Italy has long held on to its crown as a top tourist destination. Millions of people globally travel to see the Colosseum, walk in the streets of the ancient Roman city of Pompei and pose at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This European nation is blessed with splendid landscapes and magnificent sites. Its rich history and heritage further add to its tourism appeal. It’s no wonder it sits highly on many people’s bucket lists.
However, a famous side of this vibrant nation remains relatively underexplored. Rarely do tourists visit its legendary stadiums to watch football matches. Italy’s footballing prowess is well-known around the world. In 2006, the Gli Azzurri affirmed this and carried home the World Cup trophy with odds of (19/2). And more recently, the Italian national team defeated England in Wembley to win the 2020 Euros.
Italy’s football heritage goes beyond the high-flying national team. The local top-flight league boasts of being among the top five leagues in Europe. This past June, the famous FC Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan) narrowly missed taking back the glory to the country when they faced Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final, falling 1-0 to the English giants.
Don’t worry if you missed that exciting match, as October promises a galore of Italian football matches you can catch for an unforgettable experience.
You can hardly ease in for a competitive contest such as Serie A. The fixtures will throw you right in the deep end. Juventus will travel to Gewiss Stadium to open in October to take on a familiar yet fierce opponent in Atalanta.
Juventus will seek to restore its fading dominance in the league, especially after last season's disastrous campaign. Juventus missed out on the prestigious Champions League for the first time in over a decade. On the other hand, Atalanta will be looking to redeem themselves from their mixed fortunes this season.
Where you’re in Rome, do as the Romans do! Well, locals will troop to the Estadio Olimpico De Roma and cheer their lungs out for their beloved Roma. You, too, should be part of the maroon brigade. Under the stewardship of the legendary coach Jose Mourinho, Roma is a new team. Playing in the Olympic Stadium, with Roma’s passionate fans, is not something that rival clubs fancy.
So, join them on the first weekend of October as they welcome Frosinone. This should be a pleasure to watch, as Roma will be throwing all they've got to right the ship. The season has not gone as planned as they’ve managed only a single win and conceded a whopping 12 goals in five games. This is a dismal record for the European League finalists.
Can the “special one” help turn the tide? Answer this from the stands.
In this beauty of a city famous for the Renaissance, Cagliari will come searching for their mojo at the Artemio Franchi Stadium. Well, it could prove arduous that you should witness as their hosts, Fiorentina, are in fine form. The hosts sit only five points away from the top of the table and seem determined to hold onto their spot.
On the other hand, victory has been elusive for Cagliari, which may spell doom. They have to move upwards as the further they slide to the bottom, the louder relegation and Serie B calls.
Even if you know next to nothing about football, you must have heard of Diego Maradona: The legendary Argentinian forward hailed as one of the best talents to step on the pitch. He’s now departed, but you could feel his soul as you watch Napoli entertain Fiorentina at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium. As you’ve correctly guessed, it was renamed in honor of the Argentinian star, who led Napoli to two Serie A titles, an Italian Super Cup and a UEFA Cup. Previously, it was referred to as the San Paolo Stadium.
One of the top five most thrilling things to do in Naples, Italy, could be to watch a game here. Napoli supporters are passionate and love their team. As the current title holders, excitement is still in the air, and the belief that they can hold on to the prestigious trophy gives fans more reason to cheer.
Fanhood builds up team loyalty, which then turns into heated rivalry. This is particularly true for the household names that’ll face off in match week nine. AC Milan will host Juventus at the famous San Siro stadium in a can’t-miss event.
AC Milan is a few points behind their bitter city rivals Inter Milan. So they don’t want to lose any ground lest they jeopardize their title race this early. On the other hand, Juventus feels they should also be part of the conversation. After all, they have been lording the Serie A for the better part of the decade. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as these football giants throw all they have got at each other.
It would be unfair to witness all but the current league leaders play. This season, Inter Milan has a newfound charm that’s helping them tear apart their opponents. They’ve had an immaculate start to the season and have effortlessly zoomed past their opponents.
Coincidentally, the schedule saved the best fixtures for last. In the last week of October, the UEFA Champions League finalists will host the UEFA Europa League finalists. They’ll be looking to assert their title charge when they host Roma at San Siro on the last weekend of October.
Fun fact: they share a stadium with their rivals, AC Milan. Will they lose ground, or will they supercharge their title hopes? While Roma has had a fledgling start, seeing if they can rise from the ruins will be interesting. You can’t possibly skip this one.
If there were just one month to experience Italian football as a tourist, it would be October. The fixtures will give you unfiltered access to the electrifying performances on the pitch and the raw emotions in the rafters.
You’ll witness heartbreak stemming from losses in hotly contested games and untold ecstasy when beloved teams turn their fortunes around or continue their dominance. If there’s a core memory to have, it’s this one. You can’t capture it well enough in pictures or television. It’s a story best told through immersion.
