What do you think?
Rate this book
The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet
The untold story of Real Madrid: one of the most incredible turnarounds in sports and business history.
Real Madrid is the most successful sports team on the planet. The soccer club has more trophies than any other sports team, including 11 UEFA Champions League trophies. However, the story behind the triumph goes beyond the players and coaches. Generally unnoticed, a management team consisting mostly of outsiders took the team from near bankruptcy to the most valuable sports organization in the world.
How did Real Madrid achieve such extraordinary success? Columbia Business School adjunct professor Steven G. Mandis investigates. Given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, Mandis is the first researcher to rigorously ana- lyze both the on-the-field and business aspects of a sports team. What he learns is completely unexpected and challenges the conventional wisdom that moneyball-fueled data analytics are the primary instruments of success. Instead, Real Madrid's winning formula both on and off the field, from player selection to financial management, is based on aligning strategy with the culture and values of its fan base.
Chasing the most talented (and most expensive) players can be a recipe for a winning record, but also financial disaster, as it was for Real Madrid in the late 1990s. Real Madrid's management believes that the club exists to serve the Real Madrid community. They discovered that its fans care more about why the team exists, how their club wins, and whom it wins with versus just winning. The why, how, and whom create a community brand and identity, and inspire extraordinary passion and loyalty, which has led to amazing marketing and commercial success—in turn, attracting and paying for the best players in the world, with the values the fans expect. The club's values and culture also provide a powerful environment for these best players to work together to win trophies.
The Real Madrid Way explains how Real Madrid has created and maintains a culture that drives both financial and on-the-field success. This book is an engrossing account of the lifetime of one of the greatest clubs in the most popular sport in the world, and for business and organization leaders, it's an invaluable inside look at a compelling alternative model with lasting competitive advantages that can deliver superior and sustainable returns and performance.
Real Madrid is the most successful sports team on the planet. The soccer club has more trophies than any other sports team, including 11 UEFA Champions League trophies. However, the story behind the triumph goes beyond the players and coaches. Generally unnoticed, a management team consisting mostly of outsiders took the team from near bankruptcy to the most valuable sports organization in the world.
How did Real Madrid achieve such extraordinary success? Columbia Business School adjunct professor Steven G. Mandis investigates. Given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, Mandis is the first researcher to rigorously ana- lyze both the on-the-field and business aspects of a sports team. What he learns is completely unexpected and challenges the conventional wisdom that moneyball-fueled data analytics are the primary instruments of success. Instead, Real Madrid's winning formula both on and off the field, from player selection to financial management, is based on aligning strategy with the culture and values of its fan base.
Chasing the most talented (and most expensive) players can be a recipe for a winning record, but also financial disaster, as it was for Real Madrid in the late 1990s. Real Madrid's management believes that the club exists to serve the Real Madrid community. They discovered that its fans care more about why the team exists, how their club wins, and whom it wins with versus just winning. The why, how, and whom create a community brand and identity, and inspire extraordinary passion and loyalty, which has led to amazing marketing and commercial success—in turn, attracting and paying for the best players in the world, with the values the fans expect. The club's values and culture also provide a powerful environment for these best players to work together to win trophies.
The Real Madrid Way explains how Real Madrid has created and maintains a culture that drives both financial and on-the-field success. This book is an engrossing account of the lifetime of one of the greatest clubs in the most popular sport in the world, and for business and organization leaders, it's an invaluable inside look at a compelling alternative model with lasting competitive advantages that can deliver superior and sustainable returns and performance.
344 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2016
101 people are currently reading
891 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 22, 2021
This book is an essential guide to Real Madrid world. The strong point of the book is the fact that the author uses comparative perspective when he discusses football (soccer) and compares it with American team sports. Also, usage of data is a very good idea when the author explained various aspects in the book. The weak point of the book is the fact that the author had discussed too much about Perez. I recommend this book to everybody who wants to know more about Real Madrid C.F., European football, and American sports.
January 15, 2018
The tittle is an atrocity, a lie, an insult to soccer and its fans.
My friends would classify this as a 2 shits book, as in the time it would take someone to read it.
Stay away from it.
I wish Mandis would have been a soccer fan, this way the wouldn't have been brainwashed by Florentino and his fantasy lesson on values.
