10 football stadiums in Italy to know and visit

Italy and Italians under the banner of the tricolor have won successes, raised cups and worn medals, in the sign of a tradition that has lasted for years. Among all sports without a doubt, football is the one that stands out, having become a true mass cultural phenomenon. The game of football is undoubtedly the most famous sport in Italy.

When you think of Italy you think of football, you think of the great world phenomena that have played in the Italian league: Maradona, Platini, Zidane, Van Basten, Cristiano Ronaldo, Totti, Zola, Meazza, among others. Some of these have left their mark on the history of Italian football, an indelible imprint, and we can guess this from the fact that many Italian stadiums bear the name of some of these great champions.

Compared to the European context Italian football stadiums are characterised by 3 determining factors: 

1) A public ownership (only a few clubs have their own stadium); 

2) A fan experience that allows visitors to experience their stadium even without matches; 

3) A high average age, as many stadiums were built so long ago they have retained their original charm but need constant maintenance to cope with strict modernisation regulations.

When travelling, it can almost certainly happen that one finds oneself in a city with a football stadium and every lover of the sport cannot fail to make a stop at the stadium to visit it or at least see it from the outside.

Who hasn't dreamt of stepping on the grass at least once in their life, today Italian's football stadiums are more and more state-of-the-art, equipped with press rooms, trophy rooms, restaurants, bars, guided tours and in some cases even VIP access to meet their champions live.

Whether it is a state-of-the-art stadium or an old one, the fascination remains the same, you go from modernity to history, facilities that were created to excite, welcome, make people hope and rejoice.

Let's see together which are the 10 football stadiums in Italy to know and visit, a must for tourists and lovers of this sport!

Considered one of the warmest and most welcoming stadiums in the world, the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, formerly the Stadio San Paolo, is the home of Napoli. The Maradona bears this name in honour and as a tribute to what can be considered the greatest footballer in history: Diego Armando Maradona.

The Argentinean won two Scudetto, one Uefa Cup, one Italian Super Cup and one Coppa Italia with the Napoli shirt. The Maradona Stadium has a seating capacity of 54,726, making it the fourth largest stadium in Italy after the Meazza in Milan, the Olimpico in Rome and the San Nicola in Bari.

Attending a match at the Maradona Stadium is a magical experience as the Neapolitan fans are considered by many to be unique in the world. For those who want to have a unique experience, the Naples stadium is the right choice and is one of the football stadiums in Italy to know and visit.

In the city of Milan is the San Siro Stadium, located in the San Siro district of Milan. The sports facility also bears the name Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, in honour of the Milanese footballer and former world champion in 1934 and 1938.

Today, the Meazza Stadium is the home of AC Milan and Inter Milan, the scene of Italian and European struggles, the stage for the most beautiful matches in the world, and for this reason it is also known as 'La Scala of football', recalling the name of Milan's La Scala Theatre.

The Meazza Stadium is the largest football stadium in Italy with a capacity of 75,817 spectators. For tourists, fans and the more curious, the stadium is open to all with a Tour in the Legend that allows you to enter the places experienced by the footballers, walk through corridors that have made history, sit on the benches that have hosted the great champions. The tour includes a visit to the museum with the trophy rooms, small surprises for guests and a relaxing moment from the grandstand.

San Siro Stadium Tour - Buy your ticket❯ San Siro Stadium Tour - Buy your ticket❯

This is where the magic happens! Home of Roma and Lazio, the Stadio Olimpico di Roma is the largest sports facility in the Italian capital, the second largest stadium in Italy after the Meazza with a seating capacity of 70,634.

The Olympic stadium of Roma is located within the Foro Italico Park, north of the capital. It is the scene of great home matches such as the derby between Lazio and Roma and of major European matches, and also hosts the Six Nations Rugby Tournament.

There is a tour of the Stadio Olimpico di Roma with access from the Tribuna Monte Mario. Tours must be booked in advance until all available seats are available due to the large number of people wanting to visit the stadium.
The Olimpico is a must-visit football stadium in Italy to visit at least once in a lifetime.

The Juventus Stadium is the home of Juventus. It is one of Italy's most modern and avant-garde football stadiums, on a par with many European sports facilities. It is located between the Vallette and Lucento districts near Continassa, the Juventus team's training centre.

The Juventus Stadium has a capacity of 41,507 spectators, the largest in the Piedmont region and one of the largest in Italy. The stadium was inaugurated in 2011. Being modern, it has all the comforts and features of a state-of-the-art facility that make it unique, to say the least. It is equipped with Skyboxes, 21 bars, 2 restaurants, 8 food courts and many green areas, which makes it sustainable.

Juventus gives fans and enthusiasts the opportunity to visit the stadium through dedicated tours and experiences with a visit to the museum, trophy room, changing rooms, stands and an area equipped for educational and recreational activities for children. Undoubtedly one of the football stadiums in Italy to get to know and visit.

The Friuli Stadium, renamed Dacia Arena for sponsorship reasons, is the home of Udinese. It is located in Friuli in the city of Udine and is one of the most modern stadiums in Italy and Europe. It is newly modernised, which makes it perfect for any kind of event. From a footballing point of view, it has a hybrid playing surface consisting of both natural and synthetic grass, which is resistant to all weather conditions. A rare and developing technology in football stadiums in Italy.

It has a seating capacity of 25,132, which makes it more like a theatre than a stadium. A true football theatre where you can watch matches in total relaxation with every comfort. It is equipped with state-of-the-art turnstiles, electronic eyes that control every side of the stadium to prevent accidents, cameras to monitor the game and of course offers experiences for visitors.

The tour of Udinese's football stadium gives a behind-the-scenes look at Serie A with a guide through the changing rooms, rooms that are only accessible to insiders and players, the gym, press room, grandstand, mixed zone and the tunnel that accompanies the players to the pitch. Everything will be accompanied by a pleasant final surprise. An Italian stadium to get to know and visit both as a tourist and as a football fan during a match.

The Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium, also known as the Gewiss Stadium, is the home of Atalanta, a team from Bergamo. Recently renovated, the Gewiss is one of the most modern football stadiums in Italy. With a seating capacity of 21,300, it is not a giant, but it offers an excellent view of the matches to all those who will find seats in its stands, as it is very close to the green grass.

The renovation works at the Bergamo stadium are making the facility a real gem in every respect. At the completion of the works, the stadium will accommodate 17 commercial activities, both food and non-food, a large car park for those who will attend the matches and for those who just want to visit the stadium as tourists.

To date, it is possible to visit the stadium and the museum with an ad hoc experience, making it a unique Italian football stadium to know and visit.

The San Nicola Stadium is the home of Bari football and as one can easily guess, it is located in the city of Bari. It is the third largest football stadium in Italy with a capacity of 58,270 spectators after the Meazza in Milan and the Olimpico in Rome. It hosts the home matches of one of Italy's hottest fans and is always packed to the brim.

It has a completely unique architectural structure, in fact it was designed by an Italian architectural wizard: Renzo Piano. Because of its shape, it has also been nicknamed 'the spaceship'.

It is a gigantic stadium with the stands separated from each other and an upper roof. Seen from the outside, it looks like a spaceship that has just landed on Apulian soil. The San Nicola Stadium, named after the patron saint of the city of Bari, is one of the 10 football stadiums in Italy to know and visit.