St Ambroeus: Take us away — Terrace Edition

Words: Federico Farcomeni

Images: Federico Farcomeni

The 2025-26 Serie A season was anything but eventful – with Inter winning the league with an 11-point advantage over Napoli, 12 teams out of 20 virtually fought for nothing apart from mid-table mediocrity or an average survival season.

Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup (again) and no Italian club featured in any European semi-final for the first time in seven years.

Amidst partial bans and restrictions on away travel, 98 visiting supporters sections in the whole of the country in Serie A have been affected.

As attendances suffer and the show on the pitch is anything but memorable, tourists are still pouring in, willing to pay whatever to attend a game at the San Siro et al.

In a season when a ticket to attend a miserable stalemate between Milan and Juventus from the Curva has come to cost 139 euros, the need for a more popular and equal football has become increasingly tangible.

©Federico Farcomeni/ Terrace Edition. St Ambroeus FC street art.

‘If we can’t compete anymore with the best, please give us our football back’ is the professed message.

Several ultra groups across all of Italy have asked to sign for a petition to reform Italian football, trying to promote meritocracy, popular prices, accessible kick-offs, safe standing areas, away matches safeguard and more transparency over clubs’ ownerships.

With all this in mind, it’s refreshing to visit the Fairplay Arena in Gorla, an area of Northern Milan.

This ground in Viale Monza is home to St Ambroeus FC, a popular club born in 2018 with solidarity and inclusion as their main values, named after the patron saint of the city (St Ambroeus being Milanese for Sant’Ambrogio).

There are 350 associates who have joined on a voluntary basis. There are three men’s teams – First Team, Juniores and Refugees who get their own team in the Open A league and there’s a women’s team too.

©Federico Farcomeni/ Terrace Edition. St Ambroeus FC.

Several key brands have invested in the project in 2018 – just to mention one of them, Lyle & Scott is both technical and official sponsor.

St Ambroeus, No League (a grassroots football project) and Stella Rossa (rugby) are part of the same social entity (Fairplay Arena) which has also financed the project “from the river to the field” in order to rebuild a football pitch in the town of Burin, and promote exchanges with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Social challenges are way more important but the quest for a more popular and equal football is visible also in their fanzine, “Diario di bordo” (Logbook).

When I visit, it’s the eve of Inter winning their 21st league title and St Ambroeus host Enotria (also an Inter training centre) in a local derby which is also the Third Category playoff final, the ninth and lowest level of the Italian football pyramid.

As I manage to get a yellow bib at the very last minute and stay pitchside, 27-year old coach Alessandro Capodanno is coming in my direction just to give me five although I immediately notice he doesn’t have all five fingers.

©Federico Farcomeni/ Terrace Edition. St Ambroeus FC Lyle and Scott kit.

He has played for the club and the message is clear – today, energy will be key and he wants literally everyone to pull in the same direction, even a stranger like myself.

The 600+ fans in attendance (who have all entered for free) are led by Armata Pirata (the Pirate Army), a name possibly inspired by Rayo Vallecano’s Bukaneros in Madrid.

The main banner reads “Portaci via” (take us away) and in the matter of just a few seconds, dozens of flares and smokebombs are lit up as the teams enter the pitch.

The support is unwavering and, as one would expect, there’s even a chant inspired to the main theme from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

The game is very balanced until the 55th minute which is when Ritella gets the chance from 12 yards –the Champions League starred ball hits one post, then slowly rolls along the white stripe and hits the other post before slowly crossing the line.

No goal-line technology yet this is clearly the goal which could promote the club whose nickname is “pigeon.” Ritella runs towards the Armata Pirata and soon all his teammates follow.

The remaining thirty minutes are a battle and Enotria also score but the goal is disallowed.

After the final whistle, the Pirate Army light up more flares and even enter the pitch to celebrate with the players.

Before sunset, the fireworks in daylight are just a soft reminder that another football is possible.