Good insider information from the business stand point, however I doubt half of it is true and unbiased as they claim to be. The word transparency is used quite a lot like if Florentino was trying to campaign around it.
If the reader is a soccer fan, this would be comedy to him.
"The Philosophy: ...working as part of a team and to give the best they have to offeror the good of the whole without putting their personal or professional aspirations first." -- Did he watched Cristiano Penaldo? He is the most selfish, arrogant and sell-absorbed player in history, yet he is the talisman of Florentino to complete with the greatest of all time Messi. On Appendix D, Ronaldo has never been the top 3 performers for the team, how can they name him, or even compare him with the best.
"Social Responsibility: ... The promotion of the best sporting values..." Sergio Ramos, current team's captain is the dirtiest player and the most expelled player in the clasico history, did he watched Ramos trying to chop Messi's leg off in 2009? Marcelo, Pepe, Casemiro, Alonso? Benzema with his sex and prostitution scandals, is that gentleman's behavior?
Did someone told this poor guy the way Florentino got rid of Madrid legends Raul, Roberto Carlos, the real Ronaldo or iconic Iker Casillas?
Is that how a great club treat his legends, it was shit compared to the send-offs of great like Totti, Xavi or Gerrard.
This book is cheap propaganda, Mr. Mandis might be a very successful business man, so he should stick to business instead of sports, however, I recognize that Real Madrid is a very successful business enterprise worldwide, that does not make it the greatest team in the the world, not even amongst the top five of the last 15 years.
Quoting: "The culture and values inspire the best players to work together as a team, play a certain style, and conduct themselves in a way the community expects." Real madrid has 10 players playing to satisfy the ego of Penaldo, his 'First Among Equals'; the beautiful playing style and the values that he is referring to, can easily be found watching Barcelona play. To be a real Madrid fan means to be a sheep aspiring to be accepted into royalty (which would never happen). Their true values are to humiliate other teams, to win no matter what methods or costs are employed, and to worship arrogance and selfishness. Soccer was made to unite people through sportsmanship and solidarity, Madrid fans are one of the most elitists and dividing fan communities out there. To say you are a fan of Madrid means to have no intelligent understanding of the sport and the belief of being above the rest of the people.
Next time Mr. Mandis wants to write about the values of successful soccer teams, he should write about Barcelona, Liverpool, Borussia, Sevilla or Roma.
He probably read 3 or 4 books about soccer, plus being under the influence of Florentino, and thought he had the right to write about "values" and Real Madrid. the two con't go in the same sentence, might as well would have written an ode to Perez.
My friends would classify this as a 2 shits book, as in the time it would take someone to read it.
Stay away from it.
I wish Mandis would have been a soccer fan, this way the wouldn't have been brainwashed by Florentino and his fantasy lesson on values.
Good insider information from the business stand point, however I doubt half of it is true and unbiased as they claim to be. The word transparency is used quite a lot like if Florentino was trying to campaign around it.
If the reader is a soccer fan, this would be comedy to him.
"The Philosophy: ...working as part of a team and to give the best they have to offeror the good of the whole without putting their personal or professional aspirations first." -- Did he watched Cristiano Penaldo? He is the most selfish, arrogant and sell-absorbed player in history, yet he is the talisman of Florentino to complete with the greatest of all time Messi. On Appendix D, Ronaldo has never been the top 3 performers for the team, how can they name him, or even compare him with the best.
"Social Responsibility: ... The promotion of the best sporting values..." Sergio Ramos, current team's captain is the dirtiest player and the most expelled player in the clasico history, did he watched Ramos trying to chop Messi's leg off in 2009? Marcelo, Pepe, Casemiro, Alonso? Benzema with his sex and prostitution scandals, is that gentleman's behavior?
Did someone told this poor guy the way Florentino got rid of Madrid legends Raul, Roberto Carlos, the real Ronaldo or iconic Iker Casillas?
Is that how a great club treat his legends, it was shit compared to the send-offs of great like Totti, Xavi or Gerrard.
This book is cheap propaganda, Mr. Mandis might be a very successful business man, so he should stick to business instead of sports, however, I recognize that Real Madrid is a very successful business enterprise worldwide, that does not make it the greatest team in the the world, not even amongst the top five of the last 15 years.
