Here's my experience going > to > an Italian soccer match: > > Back on Oct. 27, 2002 I watched my 1st (in person) > Serie A match, & 1st soccer (calcio) match in person > anywhere outside of the USA. I watched Parma beat > Atalante of Bergamo in Serie A 2-1. I was > travelling > in Europe & wanted to attend at least 1 match, the 2 > times I've travelled in Europe before it was during > the summer during the off season. I hardly know any > Italiano. > > I was wondering if several things I saw were typical > of of the Italian league, or European soccer as > usual. > I'm from San Jose, California, & have been to many > Earthquake matches, + 1 at DC United, & to the World > Cup '94 & LA '84 Olympic matches at Stanford. > > -my ticket cost =$31 (31 euros) for a seat between > the > 20 yd line & end line. They ranged from $20 for end > zone, $51 between the 20's, & about a $100 around > midfield on the player's entrance side. I bought it > an hr. before the match from a ticket booth. > > -attendance was 15k, capacity 29K, about the same as > Spartan Stadium. The stadium was in the middle of a > city block, with apartments on the same block > (somewhat like San Jose City College) > > -those in the sideline seats were quieter than those > in the sideline seat at Spartan Stadium, they only > stood up after a goal or a bad call. I didn't see > anyone waving a flag on the sideline, would anyone > know if flags are banned on the sideline at Parma / > Serie A? > > -the fans in both end zones more than made up for > the > sideline fans. I was near the endzone section for > Atalante, & they were chanting or singing & waving > flags the whole match. I only briefly heard for > less > than 30 sec. at several intervals the Parma fans at > the far end zone, due to the noise of the Atalante > fans. Atlalante made a lot of noise despite that > they > were losing, & their team is near last place > > -There were 5 buses of visiting team fans, they park > the buses just outside the visiting team only > seating > area, to get the visiting fans in the stadium > without > incident, & vice versa after the match. Sort of > like > high school football here, they segregate the > visiting > fans, only the fence & net is maybe 50 ft. high to > keep visiting fans from throwing stuff at the home > fans & vice versa. I didn't see any fights, but > then > I didn't look for any. > > -lots of cops around. Armed cops did the bag search > of me going in the stadium, not unarmed security > guards. It was OK for me to bring my backpack in, > which one can no longer do at ballgames here. I > don't > recall that they patted me down. > > -Smoking was permitted, which I can do without, > fortunately I was downwind from the nearest smoker! > > -no national anthem, the teams did march out World > Cup > style, players names were read over the PA before > they > came out, with their photos shown on the videoboard > > -no game clock on scoreboard > > -no scoreboard, videoboard did show ads & scores of > other matches. Videoboard did show ads during > match. > > -no halftime entertainment, other than music over > PA. > No slingshots of t-shirts into the crowd, which I > didn't miss > > - Men's Toilets: This should be an embarrassment to > Parma. It was bring your own toilet paper & paper > towels (no hot air blower either, to dry your > hands). > Even worse, nothing to sit on, for a toilet. It's > like the norm in Morocco, Turkey, I expect better > for > $31. I hope it was better for the fans at the '90 > World Cup. > > -I thought an excellent thing that they do is let > Parma fans keep their flags/banners in bins inside > the > stadium for the next match > > -Several Atalante fans had flares, which is OK with > me > till they throw them on the field, which happened > twice, once inbounds. The Parma keeper moved it out > of > bounds. Flares at Spartan Stadium will get you > kicked > out promptly for good reason > > -no programs were for sale, I got a strange look > when > I asked to buy 1 at the concession stand. The > Italian > sports newspaper, Gazzetta Della Sport, had good > info > about the match including line-ups, list of those > with > yellow cards or injured, so that was just as good, > even though it was in Italian. My seat neighbor was > able to translate some of it for me. > > -concession stands didn't sell spaghetti, basically > sodas & candy, I don't recall if they sold alcohol. > All types of Parma souveniers were available, after > the match I went to the other side of the stadium > where they had a store comparable to the Sharks > store > at the Shark Tank > > -I was advised before I went on this trip that > Italian > soccer tends to be boring & defensive oriented, but > I > didn't find this in my experience for this match. > Actually I found this day to be one of the most > memorable of my month in Europe! If only you could > see my photos of the match!
