Sicily: Chaos, Calcio and Contrasts

“The football culture of the island is a story of triumphs, steep declines, new beginnings and fierce rivalries.”

On a return trip to Sicily, Kenny Legg spent his time moving between cities, markets and football grounds, taking in long train journeys across the island and exploring places that feel unfinished and forgotten. From the markets of Catania and the train line between Palermo and Catania, to abandoned buildings in Giarre and matches in Catania, Syracuse, Messina and Palermo, this is a first-hand account of Sicily through everyday moments, football culture and the contrasts that define the island.

I had actually been before, and I found something special about Sicily. It’s got everything: tremendous food, chaotic cities, snow-topped mountains, pristine blue seas, hundreds of abandoned buildings to explore and a special football culture.

The markets of Catania were a highlight. A cramped bustling mass of humanity buying and selling everything from locally grown olives, delicious cannoli’s to any fake clothing item you could possibly want.

I loved the beautiful train journey through the centre of the island between Palermo and Catania. The relaxing three-hour journey was spectacular as we slowly moved along the northern Sicilian coastline before turning inland through picturesque countryside. I stared out the window as we passed through the glorious scenery of remote hillside villages, where you can imagine life has remained the same for decades, abandoned farmyards, where nature is taking over, before Mount Etna appeared as we drew into Catania.

I loved visiting the town of Giarre, just outside Catania. The town has many unfinished and abandoned buildings. I visited an abandoned polo stadium, and it was stunning. I find beauty in the unfinished, the overgrown, the abandoned and the brutalism of large concrete structures.

The stadium was planned to host 20,000 spectators, not bad considering the population of Giarre was 27,000, and hardly anyone in Italy plays polo. Construction began in the early 80’s and was halted in 1986 due to a series of problems; by this time, construction had cost around €9m.

Sicily is a fascinating place because of the many cultures that have left their marks on the island’s architecture, food, language and identity. The integration of new cultures seems to continue with new waves of migration from Africa and Southeast Asia. The effects of this could be seen on the streets of the cities in a positive way. Many stallholders on the markets appeared to be of African descent, and the streets of Palermo and Catania were dotted with South Asian restaurants.

I was lucky enough to take in three matches, at Catania, Syracuse and Messina, and I also managed to sneak in at Palermo.

The football culture of the island is a story of triumphs, steep declines, new beginnings and fierce rivalries.

Catania is currently top of Serie C, and the fans are in delirium. The atmosphere was superb, undoubtedly one of the best I have ever experienced.

There are two sets of ultras there, the Curva Nord and the Curva Sud. Curva Nord showed an impressive choreo which covered the whole stand, while Curva Sud lit pyro around the edges of their packed stand.

The fans didn’t stop for the whole 90 minutes as their team defeated Crotone 2–0. The team could get promoted to Serie B and be reunited with their fierce island rivals, Palermo. If that does happen, I’ll be sure to make another visit to this magical island.

In Palermo and Catania, the clubs were always represented. Whether it was a scarf in a bar, an old team poster in a garage or a graffiti on a city wall, the passion of the locals for their clubs was omnipresent.

Prepare yourself for some extreme contrasts. The chaos mixed with beautiful landscapes and super-friendly people makes it a truly special place.