Catenaccio Feature: Magica Roma Club Toronto



Buonasera quasi a tutti! (Good evening to almost everybody!) is the loud and proud salute of Magica Roma Club Toronto president Vito Caressa, as he enters 90o Minuto Sports Bar.  He was extending his warm greetings to fellow AS Roma fans, and probably not to patrons of rivaling teams.

These, shortly after his boisterous entrance proceed to greet him with questions about his recent return from Italy (where he watched Roma home games against Napoli and Chievo) and give him friendly ribbings about officiating errors that his beloved AS Roma benefited from.

Caressa responds.  The easy pray is an AC Milan fan, whose team is reeling from poor form. The AC Milan fan reminds Caressa about the rossoneri's rich trophy case: "we are 7 times European Champions and have 18 scudetti". "Yes, but all of that is over", replies Caressa, reminding the milanista of Pro Vercelli, "they too won 7 scudetti, but are now in oblivion. You'll end up the same".  Followed by roaring laughter.

I carry my cappuccino upstairs to join the Serie A-loving crew to watch Caressa's beloved team play Torino. The upper floor features a large, 800 sq. ft. room with two televisions on either side, and with flags from Internazionale FC, AC Milan, Juventus FC, and AS Roma pinned on the walls.  More patrons, almost all Magica Roma Club Toronto members, join.  Before the game kicks off we get to business:




1. How did you become a Roma fan?

 "My parents moved to Ostia, a Roman suburb, from the Italian southeastern region of Apulia.  Faced with the choice of either AS Roma or SS Lazio, I chose the giallorossi".


 2. How did the club come about?  When was it formed?

"In 2003, while watching an AS Roma game, my friend Claudio Andreis and I got talking about forming a fan club for la magica.  In a short time, we gathered a group of like-minded friends and we created the Magica Roma Club Toronto, which grew strong to 78 members by year-end.  Shortly after that, we made our commitment official by joining the Unione Tifosi Romanisti (AS Roma's official fan club coordinating body)".


 3. Many fan clubs don the name of a former player.  Why did you choose not to?

"We dedicated the club to AS Roma and not to a single player because i giocatori passano, la Roma rimane (players come and go, but la Roma remains eternal)".  Perhaps today we could have dedicated the club to Francesco Totti, the only true bandiera (franchise player), but back in 2003 Totti's spell in Rome came under the threat of Europe's most storied sides.  In the end, we are happy with our choice.


 4. What activities do you hold and how often?

"We gather most often to watch AS Roma games on television as we do here".

[At this point our interview is interrupted by the roar of the patrons as Roma's Strootman taps in Pjanic's low cross, putting AS Roma ahead]

"Once in a while we play rival fan clubs especially when the real club teams play each other.  I'm very proud that we beat our cousins at Lazio Club Canada 6-3 this year, in the so-called Toronto Derby" (see picture below).



5. Why should an AS Roma fan in the Toronto area become a member of your club?

"Beyond the camaraderie of other giallorossi, any AS Roma fan from the Toronto area should join Magica Roma Club Toronto because our club gives you exclusive access to a complementary ticket to watch any AS Roma game in the Olimpico's Tribuna Montemario.  All you need to do is submit your name to the UTR as an Alfiere (representative) of the Magica Roma Club Toronto six calendar days prior to game time.  That's special".


6. What are your club's strategies for the future?

"We would like to increase membership; increase activities; leveraging key partnerships with other AS Roma clubs like the one that is just starting in Montreal, and my contacts to players in order to organize special dinners.  I suggest to anyone who is interested to stay tuned through our Facebook page at the very least, and to join our club to reap the full benefits".

Thank you Vito for your time and for a pleasant conversation. 

Magica Roma Club Toronto Club Profile
Membership: $30/year
Contact: Vito Caressa
Email: Vitocaressa@aim.com
Facebook: Magica Roma Club - Toronto Canada

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