“Football is not war. Do local ultras ban parties? Isolated groups, here there is a culture of sport»- Corriere.it

“After forty years spent here, these days are the best I could have aspired to as a fan.” When he became president of the Napoli Club «Udine Partenopea», Pietrangelo Chierchia, retired financier,
he never expected to be able to celebrate the third Italian championship at the Dacia Arena, during a match between his favorite team and Udinese.

His association matters 160 subscribers among the many Campanians who live in the Friulian capital. «Surrounded as we are by fans of Udinese or Milan and Juventus – he continues–, it seemed natural to us to get together, being ourselves a large community, even if in “football captivity”, as I call it. When a match against the home team approaches, the anticipation is agonizing, it almost looks like a derby».

In recent days, some reasons for apparent tension have arisen in the city from the heated sporting rivalry. A group of Juventus fans, for example, has published a statement for “prohibit” any Neapolitan celebrations: «We have never allowed Juventus, Milan and Inter fans to celebrate in our city. Similarly, even more so, celebrations of any kind by the Neapolitans are not welcome or tolerated. Udine is only black and white. Respect!”.

According to Chierchia, however, these are isolated groups: «We were very sorry about that. These characters, let’s call them that, in my opinion they don’t have nothing to do with football, but they are only ever committed to spoiling other people’s parties. Luckily we talk about very narrow fringes, as they exist everywhere. In the past I have also tried several times to establish a dialogue with some groups of local ultras, but I have always been told that “it is not the case”. The vast majority of Friulian fans I know, in any case, know how to live football, have the culture of sport and are as sorry for these episodes as I am. When Udinese was a great team and Napoli lived in the slums of the standings, I was targeted by teasing, but it was something playful and not at all aggressive, which I welcomed with the same spirit».

The president of the blue fan club has received many certificates of friendship from Friulians in recent days: «Just today the president of the London section of the Fogolar Furlan, an association that brings together Friulians around the world. We didn’t know each other, but he wanted to compliment me. It is perhaps the most beautiful message I have received recently ».

A way of understanding support which, Chierchia hopes, will soon spread: «I live for this sport, I wake up in the morning thinking about Napoli and plan my commitments based on the Serie A calendar. be an opportunity for union sharing, never for war. With our association, in fact, we also organize cultural and social events and we are in contact with fellow countrymen all over the world: for the match we will welcome Azzurri fans from Munich, Switzerland and Luxembourg. This is sport: brotherhood, union, joy, passion».

An image that strongly contrasts with the many episodes of violence linked to the ultras world that are still recorded throughout Italy: «I wish my children and grandchildren could one day take their families to the stadium and enjoy a day of sport with serenity. I hope this change happens soon, otherwise everything will die sooner or later. It seems to me impossible that we cannot marginalize these violent groups once and for all. Whoever has the power, if he really wants it, he can do it ».