In brief
Ultras use dramatic displays like flares and tifos to make matchdays unforgettable.
Legia Warsaw, Red Star Belgrade, and AC Milan are notable extreme groupings.
Ultras enhance the fan experience by demonstrating steadfast devotion to and support for their clubs.
The five senses come alive when you enter a football stadium. While you wait for the game to start, your senses of touch, taste, and smell are enhanced. What matters most on a matchday is what you see and hear.
A matchday can be made or broken by the atmosphere. Fans believe it is their responsibility to cheer and support the team no matter what, whether they are winning or losing. Some of the greatest organisations in the world, the ultras, are among these fan groups. These transform what was merely a football match into a vibrant concert.
There are ultras in the English game as well; the most well-known is Holmesdale Fanatics from Crystal Palace. But all it takes to understand that what the Eagles are doing in Selhurst Park is anything but remarkable is to look at a few different nations. We examined the top ten ultra groups in world football at the moment, from the Polish capital of Warsaw to the Argentinean suburb of Buenos Aires.
The Top 10 Ultra Groups in World Football Ranking
Rank
Club
Nation
One
Legia Warsaw
Poland
2.
Split Hajduk
Croatia
3.
Zagreb Dinamo
Croatia
4.
Galatasaray
Turkey
5.
Milan AC
Italy
6.
Prague’s Sparta
The Czech Republic
7.
Marseille
France
8.
Plate of Rivers
Argentina
9.
Belgrade’s Red Star
Serbia
10.
Fenerbahce
Turkey
Turkey’s Fenerbahce 10
It is commonly known that playing a Turkish club on the road in Europe is a difficult experience. The travelling team finds it difficult to settle in as the fans in the stadium jeer and boo the players right away. The ultra group Genç Fenerbahceliler makes their presence known inside the Şukrü Saracoglu Stadium.
Fenerbahçe supporters display their support in the most fervent manner possible, from enormous tifos to bright red flares that cast a cloud of smoke over the ground. The world of ultras isn’t the safest, and many groups use violence to establish their dominance. Before their Europa League match in October, Fenerbahçe ultras attacked a group of travelling Manchester United supporters earlier this season. The GFB Bogaz Holligans took the lead in these actions.
https://web.facebook.com/DailyMailSport/videos/530574586562532/?ref=embed_video
9Red Star Belgrade
Serbia
The mood during games tends to get more intense as you travel to eastern Europe. Some nations’ football cultures have made the use of flares, smoke bombs, and even pyrotechnics a part of their traditions, and it doesn’t seem like this trend will be changing anytime soon. Red Star Belgrade’s Delije is one group that embodies the ‘ultra’ image.
In Serbian, the word ‘delije’ denotes a strong and courageous individual. Supporters at the Marakana put on a display that leaves people both in wonder and shivering with terror. One of the football world’s most eagerly awaited bucket list experiences is travelling to Belgrade, which creates lifelong memories.
📅 #OnThisDay in 1945, Red Star Belgrade were founded.
The kings of pyro? 👑💥 pic.twitter.com/nFmVb8OcRs
— COPA90 (@Copa90) March 4, 2019
River Plate
Argentina
The River Plate extreme group calls itself Los Borrachos del Tablón, which means “the drunks of the stadium” in English. I think that’s a very accurate moniker. In South America, there is a whole different reason to be an ultra group. It turns into a profession, and many fans profit from their dedication to particular fandoms.
At the top of the extreme tree, supporters can make a career for themselves by selling tickets and souvenirs, and some even get a cut of transfer fees. Superclasico is still considered by many to be the most violent derby in international football, and the Argentine sport wishes to preserve its aggressiveness.
7 Marseille
France
Marseille’s devoted fan base has been regarded as one of the most fervent in Europe for many years. They have been involved in numerous violent incidents both domestically and abroad. Marseille, the second-biggest city in France, has a bitter rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain, another Ligue 1 side, and its supporters detest not being at the top.
