Italian Soccer Seen Through the Eyes of An Outsider

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro is a striking work of non-fiction by American author Joe McGinniss (1942 - 1914), published in 1999. Driven by a sudden obsession with Italy’s most popular sport, McGinniss followed a fledgling soccer team around for an entire season as it competed in the coveted Serie B league. Playing in Serie B was an unlikely feat for Castel di Sangro, an impoverished town of 5,000 in the Abruzzo region. At stake was the pursuit of ‘la salvezza’ (the avoidance of being relegated to a lower division) and the pride of a remote town that had known little glory or distinction.

There is a charming ‘fish out of water’ element to this story as McGinness imbeds himself in the Italian culture and fumbles with the language and customs. “My own personality had merged so totally with that of the town and the team that I could not imagine a future without either,” he explains. But his passion for soccer, his journalist instincts and an eagerness to embrace all things Italian override any shortcomings and endear him to his hosts, many of whom seem equally baffled and flattered by his attentions.

With access to players, coaches and managers, McGinness provides a spirited account of the team’s ‘miracle’ season, which includes triumphs, scandals, heartbreaks, tragedies, and dramas; he does so with great flair, compassion, sensitivity, enthusiasm and humour. By his own admission, however, toward the end his stay, McGinness’s soccer obsession had become insufferable to some because of his strident views and opinions.

Those ‘insufferable’ views are not unfounded. As the author discovers to his dismay before the final game of the season, the miracle of Castel di Sangro isn’t so much a miracle as it is a fairytale, and the story ends on a rather sour note. But for all those who invested in this miracle season - townsfolk, players, families, fans, advertisers and the media - it was a fairytale worth believing in and a season to remember.