Italy Away - 1st April 2009

[stiffler]

Looks like it could be Genoa!! Our allocation of tickets will be less than 4,000.

Only 100 miles from Milan, also accessible through Stanstead.


Any sources on this?

when do the Italian FA have to officially announce the venue of the game?

[gspain]

Apparently it yesterday's Daily Mail that said maybe Genoa, Turin or Florence. A return to Genoa woul dbe nice. Lovely stadium right in the city centre and fantastic atmosphere.

In reality it could be anywhere in Italy yet.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Apparently it yesterday's Daily Mail that said maybe Genoa, Turin or Florence.
In reality it could be anywhere in Italy yet.

The Daily M*il. Please don't tell us you read that rag?

Otherwise agree with the other sentiments.

[gspain]

The Daily M*il. Please don't tell us you read that rag?

Otherwise agree with the other sentiments.

Honestly I don't but got a call from somebody who does last night asking me if I knew anything about it which I didn't.

No idea where the game will be but if it is not Rome no doubt the travel agents et al will blame the Italians for misleading us into believing it was Rome. They haven't btw. In the same way we were guaranteed to be in Milan for the 1990 WC and Boston in 1994.

I just wish they'd announce it soon.

[Erimusred]

apparently it is not rome

[Claret Murph]

apparently it is not rome

And yes I am apparently confussed as everyone else :confused::confused::confused:

[gspain]

apparently it is not rome

Do you have a source for that?

[Erimusred]

tuff Paddy over on ybig

[Newryrep]

Florence - 47271 capacity

Genoa - 41917 capacity

Turin - 25370 - Stadilo Olympico - capacity

According to world Stadiums

Stadio Del Allpe (71000) being re built ?

Not particularily easy to get in and out of cheaply Tues-Thur

[NeilMcD]

I booked Bologna so if its in Florence it would be perfect. Anywhere but Bari or Naples would be good to be honest.

[Greenforever]

I booked Bologna so if its in Florence it would be perfect. Anywhere but Bari or Naples would be good to be honest.


You wont be on our bus anyway, we're booked for Milan, so genoa would be grand! Hotels booked just in case, strongly advise people to do so just in case, as long as you have no charge for cancellation.

[mrtndvn]

bari would be a nightmare, wish i hadnt of booked those flights now!

[gspain]

tuff Paddy over on ybig


That is hardly a reliable source.

furthermore his reason doesn't stack up as the stadium cost host a champions league semi final and top serie A games after April 1st. Apparently he also started a thread that it was definitely Rome. So he will definitely be right for one of them.

Anyone seen anything from the Italian papers? It is likely their journalists might find out first. Their local papers might pick up something from the clubs.

[DeLorean]

It's a joke. This should have to be announced when the countries meet to decide the fixtures. Still though it is the way it is. Think I'm gonna make a week of it so I'm gonna fly in and out of Rome and if I have to commute somewhere else for the match then so be it.

[NeilMcD]

To be fair I think he posted with the best intentions. He was informed by a good source that it was Rome and that has changed. I agree the best way on these things is often to wait until it is confirmed.

[Colie]

If only they'd just agree to play it in San Marino. I've lost the cheap immitation aviator sunnies I bought in the town & could really use another pair. Bet they cost designer prices everywhere else n all. Better not be on in Milan!

[shakermaker1982]

How come Tuff Paddy doesn't post on here anymore?

[NeilMcD]

Artistic differences.

[LaoisLads]

I've booked flights to bologna; out on the monday and back on the friday so if its rome or anywhere north of rome, it shouldn't be too hard to get to by train. When is the deadline for the Italian F.A. to announce the venue, does anyone know?
And whats the general feeling among most people on here as to where its gonna be, or is it still just guesswork really?..

[NeilMcD]

Guesswork in my opinion.

