Synopsis

“In football, only the winner matters. But sometimes, the loser does too.”

Just hearing the word "comedy" brings a simple equation to mind for many people: unlikely situations plus bizarre characters equals hearty laughs. When reading the book Atletico Minaccia Football Club, this association powerfully resurfaces from our subconscious, only to be submerged and imprisoned by the true essence of the novel, which introduces us to Giovanni "Vanni" Cascione, a football enthusiast and professional coach in Mondragone, a sunny town in the Campania province. The protagonist, following a chance encounter, is contacted by Lucio Magia, sporting director of the newly formed Atletico Minaccia football team, which Vanni will eventually manage. The coach, however, is still unsure of what he will face.
The plot is constantly evolving, unfortunately it is not adequately developed. Being a comedy, the reader expects more or less exaggerated situations, yet for the entire duration of the book, nothing happens: the match descriptions are the closest thing to a sports newspaper article, commentaries peppered with a few comical elements, but still sterile.
One could even say that expectations regarding the characters are dashed: the players are flat in personality, despite each possessing, at times, hilarious qualities that have been left untapped, and others seem added just to make up the numbers.
Vanni himself, who is charged with carrying the novel's "epic" aspect on his shoulders, fails miserably; in fact, the coach is a classic idiot who ends up tripping over his own ego, making himself ridiculous in the reader's eyes.
What gives this shaky story the final blow is the ending, so to call it lame and inconclusive is almost an understatement, aided by the entrance of the Camorra, which should provide an opportunity to reiterate the usual anti-Mafia moral, but instead suffocates the story.
The novel's language is fluid, except for the parts in dialect that may be difficult for some to understand, and it can be read by anyone, even those who don't even know what football is.
Anyone with a spare afternoon might consider reading this, knowing, however, that it will leave nothing but a bitter taste in their mouth.