Casertana-Taranto, fire derby on Easter eve

Casertana-Taranto on the eve of Easternot a match like any other, but a derby that has been such since 1969. They have passed 55 years old and we need to tell today’s fans every time why there is a parochial atmosphere between geographically distant teams: not a city derby which is something for big cities and big clubs, not a clash between two clubs from the same region, but a match whose fire still burns in the soul of those who see the climate of tension that arises like in slow motion 1969 it is still felt today.

The young fans perceive the climate of hostility “de relato”, as they say in the testimonies to be recorded in court cases: they were not there but they read, listened to stories that were dressed up as myths due to the certainly not exciting consequences that that championship 1968-1969 determined. That championship which ended with Casertana in the lead and therefore promoted to B seriesThe Taranto second by two lengths. Irony of fate and of the regulations, almost the same score that the two teams have today, 53 the Apulians, 52 the rossoblu local. But then there were no three points for victories, 2 were counted for a success and one for a draw, therefore a reduced scale.

Final result disputed by Tarantoaccusation of a “combine” of the Casertana in a match won against Trapani. A circumstantial trial ensued, with no evidence other than one, even favorable to Casertana but ignored, that of a millionaire check delivered by the president of the Taranto to the player from Trapani De Togni to accuse the Campanians. This is in broad terms. “Sporting justice” took its course, Taranto went to Serie B and the Casertana waited another year. But the fans took it upon themselves and since then the matches between the two teams wearing the same red and blue shirts have almost always been “blood and sand”, today still in the same group and in the same series.

There Casertana occupies sixth place in the standings with 52 points, the Taranto the fifth with 53, high floors, good position for both for the journey towards the playoffs, to compete for the fourth ticket to Serie B. Casertana with the away victory in the first leg (it was November 28, 2023), yes headed towards a merry Christmas. Tomorrow is the eve of Easter and even the colomba is expected to be as good as the panettone. In any case it is a game to be played relaxed: the adjective does not stand for “debauched”, but serene, typically Easter. Too many bad matches, on the pitch and in the stands, have ruined the reputation of fans and cities that cannot be identified as those in action in the matches, “a couple of emblematic cases”, with the Paganese and with Foggia. The cheering, the sneering, the teasing is fine, or rather fine. But with our hands to ourselves, with flares and TNT-like bombs to leave in storage for New Year’s Eve.

On the outward journey, the journey was prohibited for Caserta fans, and on the return journey for the Apulian fans. With the Taranto let it be a good match, with the handshake between the two captains to be repeated even at the final whistle, an opportunity to meditate on a possible twinning under the banner of “what has been, has been”.

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