PortuGOAL’s book corner is back with the chance to win another marvellous work about the beautiful game. 

The European Game lifts the lid on the secrets of how many of the continent’s top football clubs operate day to day, from Ajax, Juventus and Portugal’s Big Three to Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Lyon, Athletic Bilbao and many more. 

Author Dan Fieldsend chronicled his findings in compelling fashion as he travelled across Europe, speaking to members of staff all the way up the hierarchical ladder, from scouts and academy coaches to first-team managers, analysts and board members.

As well as being a must-read for all football fans, the book is a fascinating study of society, identity and attachment.

The Portuguese leg of his journey provides intriguing insights about FC Porto, Sporting and Benfica. 

Read an interview with the author and enter our competition to win one of two copies of the book.

This website’s book corner has laid dormant of late, but it is back with what PortuGOAL confidently predicts will go down as a modern-day classic in football writing.

David Bolchover’s biography of Benfica’s two-time European Cup winning coach Béla Guttmann is a powerful portrayal of the Hungarian-born Jew’s remarkable achievements and colossal contributions to the beautiful game. But it is so much more than that.

Set against a disturbing depiction of recurring atrocities, it shines a light on the extraordinary capacity of the human spirit to overcome extreme hardship as personified in one man’s survival and triumph amidst the most hideous of circumstances.

Paulo Futre’s career in his own words, in cartoon form

The latest offering in PortuGOAL’s “Book Corner” section features one the Portugal’s greatest ever footballers, as well as one of its most colourful characters.

The gregarious personality of the outrageously talented former Sporting, FC Porto and Benfica winger is brought to life in Futrinho, a Lenda. Although directed at a younger audience, the book makes for equally fascinating reading for adults. Written in Portuguese, its unpretentious language and simple layout also makes it ideal for those learning the language of Camões.

The Chairman is the debut novel by author CD Barros. This is a story of passion, innocence, greed, corruption and power. We go along with our main protagonist, Livio Almeida, as he is forced to mature quickly and abandon many of the qualities which make for a sweet child in order to survive the decadent world of top tier European Football management.

PortuGOAL has five free copies of this e-book up for grabs.

Read the full review of an innovative novel and a ripping good read, and enter the competition to win it.