Tag: food

Calcio City Guides: Milan

So you’ve made it this far, you’ve decided you’re going to Milan to watch football. That’s great, you’ve made a fantastic choice. Not only are there two Serie A teams based there, the stadium they share is the most iconic in World football. There’s plenty of other options too, if you want to squeeze as much out of the trip as you can. Flights are cheap from London to Milan and there’s plenty of them available. So here’s the ultimate football fans guide to hanging out in Milan.

Getting Around

Couldn’t be easier in Milan. Depending on your airport there’s a few ways into town. From Malpensa just get on the train that goes from each terminal. They terminate at Centrale, but go through Porta Garibaldi too which is another of the main stations. Tickets are available at the kiosks in the terminal and the station, the machines change languages to make it easier. The train takes around 45 minutes and costs roughly €15.

If you’ve come in to Bergamo then you’re best bet is to take one of the coaches to Milan Centrale. For €10 you get 45-60 minutes sat on an air conditioned coach straight into the centre of Milan. You can also take a bus to Bergamo station, then an hour long train to Milan if you prefer but the coaches are easy enough. You can either pre-purchase tickets in the terminal or buy from the guys at each bus stop.

Taxis are available at both airports but cost around €150 each way to Milan, so I wouldn’t waste my time with them. There is a third airport, Linate, which is a bit like London City. Congratulations if you’ve landed here, you’re rich and flew BA. It’s on the main Metro network in Milan so very easy to the city centre from there.

Trams are clean, tidy and on time… mostly.

Speaking of the Metro, Milan has a really easy to use Metro system. It has 5 lines that all cross over with each other and connect to the vast Tram network too. You can buy an adult three day ticket for around €15 so getting around is so easy and so cheap. Just be a bit careful if visiting before the end of October, there’s major work being done to the tram lines so they’re running slightly odd routes at the moment.

The Metro is clean, well lit and efficient, used by everybody in Milan, it’s a safe and cheap way to get around the city.

Eating and Drinking

So the first thing to highlight is that Milan is really not a “party city” like places such as Prague, Budapest etc. but you can still have a pretty decent night out here. I would head to Isola where there’s a much younger vibe and the bars will be lively and loud. In the summer you can drink just about anywhere that has outside seating and have a nice chilled evening.

Speaking of chilled, in the evening before your meal, get to Navigli. The canal area is served by the M2 at Porta Genova station, and the canals are lined with bars and locals enjoying an aperativo before their dinner. Later at night this becomes a busy and very “cool” area.

Navigli is very chilled in the daytime, and comes alive at night.

Nightlife-wise, head down to Piazza Duomo after dinner. There’s some good clubs and bars in the vicinity of the Duomo, but be expected to pay a little more. More to the point, in the Piazza there will be crowds of people hanging out after a few beers, enjoying the night time views of the Duomo listening to street musicians, very nice vibes.

For food, you can’t really go wrong, this is Italy after all. However, one place we ALWAYS stop by in Milan is Piz! on Via Torino. The pizza place is a short walk from the Duomo and you should get a free glass of Prosecco while you wait as well as a limoncello to finish. The pizza menu consists of two pizzas and one “surprise” pizza. They won’t tell you what it is before it’s served, but you can tell them what you don’t want it to contain!

It’s ridiculously cheap for its quality and location, a plain margherita pizza will set you back around €9 – and it’s massive. Bring your football stickers, downstairs the walls are covered with them.

Piz!

The best advice on eating in Milan is to look a bit further than the end of your nose. If you like Italian food you can’t go wrong in Italy! Avoid eating in any of the major squares and Piazzas, if they have pictures of the food outside the restaurant it’s a red flag. If they have someone stood outside trying to get you in, it’s a red flag. Turn down the side streets, find the little family run place, it’ll be incredible.

It might seem an odd recommendation but if you like Indian there’s a great place near the San Siro which is smashing after a few beers at the football. Take the number 16 tram from the stadium to Via Dolci Via Ricciarelli and you’ll see it in front of you, Namaste Indian Restaurant. It says on Google it’s open until 10:30pm but I think that’s last entry because I’ve been in there after a 9pm kick off before! I know, you should be eating Italian food in Italy but it’s really convenient post match, open late and to be honest, is fantastic food.

Breakfasts are easy enough, again, look for any small family run cafe (there’s millions) and set yourself up with a Cappuccino and a pastry of some sort to experience an Italian breakfast like a true local. I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than €10 for this breakfast in Milan.

