You might have seen my banner with FdL on it which is was made in respect of one of the best 'ultras' groups the world's seen FOSSA DEI LEONI of AC Milan. However they no longer exist from today:
Following a series of protests about the conduct of certain ‘group leaders’ after the Milan-Juve match on October 29, the decision was made to dissolve the party on Tuesday night.
The news will come as a blow to Milan fans, for whom The Lions’ Den was an integral part of their team’s legendary vocal support in the Curva Sud end of the San Siro.
Formed in 1968 – the year of Milan’s ninth Scudetto win - the Lion’s Den became one of the most famous Ultras groups in Italian football and an integral part of the history of the Rossoneri.
But of late their attitude had became increasingly aggressive and culminated in the ‘War of the Utras’ against Juve’s ‘Vikings’, which took the form of outbreaks of violence at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium last month.
"That match caused problems and situations that shouldn’t occur in ‘our’ world, in the world of the Ultras," explained Giancarlo Capelli, leader of another of the club’s Ultras group - ‘The Rossoneri Brigade’.
"The dissolution of that group came as a result of a whole series of increasingly negative situations," he continued. "It’s a shame because they had been around for 37 years."
With Italy looking to solve their occasional episodes of football violence ahead of the 2012 European Championships, which they are hoping to host, the disbanding of the Lions’ Den will be seen as a positive step by UEFA.
Capelli was at pains to point out that, despite the demise of one group of Ultras, the show will nevertheless go on.
"The Curva will go on all the same," he confirmed. "There are other Ultras groups and everybody is welcome in the Curva Sud.
"The Rossoneri Brigade and other fan bases in the Curva Sud will always be there and in fact we will be more united than before, although I fully understand the sadness and regret that people are feeling at the moment. I feel very low and bitter myself."
