Ultras by Tobias Jones

I have just finished reading this comprehensive book which focuses on the Italian Ultra scene and sheds light on the whole Ultra phenomenon.  


Ultras are often compared to punks, Hell’s Angels, hooligans or the South American Barras Bravas but they are a truly Italian entity.

In the late 60s and early 70s, teenage football fans rebelled against Italy’s sedate supporters’ clubs and went to stand, and sing, behind the goal. 

The word “ultra” implies “extreme”, “beyond” or “other”.  At its foundation, the movement was largely far-left, with names inspired by global partisan struggles. Petty criminals and political extremists were drawn to the terraces’ carnival atmosphere and the huge customer base. Most ultra groups are now fascist in inspiration and many have overlapped with organised crime. 

Ultras are comparable to, but different from, British football hooligans. They relish drinking and fighting, but are much more hierarchical and disciplined, with a sober strategic analysis of the group’s sporting, and economic, interests. Despite their reputation, there are ultra groups that are inspiring, charitable and inclusive.

Italy’s ultras are the most organised and violent fans in European football. 

Many groups have evolved into criminal gangs, involved in ticket touting, drug dealing and murder. The book identifies two of the biggest clubs in Italy as being the main players. The Irriducibili (The Die – Hards) of Lazio and The Drughi (taken from the Droogs of A Clockwork Orange) of Juventus.

In August 2019, the death of Fabrizio Piscitelli, the notorious former boss of Lazio’s Irriducibili, ended a 30-year career of thuggery, crime and extremism . He was nicknamed “Diabolik”, after a cartoon thief and assassin.

A man dressed as a jogger – wearing a cap and neck-scarf – ran past the bench and fired a 7.65 calibre pistol into Piscitelli’s left ear. He died almost instantly, sliding off the bench as the murderer ran off. It had all the hallmarks of a professional hit.

The murder brought to a close one of the most incredible careers in the history of Lazio’s ultras. The club’s fanbase has always been very politicised: during Italy’s “years of lead” (its extremist terrorism) in the 1970s, it was very common to see, among the white-and-sky-blue colours of Lazio supporters, many of Benito Mussolini’s symbols. It was an era in which Lazio Ultras became both victims and perpetrators of political assassinations.

The purist ultras, however, say they are insurgents fighting against a police state and modern football.  Only amongst ultras, they say, can you find belonging, community and a sacred concept of sport.  They champion not only their teams, but their forgotten suburbs.

Telling the story through the ultras, Tobias Jones crafts a compelling investigation into Italian society and its favourite sport. He writes about not just the ultras of some of Italy’s biggest clubs – Juventus, Torino, Lazio, Roma and Genoa -  but also about its lesser known ones from Cosenza and Catania.

The main thread throughout the book is the author going in search of a rounded picture, and Jones immersed himself in the world of the Cosenza ultras of Calabria, chiefly because they were a group that had always rejected fascism. The Cosenza ultras, cheerfully named I Nuclei Sconvolti (The Deranged Nuclei) are a riveting read. With nicknames like Drainpipe, Boozy Suzy, Chill and Skinny Monica they are colourfully portrayed.

But all are eclipsed by Padre Fadele, the monk who takes them all under his wing and encourages them to help immigrants and the homeless in soup kitchens.  He even leads the chanting at most home games. 

While the Cosenza ultras continue to dish out soup, the ‘Ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia) controlled Juve ultras, I Gobbi (the hunchbacks) are busy touting tickets received from the club in a blackmailed fuelled deal, threatening ground closing riots and supporters’ strikes if their demands are not met.

In a sinister nod to neo-fascist politics, the Gobbi banner is inscribed with its Bs back to front, so as to resemble 88, fascist code for HH (Heil Hitler).  

Quite a journey of fandom but a riveting read nonetheless.  

S.P.A.L. on the march

 

I wrote an article last year about the possibility of Crotone getting promoted to Serie A, which they did, and the trend of ‘unfashionable’ clubs earning the right to play against the big boys. Well, it looks like it may happen again this season as one team are currently in the automatic promotion places in Serie B as we approach the business end once again.

S.P.A.L. 2013, better known as Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor (or simply SPAL) are based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna. They have played there home matches since 1928 at Stadio Paolo Mazza, named after Paolo Mazza (chairman of the club from 1946 to 1977).

The club was founded in 1907 as Circolo Ars et Labor by the Salesian priest Pietro Acerbis, then was renamed in 1913 as Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor.

