My two friends from Athens and I finally managed to plan that trip to Campania that I mention here, surprisingly with no hassle at all, and thus I found myself flying to the all-too-familiar city of Naples for the second time this year. The initial (highly ambitious) plan for Saturday was to travel to Catanzaro and catch my beloved Avellino’s away match against the local side. That quickly fell through, however, as my Irpinian friends informed me that tickets had sold out in just ten minutes and even many of their own hadn’t managed to get one. That was fine though, as our alternative was more than great and also required far less travelling. And honestly, Cavese is a team I’d been wanting to visit for some time.

Their fanbase is actually one I’ve been familiar with since my early high school days, when I stumbled upon that legendary YouTube video that went viral among ultras in the platform’s early days. Last year I also got hold of this beautiful photobook telling the story of Cavese’s fan movement through the decades in the stands. I wonder whether my 13-year-old self would be proud of his older version or rather concerned about his interests not having changed much… Either way, attending a home game felt like ticking off something high up on my bucket list.

We took a morning train from Naples Central Station to Cava de’ Tirreni. It was a beautiful ride by the sea, taking us through a series of charming coastal towns before turning inland towards the mountains. My mind, however, was entirely occupied by football; every small town I saw was another club waiting to be explored: Portici, Turris, Savoia, Angri, Paganese, Nocerina… I feel like I’ll be coming back to this train line. We eventually arrived in Cava de’ Tirreni after around forty minutes, and the landscape suddenly felt quite different from the previous stops. Cava bears the nickname Piccola Svizzera (Little Switzerland), mainly because it sits in a valley surrounded by mountains, but it also feels noticeably cleaner and tidier than neighbouring areas; more European, in a way.

The stadium was only a short walk from the station, and we picked up food and tickets from two small shops along the way. We entered the main stand, whose entrance is right next to the Curva, and took our seats after stocking up on beers and Caffè Borghetti.

The Simonetta Lamberti Stadium, named after a little girl murdered by the mafia in the 80s, is a classic old-school Italian ground, with low stands and a running track. I had seen plenty of photos of it before but had never realised how beautiful the view behind it actually is. The surrounding mountains are quite awe-inducing. Even more eye-catching, though, was the Curva Sud to our left, where Cavese’s ultras are located. Cavese might not be particularly famous for sporting glory — the club has never played above Serie B — but their ultras are widely respected. Despite the town’s small size and its proximity to Naples and Salerno, their support is large, loyal and strong. It is also a fanbase that faces some of the harshest repression in Italy. When it comes to away games, Cavese supporters have not been allowed to travel for a year now, making them the club with the most travel bans in the country at present.

Despite the team’s poor form this season, the Curva Sud was present in good numbers and sang relentlessly with great intensity. At the opposite end, a small group of Siracusa ultras had made the long journey from Sicily to support their side, which is also struggling at the moment. They made themselves heard a few times but were simply too few to create much of an atmosphere. I later read that travel had only been permitted to Tessera (fan card) holders, which possibly affected the turnout.

I admittedly didn’t pay so much attention to the match itself, as my eyes were constantly drawn to the surroundings, but Cavese seemed to be creating the better chances. In first-half stoppage time, however, Siracusa were awarded a penalty. The initial effort was saved by the goalkeeper, but the rebound was quickly converted by the Sicilian striker. It didn’t take long for the home side to respond. Around the 50th minute, Cavese were awarded a free kick that resulted in one of the most beautiful goals I’ve seen in a while; one of those strikes you’d more readily associate with a league like the Premiership.

As the match approached its closing stages, the Curva Sud Catello Mari launched an impressive pyroshow around the 90th minute, dedicated to the diffidati, the banned ultras, while singing to the tune of Wham’s Last Christmas. By then, the tempo on the pitch was high and everyone expected Cavese to find a late winner, but unfortunately it never came. When the final whistle blew, we were among the last to leave the stand, trying to soak up as much as possible of this beautiful place before heading back to the station.

On the way, we were briefly confronted by Cavese ultras who, hearing us speak a different language, were understandably surprised. We suddenly found ourselves surrounded by around forty people asking where we were from and what club we supported. In the end though, they were simply curious and, if anything, appreciative of our visit. We said our goodbyes in broken Italian and finally boarded the train back to Naples, sharing a lukewarm Moretti along the way, my mind replaying a chant my ears had half caught:

Cavese gol
Mal che vada sempre io ritornerò
Tornerò, tornerò
Mal che vada sempre io ritornerò
La la la la la la la la la la la la...