Witnessing the traveling ultras from one of Portugal’s Big Three was a sight to see. I was there when C.S. Maritimo in Madeira hosted Sporting Lisbon during their 2022/23 Primeira Liga campaign. Those visiting fans were fervent leading up to the game. The city was astir like twinkling bugs hovering in the night. They caused a ruckus on the weekend, so much so that it was a trending topic on the news.

My first impression when I arrived at the Estádio do Maritimo was unlike any other soccer game I’d been to. It was jarring. A sea of green had taken over the perimeter as they howled and even confronted some of the other attendees. I’d never seen such intensity before kick-off.

Incredulously, a squad of hooligans mobbed an innocent man wearing a Benfica sweater alongside his wife donned in the island kit. After getting berated, an officer keeping the peace made the man take off the rival colours, even though they were not playing in the match-up. That’s how hardcore some of the supporters were.

My group did our best to avoid confrontation but proceeding to our seat was somewhat uncomfortable when we realized the section was adjacent to those Sportinguistas. Fenced off, they did not hesitate to heckle me for wearing a Maritimo jersey. I remember giving it back to them until they multiplied and I conceded. That’s when my group claimed open seats away from that area, yearning to be with the homestand.

Giving in to the spirit of the game, we jeered at every call and wanted them to lose so badly. The action on the field was thrilling. It was a tightly contested game as the crowd went back and forth—the Sporting fans shouted derogatory chants while the home crowd sang the Bailinho da Madeira together. That atmosphere was nerve-racking yet so ecstatic.

The scorecard stood pat until a foul in the second half gave the home team a penalty shot. With that, they scored a goal that propelled me from my seat and roared across the stands, except for the Sportinguistas. The visitors were agitated for the remaining minutes as a sound defensive line pushed to close the game out. With each block and tackle they cried for a call, anything to give them an upper hand, but the referee gave them nothing, and their belligerent noise was drowned out by the end. The Islanders toppled the Lisbon giants 1-0.

That was a phenomenal soccer match. Let me tell you how proud I was to wear that Maritimo jersey as the fenced-off visitors waited to exit after everybody else. That was the most authentic footy experience I’d ever been a part of.

Now imagine those who travel to continental Portugal to partake in some of the most heated rivalries in the league. It’s no wonder why the die-hard fans stick with their team. The passion is unmatched, and for those first-timers attending just one match-up, that’s enough to make new believers of the beautiful game. Soccer really is a religion.

While my allegiance is undoubtedly red, I would go to great lengths to be there for any major game. You should too! I highly suggest it. To be in the stadium, to hear that crowd roar and feel that encounter live would be something else. Just remember to not wear the wrong colour in the wrong section. Força!

Author

Devin Meireles is a creative nonfiction writer in his thirties. He was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, where growing up around the Portuguese diaspora had a profound effect on him. 

Devin Meireles