Football

So if you’re going to Milan to watch football, you’re probably going to the San Siro to see either Inter or AC. But there’s a million other options that are so convenient. Before we go into that, here’s some advice on doing a San Siro tour. Firstly, definitely do it, it’s well worth it. But secondly, be aware that you can’t do it the day of or the day before a match. The day after I think it’s open, but you won’t be able to get in there on match day or the day before.

So to the other teams, you want a full on Calcio weekender? Can’t go wrong in Milan. Starting in the city of Milan itself, as well as Inter and AC, you have several Serie C teams. Alcione Milan, Inter U23 and Giana Erminio all call Milan home. Well, Giana actually play in Gorgonzola (yes the cheese place), but it’s on the Milan metro at the very end of M2 line.

AS Giani Erminio

Slightly further afield in Serie C you have Lecco (1 hour train) with spectacular views over Lake Como and the mountains from the stadium. In Serie B you have Monza (20 minutes train) and Mantova (1 hour train) all local to Milan and then, of course, in Serie A you also have Como (45 minutes train) up the road. You also have Atalanta playing in Bergamo which is accessed by around 45 minutes from Milan. Interested in Jamie Vardy? Cremonese play in Cremona around an hour’s train from Milan.

You can also end up in Switzerland watching football, I’ve done it before, the train to Chiasso takes around 1 hour from Milan and from there you can either watch Chiasso or SC Balerna if you want to squeeze two countries into your trip.

If you want my recommendation, the trip to Switzerland is good, but be aware of train times, an evening kick off rather than night game is as late as you want to be there. I’ve been to Como and Lecco to watch matches. Both are on different shores of Lake Como and both spectacular. However, you’ll probably struggle for Como tickets and the price of food and drink there isn’t smashing. Lecco offers the same beautiful backdrop while being a more affordable alternative. The town is still really nice and you can have a sunset beer by the lake before walking up to the ground. They also have lively ultras so the atmosphere will be more what you’re looking for.

Lecco

Other than that, Bergamo is beautiful too, but I’d recommend giving that and Atalanta their own trip rather than squeezing it into a Milan trip. I went to Gorgonzola to see Giani Erminia, the stadium is small and quaint, the town quiet but it’s worth a little trip out if you’re a fan of cheese.

Day Trips

We’ve sort of already covered it above with the football but if you’ve had your fill of Milan (and in truth you can see what you need to in two days) then head out of town for a day. Como and Lecco are again going to be two of the more popular choices, given the lake and the beauty of it. However, if you can find your way to Bellagio in between the two you’ll have uncovered a hidden gem. It’s not the easiest accessed place, which is how it remains so uniquely Italian, but it’s accessible the easiest by boat from Como or Varenna.

If walking up hills is more your thing, you need to hit Bergamo. The city is split into the upper city and lower city. And you’ll see why when you’re there. There is a funicular train that goes up to the upper city and that’s where the best food and drink and sights are. It’s a much more chilled and cheaper version of Milan and is a great place to spend the day with less people surrounding you. The train here is around 45 minutes from Milan and costs €6.

What to do in Milan

When you’re actually in Milan if you’re looking for a bit of culture or something to do other than football and drinking, then your next best bet is shopping. Milan is the fashion capital of the World and you’ll find every single designers flagship store here. Head to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza Duomo to marvel at clothes you can’t afford. The Ferrari store is cool if you like large F1 cars hanging from a ceiling.

Ferrari store Milano

Around here as well you’ll find more reasonably priced designers behind the Duomo and down Via Torino is your normal high street brands. My daughter tells me that something called Kiko Milano is around half the price in Milan that it is in the UK so if you have girls, stop off and get a gift!

Other than shopping, history is everywhere in Italy and Milan is no different. Firstly, in the Duomo, a spectacular old cathedral the interior is absolutely magnificent. But as well as going inside, you can go on top of it. The Duomo rooftop gives great views of the Piazza below and most of Milan, take the lift though, it’s worth the extra few euros!

Duomo rooftop

Brera is the neighbourhood to go to if you like things a little trendier than historic. Great food options here as well as nice buildings for a walk around. You can get here on the M2 to Moscova station. Isola as mentioned above is a cooler neighbourhood nearby, think East London. the Bosco Verticale buildings that split the neighbourhoods are worth a quick photo.

If religious artwork is your thing, The Last Supper fresco by Leonardo Da Vinci is at the Santa Maria Della Grazie church near Sant Agostino station. You want to see this, you need to book early. Tickets are released on a monthly basis and go immediately. So much so that after 8 trips to Milan, I’ve still never seen it. Tickets then get gradually re-released so just keep an eye on the website. There’s a number of other Da Vinci themed things to do here too, like his private vineyards.