Quoting: "The culture and values inspire the best players to work together as a team, play a certain style, and conduct themselves in a way the community expects." Real madrid has 10 players playing to satisfy the ego of Penaldo, his 'First Among Equals'; the beautiful playing style and the values that he is referring to, can easily be found watching Barcelona play. To be a real Madrid fan means to be a sheep aspiring to be accepted into royalty (which would never happen). Their true values are to humiliate other teams, to win no matter what methods or costs are employed, and to worship arrogance and selfishness. Soccer was made to unite people through sportsmanship and solidarity, Madrid fans are one of the most elitists and dividing fan communities out there. To say you are a fan of Madrid means to have no intelligent understanding of the sport and the belief of being above the rest of the people.
Next time Mr. Mandis wants to write about the values of successful soccer teams, he should write about Barcelona, Liverpool, Borussia, Sevilla or Roma.
He probably read 3 or 4 books about soccer, plus being under the influence of Florentino, and thought he had the right to write about "values" and Real Madrid. the two con't go in the same sentence, might as well would have written an ode to Perez.
May 15, 2022
An interesting read that, although naturally most emotionally evocative for Madridistas, goes beyond club colours to provide insight into strategy and management and how this connects to player and coach selection, team composition and financial structure. In a world where more and more clubs are owned by billionaires and large corporations, sometimes entire states, it is all the more impressive to remain a top competitor while being member-owned. Slightly ironic, however, that the book spends quite some time analysing the “too tired and old” effect, while today’s team is successfully led by an almost-35-year-old and an almost-37-year-old who are among the players with most minutes and also the best performances. As the book is written in 2015, it also stresses that before 2016, there were no repeat champions in the Champions League. Incidentally, Madrid then went on to win three years in a row. Analyses are great, but dynamic realities are difficult to entirely pin down.
July 13, 2020
For all those who are interested to know about Real Madrid.
#HalaMadrid
#HalaMadrid
May 13, 2021
Although the book provides a few new insights into the running of a football club, the largely fawning, partisan reporting style makes it a one time read for Blancos fans only. Seems more of a paid job from the board, rather than an independent journalistic viewpoint of the club's story.
December 5, 2018
2 stars means that "it was ok" according to goodreads' scale. And ok it was - there are definitely some interesting points here, and I surely buy into the importance of culture, values and how it can add a "competitive advantage" in various industries and certainly in football; however, this reads almost as propaganda, and it's extremely difficult to take with any seriousness the author's claim to neutrality.
At some points he sounds like a child taken aback by Real Madrid, and mentions as fantastic novelties what is simply normal procedure in so many parts of the world, such as the fact that the club is owned by its members ("sócios"). This might no longer be the case in Spain (with four notable exceptions), but pretty much every club in Brazil is run exactly like that, to name one example.
I could overlook this as a minor annoyance given the author's background with American sports, if he wasn't so willing to take at face value whatever he was told by the club.
Some passages are somewhat risible. In his Real & Barça comparison, at one point he says that Barcelona play a "possession based" system whilst Real Madrid supposedly play an "attacking" game which is "more art than system" - and he seems to believe that Real fans might not be willing to accept Barça's system, should it be implemented at the club. What nonsense. Barcelona's identity and worldwide image since Cruyff is much more intrinsically linked to beautiful football than any of the Real Madrid teams of recent decades, the current one (with 4 European titles in 5 years) included; even with all their Galacticos, none of them ever got close to being cherished as "football art" by the public as much as Guardiola's Barcelona. You have to be deeply invested in some Madridista propaganda to think that Real Madrid fans sat at their homes watching their team being spanked by 5-0 at the Camp Nou in 2011 and thought "this kind of (Barcelona) football is not for me".
Even if you consider each club's main stars, Lionel Messi will always be the romantic's favourite, and Andrés Iniesta was nicknamed "the artist" for a reason; Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, is much more known for his ruthless efficiency than for any kind of artistry. Obviously all of this completely eluded the author.
