This is the best of September from the Italian terraces…from Champions League football to Eccellenza we have it all…
Como president Mirwan Suwarso shared a notable backstory highlighting the club’s evolving relationship with its fanbase during their first historic Champions League game against RB Leipzig. Suwarso and other club executives gave up their seats in the main stand to long-standing supporters, the eldest of them 95-year old Ernesto Bianchi. Meanwhile, the Curva welcomed the teams with a simple but effective “Como” made up of white and blue cardboards as they stood in their brand new stand.
Napoli faces incoming financial penalties from UEFA due to supporter infractions inside the Curva during their recent European fixture with Arsenal. Around a thousand Azzurri ultras entered the ground late in the game as many of the usual banners were being prevented from entering. Even a tifo could not be displayed. Eventually, only some of those banners made it into the Maradona but this didn’t prevent both Curva A and B protesting against Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis (in fact, UEFA regulations prevent fans from covering up its signage but this is a shared target for the president who has made no secret about his will to sell those advertising spaces). Needless to say, the whole situation dampened the atmosphere. The sanctions add further tension between management and match-going supporters regarding matchday regulations. Continued infractions risk triggering partial sector closures for future European nights at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Meanwhile, the Mastiffs, a prominent Napoli ultra group, celebrated its 35th anniversary.
President De Laurentiis also ignited fresh controversy after publicly claiming that organized ultras groups have “mafia roots” and systemic ties to organized crime. Pointing to the recent high-profile anti-mafia arrests surrounding Inter’s Curva Nord leadership, De Laurentiis used the scandal to defend his uncompromising stance against terrace groups. These remarks came just when he was announcing a new state-of-the-art training ground and a 70,000 capacity brand new stadium where he clearly doesn’t see Napoli ultras. Fan organizations across Italy condemned the blanket generalization, accusing the president of criminalizing all active supporters. In Florence, the small contingent (due to tickets limitations) of Napoli ultras displayed a banner inside (“45 minutes inside for our colours…”) and another outside (“the rest of the game outside in the name of our values”) as tickets were put on sale only 72 hours before kick-off.
Sports judicial authorities revised the disciplinary penalties imposed on Juventus following appeals regarding Curva behavior in the “Caso Mazzola”. The initial financial fine (10,000 euros) and sector warnings were reduced after legal evaluations of the club’s compliance and stadium security protocols. As some black and white ultras in the Curva Sud first tier turned their back to the pitch during the minute of silence honouring the loss of Inter legend Sandro Mazzola, the vast majority of the stadium applauded and the club issued a prompt statement distancing themselves from their supporters’ behaviour.
Meanwhile, Atalanta ultras displayed a banner approving the pricing policy (€18 for visiting supporters, €35 for Conference League, please continue this way) but also took a stand on Marten De Roon’s move to Roma labelling him as a “little flag” (“You chose to pass through our history, but not to belong to it”). Some 682 Cagliari ultras/fans were in the away end and made themselves heard as the Sardinians came away with the full three points.
Venezia v Rapid took centre stage at the end of the month. A great party both outside and inside Stadio Penzo as around 1,000 Austrians descended to North East Italy in a party mood. Both teams wore special kits paying tribute to the twinning. After the game though, the Rapid Ultras temporarily lost their historic away banner (Besuchsfetzn) and a Gate 13 anniversary flag when thieves broke into their parked car. The theft, which had no football or rivalry context, initially sparked fears of dissolution for the legendary Austrian group. However, Venezia Mestre ultras quickly mobilized, tracking down the local criminals and recovering the stolen property. This incredible display of cross-border solidarity ensured the Austrians retrieved their sacred banners, averting a major crisis for Block West.
As they officially opened their new Curva Sud Costantino Rozzi, Ascoli officially set a new all-time record after selling 10,039 season tickets for their Serie B return campaign. The milestone comfortably surpasses the club’s previous historical record of 8,050 tickets set during the 1979-80 season. The unprecedented figure highlights massive enthusiasm across the city as fans rally behind the club in the new division.
Both Sampdoria’s Gradinata Sud and Nord celebrated their club’s 80th birthday in the home game against Catanzaro with spectacular displays. Gradinata Sud waved huge flags bearing colours and identity of both Andrea Doria (white and navy) and Sampierdarenese (red and black), the two entities which merged in 1946.
Palermo beat the Blucerchiati in front of 33,196 supporters, a cracking atmosphere needed to keep pushing the team towards the dream of promotion. Meanwhile in Germany, Stuttgart ultras saluted UCS Palermo, a prominent Italian ultra group that recently disbanded, with a banner saying: “27 years of consistency and determination: respect for the UCS!”
