Ultra: The Underworld of Italian Football
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- Create Date：2021-04-24 14:51:38
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Tobias Jones
- ISBN：1786697378
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Summary
Shortlisted for the Daily Telegraph Football Book of the Year
Ultras are often compared to punks， Hell's Angels， hooligans or the South American Barras Bravas。 But in truth， they are a thoroughly Italian phenomenon。 From the author of The Dark Heart of Italy， Blood on the Altar and A Place of Refuge。
Italy's ultras are the most organized and violent fans in European football。 Many groups have evolved into criminal gangs， involved in ticket-touting， drug-dealing and murder。 A cross between the Hell's Angels and hooligans， they're often the foot-soldiers of the Mafia and have been instrumental in the rise of the far-right。
But the purist ultras say that they are are insurgents fighting against a police state and modern football。 Only among the ultras， they say， can you find belonging， community， and a sacred concept of sport。 They champion not just their teams， they say， but their forgotten suburbs and the dispossessed。
Through the prism of the ultras， Jones crafts a compelling investigation into Italian society and its favorite sport。 He writes about not just the ultras of some of Italy's biggest clubs—Juventus， Torino， Lazio， Roma， and Genoa—but also about its lesser-known ones from Cosenza and Catania。 He examines the sinister side of football fandom， with its violence and political extremism， but also admires the passion， wit， solidarity， and style of a fascinating and contradictory subculture。
Ultras are often compared to punks， Hell's Angels， hooligans or the South American Barras Bravas。 But in truth， they are a thoroughly Italian phenomenon。 From the author of The Dark Heart of Italy， Blood on the Altar and A Place of Refuge。
Italy's ultras are the most organized and violent fans in European football。 Many groups have evolved into criminal gangs， involved in ticket-touting， drug-dealing and murder。 A cross between the Hell's Angels and hooligans， they're often the foot-soldiers of the Mafia and have been instrumental in the rise of the far-right。
But the purist ultras say that they are are insurgents fighting against a police state and modern football。 Only among the ultras， they say， can you find belonging， community， and a sacred concept of sport。 They champion not just their teams， they say， but their forgotten suburbs and the dispossessed。
Through the prism of the ultras， Jones crafts a compelling investigation into Italian society and its favorite sport。 He writes about not just the ultras of some of Italy's biggest clubs—Juventus， Torino， Lazio， Roma， and Genoa—but also about its lesser-known ones from Cosenza and Catania。 He examines the sinister side of football fandom， with its violence and political extremism， but also admires the passion， wit， solidarity， and style of a fascinating and contradictory subculture。
Reviews
Graeme Hanna
，
Very good content， but the back and forth format spoiled the book for me。
Alex Margolies
，
Very interesting and full exploration of the Ultra culture in Italian football。 Can't help， but think that if Tobias had tried it in the UK with his name， it might've had a different outcome tho。。。 Very interesting and full exploration of the Ultra culture in Italian football。 Can't help， but think that if Tobias had tried it in the UK with his name， it might've had a different outcome tho。。。 。。。more
Beverley
，
A fascinating and unsettling insight into the world of Italian ultras， football， politics and crime and the way they are intertwined。 The different concepts of what it means to be an ultra in the changing eras and at different stadia are explored and exposed。 The criminal underside and its frequently stark and fatal consequences are impossible to read without a sense of dismay that a movement that started as something to create togetherness and belonging should end up so divisive and harmful not A fascinating and unsettling insight into the world of Italian ultras， football， politics and crime and the way they are intertwined。 The different concepts of what it means to be an ultra in the changing eras and at different stadia are explored and exposed。 The criminal underside and its frequently stark and fatal consequences are impossible to read without a sense of dismay that a movement that started as something to create togetherness and belonging should end up so divisive and harmful not just to the ultras and those around them but to the Italian football itself。 I did sometimes find it quite difficult to follow trains of thought and lines of argument though as the narrative skips from time zone to time zone back and forth as well as all over Italy and the argument seemed to change partway through a chapter。 A notebook would have been a handy companion while reading。 。。。more
Steven Pilling
，
Challenging ， perception altering 。 Jones examines italian society through the ultra phenomena。 It can be too much information but he finds humanity inthe ultras weaves a tale that has a strong narrative element 。The language is evocative 。 It's not a book about hooliganism rather a book about people some of whom are hooligans 。 It doesnt leave you feeling better about the world but it does leave you feeling wiser Challenging ， perception altering 。 Jones examines italian society through the ultra phenomena。 It can be too much information but he finds humanity inthe ultras weaves a tale that has a strong narrative element 。The language is evocative 。 It's not a book about hooliganism rather a book about people some of whom are hooligans 。 It doesnt leave you feeling better about the world but it does leave you feeling wiser 。。。more