If you take Via Dante from the Piazza Duomo and walk around ten minutes (plenty of watering holes to break this up) then you’ll end up by the largest Inter Store, but more importantly there’s a big castle and large open air park at the top there. Perfect for a romantic stroll and some Instagrammable pics if you’re combining the football with a trip for the other half!

See if you can spot the flamingos kept in a private garden in the “posh end” of Milan too. Head to Palastro on the Metro and walk to Via Cappuccini, they’re just sat there grazing in a garden there. Quite bizarre.

That’s really it, like I’ve mentioned before, Milan isn’t a party city, nor is it a particularly busy city for tourist attractions. Milan is there to self indulge. The food and drink is great, the shopping is wonderful and the football is the heartbeat. It’s a city I’ve been to many times and each time I come back much more refreshed than when I went, which isn’t true of a lot of city breaks.

Take some time for yourself, do a bit of shopping, a bit of sight seeing, then eat some great food and sip on a cold beer and watch the world go by. All before taking in a match at the San Siro.

3rd Oct 2025
Forgotten Giants: Vicenza – Calcio’s Forgotten Fairytale
In the late 1990s, a small club from the Veneto region etched its name into calcio folklore. They beat Napoli to lift the Coppa Italia. They almost knocked Chelsea out of Europe. And then… they disappeared.

This is the story of L.R. Vicenza — a club that dreamed big, defied the odds, and left a legacy far greater than their trophy cabinet suggests.

Founded in 1902, L.R. Vicenza is one of Italy’s oldest clubs. Based in the historic city of Vicenza, they’ve always been seen as a classic “provinciale” — a small, local side often bouncing between Serie A and B. Their home, the Stadio Romeo Menti, holds just over 12,000 but has witnessed moments that rival even the grandest stages in Italian football.

For decades, Vicenza quietly survived in the shadows of northern giants like Milan, Inter, and Juventus — until one unforgettable season changed everything.

In 1995, under the tactical guidance of Francesco Guidolin, Vicenza were promoted to Serie A and quickly became Italy’s surprise package. They played compact, organized football with bursts of creativity, led by key figures such as Uruguayan striker and cult hero Marcelo Otero, the safe hands of Giorgio Sterchele and the attacking duo of Giovanni Cornacchini and Alessandro Iannuzzi.

The next season, in 1996-97 they would embark on a magical run to the Coppa Italia final, beating the likes of Bologna and Genoa on the way to facing Napoli. Vicenza would lose the first leg at San Paolo 1-0, but at home three weeks later they completed a stunning turnaround in front of a raucous home crowd. Goals from Giovanni Cornacchini, Maurizio Rossi, and Alessandro Iannuzzi secured a 3–0 win after extra time — and with it, their first major trophy in 95 years of existence.

In the age of Batistuta, Baggio, and Del Piero, it was Vicenza that lifted silverware. A provincial club, built on heart and discipline, had conquered the cup.

As Coppa Italia winners, Vicenza qualified for the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. And incredibly, they didn’t just make up the numbers — they lit up the continent.
- Beat Shakhtar Donetsk and Roda JC to reach the semi-finals.
- Drew English powerhouse Chelsea in the final four.
In the first leg at the Stadio Menti, Pasquale Luiso scored the winner to give Vicenza a 1–0 lead. Chelsea, loaded with stars like Gianfranco Zola, Gustavo Poyet, and Mark Hughes, were stunned.

But at Stamford Bridge in the second leg, Vicenza’s European dream fell apart. Goals from Poyet, Zola, and Hughes sent Chelsea through 3–1 on aggregate. It was heartbreak — but Vicenza had shown Europe what they were capable of.

Just one year later, however, in the 1998–99 season, Vicenza were relegated from Serie A.

Key players left, financial difficulties crept in and over the next decade, the club bounced between Serie B and C, with ownership instability and budget issues mounting.

The final blow came in 2018, when the club was declared bankrupt and lost its professional status. After over a century of history, Vicenza Calcio was no more.

In the wake of the collapse, a new entity was formed: L.R. Vicenza Virtus, following a merger with nearby club Bassano Virtus. While technically a new club, it carries the same badge, colours, and loyal fanbase.

They returned to Serie B in 2020, and though they were relegated again in 2022, the passion remains.