[jbyrne]

i would think long and hard about booking flights for this one yet. italys a big country and they could put the match anywhere from palermo to milan. they wont take our fans into account when deciding and may even pick a small obscure stadium to keep the away support down

[francesco_1]

Stadio Via del Mare, Lecce October 15, 2008 Q
Stadio Friuli September 10, 2008 Q
Stadio Franchi, Fiorentina May 30, 2008 f
Stadio Braglia, Modena November 21, 2007 Q
Stadio Franchi Arena Montepaschi, Siena October 17,07 (f)
San Siro September 8, 2007 Q
Stadio San Nicola, Bari March 28, 2007 Q Q
Stadio Azzurri d'Italia, Bergamo November 15, 2006 f
Stadio Olimpico, Rome October 7, 2006
Stadio San Paolo, Naples September 2, 2006 Q
All italys last home games.

Qualifer =Q
Friendly = F

It will be some guess work alright

[Kingdom]

Stadio Via del Mare, Lecce October 15, 2008 Q
Stadio Friuli September 10, 2008 Q
Stadio Franchi, Fiorentina May 30, 2008 f
Stadio Braglia, Modena November 21, 2007 Q
Stadio Franchi Arena Montepaschi, Siena October 17,07 (f)
San Siro September 8, 2007 Q
Stadio San Nicola, Bari March 28, 2007 Q Q
Stadio Azzurri d'Italia, Bergamo November 15, 2006 f
Stadio Olimpico, Rome October 7, 2006
Stadio San Paolo, Naples September 2, 2006 Q
All italys last home games.

Qualifer =Q
Friendly = F

It will be some guess work alright


Which works out as Turin and Genoa as the two big cities that haven't had qualifier or friendly recently, and I don't remember Venezia's ground being brilliant either so thats counts that out. Palermo has to be an option looking at that list also. Purely guesswork though.

Lecce
Udine
Florence
Modena
Siena
Milan
Bari
Bergamo
Rome
Naples

[jbyrne]

Which works out as Turin and Genoa as the two big cities that haven't had qualifier or friendly recently, and I don't remember Venezia's ground being brilliant either so thats counts that out. Palermo has to be an option looking at that list also. Purely guesswork though.


genoa would be acceptable but turin is being re-built and juve are playing out of a small stadium at the moment so hope its not there

[Kingdom]

genoa would be acceptable but turin is being re-built and juve are playing out of a small stadium at the moment so hope its not there

Modena, Lecce, and Bergamo are all small capacity's afaik.

[SUB of the day]

In the present global financial climate,surely revenue will be the critical factor in venue choice.Why have 20,000 Paddies locked out of a small provincial venue,when you can sell a 50 ticket to each one instead.I stll feel it will be Milan or Rome.Having booked flights to Bologna, Palermo, Cagliari or Bari would be a disaster.

[viagogo]

In the present global financial climate,surely revenue will be the critical factor in venue choice.Why have 20,000 Paddies locked out of a small provincial venue,when you can sell a 50 ticket to each one instead.I stll feel it will be Milan or Rome.Having booked flights to Bologna, Palermo, Cagliari or Bari would be a disaster.

Theres no way they will be 20000 Irish fans at this match. At most 3-4000.

[Mr Maroon]

There is absolutely no way it'll be in Turin. That can be ruled out.
The Delle Alpi is being rebuilt and the Comunale won't be used for an international.

[jbyrne]

Theres no way they will be 20000 Irish fans at this match. At most 3-4000.

wasnt there about 8,000 at the czech match last sept and that was mid week too. id say something similar for italy

i doubt the italian fa rely on gate receipts too much for income. they seem far more interested in spreading their matches around the cities than filling big stadiums

[gspain]

wasnt there about 8,000 at the czech match last sept and that was mid week too. id say something similar for italy

i doubt the italian fa rely on gate receipts too much for income. they seem far more interested in spreading their matches around the cities than filling big stadiums

I think somewhere between 8,000 and 20,000. Italy is a far bigger game than the Czech match. I don't think there were 8,000 in Prague either as many went home from Bratislava.

A lot will depend on how the tickets are sold. The French sold them over the internet to the Irish and the locals don't normally buy until just before the game. Easily available tickets and a saturday night in Paris contributed to the huge crowd there. We probably had 40,000 fans there.

