The Romanian Riveter: FOOTBALL DIARY by Moni Stănilă, translated by Florina Luminos

20.

1. After the Chinese released onto the market the German soldier-doll Bastian.

2. After Mourinho said no and Ancelotti said no and the doll was retired ahead of its time and Guardiola exchanged Kroos for his friend Xabi Alonso. 3. After Reus, Neuer and Boateng were injured and Müller was substituted because the Italians didn’t like him. 4. After the Turks with Turks and Germans were offended by the site of the accommodation in the former Soviet Union and so the deciding match was played in Stalingrad – I wonder: did the Germans lose their qualifying place or their patience?

(Sometimes here in the Republic of Moldova someone threatens us with the Russians and we are not very comfortable despite there being a Transdnistria between us and a shallow rain that’s a bit toxic after the red forest of Chernobyl burned. An ugly championship put into question like a hedge- hog under a shield. But glory to the VAR referee just as variably and arbitrarily used only when so ordered! Putin and Medvedev next on the carpet. Umbrellas. FIFA.

A championship of the non-champions. Everything for the crowd and

Everything out of love for the Russian army which won’t leave. Neither Ukraine.

Nor Moldova. Neither after the championship. Nor after the end of the world.)

By Moni Stănilă

Translated by Florina Luminos

Read The Romanian Riveter in its entirety here.

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Moni Stănilă runs the ‘Republica’ literary circle with Alexandru Vakulovski and has published four poetry collections, a novel, a fantasy novel for teenagers and a literary biography of Constantin Brâncuși. Her poems have been translated into multiple languages.

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Florina Luminos studied Romanian and English Language and Literature at West University, Timișoara. Currently living in the UK and working as a data manager for a pharmaceutical company, she has completed several literary translations as a way of staying in touch with contemporary literature.