Stadiums Rebels

‘Ultras’: a fascinating social phenomena

If you have ever assisted to a soccer match in Europe, or have watched one in TV, you will have probably noticed that there are some people on the stands who don’t really enjoy the game seated and quiet. They chant, have colorful banners and flags, light up smokes, and for sure do not go unnoticed. These are the ‘Ultras’, the most active and passionate part of any stadium. Someone labels them as thugs and ruffians. Someone else as colorful and passionate supporters. As the violent owners of modern soccer, or as the last romantic in a world which has lost most of its genuineness. For sure they are one of the most fascinating social phenomena in the world, the most interesting one related to sport. But to understand why this happens we first need to discover who they are, without prejudices.

Complete dedication

The first ‘Ultras’ appeared in Italy in 1968, a very frenetic year for Italy, full of popular uprising, especially in universities. From that point, the movement spread all along the peninsula, to then reach the whole Europe, with England and his famous hooligans on top. From the beginning these supporters made themselves famous for dedicating their whole time throughout the week to the soccer team. I said throughout the week because Ultras don’t act only during the game, but spend the entire week preparing things for the game, in order to support the team in the best way possible. Meetings, orders, collective labors and sacrifices happen every day, or more commonly every night, especially when there is an important game upcoming. Although modern soccer, with its non-stop schedule, messed things up, a normal week of an Ultras group usually consists of three different phases:

-       Analysis of last game

-       Preparation for the next game

-       The game

Analysis of last game

Ultras want the best for their team, therefore they always try to get better. To do so they dedicate the first meeting of the week to analyzing last match performance. Not the one on the field, but that on the stands. They look at any particular detail, such as banners that can’t be well read, or how good the last introduced flag looks.

Preparation for the next game

This is the part that involves more meetings and requires the biggest effort. Firstly, the Ultras decide what they want to prepare for the next game, what social issues they want to say their opinion about (if they choose to do so). A big role in these decisions is played but the opponent of the game. Once the choices are made the rest of the meetings is spent creating the necessary material, or preparing the already existing one. Usually tasks are divided among smaller groups, for a better organization and control.

The Game

As happens at school for teachers, Ultras are the first to arrive at the stadium and the last ones to leave it. They get there very early, in order to position all the material and be there when the normal supporters come. After the game, they have to collect everything and make sure everyone is okay. The stadium is their house and they take extreme care of it. The game is when all the labors and sacrifices made throughout the week come to accomplishment. As we can see from the bottom picture sometimes the results are true works of art, which represent the real essence of soccer.

The social phenomena

But then what drives these people to dedicate their time (and obviously money) to a simple soccer team? What do they get out of this dedication? The answer is simple: nothing. Or better said, what drives them is the most spontaneous and genuine among all the feelings: love. Of course, this is not a sociologic answer. The real motivation is that soccer has been, and is nowadays, a relief valves for a lot of people. But since birth of this context, all the social issues have been transported into stadiums. A lot of Ultras groups got therefore a political connotation, and political messages are also displayed by supporters. But the fascinating thing around this social phenomenon is that among the ultras we can find any kind of social category. The university student and the 30 years old lawyer spend 90 minutes together chanting one next to the other, sharing a beer. The son of a rich entrepreneur prepares a banner against the exportation of local firms manufacturing in China; and he is helped by the son of an unemployed workman. In a world like ours where social differences, outlined by economic possibilities, are always bigger and evident, Ultras phenomena is one of the last, few spontaneous aggregation phenomena where are all these barriers are deleted.

Hard Days

For who loves soccer at the old manner, made of real feelings, and not driven by money, like now happens these are very hard days. Soccer has become a business, and the implications of this huge fact are countless. From the moving of the games all around the week, in order to let broadcasters make more money, to prices and wages of the players that reached incredible, and honestly shameful figures (tens of millions of dollars/euros). For the reader’s information, Neymar, a player of Barcelona, moved to Paris Saint Germany this summer being paid 222 million euros (280 million dollars), and with a

wage of 33 million euros (40 million dollars) in 4 years.

Ultras paid the highest price of this commodification. High places of soccer don’t want them in stadiums anymore. They don’t want them because they are incompatible with stadiums that are becoming theaters, where everybody seats at his own place and looks the game while drinking a soda. They don’t want them because they are the last obstacle to the completion of this huge process. In the name of this Ultras are now considered criminals, and see a lot of limitations applied to their way of intending soccer.

Drums, pyros, banners are not allowed anymore in most of the stadiums.

But Ultras are still fighting this battle, and don’t want to lose it at all costs. Also because data state that since Ultras have been almost banned from stadiums spectators to games are drastically decreased. People understood that in a world led in the name of money, Ultras represent one of the last anchors to those old values, that every child who kicks a ball genuinely, and unconsciously thinks to.