Steven FaughnanA Scots Atalanta supporter found himself as the only away fan at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as his team took on Napoli over the weekend.
Steven Faughnan was surrounded by empty seats on Sunday as Atalanta won 3-0 in the Serie A clash, due to a fan ban imposed by the local government.
Anyone with a Lombardy postcode was barred from buying tickets to the match over concerns for public safety.
Steven was able to secure his seat thanks to his Edinburgh address and did his best to rival the home fans.
Steven FaughnanSteven, a Hibs fan, said he became interested in the team in 2016 when a small group of Atalanta fans stood with him and his friends at a Hibernian game.
When he and his partner were on holiday in Milan, they contacted one of the fans they’d met at Easter Road, who was able to get them tickets for the opening match of the 2017 season against Roma.
“That was us hooked. I loved the city, the people, the football, and the amazing atmosphere in and around the stadium,” he told STV News.
“I’ve been to around 24 Atalanta games since then.
“I had this week booked off from work for the last six months with the intention of going to any games that Atalanta were playing.
“I kinda thought I’d be the only one when I looked at the ticket sales website, and it was just my seat sold. The first thing I thought was, “This will be interesting”.
Steven Faughnan“I was treated to a wonderful Atalanta performance. It’s sad that lifelong fans from Bergamo could not experience it live.
“It was an amazing experience being a solo away fan in such a big stadium. I did try to make some noise but it was difficult.”
Steven has made his way to Germany for Atalanta’s clash against Stuttgart in the Champions League on Wednesday, adding that he is “looking forward to being in good company in the away section”.
“For me, following Atalanta is about more than winning trophies, although that was amazing in Dublin.
“It’s about the connection the club has to its city and supporters.
“It’s unlike anything I have seen before.”
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