Haven't been to one, but a good reference is a book by Tim Parks called "A Season with Verona". It a great book about an English guy who's lived in Verona for most of his life and is a die hard Hellas Verona fan, so one year (2000) he decided he would go to every Hellas game they played. The books basically all about amazing fans, Italian attitude about the game/life and the adventures he had on the way. It really is a great book. Been an AC Milan fan for years so I'm planning on going over there in 2006 for 3 months to catch the last games of the season and see the US win the cup.
I've got family in Italy, so I'm over there almost every year. I plan my visits around AC Milan matches. The match you saw is pretty much typical of a Serie A match.
I saw Lazio host Bologna at the Olimpico in December and your experience sounds similar... Some of your expectations seem a bit odd to me (soccer being boring, them serving spaghetti at the concession stand)... I spent around the same money, sat in a similar section close but not in the Curva Nord (where most of the "atmosphere" comes from)...also impressed with the away Bologna fans' spirit. The match was also my favorite day of a 10-day stint in Italy...
Perugia v Piacenza Piacenza brought maybe 100 fans with them, complete with Beavis and Butthead signage. Stadium holds about 27,000 and I'm guessing we had 12,000 max. The Perugia Tifosi "Grifoni" were in full force, flares, obscene signage, flags, fire and loud. The Tribune, next to my seats, was dead quiet the entire match (it was pretty dull after Baronio got hurt in the 30th minute) but the Grifoni went all out for 90 minutes.
Something that has always fascinated me (mostly Italy 80's and Greece) are fires started in the stand. It might be vandalism but it makes for a very grim and hostile atmosphere (which are the ideal circumstances for a match) and lots of smoke. Ajax fans used to set fire to the visitors end for a few years at feyenoord - Ajax but it happens less and less. I saw some old Italian footage last week. Saw quite some fires immediately remembered myself watching Italian football as a little kid, obsessed with the fires and flares. I still love it.
In 2001 is saw Milan v. Lazio at San Siro, lots of flares and M-80's though the match. After the match (Milan beat Lazio 2-0), the Lazio fans started a small bonfire in their section. Very strange.
I've been to two Serie A matches - Roma v Bologna at lo Stadio Olimpico in Rome on October 1st, 2000, and Venezia v Verona in Venice on September 2nd 2001. Both were lots of fun. For the Roma match, we sat in la Curva Sud, where all the tifosi are, and it was a great time, with flares, flags and lots of singing. The stadium in Venice is really small, and the fans didn't seem as passionate as the ones in Rome.
MOD NOTE: .... merged two parallel threads that had started with the same first post in separate forums ... Sue
I've been to three Milan Derbies. All ties. Also Parma-Roma and Juve-Parma. Nothing compares to the passion at the Derby, although I hear that the Rome Derby is even more impressive. General observations: positive -No gimics, just football. -Great food at the sidewalk vendors especcially outside the San Siro. -Ultras are in the stadium and singing an hour before kickoff -Never seen any violence at the Derby Negative -San Siro my look modern on TV, but it's not. Uncomfortable seats, nonexistent ushers, chaotic entrances. You really take a lot for granted here in the States. -Delle Apli in Torino sucks. The track puts you far from the action and you feel like your at a hockey game staring through plexiglass at the match.
San Siro, bottom first tier behind the goal, sitting on that small fence is the greatest place on earth to watch your club play. It never ceases to amaze me how Americans can complain about seats, entrances, food or whatever... the beauty of being at such a game should be self-explanatory. How can you let irrelevant things as seats and entrances even compare to that? And ehhh... what's an usher? I'm really curious about that one
AFCA.. i dont get it... you come off as some arrogant AMERICAN... or portray many negative american stereotypes... get off your pompous high horse m8... ffs~~~~~ "i've been to all these great euro footie matches blah blah balh blahb blah"
Roma 2 Lazio 2, April 2001 - Only the greatest sporting event I have ever been to, hands down. Inter 3 Atalanta 0, May 2001 - Nice leisurely Sunday in the San Siro.