They are the club that gave legendary Italian coach Fabio Capello his first taste of professional football at the tender age of 18 during a halcyon period when the club had a regular place in the top flight of Italian football. Under the stewardship of President Paolo Mazza, the Biancazzurri finished fifth in Serie A in the 1959-60 season and contested the Italian cup final in 1962 narrowly losing 2-1 to Napoli, having crushed Juventus 4-1 in the semi-final.

Former players reads like a who’s who of Italian football - Edy Reja, Carlo Mazzone, Osvaldo Bagnoli, Armando Picchi, Ottavio Bianchi and Luigi Del Neri have all plyed their trade with the Biancazzurri.

Reja and Capello were an intrinsic part of the team’s midfield during the mid sixties and both were later honoured for their achievements at the club’s centenary celebrations in 2007.  Bianchi was the man who brought Maradona to Napoli and centre-half Carlo Mazzone coached Ascoli, Roma and Brescia.  Osvaldo Bagnoli on the other hand, will forever be remembered as the tactician who masterminded the glorious 1985 scudetto winning team from Verona , the last time a provincial side got their hands on Italian football’s biggest prize.
 

Stadio Paolo Mazza

 

 

But as the 1970’s began, SPAL’s fortunes took a turn for the worse and the club suffered successive relegations to find itself cut adrift in the barren wastelands of Serie C.  Towards the end of the decade and Mazza’s reign at the helm, SPAL managed to claw back up to Serie B but by the start of the eighties it had returned to the lower reaches where it has stayed ever since, apart from an all too brief return to Serie B in 1992. By now financial mismanagement was starting to catch up with the club from Ferrara and in 2005 it was declared bankrupt.

The saviour came in the shape of businessman Gianfranco Tomasi and the club was renamed SPAL1907. By the time of their centenary in 2007, the club’s very existence was again in jeopardy and as former players returned to Ferrara to mark the special occasion, it served as a harsh reminder to their loyal followers of just how much the club had given to the game in Italy and just how bad things had become.

In the summer of 2012, after suffering a second bankruptcy, the club was refounded for the third time as Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Real S.P.A.L. and would begin life in Serie D.

In July 2013, SPAL merged with the other local club in Ferrara, Giacomense, owned by the Colombarini family.

The new team, born from the merger, was named S.P.A.L 2013, with the Colombarini’s transferring the structure of Giacomense to SPAL with Walter Mattioli stepping in as the new club president.

Under the new management, the Biancazurri quickly found their feet and, with two promotions in three seasons, they restored the football pride in the city of Ferrara as new ambitions arise with fans already dreaming big.

Coach Leonardo Semplici enjoys an attacking brand of football and, along with President Mattioli, has stated that the club’s strategy doesn’t involve big spending, but rather developing certain ideas and programs to make a competitive team with a humble identity that relies on, above all, teamwork.

Promotion from Lego Pro was secured last season and the club’s first campaign in Serie B for over 25 years was meant to be one of consolidation.  Little did they know that, with goals from ex Leeds man Mirco Antenucci, Milan loanee Gianmarco Zigoni and veteran ex Lazio man Sergio Floccari then the dream may well become a reality.

Joe Baker - A Brit Abroad

Joe Baker

 Joe Baker was an English international footballer. He was the first player to have played for England without having previously played in the English football league system and for scoring over 100 goals in both the English and Scottish leagues.

Born in Liverpool to Scottish parents on 17 July 1940, Baker’s life on the move began almost from birth.  The son of a sailor, he moved from Merseyside to the Scottish border town of Wishaw, Lanarkshire when he was six weeks old.

He remained in Scotland for the remainder of his childhood - and many would claim his international affinity would have been more closely suited to the tartan of Scotland than England.

He spoke with a broad Scottish accent, but Baker’s club career could actually have begun in England. He spent a month on trial at Chelsea but was not offered a permanent contract.

After that Baker returned to Scotland and in 1957 joined Edinburgh side Hibernian, where he remained for four years.

It was during that first period that Baker decided to move on from Hibs and experience football in another league – but it would not be in England.

Instead, the diminutive forward opted for a move to Italy and Serie A, where he joined fellow Brit, and some may say ‘fellow Scot’, Denis Law at Torino.

In 1961, Baker was transferred to Torino for £75,000, after the Hibs board refused to give him a £5 wage increase from his existing wage of £12 a week.  Despite scoring a winning goal in a Turin derby match against Juventus, his time at the Italian club was short and almost ended in tragedy. Baker was involved in a serious car crash, which meant that he needed life-saving surgery and spent over a month on a drip feed.  

It was a generally unhappy spell as Baker did not like the press intrusion, which meant that he and teammate Denis Law spent most of their time in their Turin apartment.

 

Law, Peronace and Baker

 It is fair to say the time spent in Italy was on mixed for Baker and he struggled to make an impact.