Stadio Romeo Menti still echoes with memories of Otero’s goals and that famous win over Napoli. And Vicenza’s story continues — not in the headlines, but in the hearts of calcio romantics everywhere.

In an era before oil money and inflated sponsorships, clubs like Vicenza could still write fairy tales. With tactical discipline, local pride, and passionate fans, they showed that in Italian football, anything was possible.

Today, we remember them not because they became a giant — but because, for one brief, beautiful moment, they stood toe-to-toe with giants and didn’t flinch.

“Do you remember Vicenza’s fairytale run in the ‘90s? Should Serie A do more to protect its provincial clubs?”

Drop your memories or thoughts in the comments below — or tag us on X @EnglishCalcio and Instagram @calcioenglish.
9th Jul 2025
Calcio Weekender: Day 3, Bologna

Here it is then, finally, the long awaited part three to the Calcio weekender review! After two days in Bologna, it was time to actually spend a day there. With no travelling to be done for this match, there’s a bit of tourism writing here!

Bologna had never really ever occurred to me as a tourist destination. Sure you go to Milan, Rome, Sicily, Turin – but Bologna? Short of being the home of bolognese, I didn’t really know anything about it.

Well hold on to your hats folks, because it turns out it’s bloody beautiful. Not as hustly and bustly as some of the bigger cities I mentioned earlier, Bologna is chilled. A perfect place to spend a day sat outside cafes with a coffee watching the world go by.

Not that there’s nothing to do there. Isabelle and I left the apartment with a clear plan of our day after a quick Google. We had plans, we’d researched what we were going to do, so what could go wrong?

Well. It was Monday by now. Despite the fact I was off work, booked annual leave and wasn’t supposed to be contactable, I work in sales so I’m never really off the clock other than weekends or Christmas. And sure enough, I was awoken by the sound of my work mobile going off. A crisis for one of my customers that needed sorting.

Cue an entire morning of back and forth phone calls with the customer and my office, with Isabelle’s face increasingly more fuming as the minutes passed! Don’t get me wrong, being sat in my office dealing with the crisis wouldn’t have been anywhere near as nice as sitting in a cafe Piazza Maggiore dealing with it.

Crisis resolved, I was marched back to the apartment by Isabelle to deposit the work phone and focus on her and Bologna. That’s where I noticed I still had Andrea’s sons fan card from Parma a few days before. Surely not, what a ballache!

A quick phone call, and I had an address to send it to. But no stationary to send it with and no idea how to send it. I figured it must be easier to post in Italy than when I get home so Isabelle and I set off for the nearest Post Office.

Now if you think UK/US post offices are a nightmare, at least you speak the language. PostItalia in Bologna was at least air conditioned but that’s where the positives end. When my number was called I approached the desk and opened with my best, “Ciao, Inglese??”. To be met with a firm shake of the head. Well how the fuck are we going to do this?

Turns out there’s no phone signal or free WiFi in this particular branch so speaking into Google translate is out. No amount of gesturing to the fan card, then to the address on my screen was working. Shouting “SEND” or “POST” while doing it wasn’t working either.

Finally, the bloke in the next booth was done with his client and apparently spoke some English and came to help. It cost me roughly €5 all in for the envelope and postage and I swiftly sent the tracking number to Andrea and wished him all the best in receiving because who knows if it’s making it there!

Well, it’s time to enjoy our day in Bologna, surely. We head straight for Le Due Torre, a large tower sticking out of the ground made of the local red brick. Nowadays it sticks out like a sore thumb but apparently in Bologna’s heyday there were loads of these towers all over town.

Le Due Torre

As we arrive, there’s a notice on the door, it’s closed for renovations while we’re out of season. Of course it is. Now what? Back to Google. The Clock Tower is open, over in Piazza Maggiore. Looks like that’s the plan.

We head over and finally greeted with a bit of good luck. It’s open and tickets aren’t ridiculously priced. It’s a shame there’s no lift to the top, but Italy is a country with many old buildings so I didn’t really expect one. I’m not a man exactly built for lots of stairs but the Clock Tower breaks it up nicely with art exhibitions on each floor so it’s not just constant climbing. The views from the top are great, over Piazza Maggiore, the entire city and over to the hills outside of town.

Your guides in this journey

There’s just sight of the evening entertainment too, right over in the distance you can catch a glimpse of the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. Home of Bologna FC since 1927. Tonight Isabelle and I are finishing our Calcio epic at Bologna v Napoli, an exciting prospect in a Serie A season where Napoli are chasing down Inter (they eventually succeeded, spoiler alert) and Bologna are pushing hard for a return to the Champions League (they fell away late and didn’t make it).

