Financial Times “Best Book of the Week” Author Richard Fitzpatrick to Discuss Helenio Herrera Biography
London, 16 February 2026 — Richard Fitzpatrick, author of HH: Helenio Herrera, Football’s Original Master of the Dark Arts, will appear in conversation with acclaimed author and journalist Jimmy Burns, CBE, at The Volley on Old Street, London, on Monday 17 February, with doors opening at 7pm.
The event follows the book’s selection by the Financial Times as one of its “best books of the week” — a recognition that has placed Fitzpatrick’s account of one of football’s most controversial and influential managers alongside the most talked-about new releases in publishing.
Helenio Herrera remains one of the most polarising figures in the history of the sport. The Argentine-born, French-raised coach revolutionised tactical football in the 1960s, leading Internazionale to back-to-back European Cups in 1964 and 1965 with his infamous catenaccio system — a ruthlessly defensive style that prioritised results over aesthetics and divided opinion across the football world for decades.
But Herrera was far more than a tactician. He was a pioneer of sports psychology, a master motivator who plastered dressing rooms with slogans and demanded total obedience from his players. He was among the first coaches to control diet, sleep schedules, and pre-match preparation with an intensity that prefigured the modern managerial era. He was also dogged by allegations of match-fixing and doping — accusations that have followed his legacy long after his death in 1997.
Fitzpatrick’s biography examines the full scope of Herrera’s career, from his early years in Casablanca and Paris through to his reign at Barcelona and Inter Milan, drawing on extensive original research to separate myth from reality in the story of football’s original dark artist.
The evening’s interviewer, Jimmy Burns, CBE, is himself a distinguished author whose works include Hand of God, the definitive biography of Diego Maradona, and La Roja, a history of Spanish football. The pairing promises a conversation that reaches well beyond the touchline into the politics, culture, and psychology of the European game.
Tickets are free and available via Eventbrite. Attendees are encouraged to register in advance as capacity is limited.
Event Details: Date: Monday 17 February 2026 Time: 7:00pm Venue: The Volley, Old Street, London Registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/helenio-herrera-the-story-of-footballs-most-notorious-coach-tickets-1976443148662?aff=ebdsoporgprofile
The post Financial Times “Best Book of the Week” Author Richard Fitzpatrick to Discuss Helenio Herrera Biography appeared first on European Business & Finance Magazine.
