Who Invented the Bicycle Kick?: Soccer's Greatest Legends and Lore - Softcover

The ultimate collection of soccer's greatest lore and legends, by two of the world's most knowledgeable soccer journalists

Who Invented the Bicycle Kick? is a rollicking run through 100 years of global soccer history that will surprise and delight fans old and new. Veteran soccer journalists Paul Simpson and Uli Hesse bring together the sublime feats, legendary personalities, neglected heroes, bizarre twists of fate, and fascinating mysteries that have shaped the world's most popular game, including:

• Who invented the bicycle kick?
• Why does a football match last 90 minutes?
• Who scored the fastest goal ever?
• Which match produced the largest number of red cards?
• Why are seven dead cats buried under a stadium in Argentina?
• Which team was banned from the World Cup after refusing to play in shoes?
• Who had the most powerful leg in soccer history?

Providing answers to more than 100 mysteries, Simpson and Hesse explore the beautiful game as never before, shedding new light on legends such as Pele, Maradona, Messi, Beckham, Ronaldo, and Rooney, and uncovering lost histories of international clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and more. Challenging conventional wisdom and destroying many urban myths, Who Invented the Bicycle Kick? is a must-read for every soccer lover.

Illustrated with 100 archival photos

Paul Simpson is the editor of Champions, the official magazine of the UEFA Champions League. He was the launch editor of Four Two Four magazine.

Uli Hesse has written more than 300 articles for ESPN FC, America's most popular soccer website. He is the author of Tor!, the definitive history of German football.