The Sondrio journalist presents his book "La squadra spezzata" at the Rajna Library on 11 November

A football team that becomes a legend in a city wounded by war—still scared and hungry—yet able to bring pride and hope back to the Hungarian people: Luigi Bolognini tells its story in "La squadra spezzata: la grande Ungheria di Puskás e la rivoluzione del 1956", which he will present at the Rajna Library on Wednesday 11 November at 6 pm. Winner of the 2008 Selezione Bancarella Sport award, this is the book that’s been described as sitting halfway between a novel and an essay. After only a few weeks back on the shelves for Neri Pozza—who has reissued it in the Beat Bestseller series. The event will be moderated by journalist Giuseppe Maiorana, with contributions from Michele Diasio, councillor for Sport and Tourism for the Municipality of Sondrio, Sandro Nava, former president of Pezzini Basket, and journalists Roberto Beccantini and Fabio Monti.

The Aranycsapat, the name of the legendary Hungarian national football team, wins the gold medal at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, overcomes Wembley and beats England twice. In fifty matches, they lose just once—but it’s the 1954 World Cup final, against West Germany. The book celebrates the feats of players who have entered the collective imagination, like Grosics, Bozsik, Hidegkuti, Kocsis, Czibor and above all Ferenc Puskás, nicknamed Öcsi, the little brother—the biggest Hungary has ever had. To guide the reader through the story is a boy, Gábor, to whom Bolognini entrusts the telling of those years when football becomes the dream of a country oppressed by dictatorship, up until 1956, when Soviet tanks enter Budapest.

Luigi Bolognini, from Sondrio, has worked for la Repubblica since 1999, where he focuses mainly on entertainment and sport. He made his debut as a writer in 2003 with Gli eroi son tutti giovani e belli (Limina), followed by La squadra spezzata (Limina 2007, 66thand2nd 2016, Neri Pozza 2026).

Admission is free until all available seats are taken.