Oh the joys of studying abroad My first game was actually Italy-Georgia down in Ancona on Oct 11 of 2000 for a WC 2002 qualifier. This was the first European sporting event, and it was awesome. Stood the entire match in the last row of and endzone, but had an awesome time (hearing the Italian national anthem and huge flags waving everywere gave me goosebumps.) I saw Parma-Milan Nov 1 of 2000. Atmosphere before the game was nuts. I sat with Fossa Dei Leoni in that walled off section mentioned in the first post. The walk to the stadium was intense (I was in full out Milan gear) -- police lining the street, full riot gear. The closest I can think is entering a World Cup '94 game for the security. The match was sold out, and only now is the atmosphere starting to atone for the 2-0 loss. Headed up to Milan that Sunday the 5th to meet my Dad for Milan - Atalanta. A thrilling 3-3 game, and my first San Siro trip (my favorite stadium in the world.) Sat in the first blue tier and had a flare drop two seats away from me -- we moved on back to the covered seats after that! Went up to Torino and saw Juve-Lazio later in November. It was a freaking freezing night, but still a decent crowd (though not as passionate as any of the earlier games.) Sat in the first tier of the Juve side, and was fortunate enough to see just an outstanding first half of soccer, fueled on by none other than the best player in the world, Mr. Zidane. Seeing him in person is just an experience in itself. Saw Hellas Verona-Milan on December 17th just before I took off. Not quite a sell out, but still a big crowd (40K out of 55K perhaps?) Sat with Fossa Dei Leoni again after visiting the AC Milan reps' office up in Milan and pleading my case as an American who just wants to see Milan win before leaving the country...and ended up getting a free ticket! Unfortunately, Milan tied 1-1 on the worst offside call ever for the Verona goal. Noteworthy that, not including the trip to Milan for the ticket, this was 10 hours round trip to see the match (something I don't think I would ever do in the US. Every current and future college student reading this -- GO ABROAD!) My girlfriend studied in Italy the year after me, and I headed out to see the Milan derby in March of 2002. Without a doubt, the greatest atmosphere I have ever witnessed. Sat in the 2nd tier of Curva Sud this time and arrived at the match an hour and a half early. Our seats were already taken, and we ended up sitting on some steps wedged in between people (we stood for the game of course!) Unfortunately, my quest to see Milan win live still continues today, as Inter won 1-0 in a crappy match (all will be forgiven with a win tomorrow though ) At every game except the Parma one, I hit up the scalpers for tickets. I was fortunate enough to speak Italian at at least a conversational level at the time, and could bargain down to sane prices -- the most was $65 for the Milan derby tickets, but I would do that again in a heartbeat. So yes, if you are in Italy and it is soccer season, you owe it to yourself to go to at least one game.
Just calling it as I see it. If you have a problem with that... too bad. If you go see a Roma-Lazio or Milan-Inter derby... how can you complain about seats?
i totally agree that complaining about trivial things is rediculous when seeing a fantastic derby... guess ive just read numerous posts from ya that portray all the aspects that you HATE about american culture, ect... no worries... go ajax~~~~~~~~ phishy~
Ow yeah... there's plenty I dislike about American culture. So I talk about it here and there. Useless? yes... but that's okay. Talking about things I dislike closer to home wouldn't get much conversation going...
Fiorentina 1 - Bologna 1 (March 19, 2001) In Florence, Rui Costa owned the match but Fiorentina squandered many quality chances. Rowdy, rowdy atmosphere but I was also in a section near the Bologna fans who shot fireworks out of their cage towards Fiorentina followers. I still have the Rui Costa song stuck in my head that was sung to the tune of "Copa Cabana." I also saw AC Milan beat Torino in the Italian Super Cup (June 10, 1993), but it was at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC so perhaps does not count.
I spent 10 days in northern Italy in November 2000 and caught games in Parma, Milan, and Turin. Most of the obvious things have been covered already but... Loved the sightlines at the San Siro. Spent a whole half with Maldini right in front of me at left back, dominating Galatasary attackers. (It was a Champions League group match.) And as someone mentioned earlier, the food outside was pretty cool too. Thought the Stadio Del'Alpi sucked. Out on the fringes of town. Surrounded by parking lots. Track separating the crowd from the field. (Nifty view of the snowy Alps in the background, though, and Turin has a certain 19th century charm.) And getting to watch Zidane operate was a joy. Much less of a scene at Parma, for a UEFA Cup game against 1860 Munich. Smaller place. Really foggy night. Couldn't even seen the goal at times. The visiting Germans all seemed to be in denim jackets with rude patches.