There were off-the-field incidents with paparazzi – including one infamous incident where he knocked one unfortunate member of the press into a Venetian canal.  His tumultuous time in Turin came to an end in 1962

It was a prolific career for the striker, who upon leaving for Torino in 1961 had notched up an impressive tally of 102 in 117 league games, and 159 goals in all competitions – and famously once scoring all four goals in a 4-3 Scottish Cup victory over city rivals Hearts.

In later years he represented Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Hibernian again and Raith Rovers – as well as two brief stints in charge of Albion Rovers.

Baker passed away in 2003 at the age of 63.

 

Below is an article, written by Baker, for Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly, in December 1961. In it, he talks about his experience in Italy and the reasons he went there.

My Life in Italy by Joe Baker

“JOHN CHARLES, apparently, is thinking of making this his last season in Italian football. Well, big John has had a good run there, and perhaps he has had enough. Jimmy Greaves? Somehow things don’t seem to have worked out for him. I had hoped he would settle in as Denis Law and I have done. Our combined verdict on this still-new-to-us life in Italy is … it’s terrific!

Perhaps we have been lucky. But even when I saw the advantage of moving to Italy—mostly financial, of course—I never dreamed it would be anything like it is. Where in Scotland—or England—would a team get home from an away game at 2am…to find a packed railway platform with thousands, yes, thousands, of fans waiting to greet them? It happened to us.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Or where would you find, for an ordinary club practice match, more than 7,000 fans yelling their heads off at a goal in such a game? That’s Italy … and Italian Soccer fans!

Italian football? Well, I’m living and learning and, having had one sobering taste of discipline, I can say I’m really beginning to understand the differences between the way we played it at home and how I have to now.

What one has to get used to, particularly as a centre-forward is much closer marking than at home. I call the wing-half, left or right, who has to mark me, the “gluepot”.

The system in Italy is for the centre-half to lie behind the entire defence, on patrol for trouble. Thus I have a wing-half covering me.

Italian football is rather more defensive than ours. This is especially true of visiting teams for the idea is to try to hold a point. That is a generalisation, teams do vary in style to some extent. I don’t mind the closer marking now, particularly as alongside me there is Law.

If I can lure my “shadow” for a “walk” it creates a space which Denis can move into with the result he alone can bring.

I suppose the recent scenes in the match between Roma and Birmingham have had people at home throwing up their hands and exclaiming: “Those foreigners, the way they play football!”

I wasn’t at that game. That same night I was playing for Torino against Manchester City at Maine Road where, l am proud to say, the Baker brothers, Gerry for City and I, got four goals between us, with a crowd of relatives looking on.

Let me say this about the differences in the game back home and in Italy. It took me some time to get over the checking and obstruction. But you do NOT hope to get the crash-bang tackling which we so readily accept back home.

And you do NOT get the injuries, at least nothing like the serious ones, as you do in British football. A player breaking a leg in Italy is unheard of, yet it is almost a weekly happening at home. So, rules or no rules, there is something to be said for the way the Continental game is played.

I was niggled when I first met the obstruction tactics. I got to such a pitch that, against Lanerossi, I wasn’t able to control myself. To my regret I took a swing at an opponent and was sent off for the automatic two-game suspension. May I add that I was more than normally provoked.

Until that day I had never had a referee even question my game, wherever I had played. It was a bitter lesson, but I learned from it.

Training in Italy is very different from that at home, and nothing like as hard. We have the heat to contend with, of course, and it would be foolish to train as I used to do. But discipline is far more strict.

We train mostly in the late afternoon. We can go to the ground in the morning for showers, but the main session begins later. It comes easy to me. No lapping. When you run it is part of an exercise. And there is far more ball-work, which makes training interesting all the time.

For three nights before a match we have to be in bed by ten-thirty. This is a strict rule which we—Denis, Hugo and l—have no trouble in keeping. I must here introduce Hugo. But for him I might not be out here. We are cousins, have been pals for years.

When Torino came for me I realised that the toughest part of the move would be that of being on my own, knowing nothing of the language. So Torino took Hugo, too. It is written into my contract that he stays with me—Denis Law hadn’t signed then.

Now Hugo has a job in a local insurance. We three share a flat but soon we hope to move into a handsome villa, overlooking the city. Another club training rule which is different from any at home is that we must, repeat MUST, sleep for two hours before a game. At first I scorned this. I wasn’t used to it and had difficulty in dropping off.

Now I know it is an excellent idea, and they have to knock extra loud to waken me. I feel better for it and more ready to go when the time comes. Before a big game we may be collected together in a hotel for days to ensure that we get maximum rest.

