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Milan fans during the Uefa Champions League, Group F, football match between Ac Milan and Fc Paris Saint Germain on 07 November 2023 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, San Siro

13 of the greatest tifo displays in football from around the world: Dortmund, Milan, Copenhagen…

Mitchell Wilks •

From weird and wonderful, to breathtaking and seriously intimidating, tifos are perhaps one of the most underrated elements of football fan culture.

Not seen all that often in the English game because we’re generally pretty boring and miserable across the board, the tifo is a visual display organised by fans to show support or display a specific message.

And when done properly across an entire stand (or stands) on a big night of football, they can look pretty bloody amazing. We’ve compiled a list of 13 truly amazing tifos seen around the world.

1. Paris Saint-Germain

Spread across two stands behind the goals at both ends of the stadium, PSG ultras greeted Milan with a tifo that showed actor Jean-Paul Belmondo – one of the club’s founders – pointing a gun at a Milan-themed devil. Fierce.

2. Milan

In response to PSG’s gun tifo, Milan ultras stole the show as Les Parisiens headed to San Siro with a tifo of Neo from The Matrix, in his iconic bullet-dodging scene.

It was supplemented by a ‘Toujours Milan’ display, meaning ‘Always Milan’, in the adjacent stand. Exceptional work.

3. Borussia Dortmund

Absolutely no surprise that they end up in a list like this. That infamous Yellow Wall is iconic.

Dortmund produce outstanding tifos in their sleep, but this one of a man with binoculars ‘searching’ for the European Cup against Malaga in 2013 takes the cake.

4. FC Copenhagen

Like most big clubs in Europe, Copenhagen’s ultras know how to put on a display.

They’ve produced plenty over the years, but this moving tifo against Brondby in 2014 is jaw-dropping. A genuine work of art.

More like this, please.

5. Legia Warsaw

We’ve seen the fun ones so far, but tifos aren’t just about that.

Ultra groups use the displays as an opportunity to express their feelings towards the establishment. Legia did that in truly terrifying fashion.

Those flares. Gulp.

6. Lyon

Probably not their most creative or intimidating, but this display from Lyon’s most loyal fans and the effect it had on their club president Jean-Michel Aulas is a testament to just how powerful they can be.

English football really is lagging behind in the displays department, isn’t it?

7. Hammarby

The Swedish side boasts brilliant support across both their men’s and women’s teams, to the point where Hammarby’s women’s team have dedicated ultras who pack out games and provide some of the best fan experiences in Europe.

Naturally, they love a tifo. More of this in women’s football ASAP, please.

8. Brondby

Don’t think it’s only Copenhagen representing in Denmark. When they bite, Brondby always bite back with equal force.

This display from their derby in 2019 was rather terrifying – the sign of a great tifo.

9. Los Angeles FC

Major League Soccer and football in the United States is often the butt of the joke for Europeans – and particularly Brits – but one thing they excel at is a good tifo.

Creativity, colour, support and – sometimes – intimidation. They’re smashing it and we love it. LAFC’s Mortal Kombat display was brilliant.

10. Portland Timbers

Staying in MLS, the Portland Timbers boast a strong tifo history, but it’s hard to find a better one than their display against Seattle Sounders at Providence Park in 2016.

Creativity and colours are one thing, but pure intimidation isn’t something you’d normally expect from the US game. This absolutely nailed it.

11. Galatasaray

Still insane to think about just how much of a legend Graeme Souness is to Galatasaray fans.

12. Malmo

In tribute to Markus Rosenborg, who was playing his last home game for the club, Malmo fans paid their respects to a legend in spectacular fashion in 2019.

Imagine being this adored by supporters and being able to go out in such style. Goosebumps.

13. Marseille

When Marseille ultras aren’t turning the Stade Velodrome into a warzone, they’re putting together arguably the best support in Europe’s top five leagues.

Here they are doing just that in 2019 against Lyon. Across all four stands. What a masterpiece. Wouldn’t get that in English football. No chance.

READ NEXT: 11 of the most chaotic ultra groups in football: Ajax, Marseille…

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