Getting soaked in Florence...

Fiorentina 2-1 Carpi

Stadio Artemio Franchi

Wednesday 3rd February 2016

Serie A

Inside Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Florence is without doubt one of the most magnificent, charming and delightful cities in Europe. 

Regardless or whether you visit the city centre, officially listed as a World Heritage Site, the fabulous Michelangelo Monument for a stunning panoramic view, or just casually stroll around the many narrow streets, you can't help to be blown away by some brilliant architecture.

Tuscany is definitely up there with Barcelona, Berlin and Lisbon as one of my favourite destinations in Europe.

Duomo in Florence's historic centre.

With some careful planning, I'd timed my trip to this particular part of the world to coincide with a visit to the Stadio Artemio Franchi - the home of AC Fiorentina and a place where UFO's were allegedly spotted over half a century ago - a true story and definitely one that's worth a Google Search when you have a spare five minutes.

Another photo in Florence's historic city centre.

The stadium is located on the outskirts of the city; roughly three miles from the historic 'Duomo' and Santa Maria Novella railway station which serves numerous other major Italian cities.

I'd arrived in Florence (or Firenze as it's called in Italian) just after 1.00pm after a relaxing coach journey from Rome which cost just 50p thanks to Megabus.

The narrow streets of Florence.

One thing that potential visitors to Florence may not be aware of is the city doesn't have a particularly extensive local transport system - there are service buses which run, apparently, but these weren't easy to locate and precisely what routes they operate is anyone's guess. Furthermore, unlike most other major European tourist destinations, there isn't a tram or metro system in place so the most straightforward way to get from A to B is to walk.

With that in mind, having strolled through Santa Maria Novella railway station; the Megabus stop in Piazzale Montelungo is adjacent, I acquired a map from the local tourist office and then spent most of the afternoon exploring some of the brilliant architecture - gradually meandering towards the Stadio Artemio Franchi which was right beside my accommodation for the night, too.

Florence - a magnificent city and one of my favourite in Europe.

If you're of a certain age, there is a strong possibility that you spent some Saturday's morning watching Gazzetta: Football Italia on Channel Four. Therefore, I couldn't resist nipping into a swanky looking restaurant and indulging in some local cuisine with a copy of Gazzetta Dello Sport whilst wondering all the while whether James Richardson had ever done the same during one of his, no doubt several, trips here.

Outside the stadium - before the rain arrived.

After checking into my accommodation and chilling out by listening to a local radio station (where I realised that Italian folk seem to be just as obsessed with Adele as the rest of Europe), time passed quickly and the game itself was only an hour or so away.

Due to several acts of football-related hooliganism in the country in recent years, the Italian authorities have imposed strict regulations on the purchasing of tickets. To obtain a ticket, you'll need to have either your passport or an identity card, both at the time of purchase and at the security points where your ticket will be checked by the police. If the name on the match ticket doesn't correspond with the name on your photographic form of identity, the likelihood is you'll be denied access to the stadium and won't get to see the game.

Italian stadiums aren't the best in Europe by any means.

As a result of these measures, which were brought in a few years ago, attendances at Italian games have plummeted with many fans feeling resentment towards the authorities; accusing them of treating football fans as second-class citizens. This particular game only attracted a crowd of 22,791 and attendances elsewhere, even at bigger clubs such as AC Milan, sometimes aren't even big enough to fill half the crowd.

Another gripe, harboured by many Italian supporters, is that most of the country's stadiums are run down, depressed, lack covered sections and are absolutely filthy. Nearly every stadium in the country is council-owned and many haven't seen much in the way of modernisation for a very long time - the most notable of very few exceptions being Juventus, whose newly-built ground is privately-owned.

Looking out of the stadium and onto the streets.

It's unsurprising, therefore, that the Stadio Artemio Franchi was somewhat disappointing. A ticket in the uncovered Curva De Sud (behind the goal) cost just over €20. The pitch seemed miles away and it was reminiscent of the old Don Valley Stadium, where Rotherham United played for four years between leaving Millmoor and taking up residence at the New York Stadium.

That, by the way, is probably the only time Rotherham will ever get compared to Fiorentina!

The game itself looked as if it would be straightforward enough for the hosts. Viola were challenging to climb into a Champions League position and lowly Carpi, described at the time as 'the Yeovil Town of Italian Football', were struggling near the foot of Serie A.

Fans brave the terrible weather at Stadio Artemio Franchi.

There was a bizarre moment as the teams emerged onto the pitch with Status Quo's 'Whatever You Want' blasting out over the PA system. I'd expected a few things, but certainly not that.

As it was, the game was spoiled (certainly from a spectators point of view) by a relentless rainstorm which began five minutes into the game and lasted until nearly the final whistle.

On the pitch, the hosts made a blistering start thanks to a goal from Borja Valero inside the opening two minutes, but in treacherous conditions they couldn't build on that advantage and Carpi drew level thanks to a strike from Kevin Lasagna with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.

My view for the second half as I attempted to keep dry.

With Fiorentina boss Paulo Sousa, one-time of Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City, coming under increasing criticism from a disgruntled crowd, his blushes were spared as Mauro Zarate, signed from West Ham United just a week earlier, scored in injury-time to give Viola a 2-1 win and consign the visitors to a very unfortunate defeat.

The game wasn't a classic and probably won't live long in my memory. However, the weather, or at least getting soaked, is my most vivid recollection.

And at least the Don Valley Stadium had a covered concourse!

The panoramic view of Florence - simply magnificent.