Triestina: Hard Rock — Terrace Edition

Words: Federico Farcomeni

Images: Federico Farcomeni

The goal-keeper fallen in the vain
last defense, against the ground hides
his face, as not to see the bitter light.
His knelt team-mate, urging him
with words and gesture to stand back up,
sees eyes filled with tears.

From the poem, “Goal” by Umberto Saba.

“Welcome to the free territory of Trieste – USA & UK come back!” is the clear message displayed on the Casa Bartoli building located in Piazza della Borsa (aka Stock Market square).

The British Army had chosen the Mirrors’ Cafe (Caffè degli Specchi) on Piazza Unità d’Italia as their World War II HQ (a place which now proudly displays the 67 types of coffee you can ask at a bar in town), whilst their American counterparts had decided to control operations from the spectacular Castle of Miramare, facing the Adriatic Sea.

If you visit the toilets there, it feels like being in Jurassic Park’s emergency bunker – it really served its purpose during the war. The movie quote is significant here, considering the city – as the Literature museum kindly reminds us – has been used as an open air set for more than 200 movies and tv series.

In one of the videos screened at the museum showing an extract of the movie Diplomatic Courier (1952), as he watches the city from above, an official tells Tyrone Power – “what Lisbon and Istanbul whatever last one Trieste is the less. Agents, counter-agents, hatchet men, Titoists, anti-Titoists, Stalinist, anti-stalinists and 10,000 British and American troops trying to teach brotherly love to the Italians and Yugoslavs”.

©Federico Farco/ Terrace Edition. Trieste.

The strategic position of the city is still visible as vehicles with Austrian, Serbian and Slovenian car plates visit the local Christmas Market – and not by any chance artists (Robbie Williams will be next on 17 July) often organize concerts at the stadium named after local legend and European Cup winner Nereo Rocco.

It could be because of the movie atmosphere, but you can’t help but think of Hill Valley’s Courthouse Square when you walk by Saint Spyridion Church and in front of the Church of Sant’Antonio Taumaturgo.

Both holy places are just a few yards away from the statue of James Joyce, one of the “walking” poets you can find along the city streets – the others being Gabriele D’Annunzio, Italo Svevo and Umberto Saba who even wrote five poems about the game of football and Triestina (a rare video shown at the Literature Musem is the only direct testimony of the Italian poet).

At the start of December, Unione Sportiva Triestina Calcio 1918– a team built to aim for promotion – are surprisingly rock bottom of Italy’s Serie C, with only eight points after 17 games, whilst L.R. Vicenza are in second, confident about their promotion chances.

©Federico Farco/ Terrace Edition. Curva Stefano Furlan.

The home side have just changed their manager who has just achieved the feat of drawing at league leaders Padova – Attilio Tesser owns the record of most promotions from the third tier (leading Novara, Cremonese, Pordenone and Modena up to Serie B), hence there is a renewed enthusiasm about the team.

Despite this, there won’t be more than 6,309 people in attendance (1,800 of them in the away end) as local authorities have imposed tickets for the home stands to be sold only to the residents of the provinces of Trieste and Gorizia.

The away end tickets have only been purchased by residents of the provinces of Vicenza and Udine – hence accepting that some entwined Udinese ultras will be present amongst the travelling contingent.

After all, these restrictive measures have been adopted because of a mass brawl involving ultras from Trieste and Varese (famously twinned with Udine) basketball sides at the nearby Palatrieste on 3 November, which ended with four injured people, six arrests and seventeen bans.

Clashes outside the ground at the end of a stalemate with Udinese in the cup in 1984 led to the death of 20-year-old Stefano Furlan, now well-remembered on the murals outside the namesake “Curva”.

The welcome committee of the local ultras gear up for the descent of their rivals but, as both sets of fans are well kept apart, the fuse is lit only inside the ground as flares, smoke bombs and firecrackers explode.

©Federico Farco/ Terrace Edition. Triestina Curva Stefano Furlan.

Vicenza fans proudly display their scarves and provoke their counterparts.

Against all odds, Juventus Academy graduate Marco Olivieri is the hero of the day as his brace lifts up Triestina from bottom.

All this whilst the famous bora reaches the speed of 116 km/h, mopeds are turned upside down and dustbins are uncovered.

It’s stunning to think that Triestina last conquered the whole three points back in August, when weather conditions were more favourable.

And so, after 106 days, the “Greghi” (literally “Greeks” as Triestina fans are commonly known, probably due to the origins of some of the founders of the club) return to winning ways and go home happy as they walk by the beautiful and legendary Grezar Stadium

Deep Purple once played there – a truly hard rock ending to the weekend.