Suddenly, the pixels snapped into focus. The roar of the Curva Nord exploded through his cheap speakers. The commentator’s voice, tinny but passionate, filled the room. "Benvenuti allo Stadio San Nicola!"
The chat sidebar on the VIPLeague stream was a chaotic scroll of flags and broken Italian. “Forza Bari!” wrote a user from New York. “Daje Fere!” countered someone from Terni.
Bari and Ternana often face off in high-stakes Serie B matches, frequently battling for playoff spots or to avoid relegation.
For Marco, however, the stadium felt a world away. He sat in a dimly lit apartment in London, his face illuminated by the harsh blue glare of his laptop. On the screen, a tab was frozen on a page titled: