Verona - Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi - Capacity: 39,211 All Seater
The Stadium – Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi Piazzale Olimpia, Via Perloso, Vernona
The Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi is one of the classic stadiums in Italy. It is named after a 19th century Veronese politician. It was built in 1963 and is very similar in design and look to the stadiums in Naples and Udinese. The stadium was used in Italia 1990, hosting matches between Belgium and South Korea, Belgium and Uruguay and Spain versus Belgium as well as a second round match between Yugoslavia and Spain. It is a three tiered elliptical stadium, with a running track around the edge. The roof covers all but the lower tier and views are excellent from most places. Therefore it is best to avoid seats in the lower tier due to these factors. The away fans tend to be placed in the North end of the stadium.
Who Plays There? Just 15 years ago Chievo sat in the amateur leagues. Their rise to Serie A is now the stuff of legends in Italian football, even more so because of the contrasting fortunes of Hellas. Despite the fact the club were formed in 1929, the team played in local football and amateur leagues until they finally reached Serie C2 in 1986. They stayed in this league for three years, winning promotion to C1 in 1989.
The club consolidated their position in Serie B for the next few years, playing second fiddle to their city rival Hellas Verona who were challenging for the title at the time. However in 2002 the miracle happened. Chievo were promoted in 3rd place in Serie B – it was almost more perfect as Hellas Verona had to endure an end of season relegation play-off with Reggina to determine who would replace Chievo. Fortunately for the Yellow and Blues, Verona won to at least allow all of the fans a chance to see the most unlikely city derby in Italian football history. In this first season Chievo finished in 5th place, missing out on a Champions League spot on the last day of the season to Milan and even leading Serie A for a time over Christmas. To make matters even better for them, Hellas Verona were relegated.
The team under the inspirational Luigi Del Neri went on to successive UEFA Cup spots, and even when he left, the team have yet to go the way that many predicted each season. At the end of the 2006 season, due to the enforced demotion of Juventus and AC Milan, Chievo found themselves promoted up the league meaning that they qualified for the group stages of the Champions League for the first time in their history. However, the team are no more than performing above their weight and so expect a swift Champions League campaign. New coach Guiseppe Pillon performed miracles last season and will expect the same sort of consistency this time out. The team has been built on local talent, although expect big things from ex-Juventus star Matteo Brighi. More details of the club can be found on their official website at http://www.chievoverona.com.
If Chievo’s recent form is worrying, then Hellas Verona’s is positively alarming. They ended the first half of the 2006/07 season in third from bottom place and without a home win for over six months. The fall from grace of one of Italy’s most respected clubs, coupled with the amazing rise in fortunes of Chievo is the stuff of legends. Twenty five years ago Chievo were no more than a Sunday amateur side, playing in the local leagues around the city, whilst Hellas Verona went on to win Serie A in 1985.
The team were originally formed in 1903 when a group of students from the University decided to take up the game which was so popular in the cities of Milan and Turin. They took their name in homage to their Classics lecturer – Hellas being the Greek word for Greece. In 1906 the team started playing in earnest against local clubs from Vicenza and the Veneto, using the historic Roman Amphitheatre north of the river as their home ground. After merging with a number of teams from the city, the team were admitted into the professional Serie B league in 1929.
It took them nearly thirty years to reach the top division, merging with Verona’s biggest amateur club in the mid 1950’s to form the club today known as Hellas Verona. During the 1960’s, the team were relegated back to the 2nd division, and it wasn’t until the appointment of Swedish coach Nils Liedholm that the team started making some great strides on the pitch. In 1968 they returned to the top flights again, where they would remain for nearly 25 years, apart from a single season in 1974-75 when they were relegated due to an off the field scandal involving President Saverio Garonzi.
A year later, on returning to Serie A, the club made some excellent progress in the Coppa Italia with victories over Torino, Cagliari and Inter Milan taking them to the final where they lost 4-0 to Napoli. In the early 1980’s coach Osvaldo Bagnoli started to build a squad that would make a serious impact on Italian football. In 1983 they finished 4th in Serie A and again were runners up in the Coppa Italia after throwing away a 2-0 home win against Juventus to lose in extra time 3-0 in Turin. A year later they reached the final again, this time losing to Roma in the two legged final.
However, the team had a taste of success and with a team featuring players such as Hans-Peter Briegel, Preben Elkjaer and Antonio di Gennaro the following season they nosed in front of a pack including Torino, Juventus, Sampdoria and Inter Milan to capture their first ever Serie A title on the penultimate weekend of the season. The team therefore had the opportunity to compete in Europe’s biggest club competition – he European Cup.
