JUVENTUS FC (Juventus Stadium)

SERIE A, JUVENTUS FC 3-2 FROSINONE CALCIO, ATTENDANCE: 40,719

Ciao! This was the fourth, and final, game of a four day trip to Italy. Today I headed back to the city of Turin, where this adventure started last Thursday, as Juventus welcomed Frosinone to the Juventus Stadium.

The 'old lady' of Italian football, Juventus were founded in 1897 and are the second oldest football club in Italy behind Genoa CFC. They are the most successful club in Italian football with 36 league titles, 14 Coppa Italia and 9 Italian Super Cups. They have also won the European Cup (twice in 1985 and 1996), UEFA Cup (three times in 1977, 1990 and 1993) Cup Winners Cup (in 1983) and the Super Cup (in 1984 and 1996).

Juve famously play in black and white striped shirts, these colours were adopted in 1905 after being inspired by Notts County. For people of my vintage, the Juventus side of the 1980's led by legendary Frenchman Michel Platini, and also containing Zbigniew Boniek and Marco Tardelli, is the one that sticks in the mind. Of course there have been a couple of Welsh legends who have turned out for I Bianconeri in the shape of John Charles and Ian Rush, who infamously claimed he couldn't settle in Italy as "it was like living in a foreign country".

The Juventus Stadium was opened in 2011 and was the first modern, club owned stadium to be built in Italy. For sponsorship purposes it is currently known as the Allianz Stadium. The ground has a capacity of 41,500, was built on the site of the old Stadio Delle Alpi and is approximately 5 miles from the city centre of Turin; I'd bear that in mind if you ever need a quick getaway after a game!

I'll be honest and say that after the atmosphere of last night's game at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, this stadium felt a little sterile by comparison.

This afternoon Juventus laboured to a 3-2 victory over struggling Frosinone and it took a 95th minute winner from defender Daniele Rugani to cruelly deny the visitors a deservedly point.

Dušan Vlahović put Juve ahead after just 3 minutes before Walid Cheddira headed home an equaliser after 14 minutes. Frosinone silenced the stadium when they took the lead after 27 minutes, Marco Brescianini firing home. Vlahović levelled after 32 minutes with a sublime left foot finish. All square at the break. Juventus dominated the second period but despite creating a few decent chances they didn't look like breaking the deadlock. Frosinone thought they had earned a deserved point but Rugani's intervention, with the last kick of the game, finally broke their resistance and their hearts.

That concluded a fantastic trip. A liitle bit hectic at times but well worth it. Until the next time, arrivederci!

GENOA CFC (Stadio Luigi Ferraris)

SERIE A, GENOA 2-0 UDINESE, ATTENDANCE: 31,126

Ciao! This was the third game of a four game, four day trip to Italy. Today I headed back across country to the city of Genoa as Genoa welcomed Udinese to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

The first thing you notice when you step outside the main Piazza Principe train station is the statue of Christopher Colombus as the famous 15th century explorer, the man who 'discovered the new world', was born in Genoa. This port city is on the UNESCO World Heritage list and the old town, with it's narrow streets, is certainly worth visiting.

Founded in 1893, as Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club, the club has a long sporting heritage. They are the oldest extant club in Italy. The club was set up to represent England abroad and they initially played in white shirts. The football club came to prominence in 1897 when Londoner James Spensley became the club's first manager and Genoa then won the the first ever Italian championship in 1898. Whilst he was in charge of the football club, now named Genoa Cricket and Football Club, they won the league a further 5 times. In total they have won the title on 9 occasions, the most recent though was in 1924. They are the fourth most successful club in Italian football.

View of the ground from outside Mackenzie Castle 

Genoa have played at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris since it's inauguration in 1911. The 'Marassi' is the oldest stadium in Italy still in use and is, of course, shared with city rivals Sampdoria. In 1933, the stadium was named in honour of Luigi Ferraris, a footballer and engineer who perished in World War One. His Silver Medal of Military Valor was later buried under the "Gradinata Nord" where the Genoa ultras congregate.

The Stadio Luigi Ferraris had been on my radar since it was used in Italia 90, it's striking design standing out in my Panini sticker book. This was the ground where David O'Leary scored the winning penalty for Ireland against Romania to send the Irish into the last eight of the tournament.

Whilst the ground is showing its age, well the section of ground I was in was certainly lacking in spectator comforts, it didn't disappoint in terms of a football theatre. The home fans are incredibly passionate and the scenes inside were absolutely fantastic.

