1st June 2021
European Villans: What is it like supporting a club from afar?
By Adam Holt
We all know what it’s like supporting your local club, but my question is what if the team you support hail from thousands of miles away?
Two overseas supporters of Aston Villa have given their perspective on what it is like supporting a football club that is based thousands of miles away from where they live.
One such supporter, Massimiliano Zoratti, who is a member of the Latin Lions Supporters Club, based in Italy, spoke about how his passion for Villa blossomed from a 1983 match against Juventus, and despite Villa being defeated on the night, he said: “for me the team that had the best shirt were the Aston Villa, there was no doubt. So, in those magical evenings I was bewitched by the claret and blue colours, that was it.”
Zoratti also highlighted that his passion for Aston Villa started in 1982, where he was a witness to Villa’s victory over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam. On the memories of this night and his early days supporting the club, he said: “My passion for our Club goes back to the eighties, the years that we can call the Villa years of course, when I was a teenager and obviously at the Rotterdam final when I saw them for the first time.”
Massimiliano has also expressed the difficulties he experienced of following Villa in the early years with the lack of coverage in Italy, he said: "It was very demanding because there weren't social media and internet, TV only broadcasted cup matches and highlights.” But now, of course it is easier with the increased coverage of the Premier league globally and the birth of social media and the internet.
One such supporter, Massimiliano Zoratti, who is a member of the Latin Lions Supporters Club, based in Italy, spoke about how his passion for Villa blossomed from a 1983 match against Juventus, and despite Villa being defeated on the night, he said: “for me the team that had the best shirt were the Aston Villa, there was no doubt. So, in those magical evenings I was bewitched by the claret and blue colours, that was it.”
Zoratti also highlighted that his passion for Aston Villa started in 1982, where he was a witness to Villa’s victory over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam. On the memories of this night and his early days supporting the club, he said: “My passion for our Club goes back to the eighties, the years that we can call the Villa years of course, when I was a teenager and obviously at the Rotterdam final when I saw them for the first time.”
Massimiliano has also expressed the difficulties he experienced of following Villa in the early years with the lack of coverage in Italy, he said: "It was very demanding because there weren't social media and internet, TV only broadcasted cup matches and highlights.” But now, of course it is easier with the increased coverage of the Premier league globally and the birth of social media and the internet.
Massimiliano and the Latin Lions Club have had visitors from England over the years, with Zoratti expressing his hopes that he can find his way to a seat at Villa Park soon, he said: “the Italian fans of Aston Villa are few and scattered along the peninsula, but we're enthusiastic and faithful.”
It is clear that Massimiliano has a long-standing passion for all things claret and blue, but so does Frank Kielstra of the Marbella Lions in Spain.
It is clear that Massimiliano has a long-standing passion for all things claret and blue, but so does Frank Kielstra of the Marbella Lions in Spain.
Kielstra opened up on how he manages to support and follow a football club thousands of miles away, as well as what he rates as his favourite moment of supporting the Villa.
He said: “You get used to supporting from afar. However, social media, IPTV means I'm as up to date as the next Erdington based fan. Plus, the annual pilgrimage to Villa Park obviously helps.
“In terms of my favourite moment supporting the club, it would probably be a toss-up between League Cup 1994 semi-final sudden death save from Bosnich. I got to Wembley first time in since 1977, which was massive for me.
“Gary Shaw’s equaliser against Barcelona at Villa Park in 1983 has also got to be up there as well!”
Football truly is a global game, with many fans from across the world supporting a team thousands of miles away from where they live. This being a reality is credit to the technology of the modern age as well as the further globalisation of the beautiful game making clubs more and more accessible to supporters from other countries.
He said: “You get used to supporting from afar. However, social media, IPTV means I'm as up to date as the next Erdington based fan. Plus, the annual pilgrimage to Villa Park obviously helps.
“In terms of my favourite moment supporting the club, it would probably be a toss-up between League Cup 1994 semi-final sudden death save from Bosnich. I got to Wembley first time in since 1977, which was massive for me.
“Gary Shaw’s equaliser against Barcelona at Villa Park in 1983 has also got to be up there as well!”
Football truly is a global game, with many fans from across the world supporting a team thousands of miles away from where they live. This being a reality is credit to the technology of the modern age as well as the further globalisation of the beautiful game making clubs more and more accessible to supporters from other countries.