Once the fog of the many smoke bombs and photoflashes lit in the various sectors or ended up on the field has cleared, we can return to the basics.
Once the fog of illusions has cleared that public pleasure and happiness have become private consumption, we can go back to thinking about what a football match is. Vicenza-Taranto is actually an example of what can be experienced on a football field and in the stands that surround it during ninety minutes in which the passion and hopes of those who have embraced the colors and chosen to support them are condensed.
After the first leg match, which ended goalless, the two teams clash again to decide who will advance to the semi-final. The stakes are prestigious and succulent, the B series means being able to move around Italy and arrive at great football, with the entry into another world, a prelude to the top series. The hunger for entertainment and results is evident starting from the numbers on paper: the Saves And sold out in every home sector and the 1200 tickets made available for the away sector were pulverized in a few tens of minutes.
The pre-match is a long approach to the stadium by the red and white people, with an isolated scuffle a few hours before the match. The tension is not only linked to the importance of the still distant objective but also to a renewed and long-absent clash with an important place in the North. Undeniably, Taranto has been playing for years in categories that only see the possibility of moving in Southern Italy: today the bar is raised and we need to show our muscles. A temple of old football like the Romeo Menti it is the perfect scenario for this Saturday evening and it is exciting to observe from the stands how the distinguished players fill up in every seat order, just as it happened years ago in the top flight. A few minutes before kick-off, a choreography of flags and smoke bombs goes up in the stadium Very faithful, positioned at the far left of the Distinti, a sign that the cheering activity has begun, now whoever is on the pitch must be worthy of it. Contemporary with the teams taking to the field is the beautiful and crowded flag-waving of the South, with some banners then held high for the entire ninety minutes, including a pair of blue and white from the Pescara twins.
The breaking point or point of interest of the situation occurs, inevitably, with the entry of the vast majority of away fans, which occurred just after the game had started. The throwing of firecrackers, smoke bombs, torches and the simultaneous cheering on both (and sometimes all three, including the Distinti) sides help to understand what a real football match really is, that is, a match in which the public shows its own expectations and in which each of the opposing teams on the field is represented in an authorized and dignified manner in the stands. Lately this is a rare thing, given that faced with the complexity or undeniable difficulty in organizing public order for some matches, it is preferred to ban. It is not necessary to go back to the vast sociological literature on the topic to be clear that these launches of pyrotechnic material are a modern way of renewing ancient rites with which the expression of hostility between two parties is structured. And this happens in a real and complete football game. Full stadium, participating audience, twenty-two men on the pitch. To complete the “ritual”, the same attitude on the part of the red and white South team, which demonstrates that it reciprocates the opponents’ feelings with numerous smoke bombs thrown onto the pitch after “hostilities” initiated by the host. The ninety minutes pass in this total atmosphere, with a lot of voice and beautiful clapping of the berici and the slow waving of the red and blue flags to accompany their chants. On the field the competition is male and in the end, despite the blank goals, Vicenza passes, rewarded by the goal scored in the first leg and also by the inconsistency of the opposing offensive department. At the end of the match the link between the team and the fans is completed with the players of the two teams under the two respective sectors.
Text by AZ
Photo by Marcello Casarotti
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2024-06-11 15:25:59
#VicenzaTaranto #playoffs #renew #ancient #rites
