5 years since the AC Milan group, Fossa Dei Leoni dissolved.

In short what happen back in 2005 when FDL Dissolved:

Before the match AC Milan vs Juventus 29th October 2005, a group of Milan fans stole some flags from Viking Juve. Few days later, when Milan supporters returned from away match against Eindhoven in Champions League, Viking ultras planned their revenge. A FDL member carrying banners, was followed few kilometers by Viking members, they stopped him and stole the "FOSSA"-banner.

As a result of the stolen banner and few other problems, the group leader decided to dissolve Fossa Del Leoni 17th November 2005.

(Fossa Del Leoni with Viking Juve flag)

(Viking Juve with the stolen "FOSSA"-banner)

"johnny OAG 1701", an old member of FDL, give us some info about Fossa Del Leoni:

Thursday 17th of November 2005, Fossa dei Leoni ended his History in Curva Sud (“South End”), an History begun in 1968 at Rampa (“Gate”) 18 at San Siro stadium.

A legendary name in the italian and european ultras situation (Fossa is considered the first proper italian ultras group) that in nearly 40 years of activity was able to gain respect between friend and enemies, as many tribute banners also in hostile ends show.
The roots of the name isn’t sure, although it seems that refers to the nickname of an old AC Milan training ground.

After the first pioneer years, Fossa moved to Curva Sud in 1972 alongside another historic group of AC Milan, Brigate Rossonere. . In the same year the historic anthem “Leoni Armati” (“Armed Lions”), borrowed from the soundtrack of the italian movie “L’Armata Brancaleone”, came to light.

In the priod of maximum growth Fossa reached 15000 members, certainly not each and every ultras in the literal sense of the word, but surely the thing explains very well the level of popularity reached by the group. Not always easy years, years of repression with the AC Milan supporters often implicated in troubles and in incidents of crime news; but FdL remained always alive thanks to the strong friendship between the members of the group.

Fossa was always in the frontline against the modern football, and the expensive tickets too. It’s impossible to report in an article what Fossa has represented: for the people that was part of the group there was much more than a club of supporters; sections in Italy and Europe, friendships, brotherhood... all depicted in the motto “From the game borns friendship and when the game ends, the friendship remains. Hic sunt leones (“There are lions here”, from a quote of the latin writer Tacitus)”.

Five years is just gone, but Fossa is not dead: somebody still go to the stadium, somebody have prefered to close their football experience, but the human legacy is still intact: a football team (the Umbo United, dedicated to Umberto Calza, one of the founders of the group), an annual big party (TIUN, “All In A Night”) and even every now and then some new material only for the real members of the group is made. By the way, on Ebay old Fossa scarves have reached 1000 euros… but for many people the memories have really not a price.
Fossa dei Leoni will never die!

Check out these historically photos from Fossa Del Leoni and the other  Curva Sud-groups from 1960`s until 2005!