The ball laughs, radiant, in the air. He brings her down, puts her to sleep, showers her with compliments, dances with her, and seeing such things never before seen his admirers pity their unborn grandchildren who will never see them.

And one fine day the goddess of the wind kisses the foot of man, that mistreated, scorned foot, and from that kiss the soccer idol is born. He is born in a straw crib in a tin-roofed shack and he enters the world clinging to a ball.

У мојој земљи фудбал је једина вера без атеиста. Знам да му се тајно заветују, крадомице, када их нико не види, они малобројни Уругвајци који јавно пљују по фудбалу и оптужују га за којешта. Њихов бес у ствари прикрива неизрециву љубав.

There are visible and invisible dictators. The power structure of world football is monarchical. It's the most secret kingdom in the world.