In this mid-table encounter it was Udinese that started the brightest but they failed to take their chances. Both teams had been denied by the woodwork when, somewhat against the run of play, Genoa took the lead thanks to a superb overhead kick from Mateo Retegui (36). Cue scenes. The game was effectively won just four minutes later when Mattia Bani headed home Albert Gudmundsson's cross. Cue more scenes. A second yellow card for Thomas Kristensen on 49 minutes sealed Udinese fate and, in truth, for the rest of the second half it was more entertaining watching the Genoa ultras go about their business. Genoa should certainly have added to their goal tally and Udinese had a late effort ruled out for a foul, but 2-0 was how it finished.

Absolutely fanatical support from I Rossoblù and I would definitely put a visit here on your groundhopping bucket list!

SPAL 1907 (Stadio Paolo Mazza)

SERIE C: GROUP B, SPAL 0-0 AREZZO, ATTENDANCE: 6,078

Ciao! This was the second game of a four game, four day trip to Italy. Today I headed across country to the city of Ferrara, famous for it's renaissance architecture, as SPAL welcomed Arezzo to the Stadio Paolo Mazza.

Unfortunately the game was an insipid goalless draw in which neither side looked capable of breaking the deadlock. Even when Arezzo were reduced to 10 men on 56 minutes, Lorenzo Masetti recieving a second yellow card, I Biancazzurri could not make their man advantage count.

Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor (which is Latin for Sports Club Society of Art and Work) were originally founded in 1907 and have spent the majority of their history in the lower divisions. The most successful period in the clubs history was between 1951 and 1968 when the club played in the top flight for all bar one of these seasons. They achieved their highest ever finish (5th in 1960) and reached the Coppa Italia final in 1962 (losing to Napoli in the final, this after thrashing Juventus 4-1 in the semi-final). Fabio Cappello began his career at SPAL, playing 49 games between 1964 and 1967 before moving to Roma.

The club went bankrupt and reformed twice in modern times, in both 2005 and 2012. The second time it occurred the club were demoted to Serie D and they were eventually saved in 2013 when the Colombarini family, who had been funding AC Giacomense, became main shareholders. They changed the name Giacomense to SPAL and moved the club to Ferrara. Lifelong SPAL supporter Walter Mattioli was installed as club president and the club rose from Serie D back to Serie A. The club lasted four seasons in the top flight before suffering relegation to Serie B in 2020 and then to Serie C in 2023.

The home ground of SPAL is the Stadio Paolo Mazza, which was opened in September 1928 as Stadio Comunale and has undergone numerous redevelopments over the years. In February 1982 it was renamed in honour of former club president Paolo Mazza, who had died two months previously. A neat and tidy ground, it put me in mind of a mini- Hillsborough.

The stadium is a straightforward 10 minute walk from the train station and about a 15 minute from the city centre so, as like last night in Torino, there was plenty of time for a wee nightcap, and yet more pizza, before retiring for the night.

TORINO FC (Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino)

SERIE A, TORINO 0-2 LAZIO, ATTENDANCE: 22,742

Ciao! This was the first game of a four game, four day trip to Italy. I started in the city of Turin as Torino welcomed Lazio to the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.

It was a textbook away performance from I Biancocelesti. Torino created, and missed, a plethora of chances before Lazio's Mattéo Guendouzi (51) scored with their first effort on target. A second from Danilo Cataldi followed 5 minutes later and that was effectively game over.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men, after Mario Gila recieved a second yellow card, but Lazio were able to comfortably see the match out. Ex-Everton man Nikola Vlasic lined up for Torino and was probably their best player on the night.

Founded in 1906, Torino Football Club are among the most successful clubs in Italy with seven league titles, including five consecutive league titles during the 1940s. The Grande Torino, as the team was nicknamed, were regarded as one of the strongest footballing sides of the period until the entire team was killed in the 1949 Superga air disaster. In truth, the club has never really recovered.

Torino play their home games at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, renamed in honour of the 1940's team in 2016, which has been home since 1963. The ground was originally built in 1933 and named after Benito Mussolini before changing name to the Stadio Comunale after the war. The ground was redeveloped for the 2006 Winter Olimpic games and subsequently known as the Stadio Olympico.

Tram number 4 from the main station takes you to and from ground, so post match it was back into town where there was just about time for a quick snifter and a slice of pizza before heading back to the hotel.