Their desire for football success, pride in their city, and left-wing political views all contribute to their enthusiasm for the team. Visitors should expect to be surrounded by a deafening roar from beginning to end, thus visiting the Velodrome is no easy chore.
6Sparta Prague
Czech Republic
A social division in the centre of Prague extends much beyond its local neighbourhood. The middle-class club Slavia Prague and the working-class Sparta Prague face off in one of the continent’s most dreaded rivalries.
Although there have been fewer club fights since the communist era, violent altercations still frequently occur on matchdays. Since then, Sparta Prague’s ultras have shifted to right-wing ideology, putting up signs with racist overtones at games. The club has received multiple fines from UEFA for their anti-immigrant, anti-Islamic, and anti-Semitic remarks during games.
5 AC Milan, Italy
assemble in black and red. Standing boldly on the Curva Sud of the San Siro, the Brigate Rossonere is well-known for its extensive history and imaginative tifo displays.
Over the years, the Curva Sud has been greeted with several spectacles since their first artwork in 1984. When they retaliated after PSG’s gun artwork aimed at AC Milan, their most well-known piece was when the Italian supporters displayed a massive tifo of Neo from the Matrix avoiding bullets during the rematch.
AC Milan's Neo from the Matrix response in the reverse fixture at San Siro after PSG Ultras displayed choreography of the Milan devil being used for target practice at Parc des Princes, healthy & creative banter.#UCL #ACMPSG #ACMilan pic.twitter.com/IvXDXR9Rim
— Pythagoras In Boots ⚽️ (@pythaginboots) November 10, 2023
4Galatasaray
Turkey
The Turkish team Galatasaray is followed around the continent by UltrAslan, an extreme group that makes sure their home stadium is the equivalent of hell for the opposing team. The UltrAslan mostly maintain their objectivity and focus on fighting for their club’s success, in contrast to many other groups in Europe that are quite political.
The Turkish government has to outlaw football pyrotechnics completely because of the Galatasaray supporters. In a 2012 match against Fenerbahce, their ultras went on to trigger more than 3,000 flares, momentarily interrupting play. Even now, UltrAslan is able to get flares past security at RAMS Park, creating one of the loudest football stadiums in the world.
3Dinamo Zagreb
Croatia
Because of the sea of blue they create around Maksimir Stadium in the Croatian capital, Dinamo Zagreb ultras refer to themselves as the Bad Blue Boys (BBB). It appears absurd to even consider the existence of the BBB’s strict no-knife policy, despite their moniker.
The group has been recognised for their deeds off the pitch in addition to their ongoing support in the stands. Together with other Croatian extremist groups, the BBB assisted local authorities in repairing the damage caused by the 2022 Zagreb earthquake. Among the first groups of people to openly support Ukraine in its war against Russia were the ultras of Dinamo Zagreb.
Croatia’s Hajduk Split 2
The ultras of Hajduk Split are the oldest supporters organisation in Europe, having been founded as early as 1950. They are known as Torchida Split, and they were formed by a group of Croatian sailors who wanted to recreate the excitement of the World Cup in Brazil in their own nation.
They have a feared reputation throughout Croatia due to their longevity in the stands, and Hajduk Split ultras don’t hesitate to voice their displeasure. After a 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in April 2024, supporters were compelled to scale security and confront their own players on the pitch. The radical Torchida section began hurling rocks and shattering bottles on the streets after the police calmed the scene in the stadium.
1Legia Warsaw
Poland
The stands in Poland are perhaps not the ideal option if you’re searching for a top-notch football match. Legia Warsaw might be able to provide fans who are looking for an environment that will help them overcome their anxiety and fear. Whether it’s football or not, their unwavering devotion to their team transcends all other aspects of life.
The most brutal of all is the Legia Warsaw, which has left their mark on the current game through game after game of contentious tactics. The hooligans in the Polish capital are the most fervent football fans the game has ever seen, despite their political beliefs and downright hostile attitude.
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