With Fiorentina, Nick Woltemade outshines Walter Grass, the Juventus forward who was sent off by referee Alvaro Vitali
Nick Woltemade? Not a chance. From now on, call him Walter Grass. At least according to the creator of a funny sticker who decided to rename the German center forward after one of the most unlikely and unforgettable soccer players in the history of Italian cinema. The reference is to “Il tifoso, l’arbitro e il calciatore” (The Fan, the Referee, and the Player), a 1982 comedy directed by Pier Francesco Pingitore, in which Walter Grass, played by Marco Gelardini, is a left winger for Juventus. A player who could have enjoyed a quiet career, had he not crossed paths with referee Alvaro Presutti, played by a wild Alvaro Vitali.
The story is a small masterpiece of misunderstandings. Through a scheme orchestrated by Sposito—played by Enzo Cannavale—Presutti is convinced that his wife Manuela, portrayed (and more) by Carmen Russo, is cheating on him with the Juventus player. From that moment on, for Walter Grass, life on the soccer field becomes a living hell.
In the famous match between Juventus and Fiorentina, referee Presutti disallows a whopping four of his goals. Four! Something that today would drive even the VAR crazy—it would probably be forced to seek the help of a psychologist. Poor Grass could score any way he wanted, but the result never changed: the referee always found a way to disallow the goal. And the situation escalated until the memorable showdown in the locker room, amid misunderstandings, accusations, and surreal comedy.
More than forty years later, someone saw fit to dig up that name and pin it on Nick Woltemade, who, however, actually scored against Fiorentina. The result is a trading card that looks like it came straight out of a 1982 soccer player album. The comparison is irresistible. Woltemade is German; Walter Grass in the film is a Juventus player with a Germanic name. Just swap the name on the trading card and you’re all set. For fans of old Italian comedies, the connection is immediate. Of course, the real Woltemade might not know about his illustrious cinematic predecessor. And it would be interesting to explain to him that in Italy he’s been compared to a player capable of scoring four goals against Fiorentina without having a single one credited to him.
