Lucas Vogelsang: Nachspielzeiten – Eine Liebeserklärung an den Fußball

The Emperor alone on the pitch in Rome, Gazza's tears in Turin. Effe's middle finger, the hand of God, Schnellinger of all people. Soccer is theater. And its biggest tournaments have always provided the biggest stage. For goals of the century and games of the century, for soloists in the center circle and artists in the penalty area. For heroic journeys between continents. And kings of the sun in a shower of confetti. But the best stories usually only begin afterwards. When the final whistle has gone, the floodlights have gone out and the final curtain has fallen. Then it's worth taking a look behind the scenes.

World champions, they say, are forever. But what really remains of the glory when emotions congeal into anecdotes? Just memories, just a feeling in the end? Lucas Vogelsang, soccer expert and award-winning author, pursues this question. And finds the answers at the edges of the game, in the remote corners of biographies. His books are a search for clues and a look over the shoulder. But above all, they are a great declaration of love for soccer and the people who shape it.