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!

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.

FENIX TROPHY FINALE, STADIO ROMEO NERI, RIMINI

FENIX TROPHY FINAL 8 WEEKEND:

GRAND FINAL - PRAGUE RAPTORS 0-2 FC UNITED of MANCHESTER

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH -AS LODIGIANI CALCIO 1-1 BRERA FC*

5th/6th PLAY-OFF - HFC FALKE 2-2 AKS ZŁY*

7th/8th PLAY-OFF - CD CUENCA MESTALLISTES 2-3 AFC DWS

* won on penalties 

ATTENDANCE: c500 

After heading to Milan for a group stage game in April, this weekend I was back in Italy as the inaugural Fenix Trophy reached it's grand finale.

The 'Final 8' took place at the Stadio Romeo Neri, the home of Rimini FC, and the format saw the two groups of teams play the other that finished in the respective position, concluding with group winners Prague Raptors and FC United of Manchester playing each other for the honour of lifting the trophy. Tickets were a very reasonable €10 for all four games and included a souvenir ticket and programme.

Host club Rimini FC are currently a Serie D side and have played at stadium since it's inauguration in 1930. The ground is named after Italian gymnast Romeo Neri, the first citizen of Rimini to participate in the Olympic Games in both 1928 (Amsterdam) and 1932 (Los Angeles). The ground has a capacity of around 9,500 but today only one side was in use and, thank goodness, it was the covered side as shelter from the sun was much needed.

Rimini were hosting the tournament by way of a tourist opportunity, using the opportunity to bring in fans from around Europe to this famous seaside resort. They certainly put on a good show.

I made my way to the Adriatic Coast on the Friday and, after my flight was delayed for around two hours, I arrived into Bologna very late in the evening. I didn't see the first game of the tournament on the Friday night, the all Italian affair between AS Lodigiani and Brera. That game ended in a 1-1 draw, with the team from Milan winning on penalties.

After my delayed arrival, meaning I didn't check in my hotel until 3am, I overslept on the Saturday morning so by the time I had gone for my walk along the beach and to grab a spot of lunch, I never arrived at the ground until the second half of the 7th place play-off off match. 

The team from Valencia, CD Cuenca Mestallistes, were winning 2-1 upon my arrival but at full time it was AFC DWS of Amsterdam who had turned it around and won the game 3-2.

The 5th place play-off pitted Hamburg side HFC Falke against AKS Zły from Warsaw. The sides played out a 2-2 draw before, in a shocking turn up for the books, the Germans lost on penalties. That's right a German team lost on penalties!

The main event between FC United and Prague Raptors kicked off slightly late, as yet another flight from Manchester was delayed, but luckily all the fans were inside the stadium to witness the Red Rebels become the only British team to lift European silverware this season.

First half goals courtesy of Ali Waddecar and Joe Duckworth ensured the Fenix Trophy would be heading to Broadhurst Park. The game was played at a pedestrian pace but that was understandable in the 28⁰c heat in Rimini and once United went 2-0 up there was no danger of them surrendering that advantage.

The atmosphere of whole day, and indeed tournament overall, was very convivial, as supporters mixed together in the stand, certainly living up to the Fenix Trophy's motto of "making friends not millionaires". I'm sure the beer from a local brewery that was on sale at the ground helped tremendously!

I would estimate there were between 500 and 600 fans in attendance, of which about 80% were United and around 15% were Falke. Hopefully the interest generated by the tournament will result in it's return next season. I'm sure the FC United, and their fans, would love the opportunity to defend their title.

Michael Potts lifts the Fenix Trophy after his final appearance for FC United. 

🇮🇹🏆🇮🇹

PARMA CALCIO 1903 (Stadio Ennio Tardini)

SERIE B, PARMA CALCIO 4-3 COMO 1907, ATTENDANCE: 5,310

Our first game of the day took us to the city of 'ham and cheese' for an afternoon encounter at the Stadio Ennio Tardini. 

Parma is, of course, the world famous home of Parmaesan cheese and Parma ham. Indeed these are protected designations of origin for foods and, under Italian and European law, can only be called so if produced in the provinces of Reggio Emilia . Therefore is was only right and proper that prior to the game we headed to the famous 'La Prosciutteria'  shop in the city to sample the delights!

  "Say cheese"  

There was also time for a few local ales at 'Casa Ducato' before making the 20 walk to the stadium. Parma have certainly have an interesting history to say the least, especially in the recent years.

Originally founded in 1913, the club was declared bankrupt in 2015 and liquidated. The club reformed in Serie D and achieved three successive promotions to return to Serie A before dropping back to Serie B last season.

The financial problems originally went back to the turn of the millennium. After a decade of unprecedented success in which Parma won eight major trophies between 1992 and 2002 - four Coppa Italia, one Supercoppa Italiana, two UEFA cups and one European Cup Winners Cup.

These teams featured legendary players such as Tomas Brolin, Gianfranco Zola, Faustino Asprilla, Dino Baggio, Hernan Crespo and Gianluigi Buffon,  who is still going strong at the age 44 and recently signed a new 1 year contract extension at Parma.

The success in the 1990's was funded by Calisto Tanzi, who was the founder of Parmalat, a multi-national dairy and food company, but he was found guilty of one of largest frauds in European history, leading to the company's collapse. This led to the club going into administration in 2004 before it's eventual demise in 2015.

The Stadio Ennio Tardini has been home to Parma since it's inauguration in 1923, and is named after the former club president. It was he who drew up the plans for the stadium but died before completion. The ground was reconstructed in the 1990's, when the club was promoted to Serie A, to incorporate the requisite number of seats required for top flight football.

Parma were hosting Como this afternoon and with both teams having nothing to play for expectations of a classic encounter were low. However, with no pressure comes freedom and both teams served up a brilliant game to watch. There were chances galore for either side but in the Parma ran out winners by the odd goal in seven.

The teams entered the field to the strains of the Triumphal March from Aida, by the Parma born Giuseppe Verdi, indeed when Parma formed they were originally named Verdi FC in honour of the famous composer.

Franco Vázquez (31) gave Parma a half time lead before substitute Ettore Gliozzi equalised on the hour mark. Gliozzi's second of the match (67) gave Como the lead before two stunning free kicks from Adrián Bernabé (77 & 81) put the home side 3-2 up. A fourth goal from Gennaro Tutino (85) effectively sealed the victory but a late penalty from Gliozzi, to complete his hat-trick, did set up a grandstand finish but Parma held out.

Match highlights can be found by clicking here