The venue will also make a difference. If it's Rome (which is one of the world's great cities) then that will attract more fans. If it is someplace like Genoa without direct flights from Ireland then it was be a lot lower.

The credit crunch has to have an effect too. Many just won't be able to afford to travel.

[Sligo Hornet]

I think somewhere between 8,000 and 20,000. Italy is a far bigger game than the Czech match. I don't think there were 8,000 in Prague either as many went home from Bratislava.

A lot will depend on how the tickets are sold. The French sold them over the internet to the Irish and the locals don't normally buy until just before the game. Easily available tickets and a saturday night in Paris contributed to the huge crowd there. We probably had 40,000 fans there.

The venue will also make a difference. If it's Rome (which is one of the world's great cities) then that will attract more fans. If it is someplace like Genoa without direct flights from Ireland then it was be a lot lower.

The credit crunch has to have an effect too. Many just won't be able to afford to travel.

Sadly you're right there gary.....I think after Christmas many a cupboard will be bare!:(

[NeilMcD]

except for those pesky public servants who have loadza money!!!!

[SUB of the day]

Rome Milan Genoa or Florence.At last a statement from the Italian federation,In todays Irish Times . Reading between the lines, capacity, expected Irish support, I feel San Siro is now the favourite

[gspain]

Rome Milan Genoa or Florence.At last a statement from the Italian federation,In todays Irish Times . Reading between the lines, capacity, expected Irish support, I feel San Siro is now the favourite

I don't think they'll take our travelling support into consideration that much. Milan or Rome would be best though as we'd get more tickets.

Article here

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2008/1129/1227828911852.html

Rome might not stage Ireland qualifier

ROME IS no longer favourite to stage the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Italy on April 1st. Although no decision has been made, media speculation yesterday suggests the Olympic Stadium in Rome may not be the venue. writes Paddy Agnew

Two months ago, Rome had looked like the number one choice for the Irish game. But yesterday the Gazzetta dello Sport suggested that, following a visit to Rome by Uefa president Michel Platini, the Italian capital will no longer be the venue.

Platini attended the recent AS Roma v Chelsea Champions League game to check out the stadium with a view to the 2009 Champions League final which is due to be staged there in May.

Although he gave the Olimpico a resounding vote of confidence as the venue for the Champions League final, Platini, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, was concerned about the possibility of "incidents" during the Ireland game little more than one month before the final.

Contacted by The Irish Times yesterday, a spokesman for the Italian Football Federation, Antonello Valentini, denied the Platini-Champions League speculation: "No decision about the Italy v Ireland game has yet been taken. The venue will be decided probably late next month, not before.

"At the moment, there are four candidates - Florence, Genoa, Milan and Rome - and they all still stand. Platini and the Champions League final have nothing to do with the Ireland game."

Under Fifa regulations, national associations are required to name the venue for a World Cup qualifier 90 days before the game. In real terms, the federation has until the end of December to decide on the Ireland game. Even if World Cup qualifiers and Champions League games are different considerations, one suspects that the Olympic Stadium was probably not much helped by Uefa's decision, announced yesterday, to open a case against AS Roma over "the setting off of fireworks and obstruction by spectators of the exits in one section" during the Chelsea game. The case is due to be heard by Uefa's control and disciplinary body on December 11th.

Earlier this month, Eugenio Giani, the sports officer for Florence Town Council, told reporters he was hopeful the Ireland game would be played at the Franchi Stadium. Giani said that, after speaking to both the federation president, Giancarlo Abete, and to Italy coach Marcello Lippi, there was "a concrete possibility" the game would be played in Florence.

Traditionally, the Italian team do not have a national stadium where they play all internationals, but rather go out "on tour". Where there is a guaranteed strong away following, as seems sure in the case of Ireland, the federation opts for one of the bigger stadiums. In that context, the Olympic Stadium's capacity is around 80,000, while the "Franchi" in Florence holds 47,000, the "Ferraris" in Genoa 37,000 and the "Meazza" at San Siro, Milan, 80,000.

