El Macca [Hardcover]

Steve McManaman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2004

Born and raised a stone's throw from Anfield, Steve McManaman was actually an Evertonian before Kenny Dalglish signed him at Liverpool FC straight from school. After a spell cleaning John Barnes' boots as an apprentice he went on to make his reputation as one of British football's most dazzling players, before taking on his biggest challenge yet with his move from Liverpool to Real Madrid in 1999. But after a stunning start to his Spanish career it soon appeared his move abroad had been a mistake. With high-profile signings like Figo, Ronaldo and Zidane all competing for limited midfield places and a manager who seemed to have tired of him, Macca realised he either had to find a new club or stay and fight for his place. He stayed -- and went on to win a second European Cup as well as the affections of thousands of fanatical Real supporters. With the arrival of David Beckham the dressing-room of 'Los Galacticos' has become more stellar than ever. 'El Macca' now opens the door on the best club side in the world to reveal not just the pressures and rewards of moving abroad as a professional footballer but also the difficulties and delights of playing alongside the best in the business

Editorial Reviews

Review

'McManaman's new book offers a first-hand of his time in Spain, and how, as a 'Galactico', he was instrumental in helping the club become arguably the best in the world.' Big Issue in the North 06/09 'For a fresher and fizzier portrait of Beckham's arrival in Madrid, it would be hard to beat EL MACCA ... McManaman has always been an entertaining chronicler of the life he leads in football and his co-writer Sarah Edworthy has managed to fill the book with the sort of endearing detail that will beguile football buffs.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'Steve McManaman's four years with Real Madrid, told by Sarah Edworthy in the presence of the subject and with his words used liberally but judiciously, deserves to father a genre' The Sunday Telegraph 10/10/04 'There is little doubt that EL MACCA ... will turn out to be one of the best of this year's crop of football biographies. It is well written, consistently interesting and nicely structured ... Edworthy has an obvious rapport with McManaman and his wife, Victoria, and this lends it more humanity than the average football biography' DAILY TELEGRAPH 2/10/04 'Steve McManaman lifts the lid on his move from Liverpool to Real Madrid, where he earned the adoration of fans and the respect of some of the world's greatest players' Cut 21/10/04 'An engrossing account of how, during his time with Spanish giants Real Madrid, McManaman became the most decorated English footballer of the new millennium ... El Macca is not an autobiography, and it is a richer read for that ... although it preserves the strengths of the first-person account in that McManaman's voice -- independent, sharp and dry -- is heard at length while much of the narrative passes to the sensitive pen of Sarah Edworthy. It gains its depth for Edworthy having interviewed exhaustively around its subjects' Ian Hawkey, SUNDAY TIMES 'This is an autobiographical collaboration of unusual quality. McManaman was in and out of the team but highly regarded during his 4 year stint at Real Madrid. It was a period which saw an unparalled attempt to build the greatest club team in history. McManaman is a good witness; his wife, Victoria, who is a lawyer, is a second valuable observer; and the wordsmith, Sarah Edworthy, weaves it all together quite brilliantly' SUNDAY TIMES Books of the Year Sport, Simon O'Hagan 'David Beckham, and his move to Real Madrid in 2003 has inspired no fewer than 3 titles centred on Spanish football...But over and above all these titles I am inclined to recommend the Steve McManaman autobiography El Macca if you really want to know what Spanish football is like on the inside' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY Football, Glen Moore 'Ghosting can be a thankless task but one shadow was allowed to make an imprint this year. In El Macca Sarah Edworthy adds her own voice to Steve McManaman's description of his spell at Real Madrid' INDEPENDENT Sport by Ian Stafford 'El Macca is a fascinating account by Steve McManaman and Sarah Edworthy of McManaman's four years at Real Madrid, featuring huge success and the starry case of players augmented by David Beckham. Intelligent, insightful and a fresh approach to biography' DAILY MAIL 'El Macca, a recent book written with the Journalist Sarah Edworthy charts his four years and Real Madrid...finely crafted and impeccably researched' Paul Kimmage, The Sunday Times 19/12 El Macca is a fascinating account by Steve McManaman and Sarah Edworthy of McManaman's four years at Real Madrid, featuring huge success and the starry cast of players augmented by David Beckham. Intelligent, insightful and a fresh approach to sports biography. Daily Mail 17/12 'Excellent ... EL MACCA, a work of the highest merit, brings performer and writer together in perfect unison. It is the year's most innovative offering' Paul Hayward, DAILY TELEGRAPH 'England's most enigmatic and, arguably talented player of recent times has driven managers to distraction, so it is interesting to read his take on a career that includes two European Cup wins, but only intermittent international appearances'. Observer Sports Monthly --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743256840
• ISBN-13: 978-0743256841
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,981,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an absolute must for any Real Madrid fan, August 1, 2008

By 

Siddharth Phadkar (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: El Macca (Paperback)

As a life long Madrid fan this book has been one of the best books I have ever read! As you would expect from him, Macca provides a very honest and detailed description of the Madrid dressing room. It provides you with an insight into not just Macca's off the field personality but also that of likes of Helguerra, Raul, Carlos, Solari, Zidane, Figo, Hierro and every other name in the dressing room during those four years. This book gives you a feel on how it is to be a footballer playing for the biggest club in the world in a foreign country. It is full of anecdotes and incidents recalled by everyone right from Del Bosque to Ronaldo to Cesar! Macca has gone on to reveal what really happened behind the scenes on so many events that the press only alluded to or made a bog deal of. A must read if you are a football fan and especially if you are a Real Madrid fan!!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, December 8, 2005

By 

Gerrard O. Byrne "Ciaran O Byrne" (Dublin, Ireland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: El Macca (Paperback)

One of the best football books I have read on Real Madrid and football in general. Provides the reader with a great insight into life behind the scenes at this chaotic club at the turn of the millenium. One can't help but feel sympathy at Mc Manaman's plight as he is relegated to the bench regardless of his form when the galacticos are fit. This is all the more impressive as the it is a biogrophy of his time in Spain rather than an autobiogrophy

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical footie autobiography, June 20, 2006

By 

Arthur Chitauro (London, England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: El Macca (Paperback)

Great work. This book gives a very good explanation as to why Real Madrid have now become the 'Harlem Globetrotters' of football, with form coming a distant second to shirt sales in determining who gets picked.