Modena FC are taking flight

The historic buildings at the Ferrari factory and test track in Maranello are not painted red but yellow, the colour of Enzo Ferrari’s home city of Modena, the colour of Modena FC. It is Ferrari for which Modena is associated in people’s minds. Once the epitome of success, and an integral part of Italian culture, Ferrari, however, have only won one Drivers’ World Championship since the heady days of Michael Schumacher.

While Schumacher was racing around the Maranello test track in 2003, Modena Football Club were having a moment of success themselves. They found themselves in Serie A for the first time since a brief stay in the early 1960s. 

A workmanlike team with few stars but collective strength they followed the death of their chairman by climbing from Serie C to Serie A and stayed up on the final day of the season. This was the Serie A that saw the iconic Milan derby Champions League semi-final whilst Juventus dismantled Real Madrid and an all-Italian final followed.

The last of Schumacher’s world titles came in 2004, as did the end of Modena’s stay in the top flight, amassing just thirty points when four teams still went down in the eighteen team league.

Roll forward to 2017 and following another relegation Modena were declared bankrupt and excluded from the league. They had failed to pay the lease on their Alberto Braglia stadium as well as players’ wages. Most of the blame could be pointed at former Q.P.R. owner Antonio Caliendo and the fans held a funeral for their beloved club, carrying a coffin through the streets of the city.

As is often the way in Italy, the Mayor agreed to pass on the rights to a new consortium and I Canarini were reborn.

I attended the Braglia for a recent Friday night home game against freshly relegated Empoli. I found a vibrant atmosphere, an attendance which went against the Italian football cliché of half empty stadiums. 

It’s an historic stadium with some original features. Easily accessible, it should be on any calcio aficionado’s list. Led by a capo-ultra with the longest limbs I have ever seen, the ultras were in fine voice throughout, but unlike the larger stadiums they didn’t disappear into the murmur of the crowd but orchestrated the whole evening. At one point, players became confused as the ultras fell silent and signalled to their Empoli rivals to do the same. Emergency services were summoned as one of their number was stretchered away.

Led by former Serie A journeyman Andrea Sottil, Modena are similar to the Serie A edition of two decades ago. A look purely on paper and names do not jump out like they do at the likes of Monza or Palermo but they were always in control of this game, even after falling behind to a brilliantly taken Empoli opener. 

Lower league veteran Ettore Gliozzi scored another penalty to bring them level before Modena dominated the second half led by the excellent Francesco Zampano. As triangular floodlights illuminated the smoke drifting from pyrotechnics across the ground Modena found a winner and the word “vincere” — meaning to win — sung to Dean Martin song Sway carried us into the night. It was undoubtedly one of my favourite experiences at an Italian stadium, an immediacy and local pride which combined what’s great with Italian football with an almost English League One feel.

When you add this to the beauty of Modena and the incredible plates of food they serve up: the Lambrusco, plus the balsamic vinegar that is prepared in the hills nearby it makes an ideal stop. You can also easily take in other games with so many other teams nearby and a well connected local rail network.

Modena sat four points going into their next match, a huge clash against Emilia-Romagna rivals Reggiana. Inexplicably, Sottil decided to rest key players and Modena lost a game they dominated. 

Despite their first defeat of the season, Modena fans can still dream. It will be a long season and the quality of other contenders like Monza — who kept hold of most of their top flight team — as well as Palermo, Spezia and Venezia will make promotion a miracle but they did look like a side that will go up. There was a togetherness, hunger and understanding there. It may just be that a club that held a funeral will be back in Serie A.