First, we need some lunch and it was time to embrace a tradition for Isabelle and I. Some people also partake, some people think we’re mad to do it in Italy. But we always, wherever we visit across the World, always, have a McDonald’s one day for lunch. For those who don’t know, the menus in McDonald’s are wildly different all over the World so we always insist on seeing what each country offers that the UK doesn’t.

Sorry…

On this occasion, Italy didn’t really offer anything more exciting that being able to have a beer with my meal, my favourite thing about European McDonald’s. I went for a spicy chicken burger of some description while Isabelle went for her favourite food of all time, wings – something else unavailable in the UK.

Our afternoon was spent exploring the rest of the town fairly aimlessly, basically walking around flitting from bar to bar, it’s matchday and I’m English so obviously beer is required. It’s also always required when there’s a city with the ambience and weather of Bologna.

When I tell you this city is beautiful, there’s no lie, it is gorgeous. The architecture on nearly every building is unique and ornate. I’ve no doubt that if I headed out of the centre to the outskirts I’d see the normal high rise flats built in the 1970s, but I’ve rarely seen a city centre like this.

We stumbled across the Finestrella. A small canal running along a street in Bologna, and rather cheekily named “Little Venice” locally. It’s literally one canal so I’m not sure it can rival Venice, or even Milan’s Navigli area! There’s a small window in a wall that opens out onto the street, but there was an awful long queue of travel influencers queuing up to take videos of the window opening to a trending audio. If you head across the road there’s an equally good view which is below.

Finestrella

As we edged closer to match time, I decided we should get some dinner. Kick off was at 9pm so around 5pm I thought we should eat and begin our journey to the ground. The stadium is around a 30/40 minute walk and I had designs on pub crawling down there!

We ate at Sfoglia Rina on a few recommendations. There’s no reservations so expect to queue, but we weren’t waiting longer than ten minutes for a table. Sfoglia Rina all feature fresh pasta made on site and is a popular place with locals and tourists alike. There’s one large table in the middle where different groups can all sit together. Not really my thing, so we plumped for a small table for two on the outside.

Isabelle was keen to have a proper Bologna bolognese and went for the Taglietelle Bolognese Ragout, which was delicious and I had the Gramigna with Sausage Ragout. It was absolutely fantastic. A great meal to end our time in Italy.

Tasted better than it looked!

After the meal, we popped into the Celtic Druid Irish Pub around the corner, we’d been in a couple of times when returning from the other cities and I knew there was a lot of Bologna FC themed decoration and figured there’d be some fans in pre-match.

I wasn’t wrong and the atmosphere was lively. I love the way Italians talk so expressively and with their hands. Even though I don’t know what they’re saying, I can pick out footballer and team names, there’s so much discussion on the previous weekends Calcio going on here.

We have a couple of pints here and begin the long trek to the ground, stopping at a few pubs along the way. The amount of people on the street increases the closer we get and there’s a few livelier fan bars here. In one I’m immediately accused of being “Napolista” because I’m different to them. I refer him to the fact I’m English and show Isabelle’s scarf bought earlier at the club shop in the City Centre and I’m immediately bought a sambuca and welcomed. I’m not sure how many more sambucas I can take.

When we head to the ground it’s about half an hour before kick off, and this is a mistake. The beautiful old facade to the stadium is also the only entry point to that stand, which is where our tickets were. There’s only two gates and two long queues stretch in either direction and in a very Italian way there’s absolutely no organisation. The queue is carnage, absolute chaos. It’s anarchy. The Brit in me breaks out in a cold sweat.

The other uniquely Italian thing about the queue is across the road from it, it is easily the biggest moped parking area I’ve ever seen. It raises a smile in me, this is a unique country and I love it.

Italy…

We eventually get into the ground about 5 minutes before kick off and head to our seats and we’re confronted with another Italianism of football matches. Just because your ticket has a seat number on it, unless you get in early don’t expect to be able to sit there.

It’s every man for himself and we arrive to our seats to see them filled with Napoli fans. Again, in Italy it’s very common for away fans to sit in any area of a stadium and not just the allocated away section. You won’t find them in the ultras section obviously, but they’re generally accepted. If you’re watching your team as an away team in the home end, just don’t rub it in if you’re winning. You’re allowed to cheer the goals, but not excessively, then sit down and shut the fuck up is basically the rules.

