, how he managed to reach the Champions League Final in Istanbul and what happened along the way.

Basically, it's the inside story of what was the most exciting club of last season.

I'm a big admirer of Rafa. I've known him for a number of years now and the relationship I have with him works well. It's very professional and full of respect.

When I reflect on the amazing success he has achieved I must say I am not surprised. I said as soon as he arrived that he was going to be very special, that he had the ambition, knowledge and confidence to take this club forward.

I also felt, and it's actually in print, that initially it would be easier for him to make an impact on the Champions League rather than the Premiership because he knows the European game very well and had already won the UEFA Cup with Valencia.... Read more ›

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars an absolute must-read 1 Jan 2006
By "nicetohearfromu"
Format:Hardcover
I read what the Echo wrote about this book ("one of the most insightful, accurate and entertaining Liverpool publications in living memory") and decided to buy it. Lots of my mates had it for christmas too and they were very happy about it. I cant praised it highly enough. I read it in a couple of days and it feels lots of work has gone into it, but its written in a way that forces you to read it in one go. Fascinating stuff about half time, about Benitez methods and his way of thinking, great quotes from so many guys who were part of the Istanbul night. I will recommend it to everybody, its one of the great sports books of the last few years. I wonder if some of the reviewers here are other upset authors who could not get to the same heights...
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars a season on the brink 6 Jan 2006
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This must be the most interesting book i have ever read, it comes with a completley different point of veiw , its not about anything but the truth, how it obviously happened and how it must have felt, wish i had been there, although now ive read the book, i believe i have!
Well done senor balague, its a must for anyone, not just a football fan.
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3.0 out of 5 stars A Season on the Brink, A Night to Remember 1 April 2013
By JohnCarr
Format:Paperback
As a Liverpool fan reading this book in 2013 is both pleasurable and painful. Pleasurable because it recalls that remarkable Champions League Final of 2005 (the morning after the night before my boss told me I should stop supporting Liverpool because it could never get that good again - so far, it hasn't), painful to think of what has happened since.
The book is written by Guillem Balague, a Spanish journalist who is a Liverpool fan and an admirer of Rafa Benitez. His subject is 2004/05, Rafa's first season in charge culminating in a highly improbable victory. His style is to alternate chapters covering the final in detail with "flashback" chapters covering the highs and lows of the season from Rafa's appointment onward.
It will not be controversial to say that Ballague is pro-Benitez and highly critical of his predecessor, Gerard Houlier. His style is easy to read and liberally supplemented with numerous quotes from insiders.
The revised version contains two supplementary chapters covering the 05/06 season culminating in the "Gerrard Final" in the FA cup.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars He'll Never Walk Alone.
This is a great read for any lovers of team sports, particularly Liverpool Football Club. It gives an interesting account of Benitez's time in charge at the club and peoples... Read more
Published 13 months ago by BriaR
3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly myopic and political - rather than truly objetive.
Everything Rafa did was brilliant and everything Houllier did was rubbish.

Also in order to politically stay in with Owen and MacManaman he refused to condemn them for... Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2008 by Punit Shah
5.0 out of 5 stars world class
In 2004 rafa benitez took over the reigns of the greatest club of all time,he was expected to stabilise a team filled with inner doubt and move the unit forward,what he did was win... Read more
Published on 14 Nov 2007 by sean paul mccann
3.0 out of 5 stars LFC fans look before you leap
As a Liverpool fan, I don't think it would have been possible to be totally disappointed with this book, because of the subject matter. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2007 by mssmith1
3.0 out of 5 stars Just for liverpool fans
Guillem encapsulates Liverpool's incredible triumph in stylish fashion, and as such this book is a must for Liverpool supporters; however, the book will fail to capture the... Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2006 by W. Roberts
1.0 out of 5 stars major disappointment
i was really looking forward to reading this but it was a big let down.

to begin with, there are glaring factual errors: e.g. Read more

Published on 29 Dec 2005 by ajay313
3.0 out of 5 stars Below Parr
Having previously read the far superior Golden Past, Red Future by Paul Tomkins I was looking forward to reading this offering from the respected Spanish Journalist. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2005 by S. A. Mcleod
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