The Eziolino Capuano Show begins again

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Since October 24th, Serie C has been Serie C again. Because after nine months of silence, its main protagonist has returned: Eziolino Capuano. A character straight out of a sports novel, the bard of Lega Pro. On and off the field. A leader on the bench, a philosopher in the press room, and a Viking in the locker room. We missed him. His last stint at Trapani lasted just seven games before he was fired for "disrespectful conduct and serious insults directed at the team." It was December 22nd last year when it was discovered that some players had been dancing until 3 a.m. before the match against Foggia. Eziolino was furious. President Antonini, the Bandecchi of the island, had all the players sign a request for the manager's dismissal, demanding compensation for damages: "Capuano has caused unprecedented damage to our reputation." Yet Eziolino, from Arezzo to Potenza, Taranto, and Giugliano, is the only one capable of getting national TV and newspapers talking about Serie C teams . Alessandro Bastoni, defender for Inter and the Italian national team, said during his latest interview with Alessandro Cattelan (a huge fan of Eziolino): "Capuano invented the term 'braccetto'. I used to watch his Taranto matches." Major sports sites get more views by replaying his press conferences than by watching Serie A highlights.

After nine months, Eziolino won the case against Trapani. The testimonies, the panel wrote in its ruling, were "prepared by a member of the club and had the players sign them, more or less knowingly." Some of the players interviewed at the hearing later downplayed the allegations, admitting, as the messages demonstrated, that they had never been insulted. The request for termination of his contract was therefore found to be unfounded in fact and in law, and only after the ruling did Eziolino decide to accept the Giugliano bench: "I had a case of dignity with Trapani, and I was sure I would win by a landslide. It was a cowardly moment, I felt betrayed, unjustly accused just for not paying a contract. I don't blame those who didn't want to pay me, but whoever signed that piece of paper when he goes to sleep with his children and his wife should be ashamed, he can't do any job. I am proud to be Eziolino Capuano , in 36 years of career you can say anything to me, but I have never bartered my dignity, my name has never ended up in atrocity. Prostration is the most unworthy thing for a man, whether you are a footballer or a banker. I have never given in. For me, football means bringing enthusiasm, especially to the kids: there are people who spend their week based on the results of their team. Sunday. I'll retire from football when I decide, not others. Life is rich for those with dignity. For those who have lived in poverty but have managed to remain rich inside. Football is a transport of emotion, excitement, and passion. Now I feel alive again. Remembering means growing old, but I still feel very young. The day I no longer have this verve and have to take Valium, it means I've stopped, because it means I can no longer give emotions to the people. Because I am for the people and I fight for the people who live for their team. I'm still at dawn and not at Leopardi's twilight; I still live the village Saturday."

He took on a team third from bottom in the standings with just 9 points and won the first two games: “Not even Jesus Christ could have done anything more.” As soon as he returned to the field, the "Capuanocam" was turned back on, recording his every move: chest out and head high, he stands up, runs from side to side, sprints, jumps, screams—it's a spectacle. But he's at his best in his press conferences, which are cult classics. How he arrived at Giugliano has already been viewed on TikTok, with hundreds of thousands of views. Thanks to him, the Giuliano Tigers have become "the Piragni." But he acknowledges that "the media hype has diminished my technical value: you have to look at the intrinsic and not the semantic, just as I look at the man and not the player."

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