Customer Reviews

Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football

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Morbo is fantastic. Phil Ball, as he always seems to do in his regular columns on Spanish football, manages to capture the essence of Spanish society through the culture of the game. This is a story not only of the greats - di Stefano, Barcelona, Real Madrid, etc - but of the cab driving Betis supporter of Seville and the forgotten cities and clubs of Huelva and Irun. For the American reader possessing a passion for the game with sources unknown, this opens up a culture for further exploration. It is not a complete history, nor was that ever its intent. Rather, as the title suggests, it is an eploration of morbo - the passion and rivalry of the game set against a backdrop of franco, poverty, wealth, isolation, regional pride, and most other issues that form the very foundation of Spain during the past century-plus.

Morbo is a brilliant place to start for the un-initiated and a delightful treat for those who already know the culture of the game.