Jamie Fahey’s ‘Futsal’ book revives importance of sport

I remember the first time I played futsal. I joined an adult league for exercise and fun, and thought trying indoor soccer would be a good idea. Watching the Continental Indoor Soccer League let me know, more or less, what to expect.

What I experienced was completely different from what I had in mind. Although it was a casual league with rudimentary tactics, the speed and intensity of the game meant I had a workout I never expected. And it was an absolute blast to play.

In the United States, we see futsal as one of two things. For one thing, it’s the game our kids play between the fall and spring soccer seasons. On the other hand, it’s the type of football that made Christian Pulisic so good. Unsurprisingly, the game has a much deeper story and infrastructure than that.

Veteran journalist Jamie Fahey tries to sum up the sport in his new book, futsal. Drawing on his own experiences in the game and unprecedented interviews, Fahey offers readers insight into a game that is revolutionizing football.

by Jamie Fahey futsal fast book and sport

Looking at the table of contents, the book seems structured in a traditional way. Like many books, there is an element of personal storytelling. This is followed by a history lesson before a glimpse of the world. Instead, the book veers from perspective to perspective with little transition, almost as if it includes a series of articles on the subject. We start with Fahey establishing his credentials. This includes growing up playing football on the streets of his neighborhood in small teams. His stories of insanely faired balls connect him to the game. Many are playing a version of futsal without even realizing it.

Let’s move on to sports history. Admittedly, it was a confusing part. With multiple claims to authentic futsal, it is unclear which clubs and movements represented which. At a few times, I couldn’t follow the achievements of countries in different tournaments, but that may have been on the reviewer, not the author. We then move on to a tactical discussion which also veers into stories about the coaches and players who shaped futsal. The book ends with criticisms of the situation of futsal around the world, including the “upcoming nations” of the United States and France.

A review I alluded to above how hard it is to summarize the book because it changes so quickly. For example, the chapter on Brazil (the true parent of the sport) ends with a discussion of Oriundi. In football as in futsal, it is a major issue, especially in the history of Italy. For reference, these are players who were born in other countries but used their parentage to declare a different nationality. While it makes sense to include a mention of Brazil (in a sense) exporting players to other countries, the topic is probably important enough for its own chapter or purpose, in particular most of the conversation is about Italian futsal culture.

Formatting tells a story

In the beginning, the fast transitions initially bothered me. Then I realized it was pretty fitting. Futsal is a game of quick thinking and quick reaction. After all, the goalkeeper in futsal only has 4 seconds to possess the ball before passing! The book unwittingly or intentionally reflects the game with the passage from one subject to another. Therefore, it binds together to create something interesting.

And this book is interesting. I sometimes had a hard time putting it down because of Fahey’s knowledge of futsal. He can call some of the biggest names in football and futsal and get their thoughts on the game, including Roberto Martinez. Its global vision also presents a mature sport in many places (Portugal, Brazil, Russia) but emerging in unexpected places (England). As someone with a passing knowledge of futsal and its importance to the world game, this book was an eye opener for me. At less than 300 pages, it’s the right size for a solid read on why you need to pay attention to futsal now.

Futsal: The indoor game that is revolutionizing world football is available via Amazon and all good booksellers.