Chaos reigns in the queue…

Even last year at the Milan derby I was sat with both Inter and Milan fans who were chatting about the game together.

Anyway, the section we’re in is crazy, the game is sold out so rather than go in the hunt for two seats together, we plonk ourselves down on the stairs with a few others and watch the first half. Napoli take the lead after 18 minutes through Anguissa. It’s a scrappy goal that started with some nice football and Anguissa going through 1v1. The goalkeepers attempt to close him down results in a messy “rounding” of the keeper by Anguissa who taps in as he’s falling over.

No one in a Napoli shirt cares how good or scrappy the goal is though, and they’re up. Flares are lit and the noise cranks up a level in the ground. Bologna aren’t in the game and they’re in danger of being overrun here. Napoli can smell blood after Inter’s draw on Saturday.

Napoli fans all over the ground celebrate taking the lead…

Half time comes and Isabelle and I have noticed a smattering of empty seats right down at the front, so we head there (via the bar). Down in position right in the front row, we strike up conversation with a half drunk guy next to us. He’s Scottish and travelling Italy watching football, and came to this game to see the obvious Scott McTominay, but also last season’s best midfielder winner Lewis Ferguson who turns out for Bologna.

As the second half gets underway Bologna have decided to play. They’re much more positive, much more decisive and much quicker. The Napoli section quietens down and the Bologna ultras step it up. They’re rewarded in the 64th minute when Dan Ndoye scores a quite audacious goal. Meeting a cross from the left he flicks it through his own legs with his heel, the ball rising to meet the underside of the bar and settle in the back of the net.

Dan Ndoye celebrates his equaliser…

They deserve the equaliser and there’s absolute pandemonium. Suddenly Conte’s team look happy with their point and there’s a ten minute spell where they look like they won’t get it. Eventually, the game settles back down and rather peters out in the final few minutes. Napoli have done a good job of killing the momentum Bologna were enjoying.

All told, the point is probably deserved. It’s not terrible for Napoli who saw Inter also drop points. And it kind of helps Inter out too. As we leave the ground with our new Scottish friend in tow, there’s a row of buses waiting and we hop straight on one heading for the City Centre.

We depart the bus outside the Celtic Druid pub and head in for a nightcap. The trip to Italy is coming to an end and tomorrow I’ll be hungover in an airport heading for home. It’s been three fantastic days and we haven’t seen one team win a game, witnessing three draws. I guess that’s almost appropriate for a country whose entire football identity is built on strong defence.

Writing these reviews of the long weekend have done nothing to quench my thirst to get back out to Italy and watch some more Calcio. I was over there 4 times last season and it wasn’t enough. As I mentioned back in part one, in my opinion Italy does food, beer, football (and women) better than anyone in the world and I think it comes from passion. Watch an Italian talk to another person and there’s passion oozing out of them, they apply the same to cooking, their football, to everything. Last week the fixtures for 2025/26 were released and I’m already planning trips.

13th Jun 2025
Calcio Weekender: Central Italy, 3 matches in 3 days. Part 1.

As the blog begins, it seems that I should lend some credibility to my self proclaimed “expertise” in Italian football. And like every other love story, it came about with falling in love with an experience rather than an individual. The weekend in question is one of my most recent experiences, but by far the most varied so it seemed like the best place to start. This blog will cover day one, so look out for days two and three coming…

In early April I travelled for “just another” Calcio weekender with my 15 year old daughter Isabelle in tow. I guess that makes us a little unique too, most people go to matches with their mates or their son, I take a 15 year old girl. Anyone who knows anything about 15 year old girls will know that spending time with Dad isn’t always viewed as cool and they certainly don’t appreciate early starts and late finishes! But God bless her, my kid Isabelle goes with it and I tend to pay for it the couple of days after we’ve returned.

Pizza and beer and football are three of my favourite things and I think the Italians do them all better than most of Europe.

So I earmarked the first weekend in April. Inter were away at Parma, which is not a million miles from Bologna. Bologna is easily accessible with Ryanair via London Stansted and the rail network in Italy meant that we had easy access to Parma. Further to this, Bologna would play Napoli the same weekend. With both Inter and Napoli chasing a Scudetto I knew there was no chance Italian TV schedules would allow the games to be on the same day.

£55 later and Isabelle and I have return flights booked from Stansted to Bologna. Ok, £55 is stretching it a bit, I added prebooked seats, fast track security and a checked bag for us to share so it was more like £200 between us. But come on, £100 a head to get to Italy and back in relative comfort once I’d added everything on? I can’t go to Manchester from London for that!

