Written by Matteo Ciaramella
Calabria is a southern Italian region known for its natural beauty and rich history. In the football world, on the other hand, it often gets mocked for its heavy presence of Juventus support, as it is often said that there are more Juventus fans in Calabria than there are in Turin – Juve’s city of origin, located more than 1000 kilometers from Calabria. These sayings are usually jokes, part of the petty Italian football banter that is found in every fanbase, though there is indeed some truth to these statements. Almost 30% of Calabrian football fans are in fact Bianconeri supporters, meaning that Juventus reigns over the region, with more supporters than any other team in Calabria. The club has monopolized the people’s hearts and seems to have a strong hold on them, but how did we get here?
Fans supporting teams from far-away areas is not an uncommon phenomenon. It can be found all over sports, from English football, to American basketball, and even Japanese baseball. Supporting a big, successful team is appealing to all fans due to the constant winning, and you may be inclined to think that Calabrian Juventini went down this path in choosing their team. That, however, could not be farther from the truth.
In the 1960s, during the Italian economic boom, the country experienced mass migration waves from the poorer South to the more affluent North. Millions of workers quit their farms to work more prestigious, well-paid factory jobs, attracted by the better living conditions in cities like Milan, Genoa, and Turin. Today’s focus is on the latter of the three. Turin has historically been known for many things, one of which is being the birthplace of Italian car manufacturers FIAT, owned by the Agnelli family. By the end of the decade, FIAT factories were filled to the brim with Southern workers, many of whom traveled all the way from Calabria. This is interesting because the Agnelli family also owned Juventus. The ties between the club and FIAT were strong, so much so that Juve was and still is seen as a representative of the company. This is why many factory workers supported the team, as they felt like it represented them and their daily lives. Furthermore, amidst racism and prejudice from Turin locals, Southerners found it easier to integrate themselves through football, and become Turinese in their own right. Football fanaticism is a land where prejudice and inequality are foreign words, so it only made sense for the Southern diaspora to pick their boss’ team and attempt to become true locals.
The Agnelli family noticed this trend, and decided to capitalize on it. In order to attract more Southern fans and keep the existing ones, the club began a peculiar buying spree, where the focus was Southern Italian talent: Pietro Anastasi and Giuseppe Farino from Sicily, Antonello Cuccureddu from Sardinia, and Franco Causio from Apulia. Not only did these players form – with others – a dominating and legendary side nicknamed “blocco-Juve”, they also represented the millions of Southerners trying to make a living in the North, who at this point saw Juventus as the only team to support.
Over the years, this unusual support spread uncontrollably, making its way to the South of Italy itself, especially Calabria. In the absence of big clubs – unlike regions such as Campania, Sicily, Sardinia, and Apulia – many Calabrians felt a natural pull towards Juventus, even those who stayed in their motherland. This was especially common if they had relatives up North, in Turin, so families grew a natural liking for the Bianconeri. Nowadays, Calabrians are still devoted to Juventus, as the love for the team was passed down to them by grandpas, uncles, and fathers who experienced this major shift in the 1960s. And even if these people are not true Turinese and do not regularly go to games, their support is just as intense and valuable.
These fans, although admirable in their loyalty to a club from far away, are often subject to mockery. There is a famous saying that goes “Juve in trasferta, Calabria deserta”, which translates to “When Juve is playing away, Calabria is empty”, humorously pointing out the sheer volume of Juventus support in Calabria. And while this may seem derisive to an extent, all I see in this phrase is a loving, devoted people, who stop at nothing and support their team regardless of the geographical and social obstacles.
References
https://stilejuve.net/2021/01/30/juve-tifosi-contro-il-club-dopo-laffermazione-di-pirlo-ma-siamo-la-juventus-o-il-circolo-dei-pensionati/https://www.ecodellalocride.it/news/calabria-bianconera-la-juventus-e-la-squadra-piu-tifata-in-regione-indietro-le-calabresi/
https://www.lacnews24.it/monica-la-torre/juve-squadra-di-calabresi-strategia-tifo-agnelli_72435/
https://www.vesuviolive.it/sport/calcio-napoli/168514-lo-scrittore-forgione-vi-spiego-perche-napoletani-meridionali-tifano-juve-le/: Juve in trasferta, Calabria deserta