Soccernomics: Why England Lose, Why Germany, Spain and France Win, and Why One Day The Rest of the World will Finally Catch Up Paperback – Import, 31 May 2018

Overview:"Soccernomics" by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski combines soccer with economics to explain why certain countries excel in the sport while others struggle. It uses data and economic principles to break down common myths and provide new insights into the world of soccer.Content and Structure:The book is divided into sections that tackle different aspects of soccer success and failure. Kuper and Szymanski look at historical data, economic factors, and social trends to explain the performance of various national teams. They also explore why some clubs are more successful than others and make predictions about the future of soccer.Analysis and Interpretation:The authors use a mix of statistics, economic theory, and real-world examples to support their arguments. They debunk popular myths, such as the idea that England's national team is cursed, and provide fresh perspectives on why countries like Germany, Spain, and France dominate the sport. They also discuss how globalization and economic changes will help other countries catch up.Writing Style:Kuper and Szymanski write in a clear, engaging manner that makes complex economic concepts easy to understand. Their use of humor and accessible language makes the book enjoyable for both soccer fans and readers interested in economics.Strengths:Innovative Approach: The book’s combination of soccer and economics offers a unique perspective on the sport.Data-Driven: Extensive use of statistics and data analysis adds credibility to their arguments.Accessible Writing: The engaging and humorous writing style makes complex ideas easy to grasp.Weaknesses:Speculative Predictions: Some predictions about the future of soccer may seem speculative.Niche Audience: The focus on both soccer and economics might limit its appeal to a broader audience.Overgeneralizations: Some arguments may feel oversimplified or too broad.Conclusion:"Soccernomics" is a fascinating blend of soccer and economics that provides deep insights into why some countries succeed in soccer while others do not. Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski’s thorough research and engaging writing make this book a must-read for soccer enthusiasts and anyone interested in the economic and social aspects of the sport. Their innovative approach and use of data make "Soccernomics" both enlightening and entertaining.

Despite the thematic concentration on England - as the the subtitle indicates - Soccernomics is a master work about football history covering the whole world of football. The economic part of its content - as the main title indicates - contributes to deep diving back ground facts' explanation and presentation. The author doesn't make the usually done mistake of presenting Soccernomics as a self purpose in order to justify the book, but make use of it in order to make interesting correlations between social and exonomic developments and all, that has been seen on football ground.

I finished this book (400+ page) within 2 weeks as part-time reading. As a trained data analyst and recent convert soccer fan following Bundesliga for one full season, this book is quite fascinating as it has combined my profession and hobby! My satisfaction derives partly from the fact that I understand most of the statistical techniques described. For a person who is not number-savvy, some explanations in the book may look clueless and even daunting.This book walked a right balance between funny description of soccer history (mainly European side) and data-driver conclusion on several myths, although most league-related data are from English Premier League. The conclusions on transfer market, profit of hosting a World Cup, even fan psychology (esp. related to suicide) are worth reading, but being a data analyst myself, I would like to caution the certainty of any form of regression analysis. It also gave a good history on how data mindset is slowly getting into the soccer field - much like MoneyBall in MLB.The most useful and solid country-related conclusion: England should never lament itself as "underachiever" - which is actually some residual of the "imperial manifest destiny" complex. Instead, it should go into any tournament understanding it is a second-tier team, if not 3rd-tier. The recent EURO 2016 also testified this conclusion: England was beaten by Iceland in the Round of 16.Highly recommend for readers who would like to know more about soccer, fans and countries, esp. those with basic literacy of advanced mathematics. I did check FIFA and UEFA websites while reading to see if they have data analysts vacancy open :-)

The book is really nice. You just love the way they talk about simple things and their impact on football clubs. The no. of examples are amazing to go through. Overall, I still feel there are some points I don't agree on but at the same time, the approach has to be appreciated and some of the same is really refreshing to go through.

Why do players make bad managers? Why there are undervalued markets? Why did Brazil get massacred by Germany?Read this book to be enlightened on the nature of soccer and why England loses.