The Football Library

2️⃣1️⃣ days remaining until the World Cup! 📚 For the next three weeks, we’ll be sharing our favorite World Cup books. 🇦🇷 Read @RhysWRichards’ excellently written “Blood on the Crossbar” to learn more about “The Dictator’s World Cup” in 1978.

📆 #OnThisDay in 1992, Barcelona won their first European Cup. It was the last edition prior to rebranding to the Champions League. 📕 Much of football changed that year, and @rob_fletcher_’s “1992: The Birth of Modern Football” speaks to this topic.

🇪🇸 On a day where news has dropped of Pep Guardiola leaving Manchester City, nothing but three points will do to keep his title dreams alive. 📚 Re-sharing our graphic of “Related Reads” on Pep Guardiola’s managerial career thus far.

📆 #OnThisDay in 1994, AC Milan produced one of the greatest European final performances, thrashing Barcelona 4-0 in the European Cup Final. 📕 Recently released “The Final” by @rob_fletcher_ tells the story of the iconic match.

📆 #OnThisDay in 1974, Franz Beckenbauer captained Bayern Munich to their first European Cup title. 🏆 This was the first of Bayern’s three consecutive European titles. 📕 Uli Hesse’s “The Three Lives of the Kaiser” tells us he was much more than just a fantastic footballer.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Hull City could be headed back to the Premier League if they win the Championship Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium a week from today. 📙 “Special Attraction” by Richard Lusmore is a 2025 release that charts the club’s decline in the 1990s.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 A win for Aston Villa today would secure Champions League football for them once again. 📘 Rob Carless’ “Sunshine After the Rain” tells the tale of the club from Championship to Champions League.

📆 #OnThisDay in 1938, England defeated Nazi Germany 6-3 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. All 11 England players gave the Nazi salute before kick-off. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 John Leonard’s “Salute!” examines just why the English players did the Nazi salute.

📘 Mark Orton’s newest release is available as of this past Monday, and will make for perfect reading ahead of the World Cup. 📘 “From Moore to Messi” is the story of the Argentine National Team dating back to 1902.

🇸🇦 Al Nassr and Al Hilal have kicked off what will likely be a title deciding match in Riyadh. 📗 “Kingdom of Football” by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen explains the nation’s burst onto the football scene in recent times.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Today, Tottenham host Leeds United, a club familiar with ups and downs. 📘 “Miracle in Bilbao” by Tom Barclay chronicles Spurs’ 2024/25 season. 📙 @roclufc’s “The O’Leary Years” takes readers through the rollercoaster years under David O’Leary at the turn ot the century.

⚔️ Barcelona have a chance to win La Liga if they get a win or draw at home in today’s El Clasico. 📘 Sid Lowe’s “Fear and Loathing in La Liga” is an examination of the rivalry shared between the two Spanish giants.

📆 #OnThisDay in 2019, English clubs secured all four final spots in the Champions League and Europa League Finals. 🏆 Liverpool and Chelsea would go on to win the competitions. 📕 Read @LukeBWilliams_’ “Watch The Throne” to learn about all UCL finals won by PL sides.

📆 #OnThisDay in 2013, David Moyes was announced as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United. 📕 Jamie Jackson’s “A Season in the Red” explains the complexities of managing Man United in the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson.

🦅 Crystal Palace will secure a place in a European final if they can hold off Shakhtar Donetsk at Selhurst Park today. 📘 @Subsbenchfooty’s “The Team That Could Have Been” focuses on “the rise and fall of Crystal Palace’s team of the 80s.”

🇫🇷 Today’s UCL semi-final is likely to be decided by French attackers, Bayern’s Michael Olise, and PSG’s Ousmane Dembele 📘 “Sacre Bleu” by @mattspiro is a journey that serves as a great read for those interested in the 1998, and 2018 World Cup winning sides.

📚 A photo of our football library from a while back. 📸 Today, we’d love to see what everybody else is working with. Small collections, large collections - we’d like to see it all!

🆕 Also releasing today is “1977” by John Grant. 📕 This “is the definitive story of the famous night when Liverpool first lifted the European Cup.”

🆕 Tomorrow is the release of what looks to be another great read ahead of the 2026 World Cup. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 “A Long Time Coming” by @andy_bargh is the inside story of Scotland’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

🆕 Exciting news from @PitchPublishing! 📘 Asif Burhan’s has an upcoming release titled “The Other Side of the Hand of God” that will “reveal the story behind the defining four minutes of Mexico ‘86.”