Team is high in mountains but low in league

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Ambrì is located in the Leventina valley, at the foot of the Gotthard mountain. Roger Wehrli

In Piotta souvenirs of the hockey club can be found in shop windows. Roger Wehrli

On days when no hockey game is scheduled, Ambrì appears deserted. Roger Wehrli

No white and blue jersey is too expensive for the most ardent fans. Roger Wehrli

The Valascia arena has been the site of many a battle against the eternal menace of relegation. Roger Wehrli

On game night, local restaurants and bars welcome fans from all over Switzerland. Roger Wehrli

Getting into the arena takes patience: all spectators must first pass security checks. Roger Wehrli

The election of Ticino's own Ignazio Cassis to Switzerland's executive body, the Federal Council, in 2017 has eased somewhat the sense of isolation felt by some in the canton. Roger Wehrli

Supporters from every corner of Switzerland cheer on the team. Roger Wehrli

Fans consume a huge amount of beer, even on cold nights. Roger Wehrli

Support for the team is ardent, even when a loss seems inevitable. Roger Wehrli

Around the arena, fans can always drown their sorrows in a bag of sweets. Roger Wehrli

Try as they may, the white and blues can’t seem to get the puck in the net. Roger Wehrli

On especially cold nights, roasted chestnuts keep spirits warm. Roger Wehrli

Support for the white and blues never wanes. But the rivals with the white and black jerseys, HC Lugano, skate away with the game. Roger Wehrli

The best moments of the game can be relived on the journey home. Roger Wehrli

Game intermissions give fans a chance to refuel. Roger Wehrli

The morning after finds the streets of Ambrì once again deserted. Roger Wehrli

The snack bar is closed up. Roger Wehrli

Ambrì can appear like a ghost town. Roger Wehrli

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Tucked in the Leventina valley at the foot of the Gotthard mountain, the villages of Ambrì and Piotta are home to a professional hockey club with a cult following beyond Switzerland.

An imposing structure with a vaulted roof stands out from all other buildings in tiny Ambrì: it is the “Pista la Valascia”, the hockey stadium and home of HC Ambrì-PiottaExternal link. The venue is all the more remarkable for seating 7,000 spectators, or several times the population of the entire municipality of Quinto, where Ambrì is located.

The impressive size of the arena is no accident. HC Ambrì-Piotta – or the white and blues, as they’re affectionately known – has fans in all of Switzerland and across Europe, too. 

When the club meets its arch rival from the southern Swiss town of Lugano, supporters from as far away as German-speaking Schaffhausen in the north of the country make the pilgrimage to cheer on their team. 

On just such a night, fans fill the local restaurants before the game to enjoy a pizza. Among them is Bruno, who created one of the many HC Ambrì-Piotta fan clubs back in 1982.

Cult of loser

The hockey club’s reputation for being a consistent loser goes some way to explaining its cult following. HC Ambrì-Piotta has never won a major championship beyond a cup final in the 1960s. But it has managed to avoid relegation and year after year continues to fight it out in Switzerland’s top professional league. It’s a struggle financially as well: The team sometimes has to resort to calls for donations to stay afloat.

For the Leventina valley, however, there are economic benefits. As hotels and restaurants have closed in this depressed part of canton Ticino, the establishments that survive rely on fans flocking in each week. Face offs against the rival team in Lugano are particularly special as they draw the biggest crowds. It’s a carefully cultivated confrontation, mirroring as it does the traditional rivalry between the poor north and the rich south of Ticino.

On the night the photos were taken, the fans are as ardent as ever, erupting in cheers when HC Ambrì-Piotta scores against Lugano. But the game ends in inevitable fashion: a 4-1 loss for the beloved white and blues.