Once Upon a Time in La Liga

<p><b>Brendan Madden delves into archives and secret files, and speaks to those who were there, to uncover Spanish football’s most incredible hidden stories.</b></p><p>Perfect for anyone interested in Spanish football or wider Spanish culture and history.</p><p>In this passionately crafted collection brimming with compelling characters, you’ll learn about:</p><ul><li>The team-mates persecuted by Franco’s regime for a humble protest</li><li>How the fastest winger in the land became a Nazi spy</li><li>The boy abandoned at an orphanage who became a rebellious generational talent</li><li>Two rising stars caught in one of Spain’s deadliest fires</li><li>The boardroom figures who defied ETA and Galicia’s drug cartels</li><li>Johan Cruyff’s bizarre stint at Levante</li><li>The extraordinary life of the man who gave the world ‘tiki-taka’</li><li>How a Blackpool lad became the cherished voice of Spanish TV</li><li>The goal that shook Barcelona in the middle of the night</li><li>The profound connection between Cádiz’s carnival and its football club</li></ul><p><b>Meet new heroes and villains in this meticulously researched anthology, which offers a vivid, deeply human glimpse into Spanish football – and the culture, politics and history that shaped it.</b></p>