Written by Matteo Ciaramella
Separated by water, divided by football.
3.14 kilometers of sea between the two teams.
The Strait of Messina is ‘no man’s land’ between the cities of Reggio di Calabria (or ‘Reggio’) and Messina, being their only divider observable by the human eye. The human eye, however, does not tell the full story, so strap in and get ready to learn about one of the most unique derbies in Italy, Europe, and the entire world.
Messina and Reggio are located in two different regions, with the former being the easternmost city on the Sicily island, and the latter being the tip of the ‘boot’ that is Italy, in the Calabria region. Unlike most regional borders in Italy, however, there is a tangible, real separation between Sicily and Calabria, which enunciates their few, minute differences more than a standard Italian border should. On the other hand, although the sea is a very prominent divide, the distance is simply not enough for it to be called that, which is why I prefer the term ‘proximity’. And it is this proximity, that has over the centuries generated bickering, disputes, and spats, blossoming into a truly Great Italian rivalry.
The two cities have a history of sharing people, territory, and commerce, becoming similar and complementary economies in the process. At one point, they were even in the same province, under the rule of Greek city Chalcis. When the Romans came knocking, Messina and Reggio were both absorbed into the empire, becoming frequent trade partners. Wood, coal, and even ice were exchanged on the daily, and this brought a mix of the cities’ cultures, traditions, and language, to the point where even now, thousands of years later, Messina and Reggio are said to have numerous affinities despite being located in different Italian regions. The two local dialects share their subtle similarities, and there are routine talks of establishing a lone metropolitan area for Messina and Reggio to share: the Metropolitan Area of ‘the Strait’.
The Strait is the one true separator of two otherwise similar worlds, where Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas meet and create an infamously tough route for ancient ships. Here, the Greek legend of Scylla and Charybdis came to be. Scylla is a sailor-devouring monster off the Reggio coast, while Charybdis a scary whirlpool tormenting the Messina side. This is why the strait used to be called ‘the Strait of Scylla and Charybdis’, giving the two cities equal authority over this legendary, dangerous location. However, when the Kingdom of Sicily was established in 1130, the strait was renamed ‘the lighthouse of Messina’, and subsequently ‘the Strait of Messina’. Not to say that this ignited a bloody war, but Reggio inhabitants exhibit some resentment for this unfair ‘domination’ over a body of water as Calabrian as it is Sicilian, which is where the friendly ‘bickering, disputes, and spats’ originate from. Funny nicknames referencing local folklore or fish, as well as arguing over who has the best view on the strait are just some of the small, light-hearted jokes that characterize what Messinians and Reggians feel towards one another, but until football was invented, this is as far as the rivalry went.
Football has been able to dig up resentment and animosity that was simply waiting to be exposed to the world. The idea of dominating over the Strait was virtually non-existent prior to football’s existence, even though the conditions for it were laid out perfectly: a meeting point for two very different seas, rendered dangerous by two opposing mythical sea creatures. A seemingly easy connection between two cities, but in reality a perilous journey, almost as if the Greek Gods themselves did not want any mixing or interactions. A rivalry fueled by hatred was bound to come to life, and when this English game known as ‘football’ docked to their ports, what was once definable as a friendship was friendship no more.
The first derby was played in 1924, when Messina still operated under the name Peloro, while Reggina was known as Reggio FC. By the beginning of WWII, the derby had been contested 13 times, 6 of which went to Messina, 3 to Reggina, and 4 were draws. And despite this rivalry could not escape the lower tiers of Italian football, some of those performances still echo in fans’ minds nowadays, such as Reggina’s 1931 4-0 win, or the two 5-0 demolitions carried out by Messina in 1930 and 1938 respectively. The last derby before the beginning of the Second World War, however, ended with a staggering 12-0 score in favor of Messina – a record that Reggina are yet to beat.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the two teams regularly faced each other, as they both underwent a climb to the top of Italian football, from Serie C, to Serie B, and finally to Serie A, with the first ‘derby of the Strait’ played at the highest stage in 2004. On that historic October afternoon, Messina would prevail over their rivals with a 2-1 win, a feat repeated the following March on a 0-2 scoreline. The next season Reggina surprisingly finished in 13th with a 41 point tally, while taking home their biggest and most influential derby win to date. A 3-0 humiliation two match days before the end of the 2005-2006 campaign was what officially crucified Messina and sent them packing to the dreaded lands of Serie B. After a nationwide scandal (some of you may know about Calciopoli), however, Messina was readmitted into the top flight for the 2006-2007 season. Unfortunately for them, this was not enough to stay on top, and a 3-1 derby loss in April of 2007 sent the Sicilians to Serie B once and for all. Reggina enjoyed a few more years in Serie A, eventually falling out in 2009. Much like their rivals, they never recovered from relegation, as both clubs plummeted down the Italian football system throughout the early 2010s and never met in the process. The derby would have to wait until 2014, this time in Italy’s third tier – a context unfamiliar to this rivalry since 1993. This 2014 contest marked the beginning of a 6-game series over a little more than 2 years, which ended with a Messina win on December 29th, 2016.
With a 12-0 annihilation and two 5-0 massacres to their name, more all-time derby wins, and the closing victory in 2016, I believe that the strait is rightfully named after Messina; what do you think?
References
https://www.rivistacontrasti.it/derby-dello-stretto-reggina-messina-calabria-sicilia/
https://ilsicilia.it/area-metropolitana-dello-stretto-la-leadership-rischia-di-essere-a-reggio-calabria/ : Derby dello Stretto: Messina-Regginahttps://www.guidasicilia.it/rubrica/la-leggenda-di-scilla-e-cariddi/3003894
http://www.touringmagazine.it/articolo/4489/messinareggio-calabria-sempre-più-stretto
https://www.guidasicilia.it/rubrica/la-leggenda-di-scilla-e-cariddi/3003894