When Dante Millesi, a founder of the website Calcio & Dintorni, happens to read an item about a body being found in Lake Lugano, it takes him no time to conclude that this is one of those stories that a rigorous and desperate reporter like himself not only has to report on, but needs to. For Millesi, born in Naples’ Rione Sanità, a kid who dreamed of playing for Napoli alongside Maradona, that news item resonates with a sorrow he thought was dead and buried, and a sense of guilt that cannot be assuaged. So it is that in a series of not too chance coincidences, Millesi launches into an investigation inside the investigation, gradually shedding light on the connections, the corruption, and the betrayals that often doom talent to succumb, due to the greed of unscrupulous criminals, murderers, and devourers of one’s dreams. And, in his own way, he’ll rebel against the inevitable and end up sacrificing himself.

Marco Bellinazzo is a journalist and author. After receiving a law degree from the Università Federico II, since 2004 he has worked for Il Sole 24 Ore. An expert on economics, finance, and geopolitics, he concentrates on the business revolving around soccer and sports in general. An opinion writer for Radio 24 and the leading national broadcasters, his blog Calcio & Business has been a point of reference for professionals and sports fans ever since 2012. His publications include: Il Napoli di Maradona (Mondadori 2012); Goal Economy (Baldini e Castoldi 2015, the Calcio Figc/Antonio Ghirelli National Literary Award); I veri padroni del calcio (Feltrinelli 2017); La fine del calcio italiano (Feltrinelli, 2018); and Le nuove guerre del calcio (Feltrinelli 2022, the Selezione Bancarella Sport Award).