Football, Fascism and a young girl's diary

Football, Fascism and a young girl's diary

Celtic’s Europa League win at AIK Stockholm saw then safely through to the group stages where they will face old foes Cluj, Stade Rennes and SS Lazio. We are familiar with Cluj having played them so recently and the chance of some sporting revenge will be relished by all at Celtic. The team let themselves down defensively in the home tie with Cluj and losing four goals at home was fatal to Celtic’s Champions League hopes. The Hoops have improved defensively since then and can score against most teams so we will approach both ties with Cluj with confidence and a steely determination to show that Celtic are the better team.

The Hoops last played Rennes in 2011 when our Korean full back Cha Du Ri scored a memorable own goal in a 1-1 draw. Celtic defeated the French side at home and although they have improved in recent years the Hoops should show no fear when playing them at home or indeed in the opening tie in Brittany. Rennes city is a similar size to Glasgow and the supporters of the club are proud of the areas Celtic heritage. Indeed one of their Ultra groups is known as the ‘Roazhon Celtic Kop’ The RCK was founded by three young supporters in the 1990s and soon grew into a major ultra-group. They use tifos, flares and singing to add atmosphere to the stadium and will no doubt have a special display in mind when Celtic visit on match day one in 12 days. They also use Celtic symbols on their flags and banners and although not officially political in nature are in the main anti-racist and anti-fascist.

Lazio in contrast are struggling with an element among their supporters who in contrast to Rennes often indulge in racist and Anti-Semitic behaviour. Before one derby match with Roma stickers appeared in Rome showing Anne Frank in a Roma shirt. There was also a disgraceful banner at a match which read ‘Auschwitz is your home- the ovens your house.’ There was also a video posted on YouTube showing Lazio fans in Milan for a match unveiling a large banner praising Italian war time fascist leader Benito Mussolini with some raising their arms in fascist salutes. The Lazio supporters in the video would have known well that it was in northern Italy that Mussolini met his end at the hands of Communist partisans and it was in Milan that his lifeless body was dreadfully mistreated in the ‘Square of fifteen Martyrs’ where Mussolini’s black-shirt thugs had shot 15 local people.

SS Lazio and their more cerebral supporters were rightly horrified at the behaviour of a minority of their fans and condemned it outright. Indeed they had players warm up before a league match wearing t-shirts which bore the image of Anne Frank and a slogan condemning anti-Semitism. The Italian league ordered a minutes silence at games and in some stadiums excerpts from Anne Frank’s diary were read out on the PA system. Lazio stated they were determined to fight anti-Semitism and racism in every way they could and even stated that they would fund a project to take 200 young supporters to Poland to visit Auschwitz concentration camp. Their President also visited Rome’s main synagogue and laid a wreath to honour members of the Italian Jewish community murdered in the war years.

Academic Alberto Testa spent time among Lazio and other ultras groups to research his book ‘Football, fascism and Fandom’ stated that the anti-Semitism and racism he encountered there is sadly typical and depressingly common in sectors of Italian society. He said in a recent interview…

"Racism is a big disease in Italian society. There are cultural problems and they are problems connected with how society is structured. It is a very complex issue and when I speak about this I say that the stadiums in Italy, and let's not forget that this infiltration of the right is a problem across Europe, reflects what happens in society; if politicians don't condemn racism, if the media continue to use the 'N-word' and treat this episode as banter, then we will never resolve this problem.’

Celtic supporters travelling to Rome will of course want to see the sites of the eternal city. The Vatican and its museum will doubtless see a few hooped shirts as will other hot spots for tourists. Most fans know the score in big foreign cities and will take sensible precautions. The club’s supporters are known for their good humour and usually behave well on their travels. Celtic supporters are in the main the cultural and political opposites of the racists and neo-fascists among the Lazio support but hopefully everyone is there just to enjoy the football. The local Police will no doubt have a plan in place to ensure visitors are not in any danger from the wilder elements among the Lazio support. It’s to be hoped that everyone involved is there to enjoy the sights and the football and for no other reason.

This year’s Europa League is full of tough teams and Celtic’s draw could have been a lot harder. They will have a genuine chance in this group if they avoid any defensive calamities and approach each game in the right way. Let’s hope it’s a successful campaign and we’re talking about the football and not any off field nonsense.

As a young girl called Anne Frank once wrote in her diary...

‘It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.’