Puteolana: Beyond Defeat — Terrace Edition

Words: Gennaro Colella

Images: Gennaro Colella

Pinto Stadium in Caserta, PUTEOLANA vs. Pomigliano. Coppa Italia Dilettanti Campania. Finale.

There's a strange silence in Pozzuoli today, the heavy silence of those who had loaded eleven maroon jerseys with not just a sporting dream, but a physical need for joy.

Two years later, history has repeated itself: another lost final, another trophy staring back at us from afar, leaving us with that bitter aftertaste we know all too well.

At a time when our land has put us to the test, yesterday's final should have been our lifeline, a night to forget the aftershocks and a sporting decline, to return to the air of victory in categories that belong to us by right and by history.

Seeing the Granata fans flock to the stadium, with that warmth that only we can provide, was yet another demonstration that Pozzuoli is alive, despite everything.

We returned home wounded, it's true. But if there's one thing that bradyseism and our history have taught us, it's that we know how to stay standing even when everything shakes.

The disappointment is great, but the sense of belonging is stronger. We're crushed by the result, but our pride is never tamed.

Because Pozzuoli will never stop waiting for its night of glory. And when it arrives, it will be even sweeter.