Serie A
Sunday 15th April 2018
Whenever the question is asked 'Who is the most expensive football team to watch?' then Italian giants Juventus can certainly stake a claim for eye-watering ticket prices that makes watching some of the British rip-off merchants seem like a total bargain.
Tickets for their game against Sampdoria last weekend went on general sale at €75 (that's also not including the €5.70 booking/card fee). The cheapest tickets, priced at €35 in the Curva Sud, are seemingly reserved purely for club members/ultras - thus forcing the general public into forking out extortionate amounts to see a game!
Their opponents, Sampdoria, aren't anywhere near as great as they were during their heyday in the 1990s when they were a genuine force to be reckoned with. The Genoa-based outfit aren't going to launch a title challenge anytime in the near future and nowadays, they're basically a mid-table team who might sneak a qualifying berth for the Europa League every now and then.
For the Bianconeri to charge such inflated prices for such opponents is scandalous and, one can only assume, the club has made this decision due to the stadium's relatively low capacity when compared to other clubs of a similar stature across the continent.
Anyway, that's my rant finished on ticket prices. I don't expect the club to take any notice of a mere mortal such as myself, but for anyone reading this and thinking of heading here, it may be worth your while seeing Juventus against an unattractive team such as SPAL, Crotone or Benevento where hopefully prices will be lower.
Failing that, you could always stay in the city centre and go and watch Torino!
The Allianz Stadium is some seven kilometres from the city centre (built on the site as the hugely-unpopular former Stadio Delle Alpi), but it's relatively easy to reach.
The No.9 tram service runs from Porto Nuova station, passing Porto Susa and the Main Bus/Coach Terminus en route, and takes about 30-45 minutes. On matchdays, the service terminates at the stadium itself, whereas on non-matchdays, it finishes in the neighbourhood on the opposite side of the ground - closer to the shopping complex and Juventus Museum. Another option on matchdays, which I opted for, is to take the metro to Bernini (about half a dozen stops from Porto Nuova) and catch the tram from there. Again, this option takes around 30-45 minutes.
Whereas most stadiums in Italy are council-owned bowls in desperate need of redevelopment (and a roof quite often), Juventus are one of the extremely few clubs in the country who outright own their stadium and therefore facilities are much superior to everywhere else.
It'll be a painstakingly slow progress but with A.S. Roma moving out of the Stadio Olimpico to their own smaller-capacity but outright-owned stadium within the next few years, hopefully they can lead the way for a lot of Italian clubs wishing to do the same.
When inside the stadium, it was disappointing that my €90 seat would be classed by some clubs as a restricted view seat as a protective glass shield at the front of the upper tier interfered with the view of the pitch!
Nevertheless, the PA system was probably the loudest that I've heard anywhere (except Rochdale where I once suffered a speaker doing horrendous things to my eardrums one Boxing Day) and a rousing rendition of 'Storia Di Un Grande Amore' certainly made the hairs on the back of neck stand up and made the ticket prices seem just a tiny bit more bearable.
Napoli's draw at AC Milan earlier in the day meant that a win for Juventus would put them six points clear of their title rivals with six games remaining and they subsequently took full advantage.
Sampdoria didn't roll over and make life easy for the hosts, but they simply couldn't deal with the free-flowing Bianconeri juggernaut that has romped to the last five Serie A titles! Yes, they had chances and Gigi Buffon had to make saves, but Juve looked capable of stepping up a gear or two whenever they wanted.
The game-changing moment came just before half-time when Douglas Costa provided Miralem Pjanic and delivered an inch-perfect cross for Mario Mandzukic to finish, which sparked jubilant scenes in the stands as Bianconeri fans danced away to The Fratelli's 'Chelsea Dagger' (goal music that seems to still be popular despite having been around for years now).
Costa was at it again in the second half - providing two further assists for Benedikt Howedes to find the net with a bullet-header, before slipping the ball into the path of Sami Khedira who finished with aplomb with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.
The most disappointing player on the pitch was Paulo Dybala who had one weaving run towards the end of the first half, but subsequently contributed very little else and was replaced midway through the second period.
Why he is so highly rated and sought after by many of Europe's elite clubs remains a mystery. Although he can provide flashes of brilliance, such as in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last season, he's yet to deliver the type of consistency that truly world class players do deliver on a week in, week out basis. It could be argued that his scoring record speaks for itself but surely nowadays a player is expected to deliver more than just goals and the odd flash of creativity? At international level he's yet to find the target and there are even doubts whether he'll be selected by Argentina for the World Cup itself later this year.
With his red card in the first-leg of the recent defeat to Real Madrid and his performance here, scouts from elsewhere could quite easily be having doubts over the thought of what he would actually contribute if he got a move to Manchester United, Barcelona or any other multi-million pound club with aspirations of winning trophies.
All in all, this expensive trip to see 'the best stadium in Italy' wasn't worth the money as the high ticket prices leave a bittersweet taste that would put off a lot of potential visitors, but it was still a pleasure to witness Italy's best domestic team with the best players in the best stadium in the country...
...apart from the roof having gaps in it, which helped you get wet when it rained. Very strange!
