Book Review: Paolo Sollier, Kicks, Spits & Headers: The Autobiographical Reflections of an Accidental Footballer

Abstract

Paolo Sollier was an Italian professional football player in the 1970s who was celebrated by some and reviled by others for his unflinching Marxist views. His book, Kicks, Spits, & Headers: The Autobiographical Reflections of an Accidental Footballer, was originally published in 1976 and is now available in English for the first time through the joint efforts of Autonomedia and Minor Compositions. In this volume, Sollier presents his reflections in a series of vignettes about the world as he experienced it as an accidental footballer. That is, as someone who drifted into (rather than eagerly pursued a career in) professional football. Even though they are presented in scattered vignettes, these reflections articulate coherent viewpoints on football, politics, and the intersection of the two during a turbulent period in post-World War II Italian history.