'The most important (thing) is to play,' Srna said, 'to show the world that we are still alive, that we are fighting, that we are living, that we will have a good future.' In 2014, the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine began - and top football club Shakhtar Donetsk has since been in exile. This book tells their story; inevitably a story of the conflict and the recent Russian invasion but also a testament to the power of the game and the will of the players. It is ultimately a footballing story, exploring the experience and meaning of being a Shakhtar player through the lens of a country in the shadow of a huge aggressive neighbour. There are moments of direct impact (such as when a youth coach was killed by Russian shelling earlier in 2022) but also what it means to just go out on the field and play, freely. Andy Brassell is a European football expert and has followed this story for years; he regards Shakhtar as the 'Barcelona of Eastern Europe'. This book celebrates the team and its achievements, while paying tribute to an occupied nation.

WATERSTONES BEST BOOKS OF 2022 - SPORT 'This book is a work of art about football's works of art... Loved it.' - Kevin Day, broadcaster 'A beautiful showcase of such a distinctive part of the game's culture... impossible not to get lost in the book' - Miguel Delaney, The Independent 'Gorgeous to behold... Unmissable' - Danny Kelly, TalkSPORT radio presenter 'I absolutely love this book' - Jules Breach, football presenter On high-rise buildings, street corners and stadium walls in countries around the world, eye-catching murals pay tribute to footballing greats. From Messi and Ronaldo to Rapinoe and Cruyff, these striking displays are remarkable testaments to the awe and affection fans feel for these football legends and cult heroes. Join renowned football writer and broadcaster Andy Brassell as he explores this fascinating phenomenon. Offering a fresh, highly visual perspective on the global game, Football Murals is the first book to celebrate these towering works of art. Beckenbauer and Cruyff, Rooney and Ronaldinho, Totti and Salah, Zlatan and Zidane - being honoured with a mural cements a player's place in a club's heritage and links them to the heart of the community. This richly illustrated book showcases the most impressive examples, explores their inspirational qualities and examines what they say about these icons and their sport. Written and curated by respected football writer Andy Brassell, this ground-breaking book features more than 100 murals from around the world, capturing the scale, grandeur and wit of this powerful and popular art form. Through a series of short essays and extended captions, Andy shares the players' stories, discusses the cultural politics and explains just why these men and women have been immortalised in mural form. Covering such diverse topics as Home Town Glory, Football Fame and The Cult of the Coach, Football Murals addresses the issues important to fans worldwide. It spans Marcus Rashford's inspirational mural in a Manchester suburb, the George Best tribute on the East Belfast estate where he was born, the 15-foot depiction of Megan Rapinoe in St Paul, Minnesota, and the Naples 'shrine' to Diego Maradona.

'The most important (thing) is to play,' Srna said, 'to show the world that we are still alive, that we are fighting, that we are living, that we will have a good future.' In 2014, the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine began - and top football club Shakhtar Donetsk has since been in exile. This book tells their story; inevitably a story of the conflict and the recent Russian invasion but also a testament to the power of the game and the will of the players. It is ultimately a footballing story, exploring the experience and meaning of being a Shakhtar player through the lens of a country in the shadow of a huge aggressive neighbour. There are moments of direct impact (such as when a youth coach was killed by Russian shelling earlier in 2022) but also what it means to just go out on the field and play, freely. Andy Brassell is a European football expert and has followed this story for years; he regards Shakhtar as the 'Barcelona of Eastern Europe'. This book celebrates the team and its achievements, while paying tribute to an occupied nation.

The European Club (La Coupe des Champions Europeens) has represented the holy grail of European club football since its creation in 1956. It has developed rapidly since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League in 1992, and it is now acknowledged as the world's premier football competition, as well as its most lucrative. But what does it really stand for today?
Join Andy Brassell as he spends the 2003/4 season travelling all over Europe to get to the heart of the Champions League, tracking the progress of the clubs who boss the competition, those who aspire to join the elite, and the clubs that the Champions Cup chewed up and spat out. Discover the Champions League that isn't just about the Beckhams, Zidanes, and the Maldinis. Meet the Croatian reserve striker who puts four past the Spanish champions of 2000, the former Motherwell midfielder who became the first Brit to win the Champions League, and the goalkeeper rejected by Liverpool who helped make the Spanish provincial underdogs into Champions Cup achievers. Discover the greatest Champions Cup song of all time (and no, it's not the one they play before the matches). And snigger along with the grinning superstar Ronaldo too, as he tortures a goalkeeper to the brink of insanity in his own inimitable way.
Sweat through a balmy August night in manic Marseille, shiver while Lokomotiv brave the Moscow winter to put Russia back on the map, marvel at the magic of Real Madrid's galacticos, and salute 'special' Jose Mourinho leading FC Porto to glorious triumph in May, as players, fans and pundits say what the competition means to them, their teams, their cities and their countries. This is, quite simply, the closest you will getto being a part of the most exciting high stakes poker game on earth.
You may visit Andy's website at: www.allornothingbook.com