Given it is estimated that up to 15,000 Irish fans may travel for next April's qualifier, the Italian federation will choose one of the biggest stadiums available. For example, the recently-built Olympic Stadium in Turin has already been ruled out because it holds only 25,000.

Until a decision on a venue has been made, the federation cannot confirm how many tickets will be available to Irish fans. Valentini, however, does not predict problems on that front, saying that the Italian federation will do all they can to meet the FAI's ticket requirements.

[Greenforever]

Aer Lingus Dublin to Milan Linate mon am flight return from Milan Malpensa thurs evening great value €110 inc taxes. Watch the prices rocket if Milan or Genoa gets the match!

[stiffler]

I still have a funny feeling it will be Rome!!!

[tetsujin1979]

Rome Milan Genoa or Florence.At last a statement from the Italian federation,In todays Irish Times . Reading between the lines, capacity, expected Irish support, I feel San Siro is now the favourite
Trapattoni is a Milan native, and counts AC Milan as his first managerial appointment. Could happen, but I'd imagine he'd get a far harsher welcome in Rome.

[OneRedArmy]

Based on recent experiences in Italy I don't think tickets will be easy to obtain unless got from the FAI.

The Italians have toughened up ground entrance rules a lot in the last couple of years and I would expect anyone trying to get into the Italian end without an Italian ID to be denied entry. No chance of a France-like taking over of the ground.

[gspain]

Based on recent experiences in Italy I don't think tickets will be easy to obtain unless got from the FAI.

The Italians have toughened up ground entrance rules a lot in the last couple of years and I would expect anyone trying to get into the Italian end without an Italian ID to be denied entry. No chance of a France-like taking over of the ground.

AFAIK they haven't been as strict with the national team games. They don't have the same hooligan problems either

I'm told you can just show your passport to buy Serie A tickets. Is this no longer the case?

[The Good Son]

I'm told you can just show your passport to buy Serie A tickets. Is this no longer the case?

This is still the case generally, but 'high risk' games can have restrictions put on them.

[MariborKev]

This is still the case generally, but 'high risk' games can have restrictions put on them.

Yeah, they can demand proof of address etc.

[elroy]

AFAIK they haven't been as strict with the national team games. They don't have the same hooligan problems either

I'm told you can just show your passport to buy Serie A tickets. Is this no longer the case?

I was at an inter game a year ago and the only way to buy tickets was through a bank. Bit bizarre going into a bank to buy tickets. Had to bring my passport and our names were printed on the tickets. Werent asked for id going into the ground though. So buying tickets on internet from an Italian ticketmaster may not happen.

Tickets were great value though €27 and the stadium was rocking.

[Closed Account 2]

There is a rumour going around Radio Italia (italian radio station, like TalkSport) that it will be played in Napoli (n.b. I wouldn't trust what Radio Italia say very much, their sources are usually along the lines of "my mate overheard a conversation on a train").

[pineapple stu]

Napoli's supposed to be a bit of a dump, isn't it?

[gspain]

Napoli's supposed to be a bit of a dump, isn't it?


Went to some games there during the 1990 WC. It was dirty and dangerous then. Haven't been back. Very passionate football fans though.

[jbyrne]

Napoli's supposed to be a bit of a dump, isn't it?

isnt it quite literally a dump at the moment due to a long running binman dispute?

a bit out of date but i think its still an issue...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7418558.stm

[Naitch]

Thinking of booking Milan now, still a bit nervous it will be in Rome though. Anybody know how much the trian from Milan to Rome is? I cant seem to find online

Cheers lads

[Greenforever]

Thinking of booking Milan now, still a bit nervous it will be in Rome though. Anybody know how much the trian from Milan to Rome is? I cant seem to find online

Cheers lads

there's about 30 or 40 booked into Milan Linate on the mon morning, if its not milan we will probably hire a bus to whereever, should be cheap enough.

[Naitch]

Grand stuff will book away now! What day are you guys returning home from Milan?

[Greenforever]

Grand stuff will book away now! What day are you guys returning home from Milan?



Out to Milan Linate Mon Am

Return from milan Malpensa Thurs pm

Both with aerlingus was about €120 all in