D'Averna sat for another moment, looking at the pitch below, at the figure of Leo Calderon disappearing toward the tunnel mouth with his teammates.
A moment later, he got to his feet.
He turned to the large man standing a few paces behind him and began to speak, and then stopped himself halfway through the sentence.
"Actually," he said. "Stop. I will talk to her myself!"
He smoothed both hands down the front of his jacket, tugged lightly at one cuff, then turned toward the exit.
...
Beneath the stands, the post-match area was already alive.
Television crews shifted cameras into position while photographers hovered nearby, waiting for whichever player emerged next.
Staff members moved between them with familiarity, rolling cables aside and adjusting sponsor boards that had been assembled in a matter of minutes.
One after another, Italian players were intercepted on their walk back toward the dressing room.
