Best Soccer Coaching Books

The best soccer books in the world are not easy to find. Considering that Soccer or Football is played in every country known to mankind, there are many authors that have been inspired by the great game of football. We will use this word interchangeably in this article. 

For this reason, anyone writing an epic list of the best soccer books will likely run into problems due to the language barriers, however some books have been translated, which will help our cause. If it helps any, we do speak English and Spanish, so we are at a slight advantage here. 

We broke it down for those of you looking for a specific niche within great football books, and help you locate a great read.  Let’s begin with the best soccer coaching books ever written. 

The Best Soccer Coaching Books

Some of the best soccer minds have come from a variety of different countries and speak numerous different languages. These soccer coaching minds sometimes go on to write their ideas and theories onto a book. And that’s the case with the following list of great soccer coaching books. 

Developing Game Intelligence In Soccer

Developing Game Intelligence in Soccer by Horst Wein is a coaching guide that focuses on the player’s game intelligence. The book is very practical, as it simulates real-life game situations in the field.

Horst Wein acknowledges that training any sportsman’s mind is key to achieving great results. In his book, he discussed the importance of having excellent game intelligence on and off the court. He mentions Xavi Hernandez from Barcelona, who was among the best players of the European Cup held in 2008.

Game intelligence involves developing vision skills and thinking ahead. A player’s main objective is to maintain ball possession. The player should determine if they will be challenged by the opponent, and the best choices to consider.

If you study all the great players, you’ll notice that they possess outstanding visual skills that constantly improve their performances. So, get yourself this guide and learn how to simulate most aspects associated with the game intelligence of young soccer players and professionals.

Pep Guardiola – 85 Passing, Rondos, Possession Games

Pep Guardiola is a celebrated coach who delivered many trophies to some of the best clubs in Europe, such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. He is known for his unique playing style that comes from a deeper understanding of the game.

This book gives an insight into his training sessions at these clubs, allowing readers to improve their skills. In addition, it gives players a chance to learn about 85 essential practices such as passing, technical circuits, and possession games.

The guide allows you to learn and practice one of the best coaches’ pieces of training. This is a unique opportunity for players to improve their speed, technique, agility, and play positioning.

There are also practical examples included in bettering the experience. Some featured plays are combined actions, high-intensity speeds, quick passing combination, triangle rondos, and game transition. Use this great resource full of ideas on more technical sessions to improve your understanding of the best game practices.

Marcelo Bielsa – Coaching Build Up Play Against High-Pressure Teams

Athanasios Terzis extensively analyzes how Marcelo Bielsa managed nine different tactical situations. Marcelo Bielsa is one of the world’s best and most influential managers. He is widely known for the inventive third-wave ideology he used when coaching in Argentina.

In this book, there are tactics that show how Marcelo used to build-up play from the defense when playing against high pressuring squads. In addition, you’ll find a full analysis of his various formations, such as the 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3, and 3-3-3-1 formations.

His build-up play philosophy is a mix of short and long passes, spotting free players, creating a numbers advantage, dragging opponents out of position, and exploiting the created gaps.

Every coach needs to learn Marcelo’s tactics that involve four main steps. First, give the goalkeeper a free passing option, play the ball to a free player, create the numbers advantage in a specific area, and, finally, exploit the gaps you’ve created.

Soccer IQ: Things That Smart Players Do, Vol.1

Soccer IQ is an Amazon #1 Best-Seller, making it the perfect soccer guide. This great book by Dan Blank identifies some of the common challenges most players face and how to handle them. Dan Blank is a ‘soccer poet’ who has been coaching since 1991.

This ultimate guide features most of the common mistakes professional players make and simple solutions to handle them. It also teaches players how to make smarter decisions on the pitch.

It is a comprehensive book that focuses on all game aspects, from anticipating rebounds to playing in the rain. In addition, Dan takes a different teaching approach, wherein he uses humor to pass on information.

The book is an easy-to-read guide and offers a quick fix to most of the problems you are facing. There is also a bonus chapter available on the featured college recruiting process. Soccer IQ is the most ideal soccer guide you might ever find.

The Mixer: The Story of Premier League Tactics, From Route One to False Nines

Here is an essential book for any modern player who wishes to learn more about the development of the Premier League tactics over the years. The Premier League is arguably the best in the world today.

The Mixer analyzes the competition from 1992 when the game was mostly based on strength. Back then, most coaches used the 4-4-2 formations where the big men played at the front.

All this changed due to the creation of the football rules. That was when the game’s pace began to quicken and most managers started implementing tactical strategies.

There is a lot to learn about the history of the Premier League, and The Mixer is here to help you out. It is the first book that deeply focuses on the tactical history of the Premier League. So get yourself a copy to learn about Ferguson’s directness, Ranieri’s counter-attacks, and much more.

Conclusion

There are way too many soccer books to mention. But finding the best soccer book depends on your goal. There are several topics or niches within soccer which include coaching, player development, fiction or non-fiction, theory, and biographies. 

We’ve given you a great list to get started.