The same is true when discussing signings. The author even mentions as a potential "disadvantage" that the club only signs players that fit its values, and uses as an example Luis Suarez - whose history of indiscipline (biting, diving and racism allegations) would likely mean that the "community" (ie fans) would not want the player in a Real Madrid shirt. While not disbelieving the author's claim that a player's values are one of the big factors considered by the club when making a signing (and thus it could have played a part in them not pursuing Suarez, for instance), that assertion is still quite difficult to swallow. It's not as if Real Madrid is exactly a team of saints, and their current captain, of all people, is quite possibly the dirtiest player in the history of Spanish football - he holds the distinction for seeing the most cards (yellow or red) in the Spanish La Liga, UEFA Champions League and the Spanish national team. He's not exactly known for fair play, artistry or, let's say, "class" (one concept that clearly impressed the author at the club), and that doesn't stop him from being one of the faces of the club, wearing the armband and receiving the adulation of their fans. Of course, those caveats are never mentioned in the book.
In any case, although I may sound overly critical, be assured that I actually recommend reading the book - if anything due to the relative scarcity of good books about the sport. In particular, I think that the importance of "culture" or "values" at football clubs, although on occasions intuitively understood by fans or club officials, isn't formalised or brought forward often enough as a potential competitive advantage, and there are many clubs around the world (I think of my own) that could learn important lessons here. Other side discussions (as the "too-old-and-tired effect") are also quite interesting.
By all means, do read the book, but take everything with a pinch of salt. I worry that the gullible reader who's still being introduced to the sport (as I imagine a part of the intended American audience to look like) might take too much of it at face value - just like I probably would, if I were to read a book on, I don't know, a NFL franchise. One could say, however, that the author's praise of Real Madrid and Florentino Perez has been vindicated by their subsequent continuing success in the UEFA Champions League - the club is definitely deserving of study, I'm not just convinced this was sufficiently objective as intended.
At some points he sounds like a child taken aback by Real Madrid, and mentions as fantastic novelties what is simply normal procedure in so many parts of the world, such as the fact that the club is owned by its members ("sócios"). This might no longer be the case in Spain (with four notable exceptions), but pretty much every club in Brazil is run exactly like that, to name one example.
I could overlook this as a minor annoyance given the author's background with American sports, if he wasn't so willing to take at face value whatever he was told by the club.
Some passages are somewhat risible. In his Real & Barça comparison, at one point he says that Barcelona play a "possession based" system whilst Real Madrid supposedly play an "attacking" game which is "more art than system" - and he seems to believe that Real fans might not be willing to accept Barça's system, should it be implemented at the club. What nonsense. Barcelona's identity and worldwide image since Cruyff is much more intrinsically linked to beautiful football than any of the Real Madrid teams of recent decades, the current one (with 4 European titles in 5 years) included; even with all their Galacticos, none of them ever got close to being cherished as "football art" by the public as much as Guardiola's Barcelona. You have to be deeply invested in some Madridista propaganda to think that Real Madrid fans sat at their homes watching their team being spanked by 5-0 at the Camp Nou in 2011 and thought "this kind of (Barcelona) football is not for me".
Even if you consider each club's main stars, Lionel Messi will always be the romantic's favourite, and Andrés Iniesta was nicknamed "the artist" for a reason; Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, is much more known for his ruthless efficiency than for any kind of artistry. Obviously all of this completely eluded the author.
The same is true when discussing signings. The author even mentions as a potential "disadvantage" that the club only signs players that fit its values, and uses as an example Luis Suarez - whose history of indiscipline (biting, diving and racism allegations) would likely mean that the "community" (ie fans) would not want the player in a Real Madrid shirt. While not disbelieving the author's claim that a player's values are one of the big factors considered by the club when making a signing (and thus it could have played a part in them not pursuing Suarez, for instance), that assertion is still quite difficult to swallow. It's not as if Real Madrid is exactly a team of saints, and their current captain, of all people, is quite possibly the dirtiest player in the history of Spanish football - he holds the distinction for seeing the most cards (yellow or red) in the Spanish La Liga, UEFA Champions League and the Spanish national team. He's not exactly known for fair play, artistry or, let's say, "class" (one concept that clearly impressed the author at the club), and that doesn't stop him from being one of the faces of the club, wearing the armband and receiving the adulation of their fans. Of course, those caveats are never mentioned in the book.
