'See Naples and die' is the phrase associated with this coastal city in Italy, whoever first coined it must have been talking about crossing the road as the drivers in southern Italy are maniacs! Or perhaps they had bumped into the local 'Camorra'. Either way we decided the Amalfi coasts and all its citrus delights were just perfect so off we set on a journey to Sorrento passing through Naples and many other historic towns such as Pompeii and Herculaneum which were desemated years ago by the great Mount Vesuvius erupion practically wiping the two towns out.
On first glance Naples is a city that could do with an army of litter-pickers followed up by an army of painters to bring it into the modern age. However the city holds a wonderful rustic charm, certainly the marmite of tourism in the way that you'll either love it or hate it. For us, we loved Naples, despite the prior warnings of petty criminals and insane traffic laws that would all fade into insignificance once one's lips were wrapped around a famous Neopolitan Pizza, they are just to die for. Perhaps thats what the phrase means after all.
So, back to what you have all come on here to read about, football! Or 'Calcio' as it is known in Italian. The Neopolitans love their football nearly as much as they do their pizza or gelato, a certain small, fat Argentinian fellow by the name of Diego Maradona once plied his trade at the Stadio San Paolo, home to Napoli. We came to the conclusion that this was a must-see on our world tour of stadia.
So what of the San Paolo? Well it is not too far from the bay of Naples offering a superb backdrop with Mount Vesuvious making it one of the most picturesque stadiums in the world. Napoli as a club have been battered from pillar to post by the Italian F.A and have made their way up from the doldrums of Italian football to compete in Serie A once again, recently taking on Liverpool in the Europa league and when full, this stadium provides one of the best atmospheres in the country. On approach to the stadium the vast size of it hits you straight away, the wonderful symmetry of the roof and the history in the air, it is however worth noting that the Napoli supporters are very passionate about their team and even in the summer months I would advise visitors to exercise caution around the ground and the surrounding area.
Continuing on from Naples we stayed in a small town called Sant'Agnello just outside of Sorrento. Sorrento itself is a very popular town right in the heart of the amalfi coast, from here trips to the island of Capri are easily accessable and the town offers some of the best restaurants that we have ever had the pleasure of eating in, plus the natural beauty of the place is quite simply stunning. Tucked away in the backstreets of Sorrento however is the Stadio Italia, home to Sorrento F.C plying their trade currently in Liga Pro Prima Division A, formerly known as Serie C1. The ground itself is a cross between an old style League 2 stadium and a University sides stadium. The pitch is synthetic turf also and gaining access to the stadium is remarkably easy as we just walked in for a few casual photo's.
So here ends our Italian footballing odyssey for now, however I do recommend if you are in this area, go check out some old school stadia, particularly those are Naples, Sorrento, Castellemare de Stabia and Meta. For now though, Ciao!
The City.....
Naples is situated on the west coast of Italy, around two hours from Rome. The city's airport is Capodichino which is around 3 miles outside the city centre. Take Bus 3S to Garibaldi station in the centre of Naples, tickets cost around 3 euro's and you must validate your ticket on the bus by stamping it within one of the yellow machines, failure to do this may result in a hefty fine. The City of Naples is charming and sublime in many ways, with fashion outlets and sights to see like the famous Duomo cathederal and Bay of Naples however Naples is notorious for petty crime so be on your guard, common sense is your best defence. Enjoy Naples! Sorrento can be reached by the circumvesuviana trainline at Napoli Garibaldi station at a cost of 3 euro's single ticket and 6 euros return. This train goes through the districts of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Sant'Agnello amongst others, this train is usually awash with tourists which attracts gypsies and pickpockets so once again, exercise caution.
What to do/eat/drink.....
When in Naples it is most customary to indulge in a Naples pizza, they really are incredible! A recommended outlet is Da Michele restaurant just off the Corso Umberto not too far from Garibaldi station. The famous drink in Sorrento and all the Amalfi coast is Limoncello, a lemon based liquour often served as an aperatif after meals. You won't have to go far for a Limoncello outlet as they are quite literally everywhere! In Sorrento I would highly recommend the restaurant Bougainvillea, an ice cream parlour with a restaurant at the rear located just opposite the English Inn on the Corso Italia. A true hidden gem as we dined here no less than 4 times during our stay, the food is exceptional.
How to get to the stadium...
The best way to reach the Stadio San Paolo is to take the city's subway system to Campi Flegri station. A word of warning before you venture onto the subway, try to take a map or ask for one as the subway is literally a guessing game in Naples as no guide book we found seemed to have a map! Exit Campi Flegri and continue straight ahead and you will see the stadium above the tree's.
Getting a ticket.....
Tickets for Napoli can be purchased from Newsagents around the city and ticket offices close to the stadium, games at Napoli generally don't sell out so aquiring a ticket on the day of the game is not particularly difficult. Napoli's ultra's group are located in the Curve B and are best avoided. Ticket prices begin from around 18 Euro in the Curva's behind the goal.
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