What is a Football Tifo? A Simple Guide to Fan Banners & Displays

What is a Football Tifo?

A football tifo is a piece of artwork that is displayed at a football game and is often held up by fans.

Tifo's are very common in Italian football games and therefore their name derives from the Italian language. 'Tifo' comes from the word 'Tifosi' which translates to 'fans', this is because a football tifo is representative of fans' feelings and passion.

What are the Different Types of Tifo?

Football tifo's come in all shapes and sizes. They range from textile banners, mosaics that consist of different cards being held up by individual fans, two stick flag banners and smoke/pyro displays. They are normally chosen by fan groups, and the type chosen will relate to the club and situation they are in.

How are Tifo's Made?

There are different methods of tifo manufacture depending on the type used.

Textile banners are planned in advance of manufacture with designs discussed by fan groups. They are then often made in warehouses by external companies.

Individual card mosaics will be planned depending on the structure of a stadium stand and seats to make sure that the message is displayed correctly. Card is then printed and put on seats for fans to hold up during a game.

Pyro displays are less organised and are just planned by fans without a specific message, instead to just create an atmosphere.

What Was the First Tifo?

There isn't much information regarding the specific "first" tifo in football, but it is largely believed that the movement began with AC Milan in the late 1960's. The Rossoneri's group of "ultra's" - which are highly organised and passionate fan groups which soon became common across Europe - Fossa dei Leoni were amongst the very first groups in Italian football to begin displaying their support through the medium of banners, flags and co-ordinated card displays.

From this initial Italian passion, the wider footballing world soon began to take notice with clubs all across Europe beginning to incorporate tifos across their waves of supporters.

Why are Tifo's Becoming More Popular?

Tifo's are becoming more and more popular as they are a technique to improve fan atmosphere.

They allow fans to get more involved in the game, by lifting player's spirits when they see impressive fan artwork.

They are now very common in UEFA European competitions. Clubs with large stadiums are able to put on impressive displays that are captured on television.

You can see an example below of a tifo from Paris Saint-Germain fans. This is when Kylian Mbappe played for them. Their ultras put up a large banner up for their Ligue 1 match against Toulouse in 2024.

What is the Best Tifo?

There are many tifo's that fans would consider to be the best, but opinion is vital on this topic.

Our opinion at Football Park is that Inter Milan have the best collection of Tifo's, in Europe at least.

Internazionale have had a proven track record of impressive football tifo's.

In 2024, Inter fans displayed a huge mosaic tifo commemorating their 20th Serie A title.

In 2023, they also created a mosaic tifo in the Derby Della Madonnina against AC Milan, which showed a huge blue snake, that must have been quite intimidating for the Milan players.

Inter fans displayed this tifo ahead of the Derby della Madonnina today 🔥

One of the best we've seen this season 🐍 pic.twitter.com/Lrjp8tFboj

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 5, 2023

It will be interesting to see in the coming years how tifo's develop and become more advanced, and how they improve fan atmosphere.