Mateo

by Antoine Bello

Mateo Lemoine est un prodige du football. À dix-huit ans, il surprend son entourage et ses fans en s'inscrivant à la fac de Vernet, la petite ville où il vit avec sa mère, pour conquérir le titre universitaire que son père, entraîneur de talent disparu prématurément, était sur le point de remporter avant sa mort. Malgré son niveau, ou à cause de lui, Mateo peine à trouver sa place au sein de l'équipe. Peut-être parce qu'il ne cherche pas tant la victoire que le surpassement - individuel et collectif. Ce roman, qui ne captivera pas seulement les amateurs de sport, est avant tout une parabole sur la volonté, le mérite et l'utilisation que chacun de nous fait des talents qu'il a reçus.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published February 28, 2013

About the author

I am a French-American author born in Boston, Massachusetts. I live in Purchase, New York.
Six of my books are available in English in electronic format.
- The Missing Piece (1999)
- The Falsifiers (2007)
- The Pathfinders (2009)
- The Showrunners (2015)
- The Disappearance of Emilie Brunet (2010)
- An American Novel (2014)

Reviews

[Steven Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately Mateo is not yet translated into English, so I had to slog my way through the French. It was well worth it – Mateo is one of the best football novels I have come across.

The book also reveals something of the difference of approach between the English and continental games: that old-fashioned English belief in talent, endeavour and passion as opposed to the more developed technical and scientific approach to analysing, coaching and learning the techniques. All the English football fiction I have read assumes footballing ability is something you are born with – this I believe reveals a cultural difference wherein lies much of what is at fault in the English game.

Full review at:http://stevek1889.blogspot.co.uk/2014...