The cup final between Grasshoppers and Servette, which ended in a draw, can still be read in Paul Klee's painting Alphabet 1, as well as in the National newspaper. This refers to the match on April 18, 1938, in which striker Walacek missed the opportunity to join the Swiss national football team (for the time being) and will not be present for the international match against Portugal in May 1938. From here, Orelli begins his research and weaves the thread of memory backwards. He recalls great, small, and very small personalities, transitioning elegantly from football to art, politics, and philosophy. Fictional characters meet historical figures and engage in conversations with them, from the aforementioned Klee to Bertrand Russell, from the Austrian center forward Sindelar to Hitler.