In this no-holds-barred authorised biography, record-breaking globetrotting soccer coach Ernst Middendorp opens up like never before.

In his thirty-eight-year career, this two-time league champion coach has called out match-fixing; taken charge of three huge clubs for free; been the subject of a protest; found himself in a war zone and become the man the media love to hate.

Consisting of 34 chapters, this book documents the life of this German South Africa who has coached 22 different teams in seven countries. It covers everything from his humble upbringing to his most recent position as coach of Maritzburg United, his tenth spell as a coach of a top-division soccer club in South Africa.

Throughout these well-researched, educative and occasionally humorous pages, readers are taken on a journey through the three continents Middendorp has plied his trade in.

Middendorp unashamedly speaks about dealing with ill-disciplined players, stubborn chairpersons and corruption.

The man who once infamously asked to be fired on television also pours his heart out on what all soccer fans in South Africa are still eagerly awaiting to discover: how he led Kaizer Chiefs from being in ninth position to topping the table at the Covid-19 break before internal and external factors aplenty resulted in him infamously losing the league title on the final day for his second time as a coach.

Not only has Middendorp unashamedly opened up about this and much more during the many hours of interviews he has dedicated to this book, but his wife Bronwyn and soccer icons such as Shaun Bartlett reveal what he is like behind the scenes.

In addition to all this, Middendorp shares comprehensive, insightful and practical advice about being a globetrotting coach.

Have you ever wondered about the secrets behind Middendorp’s success and longevity?

Perhaps you want to know why he is a pioneer of soccer training sessions in South Africa, what he does to motivate players, how he instils professionalism into a team and how come he has a knack for spotting talented youngsters who go on to be superstars.

Maybe you want to discover how to get coaching jobs in foreign countries, stay up to date with the latest soccer trends and defend your rights when clubs don’t honour their contract with you.

Current and aspiring sports coaches will be inspired by all these tips that Middendorp shares in the book.

*Stats correct as of the end of the 2020/21 season.

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