re: European soccer clubs historically aligned with socialists or right wing/fascist

In Russia there is still a team called Krylia Sovetov which translates to "Wings of the Soviets".

The Soviet Union ceased to exist in 1991. It's 2015. You think they would rebrand, but they haven't.

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This is something that has always interested me, the fact that some European soccer clubs are historically aligned with political parties and movements like Socialism or right wing/fascist. What are some of these clubs? I know there are a few in Germany, but I don't know which in particular. Anybody know more about this?

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I know a good deal about it in Italy.

First though it's better to say that large groups of the clubs supporters are aligned with a political ideology and not the clubs themselves nor the vast majority of their fans.

To make an example: it's as if American Outlaws espoused a strong political stance that all the rest of the fans of the USMNT ignored or didn't agree with etc etc but that the Outlaws were vocal enough in their numbers that attend matches to have that ideology always associated with the team.

The majority of people who support clubs usually think the ultras groups either do things they completely disagree with or, at least, go way overboard and aren't really much different than average American fans.

That said, there are certainly clubs that have large, strong Ultras groups that are quite political.

The phenomena in Italy reached it's zenith from the late 60s through the mid 80s when social / political protest also infiltrated every sector of the society.

For example, there were many Ultras groups, like in Roma with CUCS, that were steeped in full fledged members of the militant communist Brigata Rossa (Red Brigades). Over the past 25 years or so, the more "militant" groups in Italy (like in the USA) tend to be extreme right wing ones that fear racial blurring / increasing immigration. Many Ultras groups have completely changed from communist to fascist with this shift.


Here's a breakdown of some of the larger clubs that, to my knowledge/experience have some very strongly political Ultras groups:


TRADITIONAL RIGHT

Large extreme RIGHT with little opposition:
Lazio, Hellas Verona



Large Extreme RIGHT groups but also some fairly strong LEFT wing minority groups as well:
Juventus, Inter, Udinese, Catania



Mixed

Some of the largest Ultras groups shifting RIGHT more recently but still having large LEFT groups and are also famous for how massive and militant the Left were in the past:
AS Roma, Palermo, Napoli



TRADITIONAL LEFT

Larger LEFT leaning groups but also some RIGHT wing groups as well:
AC Milan, Torino, Bologna, Parma


Much larger LEFT wing groups with little opposition:
Atalanta (infamously among the most volatile), Livorno, Fiorentina, Genoa, Sampdoria, Empoli, Sassoulo,



Historically apolitical:
Cagliari, Chievo Verona




You can also pick out a lot of historical rivalries that break down along these lines. Many clubs were often seen by locals as representing the rich areas with more historical right wing support (Juventus, Inter, Lazio) vs the working class areas that were traditonally extreme left but have been shifting right in many cases like in the USA (Torino, AC Milan, AS Roma).

i would wager more americans know of St.Pauli girl beer than the soccer club.



the lazio crest is as close to stealing from one of the nazi emblems as it gets. eagle n all.

They became trendy a few years back for a hot minute.

Wait this whole thing about clubs espousing political belief systems is something new to me. But your saying Lazio is "Right Wing" and others on here have stated that Lazio=Nazio. Nazism was a socialist political system. Socialism=Left not right.