Somewhere, in a stadium in the middle of the plains or surrounded by mountains, two coloured shirts square off in a continental tournament: they seek glory and to make history. Indeed, after the wars between the pre-Columbian peoples, the arrival of the conquerors, and the liberation of the continent, today the destiny of Latin American countries is played out on soccer fields.
With the rigour of a chronicler, the soul of a traveller, and plenty narrative skills, Alejandro Droznes intertwines the Copa Libertadores with the liberators, parading San Martín and Bolívar, players and fans, journalists and leaders. From Venezuela to Argentina, from Ecuador to Brazil, through Bolivia, Paraguay and also Spain, in this entertaining book soccer feats serve as a way to mutually illuminate the current situation and the history of Latin America.
“I devoured it from beginning to end, in one sitting. It’s narrative journalism, as it’s called today, the good stuff.” – Pablo Alabarces (Historia mínima del fútbol en América Latina, Fútbol y patria)
“Libertadores de América is a delightful book.” – La Nación, Ezequiel Fernández Moores (Díganme Ringo, Juego, luego existo)
“Unique and unrepeatable: heroes and commanders intermingle with top players, fans and all those who feel passionate about soccer.” – Alejandro Fabbri (El nacimiento de una pasión continental, Historias negras del fútbol argentino, Historias secretas de los mundiales)
“A crazy idea: to investigate Latin American independence through soccer. The result: a charming book.” – Horacio Convertini (Lo oscuro que hay en mí, Los que duermen en el polvo)
“This book leads us, as no other has done before, across all Latin America. It’s not only a story about soccer: it is about our peoples and history.” – Andrés Burgo (El partido Argentina-Inglaterra, La final de nuestras vidas)
“A gem.” – Juan Pablo Meneses (Equipaje de mano, La vida de una vaca, Niños futbolistas)
“It feels as if the book dwelled in a literary district where the writer’s personality could be perceived only thanks to its concealment in an act of programmatic elegance. Because Droznes writes well.” – La Agenda, Quintín (Revista El Amante, La vuelta al cine en cuarenta días)
“Extremely odd, very good and very fun.” – Ignacio Fusco (Revista Don Julio)
“A superbly-written book, with recurrent appearances of San Martín and Bolívar, so to clarify which Libertadores’ Cup is raised at the end of each story.” – Esteban Schmidt (The Palermo Manifesto)
“It is very well-written, very original, and it has a great final. It is a great book about soccer and travel.” – Infobae, Matías Bauso (Historia oral del Mundial ´78, Argentina bizarra)
“I loved this book. Very well-written.” – Diego Borinsky (Gallardo Monumental)
“A very unusual book, written in an incredible way.” – Radio el Destape, Diego Tomasi (El caño más bello del mundo, Cortázar por Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires por Cortázar)
“Fascinating and original. Unusual and fun.” – Gustavo Noriega (Manual de autodefensa intelectual, Conversaciones con jugadores exquisitos en coautoría con Diego Latorre)
“What’s this book, pleeease? Who’s its freak author?” – Cristian de Nápoli (En las bateas expuestas)
“An enchanting cross between soccer and history.” – Agencia Télam
“There is no way you’ll not want to keep reading, always, page after page.” – La Agenda, Alejandro Seselovsky (Cristo llame ya!, Trash)
“A marvellous book.” – Página /12, Alejandro Duchini (Mi Diego)
“Not to miss if you want to delve into the heart of the Copa Libertadores and get to know the history of Latin America.” – Fox Sports, Damián Trillini
200 pages – Original language: Spanish (Argentina, Blatt & Ríos, 2022). Rights sold: Peru (Pesopluma, 2023); Brazil (Corner, 2023)