In early June, Italian club Bologna FC earned promotion to Serie A, Italy’s top flight, and if you watched the game, you may have noticed some Impact jerseys in the crowd.
Those jerseys belonged to Ali Shayan and Anthony Lizzi, IMFC season ticket holders and proud supporters of the Bleu-blanc-noir.
The pair has made a few interesting supporters trips in 2015, and Lizzi, a 42-year-old investment advisor, brought up the idea of travelling to Italy to support Bologna in its bid for promotion.
“Anthony, knowing that I was a little crazy like that and I enjoyed sports road trips brought up the idea and I said yes!” admitted Shayan, a 36-year-old Real Estate Broker. “We wore our Impact jerseys as a show of support to Joey Saputo and our appreciation of Marco Di Vaio. With Bologna as our sister club, we felt there was potential there to establish a great relationship, exchange ideas and establish a connection, so it’s like they became family.”
So much like family that Rossoblu fans at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara thanked the two men in the different shade of blue for their support.
“They recognized the crest right away,” explained Shayan, who has been a season ticket holder since the club joined MLS. "They approached us crying and thanking us for supporting them. At the end of the game, when all the fans charged onto the pitch in celebration, there were actual Impact jerseys on the field in that historic moment.”
Hostile territory
The two didn’t have such an easy experience on their first trip together however, to take in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals against Alajuelense in Costa Rica.
“It was a little scary there,” confessed Shayan. “At one point in the stadium, it got very hostile and we were asking ourselves, ‘Why did we come here!’ You have thousands of people screaming at you, you don’t understand what they’re saying and they’re throwing things at you with all out obscene gestures, even in front of kids!”
It got so heated that police on site suggested an early exit for those in the crowd wearing the fleur-de-lys.
“Ten minutes before the game ended, the police came up to us and very politely suggested we leave. They said, ‘Look, you’re up by two goals, it’s your decision, but it would make sense for you to leave now.”
So just after celebrating Romero’s second goal, Shayan, Lizzi and their mates were escorted out of the stadium to jeers, threats and foul language.
Police even had to find them the ‘right’ taxi to take them back to the hotel, finding a driver after three attempts that supported Saprissa, Alajuelense’s greatest rivals, to ensure their safety.
“We ended up listening to the end of the game in the taxi,” explained Shayan. “And the driver even celebrated with us after the win. The rivalry between the two teams is so intense that he was happy our team beat his team’s most hated rival!”
The beginning of a beautiful friendship
The best part of the Costa Rica trip was that dealing with the hostile crowd helped nourish what was to become a great friendship between two guys who didn’t even know each other prior to travelling to Central America.
“Anthony and I had never met before the trip,” acknowledged Shayan. “Anthony was reaching out to followers on Twitter discussing the idea of travelling to the quarterfinal match versus Pachuca in Mexico and it started a discussion. That trip didn’t happen, but Costa Rica did and we each brought a friend because we didn’t know one another and thought it would be a good idea just in case. But, we connected and are now great friends. Our wives have become friends and so have our kids! It feels like we should have been friends before, but the Impact brought us together.”
I love L.A.
Next on the agenda for the two hardcore IMFC supporters is a possible family trip to California, to watch the Impact play in San Jose and L.A. in September, and although this trip is not set in stone, being travelling supporters of their hometown club is.
“It’s a big deal to be in MLS,” explained Shayan. “We are in the top league in North America playing in markets like New York and L.A. We are on ESPN in the U.S. and have had coverage from all over the world thanks to players like Di Vaio and Nesta playing here. I wasn’t even a huge soccer fan before this, but I saw that Joey Saputo was investing in my city, so I decided to do my part and invest back as a member. The atmosphere is great, you are outdoors and it’s a great event, whether for family or for business purposes.”
“I love making sports road trips,” he added. “I’ve done football and hockey trips, but I love the culture around soccer and its supporters. Now, soccer is my favourite sport to attend as a fan and an IMFC member.”
