There have been many documentaries about soccer stars and their lives. They explain where the play grew up and how he made his way into the top flight of football. Many of them all the way through to the top leagues in Europe and on to the World Cup. It’s fascinating to see how each one had a different upbringing and a drive for success in many ways, making their documentaries almost a drama series.
In this Filmzie blog, we stay on the topic of soccer, known as football in Europe and around most of the world, to follow on from our previous piece covering FILMZIE TOP 5 SOCCER MOVIE PICKS.
Gazza – 2022
This movie charts the life and football career of the larger than life character Paul Gascoigne. His huge talent on the pitch and equally huge “off the field” antics have been the subject of many documentaries and books and he has been the subject of many headlines in the tabloids.
Gazza, a two-hour movie, charts his early days in Newcastle during the 80’s and very quickly moves onto the time he was signed up for Spurs for a fee of £2.2 million, which in 1988 was a record-breaking amount.
His life off the pitch took him through some very low periods with alcoholism and various mental health issues. A lot of archive footage has been included in Gazza and is a very comprehensive insight into the life of one of football’s biggest names.
Parts of this documentary depict some of the toughest times Paul had to endure but we believe, although very sad at times, it is a very true to life portrayal of a very colourful life both on and off the pitch.
Diego Maradonna – 2019
An extremely well-made documentary, this film shows just how extremely talented this character was during his playing career. He truly was one of the most talented players ever and certainly had more than his fair share of controversy both on and off the pitch.
The film features footage taken from hundreds of hours of never seen before Maradonna’s personal archives. The focus is 1984, the period during which time he moved from Barcelona to Napoli. He was never exactly in the best physical shape but his skills enabled him to achieve outstanding results in his matches despite this. He was able to calculate where the ball would be in 10 seconds, he had an exceptional brain which only complemented his other skills such as a great acceleration and speed, his dribbling skills and his famous left foot.
Maradonna has always lived his life very much in the public eye, but at times it would appear he was not able to handle the fame that he always attracted. Altogether a fascinating insight into the life of one of the most talented footballers ever.
The Phenomenon: Ronaldo – 2022
Yet another extremely talented footballer, the phenomenon known as Ronaldo is yet another massive name in the sport. Aged just 21 in 1997 he was already being perceived as best footballer in the world. Exactly the same as with the majority of these world class player, he certainly had his share of controversies off the pitch. This film features an array of interviews with his family and teammates and also even the surgeons who performed career saving operations giving him what amounts to two new knees.
The film also attempts to discover exactly what happened in the Brazil hotel room prior to the World Cup final in 1998 when they interview Roberto Carlos.
Ronaldo also had his share of bad times such as when he was blamed for Brazil’s World Cup loss to France, along with his many career threatening injuries.
All is described in great detail and covers Ronaldo’s career and life up until he retired in 2011. A true icon of the football world.
Bobby Robson: More than a manager – 2018
Arguably one of the greatest football managers ever, here appears in what has been described as one of the greatest football documentaries ever made.
In a truly remarkable career he has managed clubs such as Ipswich Town, Barcelona, Newcastle and England. He became manager of Ipswich Town in 1969. 1982 saw him become manager of England, he then went onto manage overseas and finally ended his managerial career at Newcastle United. A truly outstanding achievement.
Robson discusses his cancer diagnosis which prompted his surgeon to advise him to retire from his managerial career, which of course Robson ignored, moving on less than a year later to manage Barcelona.
The film depicts much of his personal life alongside his career with interviews with his family describing the impact of his football commitments on the lives of all of his family. It can’t have been easy.
Lionesses: How football came home – 2022
We feel we just must include the remarkable story of the Lionesses in this selection. A truly great sporting moment which gave a new lease of life to women’s football.
An amazing and remarkable story of an achievement that really brought women’s football to the forefront, culminating in their wonderful victory at the Euro 2022 women’s tournament.
The film takes the viewer behind the scenes and documents the progression through the various matches leading up to the amazing victory in 2022. I am sure we all remember the match winning goal scored by Chloe Kelly and the incredible shirt removing and waving performance by her celebrating in great style.
Several players are interviewed in this documentary including goalie Mary Earps and Captain Leah Williamson who share their proud and well deserved inner thoughts.
The documentary also includes details of the unfortunate sexism suffered by women’s football teams from both the FA and men’s football generally and how the Lionesses overcame those hurdles to make such a remarkable achievement. This is a story that truly captures the imagination of the entire nation. Great result, ladies!
Do you enjoy sports-related movies and Documentaries?
If you want us to introduce more blogs covering docuseries or movies on sports, let us know in the comments. You can also tell us which soccer documentaries you believe should be in the top 5!