Va-Va-Voom

The Modern History of French Football

By: Tom Williams

Narrated by: Luis Soto

Bloomsbury presents Va-Va-Voom by Tom Williams, read by Luis Soto.

‘Excellent' – Simon Kuper, author of the bestselling FOOTBALL AGAINST THE ENEMY
‘The definitive story of how French football came of age’ – Christian Karembeu

THE PLAYERS, THE TEAMS, THE GOALS, THE GAMES, THE SCANDALS, THE GLOOM AND THE GLORY: THE STORY OF FRENCH FOOTBALL’S TURBULENT EVOLUTION OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS.

French football is an enigma: a mixture of brilliance and farce, flair and frailty, stunning success and abject failure. Its domestic league is mocked on social media as an uncompetitive ‘Farmers League’ and its clubs ridiculed for underachieving in European competitions. But France have reached four of the past seven men’s World Cup finals, French players star for the world’s best clubs and at its best – the roar of the Vélodrome, the glamour of the Parc des Princes, the shimmering brilliance of Zinédine Zidane, Éric Cantona and Kylian Mbappé – French football has few equals. When it comes to scandal, meanwhile, the French are the best in the business, from sensational match-fixing affairs to squabbles over sex tapes and meltdowns within the national squad.

Tom Williams brings to life French football’s evolution over the last 40 years. He details how the idealistic romanticism of the national team in the early 1980s gave way to an Italian-style pragmatism that would lead Les Bleus to the summit of the international game, and examines how several star-studded club sides grappled with the thorny notion of how to win. By delving into French football's rich history, the book explains the myriad ways – tactical, technical and cultural – in which France has shaped the game’s evolution around the world.

Featuring exclusive interviews with great figures of the French game such as Alain Giresse, Jean-Pierre Papin, Emmanuel Petit and Blaise Matuidi, and with a cast of characters that also includes Michel Platini, Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema, Chris Waddle and Lionel Messi, it's a book no football fan will want to miss.©2024 Tom Williams (P)2024 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Un fascinante paseo por la historia del fútbol francés

El fútbol no siempre fue mi pasión, pero ahora lo es. Mi historia con este deporte comenzó con el Arsenal hace quince años, y desde entonces, el fútbol inglés ha sido mi principal interés. A pesar de la influencia de ciertos entrenadores y jugadores franceses en mi equipo favorito, siempre he visto el fútbol francés con cierto desdén. Sin embargo, tras escuchar un podcast sobre la fascinante historia de este deporte en Francia, me sentí atraído y decidí buscar el libro "Va-Va-Voom".

Este libro ofrece un recorrido ameno y accesible por los hitos, eventos y figuras clave del fútbol francés, desde jugadores y entrenadores hasta presidentes y clubes. Una pregunta que siempre me ha intrigado es cómo Francia ha producido algunos de los talentos más emocionantes e impactantes de las últimas décadas, mientras que su liga y fútbol en general no han despertado el mismo nivel de pasión que el fútbol inglés, alemán, italiano o español. En "Va-Va-Voom", Williams se propone encontrar una respuesta a esta pregunta, y tras leer el libro, puedo afirmar que vale la pena descubrirla.

Magnifique

I adored “Va-Va Voom.” Because I always enjoy when Tom Williams appears on James Richardson’s iconic podcast “The Football Show,” I figured I would like Williams’s audiobook. But it is even better than I hoped. I relished it so much that I finished it in two days.

Williams covers everything from the 1970s through the 2023-24 season. He makes the journey fun, entertaining, and a wonderful way to learn something on every “page.”

I wish that I were more eloquent so that I could better describe just how much I enjoyed Williams’s audiobook.

The narrator is tremendous. He is passionate, knows the material, and is clearly a native French speaker.

“Va-Va Voom” indeed!