There are no language difficulties at our pre-match talks because Gigi Peronace is usually around to translate for Denis and I. But even without him I don’t think we would be hampered. Soccer tactics scan to have a universal language.

A word about fans. The Italian types, for all their fanaticism, are not the fierce partisans that the Scots are. And they are funny in their way.

For instance, those practice games at which they will turn up in force … it shook me to hear practice goals getting an ovation, particularly when some of these games are defence v attack, with seven players on the attacking side!

Possibly because we are fair-haired, Denis Law and I are easily spotted when we are out in town. And we are still something of a novelty. But it is fatal for us to stop if we are taking a stroll.

Before we know where we are a great crowd surges round, some for autographs, but mostly they just stand and stare! It can be very embarrassing, too, to be having a meal and to look round to see dozens of fans pressed against the restaurant window. But it is all very friendly.

My greatest night so far is the one when we beat Juventus, our greatest rivals. I managed to sneak past John Charles to get the winner. You should have seen what happened afterwards!

For hours that evening the traffic was at a dead stop. Thousands of Torino fans filed behind a boy tolling a most mournful bell as he led a series of black coffins with the word “Juventus” on one and the names of Charles and other Juventus players on the them!

That gives you an idea of the fantastically fervid atmosphere for soccer in Italy. To me, a new boy and a foreigner, it is a big challenge. But it is simply great and I haven’t had a moment of regret about my move.”

AC Ancona - For the fans

There were smiles all round in the port city of Ancona in Italy as the cities football team, A.C. Ancona became become the first professional Italian football club to be owned and managed by its supporters.  Their 2-0 win against Pisa, in the Lega Pro, Girone B division on Sunday 31 January 2016, was a celebration of Ancona supporters’ achievement in taking over the running of their club.

Highlights of the victory over Pisa are here - 
http://sportube.tv/play?titolo=Ancona---Pisa-2-0%2C-20%5EGiornata-Girone-B&id=17139&cat=106&sez=9

In Italian football circles it has been no secret that financial strife is an unfortunate fact of life for clubs in the lower reaches of the football system.  A growing number of supporters need a grasp of the financial and management aspects of football in these modern times.  The story of how Ancona emerged from a crisis in 2010, when the owner of the club failed to meet the financial licensing criteria of Lega Serie B and abandoned the club, leaving it facing extinction, to becoming supporter owned is an inspiring one.

The age-old tale of mismanagement, lack of vision, short-term financial planning, and a growing disconnect between clubs and communities often makes it easy to forget what attracts people to the game in the first place, what makes football so special. Passion.  A sense of belonging, ownership and collective participation. 90% of clubs never win any silverware, but that does not dampen the fervour with which their supporters follow them - football , to them, is about more than what happens over 90 minutes each weekend, or even over the course of a season.

The Ancona story proves this beyond doubt.  The size and significance of the crisis should not be underestimated, and for a time during that long summer of 2010 it seemed that the story of the Marche region’s most historic club was set to end.

In the face of extinction and when all else failed, the Ancona tifosi realised that no one could save their club, their passion, and their ideas - except them.  They mobilised themselves under the slogan ‘passion cannot be relegated’ and they formed Sosteniamolancona (http://www.tuttoancona.com/category/sosteniamolancona/) a democratic organisation committed to the development of a community club with supporters at its heart.   After ensuring the club’s immediate survival, their commitment persuaded local businessman Andrea Marinelli to finance the formation of a new club – U.S. Ancona 1905.

Although forced to restart from Eccellenza (at the time Italian football's sixth tier) it was clear that Ancona’s lowly status would be temporary.  With an average attendance of more than 5,000 supporters (a figure that outshone most Serie B clubs in 2010/11) and the support of thousands more, Ancona began to rise once again; this time not only on the pitch but also off of it.

                                                              Stadio Del Conero, Ancona

During their first year in Eccellenza, Ancona won every competition they entered (the League, the Amateurs Cup, and Regional Cup) but for supporters the most important was moment of that season was an agreement between Sosteniamolancona and the club that gave supporters the opportunity to elect two members on the club board and a ‘golden share’ agreement with key rights attached to it.  These prevented changes to the club's name, colours, crest and home stadium without the permission of Sosteniamolancona and their members.

The early successes continued, and in 2014 Ancona celebrated a return to the professional leagues.  Respect towards the supporters was key to this success: during the 2013-14 season Ancona and Sosteniamolancona had agreed on the removal of barriers between the stands and the pitch and jointly introduced the Centro Relazioni con i Tifozi, a Supporter Liaison Officer-like body that ensures the Ancona supporters enjoy the best football experience both on home and away matchdays, but also during the week.

