Curva Express / 29
Cagliari go incognito...Como's irony...Torino statement...Mantova's birthday...Atalanta v Lazio...Foggia at Monopoli...Imperia v Sanremese...Savoia v Igea Virtus...Barletta return
Cagliari Sconvolts tried to reach San Siro incognito as they arrived at Uruguay M1 station in Milan and then started to walk towards the ground. Despite their casual look (or rather because of it!) it wasn’t long until they were intercepted by police in antiriot gear and escorted to their section of the stadium. Fantastic pics by our friend Guly.
Como ultras (991) chose sarcasm when they entered Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia as their team faced Sassuolo – as the game had already kicked off (Friday at 6:30pm), they displayed a banner saying “sorry guys, we were working” as they all wore fluo jackets. Class.
Roma ultras displayed a long banner about recent mishaps between Senior Advisor Claudio Ranieri and coach Gian Piero Gasperini, generating chaos within the club, which led to Ranieri resignation later. Main banner against Atalanta read: “whatever the role you have at the shadow of this name / we all have to guarantee ‘romanism’, commitment and value – AS Roma is a serious thing!” Another banner and small tifo from the Testaccio group read: “heirs of legionary virtues, of hymns to the sun that shine on immortal Rome.”
Torino ultras from the Curva Maratona released a statement in contrast with another statement from Torino Hooligans: “Ahead of the coming weeks, we feel the duty to clarify our position. Our protest against Cairo’s presidency is clear and does not change, just as our desire not to see certain people present at Superga remains unchanged. However, precisely because it is a sacred day, we do not believe that is the place or the time to create tension. May 4th must remain solely about commemoration, respect, and identity. This position leads us not to follow the direction taken by other “fans,” out of consistency with values that we consider fundamental and non-negotiable. Ahead of the derby, we call upon all Granata fans to gather once more at the Filadelfia—our home—to head toward the stadium together and united”.
Other Serie A MD 33 pics include Udinese v Parma (349), Pisa v Genoa (1100), Napoli v Lazio (“without ultras, there’s no match / stop bans on away fans!”), Lecce v Fiorentina.
In Serie B, Mantova ultras v Avellino (936, Bologna ultras with them) celebrated their club’s 115th birthday as they unfurled a big flag in the Curva Te depicting several key figures of the history of the club and the writing stating “since 24 march 1911.” The reason the tifo was postponed to April is because of Massimiliano “Macia”, a member of the Ultras Mantova who was in a coma after a motorbike accident suffered over the Easter weekend. He eventually passed away on 16 April (he was also an organ donor), but had contributed to the tifo - the banner “Macia è qua” (Macia is here) says it all.
Other Serie B MD 35 pics include Sampdoria v Monza (700), Modena v Frosinone (646), Palermo v Cesena (461, together with their friends in the streets of the city and this carousel featured on Photo Curva), Juve Stabia v Catanzaro (“even if there is trouble, we will never leave you” a hint to the bankruptcy of the club) (234), Carrarese v Pescara.
In Serie C, Foggia ultras (312) threw flares, smokebombs, crackers and a beer can onto the pitch in Monopoli and three of them (all eventually banned) then stormed the pitch, trying to reach the dressing rooms. The game was halted for 11 minutes. The red and blacks will also play their next four home games behind closed doors and the club have been fined 10,000 euros. Foggia are always closer to relegation to Serie D (which would be the first time in their history they descend to the fourth tier of the Italian football pyramid on the pitch).
Catania welcomed their friends from Polonia Bytom, whereas Triestina praised their Veronese friends after the clashes at Torino (“honour to those who still dare, free butei!”).
In Serie D, OGC Nice ultras attended the Imperia v Sanremese derby with their friends in the home end. The guests displayed a banner making fan of their rivals city easy morals - “Escort Forum is in the past - coming to Imperia to us it’s enough.”
Savoia ultras remembered the late 20-year old Salvatore Bottazzo who suddenly passed away before the weekend (this was most likely his YT page dedicated to some Savoia ultras videos). Main banner of the tifo read “I love you even if you win / Ciao Sentinella!” Another one also stated “we face this game with death in our heart, win this game for somebody who dedicated his life to you.” The “white wall” pushed Savoia to a key win (nice pics from Torresette and Gazzettino Vesuviano). Igea Virtus instead released a statement to report on threats and intimidations received ahead of the key clash in Torre Annunziata: “[…] Most recently, yesterday, specifically an away game that marked a point of no return, a tangible celebration of an unparalleled climate of hostility. We have sensed and felt this climate of tension and hostility since the early hours of yesterday morning, when our bus was damaged in the parking lot of the facility housing the team, staff, and some members of our management. Other incidents occurred during the journey from the accommodation to the stadium - over ten motorcycles, with their faces covered and license plates concealed, “accompanied” several cars belonging to the Giallorossi management team and the bus carrying our team group. All this was under the watchful eye of the police. Our journey to the stadium was marked by insults, dangerous manoeuvres, and threats of all kinds… Whether it was an ambush or outright intimidation, albeit improvised, makes little difference.”
Barletta returned to Serie C after an 11-year hiatus.
In the Coppa Italia semifinals second leg, Como ultras (3,230) were at close distance from their first ever final but dilapidated a two-goal advantage as Inter went through.
In the other semifinal, no Lazio fans/ultras residents in Rome and in the Lazio region were allowed in Bergamo so only 200 attended the game in the away end, yet 15,000 gathered in Tor di Quinto in Rome in front of a big screen to live the emotion of the game together.
Their Atalanta counterparts did their best to welcome the team coach outside the New Balance Arena and inside the ground with two tifos from both Curva Nord (ABC, Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, “Solo l’Atalanta” banner) and Curva Sud (Fear of Atalanta), trying to intimidate the opponents as much as possible, before surrendering on penalties. Curva Nord also displayed a banner dedicated to Rino Berlendis, an Alpine soldier and Africa volunteer for 30 years, often supported by Atalanta ultras in his deeds (a kindergarten in Rwanda or a charity tournament in Azzonica).
Lazio will consequently play Inter in the final on 13 May and the ultras have released a statement claiming that they WILL attend that game unlike the derby against Roma which falls on the following weekend, just four days later. It’s likely the few Lazio fans will probably get a very small portion of the Distinti Ovest as Roma decide to sell tickets for Curva and Distinti Nord to their own fans (a likely scenario although it’s now too early to speculate).
Games to be excited about this weekend: Cesena v Sampdoria, Campobasso-Ascoli (855 expected), Vis Pesaro v Samb (588), Pontedera v Livorno, Arezzo v Torres
When we were kings: Napoli v Bari 1994
Random stickers of the week: Sconvolts Cagliari