On September 3rd, Vigilantes Vicenza celebrated their founding anniversary, a key date in the group’s history. During the first home fixture following the anniversary on 12 September, the historic Vigilantes banner made its traditional return to the stands of Stadio Romeo Menti. The annual gesture renews a decades-old tradition connecting generations of Curva Sud supporters around their founding symbols. A ritual of belonging that reaffirms the historical continuity of Vicenza’s organized ends.
In the Modena v Avellino game played at Stadio Braglia, the visiting supporters responded to Lecce Ultras who had previously deemed useless the petition for a fairer and more popular football. Avellino banner read “The rope binding us is the same – there are those who try to break free, and those who judge while ultimately resigning themselves. For those who still believe… ultras.”
Novara ultras made their return in an away fixture (v Renate) after 218 days since their last away game before the long ban.
The FIGC Federal Prosecutor’s Office officially opened an investigation into former Livorno icon and manager Cristiano Lucarelli following recent public statements. Following the decision to ban Livorno supporters in La Spezia, Lucarelli had said in a press conference: “My take is that if I were to be born again, I’d become a prefect or a police commissioner. It would be like being the president of the ACI: seeing all the accidents, I’d just put a stop to everything. Halt all the cars, all the scooters, all the trucks. I’d collect my salary, avoid looking for trouble, and keep everyone at home. I’d have done my job, right?” Sports justice officials are evaluating his conduct against federal disciplinary codes to determine potential infractions.
Cavese ultras unfurled a striking banner stating: “Keep your nets away from our passion.” The “nets” (Reti) refer to Plexiglas barriers, netting, and iron mesh designed to completely isolate visiting fans.
Curva Sud Cerignola released an official statement standing alongside twinned German fanbase SpVgg Fürth in their historic battle to restore the club’s original name and remove the corporate “Greuther” prefix. With Fürth members voting in November, German fans launched a €150,000 crowdfunding campaign to cover administrative rebranding costs and eliminate management excuses. Cerignola ultras announced awareness drives and donation points at all upcoming home matches to contribute directly to the fund.
Over 12,000 passionate supporters packed Stadio Erasmo Iacovone to celebrate Taranto’s long-awaited return and debut in their renovated home ground in the fifth tier of Italian football (Eccellenza). The occasion turned into a massive party across the stands, with organized ends creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with flags and non-stop vocal backing. On the pitch, Taranto capped off the historic homecoming with a convincing 3-0 victory over Novoli. The impressive attendance highlighted the fanbase’s unyielding loyalty regardless of division standing. At the same time, Taranto ultras have been banned until February 2027 from any away game.
The iconic “Regime Rosso-Nero” banner made its official return to the stands of Stadio Pino Zaccheria in the local derby against Cerignola, marking a symbolic moment for Foggia’s terrace movement. Originally founded in 1981, the group stands as a historic pillar of Satanelli fan culture, anchoring the Curva Sud for decades. “We are not open to new people joining – the old guard reaffirmed in their statement – we just want to get together as we used to do in the 1970s and 1980s. We just can’t be a pillar of the organized support as we used to be – we will hang the banner and other flags from time to time according to our own circumstances both home and away but without any constraint – there are no rules for us in our case.”
Messina’s historic Stadio Giovanni Celeste officially received safety clearance to reopen with a reduced capacity of 4,900 spectators. The decision follows extensive administrative and structural procedures aimed at bringing the venue back into operational status. The partial reopening marks a long-awaited milestone for local supporters eager to return to their spiritual home ground. The approval provides vital logistical relief for home fixtures while restoring a key landmark for Messina’s fanbase.
When they hosted Ravenna on 16 September, Ostiamare supporters (Daniele De Rossi is the club’s owner and president) commemorated the historical legacy of November 24, 1884, marking the reclamation of the Roman coastline and the foundation of modern Ostia. The tribute honours 500 labourer-pioneers from Ravenna who arrived by train in Rome to drain the hazardous marshes of Ostia and Fiumicino. Local organized groups regularly highlight this working-class origin as a core pillar of their civic and terrace identity. The historical memory reinforces the deep cultural connection between Ostia and the Romagna region. A classic historical retrospective celebrating local working-class heritage through terrace culture.
Pisa ultras displayed a prominent banner protesting the ongoing commercialization and restrictive administrative measures plaguing modern football. The message specifically targeted fragmented television scheduling, exorbitant ticket prices, mandatory fidelity cards, and discriminatory away travel bans. Reaffirming their uncompromising stance against the system, the Curva Nord declared: “A Curva that does not bend accompanies you in the battle.” The display serves as a rallying cry against the bureaucratic hurdles progressively distancing match-going fans from the stadiums.
Around 100 Italian ultras reached Bursa as they finally celebrated a resounding win for the Azzurri in Turkey. A banner against bans issued after the playoff against Northern Ireland in Bergamo was on display. Nearly 2,000 were in Paris at Stade de France instead.
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