In any case, although I may sound overly critical, be assured that I actually recommend reading the book - if anything due to the relative scarcity of good books about the sport. In particular, I think that the importance of "culture" or "values" at football clubs, although on occasions intuitively understood by fans or club officials, isn't formalised or brought forward often enough as a potential competitive advantage, and there are many clubs around the world (I think of my own) that could learn important lessons here. Other side discussions (as the "too-old-and-tired effect") are also quite interesting.
By all means, do read the book, but take everything with a pinch of salt. I worry that the gullible reader who's still being introduced to the sport (as I imagine a part of the intended American audience to look like) might take too much of it at face value - just like I probably would, if I were to read a book on, I don't know, a NFL franchise. One could say, however, that the author's praise of Real Madrid and Florentino Perez has been vindicated by their subsequent continuing success in the UEFA Champions League - the club is definitely deserving of study, I'm not just convinced this was sufficiently objective as intended.
February 19, 2022
Un análisis de la organización empresarial y deportiva junto a la cultura del mejor club de fútbol del mundo :el Real Madrid C. F
Sobre todo desde los cambios económicos que llegaron con Florentino Pérez a partir del año 2000. Análisis y comparación de la estrategia comercial y cultura del Real Madrid con la de otros clubes y deportes. Sobre todo las grandes ligas de Estados Unidos.
Completo.
Sobre todo desde los cambios económicos que llegaron con Florentino Pérez a partir del año 2000. Análisis y comparación de la estrategia comercial y cultura del Real Madrid con la de otros clubes y deportes. Sobre todo las grandes ligas de Estados Unidos.
Completo.
July 11, 2018
A very good look at the business side of Real Madrid. How they try to focus on culture of the team and the fans. Values to build the entire community. I was skeptical, but found this book to be very enjoyable!
July 12, 2017
As a disclaimer, I vehemently despise Real Madrid. This author was in love with everything Real Madrid. I'll be the first to tell you that Real Madrid has set up a beautiful system that has brought them extreme success. However, the author creates this picture that they are a morally superior team who invests in players that are only going to be on their best behavior and always represent the club well. As I read that in the book, I considered their roster over the past few years, and thought of Pepe who is one of the dirtiest defenders playing the game today. I also thought of Benzema who has been in a few fiascos that bring negativity to Real Madrid. So I debate the claim that Real Madrid is a morally superior team.
I would have enjoyed this book more, if the author wouldn't have pretended that he was being unbiased, as it was very clear that he was a huge supporter of Real Madrid. In the first chapter he makes the claim that he was never given tickets to any Real Madrid games while writing the book. While this might be true to a degree, he later goes on to say how he sat in the presidential suite for games. I do have to give the book credit in the way that it analyzes culture in the game, as I feel that is a large part of Real Madrid's success in recent times. So after all is considered, this book gets a 3.
I would have enjoyed this book more, if the author wouldn't have pretended that he was being unbiased, as it was very clear that he was a huge supporter of Real Madrid. In the first chapter he makes the claim that he was never given tickets to any Real Madrid games while writing the book. While this might be true to a degree, he later goes on to say how he sat in the presidential suite for games. I do have to give the book credit in the way that it analyzes culture in the game, as I feel that is a large part of Real Madrid's success in recent times. So after all is considered, this book gets a 3.
August 9, 2022
Bằng cách tiếp cận khác lạ với đối tượng là một CLB bóng đá châu Âu (do tác giả là người Mỹ), Steven G. Mandis cho người đọc hình dung những giá trị hình thành nên Real Madrid - CLB danh giá bậc nhất thế giới.
Thông qua những câu chuyện, những trích dẫn, các bài phỏng vấn và các phân tích dữ liệu, tác giả kết luận: yếu tố quan trọng nhất để Los Blancos phát triển tới mức hiện tại là Văn Hoá Real Madrid. Khái niệm này được đích thân Chủ tịch Florentino Perez chắp bút, công bố và thực hiện ở mọi cấp độ, với mọi nhân sự trực thuộc đội bóng. Nhờ việc áp dụng triệt để triết lý của mình, Real Madrid dần trở thành một đội bóng vĩ đại về danh hiệu, có nền tảng tài chính vững chắc, có lượng CĐV hùng hậu toàn cầu, và là ước mơ của mọi cầu thủ cũng như HLV trong sự nghiệp của mình.
