In Italy the first groups were formed in 1951 in Torino, but the true spread of the groups in Italy started in 1960s with the forming of the Fossa dei Leoni for Milan and the Boys San group for Inter. Ultras are known for their passionate support for their teams especially against rivals as each supporters aims to outdo each other.

The term Ultras was used as a name for the first time in 1969 in Sampdoria and Torino, in the 70s more groups were formed and many of them became more interested in showing support to their teams using traditional culture such as banners, symbols, flags that lately became drums and fireworks. The ultras movement spread across Europe during the 80s and the 90s, starting with the countries geographically closest to Italy. In the 2000s ultras movements arrived to Africa. More exactly in Tunisia – due to the proximity to Italy - where the African ultras were born. Then, the movement started to spread in other countries like Egypt, Algeria, Morocco.

In Italy you can often hear the word curva: the word means the curved stands of seating in the stadiums. The curva is the “habitat” of the ultras movement. Among the most famous curva groups there are the Curva sud of Milan and the Curva nord of Internazionale. After Milan-Napoli 1-2 the Italian federation banned the use of the curva sud seats for the next home game against Sampdoria as punishment for the racist chanting.

In Italy are very famous Roma's Curva Sud, Lazio's curva nord, Napoli's curva B and Fiorentina's curva Fiesole as well. Ultras groups are usually centered around a core group of founders or leaders named capo meaning boss in Italian, then each and every sub group has a leader that follow the capo. In each group there are different rules. There is one or many responsible of recording the group chanting and media in general, one or many people dedicated for drums, waving flags and banners, chanting and coordinating with other groups within the stadium, to setting up a coreography or a massive collective sound of all supporters chanting the same song simultaneously.

In some clubs, ultras have acquired a great power. Ultras groups can affect the team performance, ask for a coach or player to be removed, even helping in the election of the new president in some cases. In 2003, tifosi of Roma and Lazio asked for the match to be suspended for an alleged chlind killed by the Police. That was untrue but the game was interrupted. Ultras finance their groups either by donation from members or by selling t-shirts with the group logos and idioms.

Associated with violence that happens in the stadiums we often hear the word hooligan, the word itself referees to an Irish family that used to live in London in early 1890s said to be named hoolihans or hooligans, in modern times, the meaning of the word shifted slightly, to a usually young, who belongs to an informal group and commit acts of vandalism or criminal damage, starts fights, and who causes disturbances but is not a thief.

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