Ryan Shaw
，
Fantastic book that delves deep into the football underworld in Italy。
Darren Ross
，
An absolutely eye opening must read for anyone with an interest in Italian football。
Daniel Lambauer
，
This was an interesting anthropological case study into a world you may dismiss quite easily as rough， crazy and wrong - Italian hooligans。 But Jones shows that these organised groups historically have provided a community to many， have looked out for each other and provided meaning - which actually is more important at times than how their teams played。 What I found sad though is that modern consumerism and capitalism has struck also this world - with recent ultras basically running， mafia-styl This was an interesting anthropological case study into a world you may dismiss quite easily as rough， crazy and wrong - Italian hooligans。 But Jones shows that these organised groups historically have provided a community to many， have looked out for each other and provided meaning - which actually is more important at times than how their teams played。 What I found sad though is that modern consumerism and capitalism has struck also this world - with recent ultras basically running， mafia-style， the stadia， controlling ticket sales and merchandise - for their own profit， not for the sake of their community or football club。 。。。more
Fiz
，
I nearly gave up and wanted to put this book away on my 1st attempt。 There are a lot of difficult words and terms， mostly Italian but some are English。 Browsing the reviews didn't help too :） But I decided to try reading the book again the next day because the topic is so relevant and interesting and I didn't get it why I found the book the be so dull initially。 So I decided to read it slowly （opening my dictionary a lot along the way） and patiently and guess what - I couldn't put the book down I nearly gave up and wanted to put this book away on my 1st attempt。 There are a lot of difficult words and terms， mostly Italian but some are English。 Browsing the reviews didn't help too :） But I decided to try reading the book again the next day because the topic is so relevant and interesting and I didn't get it why I found the book the be so dull initially。 So I decided to read it slowly （opening my dictionary a lot along the way） and patiently and guess what - I couldn't put the book down and finished it within 3 days！ The tip here is not to force yourself and be patient because this is unlike any other book - words used and chronological arrangement of the events may be challenging for some。 In this book Tobias Jones discussed the origins of Italian Ultras and the events that might have shaped them， as well as their political leanings and connections with the underworld。 I find this book highly interesting and illuminating - discussing the major events associated with the ultras of some of Italy's biggest clubs （the ones from Napoli were not really discussed in this book）。The paradoxical nature of the ultras is astonishingly beautiful: football fans who don't care much about football， intolerant but can be inclusive， can be violent and kind at the same time。 For me， just like all of us， they're just trying to find their personal space where they belong in this world。 Perhaps， the only way to understand them is to be one of them。 A great read for me - 4。5 🌟 。。。more
Aditya Chaudhary
，
Dry
Jan Wężyk
，
Potężna dawka informacji o historii i teraźniejszości ruchu ultra we Włoszech。 Bez omijania trudnych tematów （związki z przestępczością zorganizowaną， faszyzm， przemoc） ale też bez generalizowania i straszenia。 Plus za stanowiący trzon książki wątek jednej ultrasowskiej ekipy， z którą autor przemierzał Włochy i oglądał liczne mecze zakończone wynikami 0-0。 Minus za chaos i bardzo luźne podejście do chronologii。 I za brak oryginalnych wersji różnych ultrasowskich haseł - angielskie tłumaczenia ch Potężna dawka informacji o historii i teraźniejszości ruchu ultra we Włoszech。 Bez omijania trudnych tematów （związki z przestępczością zorganizowaną， faszyzm， przemoc） ale też bez generalizowania i straszenia。 Plus za stanowiący trzon książki wątek jednej ultrasowskiej ekipy， z którą autor przemierzał Włochy i oglądał liczne mecze zakończone wynikami 0-0。 Minus za chaos i bardzo luźne podejście do chronologii。 I za brak oryginalnych wersji różnych ultrasowskich haseł - angielskie tłumaczenia chyba odbierają im nieco uroku。 Polecam， choć raczej nie tym osobom， które z piłką i kibolstwem są zupełnie na bakier。 。。。more
D H
，
Focused more on Italian Politics rather than football and it’s fans。 Hard to keep track of what’s going on with many technical terms and many words in Italian。 So many names that’s it’s hard to know who’s who and also the flickering between ultra groups seems messy and hard to keep track of what’s happening。 Would get a higher rating if buyer looking for a book less about football。
Fritzov
，
This book is a good insight to the Italian ultras but there is so many names and events going on you need to pay attention。
Nikola Jankovic
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