Slowly but surely the supporters have become the heart of the club once more. David Miani, a lifelong supporter and former President of Sosteniamolancona, became Vice President and Managing Director of the club in 2015 .

Crucially, the project enjoys widespread backing not just amongst the Ancona fanbase, but other stakeholders: the Regione Marche, Provincia di Ancona, and Municipio di Ancona.  The club have also built partnerships within the local community - businesses, social projects and ordinary supporters are all part of a journey that shows no sign of ending yet.

Their successes have also inspired other Italian supporters to follow a similar path: in Taranto, Cava de’ Tirreni, San Benedetto del Tronto and many other proud footballing towns throughout the country, aided by Supporters in Campo (SinC), a national umbrella organisation for democratic supporters’ groups and member-run clubs.

Sosteniamolancona are, for their part, active members of SinC, and the group has many positive experiences to share, both within and outside of Italy.

In November, it was announced that majority owner Andrea Marinelli would gift his shares to the Fondazione Unione Anconitana, a democratic body established by Sosteniamolancona.   In just over five years, the club has emerged from a life-threatening crisis to become Italy’s first professional side to be owned and managed by its supporters - a remarkable achievement. Things aren’t going too badly on the pitch either: biancorossi  are aiming for a play-off spot and promotion to Serie B the goal.

Now, with news of this landmark agreement and assumption of full ownership by the supporters of Ancona, the future seems even brighter not only for the club, but for the entire city and its wider community.  The supporters have, apart from each other, many allies at home and abroad that will help them in the future. Sosteniamolancona are founder members of Supporters in Campo, the national organisation for democratic supporters' trusts and member owned clubs in Italy, who have played a key role in helping to reach this historic agreement.

The whole community can celebrate this exciting new era and look forward to the future. Regardless of what unfolds on the pitch, it will be an occasion where the power of supporter involvement will be clear for all to see .

1985: A Season With Bagnoli's Verona

May 12, 1985. It’s a date indelibly marked in the minds of all Hellas Verona fans. The tactical nous of coach Osvaldo Bagnoli coupled with the stewardship of president Celestino Guidotti and ex-player turned sporting director Emiliano Mascetti, had ensured Verona reached the pinnacle. May 12, 1985 – the day theGialloblu drew 1-1 in Bergamo and secured their only Serie A title to date.

The Veronesi have always been one of the most vocal, fiercely loyal and controversial set of supporters in Italy. Sitting in the Veneto, a region that traditionally garners support for the more powerful Milan clubs, they and their club revel in their outsider status. But Bagnoli's Verona side in the 1980s were the perfect fit. Players of varying ability, who had spent time on the fringes of larger clubs and had a point to prove, were brought together under a new collective spirit, fostered by Bagnoli through his affable man-management style. Suddenly they had a focus, a work ethic and a sense of belief.

Bagnoli joined Hellas in 1981 after several years managing in the lower leagues with Solbiatese, Como, Rimini, Fano and Cesena.  After leaving the Gialloblu in 1990 he went on to coach Genoa and Inter. He took Genoa to fourth in the standings in his first year in charge. It was the Rossoblu’s best finish for more than 50-years. This was a coach who knew how to get the very best out of players and it was his achievements with Verona that truly astounded. 

Osvaldo Bagnoli was born on 3 July 1935 in Milan. Raised in a working class neighbourhood he played football in the streets from an early age and made a career as a hard tackling midfielder for Milan, Verona and Udinese in the 1950s and 60s.

Bagnoli was a modest man, who never lost sight of his roots or his beliefs. This led to misunderstandings about his character and ideology. He was viewed as a Communist by none other than Silvio Berlusconi who, reportedly, refused to hire him as AC Milan head coach because of his 'communist beliefs'.

At Verona however, he accomplished the impossible and achieved something that will likely not happen again for a long, long time. He took the Scaligeri from Serie B to the Serie A title in four seasons and also guided them to UEFA Cup qualification in the 1983/84 season. His teams were primarily defensive minded but were capable of producing devastating counter-attacking football. They were often built upon a core of Italians - hardworking, selfless players such as winger Pietro Fanna, midfielder Antonio Di Gennaro and striker Giuseppe Galderisi, who scored 11 goals in Verona’s title winning season and epitomised Bagnoli’s tactical approach. But Bagnoli’s Verona was also supplemented with two exceptional foreign imports – Danish striker Preben Elkjær Larsen and the German defender Hans-Peter Briegel.

