Six enjoyable books about football

“UNITED BY FOOTBALL. United in the heart of Europe”. The official slogan for the European football championship now taking place in Germany is predictably anodyne. But on this occasion it seems apt. Tens of thousands of fans are peacefully mingling with each other in German cities. The controversies that attended the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, about gay rights, for example, are absent from the Fanzonen. Russia’s football team has been barred from the competition, as it was from Qatar, because its government invaded Ukraine. So fans can concentrate on watching the football, and reading about it if they are of a bookish bent. Books rarely match the drama and beauty of football but these six come close—and show why, for many people, the world’s most popular sport is much more than just a game.

The Economist abhors clichés. Our style guide warns writers that “clichés are like invasive species, quickly taking over if not ruthlessly culled.” Adam Hurrey delightfully documents a case study of this phenomenon: football. Mr Hurrey, a journalist, forensically examines the language of the sport. For instance, there are 73 different ways to describe the scoring of a goal. It can be drilled, rifled, lashed, thundered, smashed or belted in—but each verb has its own nuance. Mr Hurrey does not limit himself to linguistic analysis; he also examines the clichéd behaviours of fans and players. Unlike The Economist, however, Mr Hurrey believes that clichés can serve a purpose by providing a shared language among fans and makes a convincing case for them as a crucial part of the beautiful game.