Ngoài ra, tác giả cũng không quên đặt ra những thách thức mà CLB phải đối mặt trong thời kỳ “kim tiền” và công nghệ đến với thế giới bóng đá. Đây sẽ là bài toán cho Chủ tịch Perez và các cộng sự trong tương lai trung và dài hạn.
Thông qua những câu chuyện, những trích dẫn, các bài phỏng vấn và các phân tích dữ liệu, tác giả kết luận: yếu tố quan trọng nhất để Los Blancos phát triển tới mức hiện tại là Văn Hoá Real Madrid. Khái niệm này được đích thân Chủ tịch Florentino Perez chắp bút, công bố và thực hiện ở mọi cấp độ, với mọi nhân sự trực thuộc đội bóng. Nhờ việc áp dụng triệt để triết lý của mình, Real Madrid dần trở thành một đội bóng vĩ đại về danh hiệu, có nền tảng tài chính vững chắc, có lượng CĐV hùng hậu toàn cầu, và là ước mơ của mọi cầu thủ cũng như HLV trong sự nghiệp của mình.
Ngoài ra, tác giả cũng không quên đặt ra những thách thức mà CLB phải đối mặt trong thời kỳ “kim tiền” và công nghệ đến với thế giới bóng đá. Đây sẽ là bài toán cho Chủ tịch Perez và các cộng sự trong tương lai trung và dài hạn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2018
This book was different than I expected but from the bad side. I have expected an objective Steven G. Mandis opinion based on solid facts and statistics. But all what I read was grabbing for Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, and endless tread about the community and culture of the club. For the later two, I mean all the highest level soccer clubs have committed fans community and high sport culture inside the team. These two are inseparable, otherwise you could play in the fourth national league and drink beer after the match. Therefore, under the mine opinion the book is short of more objective author's insights about success factors of Real Madrid.
#realmadrid #book #goodreads #review
#realmadrid #book #goodreads #review
Read
May 15, 2023Profesor de la prestigiosa escuela de negocios Columbia Business School, Steven G. Mandis se adentró en las entrañas del Real Madrid con el propósito de descifrar el modelo que le ha llevado a ser uno de los clubes más exitosos internacionalmente tanto en lo deportivo como en lo económico. De esa curiosidad por analizar la organización empresarial y sus máximos responsables del club blanco surge este interesante La fórmula Real Madrid.
----
Puedes encontrar esta review en el #Panenka57. Disponible en
tienda.panenka.org.
----
Puedes encontrar esta review en el #Panenka57. Disponible en
tienda.panenka.org.
February 21, 2018
The book gives you a look at Real Madrid from the business side. It focuses mainly on the presidency of Florentino Perez and how they turned a club deeply in debt into a global brand. It should be noted that while you get a great deal of insight, the book might as well have been written by Florentino Perez himself. It glosses over a lot of his poor decisions and the book ends with the author praising the hire of Rafa Benitez (he turned out to be a disaster).
April 23, 2018
Informative, it provides a good history of the club and the titular culture. However, it often relies too much on culture, which can be difficult to measure and use for objective comparison. It also leans too much on Florentino Perez. Even as a Madridista, I feel it fanboys Perez a tad bit much.
With that in mind, I would still recommend the book for both the Madridista and the casual soccer fan regardless of whether you follow La Liga or not.
With that in mind, I would still recommend the book for both the Madridista and the casual soccer fan regardless of whether you follow La Liga or not.
April 4, 2020
I love Real Madrid.
But seriously, I feel like I was misled by the book, mainly because the cover of the book screamed about Real Madrid culture and values, etc etc... but instead, the author only mentions both very little to none. It was mostly about the author's analysis of the club's business side and comparisons between clubs and other sports leagues. Anyway, I learned more about the business side so let me rate it 3.5 stars.
But seriously, I feel like I was misled by the book, mainly because the cover of the book screamed about Real Madrid culture and values, etc etc... but instead, the author only mentions both very little to none. It was mostly about the author's analysis of the club's business side and comparisons between clubs and other sports leagues. Anyway, I learned more about the business side so let me rate it 3.5 stars.
