On Porta Garibaldi "u futtinu", one of the symbols of Catania, it is carved a Latin phrase MELIOR DE CINERE SURGO which means I will rise from my ashes better than before. This sentence reflects Catania's spirit, a city that has been rebuilt seven times after being destroyed by Mt Etna eruptions!
After another eruption that metaphorically destroyed the Catania football team, the "new" Catania SSD has incredibly brought back enthusiasm among Catania football fans. In fact, after years of bad results in the third series and many events that had little or nothing to do with football, many supporters had stopped following the Catania team. Instead the establishment of Catania SSD has spread again the passion and the unshakable faith on the red and light blue colors among the fans.
Now Catania SSD has broken the all time National membership record in Serie D and every Sunday at the "Massimino" stadium there is an authentic sports festival. Fans of all ages are thronged both in the corners and in the stands. The gentleman with white hair who smiles and tells historical anecdotes to the child who begins his career as a fan. The party starts before kick-off and for the first time the support for the team is continuous and unconditional. Hopefully the contribution of the whole stadium will help the team to reach stages that better suits the warmth of Catania fans.
After many years, going back to the stadium is a mix of emotions, meetings and reunions. The preparations are always the same, seasoned with the inevitable superstition. If the first time you went to the stadium without a scarf, well, you can't interrupt this and voluntarily repeat it in all other matches. Hearing the Catania's theme song while the team is entering the field gives you shivers of joy. And while the curves sing choruses incessantly, you can't choose whether to watch the match or the people cheering just like in the old days. The results so far suggest that it will be a year full of satisfactions for the fans, even if they have already won. Indeed, they win every Sunday because they turn a simple football match into a party.
I hope it's always like this, both for Catania SSD and for Catania.
Mariano Mascena, Tribuna A
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