Tifos are an important part of football culture. They travel through borders, impress newcomers and create unparalleled atmosphere in stadia. Impact Media put together a list of nine stunning tifos from here and abroad.
Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund v. Málaga, 2013
The Südtribüne, a world-famous stand of 40,000 standing fans in Dortmund, has accustomed us to extraordinary demonstrations and thunderous atmospheres. For this Champions League quarterfinal return leg, Málaga visits the Ruhr region. The Yellow Wall takes this opportunity to show what it can do with a character right out of a comic book looking afar with his binoculars. Below him, a banner reads, “With the eyes fixed on the European Cup”. This epic tifo set the table for an equally epic comeback by BVB, scoring not once, but twice in injury time to snatch a 3-2 win and the semi-final berth out of the Spaniards’ hands.
Stadionul Dinamo, Dinamo Bucharest v. Steaua Bucharest, 2014
For some, soccer is an art. In Bucharest, for this derby and the Cup semi-final return leg, Dinamo fans were definitely in tune with that idea: as well as having an actual orchestra on the field in front of the PCH stand (for Peluza Cătălin Hîldan, Dinamo’s former captain), they organized a mosaic, a giant musical stave, and dogs – the club’s emblem – dressed in tuxedos playing various instruments. In an atmosphere far, far away from the ones we find in opera theatres, the two Bucharest clubs played to a 1-1 draw which allowed Steaua to go through to the final.
Olympic Stadium, Montreal Impact v. Club América, 2015
This is a marquee event in Montreal’s soccer history: the CONCACAF Champions League final brought no fewer than 61,004 fans to the Big O for this final in April. To raise the stakes and make it a truly memorable moment, everyone in the stadium took part in a mosaic using the club’s colours. The result is spectacular, and the rocking atmosphere certainly helped Andrés Romero open the scoring early in the first half for the Bleu-blanc-noir, but in the end, América proved to be too strong and won the game 4-2 and the final 5-3 on aggregate. Still, history was made.
Parken Stadium, FC Copenhagen v. Brondby, 2014
Copenhagen’s honour and bragging rights are at stake in this game opposing FC Copenhagen to Brondby. FCK’s supporters got their hands dirty to give a little extra push to their favourites: a long banner with on one side a cannon, and on the other the enemy’s stadium. Brøndby Stadion burns… kind of.
Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa v. Sampdoria, 2014
“La leggenda ha il volto degli eroi e il cuore del suo popolo.” In Genoa, in 2014, the legend has the face of the heroes and the heart of his people. Supporters group Zena unfurled giant tifos both on the length of the field and behind the goal, putting forth respectively Grifone’s starting XIs from yesterday and today, along with a medieval castle protected by crusaders. Intimidating.
Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna v. Catania, 2014
Picturesque and spectacular Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna is worth visiting for its unique architecture as well as for its boiling atmosphere. The club’s ultras, Centro Bologna Clubs, created a tifo with Bologna’s colours and skyline, while promoting this special architecture.
Stade Vélodrome, Olympique Marseille v. Paris Saint-Germain, 2015
The new Vélodrome, a few minutes away from the Mediterranean, offers a crazy atmosphere with its 67,000 people in attendance. For PSG’s annual visit down south, it becomes especially hot in the stands. Last year, in fact, the crowd created a superb mosaic on three sides of the stadium.
Providence Park, Portland Timbers v. Seattle Sounders, 2015
One of the fiercest rivalries in MLS is played out in the Pacific Northwest between two clubs with passionate and imaginative support. On the way to their first MLS Cup, fans were walking in a Timbers wonderland indeed. For Seattle Sounders’ visit, they paid tribute to Cascadia’s large green spaces.
De Kuip, Feyenoord v. Sevilla, 2014
We’ll need a little context here: in 1628, off the Cuban coast, a battalion of Dutch ships was able to catch 16 Spanish treasure vessels carrying gold, silver, and other valuable trade goods; this was a highly lucrative and unprecedented booty. Back to our era, to motivate the players from the Club on the Meuse, Rotterdam supporters unfolded a long banner illustrating this epic battle. The effect is powerful and the hosts win convincingly, 2-0.