Whenever the question is asked 'Who is the most expensive football team to watch?' then Italian giants Juventus can certainly stake a claim for eye-watering ticket prices that makes watching some of the British rip-off merchants seem like a total bargain.
 |
| The Allianz Stadium from the outside |
Tickets for their game against Sampdoria last weekend went on general sale at €75 (that's also not including the €5.70 booking/card fee). The cheapest tickets, priced at €35 in the Curva Sud, are seemingly reserved purely for club members/ultras - thus forcing the general public into forking out extortionate amounts to see a game!
Their opponents, Sampdoria, aren't anywhere near as great as they were during their heyday in the 1990s when they were a genuine force to be reckoned with. The Genoa-based outfit aren't going to launch a title challenge anytime in the near future and nowadays, they're basically a mid-table team who might sneak a qualifying berth for the Europa League every now and then.
For the Bianconeri to charge such inflated prices for such opponents is scandalous and, one can only assume, the club has made this decision due to the stadium's relatively low capacity when compared to other clubs of a similar stature across the continent.
 |
| The most modern stadium in Italy |
Anyway, that's my rant finished on ticket prices. I don't expect the club to take any notice of a mere mortal such as myself, but for anyone reading this and thinking of heading here, it may be worth your while seeing Juventus against an unattractive team such as SPAL, Crotone or Benevento where hopefully prices will be lower.
Failing that, you could always stay in the city centre and go and watch Torino!
 |
| The Curva Sud (Ultra's End) where they get cheap tickets |
The Allianz Stadium is some seven kilometres from the city centre (built on the site as the hugely-unpopular former Stadio Delle Alpi), but it's relatively easy to reach.
The No.9 tram service runs from Porto Nuova station, passing Porto Susa and the Main Bus/Coach Terminus en route, and takes about 30-45 minutes. On matchdays, the service terminates at the stadium itself, whereas on non-matchdays, it finishes in the neighbourhood on the opposite side of the ground - closer to the shopping complex and Juventus Museum. Another option on matchdays, which I opted for, is to take the metro to Bernini (about half a dozen stops from Porto Nuova) and catch the tram from there. Again, this option takes around 30-45 minutes.
Whereas most stadiums in Italy are council-owned bowls in desperate need of redevelopment (and a roof quite often), Juventus are one of the extremely few clubs in the country who outright own their stadium and therefore facilities are much superior to everywhere else.
 |
| A restricted view seat at €90. Fantastic! |
It'll be a painstakingly slow progress but with A.S. Roma moving out of the Stadio Olimpico to their own smaller-capacity but outright-owned stadium within the next few years, hopefully they can lead the way for a lot of Italian clubs wishing to do the same.
When inside the stadium, it was disappointing that my €90 seat would be classed by some clubs as a restricted view seat as a protective glass shield at the front of the upper tier interfered with the view of the pitch!
Nevertheless, the PA system was probably the loudest that I've heard anywhere (except Rochdale where I once suffered a speaker doing horrendous things to my eardrums one Boxing Day) and a rousing rendition of 'Storia Di Un Grande Amore' certainly made the hairs on the back of neck stand up and made the ticket prices seem just a tiny bit more bearable.
 |
| The atmosphere was terrific and made up for the high prices |
Napoli's draw at AC Milan earlier in the day meant that a win for Juventus would put them six points clear of their title rivals with six games remaining and they subsequently took full advantage.
Sampdoria didn't roll over and make life easy for the hosts, but they simply couldn't deal with the free-flowing Bianconeri juggernaut that has romped to the last five Serie A titles! Yes, they had chances and Gigi Buffon had to make saves, but Juve looked capable of stepping up a gear or two whenever they wanted.
The game-changing moment came just before half-time when Douglas Costa provided Miralem Pjanic and delivered an inch-perfect cross for Mario Mandzukic to finish, which sparked jubilant scenes in the stands as Bianconeri fans danced away to The Fratelli's 'Chelsea Dagger' (goal music that seems to still be popular despite having been around for years now).
 |
| The game in progress as Juventus clinch another win |
Costa was at it again in the second half - providing two further assists for Benedikt Howedes to find the net with a bullet-header, before slipping the ball into the path of Sami Khedira who finished with aplomb with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.
The most disappointing player on the pitch was Paulo Dybala who had one weaving run towards the end of the first half, but subsequently contributed very little else and was replaced midway through the second period.
Why he is so highly rated and sought after by many of Europe's elite clubs remains a mystery. Although he can provide flashes of brilliance, such as in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals last season, he's yet to deliver the type of consistency that truly world class players do deliver on a week in, week out basis. It could be argued that his scoring record speaks for itself but surely nowadays a player is expected to deliver more than just goals and the odd flash of creativity? At international level he's yet to find the target and there are even doubts whether he'll be selected by Argentina for the World Cup itself later this year.
With his red card in the first-leg of the recent defeat to Real Madrid and his performance here, scouts from elsewhere could quite easily be having doubts over the thought of what he would actually contribute if he got a move to Manchester United, Barcelona or any other multi-million pound club with aspirations of winning trophies.
 |
| The view from the back of the upper tier at half-time was breathtaking |
All in all, this expensive trip to see 'the best stadium in Italy' wasn't worth the money as the high ticket prices leave a bittersweet taste that would put off a lot of potential visitors, but it was still a pleasure to witness Italy's best domestic team with the best players in the best stadium in the country...
 |
| A roof that provides cover and still allows you to get wet! |
...apart from the roof having gaps in it, which helped you get wet when it rained. Very strange!
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