Hellas Verona v Chievo: A history of the Derby della Scala

Date: 2nd October 2015 at 2:01pm
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veronhell

Hellas Verona fans in the Curva Sud.

The Derby della Scala between Chievo and Hellas Verona is one of the Serie A’s youngest and least prestigious rivalries, but this doesn’t detract from its local importance.

The idea of the small city of Verona hosting a derby was unthinkable given Chievo’s history in the lower leagues before their arrival in Serie A for the 2001-2 season. Hellas fans unwittingly gave the Flying Donkeys their distinctive nickname by claiming that donkeys would fly before Chievo could play in the top flight.

While the story of the Flying Donkeys ascent from Serie D in the 1970s to Serie A in 2001 would probably be celebrated as a dream success for the underdogs elsewhere, in Italy there was, and still is a degree of snobbishness directed towards Chievo. Supporters of other clubs often mock the Ceo for their small attendances and Mastini fans sometimes argue that the derby lacks significance as Vicenza are their real rivals.

magio beo e tifo ceo

Chievo’s North Side celebrating their 20th birthday.

While Chievo’s fan base may be small, they do have the organised North Side who chant constantly and are especially vocal during the derbies. However, given the absence of a fierce rivalry on the pitch, one of the most hotly fought issues between the clubs has been Chievo’s alleged attempt to rebrand themselves and steal Hellas’s colours. In 1986, regulations forced Chievo to join Hellas in the council-owned Stadio Bentegodi but it was their kit change that really angered Verona.

Chievo 1980-81

The 1980-81 Chievo side in Yellow and Blue. The Flying Donkeys finished 11th in Girone C of Serie D. Elsewhere, 2014-15’s Serie A debutants Carpi finished bottom.

Ceo traditionally wore blue and white shirts similar to their contemporary away kits, but then changed to yellow and blue in the 1970s as they climbed the professional pyramid. In 1990 the club’s official name was updated to A.C ChievoVerona and the badge was changed to the image of the medieval Prince Cangrande I della Scala, a symbol that had been traditionally associated with their city rivals.

These marketing decisions incurred the wrath of Verona fans and made the derby truly hostile. Previously, it was acceptable for Hellas fans to follow Chievo as their second team in the lower leagues but the club’s success coupled with its new identity were perceived as a threat to Hellas’s position in the city.

Verona fans sometimes insult Chievo for being ‘Chinese’, suggesting that the club is a cheap imitation of Hellas rather than its own distinct entity. Even in 2011,Verona fans directed protests at Chievo president Luca Campedelli for the using the city’s emblem of a ladder as they maintain it is their symbol.

chievo banner

Chievo’s vandalised banner at their traditional Bottagisio home.

Some Verona fans even went to Chievo’s traditional home at the Carlantonio Bottagisio to cut out their rivals’ badges from banners at the sport centre which was also vandalised in 2012. Chievo maintain that they are entitled to use the colours of the city as they are not the sole preserve of Hellas, and the derby now centres around which club can claim to represent the city.

The two sides have only met 14 times since 1994’s inaugural fixture ended in a 1-1 draw. Chievo have a narrow lead with six victories compared to Verona’s five and events on the pitch have heightened the rivalry. Chievo’s shock emergence from what was little more from park football to Serie A and even qualifying for the Champions League in 2006-7 coincided with a terrible period in the history of Hellas.

When Verona won the 1984-85 Scudetto it was a fairytale story of a provincial side taking on the big boys and winning in the days before football’s economic growth rendered such stories impossible. However, Verona couldn’t stand the sight of their upstart neighbours emerging from nowhere to consistently be the sole top-flight representative of the city.

Chievo, with their backing from the local cake company Paluani, were brilliantly run by president Luca Campedelli to achieve economic success without an established fanbase. The organisation of the club was so special that an academic analysis showed how their debt-free model held its own against Serie A’s big spenders.

Verona Curva Sud

Hellas Verona’s Curva Sud.

At the same time, Hellas were still attracting better crowds but went perilously close to relegation from Serie C and were also on the brink of financial oblivion. It was painful for Verona fans to think that the Flying Donkeys could be considered the city’s main team.

Games between the two sides are not always the greatest spectacles, although the first Serie A meetings in 2001 drew huge crowds of 35,000-plus and the first top-flight meeting was a thrilling 3-2 win for Hellas. The sides have only met four times since given Verona’s spell in the lower leagues, but the Mastini have re-emerged and finished above Ceo in the past two seasons. They are finally asserting their fans’ claims that they are the city’s No.1 side although the start to the 2015-16 season has put things back up in the air.

pellissier chievo

Sergio Pellissier celebrating Chievo’s equaliser in 2014-15’s 2-2 draw.

Three of the last four encounters have been narrow 1-0 wins, two for Chievo and one of Hellas, and they show that the derby is evolving into a truly competitive fixture rather than a rare novelty. Chievo’s 1-0 win in December 2014 looked as though it could prove crucial in the battle to avoid relegation.

Hellas Verona and Chievo are now looking for Serie A stability and the teams are closely matched. The tensions caused by Chievo’s shock success and Verona’s terrible instability now appear to be in the past and the debates about club colours and tradition take second place to the football.

Chievo’s North Side have finally won their battle for a home of their own and they will now occupy the Curva Nord in the Bentegodi. With Ceo’s willingness to wear their traditional blue and white shirts against their neighbours, the signs are that the Derby della Scala is poised to evolve and enter a new age.

 

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