My go to when travelling is always Airbnb. I don’t really know why, hotels are great, especially if you can get breakfast included. I just like the local experience and those apartment buildings in Italy are a great authentic experience. We chose one on Via Pescherie Vecchie just off the central Piazza Maggiore. Naturally, with Ryanair and a night flight, it was late so we didn’t arrive at the apartment until 1:30am on Saturday morning, but whatever, we’re on holiday. Who cares?

The check in was so easy, there was a lockbox that I had a code to, we opened it and found the apartment key and let ourselves in. The place was “cosy” but again, who cares, we’re only sleeping here.

The ambience at 1:30am betrayed the ambience for the rest of our trip. At check in we were completely alone, waking up at 8am we were atop a busy bustling market street with Parma ham, parmesan and coffee the main wares being sold. Truly, it was fantastic, the sights and smells of Italy right there, absorbed in the culture. What else was there to do but head for a coffee in the Piazza. Honestly, sat there with my daughter with a cappuccino in the sun, picking at a croissant I have never felt so anti-Brexit. Europe is fantastic, what the hell were we doing leaving this place??

The chilled start to the day belied what was to follow. Saturday was the day of Parma v Inter. We still had to get to Parma, then we had to find tickets. Shit, I never mentioned, I still had no tickets for the main game we came to see! I’d tried online, surely I would secure a Parma ticket? They hadn’t sold out all season! Bullshit, they sold this game out immediately. No ticket. Well, there’s always a chance on the day…

The next best thing was paying slightly over the odds on Vivaticket. Secondary reselling sites are common in Italy and mostly they’re ok to be trusted. You’ll pay more than you would directly to the club, but if you’re desperate to see the game it’s a really good option. The only problem here was, nothing was hitting the website!

Now we reached desperation time. I joined every Parma fan group on Facebook. It must be possible, people must be surely not travelling to the game who have season tickets. Surely they’ll help out a foreigner in need?? Surely??

For about a week before the match I hit nothing but brick walls. But fuck it, I could travel to the game and surely find someone selling there? Isabelle and I set off for Parma from Bologna station, for a mere €14 each return. This is something I need to praise Italy for. The transport system is a joke compared to the rest of Europe. It’s cheap and it’s more often than not on time. Don’t get me wrong, try to get to Como in peak summer season and the trains arrive whenever they feel like it, but I’ve had nothing but broadly positive experiences on Trenitalia. I tend to use the English website to buy my tickets and just download them to my phone, but the big stations have super helpful staff who all speak your language and will help. Definitely don’t get caught without a ticket though! The wrong ticket’s fine, your ignorance as a tourist will be accepted, but having no ticket is a problem!

Anyway, 1h10 minutes or so later, Isabelle and I are pulling into Parma and the first thing we see is the Inter team bus parked up at a hotel opposite the station. We hang around for a bit, hoping for photo opportunities that never materialise before jumping in a cab to the ground. We’d hoped to explore Parma a bit but the tickets are more pressing. It’s a shame because Parma looks magnificent.

As we arrive at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, there’s hustle and bustle everywhere. But no one selling tickets! We hang around the shop, the ticket office and are informed that maybe by 3pm there’ll be some returns for sale. Not exactly promising. I increase my desperation to the Facebook Groups – “Please, I’m English, I’ve only travelled for the game” – but no response. Well, we have three hours, so let’s go grab lunch.

Easy as pie in Italy, avoid anything touristy looking and you’re getting a fantastic meal for next to nothing. The food is incredible in this country, always has been, always will be. It’s the first thing that always comes to mind when you think of Italy; pasta and pizza. So true to form, we drop into the first place we walk past and Oh My God look at this pizza below! Parma Ham and Parmigiana! That, in the sun with a cold beer and the world of work felt a million miles away!

Then suddenly a breakthrough… a message on Facebook, from a knight in shining armour! It was a simple message, “I have a woman ticket. 14 year old ok”. First I’d ever heard of a woman’s only ticket, but then there was a pin dropped to a pub around half a mile from the ground. And this is where it gets interesting. Really interesting!

Isabelle and I set off immediately on foot towards the pub, Google Maps reckons 25 minutes but I’m half running. We pass the ground and are now heading in the opposite direction, please god please!

On the final stretch a truly bizarre encounter. As we wander up the road, a VERY familiar figure walks out in front of us. No, surely it isn’t? It is, someone else just asked for a photo… “Lilian!” I shout, “A picture?”

