In recent years, more and more newsstands are closing and closing their doors for good. In Cagliari, however, there are those who, at 33, decide to reopen one, betting on themselves and on a profession that seemed a thing of the past. In the La Palma neighborhood, Matteo Bertolini has chosen to revive a business that had been idle for almost two years. A choice reminiscent of childhood memories. "This was my grandmother's neighborhood, she lived on Via Maestrale, and as a child, I often passed through here. In elementary school, in one of my first essays on what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wrote: a newsagent."

What captivated him most were the stickers, a passion that remained intact over time. And when he learned that the old newsstand could be reopened, "the decision came almost naturally: I saw the opportunity and I jumped at it," he explains. A journey made up of studies, attempts, and different jobs. Matteo Bertolini studied Chemical Engineering and Biology, worked for Econord, as a steward at the stadium and during events. He plays basketball and coaches. "I did everything that could provide me with an income, but unfortunately, career-wise, there isn't much choice these days. Between a short-term contract and the chance to build something of my own, I preferred to invest in myself, despite the many risks I took into account." Inside the newsstand, newspapers, magazines, and the inevitable stickers remain, but there are also new services to keep up with the times: bill payments, MAV, RAV, and F24. "While I was renovating the shop, up to twenty people a day would stop me asking when I'd open. To buy a newspaper, they had to go to the supermarket or all the way to Poetto."

Among the first supporters, standing next to him, is his proud 68-year-old father Franco, retired for six years. "Having your own business can be a way to enter the workforce with more stability. It's difficult for young people today; there were difficulties even when I was young, but now it's even worse." He then jokes: "I come here to keep him company; at least I get to read the newspaper for free." Rita, a local grandmother, also took lots of photos during the opening to send to her friends. "I'm happy, I wish him good luck and may the Lord help him. A newsstand was really missing here." And with the parish field, frequented by children every day, just a few meters away, who knows, maybe the new newsstand will become a regular stop for them to buy stickers, as it was for Bertolini years ago.