“It’s a sport that is to be enjoyed not just for the glossiness, but for teamship, for people giving everything for the cause, for feeling part of something, for being part of a tribe of people who care about one situation,” said Burnley boss Sean Dyche to the Times recently, in an attempt to explain why football needs “earthiness” as well as “glossiness”.
There was plenty of “earthiness” on show during my Sporting Highlight of 2017 too. A small group of my family and friends were guests of ACF Fiorentina back in October as we were taken on a tour of the Stadio Artemio Franchi, something that we were incredibly fortunate to experience as this not usually offered to members of the public.
Inaugurated in 1931, the Stadio Giovanni Berta (as it was then named) was designed by master of concrete Pier Luigi Nervi and contains many unique architectural features that were groundbreaking at the time. Stadium manager Edoardo explained the special historical significance of many internal and external parts of this beautiful old football ground, his pride in it clear for all who were present to see.
But his frustrations were also evident, as the home of the Viola is in need of modernisation, and this is not easy for him to arrange. Like the majority of Italian clubs, the stadium is owned by the commune of Florence, and even a minor change – a lick of paint here and there – needs explicit permission from the city. This was most evident during the tour when we were shown the tunnel.
Edoardo explained he had to deploy eight or more men to pull out the concertina-like tunnel for the players to emerge before and after the match, as well as at half-time, due to broken runners. He had been asking the council for some time for permission to fix this, but as usual in Italy, he had become embroiled in a mass of red tape.
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When it was time for the club official to show us impressive designs for a brand new stadium, he was less than enthusiastic, despite all the frustrations of his daily working life. A club-owned home would allow the Viola to move forward, to increase income from matchday revenue and to be in charge of any renovations or improvements. It only takes a look at the recent success of Juventus – the only one of the larger teams in Serie A to own a highly-functional and modern stadium – to see what benefits this could bring to a club that last won a Scudetto in 1968/69.
But we are straying into “glossiness” territory here. Let us break off to envisage the following scene for a minute. It is a bright and crisp morning in Florence, and five hours before kick off several generations of Viola fans are out and about in the adjacent cafes and bars. The old and young talk about the match, study form guides and fill in their betting slips. There is a real sense of community.
In such a historic city that is invaded with tourists all year round, this is the only place that they can truly call their own in Florence. The matchday rituals are part of what has been done here for over 80 years and contribute to the feeling of being “part of something” that Dyche described in his comments. Together they have celebrated, cried, loved and lost inside that stadium, memories inside one beautiful building that cannot be replaced.
Sometimes though, it takes something small to make a feeling sink in. Whilst on the stadium tour we walked down some steps, the same route that the players walk to access the tunnel on matchday. “That’s the orginal handrail,” said Edoardo. “The league keep nagging me to get it repainted, but I won’t. Just think of all the players that have touched that rail over the years. Maradona, Zico, Batistuta...”
Then it hits me. My great-grandad touched that rail too, and it brings a shiver down my spine and a tear to my Dad’s eye. His name is not mentioned among the greats as he was merely a reserve Manchester City footballer, one who got his big chance to play at the Franchi back in 1934. He is the reason why we very first came to see Fiorentina but there is another reason why we keep coming back.
We may come from a country that has the “glossiness” of the Premier League, but we choose to travel to watch football in Florence, among our foreign friends that are just like us. They are fiercely protective of their identity but feel honoured that we want to be among them. While they were born in a different country to us, we feel exactly the same about the game we love so much.
The stadium tour made me realise that a new home for Fiorentina would neutralise such a lot of what is so special about these supporters. These are the people who talk about the struggles of paying 60% tax for their small businesses, about being charged €40 for an away ticket at Juventus Stadium, and the people that utilise their own ground as a temple in which to voice their love for their team and their city.
This is who they are, and for that reason I feel so incredibly grateful to be a part of it. The stadium tour only served to highlight how lucky our group is, that this is where we love to watch football and this is where we belong among our friends.
“The game has got to be careful that it doesn’t go so glossy and beautiful and manufactured that it loses that connection,” concluded Dyche. And I for one, hope Fiorentina continue with to be more “earthy” than “glossy”, even if that means their struggles to compete with the top Serie A sides continue in the years to come.
