By Maximillian Payne
As he sits in front of me, cigarette in hand, the essence of a true European fills the room. His dark, curly locks cover his eyes as he rests back in his chair. His name is Emilio Hasa. He was born in Salerno, not too far from the South of Italy’s sparkling gem; Naples.
The culture of Southern Italy is very unique and beautiful. Food, music and Love are just some of the most important things in their lives. However, there is one delight above all; Football.
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli was founded in 1905 and since then has been the biggest football club in Southern Italy, winning 2 Scudetti, 6 Coppa Italia’s and a Uefa Cup. Emillio reminisces “Seeing the stadium for the first time was like a dream, being a tiny kid looking up at a stadium of that size was mesmerising, I felt something in my body.”
Emilio was only 10 when his father, a highly respected Ultra, brought him to his first game at the Stadio San Paulo. “I remember the excitement, the noise, the banners. It was an overload of senses and I loved it.”
The definition of an Ultra is a type of fanatical fan known for passion and displays, originating from Italy. With his father being a leader for the Ultras, Emilio grew up with his whole family being completely immersed in the extreme football culture. He spoke of how every weekend his father and other Ultras would spend hours painting banners and creating displays for the game the coming weekend.
“It didn’t matter how early it was, if it was a Saturday and Napoli were playing at home; me and the other ultras would be up at 6am. We would be painting banners for hours in the the back shed of my garden.”
The culture that comes with being a football fanatic is one of dedication, passion and friendship. All across the country, clubs from the top divisions to the bottom, with the latter sometimes being the most passionate, ingratiate themselves with these rituals of waking up early and following their club miles away from their home. The ‘Tifosi’ ,which means fans in Italian, are the fans from whom clubs throughout Europe have idolised and copied; yet the fans originating from the boot of Europe are universally agreed as the fiercist.
With his mother and father packing their bags for London in search of a better life, leaving Naples and football behind; Emilio struggled to accept the change of leaving the life he knew in the dust.
“Obviously I struggled, leaving friends and the football culture was never going to be easy, but I think the largest impact was on my father who had been a huge figure in the group. He knew English fans would be different but I don’t think he realised how much English football culture has changed since the injection of money in the game.”
As he cooly stubs out his cigarette in an ashtray of a dozen others, he begins to look despairingly away from my eyeline. “When me and my father attempted to immerse ourselves in English football culture, it was never the same. We travelled to the Emirates to watch a random fixture one evening but the contrast was immense.” He describes to me how there were no banners, no pyrotechnics, no chanting, no unison; no passion.
“It was as if it was a completely different sport. As I gazed around me, a sea of phones drowned my view. I couldn’t comprehend it. Why would these people rather sit there and film it for other people when you should be taking it all in for yourself.”
The realisation that him and his father could not carry on their hobby that had previously bonded them so strongly was a catalyst to both not enjoying their first months in England. One of the key roots of their daily life had been cut and both struggled to get past that.
Since then, Both Emilio and his father have found a lower non league division club that supports their club in a similar way that they remember from back home. As well as this, the other ultras regularly travel over to support the club with them and have since created a connection with the club and their team back in Naples. It shows how truly important football culture is in peoples lives and how lost people would be without it.
As the reflection of the sun reflects in his eye, a dream of Naples can be seen. “One day I will return, as much as I love England and am grateful for having experienced life here; my home is Naples and to stand with my brothers beside me in the stadium, cheering on Napoli, will always be my true desire.”
Max Payne 