Waterstones Liverpool will host an event this Thursday (October 8) featuring Sergio Andres Medina and Guillem Balague, who will discuss Medina's new book, Spanish Liverpool - The Untold Story of How Rafa Benitez Conquered Europe and Revolutionised the English Game.
Event details and book focus
The talk, which starts at 6.30pm, will be led by David Cottrell, the book's translator and a former editor of the official Liverpool FC matchday programme and magazine. Balague, who provided the foreword for the book, will join Medina in store for the discussion.
The book tells the story of how Rafa Benitez, announced as Liverpool manager in June 2004, transformed the club. Benitez had won two La Liga titles and the UEFA Cup with Valencia before arriving at Anfield as the Premier League's first Spanish manager.
Impact on Liverpool and Spanish football
Benitez brought players such as Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Luis Garcia and Pepe Reina to Anfield, which created a buzz and influenced the Spanish national team manager when building his Euro and World Cup-winning squads. The book celebrates six seasons that created a Scouse-Spanish bond that survives to this day.
Medina is a Spanish journalist with access to Benitez, his players and coaching staff, and previously wrote a book about Real Madrid star Raul. Balague is a Spanish football journalist and pundit known for his 20-year tenure with Sky Sports on Revista de la Liga.
