Written by Matteo Ciaramella
A commitment to going ‘beyond’ in their support is instilled in their identity, as the name itself – ultras – points to extraordinary intensity, devotion, and attachment. The world of Italian ultras is as fascinating as it is intricate, and there are many sides that can be dissected, analyzed, and discussed.
Today, however, we take a closer look at the good that ultras have done over the years.
This unrivaled, ferocious energy displayed by ultras is at times looked down upon, especially by outsiders who witness this phenomenon from afar, rather than immerse themselves in it, and get sucked into a magic atmosphere. The presence of ultras is as important to the matchday experience as are the footballers themselves, making games heavily sought after events. To truly grasp the significance of these supporters, you have to see them in action from inside the stadium, and if possible join them in their curva (the ends behind the goals). Additionally, ultras are known to be very effective at encouraging their team’s players and helping them rally up the needed spirit to win or equalize games. For this reason, the fiercest fans are often dubbed ‘12th man’, and although this is a global occurrence, the significance of this denomination is taken to the next level in Italy. Many clubs, in fact, have demonstrated their gratitude and commitment to their ultras by retiring the number 12 jersey. This decision taken by Atalanta, Cesena, Genoa, Lazio, Lecce, Palermo, Parma, Pescara, and Torino is a lasting example of how impactful ultras support is, while also adding romanticism to this beautiful side of the Italian game.
Ultras see themselves as protectors, guardians of their clubs and its values. This is then translated to a bigger scale, when they assume the role of defenders of their city of origin. They are loyal to the soil like no one else, and in the occasional violent altercations with other fans, ultras are often defending their cities, not their clubs. Furthermore, teams that are the sole representatives of their birthplaces carry the weight of being directly responsible for elevated hometown pride and a stronger city identity. In a small town like Empoli, for example, one of the proudest aspects is boasting a regular Serie A competitor, and the ultras not only defend their city’s honor and values, but they also enforce them with chants and banners. Most of the time, however, this is done through campanilismo, an Italian phenomenon rich in love for your birthplace and hate for the neighboring areas. Though at times harsh and graphic, campanilismo is a big part of what makes each city unique, and ultras supporters make it their job to spread these ideas throughout the entire country.
At times, however, ultras put these differences aside and form what we in Italy call gemellaggio, or, a ‘twinning’. These are essentially pacts of friendship made with other ultras from other teams. Even in their hostile world, ultras aim to show that good relations can be forged, and that friendship goes beyond any difference imaginable. There are three Italian gemellaggi that in fact showcase this mentality perfectly: Genoa-Catania, Hellas Verona-Fiorentina, and Inter-Lazio, each one with its distinct theme.
The first one, between Genoa and Catania, is wonderful due to it uniting a team from the North, and one from the South. There has historically been a lot of animosity between the Italian North and South, and in football, this is often perpetuated with offensive chants and insulting displays. Whenever a Southern team travels to a Northern game or vice versa, it is extremely common for tension and hate to fill the air and create a hostile environment. Genoa and Catania go beyond that, and show the entire country that this divide is old-fashioned and insensitive.
Hellas Verona-Fiorentina is unusual in its political nature, because the former club and its fans have ties to extreme right-wing parties, while the latter has always been known as left leaning. With clashing ideologies such as these, you would normally expect a strong dislike from both parties, but here we get the opposite: respect and camaraderie, as well as help and support. Rare, but beautiful.
Lastly, Inter-Lazio. This time, a gemellaggio where political similarities are at the base of everything, though the point of interest is another one. Inter and Lazio represent Milan and Rome, the biggest cities in Italy, rivals in everything. Living to outdo each other and determine who is the real capital, there has always been some mild dislike between the two Italian metropolises. Inter and Lazio, however, put that aside and display extreme devotion to the gemellaggio on every occasion, once again showing that although Italian football is very divided due to campanilismo, some ultras groups have meaningful, amicable relationships with other supporters across the entire country.
Ultras can also show affection for their most hated rivals, despite their numerous fights. Brescia and Atalanta supporters demonstrated much appreciated solidarity to each other in 2020, during the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the two cities, especially Bergamo, were severely impacted. ‘Divisi sugli spalti, uniti nel dolore’ – ‘Divided on the stands, united in pain’ were the words printed on a banner that was hung on the Sarnico bridge, which connects the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. When the message started trending on social media, ultras on both sides collected funds to help hospitals deal with the overwhelming amounts of patients. There were even talks of hosting a friendly game to raise money for healthcare facilities, which ultimately did not pan out. Regardless, this case between one of, if not the most heated rivalry in Italy just goes to show that in times of need, ultras can put their Italian citizenship ahead of city residence and team support, helping compatriots in times of need.
Cosenza Calcio ultras are also very involved socially and strive to improve their community day in and day out. It all started with the late Piero Romeo, who, with a local priest, opened a soup kitchen for the less unfortunate in the streets of Cosenza. Over the years, as Romeo’s ultras status grew, so did his community participation, and as a consequence, many other Cosenza supporters gladly joined him. In 2005, in fact, a group led by Romeo himself went on a volunteer trip to the Central African Republic and Madagascar, where they helped build kindergartens, schools, and wells.
When Romeo sadly passed away in 2011, the city and ultras came together to build a park in his memory, and founded a voluntary organization – La Terra di Piero (Piero’s land) – which to this day operates in Cosenza with the mission of “providing social relief with concrete efforts of solidarity”.
The media likes to blur the public’s vision on Italian ultras, labeling them as ruthless, unstable, dangerous fanatics whose only answer is violence and insults. As you now know however, this is far from the complete truth, and I hope that this article was enough to shed some light on all the unseen good that Italian ultras do.
References
https://www.worldsoccer.com/world-soccer-latest/ultra-culture-the-of-italian-fandom-334029
https://www.nssmag.com/it/sports/28170/i-numeri-ritirati-della-serie-a
https://metropolitanmagazine.it/catania-calcio-tifosi-guerra-civile-serie-c-raciti-sicilia/
https://www.violanews.com/news-viola/fiorentina-e-hellas-verona-storia-di-un-gemellaggio-decennale/
https://www.cittaceleste.it/news/lazio-inter-gemellaggio-rinforza/