Somehow, in this little back street cut through in Parma, I’ve bumped into former Parma and Juventus player and French World Cup Winner Lilian Thuram. His son now plays for Inter so it makes sense he’d be in attendance for this match. A lovely bloke, with very little English, he happily posed for photos with Isabelle and I before we head off to the pub.

As we approach the pub, it’s clear this is a testosterone charged environment. This is the Ultras. Mattia greets Isabelle and I at the door and ushers us in, I duly buy him a pint.

Now, the Ultras have a very mixed reception in Italy and Europe. Viewed on by some as nothing more than hooligans, but by others – including themselves – as the life blood of the club. They travel to every match, they rally the team when required, they organise charity events and they fill the stadium with noise and get every chant going. And yes, they fight each other.

It’s a complicated relationship that clubs have with their Ultras and the other fans at the clubs, which I won’t go into in any great detail here but if you want to know more, Tobias Jones’ book Ultra is a great insight into their World.

One thing I will say is, if you turn up and you’re ready to get involved and be part of their World – you cannot wish to meet a friendlier and more welcoming bunch. Immediately a Sambuca shot is thrust into my hand, a scarf wrapped around my neck and I’m welcomed.

Their English is probably only slightly better than my Italian and conversation is limited to saying names like “Gianfranco Zola” and everyone nodding and cheering. Mattia brings over his friend Andrea, an absolute tree of a man, who hugs me and welcomes me.

I explain the ticket predicament to him, “No problem”, he says, “we can get you in”. Pints downed, we march off the four of us to the ground, Mattia on his pushbike, and I’m handed Andrea’s son’s season card and his ID. Apparently I’m going to be passing for a 12 year old boy. Andrea explains that I just need to keep my thumb over the picture, “the only check the name matches”. Surely, surely, this isn’t going to work.

As we arrive at the Tardini, the throng of people at the gates parts and we are ushered to the front. Andrea must be a big deal I figure, and even more so when none of our tickets are even checked, we’re ushered into the ground. I hand over – as agreed – a €50 note to Mattia and he takes us into the underbelly of the huge open Kop behind the goal. Again, the queues part and we are handed a beer each, more people come to kiss Andrea on each cheek – yep, he’s the guy here.

Mattia takes Isabelle and I into the stand in the last few minutes before kick off and it is absolute pandemonium in there. People are everywhere, there are far more people than there’s space for and we take our place a third of the way up a staircase. There’s no stewards or security inside this stand, another quirk of the Ultras sections – the club expects them to self police. Largely it works. Yeah it’s over subscribed and there’s a strong smell of weed around, but there’s good vibes only here.

As the game kicks off, no one is paying any attention whatsoever. The young lads down at the front are on their perch, back to the pitch facing the crowd, megaphone to their mouths starting every chant. Flags everywhere wave around, we can only catch glimpses of the match through the singing, jumping, flags and general party vibe. Football is secondary today to everyone just getting together and catching up on their weeks. Perhaps it’s not always like this, Inter are top and Parma scrapping to survive, so defeat is generally accepted before a ball was even kicked.

And sure enough, Darmian gives Inter the lead after 15 minutes and the away section erupts behind the opposite goal. Right on half time, Thuram doubles Inters’ lead with potentially one of the worst goals he’ll ever score. And no one noticed. The noise never stopped, the singing never stopped, the flags never stopped. They’re here to support their team, not to react to a setback.

In the second half a new Parma emerge, pulling a goal back on the hour before equalising on 69 minutes from Ondrejka. And you can bet your life that there were spectacular scenes on the equaliser. Limbs everywhere, people falling downstairs, beers being hurled in the air, pure delirium, this was a brilliant display of emotion and it was impossible not to raise a smile for them. Ultimately they deserved it, they fought right until the end and Inter were poor. The game ended in a draw, this was to be the theme of the weekend, 2-2 but it felt like a victory for Parma. They deserved it.

As we filtered out of the stadium, I joined my new friends back at the same bar and we had a few more beers and sambucas, posed for photos and exchanged numbers to become friends for life. Every now and again I still get a text from Andrea after a matchday and we briefly speak to each other in broken English about football. One day they want to join me in Gillingham for a match, I think they’ll be disappointed by the atmosphere.

I sat on the 10pm train back to Bologna with Isabelle and shared a smile with no words as we ate kebab. This was everything we loved about travelling to Italy to watch football, the experiences, the dashing around, the new friends, the atmosphere and the crazy games. And, above all, it’s only day one. There’s two days left yet…

7th Jun 2025