I start my Greek tour, aware of raising my Ultras bar, with the Athens derby. Before reeling off the classic cheer commentary, I would like to thank all those friends who gave me a small and large hand with information on the city, on the local curve, on tickets and on all the neighborhoods and beauties of Athens.
My choice falls on this Athenian derby, after the at least partial opening of the Greek stadiums which, since February, have seen the return to the stands limited to home fans. Practically so the status quo before the two months of closed doors ordered following the incidents that occurred on the sidelines of the Olympiakos-Panathinaikos volleyball match. Returning to matches with both sets of fans present in the stands, at present, seems like a very distant utopia.
After booking the trip, room and organizing my luggage, I set off towards the Greek capital. My room, located in the center, is just a few metro stops from the stadium. I get off at Ampelokipi, an obligatory stop to get to the stadium itself. At the exit of the metro I am greeted by countless stalls of street food venue and material for fans. A few hundred meters away is the meeting place of the Gate 13: a building of at least three floors, majestic and colored in white and green, located on the edge of a main road from which the procession of local ultras will in turn start.
At least sixteen thousand if not more were present in the stands, saturated to the last seat. The tickets in Curva were pulverized within twenty-four hours, the others fluctuated between the not exactly cheap figure of €80 and €200. The clear feeling is that this stadium is too small for green clover fans. Before kick-off I take a 360-degree tour of the surrounding area, where I will photograph numerous graffiti and murals, among which those of Roma and Rapid Vienna, historic twins of the hosts, stand out. The area is highly residential, the streets of the neighborhood create a maze of streets that make it potentially exposed to scuffles between fans, assuming the guests never return. Many ultras gather in every corner of the neighborhood, in pubs and bars where, to avoid any eventuality, they remain to mark their territory and monitor it at the same time.
Having collected the tickets, I set off towards the entrance: the curve has a nice visual impact and when the match starts, a chorus rises up at the same time which could be defined as an international classic, namely the one to the tune of “Feed from desire” by Gala, much followed by all those present. A single banner, the mammoth one GATE 13 PANATHINAIKOS of almost fifty metres, it dominates and represents the main sector.
In the meantime, the tension climbs to high levels, the stadium is full and sings frequently with the curve. The singing decibels increase as the minutes pass, the iron sheet barriers and the plexiglass ones constantly being kicked emphasize the sensation of being in bedlam. However, AEK did not let themselves be influenced too much and even took the lead in the fifth minute. The freezing shower affects the home fans, whose support will wane a bit due to the heavy psychological blow.
A first goal later canceled out at VAR significantly raised the mood and level of support for Panathinakos. The singing bomb has been triggered, the cheering becomes increasingly hotter: prolonged chants, clapping and trains, repeating chants, the accompaniment is truly evocative and powerful and lasts well beyond ninety minutes, classic Eastern European cheering, with voice strong and almost hoarse which pushes much more on dry rhythms than on melodic ones.
At the stroke of the thirty-second minute, the symbolic bomb fueled by the powerful cheering, shines, releasing a real roar, an explosion of tens of thousands of voices resulting from the equalizing goal. The explosion of joy, the adrenaline and the goosebumps run through all sectors, so much so that I will end up rejoicing and getting excited too.
The apotheosis came after just two minutes, when the team coached by Fathim Terim took the lead. In order not to seem scurrilous and without any emphasis, a real orgasm. Something truly indescribable, an experience that – condensed in those moments, is worth every last cent spent on this trip to Hellenic land.
The cheering continues hotly, all sectors follow the curve. Beers, torches and smoke bombs fly. The blanket that rises brings with it the characteristic acrid smell of pyrotechnics and while the drums roll under the choirs of Gate 13the fuse of the canisters is used to set fire to various AEK material, probably stolen in some past clash.
The match on the pitch was very tense, so clapping and chanting followed one another also to ease the nerves of the team, towards which the fans shouted at every
lost ball just to prevent them from relaxing too much. Many chants addressed to their enemies AEK and Olympiakos: in this regard, we notice a flag with a yellow and black Pinocchio waving continuously.
The last minutes are typically not recommended for the faint of heart, many choruses end up breaking too soon, anxiety skyrockets. The two teams also come into contact after a hard tackle, a brawl occurs with
a few too many forbidden shots but inexorably comes the long-awaited final whistle which confirms the victory.
It is a succession of applause, from here the choir starts again on the notes of “Feed from desire” which echoes throughout the stadium, packed and celebrating. The team also joins in the celebrations, moving under the curve to join in this big ideal embrace. Many flags give an extra touch of color to this beautiful celebration. Minutes pass and we have to earn the exit, but the adrenaline in circulation forces us to give ourselves a long ride pit stop of Greek beers and souvlaki. We would have to drink a lot and maybe it wouldn’t even be enough, an evening like this is really difficult to forget.
Pompeo
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2024-04-11 12:04:09
#PanathinaikosAEK #Athens #doors #reopen #bar #raised
