Olympic Stadium, Rome

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Stadio Olimpico in Rome is the second biggest stadium in Italy (after San Siro in Milan). It was built for the Olympic Games that were held in the city in 1960, and then heavily rebuilt for the World Cup in football in 1990.

The stadium is built in a "circle" with the curves on the short side of the stadium. Curva Nord holds the Lazio hardcore, while Curva Sud is for Roma supporters.

Tribuna Monte Mario is the west stand, where they have the VIP-seats, press tribune and the more expensive tickets.

On the other side you'll find Tribuna Tevere, still great seats, but a bit cheaper.

Away supporters are located on the same side as Tribuna Monte Mario, at the start of the curva.

There is normally a bit of a problem to find your right seat, as it doesn't says the same on the ticket as it says in the stadium... So try go ask one of the stewards, and he/she will show you where your sit is. Or just ask any in the crowd that looks like he/she knows what they are talking about.

Stadio Olimpico holds 82 000 spectators, and was used as the final venue of both the Euro 1980 and the World Cup 1990. During the 1990s there were also a Champions League-final played here, and in 2008 the final will once again be held here. It's one of the stadiums in Europe that Uefa rank with 5*.

Outside the stadium there is a park, and then an old stadium with running tracks. The tracks are surrounded with beautiful statues in white marble.

When you up to the stadium from the Tiber river you'll pass the Olympic committee and the old, pink, building that were used for the Olympics in 1960.

Equipment: The stadium is a bit far away from the city center, but it's easy to get there with metro, bus or tram.
I normally take the metro to "Ottaviano" (the same stop as for going to the Vatican state). When getting up, cross the street to the right, and then take bus number 12. It will stop just 200 meters from the stadium, outside the pink buildings I wrote about above.

Problem is after the game when it's really crowded and there are less busses. I have many times walked back to Ottaviano by foot, but it's quite far and it takes about 45 minutes-1 hour if you walk pretty quickly. Better to use the busses from Piazza Mancini in that case (see below)

You can also take the metro to Flaminio, and from there take a bus to Piazza Mancini (should most probably stand on the bus window). From the piazza you just follow the crowd up to the stadium. First you go about 500 meters until you reach the Tiber river, and then cross the street, and you'll see the stadium in front of you.

Bus 910 goes from Mancini to Termini (thanks Cassie! ;) )

Remember the new security rules for seeing football in Rome, so get your ticket a couple of days in advance, and go to the stadium early as it will take you forever to get inside with all the new controls... The earlier you get there, the less crowded and hectic it will be too!

The Olympic Stadium (Stadio Olimpico) was built in 1937 and then re-built again in the 1953 and in the 1960 for the Olympics. The actual roof was added before the 1990 World Cup Finals. Both Lazio and Roma play their home matches here.
To tell the truth, I went there to watch something else. This event is called GOLDEN GALA and is part of the IAAF's Golden League of Track and Field.
PS: I also went to see Italy-Ukraine match! It was cool!!!

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The Olympic Stadium and the athletics ground next to it still breath the Olympic atmosphere. Have a look at the huge concrete statues around the stands. Enter the cinder track through the main entrance and close your eyes.

This stadium was used for the Olympic Games in 1960 (The XXVII Olympiad, with 83 countries from around the world participating) - thus its name. In the grounds (yes, literally in the ground) around the stadium there are mosaics depicting different events in the Olympics (discus, hurdling, running, etc.), there are also statues in similar stances as well in area just to the right of the stadium.

Since then the stadium has been used for quiet a few big sports events. It has also been used for the 1987 World Athletics Championship and the 1990 World Cup (football).

Today however the stadium is home to two football teams: Roma (founded in 1927) and Lazio (founded in 1900). I have heard that getting tickets for games here can be expensive, and sometimes the crowd is not so friendly (hooliganism), but soccer is a huge part of Italian culture and you should try to see a game when you are here (I myself did not get to see a game here, wrong time)

On our first afternon in Rome soccer club AS Roma had a home game against Sampdoria from Genoa. Went along early to the stadium but found no tickets on sale except for touts who wanted far too much. The game was a 0-0 draw and after reading Cheekymaria's comments about the stadium I don't think we missed to much.
Slightly disappointed but there you go!

Sport.
On the sunday we arrived Lazio were playing Reggina. I was told you could get match tickets from places displaying Lottomatic logo. After trying 5 with no luck we gave up and headed for the ground. Where i was also told you could get match tickets. Had no luck there either.
Get the metro to Ottaviano, walk across the main road, going the opposite way to the Vatican. Catch a 12 bus and after 10 - 15 mins you will be at the Olympic stadium. When you see the river you know you are there.
We managed to get a ticket for 25 euro off a tout for the game. Met some great Lazio lads in the curva nord and had a great day. A season ticket for Lazio is 120 euro incidently!!!!
On the wedesday we was there Middlesborough were playing Roma, so we decided to go to that. Went into the Roma club shop and got a match ticket for 10 euro, just had to show our passports. You can do the same in the Lazio club shop for getting match tickets.
This was totally different as a English team was playing, lots of fighting and the police were heavy handed.
The game finished at 11pm. We was kept in the stadium until 1am, then packed onto buses like sardines, left on them til 2am, then drove to a park in the middle of nowhere and booted out at 3am, and left to it.

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I went to watch Middlesbrough play AS Roma. Middlesbrough may have lost 2-1 on the evening but we qualified for the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup on away goals thanks to a goal on the evening by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Despite all the intimidation and 'dirty tricks' we faced, still the team qualified.

The Olympic Stadium in Rome sounds grand doesn't it? The photos that I took of it make it look impressive too, but there are no close ups. I have never been to such a dirty stadium (and there are probably about 80 to choose from).( In Ostrava we dared actually sit on our seat out in the open, they managed to keep them clean.) The Olympic Stadium has a roof covering the stadium. I don't know if the visitors area had ever seen a cleaner! My friend bravely visited the toilet and immediately regretted it. It was worse than the Old Wembley stadium ... and they have knocked that down and rebuilt it!

But police who don't have a clue spoilt the day though. Two and a half hours sat on a coach waiting to go to the stadium ... and because of their ineptness we missed the first 7 minutes. To add insult to injury, it was one hour and thirty five minutes after the game finished before they let us out of the stadium. There are now two football grounds that I will never return to - Stamford Bridge (even if I was tempted to go back on my word there the prices would put me off these days) and now the Olympic Stadium.

Equipment: Take something to clean your seat with. The Stadium was built in 1930 and the seats don't seem to have been cleaned since then.

Also take some comfortable shoes so that you can stand for the whole match.

I went to Stadio Olimpico, to watch a soccer game (Lazio - Lecce). I've always been a fan of Lazio, so I really wanted to see them live. Stadio Olimpico has a capacity of 82 000 persons. It's located in the North of Rome in the Foro Italico sportpark.

So, if you're interested in soccer it's an experience so watch some italian soccer =)

Equipment: Some patience...