At the Su Super League, Italian executive Terry Rigo has found not just a hometown team to support, but a grassroots football community that helps him and fellow expats bond with local fans and life in his adopted city.

by sportswriters Zhu Xiao and Lu Huadong

NANJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a cap and a red jersey emblazoned with the Changzhou team crest, Italian executive Terry Rigo has become a devoted fan of the city's side in China's "Su Super League" since first watching the competition last year.

Dubbed China's "grassroots World Cup," the wildly popular Su Super League is an amateur football tournament featuring 13 city teams from across east China's Jiangsu Province, with Changzhou among the participants.

Changzhou hosted last season's runner-up Nantong in the opening match as the league's second season kicked off on April 11 this year. Despite being viewed as an underdog, Changzhou carried high expectations from fans. Rigo, general manager of Main Tech China, invited newly arrived colleagues from Italy to join him at the opener.

"The opening ceremony was absolutely stunning, with lovely mascots, beautiful songs and futuristic robot performances that impressed everyone," he said. "What delighted me even more was Changzhou's 3-0 win over Nantong. A perfect start to the new season. I have high hopes for the team."

"Players in this league come from all walks of life, connecting ordinary people with football," Rigo added. "Even though it's an amateur tournament, every player gives his all, and the stands are always full with tens of thousands of spectators. Once you step into the stadium, you're instantly immersed in the electrifying atmosphere."

Born and raised in Italy, Rigo has loved football since childhood and used to play regularly with friends. A car accident later left one of his legs injured, forcing him to give up playing, but his passion never faded, and watching football remains his favorite pastime after work.

Rigo moved to China in 2008 and has lived and worked in Zhuhai, Foshan, Suzhou, Shanghai and now Changzhou. In 2025, Italian company Main Tech decided to establish its first manufacturing base in China.

Tasked with scouting potential locations in the Yangtze River Delta, Rigo eventually chose the Jintan District of Changzhou. That June, the China-Italy (Changzhou) Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park officially began operations, with Main Tech's composite system equipment project among the first batch of tenants.

"Jintan has convenient transportation, comprehensive industrial support and efficient, thoughtful government services, which have greatly accelerated our project," Rigo said. "Our equipment has been delivered, and we expect to start full operations within months."

Rigo first learned about the Su Super League during preparations for the company's project last year. Driven by curiosity and his love of football, he decided to go watch a match at the scene.

Recalling his first experience, he scrolled through photos and videos on his phone, describing the details as if it were yesterday.

On July 6, 2025, Changzhou played away to Huai'an, another prefecture-level city in Jiangsu. That afternoon, Rigo traveled to the game with his parents and uncle, who had flown in from Italy, along with more than 100 foreign businesspeople living in Changzhou. At Changzhou Railway Station, they were surrounded by passionate fans waving banners and chanting.

"On the high-speed train, I chatted with fans from many countries," he said. "We talked about the players' different backgrounds, went over match highlights, shared our favorite players and even predicted the score. It was a wonderful journey."

When he walked into the packed stadium, he was struck again by the league's popularity. "We were strangers, yet we all cheered together for brilliant dribbles, precise passes and powerful shots. In that moment, I felt the team spirit and real passion in the stands and I truly became part of the crowd."

What thrilled him most was that Changzhou, previously on a run of defeats, earned a draw and picked up its first point of the season.

In Rigo's view, that hard-won breakthrough was inseparable from the fans' unwavering support. "Without encouragement from the stands, players can lose motivation when they face setbacks. That's why fans are undoubtedly the crucial 12th man on the pitch," he said.

Since then, Rigo has become a loyal Changzhou supporter. He makes time to attend home and away matches in all weather, and follows games online when work keeps him away. Noticing that many Italian expatriates in Jintan also follow the league, he helped establish the Jintan Italian Football Fans Club.

As a foreign resident in China, Rigo sees the league as an important social bridge that has helped him integrate into local life and connect emotionally with residents.

"Our company is in an industrial park, so in daily life I don't have many opportunities to interact with local people," he said. "But through the league, I can easily start conversations with Chinese fans and foreigners from all over the world at train stations, on fan buses and in stadiums."

"The collective cheers on match days bring us together and create a deep emotional bond effortlessly."  ■