Naples, Italy – In the shadow of a police station, Donny, a self-proclaimed ultra, sits in a dimly lit bar, his eyes filled with emotion as he recounts his life as a die-hard supporter of his local football team.
Describing the ultra lifestyle as akin to going to war, Donny expresses his unwavering dedication to the cause. “It is like going to war. It’s the best,” he passionately states. “There will be consequences, but that’s normal. You take responsibility for what you do.”
Reflecting on his past, Donny recalls his first banning order following clashes at AS Roma matches. Despite initially complying, he quickly found himself back in the midst of the action, attending games and fueling his adrenaline with each passionate display of support for his team.
Now facing a more stringent banning order, requiring him to check in with the police before and after every game, Donny remains unapologetic for his actions. Even with an impending ban from all stadiums for the next five years, he asserts, “I’ll never regret what I did. I would do everything I did again.”
While some may view ultras like Donny as troublemakers with criminal tendencies, Marco, another member of the ultra community, disputes this perception. He acknowledges the challenges faced by individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, emphasizing that mistakes made in the past do not equate to organized criminal activities.
However, law enforcement officials, such as police inspector Carmine Massarelli, see a direct connection between ultra groups and organized crime. Massarelli asserts that ultras often aid criminal organizations in expanding their influence through violent tactics, such as drug trafficking and extortion, thus intertwining the worlds of football fandom and criminal enterprises.