As the 1984/85 season began, thoughts of winning the league were far from the minds of all the Veronesi.But as the season wore on, the players responded to Bagnoli’s methods and the side produced some memorable results. A decisive 2-0 win against Juventus was one of the season highlights, in particular the legendary goal ‘without a boot’ scored by Elkjær.

Having embarked on one of his characteristic lung-busting runs down wing, the Dane stripped Juve’s defence for pace only to lose a boot as a result of a flailing last-ditch attempt to stop him from entering the penalty area. Untroubled, Elkjaer maintained his equilibrium – minus a boot – cut inside another floundering Juve defender and stroked the ball past a helpless Stefano Tacconi. If ever a goal encapsulated the ethos of a team and their coach, it was this one. The perfect mix of vigour, persistence and talent. 

Other memorable victories followed. A 5-3 away win over Udinese rejuvenated the side as speculation rose the team were losing their grip on the title at the midway point of the season. Then three straight wins, including a hard fought 1–0 victory against a strong Roma served as notice that the team had kept its focus during their rival's final surge. And of course the definitive 1–1 draw in Bergamo against Atalanta, which secured the title with a game in hand.

Bagnoli’s men finished the season with 15 wins, 13 draws and only two defeats. A mean defence conceded only 19 goals in 30 games. Their total of 43-points was enough for them to be crowned champions as they finished four points ahead of Torino with Inter and Sampdoria completing the top four. The European Cup was the prize the following season, but they were knocked out in the Second Round by holders Juventus.

However, their triumph can also partly be attributed to the response of the Italian authorities to the 1980 match fixing scandal that saw Lazio and AC Milan relegated to Serie B. One of the major reforms recommended for Italian football in the wake of the betting scandal was for match officials to be randomly selected to officiate matches. The new way of selection came in to force for the start of the 1984/85 Serie A season.

Beforehand, the suspicion was that the selection process, carried out through an Italian FA committee, always paired the big clubs from Rome, Turin and Milan with favourable officials. In the two decades prior to Verona’s achievement, the title had only left those cities on one occasion.

But undoubtedly one of the most defining factors was Bagnoli. He eHH was a terrific motivator of men, he knew how to get the best out of his players, both individually and as a team. The side had been gradually improving in the seasons leading up to 1984/85 and the signings of Briegel and Elkjær proved to be masterstrokes. In the summer of 1984, Diego Maradona landed in Italy and he joined other big name imports like Michel Platini (Juventus), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Inter), Falcao (Roma) and Zico (Udinese). But Briegel and Elkjær upstaged them all. Elkjær chipped in with eight league goals during the season and Briegel scored an incredible nine from defence.



Another remarkable stat about the title winning side was the use of only 17 players throughout the league campaign. Totally unthinkable in today’s modern game, winning the Scudetto with a squad of just 17 players is another reason why a success like Verona’s is unlikely to be repeated any time soon. While the players did the business on the field, Bagnoli prepared them both mentally and physically. He ensured they were always pulling in the same direction and for this he has to take immense credit.

Verona struggled to reach the same heights the following season, finishing a disappointing tenth. They also lost their talisman as Briegel departed for Sampdoria at the end of the 1985/86 season. Fanna headed off to Inter, with Galderisi, Di Gennaro and others all following over the next two years. A fourth place finish, and a return to European competition via the UEFA Cup in 1986/87 hinted at a return to former glories, but in truth, the side was slowly breaking up. Elkjær left at the end of the 1988 season and Verona struggled to finish above mid-table for a couple of years, with relegation inevitably following after a disastrous end to the 1989/90 season. Bagnoli also knew his time was up and left to coach Genoa.

His coaching career came to a close in 1994 after a short, unsuccessful stint at Inter where, as he later admitted, he earned a decent enough pension to allow him to retire at the age of 59. He still lives in the hills outside of Verona.

Referring to his coaching philosophy, Bagnoli once said "Football is a simple game. The important thing is to be lucky enough to find the right people to then put them in the right places; leaving them free to express themselves." 

30-years ago, he found exactly the right people and put them in exactly the right places at Verona.

@insearchofluca

The Rise of Carpi FC 1909

Football outside of the top flight is usually where you can find some real ‘diehard’ supporters, the supporters who follow their club through thick and thin, and more often than not, they rarely get anything back in return. Occasionally though, you find success stories, miracles even, and Italy has seen a few small clubs reach the top and gain promotion to Serie A. In this millennia Chievo, Siena and Sassuolo have all taken on Serie A’s elite and enjoyed success. This year another small club is on the verge of making history. That club is Carpi, and at the time of writing they sit 14 points clear at the top of Serie B, with one hand firmly on the title.

