David Bolchover’s newest book, *Digging Deep*, shines a light on eleven Jewish soccer players whose lives were cut short by the Holocaust, offering a rare glimpse into a forgotten chapter of sporting history.
A lifelong Manchester United supporter, Bolchover first encountered the story of Béla Guttmann while researching his earlier biography of the Hungarian coach, a Holocaust survivor who left an indelible mark on the game.
The Research Journey
The research process proved arduous; match reports from the interwar era were scattered, player registries incomplete, and many records destroyed, forcing Bolchover to piece together fragments of biographical data, from birth certificates to marriage licenses and surviving family testimonies.
Among the names he resurrected are Jozsef Braun, Zygmunt Steuermann and Max Scheuer, whose stories intertwine with the broader tragedy that befell Jewish communities across Europe.
Memory and Legacy
Beyond the individual narratives, the book explores how the Holocaust reshaped Jewish identity in sport, influencing the reception of Israeli players abroad and raising questions about Europe’s collective memory.
Bolchover also reflects on contemporary football, predicting a strong showing for France in the upcoming World Cup while hoping an underdog nation might surprise the world, a sentiment that echoes his broader concern that the lessons of the past remain unlearned.
The work does more than recount loss; it celebrates resilience, suggesting that the legacy of these players could inspire a new generation of Jewish athletes to claim their place on the global stage.