A 5-2 win in the first round against PAOK Salonika took them through to an all Italian tie with holders Juventus. Despite taking the game to the team from Turin for most of the tie, a 2-0 home win in Turin was enough to eliminate Hellas Verona. Unfortunately, the legacy of the club’s stay at the top were felt for years afterwards, and in 1991 the club were forced to fold, with crippling debts, only to reform as Verona FC. The club also dropped down into Serie B with regularity during the 1990’s. Despite having players in the team such as a young Adrian Mutu, Martin Laursen and Mauro Camoranesi the club were relegated for the final time in 2002 – but not before Chievo had joined them for a season in Serie A. That final game in spring 2002 which saw Chievo win 2-1 was the last time the teams met.
Worse was to follow in 2004 when the team fell into Serie C1 after a disasterous post-Christmas campaign. Whilst the club quickly returned to Serie B, where despite a late run of form in 2005 which nearly saw them promoted, they have remained. Unless big money is injected into the club soon, they will fall the way of neighbours Vicenzia and Venezia whilst new kids on the block Catania, Messina and Livorno take their place in Serie A.
How to get to the Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi The stadium is located to the south west of the city centre, and is a pleasant 15 minute walk from the Porto Nouva station. Come out of the station and cut across the car park to the left until you reach Viale Andrea Palladio. Then just follow this road all the way north to the stadium, past the bars and cafes. If you are coming from the city centre then head towards Castel Vecchio and then walk southwards down Corso Cavour, through the city calls and across the river until you reach Viale Andrea Palladio. Then turn right and the stadium will be a 5 minute walk away. If you want to use public transport then bus numbers 11,12 and 13 run from the city centre to the stadium via Porto Nuovo station.
For a detailed view of where the stadium is in Verona, go to Footiemap.com.
How to get a ticket for the Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi In the 2005-2006 season new laws have been introduced to help fight violence in football stadiums. Tickets are supposed to be issued to named individuals, upon provision of address and ID. The application of these laws is causing a headache for everyone, and as we write most clubs still haven't organised their online ticket sales or published guidelines for purchase. Some interpretations mean you need to buy your ticket in advance (with no sales on matchday at the stadium) upon presentation of ID, address and maybe even an Italian tax code. This seems to us to discriminate more against the innocent (like the overseas fans who turn out in force for Italian fixtures), than the guilty. Overseas fans buying tickets online will have been used to providing their details anyway, but now it is likely that full details are required for each member of your party. If you can't buy tickets online before your trip, purchase them as soon as you arrive in Italy. Hotels can sometimes be good sources of advice. Make sure everyone in your group takes their ID (passports are best) with them when you collect your ticket, and to the football ground.
With such a big stadium, and a small supporter base, getting a ticket to see Chievo or Verona is not normally an issue. However if you want to try and buy a ticket in advance then you can via the club’s website. The only game that tends to sell out is the matches versus Juventus. The ticket offices at the ground can be found on the west side of the stadium near the officials entrance, and on the east side. Tickets range in price from €10 to €35 for a Tribuna ticket.
Around the Stadio Marc Antonio Bentegodi The area around the stadium is quite residential, with some nice plush flats to the south. There are a few bars and cafes on Viale Andre Palladio on the walk up from the station. The city centre is only 15 minutes away and so it may be best to stick to the area around the Arena.
Getting around The centre of Verona is very compact, and most of the main sights are located close enough not to have to rely on public transport. There is a small tourist train that runs around the city centre every hour in the summer, and this is a good bet if you want to give your legs or your stomach a break after a hearty lunch. If you do chose to use the local buses, then you need to buy tickets from the machines beside the bus stops, tobacconists displaying a “T” sign or from the main train station. A €1 ticket will cover you for any journey within the city centre.
Verona’s small airport is located six miles south west of the city and is primarily served by British Airways who fly direct to Catullo from London Gatwick, supplementing the daily flights from London Stansted by Air Italy. Airport buses leave every 20 minutes from outside the arrivals doors, costing €4, taking 15 minutes to reach the Stazione Porta Nuova. A taxi to the Arena would costs around €20.
Located 30 miles to the west of Verona is the small regional airport of Gabriele D’Annunzio. Whilst it is significantly closer to Brescia (only 4 miles to the south), Ryanair prefer to call it Verona on their route map.
Buses run direct to Verona from the airport, taking 45 minutes and costing €16. Alternatively, you can get a local bus to Brescia train station and then hop on a regular train to Verona Porto Nuova station.