Carpi is a town which sits about 20km north of Modena in Emilia Romagna and has around 70,000 inhabitants. The club was founded in the summer of 1909 by local student Adolfo Fanconi as Jucunditas(Latin for "gaiety") before being renamed Associazione Calcio Carpi a few years later. Carpi played between Serie C and Serie D for much of their early history before folding in 2000 following relegation to Serie D and subsequent bankruptcy.

A new club, named Calcio Carpi, was formed and admitted to the non-professional category of Eccellenza Emilia–Romagna. In 2002, following promotion back to Serie D and a merger with the second team of the city, Dorando Pietri Carpi, the club were renamed Carpi FC 1909 and eventually worked their way up toLega Pro Prima Divisione in 2010-11. This rejuvenation showed no signs of slowing down and during the 2012/13 season, the team was promoted to Serie B for the first time in their history. It was the club's third promotion in just four seasons.

Carpi FC is owned by three people, Stefano Bonacini and Claudio Caliumi (who both own a share of 35.83%), and the club's President Roberto Marani who holds a 28.33% share. Bonacini, a knitwear industrialist with the “Gaudi” brand, is the CEO. It was he who merged the two Serie D teams and started the Biancorossi’s (White and Red’s) resurgence. 

But the club has scant resources. According to Carpi’s most recent available financial statements taken from the season that ended on June 30th, 2013, the clubs turnover was recorded at €3.15 million while the cost of players was €1.82 million. This sum accounted mainly for the player’s salaries, though the budget closed with a loss of €516. Recently, head coach, Fabrizio Castori, claimed the budget had been cut further “The team's budget this year has gone down, we are at less than €3 million,”

These are derisory sums in footballing terms and this is mainly due to their stadium – the Stadio Sandro Cabassi. Although it is a multi-purpose arena the capacity is only 4,144. This season Carpi’s average attendance has been a paltry 2,600 and questions remain over whether the ground will be a viable home next season in Serie A. This won’t dissuade the clubs Ultras however, (the Irriducibili) who will follow the club no matter where they play.

This is a team with virtually no footballing tradition but their current fairy-tale has seen Carpi become the major force in the city, and one of the most successful in the region of Emilia Romagna. This season they have encountered their bigger city rivals Modena and regional giants Bologna, a former great of Serie A. In the head to heads, Carpi are unbeaten against their so called more prestigious rivals. In a region famous for its cuisine, the pecking order is being re-shuffled.

"There's something different in the air, we can smell it clearly," said Carpi defender Simone Romagnoli. Modena is the thriving capital of the eponymous province, a city of 185,000 inhabitants with a ceaseless engine rumble as background music in the home of Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. The great Enzo Ferrari, founder of the most famous Italian brand in the world, was born in Modena -- as was the late opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

But the Biancorossi are beginning to put the provinces small commune on people’s radars. The feel good factor is spreading throughout the town. "I'm very proud to have Carpi at the top of Serie B, the team from the city I manage," said 37-year-old local mayor Alberto Bellelli.

"Never forget that in 2012 we were struck by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and all of us, 70,000 people together, have overcome it. Someone defined Carpi football club a miracle" he added. Belelli is right, considering their modest means, the rise of this club is nothing short of incredible. 

But it appears not everyone in Italian football is as enthusiastic about the Carpi story. Recently, a phone conversation involving Lazio president, Claudio Lotito, was leaked by Italian press in which Lotito claimed Carpi's promotion would hurt Serie A's TV revenue. The Carpi hierarchy quickly hit back, condemning such sentiments 

“Carpi F.C. 1909 read, with disbelief and indignation, the conversation which was reported this morning by the media, supported by a sound clip which is apparently original and authentic published on the homepage of the official website of one of the leading national newspapers [La Repubblica],” a statement from the club declared.

“If confirmed, the words of the legal representative of the top flight clubs appear, apart from anything else, totally inappropriate, out of place and offensive to the dignity and integrity of the club as well as the players, technical staff and coaches.”

“Perhaps it’s also true, as we read in the media, that some people 'don’t even know Carpi exists'. But like it or not, we do exist.” Those in charge need not worry, the Biancorossi look as though they will have ample time to introduce themselves to Serie A’s elite next season.

Against the odds this small-town team is on the verge of making history. Many will view their prospects in Serie A as bleak but they can draw inspiration from their regional rivals Sassuolo, who have rubbed shoulders with the best Italy has to offer for two seasons now. Given Parma’s financial malaise and their imminent slide into Serie B, next term Carpi and Sassuolo will be vying for supremacy in Emilia Romagna. And who knows, just like the Neroverdi, this time next year Carpi could be ruffling the feathers of a few Serie A giants themselves.

