La Leva Calcistica Della Classe '68

Sun on the roofs of buildings under construction
Sun beating down on the soccer field and earth
And dust that the wind blows and then maybe it rains
Nino walks as if he were a man
With hard rubber shoes
Twelve years old and a heart full of fear
But Nino, don't be afraid to miss a penalty kick
A player is not judged by these details
You see a player by their courage, altruism, and imagination
And who knows how many you've seen and how many you'll see of players
Who have never won
And have hung their shoes on some kind of wall
And now laugh inside a bar
And have been in love for ten years
With a woman they have never loved
Who knows how many you've seen, who knows how many you'll see
Nino understood from the very beginning
The coach seemed happy
So he put his heart into his shoes
And ran faster than the wind
He took a ball that seemed bewitched
It stayed glued to his foot
He entered the box, shot without looking
And the goalkeeper let it pass
But Nino, don't be afraid to miss a penalty kick
A player is not judged by these details
You see a player by their courage, altruism, and imagination
The boy will make it, even if he has narrow shoulders
This other year he will play with the number seven shirt