Soccer is frequently described as an absolute faith, but in Quadri, a small town in the Chieti province, that metaphor has crossed into reality. The local football club, playing in the Terza Categoria, has reinforced its attacking lineup by scouting straight from the local clergy. Stepping onto the pitch in red-and-blue is Father Oden Maneck, an assistant parish priest who trades his clerical robes for a soccer kit.
Born in Tanzania in 1991, the clergyman began training with the team last season, quickly winning over the squad and local supporters. Though bureaucratic hurdles delayed his registration last year, the paperwork finally cleared, allowing him to officially sign. Club President Gabriele D’Aloisio welcomed the new striker with open arms. Opponents have officially been put on notice: on the pitch in Quadri, someone is truly preaching football.