@insearchofluca

From miracle to disappearance, what happened to Castel di Sangro?

Castel di Sangro is a tiny town situated in the Abruzzo region of Italy, and has a population of around 6,000 people. In the mid 1990’s, the townsfolk and supporters of A.S.D Castel di Sangro Calcio experienced a journey which saw them come within touching distance of what was – during that period – the greatest league in the world, Serie A. To put it into perspective, a team whose stadium capacity (7,000) was bigger than their population were just one promotion away from brushing shoulders with legends such as Roberto Baggio and Gabriel Batistuta.

Castel di Sangro’s incredible rise from obscurity even prompted an American writer, Joe McGinniss, to spend an entire season with the club in 1996. While living and eating with the squad on a daily basis he penned his book, The Miracle of Castel di Sangro.

From humble beginnings, the club was founded in 1953 and battled in the regional amateur leagues before reaching the professional ranks of Serie C2 in 1989. This rise was funded by owner Pietro Rezza and club president Gabriele Gravina. 

 The Giallorossi continued to defy the odds in Serie C2 but it wasn’t until the appointment of experienced manager Osvaldo Jaconi that the ‘miracle’ happened.  Jaconi steadied the ship and in the 1994/95 season, he led his side to promotion to Serie C1. Expectations were low given the jump in class from C1 to C2, but Il Giallorossi took the division by storm and finished second. 

This secured the Sangrini a spot in the play-offs and after squeezing past Gualdo in the semi-finals, Jaconi’s men found former Serie A side, Ascoli, between them and a place in Serie B. The game was a tedious affair and after 120 minutes passed without a goal, a penalty shoot-out was beckoning. However, Jaconi had a trick up his sleeve. As extra-time ebbed towards its conclusion, he brought on substitute goalkeeper Pietro Spinosa. Spinosa went onto to save the decisive spot kick and promotion was secured in the most dramatic of circumstances. The substitution proved to be a Jaconi masterstroke, although at the time it was considered a moment of madness, especially given Spinosa had not seen one minute of playing time all season.

 This amazing story continued throughout their debut season in Serie B. Events off the field, however, threatened to conspire against them. For the first-half of the season they had to play their home games in Chieti (a mere 64 km away) while their ground, Lo Stadio Teofilo Patini underwent major work to bring it up to Serie B standards. Then tragedy struck as two players, Danilo di Vincenzo and Pippo Biondi, died in a car crash. The saying goes ‘bad luck come in threes’ and shortly afterwards defender Gigi Prete was arrested in connection with a drug smuggling ring. The defender was later cleared however it goes without saying these tribulations made Castel di Sangro’s survival mission that much harder.

 Thankfully, amidst all this, some football was played and it was on the field that the Giallorossi excelled.  Against the odds, they won 12 games that season, beating some established and historic teams like Torino and Genoa.  A 2-1 victory in the penultimate game of the season guaranteed the unlikeliest of survivals and the 'miracle’ was complete.

 For anyone who has read the book, Joe McGinniss, is left scandalised by the controversial fashion in which the season ends. During the team’s trip to Bari for the last game of the season, the American author overhears players discussing the logistics of letting the opposition win 3-1, with Castel scoring a penalty. Low and behold the final score was 3-1 to Bari, and Castel did indeed score from the penalty spot.

 After the accomplishment of staying in Serie B, the following season sawCastello come crashing back down to reality.  Players were sold, Jaconi was sacked and the team inevitably failed to live up to the highs of their magical debut in Serie B. Second season syndrome hit the club hard and they were relegated back to Serie C1. Although it was short lived, their return to Serie C1 wasn’t all doom and gloom after the club defeated Serie A sides Perugia and Salernitana in the Coppa Italia, earning them a glamorous quarter-final against Inter. But that was as good as it got for the Giallorossi and after dropping back into Serie C2, Castel di Sangro Calcio eventually folded in 2005 due to financial problems.

That same year, the club reformed as Pro Castel di Sangro and started life in the Promozione level of Italian football, or the sixth tier of the league system. The club endured promotion and relegation under its new guise but once again their story had an unhappy ending after they failed to register a team for the forthcoming season in 2012. Over sixty years of history and tradition had gone and it appeared no football club would be associated with this picturesque town, encircled by the Apennine Mountains.

Luckily though, as one club perished a new one rose from the ashes. Castello 2000 were formed during the same year Pro Castel folded and they currently ply their trade in Girone Abruzzese B. It’s a long way from the dizzy heights of Serie B and the 'miracle’ that was Castel di Sangro but the footballing tradition lives on in this remote town. That can perhaps be considered a mini ‘miracle’ in itself.

@insearchofluca