Catenaccio Feature: Lazio Club Canada

Catenaccio chatted with Lazio Club Canada president, Marc Anthony Fantauzzi about the Toronto-based fan club.

1. When and how did you become a fan of SS Lazio?

SS Lazio is the team most followed within my family.  Being that my father's side of the family is from the Lazio region it was, I suppose the natural choice. My grandfather, who spent the better part of a decade working in Rome also imparted a strong attachment to all things Roman.  The moment I really decided that Lazio was my team was when I had the chance to see them play an exhibition game at Varsity stadium against local side Toronto Italia in the late eighties or early nineties.  It was during the Cragnotti era that I truly I fell in love with the biancocelesti.

         Members of the Lazio Club Canada gather to celebrate SS Lazio's Coppa Italia victory.


2. How did the Lazio Club Canada come about? When was it formed?

The club was formed in 2006 when along with a couple friends Danny and Roman expat Emanuele, we decided to put something more formal together to represent our passion for SS Lazio.  Since Danny is a website and hosting consultant, the website, and our forum became natural components.


3. Unlike other fan clubs, yours is not named after a former glorious player. What was the rationale behind that decision?

We've had several discussions about naming the club for a player - but that can be fraught with unforeseeable problems.  I think that naming the club after a player is still a likely possibility at some point, but I really think it has to be the right player, with the right reputation, the right moral and competitive attributes and at the right time.  Being that many of our members are also relatively young, we also want to choose someone who resonates with all the members.


4. What activities do you hold, and how often?

Our activities generally include exhibition matches against other clubs (we play a derby against the Roma club on a more or less annual basis and we've played the Inter Club Toronto “Peppino Prisco” and the Juventus Club DOC Toronto). We get together to watch SS Lazio’s matches on television, and some of us have made the pilgrimage to the Stadio Olimpico.  We have discussed group trips, but, again, given the very young median age of our group it's difficult at the moment.  We've also hosted other club members for games.  Last year we had the aforementioned Inter club to our bar, the Supino Social and Cultural Club, to watch the game and for some Roman hospitality - Bucatini all'Amatriciana (typical Roman dish)!  We have a very good relationship with the Inter club who are a great group of gentlemen.

          Lazio Club Canada lines up against Juventus Club DOC Toronto
  

5. Why would a SS Lazio fan from the Toronto area join the Lazio Club Canada?

Joining our club is about being able to express your passion for this club in a way that suits the individual fan. We are a casual group - we don't do overly formal gatherings.  We have certain connections through (SS Lazio technical sponsor) Macron to merchandise at discounted prices and are developing ties to the club and its organs. We are also a very democratic organization: we try to make decisions by consensus as much as possible.  The beauty of our club is that we don't demand regular membership fees etc.  Also, we do not seek to be a formal club in the sense of formal membership to a fan club hierarchy controlled by the club.  We are fiercely independent and value the role of the tifoso as an independent but integral component of football. We wish to resist the modern urge to commodify all aspects of the game.


6. What are your fan club's mid- and long-term strategies? 

Our club intends to continue cultivating relationships with other SS Lazio fan clubs in Rome and around the world as well as continuing to integrate ourselves into the culture and community of the club in Rome. Eventually, we plan to organize a group pilgrimage to Formello (SS Lazio training ground) and the Olimpico for a match.


Lazio Club Canada Profile
Membership: Free
Location: Supino Social and Cultural Club, 140 Regina Road, Woodbridge, Ontario
Website: http://lazioclubcanada.com/
Twitter: @lazioclubcanada
Email: info@lazioclubcanada.com
To Join Lazio Club Canada Contact: http://lazioclubcanada.com/contact/

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