David Bolchover explores Jewish footballers and their lost legacy
The Guardian Sport • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 13, 2026, 4:00 AM
Last updated Jun 13, 2026
David Bolchover's new book examines the significant contributions of Jewish players to football, contrasting their prominence with the mainstream recognition of other football legends. The discussion centers on the historical context of influential figures like Bela Guttman, while highlighting the absence of well-acknowledged Jewish players in the sport's history. The piece raises essential questions about representation and memory in football. It suggests a lack of recognition has obscured the achievements of Jewish players over the decades.
- •Bolchover's book highlights influential Jewish managers and players.
- •Contrasts famous players from other nationalities with obscure Jewish footballers.
- •Raises questions about why Jewish players lack recognition in football history.
- •Associates the discussion with the impact of the Holocaust on football.
- •Encourages readers to rethink Jewish contributions to the sport.
- 4:00 AMThe Guardian Sport — Why football does not remember the name of its greatest ever Jewish player
"Influential Jewish managers such as Bela Guttman survived the Holocaust. In his new book, David Bolchover explores the great players who did not Who was the best Brazilian player of all time? Pelé comes the answer. Argentina? Maradona or Messi. Hungary? Puskas. Holland? Cruyff. Germany? Beckenbauer. Portugal? Eusébio or Ronaldo – take your pick. France? Zidane? England? Perhaps Bobby Charlton? What about the best Jewish footballer ever? Gotcha! That’s one to send even a group of the most historically literate Jewish football nerds into a prolonged silence. Not even a semblance of a suggestion is likely to emanate from their lips. Maybe they will break into a smile to indicate that we Jews are not very good at football, so choosing the best is probably a pointless exercise anyway, because the best would be rather bad in the broader scheme of things. Continue reading...
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