"Happiness is being where God wants me to be, and I like being close to my loved ones." With this motivation Exequiel Narese, an Argentine midfielder who just turned 35, justified the decision made in recent weeks to leave Tharros, in the Promozione championship, and return to his homeland to Sarmiento de la Banda. The experience in Oristano lasted just six months, during which he had also provided good performances, but then the call of home prevailed. Or rather: a divine sign prevailed, given that in addition to playing football he is also a pastor. He is the leader of the "Hijo Atleta" ministry, so much so that even from Sardinia he managed (at night, due to the time difference) via Zoom the religious functions followed by dozens of faithful connected from Argentina.
"I don't just think about playing football, but about sharing experiences and spiritual matters: it's the only thing that really fills you up," he said in an interview in his homeland with La Gaceta, after returning to Argentina. Narese's last match with Tharros dates back to a month ago, on February 15 against Uta (with a goal, from a free kick, and a 2-0 victory). Then two weeks of evaluations and finally the departure on March 2, towards Argentina, with the consensual termination of the contract . This after he had found himself well with the red and whites, with the club that had supported him and helped him with the bureaucratic issues and with the arrival of his family in Italy.
Narese scored eight league goals with Tharros, in a team full of compatriots (with him Berghmans, Cecconato and the Ferrari brothers). In his career he had always played in the lower leagues in Argentina, except for a few months in Italy with Fasano in Serie D. He remembers the six months in Sardinia with pleasure, despite the early farewell for (as he said) spiritual reasons: «One of the best experiences of my life, with my family we learned a new culture. Everyone told me that in Italy I had everything to be happy, in addition to living in a splendid place, but this is not enough to be happy . Being far from home had an impact».
Narese now plays in the Federal A Tournament, with the first day not going well: Sarmiento lost 1-0 at home to Juventud Antoniana, but he did not play. And from the six months at Tharros he also has a definition of the relationship between Italy and faith : "They are religious, but more out of habit. For me, however, faith must accompany you at all times, not just on Sundays," he concluded the interview with La Gaceta.
