All Romans, all Romanists

Andrea Cardoni

Tutti romani tutti romanisti

Marcos y Marcos

Synopsis

In Rome, derbies make history; those who've been there swear they're among the greatest matches ever. When Cesar Gómez signed from Tenerife to AS Roma, he didn't know it yet; above all, he couldn't have known he himself would be entering "a dream come true." Six billion in wages, a four-year contract, only one significant league appearance: the first of four consecutive derbies Roma lost to Lazio in the '97-'98 season. In the fertile terrain of Roman irony, that's more than enough to become legendary; Cesar Gómez is a hallucination, a meteor that mixes with a thousand other memories, controversies, and wonders, and from voice to voice he transforms. He says that a fan went to Trigoria to give him an autograph; that he was Brazilian, that they signed him by mistake, that he played for Lazio; that he opened a car showroom on the Appia. You can't think of him without mentioning Servidei, the second central defender in that infamous derby, because "the pairing has always had its comic success." Cesar Gómez was the wrong man at the wrong time, but in the right place, because only in Rome could he become a legend. And on the edge of this lateral legend, hoaxes reverberate, declarations of love for Bruno Conti, for Petruzzi, for Totti, whose heart is still on the Romulea pitch; the annoyance of barcodes, official bets, and the transfer market; the emotion of memorable moments, of unquestioning loyalty, of the roaring community, of participation. A choral novel about tragedies, phenomena, and legend: about Italian football.

Reviews

Dario Barolo

IIS Arimondi-Eula Savigliano, class 4^D AFM

Andrea Cardoni was born in Rome in 1981. He studied anthropology and worked for a period in Tanzania, but currently volunteers in Italy. Cardoni presented his book "Tutti romani tutti romanisti" in Rome on May 24, 2017. The book tells the story of Cesar Gomez, a memorable Roma defender who became famous for playing in a 3-0 derby loss and for being the only Roma player to receive an autograph from a fan. The book aims to reconstruct several Roman stories in search of the fan who wrote the famous autograph.

Cesar Gomez was the right man in the right place, but at the wrong time, because only in Rome could he become a legend. The many hypotheses, almost all differing, regarding the reason for his purchase and his salary led the author to investigate these "mysteries," thus creating a book that enters into a series of stories of Rome and about Rome, featuring one of the most talented defenders until his time in Spain, where he played for his native Tenerife. Legends have been created around Cesar Gomez in Rome, including his agent, the owner of a car dealership, and even the owner of Tenerife, but the Spanish defender is remembered only as the symbol of Roma's bad signings.

Reading the book, one senses that football in Rome isn't just a sport, but a religion, centered around the derby against Lazio. The book recounts the experiences of several Romans who, beginning with Cesar Gomez, become lost in conversations recounting their experiences as children and adolescents.

It is therefore an ironic and passionate book that represents the sport of football and the meaning of supporting Roma between the 1990s and 2000s.

David Morello

IIS Arimondi-Eula Savigliano, class 4^D

Andrea Cardoni, originally from Rome, was born in 1981. He studied anthropology and currently works for a volunteer organization. The author presented his book in Rome on May 24, 2017. It's a humorous and engaging novel, which depicts the Giallorossi's support for their colors, even when players like Cesar Gomez were on the pitch. This explains why Giallorossi supporters never abandon their team, even in difficult times, when results aren't forthcoming. The author focuses specifically on the Spanish player: he's an unforgettable defender famous for playing 81 minutes and being perhaps the only one to have received an autograph from a Giallorossi fan. This is a true paradox, as it's usually the player, in this case exiting the gates of Trigoria (AS Roma's training ground), who signs the autograph for the fan, not the other way around. This book aims to collect stories and find the “famous fan”.

Cesar Gomez was the wrong man, at the wrong time, but in the right place, because only in Rome could he become a legend. This is evident from the fact that, despite not being a great footballer, at least in Rome he is remembered by everyone. Various theories have been formulated about him, particularly regarding his mysterious contract and the reason for his purchase. The author thus thought that investigating all these mysteries could be an opportunity to delve into a series of stories about Rome and about Roma, starting with a character considered one of the best in his position until he was in Spain, where he played for Tenerife. Legends have been created around Cesar Gomez, making him remembered as the symbol of Roma's bad signings. It is rumored that the phantom protagonist managed to open a car dealership, become an agent, and even tried to become the owner of Tenerife.

As you can see from the book's pages, football in Rome is more than just a sport: in Rome, derbies make history; those who have been there swear that those played in the capital are among the greatest matches ever.

The book recounts several episodes in which the interviewees, starting with Cesar Gomez, digress into their own superstitious rituals and childhood memories. But the anecdote that struck me most was that of the fans who went to Trigoria, and one of them, Claudio, took Carlos Bianchi (the coach) aside and began explaining the diamond formation in midfield. The book thus offers a glimpse into the meaning of being a Roma fan between the 1990s and 2000s.

In conclusion, I can say that I found myself perfectly in this novel, being a Roma fan myself, and I had the opportunity to delve deeper into the whole environment surrounding the capital's team.