100 de fotbalişti legendari

Bogdan Socol tells the life stories of 100 football players. They span the years between the world wars to modern times. These sports life stories suit readers drawn to football and its past. They show how players shaped the sport and life beyond it.

The stories link football to war and those in power. They cover the unrest around World War II. Some careers suffered under communist rule. Other stories explore army rule in Latin America. They also look at strains during the Cold War. One tells how a match saved a future world champion’s life. Another follows an Italian striker’s nights with sex workers before games. A third tells of a player who changed players during a game without his coach’s say. The Romanian players include Nicolae Dobrin and Ilie Balaci. They also include Gică Hagi, Gică Popescu and Miodrag Belodedici.

Socol draws on his work calling games for Digi Sport. He had covered more than 2,000 matches at the top level. He saw some of these players play. He covered others live. For past players, he used accounts from writers of their day. This is the second edition. Socol chose to tell each player’s life story. He does not set out a firm ranking of football’s greatest players.