In the 20th century, the English did a great job of promoting soccer. Ex-pats spread the beautiful game throughout ports around the world. Thanks! However, many of the current soccer books on Barcelona & Real Madrid dwell on unsuccessful or much too short spells by English players & managers. In my book, expect little unmerited anglophilia.

Why couldn't Michael Owen crack Real Madrid's starting lineup? Did Jonathan Woodgate suffer from bad luck with injuries? I don't really care. Lots of good players have played poorly for both Spanish clubs. Lots of good coaches have jumped on the treadmill only to fall off after a few months or a year. Being from the UK does not merit a chapter, nor even probably a paragraph.

That being said, Englishmen played key roles in the formation of both clubs. They will get credit. A few coaches and players have enjoyed memorable spells. Still, part of writing about history is sorting the relevant from the not so relevant. Sorry Jonathan Woodgate. You may not make this edition.