The Complete Number 9

The Complete Number 9 is an interview series where we ask authors nine questions about their book, the writing process and their football-writing influences. In The Impossible Job: The Truly Unbelievable World of Football Referees, William Ralston delves deep into the emotional rollercoaster that is refereeing, offering an unprecedented look inside football's most misunderstood subject. Photo © Thomas Broadhead What gave you the idea for the book?I was struck first and foremost by the toxicity in refereeing. When I began writing, two referees, Anthony Taylor in England and a Turkish referee, had both been attacked — Anthony Taylor at the...

The Complete Number 9 is an interview series where we ask authors nine questions about their book, the writing process and their football-writing influences. In The Spectre of Pep: How Guardiola Haunts Modern Football Tactics, The Athletic's Jon Mackenzie explores the evolution of modern football tactics through the prism of the greatest manager of the last 20 years: Pep Guardiola What gave you the idea for the book?I guess my situation is quite unique in that I was approached by Seven Dials, the publisher, to write the next book in a loose series, a sequel to Jonathan Wilson's excellent Inverting the...

The Complete Number 9 is an interview series where we ask authors nine questions about their book, the writing process and their football-writing influences.

In The Derbyless City: An Emotional Map of Berlin Football, author Damiano Benzoni uncovers the hidden world of Berlin football, exploring its full depth far beyond the bright lights of the Bundesliga.