
Europe United: 1 football fan. 1 crazy season. 55 UEFA nations (Paperback)
Matt Walker (author)Published: 13/05/2021
As seen on BBC Football Focus and BT Sport
Europe United follows Matt Walker's unprecedented challenge to experience top-division football in all 55 UEFA countries in a single season.
In June 2017, Matt said farewell to his job, surrendered his Fulham FC season ticket and set off for Georgia, the first stop on his mission. He would end his adventure eleven months later in Montenegro, having conquered the continent and captured the imagination of its sporting media.
His epic journey would pose its challenges. Yet no amount of airport confusion in Iceland, unusual betting activity in Latvia, spectator bans in Albania, disturbances in Kosovo or ropey breakfast buffets in Moldova would make Matt miss a matchday. And then there were the games themselves: showcasing the full spectrum of footballing theatre, from the truly sublime to the utterly ridiculous.
Matt's trip would also bequeath him footballing wisdom beyond his imagination. Not only would he learn that Liechtenstein had its very own 'golden generation', but also why one Estonian club has to change its name each time it plays in Europe, who in La Liga's mascot is a giant anchovy, how Tony Adams fared in his managerial spell in Azerbaijan, and just what Bosko Balaban is up to these days.
This is the story of one fan on a once-in-a-lifetime experience: travelling to Europe's unseen corners, talking with its unsung supporters, and tracing the beautiful game across the breadth of our brilliant, bizarre continent.
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
ISBN: 9781787476134
Number of pages: 464
Weight: 340 g
Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 34 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Fascinating ... a culturally savvy look at football across the continent.' - FourFourTwo
'Informative and eye-opening ... an inspirational and motivational book.' - footballbookreviews.com
'Each stop is rich in football and travel anecdote.' The Sportsman
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