September 2, 2018
Real Madrid...upside down
Really appreciating the amount of information and all the points covered...but we may get confused with a mix of information that everybody football fans know and deep knowledge from inside the structure. Everything is a bit messed up and put at the same level. At least, it gets clear that the author is a fan of Zidane
Really appreciating the amount of information and all the points covered...but we may get confused with a mix of information that everybody football fans know and deep knowledge from inside the structure. Everything is a bit messed up and put at the same level. At least, it gets clear that the author is a fan of Zidane
December 28, 2020
Awesome analysis of real Madrid
Truly wonderful analysis of the winning Soccer team from La Liga, Real Madrid.If you're interested in learning about how the top notch teams are run this book is for you!! Wonder how the top players in the world end up in top teams such as Dave Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo and previous greats like Zidane this book is just for you!!
Truly wonderful analysis of the winning Soccer team from La Liga, Real Madrid.If you're interested in learning about how the top notch teams are run this book is for you!! Wonder how the top players in the world end up in top teams such as Dave Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo and previous greats like Zidane this book is just for you!!
October 6, 2024
3.5⭐️
Cuốn sách này là luận văn tiến sĩ của tác giả, có vài trích dẫn của tác giả dựa trên mấy link bài báo trên mạng mình tìm đọc thấy cũng chưa đc chính thống lắm ;)). Đọc thì thấy cũng hơi hơi thiên vị cho Real Madrid do tác giả là fan đội nhưng vẫn phải đồng ý một điều là đội ngũ điều hành của Real đỉnh và tâm huyết thật, nhiều pha ra quyết định kiểu thay đổi cục diện của bóng đá luôn.
Cuốn sách này là luận văn tiến sĩ của tác giả, có vài trích dẫn của tác giả dựa trên mấy link bài báo trên mạng mình tìm đọc thấy cũng chưa đc chính thống lắm ;)). Đọc thì thấy cũng hơi hơi thiên vị cho Real Madrid do tác giả là fan đội nhưng vẫn phải đồng ý một điều là đội ngũ điều hành của Real đỉnh và tâm huyết thật, nhiều pha ra quyết định kiểu thay đổi cục diện của bóng đá luôn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2018
The book focuses on the business side of the club. Yet, everything objectionable is whitewashed and if not very clean simply removed. Corruption, tax payer money, state and local government power, all this make the numbers Mandis spits proudly useless.
April 27, 2020
This book was a great history of the club: the business, culture. I loved the importance showed to South American fútbol in the history of the club. This was a purely madridista book though. As a life long supporter of the club I loved it.
January 18, 2021
If you like true analysis (statistics, historical examples and perspectives) this book is definitely for you. So much great information in this book about organizational structure, culture and success that is all adaptable to sports and/or businesses in general.
May 15, 2021
It's a good book but would've liked to know about most interesting aspect of the game the transfers, like the infamous Figo transfer and what followed it, but overall great book on the financial aspect of the club
Read
January 30, 2022A good comparison between a successful sports team and a good business. "...you need teamwork and coordination to maximize performance. A mission, purpose, values, and culture are the elements that maximize performance."
May 19, 2022
It was a great book to learn about an amazing soccer team. Not only from the perspective on the players but on the values and history that has characterized this team.
I love that I learned about the history the culture, the team, the strategy that this team has followed through out the years
I love that I learned about the history the culture, the team, the strategy that this team has followed through out the years
March 26, 2020
Great book. It one of the best takes on European sport by an American I've ever read. It is straight to the point but still captivating in the way it's points are presented.
July 7, 2020
Interesting read that gives you a deeper understanding of the the most popular world sport via the perspective of the most successful Soccer Football team in the world.
July 23, 2020
Only embark on reading it if you're a die-hard Real Madrid fan or else you won't have the energy or inclination to finish it.
Tends to get really boring as you flip through the pages.
Tends to get really boring as you flip through the pages.
May 14, 2021
You would only enjoy this book if you are a Real Madrid fan.
Be warned: The title and cover are a little misleading. This book is more about the business done of the club than anything else.
Be warned: The title and cover are a little misleading. This book is more about the business done of the club than anything else.
September 26, 2021
The book is my favourite, I recomended you, Thanks =)
February 4, 2022
bare propaganda, nice in-depth analysis of both the history, economic & business perspective of the club. solid book if you wanna know about how real madrid are this good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews