Stefano Bizzotto

És possible esbossar la història del món a través de la lent d'una sèrie de partits de futbol? Stefano Bizzotto, analitza dotze partits llegendaris entre els anys 1914 i 2012, i explora els vincles

Historia del mundo en 12 partidos de fútbol es una epopeya colectiva de guerras, crisis económicas y transformaciones sociales contada a través del filtro de un balón de fútbol. Una galería de encuentros olvidados, heroes inesperados, tragedias frustradas y resultados audaces en la que podemos reconocer un reflejo de los acontecimientos que han dado forma al mundo tal y como lo conocemos hoy.

An epic tale of war, revolution, economic crisis, and social transformation told through the story of twelve historic soccer games, with a gallery of unexpected heroes, thwarted tragedies, and stunning, world-changing results . . .Soccer has always intersected with historysometimes during an anonymous match, sometimes in a major world finalbecause, from the sports beginning in 1848, echoes of whats happening off the pitch have reached the global playing field in unthinkable ways. Soccer can spark a war but it can also have the opposite effect: interrupting conflict, even just for a few hours or days.For example, the story that begins this book: When French, Belgian, English and German World War I soldiers climbed out of their foxholes to kick the ball around with their enemies for a brief few hours during a Christmas Truce.This is just one of 12 matches the book covers. Others include the game between Dinamo Zagreb and the Red Star Belgrade in Croatia in 1990, when clashes between fans and police made it clear that Yugoslavia was about to have a bloody split. Or Chile vs. the USSR in 1973, held in Santiago, Chile, shortly after Augusto Pinochet took over in a bloody coup, and in the very stadium where hed imprisoned, tortured, and murdered thousands of political prisoners. The hometeam won by scoring on an empty goal the Soviets had refused to take the field in protest.Alternating between journalism and first-hand accounts from the protagonists, this work invites us to look at our past and present from a new point of view. Because, beyond what we may think, sometimes history happens while someone, somewhere, is kicking a ball around.