“Giallorossi passion every further distance”
There is still a little bit of Rome in the land of Carthage. Right there, where the Romans settled in 146 BC and remained for over seven hundred years, leaving behind amphitheaters, aqueducts, cisterns, but also wonderful antiquities and mosaics, some of which are preserved in the elegant Bey palace, home to the Museum national team of the Bardo of Tunis. And it is precisely in the capital of Tunisia that Farouk Jaouadi at the age of ten, among the masterpieces bequeathed by the Romans, he was able to discover another jewel that would have completely dazzled him for life: the Rome of Totti and Batistuta.
Farouk, you were born in Tunisia in 1991 and live in Tunis: when did your interest in Roma start?
«It was the year 2000, exactly the season in which we then won the third Scudetto in our history. As a football fan, I started following Roma games, mainly because I was impressed by two players in particular: Francesco Totti and Gabriel Omar Batistuta. And then there was another aspect that struck me every time I tune in to a game of the Giallorossi: the atmosphere of the Olimpico, a stadium that is always colorful and full of fans ready to continuously cheer the team, regardless of the result or the importance of the game. Imagine that in that year we managed to become Italian champions, so my experience with Roma started well: it was exactly in 2001 that I fell madly in love with the team from the capital ».
Do you remember the first match you watched live?
«Absolutely yes, I remember it clearly: it was October 22, 2000, Fabio Capello’s Giallorossi hosted the Vicenza coached by Edy Reja and Luca Toni as center-forward at the Olimpico. That game ended with the result of 3-1 for the Capitoline, scored by Totti, Montella and Batistuta. It was a great emotion for two reasons: first of all because Roma won, and then because the scorers were three authentic champions of that extraordinary team, the same ones who also scored against Parma on the unforgettable 17 June 2001 ».
Which player did you feel most attached to?
«For how I started following Roma and as it probably applies to many Roma fans today, I have only one possible answer: Francesco Totti, of course. Roman, Romanist, an idol, a symbol that represented an entire city, and moreover, as I said, the first game I saw of Rome was precisely the number 10 born in Porta Metronia to score the first goal for the Giallorossi: it was certainly also thanks to him who that day sealed my eternal passion for the Captain and for Roma ».
A passion that led you to travel to Rome to follow the team closely.
«My dream, of course, was to experience the stadium in first person, to feel on my skin all those emotions that I was already seeing on TV. And I managed to organize myself to fly to Rome: on November 30, 2014 I saw live the match between Rudi Garcia’s Rome and Roberto Mancini’s Inter. It was a wonderful success for a 4-2 comeback, in a context that was nothing short of extraordinary: over forty thousand spectators present ready to support the team, the chills that ran down my back as the whole stadium sang the anthem, to see for the first time live Francesco Totti, and then the screams of joy for the four goals scored by Roma. The roar of Miralem Pjanic’s third goal was practically unforgettable, which brought Roma back ahead. He also scored a great goal José Holebas, the Greek full-back who became the protagonist of a mind-boggling action. They are indelible memories that I will always carry with me ».
At the Olympic Stadium with the club banner
Were you able to find other Roma brothers in Tunisia?
“I am fortunate to live in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, and it is here that we founded the headquarters of our club dedicated to the Giallorossi team, which we created when we realized that there are not so few who follow Roma even though from afar. For nine years we simply watched the games of the Giallorossi gathering all together, then three years ago we made the decision to officially found our Roma Club which is now affiliated to the Italian Roma Club Association: we are really many now in Tunisia in cheer for Rome, in the capital and many others around the country ».
How is Roma experienced in Tunisia?
«We feel very connected to the club: far from the eyes but close to the heart, because distance can never disperse our love. Every week we meet all of our own, to share emotions together, to celebrate victories, but also when there is a need to metabolize defeats and disappointments, it is part of being fans, the difficult moments are overcome together because we are a family. . Indeed, I tell you, sometimes paradoxically it happens to spend more time with the brothers of the Roma club than with our families ».
What kind of activities do you organize with the other Tunisian Roma fans?
«We focus a lot on sharing, because it is a way to shorten the distance that separates us from Rome. So we organize film events to show films and documentaries on the history of Rome, we like to get together to celebrate the anniversaries of the company. In short, let’s try to color Tunisia a little yellow and red to feel closer to our beloved team ».
A particular episode you feel connected to?
“In addition to the 2001 Scudetto, which was my baptism as a Roma fan when I was only ten, I am very attached to the players who in my opinion have represented Roma internationally, such as Francesco Totti, Agostino Di Bartolomei, Daniele De Rossi, but also to the Vincenzo Montella airplane. Then the last two years have given me special moments: in 2020 I managed to meet the Captain in person at the Totti Sporting Club, I had come to Rome to see and it was a truly magical meeting. But I must say that my first derby seen live at the Olimpico was also unforgettable, like that incredible match between Roma and Barcelona that ended with the amazing Giallorossi comeback with the 3-0 at the Olimpico which earned me qualification in the semifinal of Champions League and a dream evening ».